Page 7 of Spiced Chais and Secret Spies
“Maybenot, but he’s good enough to have hidden a lot of money in the past several months.”
Daisyhas come out from behind the counter with a cloth and a spray bottle and is wiping off tables.Whenshe gets close enough to overhear,Jaceswitches from talking about espionage to reminiscing about high school so seamlessly that it leaves my head spinning.Daisyis looking at us curiously.Maybeshe saw some of the expressions that must’ve crossed my face in this conversation withJaceand is wondering if everything is okay.Igive her a smile thatIhope tells her that everything is great.
Assoon as she heads back behind the counter,Jacepicks up right where he left off.
“Iposed as a client and met withTada few days ago in your building.Iplanted a bug in both the conference rooms you use to meet with clients, hoping that we could get some information from their meetings that will provide a missing puzzle piece in a very large puzzle.Thereare details that we need, and we believe that we’ll get those details during a meeting betweenTadand the client.
“AndthenIwaited.Yesterday, he met with his client, but we didn’t pick up anything from the bug.Iused thermal imaging to track the client once she entered your building, andIbelieve that she had her meeting withTadinside the records room on your floor.Probablyfor secrecy.Youraccess badge will get you into that room, correct?Ineed you to plant a listening device there.”
WhenIwoke up this morning,Iknew exactly how every part of my day would go.Itwould go in exactly the wayIplanned it.Downto the minute.Idid not expect to run into an old friend from high school, find out he’s working as an intelligence operative for a secret spy agency, and then be asked to plant a bug in the records room at my work.Andit’s not even nine a.m.!Thiscannot be happening.I’mnot the kind of guy who does spy-ish things.
“Okay, wait,”Isay. “Ifyou’re just needing information about the client’s accounts, there are legal channels to get that information.LiketheSECor theIRS.OreventheFBIor theDepartmentofJustice.Whydo you need me?”
“Alot of times, going the normal routes to get information is the right way.Andif it was aUScitizen helping aUSentity, we likely would use one of those routes.Butthe companyTadRigginsis helping is funding a foreign entity—a hostile one, at that—which is why my agency is involved.Andif we go through the normal channels, it will alert the terrorist group the client is funding and cause them to go to ground.Weneed to find them.Andthe only way to do that is to get the information we need without tipping them off.”
“Okay,”Isay, nodding, “that makes sense.Butwhyme?”
“BecauseIknow you’re trustworthy.AndIknow that your nature is to be helpful—Ilearned by taking a class with you that wasverydifficult for most of us how quick you are to offer help.Plus, you know me, andIhope you trust me, too.Andyou’re in the best position to act without suspicion.”
Irun my hands over my face.Jacewants me to be a spy?That’sthe kind of thing that people likeJasonBournedo.Notpeople like me.Notpeople who never step out of line because they don’t want their boss to have a reason to reprimand them.Andnow he wants me to do something thatIam sure goes againstPacioli&Blackwellpolicies.SomethingthatIdefinitely could get caught doing.IfIget caught, it won’t only be myboss who will be censuring me.It’llbe my boss’s boss, too.MaybeevenPacioli&Blackwellthemselves.
“Idon’t know.Itfeels pretty dangerous.”
“It’snatural to be concerned,”Jacesays. “Butwe don’t believe thatTadRigginsis a dangerous criminal, and we don’t think the client he meets with is, either.Theorganization that this company is funding isn’t located here.You’renot in danger from them.”
Ihadn’t even thought to be worried about the danger coming from the bad guys!Icould be angering international terrorists.Localbad guys.Istart to breathe a lot faster.Iswear my vision is pulsing like it has a heartbeat. “Jace,Idon’t know thatIcan do this.”
“Just… don’t say no yet,”Jacesays.Hepulls something out of a pocket and puts it on the table.It’ssmall—only about the size of the fingernail on my pinky and about as thick as a dime. “Thisis the listening device.Ithas a backing on it right here—if you pull it off, it can be stuck to almost any surface, like a sticker. “Areyou willing to simply take this with you today, and if you see an opportunity arise to place it, think about taking that opportunity?”
Istare down at the bug.It’sso much smaller thanIthought it would be.It’skind of crazy that something so small can make me so nervous.
I’mstill staring at it whenJacesays, “So, you like the barista, huh?”
Myeyes flash to his.
“Daisy, right?”
“What?Inever saidIdid.”Myeyes immediately findDaisyto make sure she wasn’t close enough to hear.
“Ollie,I’man intelligence operative.We’retrained to read people.Icould tell you liked her beforeIeven came over to your table by the way you were stealing glances at her.Andthat was before she walked closer to wipe off the tables andIcould see your heart rate pick up in the vein in your neck.”
Myhand immediately goes to my neck. “Okay, but do you blame me?Sheis perfect in every way.”
“Haveyou asked her out yet?”
Ipause and then shake my head.Idon’t feel likeIcould ever have enough to offer her.
Jacewaits untilImeet his eyes.Thenhe says, “Takea leap,Ollie.Bebrave.”
He’sasking for so much bravery!Myeyes drift toDaisy, who’s standing behind the counter, making a lofty-sized coffee for a customer as she chats with them.IfIcan’t even ask out the womanI’vebeen pining over for the past year and a half, how does he expect me to be a spy for him?
Myeyes go back toJace’sas the beep-beep sounds on my phone to leave for work.WhatIsee on his face is confidence.Butnot a general confidence, like the guy always has, but a specific confidence inme.
It’smisplaced confidence, of course, but it’s stillsomehow enough to make me grab the listening device and push it into the pocket of my slacks. “I’llsee ifIcan find an opportunity.Noguarantees.”
“That’sallIask,”Jacesays.
Weboth stand and he shakes my hand asDaisycalls out, “Bye,Ollie!”
