Roger glanced about, trying not to be too nosy with the gun happy Russian behind him. He spotted a row of Humvees, ex-military units that had been painted gloss black with a logo on the door that he wasn’t familiar with. Two helicopter gunships and a small luxury jet filled the rear of the hangar. “You boys planning on starting a war?” Roger didn’t mean to let his thought escape, but it happened nonetheless.
Steve shot him a grin over his shoulder. “Only if we’re paid to, amigo. Only if we’re paid to.” He stepped to the desks and waved Roger in. “Bridger will be out in a moment.”
“He in the can?”
“Nope. Burning his clothes in case a tracker was somehow embedded.” Steve sat behind his desk and offered Roger a chair.
“Burning his clothes? Isn’t that a bit…”
“Paranoid?” Jay stepped out from behind the beer fridge and sat across from Roger. “It’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get you.”
Roger hiked his brow again and noticed the others in the group suddenly appearing from the shadows. “So, who are you fellas?”
Viktor sat on the corner of the desk and spun his chrome plated pistol on his finger. “We are the Bogeymans.” He laughed at his own statement as though it were a joke.
Jay cleared his throat and nodded. “That’s one way to put it. We are specialized contractors, each with our own unique talents.”
Roger nodded. “Mercenaries.”
Gregg laughed a little too loud and shook his head. “Only those who can’t afford us call us that.”
“But that is what you are, correct?” Roger crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the man.
Bridger stepped out from a doorway behind the men, buttoning a black BDU blouse. “They’re security specialists.” Roger turned and did a double take. “Yes, they’re for hire, but they’re all trained operators. I believe their biggest client is our own government.”
“You assume correctly, fine sir.” Jay tossed the dossier onto the desk closest to Roger.
“What’s this?” Roger picked it up and thumbed through it. He suddenly looked up at Bobby and gave him a questioning look.
“That’s the intel they were able to find on me since the shit hit the fan.”
Roger shook his head. “I don’t know anything about shit hitting the fan.” He closed the folder and laid it down carefully. “I only know that something hokey was going on when they transferred me—”
“And you decided to call and give me a heads up. I know that part.” Bobby pulled his chair closer to Roger and tapped a finger on the dossier. “I need to know what isn’t in here.”
“I can tell you one thing that isn’t there. My section chief threatened me on my way out. Or he warned me. I’m still not sure which yet.”
Jay tossed the empty beer bottle in the trash and poured a cup of coffee. He turned to Wallace, his curiosity evident. “How so?”
“He threatened to transfer me to the Des Moines field office.”
Jay gave him a so what? look when Bobby filled in the blanks. “There is no Des Moines field office. Whenever an agent is killed in the line of duty under mysterious circumstances and anybody comes sniffing around, these guys simply report that the agent isn’t available because they were transferred to the Des Moines field office.”
Jay nodded, scratching at his goatee in thought. “And if they try to look up the field office and call?”
Bobby shrugged. “They assume it’s some covert facility that civilians can’t reach.” He turned back to Wallace and tapped the dossier in his hands. “You’re gonna help us figure out why all the cloak and dagger crap.”
“I’m not following you, Bobby.” Roger glanced from face to face, hoping to catch an idea of why he was there.
“You’re our inside man.” Steve answered quietly. “You have access to the government’s computer systems. Including the stand alone systems that we can’t hack into.”
Roger shook his head as he slowly came to his feet. “Now hold on just a moment fellas. I can’t be digging around in those systems just for shits and giggles. I need to have—”
Gregg tossed something at him, cutting him off. “That’s a top secret access card. You can get into anything with that.”
Roger picked it up and glanced at the ID card. It belonged to an unknown operative with the Agency. At least, he was unknown to him. “Who’s this guy?”
Jay waved him off. “Don’t worry about who it is, just know that with it, you can access any of the top level files you need.”
“But what about the owner of this key card? Won’t he be looking for it?” Roger felt his mouth going dry as he spoke.
“Technically, he’s missing in action. Considered alive and well, just laying low.” Jay sipped from his coffee cup, his eyes never leaving Roger.
“Technically alive. I’m guessing that you boys know better?” Roger found himself slipping the key card into his pocket.
“Let’s just say that the key card will only be good for another…” Steve glanced at the date on his watch. “Four or five days. Tops.”
“Great.” Roger hung his head and contemplated what was being asked of him. He suddenly raised his eyes and met Bobby’s steady gaze. “Why don’t one of you guys use this? Just waltz in, grab an unmanned computer and go to town?”
“You gotta be able to get into the building first, smart guy. You have the legit creds for that.” Gregg gave him a smile that sent a cold chill down his back.
“Besides, you’re the one who pulled me into this mess. Remember?” Bobby didn’t mean to sound threatening when he spoke, but apparently being on the run did something to his temperament.
“Great,” Roger groaned. He slumped in his chair and shook his head. “But once I get whatever intel you want, I’m done, right?”
Jay walked past him and patted his shoulder. “We’ll have to get back to you on that one.”
6
FBI Field Office,
Oklahoma City, OK
ROGER TURNED
