S7: Chapter 04: Black Veil

Yvette pulled into the underground parking garage and waited for the light indicator in front of her to turn from red to green before unlocking her door and heading towards the elevator. Once there she entered a five digit pin code into the number pad and listened as the lift slowly rotated down to meet her. A slight breeze hit her arms as a chill swirled within the concrete structure and she checked the area around her for any signs of movement. Moments like these reminded her of her favorite spy novel as a child, Shadowed Night. There’s always someone lurking in the shadows, she smiled to herself, remembering the book’s tagline.

Shaking it off, she exited the elevator into a long white hall and started towards the main office. “Glad you could make it,” Ethan’s smiling face greeted her once she entered the building and the control room he’d shown her on her first trip to Sycom. “You remember Kimberly and Ssgt. Vanguard?” Yvette nodded and silently spoke her greeting towards the other two occupants in the room as Ethan continued forward towards a standing computer console. “I called you here because we just got word that the Delegate is getting ready for a big play.”

“The Delegate? I thought they were underground; how do you know when they are moving?”

“We have eyes on the members at all times.”

“So much for a secretive group why didn’t you tell me that before? Ethan these people had a hand in what happened to Mom; why would you keep this from me?” Ethan turned and saw the look in his daughter’s eyes as she asked the question. She was nearly pleading for resolution but there was none to give that she hadn’t heard a million times before. 

“You’re here now Yvie and I’m telling you now,” Ethan responded doing his best not to let his emotions come into play. “Theodore Jameson is part of the arms conspiracy hitting the Hill and from what I understand you and your team are already hot on the trail of the weapons manufacturer.”

“Theodore Jameson? Senator Theodore Jameson?” Yvette asked and moved closer towards the center console.

“One and the same; he’s a known member of the Delegate,” Kim responded and pulled up his profile on the screen. “He is one of the first actually. Jameson’s primary responsibilities within the Delegate concern clandestine missions at home and abroad. He most certainly would have been the one to assign your mother to the mission that took her life.”

Yvette breathed in deeply as she read through the profile Sycom had on him and closed her eyes as a set of hot tears threatened to fall. “I want him,” she growled and slowly released her breath to calm her nerves.

“And I knew you would,” Ethan responded, handing her a file folder on everything they had been able to uncover. But a large portion of the report had been redacted. Yvette turned the page around to Ethan, questioning the concealment of the document. “CIA; we get some information from unauthorized locations and much of it comes with blinders but we’re usually capable of reading between the lines.” 

“I have a friend who could get me the entire file, unedited.”

“I’m not so sure that’s a great idea,” Ssgt Vanguard started to protest. “We don’t want too many eyes and ears on this mission; it’s vital that we get in and get out of Jameson’s office unobserved.”

“Like I said, he’s a friend, one I can trust completely and one that I’ve had to depend on a time or two when things got rough. He can get me the information I need without drawing attention. Besides I prefer it this way. I’m not taking chances going into something blind; it’s what gets people killed.”

“Yvette’s right and I don’t want to send her into something with half of the information. If you’re sure you can trust this friend of yours then use him, wisely.” Yvette took one last look at the picture of Senator Jameson before turning and heading for the garage.

“Are you sure about this?” Vanguard asked once she’d exited the room. “She may not be ready for what’s to come, especially if she’s depending on others to get her information she needs.”

“My daughter was born for this kind of work. She’s been training for it her whole life and has run countless successful operations. If anyone can get it done, it’s her. She’s ready, trust me.”

Yvette slid the folder onto the driver seat of her car and leaned against it for a moment. She steadied herself on her door as a flurry of emotions hit her all at once. Being this close to the end of everything felt unbelievable and she found herself fighting the draw to celebrate. It wasn’t over; not yet. But the higher she climbed to the top, the fresher the air seemed to get. Slipping her cell phone from her back pocket she punched in the number to her CIA contact and smiled when he answered the phone.

“Black Bird! And here I thought I’d have to surgically unhinge you from your gun before I got another call. How’ve you been?”

“I’m sorry Gabriel but you know friendship is a two-way street you could just as easily pick up a phone to say hi. It’s been two months but I’ve been trying my best to take it easy. You get the recent pictures of the kids?”

“I did, they are adorable! But I would expect nothing less with you as their mother. And you, taking it easy? Who are you and what have you done with my Raven?”

“She’s still here and still working as always. And it’s about the reason I called, I need a favor.”

“A favor. What kind of favor? The kind that gets me linked into some conspiracy and has me on the run for my life OR the kind where I’ll get shot at a few days out of the week until you permanently resolve the threat?”

“The kind where you can stay behind your desk and lick an envelope to get me what I need. It’s a file on a person of interest; Theodore Jameson.”

“Uh Yve, you are aware that Jameson is a Senator and most information about him is concealed; well what the scandalous reporters haven’t dug up that is. And most of that is just media fodder to keep the public entertained. Certain political figures are seriously off limits when it comes to the news and public knowledge.”

“Yes I know Gabe that’s why I called you. I have a redacted report on the Senator that I need to see clean. I was really hoping you could help me out with that.”

After a long pause over the line Gabriel finally sighed and she could hear his fingers running over his keyboard. “What do you need?”

“Everything you got.”

“I tell ya what, I’ll dip into my cache of favors and pull every shred of information we have on Jameson if…”

“If what Gabe?” Yvette asked holding her breath. She already knew what was coming next. It was the same something that she’d been avoiding since she became a field agent and her friend was stuck behind a desk for the life of his career. He wanted out and on a mission where he could do more than carry a gun on his side and take notes.

“If you take me with you.” She exhaled and closed her eyes, shaking her head negatively as if he could see her. “Come on Yve, I know there’s a huge mission involved here otherwise you wouldn’t be demanding all of this guy’s information. I want in and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“It’s too dangerous Gabe I can’t risk it. You have very little field experience and one wrong move could get us both killed!”

“Was I or was I not a part of this thing from the start? I proved myself with you in the field once before Yvette and everything worked out great! I can do this, trust me.”

“I don’t know Gabriel. I really don’t. I can’t take responsibility for having you out in the open like that. It’s 100% against CIA policy and the Company would have my head if something happened to you on my watch. No, I can’t.”

“Fine. Good luck getting to Jameson without me.” She could hear him smiling on the other end. He had her over a barrel and he knew it.

Yvette growled in irritation and sighed before responding. “Why do you want to be in the field again? After everything that’s happened one would think you’d have seen enough action to last a lifetime.”

“Yeah well pushing paperwork can become quite a chore when you’ve had the experience of bullets whizzing past your head. I’ve been on the fast track to field work for the Agency. I just now passed my marksman exam; I got a 98.” He strummed his fingers against the desk, listening for the sound of defeat from her end. “So…is that a yes?”

“It’s an ‘I’ll think about it’.”

“Good. Pick me up around 6 at Dupont Circle and we can get this thing planned out.”

“I said I’ll think about it.”

“Which isn’t a no. I’ll be waiting for you.” He hung up the phone and Yvette threw her cell into the passenger seat before finally pulling away from the building heading back to FBI Headquarters. She entered the unit room to find only Brett and Dustin and waited for her husband to fill her in.

“Hey,” he smiled and gently pecked her cheek. “What did the Eagle want?”

Brett had taken to calling Ethan by animal names that started with an E, the latest one being “Eagle”.  It left Yvette guessing who he was referring to until she realized what he was doing. It stopped him from mentioning the name of a man supposedly dead and kept the risk of exposure to a minimum. “Uh he needs me to run an Op for him later on; I’ll give you the details when I know more,” she responded, not sure how much she could say within the walls of the office. “Where are the others?”

“Ryan is tracking down leads on one of our old gun dealing friends to see if they’ve any knowledge about the missile and where it could have come from. And Victor is running surveillance on a few Secret Service agents from President Bahii’s list. Dustin’s getting bugs ready for planting in some of their more frequented places.”

“Wow, sounds like you boys have been busy. Anything I can do to help?”

“Nope, we have everything under control. I will want to talk more about this thing with Eagle though.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Yvette smiled and checked the time. It was two hours before she was scheduled to meet Gabriel and she wanted to spend that time polishing up on her strategy for getting into the Senator’s office and mapping out an exit route.

When Brett got a moment, he found her in the library looking over a map and took a seat at the table across from her. “Do I even want to know?”

“I think the question is ‘should I tell you?’” Yvette replied and leaned back in her seat. “It’s just a reconnaissance mission; I’m to enter the office of one Senator Theodore Jameson and collect any and all data related to clandestine activities.”

“Sounds easy enough,” he responded and looked over some of the paperwork sitting in front of her. “Escape route?” She nodded as he went through her plans before pulling away from the table. “Do you want me to tag along?”

“Uh no, there’s no need. I’ll be in and out. Besides, I promised Gabe he could come with.”

“Gabe? How’s he doing?”

“Fine. He said he’s working on becoming a field agent,” Yvette laughed lightly at the look on her husband’s face. “Yeah that was my reaction too. Apparently he enjoyed life on the run and being shot at. So tonight, I’m taking him on a trial run. You know, picking a few locks, hacking a couple of passwords and making copies of secret documents; the simple stuff.”

“Should be fun! I mean, it’s no shootout but it’s the typical agent work. If you need backup, call me Yve.”

“Like you said, should be easy enough. But you’re on my speed dial if not.” 

“Be careful out there. I love you. See you when you get home.” He kissed her forehead and left her to her work. Forty minutes later she pulled up in front of Dupont Circle and waited for Gabriel to hop into the car.

“Hey Partner!” Gabriel greeted her with a smile and tossed a bag into the backseat. “So what’s on the agenda today?”

“You are WAY too happy about this, Gabe.”

“Are you kidding me? My first official UN-official mission with you? I’m THRILLED!”

“What’s in the bag?” she asked circling around the plaza before pulling off onto Connecticut Avenue towards 16^th street.

“Oh my ‘Go’ bag? Just my spy stuff,” Gabriel responded with a smirk and Yvette shot him a sideways glance. “Seriously I have the latest in technology; Poly-Thermal scanner with DNA detection, Invisible ear bud wireless transmitter with video Bluetooth recording, 32-piece lock picking set, Fingerprinting kit and I couldn’t forget the all important black jumpsuit and rain slicker. I also brought my laptop so that I can keep track of the video in real time.” Yvette laughed and shook her head towards her friend. “What? Be prepared, it’s the Boy Scout motto!”

Yvette stopped in front of a brownstone on East Capitol Street around the corner from their destination on 2^nd Street. “Alright here’s the deal Gabe, we’re going in to look around and recover sensitive information. I need to find anything related to a group called the Delegate or any government or non-government sanctioned missions at home and abroad. Anything pertaining to Sycom, the Company, CIA, FBI or any one of the other 700 acronyms involved in clandestine operations.”

“Roger. So I guess I didn’t need to pack my gun?” He smiled and climbed out of the car. Grabbing his bag from the backseat he tossed on the jumpsuit he’d packed and holstered his weapon on his hip.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Yvette replied after he finished gearing up and followed her around the corner. “Stay close once we’re inside and keep your comm. on at all times.” Watching as Yvette skillfully picked the lock to the office building, Gabriel slipped in behind her, keeping the door propped opened slightly for a faster getaway.

“So what is the Delegate anyway?” he asked once they’d made their way into Senator Jameson’s office.

“It’s a group of ex-operatives involved in some dark op missions that’s costing Federal agents their lives and the U.S. government a whole lot of money. You’ve read about the recent terrorist attacks?” Gabriel nodded and took lead towards the frosted glass door.

Pulling out his lockpicking kit he turned with a smile, “I got this one,” and began undoing the lock.

“There’s belief that the Delegate are behind the missile weapon discovered recently as well as funding several overseas terrorist organizations to attack the U.S.”

“Why would they do that to their own government?”

“Power and money, what else? They seem to be trying to take over the country while watching it burn so they can be the king of its ashes.” The door opened with a pop and Gabriel led Yvette inside the office and shut the door behind him. Turning on his flashlight earpiece, he began searching the filing cabinets nearest the door while Yvette took a seat behind the desk.

“Tax papers, bank statements, business accounts, credit card reports…nothing really interesting over here,” Gabriel reported and moved towards the next set of cabinets against the wall behind Yvette who sat busily skimming around Jameson’s personal computer. “So you think this guy has something to do with the threats against Congress? The MGS International Summit incident.”

“All signs point to yes,” she responded as he opened the second cabinet and pulled a large stack of folders from the middle drawer. “Oh my God, Gabe I think I’ve found it!” Yvette remarked excitedly as she continued clicking through the files and folders on the Senator’s desktop. Leaning forward he glanced over her shoulder and gave a quick read of one document in particular.

“Shit Yve, this…this is mission details on Black Veil! Wait a second the Senator was involved with what happened to your Mom?”

“And a few other ops where agents were lost apparently! Do you have any idea what we’ve stumbled on here?” she asked as several more Delegate driven operations popped up on the screen. They had their hands in nearly every facet of government and it seemed many terrorist attacks recently attributed to parties overseas had been perpetrated by citizens living in the U.S.

“Yeah, a government conspiracy large enough to rip this entire country apart! Get the copies made, I’ll check and see what other treasures may be buried here.” Gabriel moved towards a large painting hanging above the bar near the back of the room. Using a Poly-Thermal X-ray Scanner, he checked the wall for a safe and smiled as the picture flickered on his monitor. He pulled the picture from the wall and slowly ran through the slides of the safe combination until it opened.

Pulling a large briefcase from inside, it didn’t take him long to come across some of the key points Yvette mentioned she was looking for and he quickly called her attention. “Uh, Vette, I think you might want to see this.” She took the folder from him and sat it on the sideboard between the filing cabinets to have a look at it as Gabriel continued looking through the paperwork in the safe. “Fake passports, fake IDs, different world currencies and even a wax model for making false fingerprints; who is this guy? And why did we elect him as Senator?”

“You’d be surprised what’s in most politicians’ closets,” she sighed and continued turning through the file in front of her. “Holy shit…” she paused and pulled a stack of photographs out of the back of the folder. “It wasn’t about my mother; it was never about my mother.”

“What are you talking about?” Gabriel asked and moved closer towards where Yvette stood over the file cabinet sifting through folders.

“Everything that’s happened has all been because of me.” Gabriel pulled the folder from Yvette’s hands and began sorting through it. Hundreds upon hundreds of pictures of Yvette as a child, teen, adult; most from when her mother and Scott was training her from the age of 13 and even more from her time at Quantico. In addition to the photographic timeline were pages of reports by different field agents and their observations in the Davis/Phillips’ household and how well training was going with the 15 year old Yvette Evans.

“What the hell does all this mean Black Bird? Whoever killed your mother was just trying to get her out of the way? For what? Why would they be interested in her teenage daughter? That makes no sense.”

“All this time I thought they were after her because of her work to stop the gun running for the Sinaloa drug cartel but that wasn’t it at all. It was the mission she was on when she was killed, stopping a rogue CIA operative from handing over a cache of weapons but it was just coincidence.” A number marked at the bottom of the page sparked her memory and she recalled seeing a similar annotation on one of the files she’d opened earlier.

“I don’t get it Vette, how does that relate to you at all? You were just a kid,” Gabriel asked, watching as she quickly worked through the computer files again. He leaned over, recording her keystrokes and making copies with his Bluetooth camera.

“I don’t know.” She replied slowly chewing her bottom lip. “But someone was following us since we moved to Bridgeport. And I think I know who might have answers as to why.”  

“Your dad?” Gabriel asked and continued filming the items with his mini-cam.

Yvette turned towards the sound of the door opening in front of them. Standing upright, shock was written on her face as the cloaked figure stepped into the light of the room and shut the door. “It was you?”

“Who is…?” Before either of them had a chance to react, the figure retrieved a gun from a hip holster and aimed.

Four shots were fired. Two hit Gabriel dropping him instantly. The other two caught Yvette dead center. She fell against the sideboard behind the desk, hitting her head against the wall before bouncing off the hardwood floor beneath her. The shooter took a few steps towards her, checking her for a pulse before slipping something into her pocket. Checking Gabriel’s body for a pulse as well, a wicked laugh echoed through the office before the door opened once more and the shooter escaped into the night.

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