Covert Christmas Twin

“Audrey is on the cusp of a breakthrough in the advancement of metamaterials.”

Joe whistled low. “Are we talking cloaking technology? Is she working on upgrades to what the military is using?”

Kendra wanted to roll her eyes at his enthusiasm. Yes, her sister was a genius, big-shot government grant researcher at Caltech. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“I’ve been hearing murmurs that the Pirate is going after Audrey’s research.”

Kendra’s neck tingled. “Are you saying she’s in danger?”

Beverly hesitated before she shook her head. “I don’t believe so. He has no interest in recruiting her personally and won’t want to draw attention. He only wants to obtain and sell the research.” Her phone vibrated again, and she began rushing around the room, gathering items and shoving them in a duffel bag. “He usually asks me to analyze someone for the best way to bribe them, but in this scenario, he said he already knew how to obtain what he wanted.”

“You’re saying the Pirate already knows someone at the lab will hand over the research.”

“Yes. Either he’s already commissioned someone to infiltrate the lab, or, I believe, based on his behavior, that he’s planning to infiltrate the lab himself. It’s in the best interests of our national security that he doesn’t succeed. If he sold it to another country—” Beverly reached a hand out to put on her shoulder but Kendra instinctively took a step backward. “This is probably the only chance to get our hands on the Pirate. You’ve met your sister now. Do you think you could take her place?”

A regular twin swap, just like when Audrey had taken her place on the mission. Only this time it would be Kendra’s turn to pretend she was Audrey. She’d probably have jumped at the idea if she’d been in high school, but now, the request infuriated her. “I’m sure it would’ve been easier had I grown up knowing her.”

“We don’t have time for this!” Beverly’s eyes blazed. “You want to know why you didn’t? Your father was a double agent. Does that make you feel better?” Beverly blinked rapidly. “Obviously, I didn’t know that when I married him,” she said in a softer voice. “Seven months pregnant, I intercepted a message that as soon as you were born, his orders were to kill me and kidnap you and your sister. I ran away, had you two and gave you up for adoption to keep you safe. Because what kind of life could I give you, constantly running away from a double agent?” Her voice wobbled as she raised her chin. “Months later, I knew I made the right decision when he found me.”

Joe stepped forward. “Okay, maybe we should wait to unpack history until—”

Kendra ignored him. She couldn’t take a break from hearing the whole story. This was the reason she’d tracked down Beverly in the first place—to find out the whole truth. Her heart beat so fast she could hardly think straight. “Is he still alive?”

Beverly turned away. “It was either him or me.” Her phone buzzed a third time. “Does the FBI know you’re here?”

Kendra fought to focus on her question when all her mind wanted to do was play the news about her parents on a loop. “No. All the FBI knows is I took a leave of absence.”

Beverly exhaled. “Well, that’s something. It’ll make it harder for Masked to figure out which Fed was here, but we still don’t have much time. Go. Take Audrey’s place in the lab. Secure the research and figure out the Pirate’s identity before anyone in Masked discovers Special Agent Parker is my daughter. Joe, go with her—”

“I’m not so sure—”

Beverly leveled a harsh stare at him. “She can’t trust anyone else. She needs backup and a good analyst to help her. It’s why I’ve been training you.”

He blinked rapidly, and they both turned to Beverly at the same time. Joe’s mouth dropped. “What?”

Joe held up his hands. “What do you mean ‘training’ me?” He replayed every discussion he could remember with Beverly from the past six weeks. “You came to the church after service one day and told me you were having a crisis of faith. You said you thought your classes would be useful to my ministry because—”

“Ever since Kendra shut down the network, the Pirate has become a little neurotic with trust issues,” Beverly said.

“You call it trust issues. I call it fear of being arrested,” Kendra said.

Joe shook his head. “She’s trying to say I’ve been the middle man for her reports to the director of the NCS. I’ve delivered some flash drives to a dead drop at the hospital when I’m making my visiting rounds. It’s why she read me in about her undercover work with NCS.” But he never thought she was trying to train him for anything. She did offer him a lot of extra tutelage in her behavior analysis classes, but he thought she was simply passionate about the field of study.

Beverly shook her head. “That’s not why I read you in, Joe. I told you about Kendra and Audrey because you were useful as an asset, not because I was having a crisis of faith.”

The way Beverly said the last three words made him wonder if she’d ever believed or if she’d used his faith as a way to manipulate him into doing what she wanted.

“I was aware of your analyst background and that you already knew Kendra,” she continued. “It was a long shot that Kendra would secure Audrey’s research without a mandate, although I hoped. I was preparing you as an asset to go help her. My class curriculum was geared toward what you’d need to know to stand up against Masked.”

She’d only wanted to train him for a mission? Was that the real reason she’d wanted him in her classes? “And what if I say no?” He wasn’t a puppet.

She crossed her arms and leaned back, a sure sign Beverly knew she had the upper hand. “Do I have to remind you who shot that man today? You have the freedom to say no, but you’d be putting your own life, that of your congregants, Kendra and I, and anyone else who gets near you, in danger if the Pirate isn’t stopped.”

Joe’s stomach flipped. He hated the thought of taking a life, but he’d only done so to spare Kendra. Beverly knew as much. She was, after all, the expert in behavior analysis. She knew he wouldn’t stand for putting anyone in danger if he could help it.

Beverly nodded, as if she saw the agreement on his face before he’d felt it. “Don’t trust anyone else in the FBI or any of the other law-enforcement agencies. There are ears everywhere. I have to disappear now. Please, do what I ask. If you fail, we’ll never get to finish this conversation.”

“Because we’ll all be dead. Yes, we get the picture,” Joe stated.

A beeping sounded from across the room. Beverly spun and walked to the computer against the wall and clicked on the monitor. “I apparently didn’t remove the gunman’s phone battery fast enough. They’ve already tracked it to here.” She groaned. “I’m getting too old for this.”

“Are you sure they haven’t been tracking your phone?” Kendra asked.

Beverly’s smile could only be described as condescending. She reached underneath the desk and pulled out a stuffed backpack. A hat and glasses were tossed Kendra’s way. “Put those on and get out of here. I’m assuming you have some covers prepared. Use them. Do you your best to keep your identity hidden.” She handed Joe a hat, along with a pack of three driver’s licenses, all with his photograph and fake names on them and a stack of Visa gift cards.

He stared at his image. “You really have been preparing to send me.”

“Keep her safe, Joe.”

“I’ll do my best.” Despite the gnawing feeling that he’d been handled, he knew the right thing to do was help Kendra.

“With all due respect, I’m the special agent. I’m pretty sure I’ll be keeping him safe,” Kendra snapped. Her cheeks flushed as if she’d just realized she’d spoken aloud.

“I’ll let you two recount who saved who,” Beverly said. The monitor beeped again. Two cars on two different camera angles appeared on the screen. “Take the back exit now.”

“What about you?” Kendra asked, her voice rising.

“Worry about yourself. They’re coming. Go!”

THREE (#ua3b73726-43b0-5651-8710-19950b34613e)

Never before had Kendra felt so belittled and confused, and that was saying something since she’d been through the FBI Academy. No time for logical explanations or discussions. No, of course not. Instead, one interaction with her spy birth mother, and Kendra found herself running for her life.

She followed Joe, as he ascended the stairs by only taking every other step, since he knew the house layout best. He waited for her at the top before opening the door. “As long as it’s still clear, we head for the back door. There are bushes on each side—not a good safety feature for a normal person—”

“Joe, there’s no time to be analyzing the security for—”

“Right. Our visitors will probably be drawn to the front and side entrances. As long as they’re not at the back yet, we make a run for the neighbor’s house. It’s empty. I noticed the foreclosure sign when we approached. You can pick a lock, right?”

“Yes, but I don’t always carry a lock-picking set.”

He raised an eyebrow as if in disbelief.

“Fine. I brought one with me today, but I really don’t carry it at all times.” Truth was, if she hadn’t interacted with the professor at the classroom, she’d planned to investigate the town house before leaving. Not exactly legal, but she’d justified the possibility since she had potential evidence that her birth mother was tampering with her federal investigations by providing anonymous tips. Now, there was no need. Beverly had admitted as much.

“Unlock the back for us next door, and we can hide in there until the coast is clear enough to make it to my car.”

Kendra was used to calling the shots when working with a partner, but Joe seemed ready to take the reins. Showing her the way out of the house was one thing, but planning out the mission was another. “My rental car makes more sense. We can ditch it before there’s any need to track it, and I didn’t use my real name to rent it. If it stays at the college campus it’ll draw attention, especially given the shooting investigation, and lead to my identity being discovered faster.”