Page 107 of Covert Mission
But the worst thing is I’m sealing my fate. I’ll never work in the intelligence business again. You can’t get fired for having sexon the joband have any respect in the trade.
PCI was my one chance in.
I stare at the wall across from me until I can hardly breathe.
My career is done.
Gone.
All the dreams.
“I’m so screwed.”
She bumps my shoulder. “I’m sorry. Ralph is a jerk, if that makes you feel better. You’ll be better off working for anyone else. And I mean,anyone.”
Speaking of the jerk… “Do you know some guy named Tom? That’s the guy that Ralph sent.”
She stiffens and snorts. “Yeah. I know him. Scumbag.”
“He’s the messenger, and supposedly also your new boss.”
She pushes up from the wall, climbs to her feet, and stands in front of me with her fists on her hips. When Belle assumes this stance with that expression, she’s as immovable as the Statue of Liberty. “Oh, no. He’s not my boss. Iquit!”
I blink at Belle, equal parts proud of her and dismayed. “But you love this job?”
“It’s a job. That’s it. I hate Tom far more.”
Wow. She’s serious about this. “What would make you say that?”
“For starters, he likes to hit women.”
I’m confused, and I hope I heard her wrong. “Hit or hit on?”
But Belle’s eyes turn murderous. “Hits. As in with closed fists.”
My stomach drops. “That’s horrible.”
“Second, he conned his ex-girlfriend into giving FamFind a bunch of money which I know never got used for what she thought it was going to be used for.”
My heart starts to pound. My vision becomes hyper-focused. “What else do you know?”
A creaking sound makes us freeze. Belle mouths silently, “Justice!”
The creak turns into the definitive sound of the front door opening and closing.
I hold my breath as she rushes over to flush the toilet. As the water swirls and gurgles, she mouths, “What now?”
Justice calls from the other room. “Belle, we’ve got to roll. Step on it. Camile is missing, we need to help Beast find her.”
Her next silent missive is accompanied by her eyes popping so wide they have to hurt.
Oh shit!
I offer her a grimace and mouth,Sorry.
I climb off the floor and tug her to me so I can speak in a whisper. “Look, I need to take care of something, and I don’t want them caught up in this. Can you…coverfor me? I’m sorry, I wouldn’t ask you to do this if it wasn’t absolutely critical.”
She gives me a fierce hug, then straightens her shoulders. She’s such a badass, and I know that even more after what she says next. “Us girls gotta stick together. Be safe, Camy.”