Alex And Cassidy: Betrayal Part 49

"What is it?"

"It's a pin code to a warehouse in Baltimore. That's all I know. Krause will be in touch. You will need that. Once you commit it to memory, burn it." He swallowed hard and nodded.

"What about you? What did you make of Tate being at State?" he asked.

"My best guess is he is agency. At some point he made that turn. Makes sense. John trusted Tate. So we watch. And we watch Taylor. I made the suggestion that he focus Brady on chatter surrounding Northern Africa and a s.h.i.+pment. You need to keep looking into O'Brien's accident. I still think there is more there. Watch Claire and be mindful of everything. Taylor can't know you are working with Krause and me. You are the wild card." Fallon nodded.

"What are we hoping to do?" he asked.

"Break them apart, expose them, whatever we have to do to shut down this Collaborative. First we have to figure out what their end game is and who they really are."

"More stressful than a wedding," he cracked.

"I definitely would not say that," Alex smiled.

"Alex, no matter what..."

"You listen to me, Fallon. The moment I think your family is in any danger you are out. No arguments."

Fallon's frustration was evident. "So you can risk your..."

"No, Fallon. My family was already at risk. Dylan's at risk just by who he is. Now, with my father in the mix...I have no choice. You cannot hide from these people and you can't run from them. You do have a choice. I am letting you make it for now, but I will not let you risk Kate or the kids. It's not worth it. If I had a choice..."

Brian Fallon saw the array of emotions cross his partner's face. "Agreed," he conceded. "Now, uh...how do you feel about bachelor parties?" he lightened the conversation.

"About the same as I feel about frills," she laughed as she led him up the hill. She was relieved to have someone she trusted completely on her team. As they made their way back toward the house, Alex captured sight of Barb and Rose and realized Brian Fallon's presence was welcome for more than professional reasons.

Thursday, May 28th etting nervous?" Rose asked her daughter. Ca.s.sidy just smiled as she poured them each a cup of coffee. "Alex left early this morning," Rose changed the subject.

"Yeah. She's been preoccupied all week," Ca.s.sidy offered.

"You think she's anxious about the wedding?"

Ca.s.sidy sat down and shook her head. "No. I don't. At least not yet."

"You worried?" her mother inquired.

"About the wedding? No. About Alex? A little."

"Ca.s.sie? It's not just that, is it?"

"No. I met with Steven on Monday." Rose was unsure what Ca.s.sidy was driving at. "Steven Richards." Steven Richards had handled Ca.s.sidy's divorce. "About custody of Dylan," Ca.s.sidy explained.

"I see. And?"

"Well, he expects what I expect. One way or another there will be a challenge to Dylan's paternity. Whether Chris drives that or whether I have to."

"Chris already knows, doesn't he?" Rose sought confirmation.

"Yeah, he knows. But, you know Chris. This will not be about Dylan's best interest." She sipped her coffee slowly and closed her eyes in thought. It didn't matter what Christopher O'Brien did. Ca.s.sidy was resigned to her decision. "Doesn't matter, Mom. I had him start the paperwork. I'm seeking full custody of Dylan."

"What does Alex say?"

"She doesn't know yet," Ca.s.sidy answered.

"You haven't told her? Ca.s.sie..."

"No, not yet. I also spoke with him about Alex."

"You mean that Alex would receive custody should anything happen to you."

"Yes. Challenging the paternity also paves the way for adoption. If Alex would want that."

"What do you mean if Alex would want that?" Rose looked at her daughter carefully. "You don't think she would?"

Ca.s.sidy shrugged. "I do, but I would never a.s.sume."

"And you haven't said anything to her?" Ca.s.sidy shook her head. "Don't you think you should?"

"I will, tonight. It's sort of my wedding present." Ca.s.sidy laughed. "Kind of a stressful wedding present, huh?"

"Oh, I don't know about that," Rose rea.s.sured her. "I'm pretty certain there isn't anything you could give Alex that would mean more to her."

"I hope so."

Rose grinned. Alex had shared her plans for Dylan's involvement in the wedding ceremony with her earlier in the week. All Ca.s.sidy knew was that Dylan would be walking her down the aisle. Alex explained that she had spoken with Dylan, that he understood it was a very important job, and that he was a very important part of their ceremony. Ca.s.sidy accepted that explanation happily. Rose almost started to laugh. Ca.s.sidy was really the only one in the family that remained in the dark other than Cat. At first, Rose had cautioned Alex that Dylan might let the cat out of the bag, but Alex seemed completely confident in her grandson's ability to keep the changes a surprise. To her astonishment, he had. In fact, he seemed to beam with pride in the trust Alex had placed in him.

Rose watched as her daughter contentedly sipped her morning coffee, noticing how Ca.s.sidy's ring glistened in the sun. She marveled at the way Alex and Ca.s.sidy seemed to consider the other so thoughtfully and with such care. "I am happy for you, Ca.s.sie," she said with emotion.

Ca.s.sidy saw the tenderness in her mother's eyes. "I know." She smiled. "You love her almost as much as I do," Ca.s.sidy chuckled.

"Probably so. If I was thirty years younger you might have some compet.i.tion," Rose chided.

"Yeah? I think that's enough L Word episodes for you, Grandma." They both burst into laughter. "Thanks, Mom."

"For?"

"Oh, I think you know. Watching Alex go through what she has with her father. Well, I just know how lucky I really am."

"Ca.s.sie, believe me when I tell you; you are very lucky." Ca.s.sidy started to laugh at her mother's response when she noticed that Rose had a tear in her eye. "You are lucky to have found someone that makes you so happy. But, believe me when I tell you that I am lucky too. I'd like to take all the credit," Rose arched her brow playfully, "but the truth is that you were a compa.s.sionate child who has turned out to be an extraordinary woman. Not every parent can say that." Ca.s.sidy was dumfounded at her mother's heartfelt compliment. "I may tease you relentlessly, but I am always proud of you. Your father would be too. If you want my opinion, biased as it may be, Alex won the jackpot when she found you and Dylan."

"Mom, I..."

Rose kissed her daughter's cheek as she made her way to her feet. "There is no one in this world I love more than you Ca.s.sidy Rose. Not a soul. I would move heaven and earth to see you happy. I just didn't have to." She pulled her daughter to her chest. "You found what we all dream of. Just hold onto it."

"I know that it isn't exactly what you would have expected," Ca.s.sidy admitted.

"No, Ca.s.sie, it is much more."

"I love you, Mom."

"I know. Now, finish that coffee so we can get moving," Rose redirected the conversation. Ca.s.sidy wiped a tear from her eye as she contemplated her mother's words. She didn't see her mother do the same as she made her way to the sink. Rose looked back at her daughter with a sense of immense pride. She was certain that Alex and Ca.s.sidy had many hurdles ahead of them. That was life and their life was not like other couples' in so many ways. But, their devotion to one another was unique. It gave Rose more than hope for her daughter's future. It gave her confidence that whatever might come to pa.s.s, Alex and Ca.s.sidy would endure.

Claire Brackett moved inside the abandoned building on L Street slowly. "This must be good," she said as she entered a small room.

"Claire," the man answered. "Nice of you to show."

"Can't say as I expected to see you any time soon," she dripped with insincerity.

"Yes, well...things have changed." He handed her a paper. "That is an address and a container number."

"I can read," she shot back at him.

"You will need to be cautious, Claire. The contents are hazardous."

"All right. Why the rush?"

"Toles is on this already. Agent Brady put her on the path this morning. You need to move." He handed her a small case. She opened it and regarded the series of needles laid out inside. She took a deep breath with a sudden understanding of the potential danger.

"Prussian Blue. Let's hope you won't need them," he said. "I am sending Agent Anderson with you." She looked to him with alarm as the second agent appeared. "He will not enter, but he will be in constant communication. He knows the landscape."

"He's NSA," she said skeptically, warning the tall, muscular man before her with her eyes.

"He's ours. They have no idea what they are walking into. You do. You have the advantage, but you need to move now."

"I don't like it," she said definitively, still staring at the man before her. Agent Marc Anderson towered over the smaller, older man that stood at the room's center. His seemed to almost glisten where the light from the cracks in the window boards filtered onto his dark skin. He watched her appraisal of him. His short sleeved, white T-s.h.i.+rt accented his muscular features and he could see her appreciative gaze. "Don't worry," the agent a.s.sured. "You'll be safe with me."

Claire Brackett stared at him. "If I were you, Agent Anderson...I would be the one that would worry," she hissed. "One move that I don't like..."

"You are s.p.u.n.ky," he allowed a smile to escape.

"Relax, Claire," the older man intervened. "And, get used to it. You and Anderson will be seeing a lot of each other."

She seethed at the remark. "We'll see."

"No. It wasn't a suggestion. It isn't a request. It's a fact. Go. Anderson knows the drop plan."

Reluctantly, Brackett moved to follow her new partner. She turned back slowly. "One day she will figure it all out, you know," Brackett gloated.

"Perhaps," he said. "Not today."

"Toles...let me go in," Krause urged.

"Now how does that make sense?" she asked. "If anything happens and I do get stopped...at least I have a chance of leaving quietly, without any altercation. My name alone gives me an advantage. It is a Carecom facility after all."

Krause hated to admit that Alex was right. "I don't like it. We don't even know what the package is."

"No, we don't," Alex agreed. "All the more reason we need as many advantages as we can get." He nodded with apprehension. Alex opened the car door and adjusted the feed in her ear. Krause opened a small netbook on his lap. "Listen," she said as she exited the car. "Remember what I asked you..."

"I'll have you on screen the entire time, Toles. The first sign of trouble and..."

Alex smiled genuinely. "I almost think you are worried there, Pip."

"You just watch yourself," he instructed. Alex smiled and headed toward the rear of the warehouse, adjusting her side arm under her sweater. "Watch yourself, Toles," he muttered.

"I'm not certain what Dimitri is up to," Admiral Brackett said.

"You know he is just Viktor's errand boy, Bill," Callier responded.

"Yes, well, I am fairly certain he has Claire in his pocket. She came home empty handed."

"The Russians don't trust Matthews either," Callier surmised.

"No. Merrow did."

"Umm...how close was he?" Callier inquired.

"Too close," the admiral answered. "I need to know, Edmond. Which side of this you come down on."

Edmond Callier smiled confidently. "The same as I always have, just as you. What choice do we have?"

"And Krause?" the admiral asked.

"He'll fall in line."

"You seem rather sure of that. He and Merrow...and now the boy."

"Krause is secure, Bill," Callier a.s.sured. "When the time comes he will stand firm. I have no doubt." Admiral Brackett took a deep breath. "You want to make the call?" Callier asked.

"I think it had best come from you at this juncture, Edmond."

"Very well."

Claire Brackett moved cautiously through the narrow hallway toward a large steel door. She paused briefly to look side to side where two corridors met. Seeing that her pathway was clear she continued forward. '4-1-1-2-1-2' she punched the numbers into the keypad and the door clicked. "Showtime," she whispered.

Alex watched as Brackett entered the room. She followed behind and grabbed the door just before it shut. "You getting this?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, I see her," Krause responded.

"At least she was kind enough to let me in," Alex joked.

"Just keep your distance. Let her lead," he instructed. Alex did not answer. She positioned herself behind a loader and watched the younger agent search an aisle loaded with steel containers. "Toles," Krause broke in. "I mean it, just watch for now." The sound of the car door opening startled the CIA agent. "What in the h.e.l.l?"

"What am I looking for, Anderson? None of these are numbered," Brackett griped.

"It will be small. Look for a red stamp on the front. USMED," he answered.

Several yards away Alex ducked behind a pallet full of packing materials. She crouched as low as her body would allow and listened carefully. Brackett, believing she was alone spoke again. "USMED?"