Page 20 of A Moment Never Forgotten
“Or maybe Hennel is in on it.” Matthew brought his drink back over and sat on the edge of the couch.
“Could your boss have ordered someone to follow Gabriel?”And kill himwent unsaid.
“Did he have the power to order someone to watch Gabe twenty-four seven? Absolutely. Noah Hennel oversees all black ops.” Matthew held his glass halfway to his lips, deep in thought.
“Is there a chance he’s testing you to see if you would turn?” Micah threw the question out there.
“Or, he’s trying to see if Gabriel had already turned me.” Matthew sipped then lowered his glass to the coffee table. “Damn. Gabe and I were best friends for nearly a decade, or so I thought. We worked together and played together. If they knew he was dirty, they probably figured some of that rubbed off on me. Or that Gabe kept me close so he could personally keep an eye on me. I guess you really never know what some people are capable of doing.”
“Is there a way you can prove to Director Hennel that you aren’t into the same things Gabe was?” Even though Micah was in the military, he had been in a leadership position his entire career. Yes, he was required to follow orders, but he also understood management.
Matthew chuckled. “I can push harder to get Naseem al-Jamil on the Top Ten Terrorist list. That would make my wife happy, too. For some unbeknownst reason, Gabe never thought the man was a threat. Lizzie, on the other hand, believes that he’s the next Osama bin Laden and swears the man is planning something big right here in the United States.” He glanced at Micah. “That’s beyond classified, by the way.”
“What is?” Micah reassured him. “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.” He reconsidered the earlier question about Hennel having Gabriel followed. “Did anyone ever figure out who took the sniper shot from the tree line at your old house?”
Matthew gave him a half-smile. “No, but that might be a good question for me to ask my new boss. I’ll just inquire about the investigation tomorrow at work. His reactions and answers are going to tell me a lot.” He downed the last of his scotch and stood. “Are you leaving tomorrow? Not that I’m trying to push you out of my house.”
“Need me to pick up Austin after basketball practice?” Micah finished his drink and stood as well.
“That would be great if you could, but I don’t want to interfere with any of your plans.” As though an afterthought, he added, “By the way, how was your date?”
The conversation had come full-circle and was now back on Berit. “I’ll pick up Austin. That’s one less thing you have to worry about. I was planning to get up early on Thursday and help you get the kids off to school before I leave, if that works for you. And I’m not sure it was a date or just a friendly introduction to local cuisine. The food was awesome. So was the company, but in many ways, it was like grabbing a bite to eat with Elizabeth or Teagan. Friendly.”
Matthew took the glass from his hand and walked toward the kitchen. “Are you going to see her again?”
Micah didn’t bother holding back the grin. “Yeah. Tomorrow. I asked her to come over and take a look at the condo I’m thinking about buying.” He heard Matthew rinse out the glasses and put them in the dishwasher.
When his friend reappeared and headed towards the closest windows, he announced, “It was a date.”
Together, they double-checked all the locks and Matthew set the nighttime alarm.
“I’ll see what I can find out about Berit Barker,” Matt promised in a whisper before he opened the bedroom door to check on Anora.
Micah headed to the guest bedroom at the end of the hall. “Yep. It had been a date.”
Chapter Eight
Wednesday morning Berit was once again thankful for her position within the CIA. She bypassed the long lines and swiped her card as she entered through the far left, avoiding the slowly moving main checkpoint. “Good morning, Luke,” she greeted the guard and looked directly into the facial recognition camera.
“Good morning, Ms. Barker.” The serious uniformed man replied.
The short line flowed to a separate bank of elevators where Noah Hennel stepped beside her. They didn’t wait long. The car filled quickly but before Berit stepped in, Director Hennel grabbed her elbow and gave it a slight squeeze.
“We’ll take the next one.” He glanced down the short line then stepped to the controls and swiped his card. “We’re late for a meeting. I’m taking this one express to my floor.” They both ignored the disgruntled sighs. The doors swished open and the two of them stepped in.
He pulled out his cell phone and punched in a few numbers. “I really am headed to a meeting so let’s make this quick.”
Everyone knew the elevators had both audio and visual equipment. Berit glanced up to the corner where the camera was visible.
Director Hennel held up his cell phone. “Don’t worry about that. Talk quick though.”
“I had a date last night with Captain Reid. I’m meeting him again around lunchtime to look at the condo that he is considering purchasing.” She allowed her exasperation to show. “Sir, I’m really not sure what you expect me to find. What kind of information am I looking for?” She liked these people. She liked Micah.
“Gabriel Davis wasn’t working alone. He had allies in this building. We have to identify and eliminate anyone who is a potential threat, even if they work for our government and are sworn to uphold the Constitution.” Hennel looked at his phone. “We have thirty seconds before the jamming stops.”
“You think Matthew Saint Clare is a double agent?” She held his gaze. He had the highest threat potential and was known to be a good friend of Gabriel Davis.
“I don’t trust anyone…except you.” He cocked his head to one side. “Be careful. Don’t trust anyone, even your boss. There’s something about Joseph Lambert that rubs my sixth sense the wrong way, but it could be that he’s just a pompous ass.”
