Radclyffe - Honor Under Siege

like you do, you can plan on sticking around here where your

friends are for a while.

“Thank you, Valerie softly. “Ill do

that.

“Good. Savard turned and started toward the command center. “Then

lets go to work.

“Good morning, Cam said as Valerie came in. Felicia nodded to her.

“Our priority for the day, and every day until its accomplished, is to

identify your handler. Wel work from the assumption that hes an

associate of Mathesons, because otherwise we dont even have a

starting place.

“Al

right.

“I want you to scan the files Davis has compiled of known

Matheson associates, including the academy students. We might get

lucky.

Valerie smiled rueful y. “We could use some

luck.

“Before we get to that, Cam said, “I want Stark to join us so she can hear

how you got behind our lines. She opened her phone and pushed

several buttons. “Chief, can you come down for a minute? Thanks.

While they waited, Valerie and Felicia got cof ee and opened several

boxes of doughnuts that Tanners day crew had delivered.

“Its good to have the team back together, Felicia

said.

“It is. Valerie opened the refrigerator for milk. “Hows

Mac?

“Hes back on the team, too. Hes up at the main house seconding for

Stark. Im sure youl see him later. Felicia smiled and stirred her cof

ee. “Hesmaking a remarkable recovery.

Valerie studied her with interest.

“Real y. Felicia met her gaze.

“Quite.

“Wel , good for

you.

“Yes, it is. She sipped her cof ee. “Ah,

Diane?

“Luckily, shes forgiven

me.

Felicia shook her head. “I dont believe she ever thought there was

anything to forgive.

“I hope youre

right.

At the sound of the front door closing sharply, Felicia said, “Time for

round two. Starks not going to be happy.

“I dont blame her. Valerie fol owed Felicia back into the other room and

sat at the table next to Cam. Stark sat stif ly across from her.

“Good morning, Chief, Valerie said

formal y.

“Agent

Lawrence.

“Valerie wil do, Valerie said

softly.

Stark seemed to relax by degrees. “Sorry. That was quite a stunt you pul

ed last night. We could have kil ed you.

“I wanted to talk to

Cameron. “Did you ever

hear of a phone? “I dont like

phones.

“How about a car? You could have driven right up to the foot of this

road and our people would have stopped you, checked your ID, and cal

ed me.

“Assuming they were al your people, and

trustworthy.

“You dont trust us? Paula flicked her gaze to Cam, who said

nothing.

“I trust you and the other people in this room. And Mac, and

Hara, and Wozinski. I dont trust people I dont know. Valeries face

was hard to read. “Besides, I might have been fol owed.

“How do you know you werent? Paula couldnt keep the anger from her

voice. “You know youre a target, and you could have led whoever

might be fol owing you right here. And showed them a back door in.

“Number one, Valerie said, “anyone who might want me dead already

knows where you are. I was extracted from here a few weeks ago,

remember?

Paula said nothing, but the muscles along her jaw

tightened.

“Number two, no one fol owed me last

night.

“How do you know that? Paula

demanded.

“Because Ive been on the island since late last week. No one has

been fol owing me.

“The marina, Cam said, annoyed with herself for not having

anticipating that.

Felicia laughed. Stark merely stared. Savard made a point of not looking

at her lover.

Valerie

smiled.

“Yes.

“You came in by

boat?

“I rented a slip at the marina for my cabin cruiser a

while ago.

Cam glanced out the window, realizing how far ahead Valerie had

planned her moves. On some level, she must have been uneasy with her

assignment from the beginning. “You set up an alternate identity when

you were here working with us last month. So when we did a sweep for

any newly registered guests last week, you didnt turn up. You were

already there.

“I worried when the Company sent me in to infiltrate your team that it

wasnt going to turn out wel . Its always prudent to establish a new

identity when you cant be certain that any of your old ones wil be safe.

Valerie spoke directly to Cam. “And I knew if you wanted to get Blair

to someplace inaccessible, youd come back here.

“Your handler doesnt know about any of

this?

“No.

Stark made an exasperated sound. “So last night you just circled around

the tip of the island on foot and walked down the beach.

“Yes. Not exactly the route Id use for a surprise at ack, but it got me

where I

wanted

to

go.

“So we can assume, Cam said, “that Matheson and your handler suspect

were here. They know the general area since they were able to

extract you

undetected, but we hadnt established a perimeter that far from the houses

at the time.

“Tanner has had reconnaissance boats on the water twenty-four hours

a day since weve been here. Stark looked pointedly at Valerie. “Other

than normal marina traf ic, every vessel is monitored to ensure they

arent at empting a beach landing.

Valerie felt a mixture of gratitude, guilt, and relief at the

disclosure. Stark trusted her or she would not be discussing

their security measures. Valerie could tell her col eague was still

angry with her for ignoring procedure the night before, but at

least she was talking as if they were still on the same side.

“Im sorry I put your team in an awkward position, Chief, she

said. “To tell you the truth, I just wanted to get here.

“Wel , we didnt shoot you, which is the main thing. It would

have caused all kinds of hassles trying to come up with a cover

story for that.

Cam gave Stark a nod, part affirmation, part prompt.

Stark rose. “If you dont need me any longer, Commander, Ill

go back to the marina and look at everyone who has a slip or

rents a room there.

“I think were done, Chief. You intend to advise Tanner of

the situation? Cam struggled not to issue orders to secure the

marina.

“Immediately, and Ill inform Egret and Ms. Bleeker that

the marina is off-limits for the time being until weve secured it.

“Thank you.

Stark nodded to the group and left.

“What name have you been using here? Felicia asked Valerie.

“Ingrid Klein.

“You realize youve just burned that identity if you want

to disappear again, Savard pointed out.

“I seem to be limiting my options, dont I? Valerie met Cams

eyes. Savard smiled. “Looks like youll just have to stay.

“Well then, put me to work.

Felicia turned a laptop in her direction. An array of photos

filled the screen. “Start looking.

* * * * *

Six hours later Valerie pushed away from the table in disgust.

“If hes in here, she said, gesturing toward the computer, “I

dont recognize him.

“When you met, did you ever get the feeling that he

was disguised? Felicia asked.

Valerie shook her head. “No. He always looked like a

nondescript guy in an off the rack business suit.

“Which Im sure is exactly how he wanted to

look.

Valerie rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Maybe we should

try military archives.

“And start where? What branch, what years?