The Puppeteer

CHAPTER 3



TY GLANCED UP FROM HIS DESK and, as casually as he could, let his gaze follow Agent Williamson as she exited the building. Instinct and experience told him there was more to what she and her team where doing in Portland than she let on. That alone wasn't surprising—most agencies held information back. But what did surprise him was that it was more than a healthy dose of skepticism that made him think that. It was something about Dani herself.

He would be the first to admit he didn't know her well. Yes, they'd spent an intense night together, but it had been more physical than anything else. There was no reason he should feel like he knew her on a deeper level. But when her intelligent gaze had met and held his in the conference room, the feeling that he knew her settled in his gut. And, in turn, he knew there was a reason she was here other than Getz or Eagle's Wing. As if that wasn't enough.

“You'll have a hell of a job dealing with her, if you know what I mean.” Marty Warren said from the opposite desk.

Ty swiveled toward his partner.

“She's a hell of a looker, Ty, but she's got that look to her.”

Knowing his partner well, Ty waited for him to continue. Marty, like the stereotypical cop he liked to portray, obliged. “She's got that look that says if you so much as think of thinking about her as just a pretty blonde, she'll nail your balls to the wall so fast you won't have any idea what hit you.”

Ty laughed out loud at this assessment. He had first-hand knowledge of how physical Dani could be. And, after witnessing her iron-clad control during the briefing, he had no doubt his partner's characterization was spot on.

“I guess I'll have to be careful what I focus on,” Ty responded.

“Yeah, like that's gonna be easy,” Marty rolled his eyes. “You'd have to be dead not to notice she's built for sinnin',” he added, thickening his usually toned-down southern accent. “I'm an old fart and even I can see it.”

“You're fifty-two, Marty. I know your still sinnin' away with the best of them.”

“Tryin' anyway,” Marty grinned and winked.

“And besides, I didn't say I wouldn't notice, I said I wouldn't focus,” Ty conceded.

“So you think it's how she says?” Marty's accent lightened up again. “You think Getz is that big a dog? Kinda gets your goat knowing he's been right under our noses the whole time,” he thought out loud.

“We've known about Getz for a long time,” Ty reminded him. “Hell, I even knew of him when I was here in high school. We just haven't been able to get anything on him and haven't had the resources to pursue anything.”

“And now we got us a whole team of grade-A DEA agents.”

“Yep, that we do,” Ty responded, with the same level of enthusiasm.

“Good luck with that,” Marty said, swinging his feet off his desk and rising. “That filly is going to be a firecracker. Let me know if you need help handling her.” He winked again and cast Ty a lascivious grin. “Of course, a young buck like you might be just what she's looking for.”

“I think all she's ‘looking for’ is a way to bring Getz down,” Ty said, despite his own belief otherwise. But he was speaking to empty air; Marty had already disappeared. No doubt to prepare for his favorite activity: interviewing trainees. Or, as Marty liked to refer to it, ‘scarin'-the-shit-out-of-young-people-who-should-know-better-than-to-want-to-work-vice.’

* * *



Dani came to a stop a few buildings down from the police headquarters. She took a moment to let the tension drain from her body. A woman paused at the curb beside her with a woolly, goofy-looking St. Bernard in tow. Dani smiled and gave the dog a good rub. He drooled in appreciation. She watched them cross the street as she reflected on the meeting. For the most part, it had gone well. And aside from seeing Ty again later, which was something she decided not to think about for a few minutes, she was now free to focus on her job. On this case.

Pulling out her cell, she speed-dialed a number. “Marmie, it's Dani.” She stopped at a light and waited for it to turn green.

“Mack!” Marmie said, referring to Dani by her handle “Are you headed out now?”

“Yes, just finished the meeting with Portland vice. I'm walking back to the hotel and will be out to the house in about an hour.” The light changed and she proceeded across the street.

“How did it go?”

“Fine. Seems like a good group. They seem fine with us.”

“And our liaison? Will he be easy?” Easy to manage, easy to manipulate, was the translation.

‘Easy’ was not a word she would use to describe Ty Fuller. Even though she didn't know him that well, words like ‘smart,’ ‘capable,’ and ‘confident’ came to mind. ‘Easy’ did not. She got the sense they would be able to manipulate him only if he let them. Whether or not he would let them remained to be seen. “You ever meet an easy SEAL?”

“Not intellectually.” Marmie's smile shined through in the comment and Dani laughed. Marmie was their sifter; she dug and scraped and gathered information for the team, sifted through it all, and then gave the agents what they needed. She would develop her own intel on Ty, but Dani wasn't surprised she'd asked.

“Be that as it may, he won't be as easy as we would have liked.” Dani commented, visualizing his focused look and remembering the intelligence that radiated from him. She glanced around the street, noting the few people nearby as she proceeded past several shops. “We might be able to use him. He's sharp, he might be an asset.”

There was long, silent pause on the other side of the line. “That would be Drew's call,” Marmie answered, giving no indication of her own opinion.

“Yeah,” Dani agreed. “Unfortunately, we might not have a choice.”

She sighed. She had a sinking sensation Ty was not the type to smile and nod at the half-truths and non-information they would give him.

He'd figure it out—or rather he would figure out something else was going on. If they could trust him, they could let him into the full scope of the investigation and he could be an asset. If not, he could prove to be a real liability. But either way, Marmie was right. As team leader, it was Drew's call.

“Anything new?” Dani asked, changing the subject as she waited at another light.

“A couple of interesting items have popped up. We can go over them when you get here, nothing to make or break us. Drew's on his way here. He called and said he was getting on a plane.”

Which meant he would get to Portland any time between three hours and three days. No one ever knew where the director was at any given time, unless he was standing right next to them.

“Sounds good,” Dani said. “I'll be in soon. Anything you want from the real world?” she asked as she pushed through the hotel doors.

“No, we're good. Your sister, bless her, had a huge basket of goodies waiting for us when we arrived yesterday. Thank god, too, because all Spanky bought was a box of mini donuts. I'll eat them, but only when I'm desperate.”

Dani smiled into the phone as the two hung up. Her sister was good like that. She didn't know the team, other than Drew, and didn't have a clue what they did, but they were her guests and she would damn well treat them that way.

She headed up to her room, ignoring the memories of the night before that played on the edges of her mind. She had thirty minutes to pack and get ready before Ty showed up. She needed focus.

Twenty minutes later there was a knock on her door. She opened it, leaned against the frame, and regarded the man in front of her.