Commitment (7 page)

“Why can’t you?” Dylan asked.

“I have to take a trip. But, I’ll bet Alex would take some pictures and send them to me.”

“Of course,” Alex said.

“Not the same,” Dylan pouted. Cassidy looked at her old friend and winked. Jonathan Krause had quickly become Uncle Pip after Alex’s father’s funeral. It was a relationship that Cassidy oddly welcomed. Dylan had three strong men in his life, Uncle Nick, Uncle Brian, and Uncle Pip. At first, Alex appeared a bit nervous about the bond Dylan seemed to form with her new partner, but Cassidy had watched that fade more and more with each passing day. She looked at Alex and saw the understanding expression in her eyes. With
Alex’s absences over the last few months, and the departure of Christopher O’Brien from their everyday lives, Cassidy wondered if Dylan would feel insecure. He had battled some fears, but Alex’s constant reassurance coupled with the presence of male role models that enthusiastically engaged with her son, seemed to ease the majority of Dylan’s anxiety. Cassidy was grateful for that.

“I know it’s not the same, Dylan,” Cassidy spoke up. “When are you leaving?” Cassidy asked her friend.

“Late this evening,” he replied.

“Well, could we entice you to at least stay for breakfast?” Cassidy suggested.

“Depends,” he answered.

“On what?” Alex asked.

“On whether or not you or Cassidy is doing the cooking,” he quipped.

Cassidy covered her mouth to stifle a chuckle as Helen answered. “Alex will not be coming near my stove. My kitchen, my rules.”

Dylan had climbed back into the tall CIA agent’s lap. “Alex makes the best cereal,” he said.

“Really?” Krause asked him with a tickle.

Dylan laughed. “Yes.”

“Are you sure?” Krause asked again with another burst of tickles.

“Yes!” Dylan cried through his laughter.

“Well, maybe there is hope for you yet,” Helen smirked at her daughter. Alex rolled her eyes. “Dylan, why don’t you help your mom and me make some pancakes for Alex and your Uncle Pip.”

“Okay,” he happily agreed, taking his YaYa’s offered hand and following her to the kitchen.

“I’m sorry,” Krause said, looking at the two women before him. “I didn’t want to bother you. I just need to talk to Alex for a few minutes.”

Cassidy sighed and felt Alex’s arm drape around her. “It’s all right. As long as you don’t sweep her away to Beijing or Brussels or wherever you two…”

“No sweeping,” Krause promised.

Cassidy nodded. “And,” she began when she saw Krause’s concerned expression. “And, you promise to come see that tree when you
don’t
need to talk to Alex.” The surprised expression on her friend’s face amused Cassidy. “You heard Dylan,” she said.

Alex nodded and kissed Cassidy’s head. “I told you,” Alex winked at her partner.

Krause was not used to such sentiments. His only reply was an uncomfortable grin that held the promise that he would comply with Cassidy’s orders. Cassidy shook her head. “I’ll leave you two to do whatever it is you do,” she said. “Don’t let it take longer than those pancakes,” she cautioned. “Helen takes hot food very seriously.”

Alex laughed. “Consider us warned,” she whispered to Krause as Cassidy exited the room.

“Oh, I will,” Cassidy called back. “She’s your mother. I’m not saving either of you if you make her wait.”

Alex shook her head. “She should be a spy. She’d be a secret weapon. She hears everything,” she joked to her partner.

“And don’t you forget it,” Cassidy’s voice called back.

“Never,” Alex laughed. “So,” Alex shifted the playful banter. “Not that I don’t enjoy your company, but….”

“Fallon called last night.” Alex was perplexed. “He called in as Blevins. Said he needed a ride,” Krause explained. Alex took in the information and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Brackett was at the warehouse, Alex.”

Alex looked to the ceiling and tightened the grip she had on her nose, gradually moving her fingers to her temples. “After the admiral spoke to her?” she asked. Krause nodded. “Shit. Any idea who she was seeing?” Krause shook his head. “Fabulous,” Alex said sarcastically.

“Alex, if someone in that facility is Claire’s contact…”

“Fallon is compromised,” she finished his thought. “We need to pull him.”

“I’m not sure that’s the answer,” he said cautiously.

“You want to try and leverage this?” she asked.

“Think about it. They don’t know that we know.”

“You can’t be sure of that,” Alex said.

“No, but you can’t be certain that they do know. And, Alex, if we pull him now, we might make it worse for…”

Alex hated to agree, but Krause was right. Pulling Brian Fallon now might not only tip their hand and compromise their efforts, in might put her former partner at greater risk. “Any ideas?” she asked.

“None that I could call concrete.”

“Whoever it is; they have to be at a high level,” she observed.

“I agree,” Krause said. “I needed you to know before I head to France. In case…”

Alex nodded her understanding. “Krause?”

“What?”

“Let’s have Brian bring this information to Tate.”

Jonathan Krause’s expression immediately gave away his surprise. Alex had always shown great restraint where Agent Brain Fallon was concerned. She was protective. He agreed wholeheartedly with her assessment of the situation, but he wondered why she would suddenly shift so drastically. “Alex, you and I both know Tate is agency. He may be at the FBI, but we don’t know what his allegiance is.”

“So, you don’t agree?” Alex asked with the raise of her brow.

“I didn’t say that. Assistant Director Tate is still an unidenti-fied entity. It’s a risk. A risk to Fallon. Why now?”

Alex looked toward the kitchen and closed her eyes. She exhaled forcefully and returned her attention to the man seated next to her. “We both feel it,” she said. “This volcano is going to erupt at any moment. If Joshua Tate is the friend he has suggested in the past, well….maybe, just maybe he will prove to be a valuable resource; at least for Fallon.”

“If he’s not?”

Alex nodded. “Then, if we play our cards right; he leads us down the path we have been searching for.”

“You want to spy on the spy,” Krause chuckled. “Fallon will be at greater risk either way.”

“I know,” Alex said. “We don’t have a choice. Maybe Callier can…”

“I will press Edmond this time,” Krause said. “We can’t go to OP TECH with this one. Not as usual. Don’t put Tate in play until I speak with Edmond. Perhaps that will give us a clearer direction.”

“You trust him?” Alex asked.

“I trust you,” Krause deadpanned. “Getting Fallon killed is not on my to-do list.”

Alex nodded again. “Is he still tailing Brackett?” Krause confirmed the question with a smirk. “Good. Any more news on that Cesium?”

“No, but the admiral’s plan worked, Brackett led us at least part way down the path we needed to find,” Krause said. He noted the pensive expression on Alex’s face and the way her thumb pressed into her temple. “What?” he asked.

“We can’t wait to put Tate in play,” she sighed. “If whoever Brackett went to….Krause, if they suspect we know….anything...Brackett could be their decoy.”

That thought had crossed Jonathan Krause’s mind as well. Hearing Alex verbalize made it real. “Are you thinking of involving Taylor?” he asked. “Fallon will need help if he hopes to plant anything at all on Tate,” he said.

Alex closed her eyes. Michael Taylor was one of her closest friends. In this new life, she was reluctant to involve him, for a host of reasons. While she was certain that Michael Taylor suspected her continued involvement; officially she had left intelligence circles. She was hesitant to give any definitive indication otherwise. “What about Jane?” she suggested. Jane Merrow
seemed the safest option. She had the contacts, including her brother General Waters. “Maybe Matt can…”

Krause agreed. “I’ll make the call before I leave.”

“PANCAKES!” an excited seven-year-old called.

“Alex?” Krause grabbed hold of his partner’s hand. Alex turned. “It’s someone at that…”

“I know,” Alex said. Whoever Brackett had visited, it was someone they knew intimately. Neither Krause nor Alex had ever seen Claire Brackett anywhere near the Baltimore facility. Whoever Brackett’s contact was, he or she likely knew the whereabouts of both Agent Toles and Agent Krause. It increased the likelihood that it was someone in their loop. Alex had experienced her father’s betrayal; little could surprise her now. “We’ll find out,” she said. “Let’s go. Double agents will be the least of your worries if my mother’s pancakes get cold.” Krause chuckled. The absurdity in life could be unnerving. It was absurd. One minute his life consisted of issues that could lead to massive loss of life, the beginnings of a war, the oppression or enslavement of thousands of people, and the next he was discussing breakfast food. Alex caught the glint in his eye. “Madness always looks better after pancakes,” she winked.

Sunday, December 7th

Cassidy sat on the couch sipping her tea, watching as Alex strung lights around the Christmas tree that Dylan had chosen. He was prattling on about Santa Claus visiting in a few weeks, and Cassidy found herself pondering how many more Christmases she would get to enjoy that innocence. She was feeling the most relaxed that she had in weeks, and she was content just to sit back and take in the scene before her. “Penny for your thoughts,” Helen whispered, taking a set next to her daughter-in-law.

Cassidy smiled at the older woman. “I was just wondering how many more Christmases we will get to bake cookies for Santa and leave carrots for Rudolph,” she answered.

“It does pass quickly,” Helen mused. “Alexis was only Dylan’s age when she put the pieces together.” Helen laughed at the memory. “She was always unbelievably curious. Needed to understand how Santa could fly a sleigh with reindeer.” Cassidy chuckled, not surprised that Alex would see even the magical myth of Santa as a puzzle to solve. Helen continued as she watched Alex coach Dylan on the correct way to position lights on the large tree. “But, she never said anything. Nicky, he believed until he was nine. Alexis convinced him Santa was real every year. One year, she was about ten, I think…so Nicky was six….I heard her get out of bed very late. I saw her leaning out her window. I couldn’t imagine what she was doing with the window open in December. The next morning she woke Nicky up all excited to show him the glitter the reindeers had left on the awning below her window.” Cassidy listened to the sweet story and glanced over to catch her wife whispering in Dylan’s ear. “I would imagine Dylan will be the same with whoever might come along,” Helen suggested.

“I hope so,” Cassidy said quietly.

Helen patted the younger woman’s knee. “I would count on it. And, if Alexis has anything to say about it; I’m sure Dylan has a few years left in him,” she winked.

The rest of the afternoon was enjoyable. Cassidy had to admit that she was tired of hearing
Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer
, but the song seemed to bring endless laughter from both her son and her wife. It was a small price to pay for the sound that she had missed over the last few weeks and months. By eight o’clock, Dylan had become punchy. He was overtired and continued to fight his need for sleep. When she gently suggested it was time for bed, Dylan uncharacteristically began to argue. “Dylan,” Cassidy cautioned.

“I’m not tired,” he complained.

“Speed,” Alex urged. “It’s late. We’re all tired. Even me.” Dylan looked at her skeptically. “Come on, I’ll go up with you.” Dylan stared at Alex but made no move to accept her hand.

“Dylan,” Cassidy’s voice became firm.

“I want to stay with you,” he said plainly.

Alex looked to Cassidy and immediately understood. The day had been filled with playfulness. It was the first day that Alex had set all work aside in several weeks. The first day that they had simply been together, without any interruptions, in longer than Alex cared to admit. She scratched her head and sat back down next to the boy. She had been looking forward to some alone time with Cassidy, but it seemed to her that something else was more important right now. “How about this?” she began. Dylan looked at her carefully. “Pajama party in our room.” Alex looked at Cassidy, who winked her approval. “But, that means no more arguments, Speed. You go brush your teeth and get your pajamas on. Mom and I will be up in a few minutes.”

Helen beckoned her grandson to follow. “Come on, Dylan. This old lady needs her rest too. I’ll go up with you while your mom and Alexis finish down here.”

Dylan began following his YaYa and stopped. “Can you tell me more about the reindeer?” he asked Alex hopefully.

“Sure,” she responded. “Go on, we’ll be there before you know it.” He scampered up the stairs, and Alex pulled Cassidy to her. “I know we were hoping…”

Before Alex could continue her thought, Cassidy silenced her with a kiss. “Are you going to sprinkle glitter on the roof?” she asked.

“She told you that, huh?”

“I love you, Alex.”

“I’m sorry, Cass.”

“For what?”

“For not being here. For being distracted so much. You don’t deserve that. Neither does Dylan.”