“And you will,” Seb said, “Not that I think you need to. You were duped, youcan’tbe blamed for that. You know, there’s onething that’s been bugging me about what happened earlier and that’s why did Ortega just let you walk away. Why the need to catch you in the act?”
“I was wondering that myself,” Clara said. “When he came back into the room, he made a point of going to the safe behind the matador and looking inside. I think he wanted to check that the ledger was still there. When he saw that it was, he looked annoyed. At the time, I thought that was because I hadn’t stolen it, but perhaps that wasn’t the reason. Do you think maybe he doesn’t fully trust the person who’s been feeding him information?”
“Possibly,” Seb agreed. “Perhaps he wanted to be certain that his intel about you is correct. I mean we have no idea what he knows. Does he know you work for CN-6, or the CIA, or both? Just how much has he been told, and how much does he actually believe?”
Clara nodded thoughtfully. “We’ve got a lot to figure out.”
“We’d better get started then,” Seb said resolutely, getting to his feet. “This case isn’t going to solve itself.”
Chapter Six
Clara
Clara drove tothe safe house where Seb and his friends were staying, apprehension and hope warring for dominance in her mind. She had given Seb permission to share her story with his friends, a decision that was not made lightly. She didn’t know them and was wary to trust them, but Seb did and that was good enough for her. As the buildings of the city passed by her window, she wondered if they would be welcoming, or if her past would cast a shadow over their perception of her.
Pulling up outside the safe house, Clara took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. The early autumn air was crisp, a stark contrast to the warmth she hoped to find inside.
As she entered, she was immediately struck by the camaraderie that filled the room. Seb greeted her with a smile that reached his eyes, his pleasure to see her evident, and she felt hope starting to win out.
“Guys, this is Clara,” Seb announced proudly, pulling her up against his side. “I know you met briefly at the field office, but I wanted you to get to know her properly.”
One by one, his friends turned their attention to her. Ezra was the first to shoulder his way through his friends to meet her. His handshake was firm, but his smile was warm and full of exuberance. “We’ve heard a lot about you. All good, I promise,” he said with a chuckle.
Logan nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Seb hasn’t stopped talking about you. We had to hear the whole love story in full gory detail.”
“Liar!” Seb spat with a chuckle.
Clara laughed, feeling the tension ease from her shoulders. Seb rolled his eyes playfully at his friend, but when he lookedback at Clara, there was a hint of pride in his expression, and he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her temple. Clara leaned against him, enjoying the closeness and warmth she felt whenever she was around him. Now that there were no secrets between them, she felt that she could finally begin to embrace their bond and enjoy getting to know him better.
Carter grinned. “Don’t mind Logan. He’s just jealous he didn’t get a dramatic and romantic storybook love story of his own.”
Logan rolled his eyes.
“What Carter means to say,” Arlo said with a mock-serious tone, “is that we’re all hopeless romantics at heart.” He grinned a toothy smile at her that despite being full of warmth, made a shiver roll down her spine.
Toby had a wicked twinkle in his eye as he regarded her, “And I’m the resident expert on fine art. I once watched a documentary on Baroque paintings. So, you and I will have a lot to talk about.”
Clara threw her head back and laughed. “Really, a documentary? Then you probably know more about the subject than I do.”
Max gave a nod of acknowledgment. “It’s good to finally meet you properly, Clara. Seb’s been a lot more bearable since you showed up.”
“Hey!” Seb protested and Carter let out a boom of laughter.
The group’s easy banter and genuine warmth enveloped Clara, and she found herself smiling more freely than she had in days. The atmosphere was light, but there was an underlying current of strength and camaraderie among them. She warmed to them all instantly.
Seb ushered her into the kitchen, where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air.
“Let’s sit down and get started. We’ve got a mole to catch,” he said, a determined glint in his eye.
The team gathered around the kitchen table, their faces turning serious as the topic shifted to the mission at hand. Clara felt a surge of gratitude for the acceptance and support she had found amongst Seb’s friends. As they began to strategize, she focused on the task, supported by the newfound allies at her side.
As they chatted, a palpable shift from lightheartedness to seriousness fell over the group. Seb, taking the lead, laid out the situation.
“So, we need a plan that’s clever enough to draw out the mole without putting ourselves at undue risk or further compromising Clara’s double agent status,” he said.
Clara, feeling more at ease with the team, chimed in. “The mole has been leaking information to Ortega, right? So, we could use that to our advantage. Feed them misinformation.”
Max nodded thoughtfully. “But it can’t be too obvious. The mole, whoever they are, is clever. We need something subtle.”
