Page 171 of The Secret of Secrets

Where the hell is Dana?

Sergeant Scott Kerble had promised to escort the publicity liaison upstairs to speak to the ambassador, but Dana had never shown up. Oddly, Kerble was nowhere to be seen either.

When Nagel arrived at Dana’s office, the willowy publicity liaison was on her hands and knees, tearfully packing up personal belongings and piling them into a cardboard box. Dana glanced up, bloodshot eyes flashing disdain, then went back to packing.

Not good.

The ambassador took a moment and centered herself before speaking. “Ms. Daněk, did Scott Kerble ask you to come to my office?”

“He did.”

“And you ignored him?”

“I don’t work for you anymore,” she said bitterly.

Nagel took a deep breath, entering and closing the door behind her. “Dana, I can see you’re upset. I too cared deeply for Michael Harris, but—”

“To je lež,” she muttered without looking up.

“I did care about Michael,” she insisted, “and I will never forgive myself for putting him in harm’s way. I was pressured by my superiors. It was wrong, and I’m ashamed. I will explain it all to you at some point, but right now it’s critical we locate Sasha Vesna, and I desperately need your help.”

“Why would I ever help you?!” Dana fired back. “You should have known better than to force Michael into a romance with a stranger—a stranger who ended up killing him!”

“Sasha did not kill Michael,” Nagel assured her. “The truth is that Sasha is in substantial danger herself—probably from the same person who killed Michael—and I need you to help me find her as soon as possible.”

“Why do you care so much about her?”

Nagel moved closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Dana, I’m ashamed to say this, but like Michael…Sasha is a victim of my government.” She’s a CIA asset…and doesn’t even know it. “I feel a duty to help her.” She paused, holding Dana’s gaze. “And I believe Michael would have wanted you to help Sasha too.”

The statuesque young woman shivered suddenly, wrapping her arms around herself and setting her jaw tightly as if trying to fend off tears. Nagel was reminded that when someone was as strikingly beautiful as Dana Daněk, it was easy to forget their human frailties.

“I could never trust you again,” Dana said, her voice cracking.

“I’ve got absolutely nothing left to lose,” Nagel replied. “Dana, I’m trying to buy my soul back at any cost. And for whatever it’s worth, I just burned my last bridge. I called my old boss and threatened the U.S. government.”

Dana looked skeptical. “Your old boss? You threatened the director of the CIA?”

“I did.” Nagel gave her a tight smile. “As I said, nothing left to lose. I’ve just learned some extremely disturbing news about a program I helped facilitate, and my only hope of stopping it and proving my own innocence is a video I just received—a deathbed confession by the program’s principl—”

“Ambassador?” a man said behind her.

Nagel spun to see the face of Sergeant Scott Kerble, peering through the narrow opening of the door he had just quietly opened.

“Most people knock,” Dana snapped.

“Scott?” Nagel said. “Where were you? You were supposed—”

“I’m sorry, ma’am.” His voice sounded uncharacteristically stern. “I’m afraid I’ve been ordered to detain you.”

Nagel eyed her trusted security guard, having little doubt what had just transpired. “Ordered by the director of the CIA?”

“Please come with me.”

“You can’t arrest the ambassador!” Dana said. “She’s your boss!”

Kerble shook his head. “We’re U.S. military.”

Dana looked at Nagel, who confirmed it with a nod. Unfortunately, Marine security guards took their orders from much higher up the food chain. The ambassador now deeply regretted her decision to entrust Kerble with the diplomatic pouch. My only copy of the video…