SWNOVELS Chance: Chapter 28
“What have we got, gentlemen?”Ghost asked the assembled team.
They were in the SCIF after a long day at Griffin Research Labs going over records and training their security personnel. It was six-thirty and the range was closed for the day. Daphne was currently cleaning up the shooting bays. She had her headphones in and she was dancing with the broom from time to time.
Kane kept glancing at the screen where she was visible which is the only reason Chance knew she was dancing because he’d looked to see what was going on.
Seth flipped open his laptop and projected a file on the overhead screen. “These are the people who work in software engineering. It’s a small group. The one who stands out is Caroline Crowell. She’s only been on the team a few months, moved here from Virginia, and her finances are strained. She leased a small farm near Sutton’s Creek when she arrived. She has a younger sister, still in high school, who she cares for. The kid rides horses and competes in jumping competitions. They have one horse at the farm, and one in training at a barn in Madison. The kid takes lessons there.”
“Wait. You think this lady would take a bribe so her sister could keep riding horses?” Ethan asked.
“The parents died in a skiing accident a year ago. The kid’s whole life changed. Yeah, I think Ms. Crowell might be tempted by easy money if it meant her sister’s life didn’t get ripped apart even further than it already has been.”
“Yikes,” Blaze said. “That’s rough.”
“What else makes you suspicious of her?” Ghost asked. Because they all knew there had to be more.
Seth clicked over to another screen. This one had a picture of Caroline Crowell. She was pretty, with brown hair, pale skin, and green eyes. She wasn’t smiling. Her credentials were listed on the page beside her picture. Seth zoomed in.
Languages: English, Polish, Russian
“Ms. Crowell spent a year in Poland, working for the US Army Corps of Engineers. She worked in plans and software development, and instructed Polish soldiers in those areas. She’s traveled extensively throughout the region over the past decade, and some of her mother’s family still lives in Gdansk.”
“Wilhelm Olkowicz and Cyril Dyka,” Ghost said, naming the two men who’d been detained recently. “We need to find out if she had any contact with either of them, either here or in Poland.”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“Excellent work, Phantom. I’ll send inquiries on Caroline Crowell’s time in Poland. See what you can find during her time here.”
“Roger that.”
“Where are we on secure lab access?”
“Tomorrow or Thursday,” Chance said. “I’m working on the protocols for all lab access and testing for weaknesses. I’ll get inside the secure lab soon and then I’ll exchange the cables for wifi cables so we can access the network.”
“Great work, gentleman. I want in their systems by the weekend so I can report to the president. She’s heading to Europe for the G7 summit next week and I think she’d like to know we’re making progress on keeping Athena secure and discovering who the traitors are.” Ghost let his gaze slide across everyone present before settling on Chance again. “So, Wraith, when did you become a ninja assassin?”
“What?” Chance asked.
Blaze and Ethan were snickering. Seth and Kane looked as confused as Chance felt.
“Went to grab lunch at the Gas-n-Go and heard that kid from the book store telling Clarence that you were a ninja assassin who vowed retribution if the property developers said another word to Rory again.”
Chance scrubbed his hand over his head. “For fuck’s sake, that’s not at all what happened.”
Ghost looked amused. “Didn’t think so. So what did happen?”
Chance recounted the story to his teammates.
“You ate the man’s bacon?” Blaze asked. “Savage.”
“I took one piece of bacon. It looked good. Junior was pretty pissed, but his daddy seemed to get the message.”
“Try not to do any ninja assassin bullshit,” Ghost said. “The fact Blaze is shacked up and you’ve got a baby on the way is enough to land me in a river of shit if the powers that be get wind of it. Just need you boys to stay out of trouble for a few more months, m’kay? Then you can dance in the town square naked beneath a full moon with Colleen chanting to the aliens and I won’t give two fucks. I’ll be happily retired on an island somewhere, sipping an umbrella drink with my toes in the sand.”
Chance blinked. This was the first any of them had heard about Ghost’s plans post-Ghost Ops. “You’re retiring at the end of this? Not going back to full-time ops?”
“Can’t.”
They all exchanged bewildered looks.
“That was part of the deal for me. This is over, I’m done. You boys can go back though.”
“You would really retire to an island?” Kane asked.
“Maybe. Or maybe I’ll pull an Ian Black and start my own operation.”
“If you do, I want to work for you,” Seth said.
“Appreciate that, Phantom. I’d love to have any of you who wanted to come with me, assuming we’re all still standing at the end of this. And assuming I don’t chuck it all and go fishing. Maybe I’ll be like that Jack Reacher character and be a professional vagrant with mad skills. Who knows?”
Chance didn’t picture Ghost as a loner traveling the country on busses and meting out vigilante justice when the situation required it, but he supposed anything was possible.
They wrapped up the meeting and left the SCIF. When Chance retrieved his phone from the box where they had to store them before they entered the room, he had an unread text. Shocked the shit out of him that it was from Rory.
Rory:
When are you coming home? I forgot to buy whole wheat bread while I was out and I’m craving a grilled cheese sandwich. If you can stop at the Pig, that’d be great.
Chance grinned at her message. Just like Rory to get straight to the matter without a lot of bullshit. Also like her not to send him a big text about her appointment. She was going to make him ask her about it.
He typed an answer.
Sorry, been in a meeting. Leaving now. Anything else you need from the store?
A few moments later, a reply pinged in.
Nah, I don’t think so. Unless there’s something you want. Fair warning though, you bring home any manner of potato chips and I will make you eat them outside on the porch. Maybe the barn. I don’t need the temptation.
Chance:
HUA
Rory:
Is that ninja assassin speak?
Chance rolled his eyes. Jesus. Should have known Rory would have heard the rumor.
Chance:
Sure is. It’s code for heard, understood, acknowledged. I told you that was an Army thing before, but I lied. It’s the secret language of my lethal ninja sect. Don’t tell anyone I told you or I’ll have to kill you.
He was sitting behind the wheel in Clyde, engine rumbling, when he got her one word reply.
Goofball.