The Innocent

He reached the road in time to see Julie climb into the front seat of a big-as-a-boat ancient Mercury driven by an old woman whose head was barely level with the top of the steering wheel.

Robie let off on the gas and fell in behind the Merc, about fifty yards back. He was not surprised when the big car turned into the gas station he had told Julie about. He raced past, cut down a side road, and doubled back. He stopped the bike and killed the engine. He watched through a gap in a hedge by the road as Julie got out and went over to the pay phone. She hit three keys.

Probably 411, he deduced.

She put in some coins and dialed another number.

Cab company.

She talked, hung up, went inside the station, got the restroom key, and walked around the corner.

She’d have to wait for the cab, and so would Robie.

His phone rang. He glanced at the screen and drew a quick breath.

The number on the ID was known as a “blue” call. It came right from the top of his agency. Robie had never gotten one of those before. But he had memorized the number. He would have to answer it. But that didn’t mean he had to be particularly cooperative.

He clicked the phone key and said, “You can’t trace this call. You know that.”

“We need to meet,” the man said.

It wasn’t his handler. Robie knew it wouldn’t be. Blue calls did not come from handlers in the field.

“I had a meeting last night. I don’t think I can survive another.”

“There will be no repercussions for you.”

Robie said nothing. He let his silence convey the absurdity of this statement.

“Your handler was wrong.”

“Good to know. I still didn’t complete the assignment.”

“The intel was also wrong.”

Robie said nothing. He had an idea where this might be going and wasn’t sure he wanted to go there.

“The intel was wrong,” said the man again. “What happened was unfortunate.”

“Unfortunate? The woman was supposed to die. She was also an American citizen.”

Now it was the other man’s turn to say nothing.

“IG’s Office,” said Robie. “I was told she was part of a terrorist cell.”

“What you were told is irrelevant. Your job is to execute the order.”

“Even if it’s wrong?”

“If it’s wrong, it’s not your job to deal with it. It’s mine.”

“And who the hell are you?”

“You know this is a blue call. It’s above your handler. Well above. Let’s leave it at that until we can meet.”

Robie watched as Julie came back around from the restroom and went inside to return the key.

“Why was she targeted?”

“Listen, Robie, the decision on you can be changed. Is that what you want?”

“I doubt it matters what I want.”

“Actually it does. We don’t want to lose you. We consider you a valuable asset.”

“Thanks. Where’s my handler?”

“Reassigned.”

“You mean he’s dead too?”

“We don’t play those games, Robie. You know that.”

“I apparently don’t know a damn thing.”

“Things are what they are.”

“Keep telling yourself that. You might start believing it.”

“We’re in damage control, Robie. We need to work together on this.”

“I’m not feeling real good about working with you guys ever again.”

“But you need to move beyond that. In fact, it’s imperative that you do.”

“Let’s move on to this. Did you send someone to kill me last night? Guy with a rifle in an alley? Has my shoe prints on his face? Might still be lying unconscious, in fact, in an alley.”

“He was not one of ours. I can promise you that. Give me the exact location and we’ll check it out.”

Robie didn’t believe him, but it didn’t really matter. He told the guy where it had happened and left it at that.

“What do you want from me? More missions? I’m not in the mood. Next, you might have me taking out a Boy Scout.”

“There’s an investigation going on in connection with the death of Jane Wind.”

“Yeah, I guess there is.”

“FBI is heading it up.”

“I guess they are.”

“We want you to act as an agency interface with the Bureau.”

As many scenarios as Robie had thought through, that had not been one of them.

“You can’t be serious.”

Silence.

“I’m not going anywhere near this.”

“We need you to be the liaison. And we need you to play it the way we want you to. That is essential.”

“Why would we need a liaison to this case in the first place?”

“Because Jane Wind was working for us.”

CHAPTER 23

The meeting place and time was arranged and Robie slowly put away his phone. He looked through the gap in the hedge as the cab rolled into the gas station parking lot. Julie came out of the station with a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of juice.

She has ID showing she’s eighteen.

She climbed into the cab and it immediately drove off.

Robie set off and took up a tracking position roughly fifty yards back in traffic.