The Coffee House Spy" 13

Emily shivered with renewed fear once Brent left the kitchen with that professionally held gun in his hand to answer the door, or attack the visitor.

He’d told her to stay in the kitchen but she didn’t feel safe standing there, alone and unprotected from anyone who might decide to come in through the kitchen’s fire escape window, and she knew that was a possibility because Brent had used it as a door several times.

She clutched Sir Harry’s collar and the dog looked up at her expectantly. “I think we need to follow the man with the gun,” she whispered to Harry.

The dog perked up and pulled her into the living room just as Brent stepped to the door.

He looked at her and shook his head but she shook her head back at him, silently telling him she wasn’t going back in the kitchen.

Brent sighed and moved to peek through the door's peep hole when his phone pinged. He took it from his back pocket and read the message. Then he looked at Emily and smiled. “It’s okay,” he said to her and in one swift motion, holstered his gun, unlocked the door and opened it.

Stacy walked in and eyed Brent with an assessing smile. “So, if you’re here as yourself, I’m guessing Emily knows everything,” she said as she walked past him into the living room.

“She knows who I am, but not you, yet.” Brent told her.

 Emily stared at Stacy for a second. “You’re Peter Perocino’s sister,” she said with a look of disbelief. Was everyone in her building in disguise?”

Stacy nodded. “You’re right, guess I’m caught in that lie but you know, sometimes a lie is necessary to protect the innocent.”

Emily scoffed. “I don't think it worked this time.”

“I’m sorry and I know Brent is too. I wish I could tell you it’s all over, but it isn’t,” Stacy said to Emily with honest sympathy in her voice before she turned to Brent and whispered, “We’ve got a problem.”

“What problem?” Brent asked.

“Thies was followed when he left the warehouse.”

“I know.”

 “But you don’t know that I kept in contact with him on the com. He said he was going to give his tail a view of the city and then he stopped answering me.”

“Maybe he needed to stay focused but I’ll send a code, see if he responds.”

“I’ve tried that.”

“I’ll try a new code and if he’s still silent, I’ll track the GPS on his car.” Brent told her as he double locked the apartment door.

“Okay, do that,” Stacy said then looked back at Emily with hope in her eyes, “Have you got any coffee?” Her head was fog filled from lack of caffeine; she really needed the dark brew.

“I do but,” Emily answered with a calculated pause, “first, I need someone to tell me if everyone in this building is working undercover?”

Stacy laughed and shook her head. “I’m sure it feels that way to you, but no. Brent and I are on assignment and now we have Thies working with us, you’ll remember him as my fake husband, so that’s three. There was a fourth, our lookout was in an unmarked car parked outside but we’re not sure what’s happened to him, yet,” Stacy said as she looked over at Brent and by his expression he wasn’t pleased she’d given Emily all that information. She sent him a sweet, mocking, smile as she asked him, “And have you told her about the fake, fat guy yet?”

Brent’s expression darkened with annoyance. “No, I haven’t and if you haven’t sufficiently scared her enough already, I’m sure you will.”

“Okay,” Stacy agreed turning her back on Brent and smiling at Emily. “But can I enlighten you over a cup of steaming coffee?”

Emily was pretty shaken up by the information Stacy had spewed but not knowing what she was involved in wasn’t an option either; she did need to know everything. “Come into the kitchen and I’ll get you a cup of coffee. I can make eggs and bacon if you-”

“Yes please,” Stacy cut her off, her eyes glazed over with hunger and her mouth was already salivating. She was starved.She followed Emily towards the kitchen but looked back at Brent, “Aren't you joining us…?” She asked over her stomach grumbling, loud enough to telegraph her need for food.

Brent gave her a hard look. “I’m going to try and get a bead on Thies.”  

Stacy nodded, “Okay; let me know if I have to wolf down the breakfast.”

 

Stacy stepped into the kitchen and the smell of fresh brewed coffee weakened her knees. Emily handed her a big mug of it and she couldn’t drink it fast enough; didn’t even care if she’d burn her tongue.

“This is heaven.” She sighed.

“Thanks,” Emily mumbled, watching Stacy from the corner of her eye as she stirred the eggs and turned the bacon. When they were done, she plated the eggs and bacon and set them in front of Stacy.

“So you were going to tell me about a fake, fat man?” Emily reminded her as she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down.

Stacy was mesmerized by the golden clouds of goodness and crispy meat in front of her; it was like a starving person’s mirage. She couldn't focus on the words Emily had said and looked up at her with confusion. “What?” She asked as she absently scooped up a fork full of fluffy eggs and shoveled it through her lips.

“You were going to tell me about the fake, fat man,” Emily prompted.

“Oh right, him. Well…we know he isn’t fat.” Stacy told her matter-of-factly while scooping up another fork full of eggs and moving it fluidly into her mouth. She sighed with gratitude as she swallowed. “These are the best eggs I’ve ever had.”  

Emily could see her focus was on how fast she could eat and not on divulging spy information. So she sipped her coffee and waiting for Stacy to assuage her hunger. Did agents not eat on assignment she wondered, it didn’t look as if they did.

Before Stacy finished her meal and before Emily could restate her question, Brent stepped into the kitchen. He gave Stacy a sharp look.

Stacy didn’t want to see that look; she wanted to finish the rest of this mouth-watering breakfast but she knew that look too well. Something wasn’t right. Reluctantly, she lowered her egg filled fork. “What is it?”

“You’re right; I’m going down to the apartment; come down when you’ve finished,” he said with a hooded look.

Stacy knew he hadn't located Thies so the GPS must have been disabled. He was going to the apartment and try to uncover the last known location for Thies. She also understood by his look, they needed to be ready to move Emily to a safe place. If Thies had been taken; their cover was blown. Stacy telegraphed her understanding of the situation in one word.

"Sure."

Emily slammed her coffee cup down on the table and stood up, capturing both Stacy and Brent’s attention. “Look you two; I can’t have any more secrets,” Emily demanded. “Whatever is going on here, I’m in it too so you can both speak openly.”

Stacy shrugged. “She’s right; just tell her.”

Brent wasn’t comfortable with that suggestion at all but Emily was in this danger because of a chance collision in a coffee house, and Sir Harry’s stubborn streak. She did have a right to know how deep it went.

“I have equipment downstairs that can track the GPS so I’ll either know where Thies is, or his last registered location.”

“Okay, and then what?”

“Depending on which it is…we may need to relocate you.”

“Relocate me?” Emily squeaked. Her heart raced in warp speed and she sat back down.

Stacy saw the color drain from Emily’s face and she reached over and tapped her hand to get her bewildered attention. “Look, it’s not a given that we have to leave, not yet,” Stacy offered the hope in a calm voice.

Emily’s big doe eyes cleared and she nodded. “Right, so I shouldn’t worry until I have to.”

"That's right." Stacy agreed.

Emily drew in a deep breath to normalize her heartbeat and turned to Brent. “You should go downstairs and find out which it is; we’ll come down…once Stacy’s hunger is satisfied.” Emily added the last with a shaky smile.

Brent chuckled. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Stacy threw him an annoyed look but she couldn’t argue; she was ravenous and besides, her mouth was too full to argue.

“Lock the door behind me,” Brent told Emily and walked out of the kitchen

Emily followed him to the door and reached for the lock to open it. Brent stopped her with his hand on hers. “Don’t worry; I promise you, you'll be safe.”  

She looked into Brent's determined eyes, saw his granite expression and it registered; he was formidable in his spy persona. She believed he’d do all he was trained to do to keep her safe; she just hoped it would be enough.

“I know,” she said with as much conviction as she could muster, given the fact that her voice was trembling.

“Lock the door,” he told her again and turned the lock open with his hand over hers.

 

Brent stepped out into the hallway and Emily closed the door; he heard the faint double clicks and turned towards the stairwell. He waited, listening, straining to hear the tiniest sound of someone waiting in the corners or hiding on the landing below, or above. It was quiet in the apartments in the early morning hour, but the quiet wasn’t comforting.

He proceeded down the stairs slowly, cautiously, with one hand on his holstered gun and the other gripping the small drive Emily had given him. He walked to his apartment door and checked the security. He saw no signs of forced or tampered entry and turned the key in the lock, and opened the door. He stepped inside and quickly went for his gun.

“No need,” the fake, fat man said, having his gun already aimed at Brent’s heart, “I think you’re smart enough to know you wouldn’t get the first shot.”

Brent’s expression remained stoic. “What do want?”

Fake, fat man shrugged. “Whatever you found in that warehouse would be nice,” he said with a casual smile.

Brent’s left hand was on the drive in his pocket and he slowly slipped it into an interior pocket as he made a show of taking his right hand out of his jacket and away from his holstered gun. The agent’s eyes were riveted to that movement so Brent was able to secure the drive in that inner pocket before he held both hands up and replied. “I didn’t find anything; well, not anything you and your team hadn’t looked through already,”

“Maybe, but we aren’t his brother or privy to his secrets as you are; so you could have discovered something we’d missed.”

Brent chuckled without humor. “You know if I’d found him, you wouldn't be speaking with me now.”

“Yeah, I know you’re a good agent and they don’t call you the chameleon for nothing, but this is personal and you wouldn’t risk a hasty retreat, even if you knew where he was.”

Brent’s expression didn’t change. There was no emotion in his eyes, no tension in his stance as he questioned. “Wouldn’t I?”

Fake, fat guy considered the challenge in his answer and his expression grew perplexed.

From the corner of his eye, Brent caught a movement in his kitchen and he saw a thumb in the up position flash briefly from the doorway. He shifted his eye away from the kitchen back to his captor and hoped fake, fat guy hadn’t caught the movement too. It appeared he hadn’t. The gun shook slightly but it was still accurately targeting Brent’s heart and fake, fat guy wasn't happy.

“Look, I know you took something from your brother's stuff and I want you to hand it over.”

Brent smiled coldly. “Kill me and you learn nothing.”

Fake, fat guy scoffed. “But you said you know nothing; so if I kill you; you will know nothing.”

Brent grimaced. “That’s your logic? No wonder you can’t find Russ. You’re all idiots.”

Fake, fat guy’s ego took the hit and his trigger finger itched to pull. “Empty your pockets,” he demanded.

Brent casually opened his jacket. “Sure, but can I walk to the coffee table and empty my pockets there?”

Fake, fat guy nodded and stepped around the couch; his back was now to the kitchen doorway as Brent took off his jacket.

 

Thies took two quick steps into the room and his gun handle put fake, fat guy into slumber mode.

“Thanks,” Brent said putting his jacket back on.

“You’re welcome, now help me restrain him. When he comes to, we’ll see how much he’s willing to divulge.”

Brent took the zip ties Thies handed him and they secured fake, fat guy's hands and feet and propped him up on the couch.

“So where did you go?” Brent asked Thies.

“I had two tails to shake; this one got tired of following me and must have doubled back with a hunch you were here.”

“Where did you shake the second tail?”

“Funny that; that tail was Diamond and I didn’t shake him so much as turn the tail around and follow him, right back to headquarters.”

“Diamond?”

“Yeah, not sure we can trust him either.”

Brent hadn’t expected that his boss would be in on the hunt for Russ. But how did they know to wait in the parking lot at the warehouse this morning? How did they know they were in there?

“What the heck is going on?” Brent asked bewildered by the implications. He was itching to see what was on the drive Emily had found, to see if it could answer his questions, but the fake, fat guy on the couch began to groan.

“Maybe we’ll ask him that question,” Thies suggested as he drew his gun and took a seat across from the groggy, fake, fat man.

Brent drew his gun as well then his apartment door opened and he turned to see Stacy and Emily walk in, with Sir Harry on his leash.

“What’s he doing here?” Stacy asked seeing Thies with his gun aimed at the fake, fat guy.

Thies chuckled. “Which one of us are you curious about? Me or the guy tied up on the couch?”

Stacy frowned at him; she wasn’t about to answer that loaded question but she admitted silently, she was happy he was alright. "Fake, fat guy of course," she smirked.

Thies chuckled. "Of course."

“Lock the door and take Emily and Harry into the kitchen; I don’t want them in here when he comes to.” Brent instructed.

Emily would have protested but with guns drawn and the fire escape in the kitchen as an easy exit; it didn’t sound like a bad idea, but she wasn't a child. “Stacy doesn’t have to take me anywhere; I can walk into the kitchen by myself,” she said with a haughty look as she and Harry walked out of the room.

Stacy looked down at the guy waking up on the couch and something about him struck her as familiar. “I think I know him,” she said stepping closer.

“Old flame?” Thies asked with a grin.

“No,” Stacy snarled and gave him a look that clearly said 'you're an idiot', but she wasn’t kidding; she did know the restrained agent. Only, she was drawing an uncharacteristic blank on how.

“I’d really like to know how they knew we’d be at the warehouse.” Brent said again to Thies.

“They’d have to have a bead on us," Thies theorized.

Brent agreed and like a bolt of insight he had a worrisome thought. He remembered when Diamond had taken his phone to put the number in it that was supposed to keep Brent in the loop about Russ. He took out his cell phone and turned it to every angle, one particular angle drew his ire. He looked at Stacy and Thies with a look filled with that anger.

“I think I know how they followed us,” he said as he slid an SD card out of the slot that should have been empty and held the chip up, showing it to them.

“Are you kidding? Who could have put that in there?” Stacy asked.

“Diamond,” Brent told her.

“No way, not Diamond.”

“It makes sense now,” Thies said and then he proceeded to fill Stacy in on the identity of his second tail and where he’d led him.

Stacy wanted to refute it; Diamond could not be working against them but Thies and Brent seemed to be convinced he was. “Are you sure it was Diamond in the second car following you?”

Thies nodded, “I am.”

“I think I may be sick,” she said and sat down on the arm of the couch as fake fat guy rejoined the living.

 

“What the hell?” He grimaced, trying to free his hands and feet before looking around the room. He counted three agents and clocked two guns aimed at him; the situation registered on his face. It was a bad scenario and his odds of escape weren’t looking good.

 

*Link to previous chapters:  https://www.abctales.com/collection/coffee-house-spy