Jack and Frank left Langley the same way they had entered, leaving the CIA unscathed, save for a hapless wretch who was knocked unconscious and a patch of drywall that needed repairing by a mason.
"You got beaten up like that by some retired old jerk?" Cynthia walked into the messy office where a doctor was resetting Cooper's dislocated wrist.
"It wasn't Frank Moses, it was that FBI agent." Cooper's eyes went dark as he finally recovered from the excruciating pain of the reset.
Following his gaze, Cynthia picked up Jack's file from the floor and flipped through it. "Are you saying this FBI idiot beat you, an elite SEAL, to the point where you couldn't fight back?"
Seeing Cooper's head bowed and silent, Cynthia's cheeks twitched, and she barely concealed the sneer on her lips. "What did they take?"
"I don't know. I just checked the office, and nothing's missing, except my pride."
Cooper's eyes were fixed, still recovering from the shock, so he didn't notice Cynthia's secretly relieved expression.
"Who are they? Why is Frank Moses called 'R.E.D.'? Why are so many things missing from the FBI file with him?"
"I don't have the authority to know about these things!" Cynthia's voice became unusually high-pitched.
"But that's not important. This FBI agent can't be a big deal. I know the woman behind him. That bitch must be targeting me."
Taking a deep breath, she quickly composed herself. "I've always admired you, Cooper. You've always been capable and ambitious, but I never imagined you'd have your door kicked down and stormed in.
Complete this mission as quickly as possible. You must give it your all. You won't get another chance."
Unlike
the grieving CIA agent who had just been beaten up and then subjected to PUA treatment by his female superior, Jack, while receiving a call from his own female superior, was encouraging and caring.
Of course, his FBI and personal phones were now in the base building, under the care of Cassel, and he was using a newly purchased anonymous SIM card.
"Someone called me furiously, questioning your whereabouts, and I rebuffed them with the excuse of a classified mission. Apparently, you're doing a good job, but you still have to be careful.
I heard there was a minor incident at Langley today. One of their elite agents fell in the stairwell and seems seriously injured."
Dana's laughter revealed her cheerful mood.
"I wish him a speedy recovery," Jack chimed in maliciously.
"What are your plans next? Forget it, let's just pretend I didn't ask anything. The investigation into the person behind that bitch is almost complete. You'd better get back to New York before the day after tomorrow," the female boss gave her final instructions.
Jack glanced at Frank, got his confirmation, replied "Roger," and hung up. "So, where are we going next?"
Frank, frowning over a pile of old documents, looked up and met Marvin's gaze, who was also looking back at him from behind the wheel. "To the Eagle's Nest."
"Oh no, I don't want to get shot," Marvin shook his head as he drove to meet them in a stolen Cayenne.
Frank's expression wasn't particularly good. "I'm going in alone. We need her help. These reports are vague and heavily blacked out. She's an expert in analyzing this kind of intelligence.
But first, we need to pick someone up."
—
"Anna?" Jack, opening the car door for Anna, dressed in a professional secretary's attire, found himself surprisingly unsurprised.
"Long time no see, darling," Anna, bending over to get in, suffused with perfume, offered him a passionate kiss.
"Frank contacted you?"
Jack knew Anna and Frank had a private connection. When he and Big Guy were working together to take down the arms company, it was Frank who secretly apprehended the cunning middleman and had Anna deliver him.
"I happened to be in Los Angeles the other day, and Brian told me you might need help, and it was related to Frank, so I reached out to him. It was a surprise,"
the former FSB agent explained intelligently. Regardless of whether she'd slept with Jack or not, some things still needed to be explained.
While Frank had been her savior, she was now Jack's person in every sense of the word.
Perhaps Jack didn't care about their private connection, but a little explanation wouldn't go amiss.
Jack didn't really think much of it. He'd never been a dominant figure in his entire life, and he had no idea how to control subordinates.
He simply knew that relationships weren't just about feelings; long-term relationships depended on shared interests. And in that sense, Jack didn't owe anyone anything.
The "Eagle's Nest" Frank was referring to was a manor-style villa also located in Virginia. Its black tiles and white walls, along with its riverside terrace adorned with faux marble columns, gave it an air of luxury.
Although the bald man suggested he go in alone, Jack insisted on accompanying him.
He was particularly impressed by his serious demeanor; Jack figured having more than one person to speak with would make it easier to explain the situation and avoid getting shot.
"Shouldn't we have the courtesy of knocking first?" Frank asked, perplexed, as he saw him directly turning the doorknob.
"Trust me, it won't make much of a difference." The bald man opened the door a crack, cautiously peered behind it, and then, with a slight sigh of relief, led him inside.
The villa's interior was decorated in a consistent style, a classic modern British style. The stark white walls were accented by dark wood furniture, and the walnut floors were covered with Persian rugs. It was immediately clear that the owner of this house was a man of great taste.
The two walked through the hallway, passed the dining room, and finally stood at the door of the living room. Frank gently pushed the door open, only to see an old white lady with wrinkled skin and white hair staring at them behind the square table in front of the window.
"Frank Moses."
The old lady, who spoke with a distinct British accent, must have been a great beauty when she was young. Even now, in her old age, she still had a graceful demeanor, and her every move
showed her charm. "Hi, Victoria." Frank stopped at the door and greeted her with a smile.
The table in front of the old lady was filled with flowers, and in the vase were several cut roses of various colors. She smiled and picked up a yellow rose and put it to her nose to smell it, her expression lost.
"Are you bringing your students to kill me?"
"I'm here to seek help." Frank tried to make his tone sound sincere, "Marvin and I are being hunted by the CIA."
(End of this chapter)