Rule #1: Trust No One

Chapter 1-3

It was after midnight when Deems finally drove away.

“How do you feel about this?” Maggie asked as she picked up the empty coffee mugs to take back to the small kitchen.

Cam picked up her ashtray filled with burned-out butts and followed Maggie, her mind still on everything they’d talked about.

“Well.” She finally sighed, “it’ll be a challenge, but it’s all workable. I guess if I wasn’t ready, I never should have signed on for this.”

“All right. Then we’re set with everything; it all feels right to you?” Maggie confirmed as she loaded the mugs into the dishwasher.

Cam emptied her ashes into the waste can and handed the ashtray to Maggie to be added to the dishwasher.

“Yes,” she answered, her mind still focused on her tasks. “I think this will work.”

“Then you can start looking for an apartment when you get back from Boston.”

“Yes.” She forced her attention back to the present. “And don’t let me forget to transfer some money out of my account while I’m there,” Cam stated.

“You’ve spent everything?” Maggie knew that all of Cam’s pay went to an unidentified numbered account at a Boston bank and that Cam took out one lump sum every few months to pay for necessary expenses. Living the life of an ex-convict wasn’t very expensive and The Company expense account paid for almost everything while she was on assignment.

“No. I’m fine on that. But Lori was telling me about a friend who needs money. I may be able to help him.” She went on to explain George’s predicament.

“That’s very generous of you, Cameron. That’s a nice gesture.” Maggie was impressed by Cam’s generosity. “I can have the money transferred for you by fax if you want. It’ll save you having to go into Boston. That way Lori can pick you up at the airport and you won’t have to rent a car.”

“That would be a great help, Maggie. Are you sure it’s not a lot of trouble?”

“No.” Maggie brushed the thought away. “It’s just a phone call and a fax. I can do it before Allison gets in. I may donate a bit of my own, too.”

“Oh, Maggie,” Cam protested, “you don’t have to do that. David will raise enough money.”

“Nonsense. In cases like this, there is never enough money. Just write down the name of the fund and what bank it’s through and I’ll get the money transferred as soon as I can. Just leave it to me.”

“Thank you, Maggie. I know that you’re the one I can count on.”

“But do you trust me?” Maggie grinned, raising one eyebrow.

“Of course not! I trust no one.”

Maggie laughed. “I see that Charlie’s rules have made a lasting impression on you.”

Charlie Harris, one of Cam’s trainers, had made Cam memorize eight short rules to keep in mind so that she didn’t make any drastic mistakes.

“You can’t argue with things that save your life.” Cam nodded. “That was one rule that kept me alive in prison: Trust no one.”

They smiled at each other. Cam immediately ran through the rules in her head, One, Trust no one; Two, Be alert; Three, Owe no one; Four, Don’t divulge information that isn’t asked for; Five, Keep your ears open; Six, Stay in control; Seven, Stay detached; and Eight, Don’t show emotion. Those had been her mantra since she was in prison for her first assignment. Many times she’d broken them but never before calculating the risk. The one time that she hadn’t been alert, she’d gotten stabbed in the ribs. Knowing them kept her on her toes, and definitely kept her alive.

“I think we can help your friend’s son. It’s nice to know we can do something like that, isn’t it?” Maggie said.

“Yes.” Cam grinned. “Isn’t there a play that has the line, Money’s like manure. It’s not worth a thing until it’s spread around encouraging young things to grow?”

Maggie smiled. “Still, it’s nice of you.”