Page 21 of Freedom Fighters
From Cristián’s sudden awkwardness, Daniel guessedhe had skin in the game.
“I don’t know where she is, although I suspect it’s the States,” Cristián said. “Her Spanish slips. A lot.”
“So…” Daniel said. “Not only do you not know her real name or where she is, but you don’t know she’s female, either.”
Cristián’s whole face turned red. “She’s a she,” he said hastily.
“You’re in that deep, huh?” Daniel sat up straighter. “You have to pull theplug on it.”
Cristián swallowed. “But…”
“No, I know youthinkyou know her inside and out, only you don’t. You can’t afford the risk, Cristián. Stop talking to her.”
“Okay. I’ll send her an email. Tell her we have to stop for a while.”
“No,” Daniel said flatly. “No final farewell. No notice. No more contact at all. The Internet is a wide open platform that anyone can access and that includesthe Insurrectos. Promise me, Cristián, or I’ll dig up the cable line to the house and cut it myself. No Internet. No email.”
Cristián hung his head.
“If she’s the real thing,” Daniel added, “then you can catch up with her once the war is done. I’ll be the first to throw rice for you. Only, you have to make the cut now.” He added the kicker. “You’re putting her at risk by talking to her.”
Cristiánlifted his chin and stared at him. “I’m nobody,” he said. “The Insurrectos don’t care who I’m chatting with.”
“You’re the primary communications hub for the Loyalist war effort. If you think the Insurrectos don’t care who you are, you’re delusional. If they thought grabbing your girl and threatening to shoot her through the temple or rape her into unconsciousness would bring you out into theopen where they can identify you, they’d do it without a quiver.”
Cristián swallowed. “No more Internet, then.” His voice was weak.
“Sorry, kid.”
Cristián shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve thought it through until now, with you here and code books and…and…”
“You’re a spy,” Daniel said. “You get all the high risks, the sleepless nights, the sick feeling that never goes away. You get noneof the girls, the fast cars, or the glamor. That’s just in the movies.”
Cristián grimaced. “Only, you did. You got the girl.”
Daniel sighed. “For about five minutes, yes.” He picked up the bottle and poured himself one last shot. “I have no idea when I’ll see Olivia again.”If I do at all, he added mentally. He didn’t say it aloud. Cristián was already completely unnerved.
* * * * *
The SecretService agents took Nick and Olivia to the Willard Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, which wasn’t the hotel Minnie had booked for them. The suite they were escorted into had two bedrooms and an elegant sitting room between. Their luggage, as promised, sat neatly next to each of the bedroom doors.
A man with iron-gray hair and an upright, square bearing sat on the sofa. He wore a handmade suit andhis Italian loafers were planted on the carpet. He didn’t get up when they walked in. The two guards on either side of him walked to the door, stepped out and shut it behind them.
“Hello, Dad,” Olivia said. “I might have known you’d arrange everything to suit yourself. You’ve been doing it all your life.”
Nick walked over to the man. “Colonel Davenport. Was the hotel switch for your convenience?”
“I’m afraid so,” Davenport said, getting to his feet. He thrust out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Señor Escobedo.”
Nick shook his hand while Olivia settled herself on the club chair in front of the sofa, kicked off her shoes and tucked her feet up under her. “The Willard is used to hustling high-profile politicians through the service corridors,” she said dryly.
“Olivia, honey,” herfather chided her. He leaned over and kissed her temple. “I’m so pleased to see you.” He picked up her arm and examined the bandaged fingers. “How bad is it?”
“They tell me I’ll lose the nails on two fingers. They don’t know if they’ll grow back.”
He winced and straightened up, letting her wrist go. “I’d say something about barbarians, only this is the world we live in.” He turned back to Nick.“Please sit down.”
Olivia could feel the old, familiar ache in the chest she got whenever she had to deal with her father. “We can’t visit the White House officially,” she said. “Are you here in your capacity as Chief of Staff?”
