S7: Chapter 06: Bald Eagle

“Egypt,” Victor growled as he dropped a stack of folders onto the desk in front of Brett with a sigh. “These are the last known whereabouts of Gerald Mercer. He’s been reported as far as the Great Wall of China and the Outback of Australia. This paper trail is just all over the world. Someone’s bouncing his credit cards from every corner of the earth to throw us off his scent and I can only assume it’s the same people responsible for starting this entire thing with Yve in the first place.”

“And how did you get to Egypt? Out of all of this data, why there?” Brett asked, thumbing through the top few folders as Dustin quickly went to work.

“He was last seen getting on a privately owned jet heading for parts unknown. Four days later London CCTV picked him up entering the personal residence of this man,” Victor slid a picture towards the group as he continued. “Tobias Eales, Senior Trade Policy Advisor for the British Consulate headquartered in Cairo. Three days after that photo was taken, Eales bought two airline tickets to Egypt, his passenger was listed as Marcos Dechamps but he’s not in any of our databases; that’s gotta be Mercer.”

“Alright boys; sounds like we’re heading to the desert. Pack light in case we have to get out quickly. This one will be off the books. We get in, we look around and we get out. We have no Federal jurisdiction but the US has an extradition treaty with Egypt. So if you spot Mercer and we can get a few shots of him to show he’s in the country, we can have his ass transported back to the States to stand trial in no time.”

“Excuse me, I’m looking for Agent Yvette Knight,” a middle-aged woman entered the unit room holding a clipboard. She was dressed in a light blue cotton business suit with a skirt and a bright yellow shirt. Her hair was pinned up in a rigid bun and her horn-rimmed glasses sat crookedly on her nose. “We have an appointment at two and I can’t seem to locate her anywhere in the building. Is she in today?”

“Yes, she is. But I’m not aware of any appointment she may have had with, I’m sorry, you are?” Brett asked taking a step towards the door and folding his arms into his chest defensively. 

“Agent Monica Bradley with the Office of Professional Responsibility and you must be her husband, Brett Knight,” Agent Bradley assessed from the way Brett came to Yvette’s defense automatically.

“That’s right.”

“Well the appointment was not with you, it was with her. And if she chose not to inform you about it well, your marital issues are not my concern. Now if you could please kindly tell me where I might find Agent Knight; I hate being late.”

“Shooting range, artillery, basement level,” Brett answered with a bite of aggression through clenched teeth and watched Agent Bradley scurry off down the stairs.

“OPR? What the hell do they want with Yvette?” Ryan asked once the door shut again.

“I don’t know. But I’m gonna find out.” Brett started out of the room behind Agent Bradley and caught up with her just as she disappeared into the shooting gallery. A few agents in various levels of their careers filled the available booths testing their skills. 

“Here, take these,” Bobby Duval’s gruff voice boomed causing Agent Bradley to take a step back from the counter as he handed her a pair of noise cancelling headphones. “We ain’t responsible for loss of hearing while on the course if you fail to use the equipment properly. Do not point firearms in any direction except the targets and stay behind the yellow line. Enjoy.”

Monica took the headphones and entered the door towards the middle of the room as Brett came in behind her. “Hey Bobby,” he nodded, exchanging pleasantries with the agent behind the bullet proof glass wall. “How’s it going?”

“Eh can’t complain. You?”

“Not bad. Kids are plotting new adventures everyday to test my agility and patience but it’s fun. How long has Yve been going?”

“Since lunch. She started on the six shooter,” Bobby started and pulled a used target from behind the counter. “It didn’t go so well. She hesitated some on the trigger and I could tell that injury was bothering her so I gave her something with less of a kick. Her aim’s a little crooked but she’s slowly getting back to it. Why you ask? You thinking of taking advantage of her situation to get your name on the wall above hers?” He laughed and glanced towards the wall of fame. “No one’s been able to best her in three years though a few have come close.”

“You mean me?” Brett snarled and thought about the day she took the title back from him. “You know she cheated Bobby. You saw her pull that trigger a hair after the timer went off!”

“Hey it was the judge’s call not mine but for the record, my lips are sealed. I know better than to get between you and Yvette when it comes to these games. You two are just a little too competitive for my tastes!” Brett laughed and grabbed a pair of headphones from the agent before entering into the gallery.

Agent Bradley concluded what she was saying to Yvette just as he stepped up to her booth and turned with an annoyed sneer on her lips. “I’ll see you upstairs in five,” she remarked and moved past Brett and out of the room.

“Hey Babe,” he smiled and quickly pecked her cheek.

“Brett,” Yvette growled and slammed her ammo clip to the counter.

“What did she want?”

“Apparently I’m under suspicion. I’m being accused of working as a double agent and a committee is gathering to discuss my future with the Bureau pending a polygraph examination.”

“What? When were you going to tell me about this?”

“I just learned about it myself Brett, geez!” she frowned and shook her head negatively. “Do you really think I wouldn’t have told you? That woman, who I’ve never seen before in my life, waltzed in here, handed me this piece of paper stating my rights before and after suspension and told me I have a polygraph in five minutes! A polygraph, I might add, she’s confident I’m going to fail. She’s also ordered a drug test for afterwards to be sure I don’t down a few tranqs before heading in.”

“Damn it. They are aware you haven’t returned to active duty just yet aren’t they? It’s only been a month since the shooting!”

“I think that’s the selling point they are making to the committee now. According to this letter, Agent Bradley is petitioning to have me decommissioned permanently. And if the results of the test prove deception that’ll put more ammo in her gun.”

“Fuck me! Yve you can’t…”

“Don’t. I don’t want or need any pressure in my head right now before going up there. If that bitch or any one of those other assholes at the Office of Professional Responsibility thinks this is going to rattle me, they’re about to learn firsthand just who the fuck they’re dealing with.” 

“Thank you for coming,” Agent Bradley looked up from a back table as Yvette stepped into the room. “Please, have a seat. We’ll get started shortly.” Yvette noticed an unsealed letter sitting on the table and smirked. The letterhead stated it was direct from the White House and signed by the President. Agent Bradley was trying to bait her, and she was not about to fall for it. “Water?”

“No thank you.”

“Coffee? Fruit? Bagel? It’s free.”

“Let’s just get this over with.” Agent Bradley smirked slightly at Yvette’s obvious frustration as she made her way over to the table and took a seat in front of her. The technician in the room began hooking the leads to Yvette’s hands and pulse points as Bradley slowly sipped from her coffee mug. His finger lightly grazed over the scar on her chest and Yvette glanced up at him with a scowl.

“I can understand your frustration Agent Knight. I mean I wouldn’t want to be accused of being a double agent either. But I suppose this isn’t your first time walking that line, is it? Well…one way or the other, we’re getting to the bottom of what’s going on in this office.” The tech nodded at Bradley and flipped on a laptop beside her as she leaned closer turning on a recording device in the center of the table. “Polygraph #486-33C Yvette Knight. Participants include OPR Agents Monica Bradley and Patrick Sheldon as acting technician. Let’s get started shall we? Is your name Yvette Knight?”

“Yes it is.”

“Are you an Agent with the FBI’s Special Forces Unit?”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever stolen money?”

“No.”

“Do you live in New York City, NY?”

“No.”

“Are you married to a federal agent?”

“Yes.”

“Please answer ‘yes’ to the following question: are you wearing a red shirt?”

“Yes.” The computer beeped and a long jagged line scrawled across the screen indicating a deceptive answer.

“Thank you. You see, unlike normal polygraph examinations that measure your physiological levels like blood pressure, respiration and pulse, this one is so advanced it can determine the validity of your statements through sensory input. Meaning you’ll find it incredibly hard to deceive it. That was the end of the preliminary interview; now for the fun part,” Agent Bradley grinned and flipped a page in the notepad in front of her. “Have you ever knowingly deceived an officer of law enforcement during the commission of an investigation?”

“No.”

“After the shooting in Senator Jameson’s office, you were again attacked by the shooter identified as Gerald Mercer in the hospital as well. Do you know why he would want you dead?”

“No.”

“Are you aware that this ex-CIA operative is now under suspicion for the 2002 shooting of another CIA operative by the name of Katrina Rose Davis?”

“Yes.”

“And just to confirm, Katrina Davis’ relationship to you was maternal?”

“Yes.”

“According to the statement you gave when questioned after your recovery, you mentioned your purpose for being in the Senator’s office as a Black Ops mission which you could not disclose the details of. Yet there was no record of such a mission covert or otherwise on the FBI’s docket.”

“Is there a question here? Black Ops is just what it sounds like. Why would you expect to find records?”

“Let me rephrase,” Agent Bradley smiled and leaned forward a bit in her seat, looking Yvette dead in the eyes. “Was this an FBI commissioned operation?”

Taking a deep breath, Yvette’s eyes darted towards the Polygraph tech as she considered her course of action. The mission was not a sanctioned operation for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. But admitting that here would leave her open to a bevy of questions she was in no position to answer. Giving a smile in Agent Bradley’s direction she bit her bottom lip and nodded lightly as she answered. “Yes.”

The machine didn’t beep and Yvette did a small dance of victory in her head. “Agent Knight you are aware that I am an agent of the judicial system and you’ve been sworn in and are under oath. All of your answers given today are part of a federal investigation. As such any false or incorrect responses could be deemed as fraud and you will be charged with perjury?”

“Yes.”

“Agent Knight, are you currently or have you ever worked with an organization known as SYC?”

Yvette paused briefly, a confused look crossing her brow as she thought over her response. “No.”

The machine beeped and Agent Bradley leaned back in her seat with a smile. “Have you any knowledge of the undertakings of the organization known as SYC?”

“No.”

“Are you aware of any misappropriation of funds for agents to run missions off book?”

“No.”

“Yet isn’t it true you’ve received payments twice a month for this very purpose?”

“No it’s not.”

“Then can you explain why over the last two years you were receiving a $25,000 bimonthly stipend from an undisclosed benefactor into an account in the Caymans?”

“Shouldn’t your questions be worded in yes or no form? But to answer you, Agent Bradley, I’ve never received anything and if it’s your intentions to prove that I did then good luck with that. I’m not working as a double agent, I’ve never heard of SYC, I’ve never been bought off or bribed to do anything illegal and I won’t sit here any longer and be a part of your witch hunt.” Yvette growled and stood abruptly, snatching the wires from her chest. “If you have any other questions for me, refer them to my attorney.”

“Before you go Agent Knight,” Agent Bradley grinned and dangled a small plastic vile in front of her face.

“Thirsty?”

“Very funny. It’s pee in a cup time. I gotta make sure your answers were unassisted through…pharmaceutical means. You understand. Agent Visor will accompany you to the ladies room up the hall. Also, and I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this considering you’re still in recovery but, don’t leave the country.” She turned to leave but not before Agent Bradley took another jab at her. “By the way, you look good in stripes.”

Yvette dropped the cup to the counter near the sink before rushing upstairs to the unit room. She found Dustin, Victor and Ryan working on the recent threat of terrorism that surrounded the Missiles weapon and sighed. She hated being on the sidelines again and needed to get back into the action so she didn’t feel so helpless. “If you’re looking for the Boss he’s downstairs with Scotty,” Ryan spoke glancing up at her as she paced a few feet into the room.

“Thanks Ry.” Yvette smiled sincerely and hurried down the stairs in search of her husband, finding him crossing the hall leading into the break room. “Hey! Can we talk?”

“Of course, I always have time for you, Beautiful. How did the polygraph go?”

“I don’t know. It beeped at me a few times.”

“You lied? Baby hasn’t anyone ever told you how to beat a polygraph?”

“Yeah. You tell the truth.” Yvette looked up at Brett with a scowl and he backed off with a smirk of his own.

 

“Ok then. We’ll just deal with that when it comes.”

“I think I passed but I…she just made me so angry! I guess we’ll find out soon enough anyway. But that wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about. Brett, I have to get back into Senator Jameson’s office.”

“No, you need to lay low for now while the team and I sort through this mess that’s being pinned on you Yve,” Brett responded and watched as his wife paced the room in deep contemplation. With a sigh he moved closer towards her, trying to focus her on his face. “What’s so important you have to walk back into the lion’s den?”

“Information; the same information I was shot and nearly killed over.”

“What? There’s no way to recover that. You said it yourself when you were shot, Mercer took all of the material you and Tasker had collected. And I’m sure by now the Senator has destroyed all other evidence off of his computer.”

“Not everything was taken,” she remarked and again closed her eyes as she thought over the night of the attack. “I made two copies, one for Ethan and Sycom and the other for us. The first one was inside my bag but I had the other thumb drive in my hand when I fell. I think it slid under the sideboard near the wall. I have to go back and check!”

“No Yvette, it’s too dangerous!”

“Have they already seized Gabe’s condo?” she asked, ignoring his words.

“The CIA has that place cordoned off like Fort Knox. There’s no way in or out.”

“And what about my car? Any word on when I can retrieve it from the Federal impound?”

“Yve?” he nearly shouted her name with a firm, controlled voice until she took a breath and looked up at him.

“Gabriel was using some state-of-the-art equipment when he came in with me. Some sort of Bluetooth recording that was setup on his laptop. Before we made our entry he set it up and dropped it between the cushions of the backseat, out of view. I’m wondering if…”

“You will find the data there or if it’s already been discovered. So not only do you want to break into the Senator’s place again you want to check out Gabe’s AND the Federal Impound lot. Do you hear yourself at all Yvette? You just finished a polygraph concerning your status as a double agent and now you want to walk back into what could be traps because the CIA and even OPR at this point have got to be watching you without any regard towards your personal safety? No, hell no you can forget it, you’re not going.” Brett again vetoed her request with a negative head shake. 

“Brett you don’t understand. Since Gabe’s death I’ve been trying to pick up the pieces and keep going. He was my friend since the Farm and I was in the hospital in a fucking coma during his funeral! I didn’t get to say my goodbyes. And I mean he died because of me, because I failed to protect him!” A silent tear fell from her eye and she quickly wiped it away. It wasn’t time to cry, not yet; not when she was on the verge of discovery. “And now his career and reputation are being ruined because we can’t prove what we saw and I just want to keep busy to keep myself from going crazy. I need this. Gabriel needs this.”

“I’ll go. I won’t risk something else happening to you out there; you’re still not 100% yet.” He took her by the arm and pulled her towards the corner of the hallway. Waiting until a few stray agents passed by, he leaned close enough to whisper. “There’s something else. Victor’s uncovered Mercer’s possible 20.”

“What? Where?” Yvette asked eagerly, looking over her shoulder as she lowered her voice. “Where he is?”

“We think Egypt. The guys and I are gonna check it out and…”

“I’m coming with.”

“No you’re not Yve. You’re staying here and keeping this to yourself. I don’t know how far the corruption goes but I don’t even want you telling Ethan, at least not yet.”

“Brett I am not staying here while you hunt down the son of a bitch who put my mother and Gabriel in the ground and tried to do the same to me! I’m coming with you!”

“THIS IS NOT UP FOR DISCUSSION YVETTE!” Brett sighed angrily as his wife’s debate heated his ire and his raised voice brought the stares of a few people nearby. He waved them off and pulled Yvette closer towards him. “It’s not safe and I’ll be damned if…please, just let me handle this.”

“Fine. But promise me when you find that asshole…”

“I’ll make sure he gets what’s coming to him,” Brett smiled reassuringly as his wife fell against his chest. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.” He closed his arms around her and held her tightly as he thought about the near brushes with death over the last month. He wanted Mercer dead for what he did. But Gerald Mercer had answers they all needed. The hatred he had for the man had to be set to the side for the bigger picture. Something major was in the works, and they needed to get to the bottom of it before it was too late.

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