Marilyn’s smile lit up the room. “That’s so kind of you.”
“Anything for Josslyn. But I need your help pulling it off. I need to pick them out before they deliver them. Can you stall them in the rose garden while I dash out? I won’t be more than thirty minutes.”
“Well. . .” Marilyn looked a bit skittish now.
“Imagine how thrilled Josslyn will be? And you’ll be the heroine of the wedding. Everyone will be talking about your arrangements.”
“She will be so happy,” the florist agreed. “Okay, I’ll do my best.”
“Remember, if anyone asks, you don’t know where I’ve gone. It will ruin the surprise.”
Marilyn pantomimed zipping her lips shut and throwing away the key. With a quick hug, Quinn shooed her out the door. She didn’t bother mentioning she was going to commandeer the woman’s car to do her dirty work. Instead, she simply grabbed the keys and raced out into the courtyard. Once inside the car, she pulled on the big sunglasses Marilyn left in the console. She tucked her hair inside a baseball cap she found in the back seat. All she had to do was remember to drive on the right side of the road and she just might pull this off.
She breathed a sigh of relief when an alarm didn’t sound as she approached the gate. Recognizing Marilyn’s car, the guard gave her a quick wave and, just like that, she was home free. Until it was time to return. But she’d worry about that after she met with her contact.
Chapter Fifteen
Quinn hastily wiped her sweaty palms on the cool metal of the bench she was sitting on. The sound of the water trickling through the fountain should have calmed her racing heart. It didn’t. Her contact was late.
Gazing at the tourists milling about the lush greenery housed in the stone and glass conservatory of the US Botanic Gardens, she wrestled with guilt consuming her from sneaking out. Ben had given his word. He loved her. Of course he’d make sure her parents weren’t harmed. Of course he could handle confronting Alexi. But if she could find a way to give Ben an advantage, she had to do so.
She’d been absent from the White House for nearly thirty minutes. It was only a matter of time before Marilyn spilled the beans and revealed where she’d gone. Ben would be angry. And hurt. Her heart ached at the thought. She silently willed her handler to hurry.
“What a pleasant surprise it is to find you alive, my dear.”
The familiar voice startled her. He had come, after all. They were sitting facing opposite directions on the backless bench. She chose to meet in one of the less populated rooms within the conservatory, a stone’s throw from the Capitol building in the heart of Washington, DC. Fortunately, the tourists were more interested in watching the staff harvest the pods of chocolate from the giant cocoa trees in the main gallery. No one was paying attention to the two supposed strangers in the orchid room.
“Trust me, it’s even more pleasant to be alive. But no one must know,” she murmured.
“The director must be notified.”
“No!”
Her vehement objection caused more than one head to turn in their direction.
“You texted that Alexi doesn’t have the list. You are sure of this?”
“Yes. The Americans have the list.”
A soft whistle escaped his lips. “This is good news.”
“Not really. They’re going to trade it to Ronoff.”
His body stiffened behind hers. “Why?”
“It’s all a bluff to flush out the traitor,” she explained. “But if it doesn’t work, my parents and the others on that list will never be safe as long as the seller remains at large.”
He said nothing. But she took comfort in the smell of his signature cologne and the feel of the heat from his body radiating beside her.
“I must get word to my parents to go underground until this mess is cleared up,” she continued. “Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, of course,” he reassured her.
She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear the soothing kindness and stability of his voice until she felt the knots in her muscles begin to uncoil.
“Is there any news on the identity of the traitor?”
“No,” he responded. “Let’s hope the Yanks have better luck.”
She did her best not to wilt with disappointment. Ben would have to confront Alexi, after all.
“When are the Americans making this supposed trade with Ronoff?” he asked.
“Tonight some time,” she replied. “I’m not exactly sure of the actual plan. But they have assured me he won’t get his hands on the list.” She heaved a sigh. “But, as we know, nothing is foolproof.”
“This will be over shortly, my dear. But I worry about you. You’d be well advised to seek asylum at the embassy.”
“I can’t. Not until I know the traitor has been eliminated and the list is destroyed.”
“Don’t be brash,” he argued. “Let the Americans handle this. Do what you do best. Disappear until this all blows over. Otherwise, I won’t be able to help you any longer.”
With those ominous words, he rose from behind her on the bench. She listened carefully for his retreating footsteps before slowly releasing the breath she was holding.
Do what you do best. Disappear.
The words stung. Mainly because they were true. Disappearing was what she was best at. Retrieving intelligence and then fading into the shadows and shedding her alias so she wouldn’t be linked to the take down. How many times had she done that over the past decade? But she didn’t want that life any longer. Instead, she was going back to the White House. To Ben. And his friends.
If they would have her.
With any luck, this would all be over quickly and she could photograph Josslyn’s wedding. Then she and Ben could get on with that future they’d planned so long ago. No doubt he was furious with her disappearance. But she had some ideas of how to smooth things over. She smiled just thinking about them.
First things first, however, there was the matter of the El-Nino flowers to iron out. After all, the plants were her alibi, not to mention her pass to get back inside sixteen hundred Pennsylvania Avenue.
*
“I’d feel better if we involved the rest of our national security team,” the president said.
Secretary Lyle exchanged a look with the chief of staff, who heaved a resigned sigh.
“She’s right to run this op solo, sir,” he said. “Until we discover who’s doling out classified intel, we don’t know who we can trust.”
“For heaven’s sake, you don’t think someone on my national security team is involved?”
“No, Mr. President,” the secretary said. “I don’t think it’s someone high up at all.”
Ben studied his boss carefully. Since she’d glanced at the list of names earlier, her demeanor had gone from intense to practically melancholy. He had the niggling feeling she knew more than she was saying.
“I want this taken care of tonight,” the president insisted. “Or I bring in the rest of the team.” He stood and glanced at his chief of staff. “I take it this is one of those situations where the less I know, the better. Just make sure no civilians are hurt.”