Page 49 of Now or Never
Maizie responded, “Me too.”
Kenna said, “We’re all in agreement about that.”
Jax walked through the room, stepping on the papers scattered about. “Let’s see what we can see here. If there’s anything to learn.”
She went with him, mostly just for the sake of not being alone and unprotected.
Through the open phone line she heard, “Oh.”
“What is it, Maze?”
“The file you uploaded in the car that the President gave you. The dead guy you’re supposed to avenge, or whatever.”
“Is he in the packet?”
“Yes.” Maizie went quiet instead of elaborating.
Kenna pictured her with that crease between her eyebrows, scanning information at hyper-speed the way she did. Not many people in the world could process information like that. Maizie often saw connections no one else did, and it would make her an amazing investigator one day. Not that Kenna had told her as much. She wanted the young woman to find her own path, knowing there were so many careers that would be a lot less dangerous than police work. Her skills would be an asset to so many different fields.
Finally, Maizie said, “Elizbeth and Craig said the personnel records weren’t real people, but this guy is a real person. So the image isn’t AI even if the rest of the information on him reads more like a fictional dossier.”
“What about the others whose photos you have?”
“That’s the problem. We didn’t find this guy that the president’s file says is Steven Braughton because he doesn’t have a driver’s license that we can find. Or if he does, it’s not one anyone can just look up. Maybe it’s Top Secret. Like someone found it necessary to hide his identity, or this is his real name and his driver’s license will come up as someone else. So maybe they are all real people, and we just can’t prove it using any of the usual methods.”
Kenna sighed. “How are we supposed to dig up backgrounds on people who don’t exist, or who have multiple identities?” She stuck to the wall farthest from the windows, just in case, watching as she moved for the red dot of a laser sight on her or Jax or the wall beside them. Scanning. Staying vigilant. At least making herself feel better if not actually ensuring their safety.
Halfway along, she stopped and leaned against the wall. Jax was looking at papers left on a desk.
“I’ll keep digging,” Maizie said. “If we find multiple, that’s fine. But starting with this guy is easier because what President Tetherton gave us doesn’t yet match up to reality.”
“But we know he was a low-level staffer at the Pentagon.”
“From the file the president gave you, it seems he works for a branch of the army that deals with logistics. He’s a paper pusher, requisitioning more supplies for battalions. In reality, who knows. It seems bland enough it’s possible it’s a cover for something else. Something the Pentagon doesn’t want anyone to know about.”
Jax glanced over at her.
Kenna smiled back and said to Maizie, “Stairns?”
“Craig talked my ear off for an hour about clandestine operations and off-book black ops stuff. Sounds like movies.”
“I bet.” Kenna chuckled. “I mean, I know it happens, but it’s nothing I’ve ever had to deal with. And if I can help it, maybe we don’t get involved in clandestine overseas operations.”
Jax smiled. “Too late.”
She shrugged. “You were co-opted into the resistance by the last president but look where that got him. It didn’t do my mom or dad any favors. Zeyla is…whatever Zeyla is. I still have no idea.”
“Bruce got burned by the CIA, but he seems to have done okay. He and Amara are working on the ghost thing as well.”
Jax looked at Kenna and mouthed,You didn’t tell her?
She shook her head, because she hadn’t explained whatDominatuswanted her to believe about Bruce. She had no idea what their agenda was with attempting to convince her that he would betray her. More likely, she should keep him close because they were trying so hard. Either way, Maizie could just make up her own mind.
Kenna also hadn’t told anyone about Petyr’s assertions that he was her father. As far as she was concerned, it wasn’t going to change anything in her life. With the caveat that if any of them touched a hair on her child’s head, then they’d have serious problems.
And that wasn’t just false bravado.
“Are you guys finding anything there?” Maizie asked.
