Page 56 of Rules of Engagement

Chapter Thirteen

The only thing good about being outside at that moment when the raindrops began to fall, was Captain McAuley's paranoia appeared to slowly vanish. Unfortunately, that had the opposite effect on me. What did he need to tell me that he couldn't risk anyone overhearing? I wasn't a hundred percent certain, but I was ninety-nine percent sure it wasn't any fashion advice. The Army and I had agreed to disagree on any fashion-related discussions a long time ago.

"What do you know of his career after he left the Army?" asked Captain McAuley.

"He was in the CIA," I said. Next to me, Maddox appeared unsurprised by the information.

"Solomon was an excellent agent," started McAuley. I walked between two tall men, going past a platoon of marching soldiers, and towards a small green area that was neither recreational park nor purposeful ground.

"Joining the CIA was a brilliant move for him, and I fully expected him to ascend the ranks there as swiftly as he did in the Army. For the first year, it looked like he was doing that. We weren't in touch a lot because I was overseas. Solomon was wherever he was, but we did manage to stay in contact over the years, as you know."

"Did something eventful happen during that time?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, especially of the details, or even if it has any bearing on what's now happened, but yes, something happened, which was why he left the CIA."

"How long ago are we talking?" asked Maddox.

"I don't know exact dates but it would have to be a few years ago. A couple years before he started the agency."

"We've been working on a list of names of people who might hold grudges against him and possibly want to collect. Do you have any names to add?"

"No, I don't," replied Captain McAuley. "Not because it's classified and I can't tell you but because the people I'm thinking of weren't terrorists or warlords."

"Who were they?" I asked.

"Us," he said. "At least, he might have left the agency under some kind of a dark cloud. I'm worried he might have created some home-grown enemies."

"People from the agency?" asked Maddox.

"It's possible, but I couldn't identify them exactly. Solomon never named names."

"Why did he leave the CIA if he was doing so well?" I asked.

"He was doing very well with the general operative work. A man like Solomon can get into anything. He could easily change his ethnicity to fit the requirements of the job. His language skills are excellent. Spanish, Russian, French, Italian... I think he even speaks a bit of Chinese and Arabic."

"I always wondered how he managed to get the good stuff from the Chinese takeout," I mumbled to myself.

Captain McAuley laughed. "His computer skills are also top level. He retains information, faces, names. He's strong and dynamic..."

"Yeah, we get the picture," said Maddox. "Stop reading from his online dating profile and get to the good stuff."

"I don't think he's ever dated online," said McAuley, entirely oblivious to the jest. "Eighteen months or so later, he was moved into black ops. Unsanctioned operations."

"That’s for getting stuff done without leaving a paper trail," explained Maddox.

"I've been to the movie theater," I replied. "I know what a black op is."

"What you don't know is how psychologically breaking they can be. This wasn't a straightforward combat situation where it's kill-or-be-killed. This was very different," said McAuley.

I stopped. "Are you saying Solomon was hired as an assassin?"

"I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying I don't know all the details, but I do know he was asked to do something he found unconscionable and that was why he left."

"What did he have to do?" I asked.

"It's what he was told to do. Solomon told me his superior gave him orders to kill a family. Three little kids! I think they were the kids of some cartel chief they had targeted, and the idea was to set off a war between both factions, one that would wipe out all of them. If you repeat any of this, I'll deny it to my grave," said McAuley. "I don't officially know any of it and I will adamantly deny anything you repeat."

"This is all off the books," said Maddox. "As far as anyone knows, we just came here to advise an old friend about Solomon's condition."

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