Incognito

Chapter 1 Cameron Andrews settled down into the soft leather chair and looked around. The office hadn’t changed since she was there a few years before. The desk was still tidy, just like the man who sat here, and the few files that lay there were neatly stacked in a wooden file tray. The credenza behind the desk only had two phones and a Rolodex. No other papers or pictures. Was the picture behind her on the wall new? She didn’t remember what had hung there. The office door opened and a petite woman in a very conservative lightweight navy blue wool suit entered with a coffee mug in her hand. She set it in front of Cam on the desk. “One sugar, no cream, right?” she asked. Cam nodded. “Right. You have a good memory. I see why Craig keeps you around,” she complimented her. Martita Sanchez laughed. She’d worked for Craig for ten years, even before Craig had taken over this office. “He said to tell you he’d be up in a minute. He’s just finishing a meeting with Director Deems and the head of the Company. Is there anything else I can get for you?” “I’m fine, thanks. I’m perfectly comfortable.” Martita smiled. “All right. Let me know if you think of anything, Ms. Andrews.” With that, she left the office to go back to her own desk. Cam leaned forward and picked up the cup. Rich, dark coffee, a little strong for her taste, but the aroma couldn’t be beat. Must be fresh beans from Colombia or Brazil, she thought. Were they special gifts from clients there or did Martita buy them specifically for Craig? She sat back and sipped from the mug. Craig was the reason she worked here. When she’d worked here before, right out of grad school, she’d helped Craig with some projects and they’d become friends. Then she’d quit and gone to work for the Baltimore Police Department and they’d lost touch. When she’d run into him again in Baltimore, a few years later, he’d handed her his card and said, “Give me a call if there’s ever anything I can do for you.” She’d put it away until a few months had passed and had finally called him. That was the start. A few minutes later, the door opened as Craig Roberson, Director of the CIA, walked into his office. He was a tall man, maybe in his late forties or early fifties. His hair was beginning to show a little gray at his temples, and as ever, he was immaculately dressed. His dark suit was perfectly fitted to his trim physique. Definitely government issue. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” he said and smiled. “You know how these things go. You can never get away when you need to.” “I just got here,” Cam replied. “I thought I was going to be late. I had lunch with Pauly and you know he’d give those meetings a run for their money. When that boy gets started, you can’t shut him up.” She chuckled. Paul Tarelli was her best friend. It seemed she’d known him forever. He had trained with Cam at the Police Academy and he had been recruited to help her on her first assignment for the DEA. Craig laid a file and his iPad on the dark oak surface as he sat down in the tall-backed swivel chair behind the desk. “I was surprised when Maggie said to meet with you and not Richard,” Cam said as she put her mug back onto the desk. “Am I in trouble?” “No, not at all,” Craig replied, a smile forming on his face. “Nothing like that. But we’re sending you on a completely different assignment this time so I wanted to brief you myself.” Cam had worked for Richard C. Deems of the DEA for the last few years. At first she worked undercover in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington DC. Then, when her cover was blown, Deems had started sending her out of the region, and eventually out of the country, to find drug routes and the people who worked them. “Then let’s get started,” Cam said. “Maggie didn’t say what this was about so I’m all ears.” “I haven’t brought Dr. Thomason into the loop yet because I wanted to talk to you first,” Craig told her. “I wanted to see how you felt about doing double duty.” “Double duty?” Cam asked, sitting forward. Dr. Margaret Thomason was her control when she was out in the field. Any contact she needed went through Maggie. Maggie had become her friend as well as the person who answered any question she had. If Maggie couldn’t answer a question, she’d find out who could. Dr. Maggie evaluated her performance, too, and Cam had come to rely on her for just about every aspect of her job as well as a great deal of her private life. Cam couldn’t remember ever getting an assignment without Maggie knowing about it first. “Yes. I think this assignment falls into your line of expertise and may give you a chance to finally use that expensive education you have,” Craig replied. Cam had graduated from Radcliffe College and attained her Masters in International Affairs from El Universidad de Barcelona. “Ambassador John Taylor has been having personal problems that have been hampering his effectiveness. I think you might be able to give him a hand with both his diplomatic duties and his family problems.” Cam picked up her coffee cup and took another sip as she stared at Craig over the rim. She waited for him to continue. “John is our ambassador to Argentina. He’s been negotiating a trade treaty with both Argentina and Uruguay, but things have stalled. His son has been getting into trouble and John had to take a bit of time off to deal with it.” “What kind of trouble?” Cam asked. “Drugs. He’s been arrested twice but because of his diplomatic immunity, he has been released both times.” Cam nodded. That made sense. Although she had a master’s degree in Foreign Affairs, she hadn’t had a chance to use it in her work with drug control and law enforcement. “How old is he?” “He just turned eighteen. He was supposed to come back to the States to start his college education but he suddenly balked at it and wants to stay in Buenos Aires. John is afraid he’s gotten himself into something there that is not very healthy.” Cam frowned. Fighting the drug war was easier when she didn’t have faces to fit into the equation. Her brother’s face, when he died of an overdose almost twenty years ago, was more than she ever wanted to see. “And the kid has diplomatic immunity,” she stated. “For when he’s in Argentina, yes, but if he brings anything into the U.S. he will go to prison.” Craig was adamant about that. “Not a good image for an ambassador’s family.” “No. The Argentines have been watching him ever since his first arrest, but they’re unable to act any further unless they can put the source in jail, too. Tad Taylor is small potatoes to them and they do not want a diplomatic situation that could jeopardize the treaty. “This will not be easy, Cam,” Craig continued. “It seems that Tad has gotten involved with the Cartel, although the Argentines doubt he knows that.” Cam sat back and contemplated the assignment. If the Cartel was involved, that made it harder. How would she ever get him out of that? “The Argentine government would look favorably on him if he helped them sting the Cartel, but they haven’t provided any details yet.” Cam nodded. “What are my parameters?” she asked. “Help the Argentine government with the sting, get the kid out of trouble by whatever means you can, and get him back into the US without incident. I guess you’ll have to help the ambassador while you’re there. Oh, and keep it legal if you can.” “Sure.” She nodded. “Any other miracles, while I’m at it?” “I don’t think so, but if I come up with another, I’ll let you know.” Craig laughed. Then he turned serious again. “As far as anyone will be told, your primary mission is to help John negotiate the treaties. We thought it would be less of a problem if John and his family didn’t know you were there for Tad.” Cam nodded. “And I’ll have diplomatic immunity while I’m there,” she said, more as a confirmation, than a question. “And Maggie will be my control.” “Yes, on both counts,” Craig said. He slid a folder across his desk. “This is some info on John, his family, and the trade treaty they’re trying to finalize. Of course, this is all need-to-know information, but I don’t have to tell you that.” “But Maggie will know all that’s in here?” She wanted to make sure. “All of it,” Craig confirmed. Cam’s security clearance continued to increase yearly. Craig had confidence that information would not reach anyone who didn’t need to know it. “When you get there contact a Major Ramón Falasco at their DEA. He’s in charge of this, so you’ll be working with him. He’ll know you’re coming.” Craig placed a business card for Major Falasco in front of her. Cam nodded, thoughtfully. “I assume that this will be mostly business suits. Will I need any party stuff?” Cam asked. Craig smiled. “I have no idea,” he replied. “But if I know John, there’ll be a celebration after every step of the treaty, although it probably won’t be black tie. I have to tell you that Tad may have gotten his propensity for mood enhancement from his father. John has been known to down a fifth of vodka and write a damned fine report all at the same time.” “I’m surprised he’s gotten as far as he has if he has a booze problem.” “He was appointed by this administration, six years ago. The president was his fraternity brother in college. John does a good job, so he won’t be replaced. He knows how to make nice with everyone if it’s necessary.” “That makes sense: don’t rock the boat. I’ll try to be a little bit…in his shadow.”