Intersection Page 24

  “Hey, Dylan.”

  “Alex? Are you coming?” Dylan asked hopefully.

  “Maybe in a little bit,” she answered. He looked at her sadly and she winked at him. Brian Fallon regarded the interaction between the boy and his partner and smiled. “What?” Alex asked as they reached the kitchen. She set her gaze back upon the woman who was now cooking pancakes and sighed.

  “Brian, how are you?” Cassidy turned.

  “I’m well, Cassidy,” he smiled.

  “Well, sit down you two. We might as well all START the day right,” the teacher said with a note of apprehension in her voice. Alex looked at her and the two exchanged a glance of understanding.

  “What’s going on?” Fallon asked as Alex put a cup of coffee in front of him and pulled up a chair.

  Cassidy brought over a plate of pancakes and set them on the table and the agent looked up at her. “How about I go take Dylan his?” The agent offered.

  “I think that would be great. God knows he’s been waiting for you all morning,” the teacher agreed.

  Fallon watched the two women closely as Alex put a plate together and rose from the table. “I’ll be right back,” she said still focused on Cassidy, who was now grabbing her own coffee.

  Brian Fallon was not certain what to make of the situation. He knew Alex was eager to talk to him and yet here she was leaving him alone with the congressman’s ex-wife. Cassidy saw his confusion and smiled at him as she took her seat at the table. “Eat,” she said. He nodded. She looked out of the room toward the agent’s intended destination and closed her eyes before returning her attention the man seated nearby. “She’s just struggling this morning, Brian,” Cassidy explained. Fallon looked at her over a forkful of pancakes, questioning her comment with his eyes. She let out a strong sigh, glancing away again and then back at him. “Chris called me last night.” The male agent nearly choked on his mouthful. Cassidy nodded and pursed her lips. “Yeah… He knows.” Fallon blew air from his mouth and rubbed his forehead. “There’s more. She told me a lot, but I’ll leave all that to Alex.”

  “Cassidy?” He began his inquiry.

  “Yeah?”

  “What do you think he’ll do?”

  Cassidy rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Exactly what she expects.”

  The sadness in the woman’s voice cut through Brian Fallon. He’d never see his partner in a relationship but he knew Alex. When Alex Toles committed to something she was unshakeable. “I know it’s not my place, but Alex, I told you…I can tell…”

  The teacher smiled. “I know,” she said reaching for his hand. “I love her too.” Fallon nodded as Alex reentered the room.

  The agent walked to the table and sat down, retrieving her coffee and watching as Cassidy put breakfast on a plate for her. She looked at her lover and then to her partner, “So the news is out.”

  Fallon felt horrible and his empathy for his friend was obvious, “Alex…I...”

  “Don’t. It was inevitable, Fallon.” She took a bite of her pancakes but had to admit she was not feeling very hungry. “Listen, we need your P.D. contact to work Fisher. We can’t go through the FBI.”

  “Why not?” Fallon asked as Cassidy got up to get more coffee for everyone.

  “Because, Fallon, we’re compromised there.”

  “What are you talking about? Alex, seriously where is all this coming from?”

  Alex looked up and into her lover’s eyes as the woman poured coffee into each of their cups, placed the pot on the table and sat down across from the agent. The agent took a deep breath. “Fallon, Brackett is DCIS.”

  He shook his head. “How could you know that? And why would…”

  “It’s not that uncommon,” Alex stated as fact. “Look, I never told you because that was part of the deal when I went to the FBI…But, I was NSA for a number of years, Fallon…Before I went to the FBI. That’s how I know.”

  Her partner ran his hand over the top of his head gathering his thoughts. “That’s how you know the President?”

  “No. I served under him in Iraq. But yes, I did work with the White House briefly on some things.”

  “All right. Why then? And what does Fisher have to do with any of this?” He asked.

  Alex looked to Cassidy for encouragement and her partner’s eyes followed, surprised to realize that Alex had obviously shared a great deal with the teacher. Seeing the loving expression from the woman across from her, Alex sipped her coffee, set down her mug and sighed. She immediately saw the surprise in her friend’s eyes. “Fallon, Cassidy knows everything I know, pretty much anyway…So you can speak freely,” she smiled at her lover and Cassidy’s gaze retreated into her coffee cup as Alex continued. “When I was with the NSA I worked with DCIS on several cases.” She paused and took another sip of her coffee in an effort to gather her thoughts. “Notably, cases that dealt with potential sales of missiles, technology and other military armaments; sales that were laundered, embedded and hidden though PAC donations to certain congressional campaigns.” Agent Brian Fallon set his mug down slowly. “Yeah,” Alex Toles continued. “Sound familiar? Look, I don’t know WHAT the deal is here, Fallon. I suspect your hunch was right. Money was filtered through the O’Brien campaign.” Alex stopped briefly noting the sharp intake of breath from her lover. “Whether O’Brien knew, or what he knew, I don’t know. He knows something. Whether Brackett was assigned this to investigate O’Brien or whether she’s involved, I don’t know that either. Near as I can figure Fisher is just an unfortunate consequence for us all, probably assigned in the campaign to gather intel. At least that’s what one of my sources indicated. His dismissal did not play well and now he’s freelancing. And guess who he knows well?” Fallon shrugged slightly. “Claire Brackett.”

  “Toles?” Fallon looked momentarily at the teacher. “What’s Fisher’s deal then?”

  “Loose cannon,” she sighed, the worry in her voice unmistakable. “And obsessed with Cassidy.”

  “They’re gonna’ pull you. Maybe pull us when they find out I’ve known.”

  Alex nodded. Cassidy looked at the table and the agent noticed the tear escaping her eye. The agent slowly reached across the table and took the teachers hand, softly caressing it. “I expect that. That’s why you need to work with your P.D. contact. I have my NSA resources. If I have to,” she paused, “I’ll call in the big guns.”

  “You mean the president,” he noted, prompting Cassidy to raise her head and look at Alex nervously.

  “I do.”

  “What about Brackett?” Fallon asked.

  Alex raised a thumb to her temple and pressed hard. This time it was the teacher to squeeze the agent’s hand for reassurance. Alex nodded. “Cassidy’s safety is the priority. Fisher first, Fallon. I have someone working the other angle. But Fallon, you should know, Tate knows who Brackett is.”

  “What are you saying?” Fallon asked.

  “Only that A.D. Tate knows she is DCIS.”

  “Alex…”

  “Look, Fallon, like it or not this is bigger than we thought. That means players, people on the inside, and believe me when I tell you…Well, let’s just say I’ve seen it go up the chain of command higher than you’d like to imagine.”

  “Toles?” Fallon swallowed hard.

  “Yeah?”

  “What exactly did you do before this?”

  Agent Alex Toles looked across to her lover. She had only given Cassidy the cursory explanation. “I investigated covert operations, off the books operations; things not legal but sanctioned.”

  Cassidy closed her eyes, understanding what Alex meant. Fallon reacted. “What do you mean sanctioned?”

  “I mean sanctioned by people in command at very high levels. That’s what I mean; actions that agents and others became complicit in without a full understanding of what was happening. That is what I mean.”

  Brian Fallon covered his mouth in disbelief. “And you think that is what is happening here?”

  Alex’s templ
e began to twitch. “Yes.” She looked squarely at her partner. “They never counted on Fisher being crazy enough to stalk Cassidy. They never counted on Brackett knowing Fisher intimately. Fallon, they assigned us to get rid of the Fisher problem for them. That played to their diversion scenario. Putting me here, that also got me away from Brackett in the office. So whatever she was really looking for in my files…well,” she shook her head thinking better of continuing her current statement. “But then they got thrown a wildcard they never could have seen coming.” Fallon looked at his partner. She deadpanned her answer, “Cassidy and I, well, they would never have imagined that.” A small smile crinkled onto her face.

  “So what do we do?”

  “We meet with your P.D. contact first. I have a meeting later this morning with a friend from the NSA.”

  “Alex?” Fallon began cautiously. Alex raised an eyebrow at him. “How serious is it that you told me all of this?” Alex just forced a crooked smile. “That’s what I thought.”

  Carl Fisher inhaled the drag from his cigarette fully and savored it. He gently shifted the glass in his hand, swirling the yellow liquid from side to side before bringing it to his nose and then sipping it with satisfaction. He looked at the picture on the table of the beautiful blonde woman and licked lips as his breath began to quicken. He slammed the glass down when the buzzing of a black box on the table interrupted his thoughts. “Fisher,” he answered.

  “She’ll be gone shortly,” the voice on the other end offered.

  “Hummm,” he exhaled.

  “Do you have a plan?”

  Fisher took another long drag from his cigarette. “It’s set.”

  “Good. Just so we’re clear, I don’t like this,” the voice came across the phone.

  “No, you wouldn’t,” Fisher smirked picking up his glass and tracing the photo again with his hand.

  “What do you need?” The voice asked.

  “Confirmation,” was the only word Fisher spoke.

  “Where?” The voice asked.

  “Here,” Fisher replied.

  “Understood.”

  Detective Pete Ferro entered the café casting his glance about for his old friend. The detective had worked in the city for over twenty years and could still not imagine retiring, if only because the work was in his blood. A third generation police officer, he bled blue and he loved his work. He had worked everything from a street beat to homicide and there wasn’t one assignment he regretted. He had weathered the years and the strain of his job well and had been approached by all the major federal investigative services but preferred the city role. A large man, nearly 6’4 with black hair that had just started to show a hint of gray in the side burns; Pete Ferro was both handsome and an intimidating presence. He noticed his friend with the attractive woman in the corner and smiled. “Pete,” Brian Fallon greeted with a strong handshake.

  “Well, Agent, Federal life is treating you well I see, particularly if this is your partner,” Ferro complimented.

  Alex smiled which surprised her. Generally she did not like professional compliments that alluded to her gender. Detective Ferro was charming and his manner was not chauvinistic, but seemed genuine. Fallon stumbled a bit, worried what his partner’s reaction might be. “Uhh… yeah, this is my partner, Alex Toles.”

  “Detective,” Alex smiled. “Thank you for meeting us.”

  “No…Happy to help a friend. So, what is it you feds need from this beat boy?” He kidded, looking directly at Alex. That told the agent what she needed to know. He had that sixth sense; the ability to read people and he knew Alex held the information. Alex pushed a file toward him across the table. He opened it and studied it, taking a brief moment to thumb through each page. Occasionally he sighed and rubbed his chin, his eyes remaining intense through every glance. After a short while he closed the folder and looked at the pair across from him. “Psycho.” Alex nodded and raised her eyebrows in agreement of his assessment. “So…what do you need?”

  Alex pulled out an envelope and handed it to him. He looked at her probing her thoughts with his eyes. She gestured to him to open it. He pulled out several letters and photos. “Originals?” She nodded.

  “He’s got to have some place nearby,” she said. “Detective, Carl Fisher is a former CIA agent. He’s the real deal, crazy, incredibly intelligent and beyond sophisticated when it comes to training.”

  The detective nodded his understanding. “You want me to see what we can gather locally? See if we can find where he might be? I can do that, but New Rochelle is not my town, Agent.”

  Alex poked at her cheek with her tongue and looked at Brian Fallon. There was one thing she had not told any of them yet. “Harlem,” she said. Agent Fallon looked at her with great curiosity and the detective stared forward eyeing her carefully. “The first pictures, they were outside the school. He’s near Cassidy’s school,” she gestured to one of the letters.

  The detective held it over his head to the light and snickered at her discovery. Most people would never have seen what Alex did. It was so faint he barely saw it. “They didn’t find this in the lab, did they?” He laughed. She shook her head.

  “Find what?” Fallon demanded.

  “Your partner here should be a beat cop,” Ferro mused. “She knows the old fashioned ways, been in the field at some point I’d say.” Alex acknowledged his appraisal of her. Fallon still did not follow. “Well, Fallon, there is just a tiny impression on the far left corner… ‘lem’…that’s it…just ‘lem’…but it might tell the story,” Detective Ferro smiled.

  “How the hell?” Fallon said.

  Alex shook her head. “Something I picked up in the field. You just learn all the technology in the world isn’t always as good as a bright light and a strong pair of eyes, Fallon. You’ be surprised what analysts and forensics miss with their case loads.” The detective nodded his respect. Alex had gone over every letter a least a thousand times in the last couple of weeks. She never dismissed anything. And, she had learned that sometimes, many times, local law enforcement was more tenacious than her federal compatriots. They didn’t sit at computers. She respected that.

  “Okay,” Pete Ferro said. “I’ll get on it.”

  The female agent smiled. “Detective?” He looked at her as he was rising to leave. She scrawled out a number on a napkin. “Use this number, it’s…” The detective understood. Former CIA was all he needed to know; whatever his friend and his partner were into they needed to be off the grid. Pete Ferro started to leave and Alex stopped him again. “Last thing. It may or may not come to pass,” he looked at her curiously. “You may hear some things about me.” Alex was anticipating a press leak on Cassidy. She hadn’t told her lover her fear, but it made sense. In some ways Christopher O’Brien would do himself the most harm by going to the press, if keeping their relationship quiet was his goal, but he was imprudent and reactionary and Alex fully expected a leak to come from him.

  “What is it agent?”

  “The congressman’s ex-wife,” she began.

  Pete Ferro smiled. Cassidy was a popular figure around the city, far more popular than her ex-husband. Alex had witnessed that firsthand when people would approach her at the grocery store or at George’s, just wanting to talk to the pretty and affable school teacher. “She’s quite the lady,” he offered.

  Alex couldn’t help but get a twinkle in her eye. “I agree,” she said with a tilt of her head.

  The detective chuckled. “Can’t say as I saw that coming,” he winked. “But, you’re a lucky woman, Agent. You’ll break an awful lot of hearts with that one.” Alex chuckled at his good natured response. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll find him. I know how to reach you.” Alex felt much better. Pete Ferro clearly could read all of her signals and in between the lines.

  “Fallon?” Alex called across to her partner,

  “Yeah?” He answered as he waved his friend goodbye.

  “Promise me…whatever happens…well…just keep her safe.”
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br />   “Whatever it takes,” was his simple answer.

  “Cassie, what’s wrong?” The woman’s mother asked. The school teacher sighed as she took a seat on the couch, folding her legs beneath her. Rose McCollum was certain her daughter was on the verge of tears. “Did something happen with you and Alex?”

  Cassidy couldn’t help but let out a small laugh as she felt tears begin to sting her eyes. “Not like you are thinking, no. Chris…He called. He found out.”

  Rose to a deep breath and nodded. “Are you worried about Alex?”

  “She’s probably going to be reprimanded and removed from the case.”

  “You don’t know that for certain, Cass….”

  The small blonde woman looked across to her mother with assuredness. “I do know. I know him.”

  Cassidy’s mother moved to her daughter’s side. “Cassie, Alex loves you.”

  The teacher’s emotions were in overdrive. “I know…but…”

  “But what?”

  “This could ruin her career, Mom, and it’s my fault.” The small blonde woman couldn’t hold back any longer and her tears broke forth.

  “Cassie…” Rose rubbed her daughter’s back.

  “The worst part, Mom? I almost don’t care about her career. What if she doesn’t come back? What if she leaves and she ends up hating me for it? God. How selfish can I be? I should just let her go; who needs all this?”

  The older woman bit her lip to contain the smile that seemed determined to make its presence known. She had seen her daughter and the agent, the way that they looked at one another. She was as certain as she had ever been about anything that no job and no person would keep Alex Toles from her daughter for long. But, she could feel her daughter’s fear and pain. “Listen to me, Cassidy, Alex loves you. I don’t think anything will change that, not from what I have seen.” Cassidy’s tears were turning to sobs as she collapsed into her mother. She couldn’t speak. The thought of losing Alex was far more frightening than Carl Fisher had ever been. She didn’t want the agent to know how insecure she was feeling or how guilty. Cassidy was not accustomed to breaking down, but at the moment all she wanted was to cry and as she did she began to think that it might never stop.