The Janus Discord (ONC2024)

Chapter 11

"We need a plan," he finally said into silence at the kitchen table. Fully dressed, and the forgotten omelette replaced with coffee and toast, they had both skirted addressing the obvious.

"What do you suggest?" Her voice was soft.

"I'm not sure; I was following your orders."

The look made him sigh aloud. "Not- Wylie, I'm not sure about what happened . . . I'm certainly not sorry . . . but we have to face our- our other situation." His eyebrows lifted questioningly. "If Devon has been compromised, then so may our own safety be in danger."

She pushed a crust of toast around on her plate, and then locked on his eyes. "Then we need to get everything on the table. Like who you really are, Matt."

He sat up and blew out a large breath. "You mean my version of your file."

"Exactly."

"What makes you think it's different?"

"No games, Matt - please."

He was seeing a different Sheridan Wylie. Still competent, and tough, but also surprisingly vulnerable. Her eyes were still drilling his, and he leaned on the table as he spoke. "I'm from the same house as you - different department."

Her eyes wavered. "You're in signature reduction?" He nodded. "Why all the secrecy then? All the acting? A helpless pawn in the Icecap troubles?"

"You should know few things are as they seem in this business. When Icecap was breached, my new directive was to verify Devon after he contacted me. It was my job, Wylie."

She took her plate to the sink, dumping the crust in the waste bin. "Devon is as straight as an arrow, and loyal."

"I believe that, but I had to find out and I couldn't give up my cover. When he told me he was with our company, I knew then. It wasn't good policy, but it was a trusting truth."

"And me?"

"You were an enigma at first." He smiled.

"At first."

"Until I saw you hug Devon when he left the island."

She leaned her back against the sink, ignoring the flush that crept over her cheeks, and lifted her chin. "Devon was my handler on my first solo mission. He was like a big brother to me."

Matt got up and faced her. "I didn't mean to suggest anything. It was a confirmation to me, about how I saw the guy - nothing more."

They both stood still, awkwardly fumbling internally for their next words. "We still need a plan, Wylie." He finally stated, swallowing.

"We need to check in. Martin will have alerted command about Devon missing his protocols. They may have new orders . . . I guess we need to do that separately." She started to move away, and he caught her around the waist. "Matt--"

"I just want you to know, we're in this together no matter what my orders are."

Her eyes filled and she moved away quickly. "I'll confirm Martin's report - that we haven't heard from Devon, and where we are now."

"Uhm, do we have phones? The last one went in the lake as I recall."

"You should know SR safe houses have everything."

"Maybe yours do, my department only uses rental rooms or abandoned warehouses. And they have nothing." He watched again, as she popped a section of baseboard in the hall and dug out a burner phone.

"Only one?"

"Sorry." She held it up, uncertain as to who should use it.

"You go ahead. I can still send a coded burst from that phone too. My people will get your message anyway." His look was one of slight embarrassment.

"Then you use it."

"No, because my people won't share. It's complicated, Wylie."

******

"Flashcomm level three from cipher, Sir." The young woman slipped a note onto the senior officer's desk and stood awaiting instructions.

Deep lines formed on the man's face as he read the decrypted message. "Alert Eagle, Marilyn, we have a naked agent for extraction." He picked up his phone and hit a button.

"Yes?"

"Reilly has likely been blown and taken."

"You've alerted Eagle?"

"Yes. But as yet, it's unverified. We need love notes from our friends to see if they have any information. If he has been taken, and extraordinary rendition is employed, Reilly could expose our SR section. That cannot happen."

"The message itself is verified?"

"It came in two bursts, both coded correctly."

"I'll get back to you shortly."

"Marilyn. Personally inspect Eagle. Have them ready to jump on notice." The officer gripped his hands together and cursed under his breath.

******

Marshal stared across his desk at Frank, phone clapped to his ear, as he listened intently. It was a request in the form of a not-to-be-questioned demand, for the very intel they had been studying prior to the call. "Due respect, Sir, at the moment this is strictly in house."

"That's not up for discussion, Marshal. What I want is all intel you have on Zero sites. And this is a level three directive."

"I'm afraid I'll need more than--"

"General Todd can be on this line in one minute, Marshal. And even then, if you do comply, your rank, and your house could be erased. Am I clear? Do the right thing here."

The threat dried his mouth, and he covered the phone to cough. General Todd was thunder on a big stick. Within five minutes, the intel had been requisitioned and messaged to the caller. Marshal sat, pale-faced after the call ended.

"Who the hell was that?" Frank sat back, exasperated.

"Somebody who seems to carry a lot more clout than we do." Marshal picked up the phone again. "Colonel Brand? Marshal. Have your team stand down. The action has been scrubbed. I can't discuss it now, just do as I say, it is vital." He hung up and wrung his hands. "Who else around here has a direct line to General Todd?"

"Nobody in military security that I know of."

"I audited all the other agencies when we launched Icecap. There was nobody showing any interest. Nobody."

"The bright side is this," Frank waved a hand. "Whoever it is might just do our work for us."

Marshal pressed a knuckle to his mouth.

12,511 WP word count to this point