Page 12 of Cold Silence
She noticed that Lieutenant Kent Norton’s office lights were still out, making him unavailable for interviewing. He believed he should have her job as program director, but as much as he’d wanted it, he didn’t have as well-rounded experience as she did managing people. As a software engineer, he was a tech geek through and through and often made others outside of the IT department that he managed mad with his direct approach.
She filled her water bottle and scoped out suspect three’s desk. She shouldn’t even have put Hector on the list. He didn’t deserve it. He supported his mother and two younger siblings. Such an honorable thing to do. But it also meant he was always in need of money and worked every minute of overtime she could offer. And his mom had recently broken her hip, was living in a rehab facility, giving him bills to pay that he likely couldn’t afford.
She strolled over to him and guilt ate at her even before her question came out. “How’s your mother doing, Hector?”
Tired eyes looked at her. “As good as she can be.”
“Looks like you were up late with her.”
“Honestly, no.” He took off his computer glasses and scrubbed a hand over his jet-black hair. “I had to take a second job to help pay the bills. Been working nights at the twenty-four-hour McDonalds by my house. Don’t get in until three.”
“I’m so sorry, Hector,” she said and had to resist the urge to pat his arm. “I know that has to be hard on you. If I could increase your pay, I would.”
“I know and I would never want to leave this job for more money,” he said, his sincere tone so believable she hated her mission even more. “But don’t be surprised if I have to do it. The bills are mounting.”
She’d lost IT staff to big tech in the past. The only real benefit that kept many of her workers with her was top-notch, low-cost insurance. Didn’t do Hector any good. His mother couldn’t be on his plan.
Her phone chimed a text from Julie.Testing in final mode.
“I have to go,” she told Hector. “I’ll take another look at the budget to see if I can find anything extra for you, but even if I do, it won’t be a big increase.”
“Still, I appreciate that you care.” He gave her a wide smile, his gleaming white teeth bright in his tan face. “You always do.”
She nodded and rushed away before she spilled her guts and told him she wasn’t being totally honest with him. Sure, she did care about him and his family and often asked about their well-being, but today she was a spy all the way, and she hated every minute of it.
How did Travis do it all the time? True, he hadn’t developed a relationship with the people he encountered, and they were bad people, but still, she couldn’t do it. Not long-term for sure.
She stepped into the large testing room and hung by the door. Wearing a helmet and CATS virtual device, Travis was crouched in the stealth mode of a cat hunting prey. He’d dressed in his Army Combat Uniform as discussed. She was intimately familiar with ACU specs from creating the simulations. It consisted of eight-pocket camouflage pants and a matching five-pocket jacket that they called a blouse, along with brown battle boots. Travis had dressed this way because it simulated combat more realistically.
He eased left then right, his balance perfect, his movements sure. Claire knew exactly what he was seeing—he was at the spot in the simulation that placed him on a rocky outcropping designed to resemble the mountains of Afghanistan.
She could easily imagine him in a real battle, though not necessarily in Afghanistan. The third Special Forces group concentrated on covert operations in sub-Saharan Africa. His alpha team was dropped into unfriendly countries and left to infiltrate groups and gather intelligence. They frequently lived as locals and operated without military support. That meant no uniforms, leaving them outside the jurisdiction of the Geneva Convention. The enemy could torture or kill them on sight.
A violent shudder raced through her. This was the very reason she’d broken off with him.
Keep that in mind when he turns those heart-stopping eyes on you.
He suddenly stood and lowered his rifle, indicating the segment had come to an end. He removed the helmet and put it on a rack. When he caught sight of her, a boyish grin spread across his face.
Her mouth threatened to reciprocate before she clamped down on her lips.
He jogged across the room, boots thumping on the tile floor. He grabbed her in a hug and swung her in circles.
She felt weightless. Spinning. The room moving. She caught her breath and enjoyed the ride.
After a few rotations, he put her down. He kept her loosely enclosed in his arms. “You did it, Claire. Really did it. Everything we talked about came to life before my eyes.” His breath was warm on her neck before he leaned back, still grinning from ear to ear.
“What a rush!” His body fairly vibrated from adrenaline.
She let herself be caught up in his smile. To feel the strength of his arms around her again. To catch a whiff of the same minty soap he used. To feel protected and cherished. To feel everything she claimed she no longer wanted in her life.
He tweaked her nose as he’d often done when they were dating. “I’m so proud of you, honey.”
She basked in his praise. Standing there. Not moving.
A noise sounded from the observation booth. Julie.
What was Claire doing?
