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Was that suspicion in her eyes? I barreled right past it. “Oh, no, this was a quick bite and drink before he headed over there. He said they’d only have appetizers, and he didn’t want to starve. There is a limited budget in some of his departments that he is hoping to improve.”
I lowered my voice and shot her a sly smile. “Between us, I think he’s going to propose that I share a little of my recent inheritance. We’ll see how sweet he makes the offer—and what my wife thinks about it, since she’ll have my head if I don’t let her have her say too.”
The secretary laughed. Mentioning a wife seemed to loosen women’s suspicions, especially when I’d started out the encounter with a friendly vibe. Now I’d seem like a generous, easy-going man who valued his wife’s input, and that was what I needed to get her to trust me.
“I could wait in his office,” I proposed. “It’s much more comfortable than sitting out here in one of these flimsy plastic chairs. He mentioned making myself comfortable if I arrived before him. Could you do that for me?”
She was butter in my hands now. “Usually we wouldn’t allow this, but since you two are friends, I don’t see why not.”
She stood and made her way toward the door, using a set of keys and unlocking it before turning on the light and gesturing me inside. “I’ll let him know you’re here when he comes back. If he’s not quick, I’ll give him a call.”
I waved my hand, taking a seat on a small leather chair across from his desk. “Don’t worry about it.” I withdrew my phone. “I’ll give him a call and let him know I’m waiting.”
She smiled and closed the door behind me.
I stayed put for several seconds in case she popped back in immediately. From the chair, I gave the contents of the room a quick scan. One entire wall was smothered with medals and certificates with the general’s name on them. All those honors, and he was going behind his employer’s back to manipulate their resources for his own greedy ends. Shame on him.
He was just one more person putting on a mask to the world while a totally different man lurked underneath. We’d get at whatever weaknesses he was trying to hide.
I was stronger than him because I’d accepted who I was under the mask instead of being terrified of discovery. If you could own who you were, then you could be whoever you wanted. It really was a fantastic sort of freedom.
When the secretary didn’t return, I leapt to my feet, pulled on a thin pair of gloves, and stalked quietly through the office. Stacks of documents sat on the desk with no sense of organization that I could decipher. I flicked through them swiftly and grabbed a couple of folders with a classified stamp on the top paper. A quick glance didn’t reveal anything particularly momentous contained within, but it was a start.
I eased open the drawers one by one. The third was locked. Jackpot. That was where the real goods would be.
Desk locks were easy pickings. With a tool from my pocket and some jiggling, I had the drawer open in less than a minute. I pawed through the contents, my skin prickling with the awareness of how much time had already passed.
There was a flash drive, which I pocketed, and also a small folder with some schematics of what looked like a new model of military vehicle. Highly classified. Perfect. I tucked those into the briefcase I’d brought along with the other files. Then I set the note we’d prepared ahead of time on top of the drawer’s remaining contents.
If you don’t want a public outcry over the files you lost, you’ll cut your ties to the man from outside. We know you’ve been betraying your country and the soldiers serving under you.
There. That might be enough to scare him off all on its own, but Blaze would place a phone call to follow up later today.
Now it was time to make my exit. If the general arrived and caught me here, I’d be screwed. Manipulatinghiminto believing I was his good friend who he’d had burgers with yesterday was going to be a hell of a lot harder than pulling one over on the secretary.
I removed my gloves, kept one over my fingers as I turned the door handle before dropping it into my pocket, and held my phone to my ear with my other hand. “One second, sir,” I said to the dead air in the speaker as I stepped outside the office, and flashed a smile at the secretary. “Ms. Leto, it was a pleasure seeing you again. It seems I’m going to meet the general at the armory, so I’ll be on my way.”
She beamed back at me and waved me off without a hint of concern.
I carried on the charade as I walked away. “Alright, sir, I’m back. What were you saying?”
I didn’t lower my phone from my ear until I’d reached the stairwell. I passed a few more people as I strode through the administration building, and by the time I reached my bike, tucking the briefcase beneath the seat, I knew I was home free.
