Every day he woke up, knowing he could live with himself and what he’d done in life, even when, occasionally, the awful memories of what had been required of him came to visit. Those thoughts could gnaw a hole in his heart and soul and mind, but he always survived their attack by knowing he’d done what was needed to keep the client in the right alive…and free.
Time to finish the conversation with Reese and Josh, so he clicked on their signal and, within moments, they were both back on OPAQUE’s secure Skype.
“With all the info Liz gave us on the Arizona connection, I assume you guys realize everything else has changed.” Mitch scribbled on the notepad next to the keyboard. “I think she’s the target. Her dad’s the leverage against her.”
The men nodded.
“Everything okay there?” Reese asked.
“Yeah, she’ll be okay. Let’s get on with this.” Mitch began to check off his list of objectives. “Whether Drake finds Russ or not, the main priority is Liz. CT wants her. Let’s focus on finding out why.”
“Reasoning says a journalist has lots of contacts. Goes lots of places. They can be used to someone’s advantage in a variety of ways.” Reese’s CIA background seemed to be a basis for his thoughts. “They can be used to ask questions. To plant thoughts. Twist a statement or clean up a reply.”
“In other words, CT could embed her in companies or law enforcement. Government agencies or—”
“Or becoming family friends with a government leader. You have no idea how fast a good journalist can change an opinion. Start a rebellion. Start a run on a bank. Or make a stock soar off the wall.”
Josh seemed intent on keying in searches and reading the results. Mitch wouldn’t break his train of thought.
Reese made eye contact. “Let me see if any of my old media contacts can give me anything.”
“What about the Interweb?”
“That’s not my expertise, but I know a couple of guys who—”
“Joey can do it. Drake’s always sending him out to help a company set up their tech systems.” Josh leaned back in his chair, rolling his pen through his fingers. “Want to hear something scary? From what I saw online, Liz’s former employer is a reputable publisher. They’ve won a lot of awards. Known to be trustworthy, confidential, and respectful. They also filed for bankruptcy two years ago, but cancelled at the last minute when an angel investor stepped in.”
“I’d say that’s when Coercion Ten entered the picture.”
“That would be my guess. Especially since the editor came on board at the same time, when a new section was created. The CFO replaced the existing one, who took early retirement, complete with a big-time umbrella package.”
The odds on this assignment had been raised so many times in the past couple of hours, Mitch needed to strategize completely outside the box. If CT wanted Liz that much, they would need to get through his strategy.
He made a decision. “We need to notch this up, guys. We’ll stay small, but we’ve got to be ready for anything. Josh, I want you here by tomorrow. Contact our resources in the military if need be. Reese has told me the boat he got is fast enough for what we might need, so nix the OPAQUE boat.”
“Got it.”
“We need at least one more agent. Who can you get?”
“Stealth.”
Reese stretched his neck from side to side. “I thought he was getting Cat back to St. Louis.”
“I’ll put Joey on that along with working some Interweb stuff,” Josh said. “Her doctor said she can fly in a few days. I’ll go ahead and send him on one of our planes to pick her up in Ft. Myers.”
“With Stealth in the mix, that makes four of us. What are you up to, Mitch?” Reese asked.
Mitch hoped he hadn’t gone over the deep end with his theory. He’d know for sure by the guys’ reactions. “Offensive defense.”
Reese and Josh nodded in unison.
“We’ll all keep working every lead. Hopefully, we get a break. Otherwise, CT will track us down.” Mitch checked his gun. “I want us ready and in place.”
“Got it,” Josh said. “I’ll get everything ready on this end and head your way in the morning. Stealth will come in from Ft. Myers. We’ll coordinate with Reese on the equipment drop.”
“Add a little more firepower to that equipment package,” Mitch said. “But stay aware. There are families in the area. Vacationers. Locals. I don’t want any unnecessary public confrontations. And if it comes to action, make sure the bystanders don’t get hit.”
Reese and Josh nodded.
