Chapter 173
173
Rachel
They put me in a detention room in the MI6 building. At least they didn’t move me off-site like they did Lars.
I felt like shit about what they’d done to him, and I was furious with Sean for betraying me. As soon as I saw my old coworker, I resolved to rip him a new asshole – and let him know that if he didn’t get Lars released, there were going to be some extremely inconvenient facts revealed about his and my business partnership.
However, the next people I saw were the Director of MI6 and three other department heads. Sean wasn’t among them.
They questioned me for hours until I was nodding off from exhaustion. They left and let me go to sleep – and then the whole ordeal started over again the next morning.
They questioned me about my connection to Lars…
My relationship with Alistair…
What he had done before we were engaged…
What he’d done while we were engaged…
Why I’d assaulted him…
And what I’d done in the months since I’d quit.
I was open and honest about everything, even what I’d done in the intervening months. MI6 was used to dealing with assassins. It’s not like they were going to clutch their pearls about my killing a few rapists and child pornographers.
The priest in southern France gave them pause… until they saw his record. Then they never asked me about him again.
The only thing I was vague about was how I booked the jobs. I just told them I had someone who got me clients off the dark web, and I wasn’t going to reveal their identity, so MI6 could go suck on it.
Overall, they handled me with kid gloves. Maybe it was due to my sterling record as a field agent… or the fact that what I knew about Alistair would be disastrous if it leaked to the press.
Either way, they offered me the option of signing a mountain of NDAs in exchange for my freedom.
“What about Lars?” I demanded.
“If everything you say checks out, he’ll be released p>
So I signed the papers, and they let me go home.
I texted Sean to find out what was happening with Lars, but he stonewalled me.
And avoided me.
And ghosted me.
After 10 days of the runaround, I couldn’t take it anymore – so I marched over to MI6 and told the front desk, “Tell Sean Cooper that I want to see him now. And if he doesn’t have time for me, my next stop is the Director’s office p>
He came down within five minutes.
“This is SO not cool,” he muttered angrily as we walked outside, away from prying ears and listening devices.
“You’re right. Whatever they’re doing with Lars, it’s fucked UP p>
He shot me a look. “You know that’s not what I meant p>
“I know. I also know it really should be your #1 priority to get him released p>
“It’s not up to me p>
“Sean, you have a bright and shining future ahead of you at MI6 – but if you don’t get Lars out immediately, I think I might see some dark clouds on the horizon p>
He knew what I was threatening: to reveal his part in acquiring my recent jobs.
I was a free agent. MI6 dealt with free agents all the time, so they would probably let my activities slide.
Not so with Sean.
An employee using agency time and resources to research murders for hire? And getting a percentage of the payments p>
They would crucify him, and he knew it.
“NOT cool!” he hissed.
“So not cool,” I agreed. “So do what you can… as quickly as you can p>
“FINE.” He looked at me quizzically. “Aren’t you curious about Alistair p>
“Is he going to get away with it p>
“OH no. No no no no no p>
“Then I don’t give a shit about him at all p>
I saw Sean on the 10th day.
On the 11th day, I texted him a question mark.
He replied, Working on it.
On the 12th day, I texted him a string of question marks.
He replied, WORKING ON IT.
On the 13th day, I was deciding on the wording of my next text – something like I guess I’m going to have to go see the Director – when he beat me to the punch.
He gets out tomorrow. Be at the East Ham facility at 0900.
‘0900’ was the time – 9:00 AM.
‘East Ham’ was a neighborhood in London.
The ‘facility’ was a former black site used for interrogation after 9/11.
I immediately feared the worst, then forced myself to calm down. They hadn’t waterboarded anyone for years.
…that I knew of.