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There was no turning away from the violence and the darkness, the shadows and the secrets. It was part of their lives, would walk alongside each couple for eternity, a demon in the darkness waiting for them to drop their guard and think they could switch off those twin engines of sex and violence and just sail away into a calm blue horizon.
There was no calm blue horizon for the Darkwater couples.
That wasn’t Darkwater’s destiny.
And Kaiser was a Darkwater man too.
He just couldn’t admit it out loud.
“All right,” Benson said finally, choosing to delay the showdown and focus on Indy and Ice, the real priority for now. “I’ll back off after Indy and Ice are squared away.”
Kaiser looked hard and long into Benson’s eyes. “I’m not sure I want to know whatsquared awaymeans. It’s by no means certain she’s being set up. It’s still far more likely she’s dirty. You said they’ve checked into a hotel? I thought Ice Wagner was a crack Delta interrogator. Is he going to threaten her with room-service and a day at the hotel spa to get her to cough up a name for us?” Kaiser shook his head. “And once she gives up a name, we know she’s dirty. And then you know what needs to happen. It’s standard procedure for traitors. We don’t make exceptions for women traitors, and you damn well know that.”
Benson said nothing, holding Kaiser’s gaze, trying to stay expressionless and unreadable. He’d put Ice and Indy together, but it was too early to tell how it would play out. Just because every Darkwater mission had worked out didn’t mean shit when it came to the next mission.
In fact, each Darkwater success made it more likely the next one would be a failure. Sooner or later the mathematics of probability would work against Benson, just like Nancy kept reminding him.
So maybe this would be Darkwater’s first failed mission.
Either way, failure or success, it was starting to look like this might be Darkwater’slastmission.
Robinson was already distancing himself.
Kaiser would have to as well if he wanted to keep his job.
Benson sighed silently, forced himself to focus back on the mission. One step at a time, he reminded himself.
And the next step was Indy O’Donnell.
“I don’t believe Indy O’Donnell is a traitor. She says she’s being set up, and I think Ice believes her.” Benson spoke gently, but his eyes were focused and hard. He’d recruited Indy O’Donnell, and as much as it would make Kaiser look bad if she was a traitor, it would not be a good look for Benson either. “But if I’m wrong, I will do what needs to be done. I know as well as anyone we don’t make exceptions for women traitors.”
“Great, but does Ice Wagner know that? Word is he and his brother fell apart watching their parents get wrecked by that fucking disease. You better make damn sure he follows the facts, not his cock.” Kaiser huffed out a breath. “Or his damnheart, heaven forbid.”
Benson flashed a grin. Kaiser’s dismissive sarcasm was still there, but it wasn’t as sharp now as it had been even a year ago. Maybe becoming a new father and getting his wife back thanks to Darkwater was chipping away at his belief system.
Good, because Benson had until the end of this mission to convince both Kaiser and Robinson to keep Darkwater in the game.
“Ice is as good as his name. Cold and hard.” Benson slid out his phone from his jacket pocket. He checked the tracker marking Ice’s location via his Darkwater phone. Still at the Raj Palace Hotel in South Mumbai. “He won’t melt because some woman bats her lashes at him. If O’Donnell is dirty, he’ll sniff it out.” Benson took a breath, let it out hard. “And if he balks at pulling the trigger, then I’ll send in a wet team myself.” He paused a beat, looked dead on into Kaiser’s eyes. “But if it looks like she’s being set up to be a patsy, then we need to do right by her.”
Kaiser sighed. The desk phone rang. He ignored it. Took a breath and let it out slow. “Fair enough.” He shook his head, rubbed his eyes again. “You really think someone’s setting O’Donnell up as a traitor just to makemelook bad?”
Benson shrugged. “Maybe to makebothof us look bad. I recruited O’Donnell. And she’s part of your CIA. You said there are people trying to use your connection with me to bring you down. Something like this gets out and it could be the nail in the coffin. Imagine if Robinson gets wind that not only does the CIA have a traitor on your watch but your off-the-books buddy Benson recruited her when he was CIA and then you asked Benson to help take her out quietly. It’s shady at best, disastrous at worst.”
Kaiser scratched the side of his head. Benson could tell he was jonesing for a cigarette. But there wasn’t even the hint of cigarette smoke in the sterile air of the office. Kaiser was making good on his promise to quit. He was taking this new-father business seriously.
Benson leaned forward in his chair. “All right, play this out with me, Martin. We already know someone higher up in the Agency is involved. Regardless of whether O’Donnell is a patsy or a traitor. No other way she could get that kind of clearance without any electronic trail in the system. Agreed?”
Kaiser sighed, then nodded. “Go on.”
Benson grinned, feeling that old excitement bubbling up in him, sensing it rise up in Kaiser too. They both loved the game—even though each man played it his own way.
“So let’s say O’Donnell is being set up and the motive is to get you fired. Who benefits from that? Who’s next in line for your job, Martin? You drop dead right now and who gets your corner office?”
Kaiser frowned. “Well, there are deputy and assistant directors who will step in immediately to make sure the Agency runs smoothly. Bill Morris would become interim Director until the President and Congress confirm his permanent appointment.” He chuckled. “But if you think Bill Morris set up Indy O’Donnell to bring me down, then—”
Benson swiped away the suggestion. “Bill Morris is a solid player but he’s a pinch-hitter at best. He’s ten years older than you, well past retirement age. He would just warm your seat until the President names a new Director.” Benson sat back now, his head buzzing with the thrill of a new game afoot. “How would the current President choose a new CIA Director?”
Kaiser shrugged. “He’d ask his cabinet for recommendations.”
