The Operator
Page 22

“Peri, stop it,” Allen said outright.
But she was learning so much, and she watched in interest as Harmony tried to get her superior’s attention. Steiner was impervious to the woman, focused on Peri, the man clearly knowing she was seeing how far she could push before someone pushed back.
“What happens to Michael afterward isn’t your concern,” Harmony said, and at that, Peri’s fake good mood vanished. Harmony saw it leave, and there was a rush of motion as the woman stepped in front of Steiner. Tension sang in Peri, and she glanced at the camera, wondering who was behind it watching.
“It’s very much her concern,” Steiner said, and Harmony flushed when he physically moved the woman out from between him and Peri. “I’d be uncomfortable if she didn’t ask. Reed, the entire branch of the CIA was kept in the dark about Opti’s special skills until Opti was shown to be corrupt and other heads were put in charge of disbanding it.”
“Thanks to Peri,” Allen muttered.
Behind him, Jack shook powdered cream into his coffee. “He’s got that right.”
Steiner sighed at the raw emotions. “If drafters were any other group of people, it wouldn’t matter,” he said, noticing Peri looking over his left shoulder at Jack. “But every one of you is highly trained and unwilling to live quietly.”
“I was working in a coffee shop,” Peri accused. “That’s not exactly noisy.”
“You were gaining the trust of high-profile people who had their fingers on the pulse of the economy. Your ability to steal secrets and sell them was unparalleled.”
“I was giving them a secure place to work, not stealing their secrets,” she said, peeved.
“You were surrounding yourself with everything you lost,” he said, and she met his gaze, unwilling to drop her eyes. “That you limited your guilty pleasure to that is why you’re here and not in the Opti-designed cell that waits for Michael.”
“You want me to bring him in so you can jail him?” she asked.
Steiner’s lips curved into a smile. “You’ve done worse to those who deserve it less.”
She took a step closer, not liking that he was right. Harmony stiffened. Behind him, Jack set his coffee down and mirrored Peri, pinning the older man between them. “Not when my name was on the next cell over,” she said. Steiner probably had access to all her records, knew more about what she’d done than she did herself. Peri had no defense other than a paper-thin, plausible deniability. She might have been manipulated into her actions, but Michael liked hurting people. She’d seen it in his eyes in front of her coffee shop.
“Your help in the matter will not go unnoticed,” Steiner said.
“My cell will have a window. Gotcha.”
“Peri,” Allen whispered. “Will you give him a chance?”
“I’m listening,” she said, her thoughts on the stolen vials.
Steiner made a small noise as if she’d passed some sort of test, but he rocked back to glance behind himself, searching for whatever Peri kept looking at, the man oblivious to Jack frowning at him. “The alliance’s dewy-eyed idea that the drafters would come in when Opti fell apart was a poor one,” Steiner said. “They predictably scattered, most going into hiding as you did. We’re finding those who use their skills for monetary gain by reputation. That is, when a crime goes unsolved, we can figure out who did it by your quirks of methodology. WEFT has been tasked with bringing them in. I’m focusing on problem drafters first. It’s my hope to find you all before your abilities become common knowledge.”
“Yes, the world knowing about us would be a problem,” she said bitterly.
“How do you think the common man will react if it’s suddenly known that a small demographic can change the past?” Steiner accused. “You think they’ll listen rationally? Take you in as the next evolutionary step of mankind and celebrate you? No. They’ll believe whatever lie makes them feel justified in hunting you down. They’ll not only kill you but go after your parents, siblings, and anyone else they think you’ve infected.”
“Infected!” Jack exclaimed, but Peri didn’t like the hallucination giving voice to her outrage. Is he threatening my mother?
“It will be genocide, Agent Reed,” Steiner continued. “And you will be at the center of it. I’m trying to avoid that by bringing in drafters as they reach my notice. If a drafter’s actions don’t become an issue, I have no reason to bother them apart from the request that they remain childless.”
Her eyes narrowed. “And if we don’t like that last part?”
“We’ll insist.” He hesitated. “And why do you keep looking over my shoulder?” Steiner asked, anger finally reaching his voice.
“I’m watching the monster creeping up behind you,” she said cryptically, and Allen cringed, knowing she was talking about Jack.
Peri had never wanted a family, but to force the issue didn’t sit well, and when Jack began to pace, Peri sat down. “I’m still listening,” she said, and Allen exhaled, clearly relieved.
Steiner stiffly lowered himself into the chair across from her, the empty expanse of the glass table between them. “Bill Heddles sent Michael Kord on task this morning. They have abandoned the Detroit facility and Bill needs immediate funds to set up anew.”
I bet Bill is happy about that. “Okay.” Peri glanced at the photos that Harmony had taken from a shiny blue file folder and spread across the low table.
“His flight is for St. Louis,” Harmony said, pictures spinning to land in front of her where Peri stopped them with a quick hand. “We won’t know until he boards the plane, but he’s probably going to be there with this woman. Her name is Jennifer.”
She pointed down, and Allen bent at the waist, peering at the razor-sharp images. “She was in the van when they tried to snag me,” Peri said.
“You spilled coffee on her, too,” Allen said, clearly relieved that Peri wasn’t baiting Steiner anymore.
“Due to his current lack of resources, we feel Heddles might be on-site as well,” Harmony said. “If he is, we bring them both back. Think you can handle that?”
And then I’m in my cell until they need me again, she thought, jerking as her eyes lit upon a photo of Jack among the rest. Steiner cleared his throat knowingly at her reaction, and she slumped, settling back as if she didn’t care. But the damage had been done.