Hidden Tracks | ✓

14 | perfect storm

Since our work in Istanbul was finished (at least for the timebeing), we returned to Paris.

My mind had been reeling ever since we got to know how Amélie had not only copied Mehmet's designs, but also threatened him into keeping quiet.

She was a dangerous woman indeed.

Somehow, that fueled my suspicions even further. Amélie was clearly a dangerous person with dangerous contacts, if she'd been able to blackmail a man in Istanbul and find out where his daughter studied.

Then why did she go for witness protection when she saw the dealers? She could've easily used her contacts to make sure the dealers didn't bother her or Caldwell.

Maybe Caldwell was scared, and he wanted nothing to do with those drug dealers anymore. So he took both himself and Amélie under witness protection.

That seemed like a plausible explanation, but it still didn't completely remove my doubts. There were a lot of question marks in this case; it definitely wasn't clear cut at all.

I lay in my bed in my hotel room, pondering over these questions, when I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Miranda peeked her head around the doorway and then entered. She came and sat beside me on the bed.

"Kaia, I came to ask you if you have any theories about this case, or what could've happened to Caldwell and Beaumont."

I shrugged. "I was thinking about all that right now. I just have a lot of doubts in my mind, a lot of questions. Many things don't seem to add up."

I repeated to her every thought that had passed through my mind all this while. She nodded, her expression solemn.

"I know, I have this nagging feeling too, that something's amiss. Firstly, a lot of things aren't adding up, and now we discover this other side to Amélie."

I sat up. "Do you think somehow, Amélie or Mason Caldwell, or both, already knew the dealers from before?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," I began, "They both saw drugs being smuggled live in Caldwell's restaurant. Then they opted for witness protection after allegedly getting death threats from those men. But they have so many contacts, especially Amélie. She had enough connections to be able to blackmail Dogan. Then why did they opt for witness protection so fast? They could've used their own men to make sure the dealers didn't bother them."

"That's true."

"So that brings me to my theory- did Caldwell and Beaumont already know these drug dealers from before? Maybe they had been clients once, and the dealers held something else against them, which we don't know. Maybe Caldwell and Beaumont knew they couldn't stop those men by using just their 'contacts'. So they chose their last resort, which was witness protection."

"Yeah, that could be possible. I mean, we already know what Amélie Beaumont is capable of. I wouldn't put drug use past her."

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking for now. That Caldwell and Beaumont used to take drugs from these men. Then they got threatened with something else too, not just their lives. Something which none of us knows, only the dealers know."

Miranda nodded. "That seems quite possible."

I sighed and lay back down. I hadn't caught much sleep in the last 72 hours, and now my eyelids were drooping.

Miranda smiled at me. "You know, Kaia, you remind me of my little sister. She was a lot like you."

I looked at her. "Was?"

Miranda looked away. "Yeah. My sister used to be in TIA. We were recruited together when I was 10, and she was 8. But then five years ago, she went off the grid in a mission."

I didn't say anything. I never knew what to say in such situations. But I did know simply saying sorry meant nothing.

So I scooted a bit closer to her to let her know I was there. I softly asked, "What was her name?"

She smiled. "Marilyn."

"That's a beautiful name." Marilyn Liu. The name sounded familiar, although she died five years ago, so I was just 17 at that time, meaning I was still pretty new in the agent scene. So I couldn't have known her.

Moreover, over the years, quite a few special agents had gone off the grid. It wasn't something which shocked us anymore. We just had to accept it as part and parcel of the job, that's how we'd been wired to think.

Miranda gave her head a little shake and turned to me. "Anyway, you look like you could do with some sleep. I passed by Marco's room on the way to yours, and I wanted to call him to come with me, but I knocked on his door and didn't get a response. So I think he must be sleeping too."

I closed my eyes. "It's better you didn't call him. Three's a crowd."

Miranda laughed. "Why don't you two get along anyway?"

"I honestly don't know. I mean, from the very first time that we met, we didn't get along. I don't exactly remember what happened, but I do know that in our first meeting itself, we'd got off on the wrong foot. Ever since then, we can't stand each other."

Miranda let out a chuckle. I looked at her, puzzled. "What's so funny?"

She shook her head. "Nothing, it's just really cute seeing you two fight. I mean, don't get me wrong, it frustrates me and pisses me off, but that's only because we have a mission to complete. If we didn't have this right now, I would've loved to watch you two fight with popcorn and a front row seat."

I scoffed. "What's so cute about our fights, Miranda? We literally shout and insult each other all the time, that isn't what I'd call cute."

She waved me off. "You'll understand when you're my age. You'll know."

I rolled my eyes at her. "You're 28, not 50."

"Shut up. And even though you supposedly hate him, you have to admit he looks good. Like good. I mean, if I didn't bat for the other team, I would've definitely been attracted to him."

I cringed. "Ew, Miranda, no he doesn't look good."

"Well, now you're just in denial, Kaia."

I buried my head in the soft pillow, covering myself from head to toe with the comforter. I heard Miranda softly laughing as she patted my head (as if I were a freaking dog), got up and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Soler. Attractive. Haha, good one.

I mean, yeah, pitch black hair, chiselled body, those striking green eyes...

STOP.

That was just my sleep deprived self talking. I needed sleep, I really needed sleep. Turns out the lack of it made me think of crazy, stupid things.

a/n: who's living in denial city? yeah, that's right, kaia winter. also, what are your theories about why caldwell and beaumont opted for witness protection instead of using their connections to fend off threats?