Chapter 2

“What do they know?” a figure in the shadows of the corner asks.

“So far, not a whole lot,” Geoffrey says. “Hell, there isn’t much to go on.”

“Then my plan is working fine, just fine,” the figure says with grim satisfaction.

“I’m glad it’s going good for you,” the young agent remarks. “Just as long as I get my end, we’ll be just fine.”

“I’ll hold my end of the bargain up, it’s you humans that never hold up yours,” the figure snarls. “When the time is right, you’ll get it.”

“So I have to wait” Geoffrey says. “That’s fine. I’ve waited this long, what’s a little longer?”

“When I need you, I’ll be in touch,” the figure says, ignoring the man’s remarks. And with that he turns and walks through the wall, vanishing.

“I’ve got plenty of time,” Geoffrey says to himself.

“Are you talking to someone?” an agent says from the doorway.

Startled, Geoffrey has to quell the anger quickly rising up inside him for being so reckless. “No, no. I was just talking to myself. You know, sometimes things sound better when you say them out loud?”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” the agent says. “Say, you got clearance with what’s going on?”

“Yes. I do,” Geoffrey replies.

“Isn’t that crazy with the president’s daughter?” the man asks. “You wouldn’t expect them to be so brash.”

“I wouldn’t have thought,” the young agent agrees. “Say, you want to help me with something?”

“Sure, what is it?” the man asks.

“It’s on this shelf right here,” Geoffrey says, turning away. When he feels the presence of the man behind him, he turns and runs the knife through the man’s gut.

Roger walks into the small office that contains Spencer and Sam working diligently through stack of files piled high on their desks. He takes up much of the door frame when he passes through it. “Good news,” he says.

“It must be for you to have a smile that big,” Spencer says, looking up from the fil in his hands.

“Well, we have a lead,” the director announces. “It seems it’s not only human to make a mistake.”

“Well, no one is perfect,” Sam says with a smile, dropping her file to the desk. “Why should they be any different?”

“Exactly,” the big man agrees. “It seems that a neighbor saw a van leaving the scene and in quite a hurry. It was navy blue with blacked out windows.”

“And she thought it was odd,” Spencer comments.

“Only after seeing the commotion outside the president’s house,” Roger confirms.

“Seems she grew a conscience then,” Sam remarks.

“Easy now, Reeds,” Roger says. “Not everyone is an upstanding and nosey citizen.” This gets a laugh out of the two agents. “Anyway, she is down with an artist. She has a decent description, which will hopefully get us somewhere. She also got a license plate. Unfortunately it was reported stolen three days ago.

“Well, that’s better than what we did have,” Spencer says, sounding hopeful.

“Where’s Adams,” the director asks, suddenly noticing that the young agent isn’t there.

“We sent him out for lunch,” Sam says. “You were right, boss.”

“About?” he asks.

Sam smiles up at him. “He is one hell of a researcher, but he’s better at running errands.”

Roger opens his mouth to say something and then closes it. For as long as he has known her, Samantha has had a sarcastic streak and is as willful as they come. He just smiles and walks right back out the door.

­-

“I trust that everything is going according to the plan, Hanson,” Kloser says.

“Without a hitch,” the leader says with pride in his voice. “The bitch was easier to take than expected. She has been broken since.

“Do not get ahead of yourself just yet, Hanson,” Kloser warns. “With the FBI and Homeland Security on alert, you’ll need to stick to the plan.”