Ghost Pursuit (CIA Ghost Series Book 2) Read online

“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?” Parker responded.

  “Why don’t we both stand at ease and put our hands in front of us?”

  “OK.

  The two of them simultaneously moved their gun arms slowly around in front of their bodies so they each could feel a little more comfortable that there would be no guns involved. At least for the moment.

  “I’ve been tasked to retrieve you,” Cole told her. “They want you back on the mission.”

  “I’ve already had this conversation with Burnett. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Think about what you’re saying.”

  “I have.”

  “I don’t think so. You need to stop sowing your oats and get back to work.”

  “I’m happy where I’m at.”

  “Regardless of whether that’s true or not, you know it can’t happen like this,” Cole said.

  “Why not?”

  “Because that’s not how it works for people like us. This isn’t like smoking. You can’t just quit cold turkey. You need to have a plan. An exit strategy. If you wanna eventually leave, you need to do it on terms that both you and the agency can live with.”

  “That could take years. I don’t know if I want to go through all that anymore,” Parker objected.

  Sensing her frustration and commitment to stay, Cole figured he might have to up the ante on her. Appeal to something that was greater than her. Turner.

  “You know, I was told I had to come back with you. One way or another.”

  “Which means what exactly?” Parker asked.

  “With you on the team…or with you dead,” Cole bluntly stated.

  Parker took a step back, readying herself again for a fight. Turner stepped up to try and diffuse the simmering battle that was about to happen.

  “You would really do this to her?” Turner wondered. “She’s your friend. I’m your friend. How could you do this?”

  “Listen, numb nuts, I’m trying not to do this,” Cole said to Turner. He looked back to Parker. “You’re not the only one I was told to take out if it came to it,” he told her, glancing at Turner.

  “Wait, Ryan? Both of us?”

  “We’re both the target?” Turner worriedly asked.

  “If I don’t come back with you,” he told Parker. “They want me to kill both of you.”

  “You couldn’t, right?” Turner hoped. “I mean…you wouldn’t?”

  Cole sighed. “No. I wouldn’t. But if I go back empty handed, they’ll send someone else out in my place. And they’re not gonna be as fond of you, and feel as warm and fuzzy about you as I do. And I guarantee that they won’t give you the courtesy of having this conversation with you to change your mind. They’re simply gonna put two bullets in each of your heads and move on without a second thought,” he told them, raising his voice.

  Parker stared down at the ground, knowing she was going to be pulled back in. There was no way out of it for her. Her main concern was protecting Turner.

  “You know I’m telling you the truth,” Cole told her. “If you care about him, and want to protect him, this is the best way to do it.”

  “And what if Heath uses him again to try and get to me? He’s already done it twice,” Parker replied. “I can’t be halfway around the world, worrying about what’s going on here without me.”

  “Well let’s put our heads together and think about it. We can come up with something,” Cole said, realizing she was starting to see his point.

  They stood there talking for another twenty minutes, Cole continuing to break Parker down until she realized there was no other option for her but to return to work. She finally relented and agreed to go back if she could be assured of Turner’s safety in her absence. They got in Cole’s car and went back to his hotel room so they could link up with Burnett. Turner sat down in a chair off to the side so he wouldn’t be in the picture. Once Burnett saw the two agents standing together in front of her, she assumed everything was good.

  “Agent Cole, I take it you have everything in hand,” Burnett stated.

  “Agent Parker has agreed to come back if…well…I’ll just let her say it in her own words,” Cole told her.

  “I have agreed to come back…with conditions.”

  “Which are?” Burnett asked, slightly annoyed.

  “I need assurances that Ryan will be safe while I’m gone,” Parker said.

  “And how do you expect me to assure you that?”

  “I would like someone stationed here to look after him.”

  “You expect me to waste government resources, time, money, manpower to baby sit your boyfriend for something that may or may not happen?” she asked, growing more angry.

  “Heath has used Ryan for bait twice. I see no reason to think he wouldn’t do it again,” Parker replied.

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Then I absolutely cannot come back.”

  “Alex, if you were any other agent, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation right now. Instead, I would be providing words over your funeral,” Burnett angrily said.

  “But I am not any other agent. I am the best you got. You know it…and I know it. And if you want me to return then I need to know that someone I care about is protected.”

  Burnett sighed and shook her head. “And if I can somehow manage to agree to this?”

  “Then I’ll come back…with one other stipulation,” Parker stated.

  “You have more stipulations?!”

  “After we get Heath, I want out.”

  Burnett closed her eyes and tapped her fingers on the desk.

  “We’ve talked about this before,” Parker told her.

  Burnett paused to think before answering. “You get Heath Davis, plus two years after that, and I will guarantee your release.”

  “One year,” Parker replied.

  “Two years.”

  “One year.”

  “Fine,” Burnett relented. “One year from the date you capture or kill Heath Davis, and you will have your release from active field duty.”

  “And the other thing?”

  “I will see what I can do. But I make no promises.”

  After the call ended, Parker couldn’t help but let a little smile creep over her face. There was finally an end in sight. There was still the rather tall order of finding Davis, and who knew how long that would take. That might take two years in itself. But at least there was an ending date. And she could make it happen quicker, the sooner she found him. Cole turned to look at his partner and noticed the smile on her face. It made him feel good to know she was getting something she really wanted. He was glad for her. He knew how much she wanted it.

  “OK. So let’s get started again,” Parker stated.

  “So what do you want me to do?” Turner wondered.

  “You…stay by my side until I figure something out,” she told him, walking over to him to plant a kiss on his lips.

  “I guess I could live with that,” he smiled.

  Cole grunted. “I should’ve killed them,” he mumbled.

  Cole began telling them about his meeting the previous day at the used furniture store. He retold the incident in precise detail, as if he was reliving it. He didn’t leave a single moment out.

  “So was it a setup orchestrated by Davis? Or were they just looking for a quick buck?” Parker asked.

  Cole shook his head. “Don’t know. Could’ve been either.”

  “OK. We need to determine if there’s a connection. If there is, it could put us back on his trail.”

  Just as they were about to start researching on the computer and digging in, Cole’s laptop started beeping.

  “Another one already?” Cole asked. “That’s not normal.”

  Just as soon as Cole logged in, he was automatically taken aback when he saw it was a split screen. Burnett was on the left and Heath Davis was on the right.

  “What’s going on?” Cole asked, confused.

  “Since you asked so nicely, I’ll tell you,” D
avis answered. “Where’s your partner? Doing it in the bathroom with her new boyfriend already?”

  Parker’s face turned bright red as soon as she heard Davis’ voice. Cole glanced above the laptop at her as she slowly came around into view.

  “Ah, there she is,” Davis stated. “So nice to see you again, Alex.”

  “What do you want?” Parker wondered.

  “Just wanted to catch up and say hi.”

  “Cut the crap and just say it.”

  “You always were a little too serious. Lighten up. Love suits you. I mean, aren’t you even gonna thank me for getting you two kids together? Where is your boyfriend anyway?”

  “I don’t have time for this,” Parker said, moving to turn the laptop off.

  “I wouldn’t do that,” Davis warned.

  Parker stopped momentarily. Though if he didn’t quickly get to the point she wouldn’t hesitate again to end the conversation.

  “Does this room look familiar to you, Agent Cole?” Davis asked.

  “A little. Why?” Cole answered.

  “It should. It’s the hotel room you just left.”

  Cole’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What?”

  “You were so close,” Davis smiled. “But now, yet so far away.”

  Cole grunted and clenched his jaw tight in anger. He wanted to put his arm through the screen and put his hand on Davis’ throat to rip his head off.

  “I understand you have a new man on me now in your absence,” Davis continued. “This guy,” he said, spinning the camera around.

  There was a man sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. His hands appeared to be tied or cuffed behind his back. There was a white hood overtop of his face and there seemed to be some blood on his shirt.

  “Is that him?” Parker whispered.

  “Looks like it,” Cole responded.

  “Oh, I can assure you it is. Agent…Dickson,” Davis said, looking at his ID card. “Yes. Agent Dickson.”

  “Is he dead?” Burnett asked.

  “No. Not yet,” Davis told her. “Right now I gave him something to knock him out. He should wake up in an hour or two. Whether he eventually ends up that way…well, that will be up to you.”

  “How do we know he’s not dead already?” Cole asked.

  “I guess you’ll just have to trust me,” Davis smiled.

  “So what is it you want?” Parker wondered.

  “Well I guess I could say the chance to get away or maybe even something prophetic, but you already had no idea where I was. No, this is just my way of saying I’m smarter than you, and I’m better than you. You’re never gonna find me. You’re never gonna catch me. And I just wanted to gloat a little about it.”

  “That’s usually the villain’s downfall,” Parker replied. “Overconfidence.”

  “Yes, it is, isn’t it? Well, if the best that the CIA has can find me. I guess I’ll be proven wrong. A la prochaine,” Davis saluted, ending the call.

  “Well that was enlightening,” Cole said, still seething.

  “You two need to get out there immediately,” Burnett told them.

  “About my conditions,” Parker reminded her.

  “Agreed,” Burnett hastily said. “Agreed, agreed, agreed. Just get him!”

  Parker looked at Turner and noticed he looked a little depressed. She walked over to him and kneeled down next to him, grabbing his hand.

  “Are you OK with this?” Parker asked him.

  “I guess I’ll have to be. Don’t really have much choice, do I?” he replied.

  “No. I guess not. But this is the only way we can have a real future together.”

  Turner nodded, understanding she was right, but not really liking it. “I know.”

  “Promise me you won’t fall for any other beautiful girls?” she smiled.

  “Not likely,” Turner responded, kissing her.

  “Not again,” Cole said, witnessing the kiss and rolling his eyes.

  “I’m gonna have to get some gear,” Parker said, walking over to Cole.

  “Nah, no need. I kept all your stuff when you left. Been holding it for you.”

  “Great. There’s something not right with all this.”

  “I know. He’s always ahead of us. It’s almost like he knows where we’re going before we do,” Cole stated.

  “Probably cause he’s got you bugged or something,” Turner chimed in, not even thinking about what he was saying.

  Parker and Cole looked at each other, thinking that maybe he was on to something. Parker walked closer to her boyfriend to see why he’d mention that.

  “Why would you assume that?”

  “Seriously?” Turner asked, not realizing they were actually looking for answers. “You really want my help?”

  “That’s why we’re talking, goofball,” Cole stated.

  “Always with the words, this one,” Turner said, shaking his finger at him.

  “Better start talking or I’ll take that finger and shove it right up…”

  “OK, I think we get it,” Parker interrupted. “Can you two cool it so we can talk about the real issue here?”

  “Fine,” Cole told her.

  “If you really think about what he said and were closely paying attention, he said a couple things that made me suspicious,” Turner stated.

  “Being that you’re a trained spy and could spot such things,” Cole remarked.

  “See the problem you two had, and why you didn’t initially notice, was cause you both were angry and wanted to rip his head off. I, on the other hand, was carefully paying attention to his words.”

  “Like what?” Parker wanted to know.

  “He specifically called me your boyfriend. Twice. How would he know that?”

  “Was probably just guessing. Or just a play on words,” Cole scoffed. “Doesn’t mean anything.”

  “I don’t think so. He specifically said, “new boyfriend.” He absolutely knew we had just gotten together.”

  Parker looked at Cole like she thought he might’ve been right. Cole still wasn’t so sure.

  “What else did you notice?” Parker asked.

  “He knew you two were here. Together. How?”

  “Probably had a contact or something at the airport when I left,” Cole assumed.

  “And he just knew you were here in this room with Alex? And how would he know your hotel room and the new guy?”

  Parker and Cole stood there thinking. Parker was on board with Turner and thought he was completely right. Cole was still unsure, but was beginning to think it made some sense.

  “And…and…,” Turner said, snapping his finger. “He even mocked you,” he told Parker.

  “Mocked me? How?”

  “He said if “the best the CIA has” can find him. You told Burnett the exact same thing just a little while ago. He was using your own words against you. That’s a lot of coincidences if you ask me.”

  “That is a lot of coincidences,” Cole finally admitted. “Maybe you’re right.”

  “I agree,” Parker stated.

  “So we just need to figure out how he’s doing it,” Turner told them. “Phones, bugs on the wall, computers, what?”

  “Couldn’t be a bug,” Cole stated. “Room’s totally clean. Checked it myself. Besides, I didn’t even know myself where I was staying till I got here. No way he could have it bugged.”

  “What about phones?”

  “Could be done. But that’s why we don’t use them as much.”

  “Which leaves…,” Turner concluded.

  “Computers,” Parker said.

  “He’s got one of them bugged,” Cole agreed. “Can’t be mine though. He never even met me before this. Wouldn’t have gotten close enough. Must be yours,” he told Parker.

  “Can’t be mine either. I didn’t even have it with me. You had it,” she objected.

  “Well he had to do it somehow.”

  “We’re missing the common denominator,” Turner told the pair.

  Parker
and Cole looked at each other, “Burnett,” they said in unison.

  “So is her computer bugged? Or is she in cahoots with Heath?” Turner wondered.

  “There’s no way she’s thrown in with Davis,” Cole said.

  “But what if she was?”

  “What do you think?” Cole asked his partner.

  “I say we tell her what we think and see what happens,” Parker said. “If she tells us there’s a problem on her end then we know we can trust her.”

  “And if she doesn’t?” Turner wondered.

  “Then we know she might be lying and have a problem.”

  “Or…,” Cole thought.

  “Or what?” Parker responded.

  “Or we have a conference to try and throw a trap.”

  “Yeah, but we still wouldn’t have any idea if she was involved or not.”

  “True.”

  “Let’s try it my way first. If Heath has tapped into her computer and she acknowledges it, we could still throw a trap for him.”

  Chapter 6

  Cole immediately called Burnett on her cell phone and presented their theories. She agreed that it sounded plausible and immediately had some computer technicians analyzing her laptop. While they waited for the results, she wanted the agents up in the air to get Dickson. She wanted to be put on speakerphone so she could still talk to the team all at once.

  “We’re all here,” Cole told her.

  “Good. Let’s have another frank discussion about Turner,” she said.

  Parker didn’t think that sounded good. “You agreed to my terms.”

  “I know.”

  “I think you should know it was Turner that came up with the idea that Davis had your computer bugged. Used good sound judgment in analyzing him,” Cole reinforced.

  “I agree,” Burnett concurred. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this,” she said, hesitating before continuing. “I want you to take him with you.”

  “What?” Cole asked, bewildered. He looked at Parker who seemed as equally confused.

  “Are you serious?” Turner jumped in.

  “Unfortunately, I’m quite serious. Maybe you can give us an advantage we haven’t yet utilized to the fullest potential.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Maybe Cole and Parker are too close to fully grasp things Davis says. Case in point today where they were too upset to catch the little nuances in his words. Maybe you are not as emotional and can analyze things in a different manner than they do.”