Mission: Undercover

Chapter 39

Cole was very busy the next few days. Jackson was assisting him. Rebecca was immersed in final preparations for the magazine's publication and wedding planning at the same time.

Vanessa had plenty of time to review the files over and over again. And again. All the information Karevsky had extracted from the disc.

She was trying to puzzle together, but so many pieces were missing.

Her relationship with Cole further complicated everything. The time spent with him was again an escape from reality. But in fact, she only continued building the lie she was in.

She held what he had sought for so long. But to give him this information was to lose him.

And although she tried to convince herself every day that she just needed a little more time to gather the strength and tell him everything, it got harder and harder with each passing day.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by her ringing phone.

"Nessa, where are you?" Rebecca's voice sounded on the other end of the line.

Vanessa noticed that it was already 9 p.m. She had promised Rebecca that she would be at the club at eight.

"Becks, sorry, I've lost track of time. I'm going to get dressed and come."

Without wasting time, Vanessa grabbed a pair of black pants and a tank top from the closet, got dressed, and left the house.

A few steps after she had passed through the gate and turned along the house fence, Vanessa heard an unfamiliar male voice behind her. "I have some information you may be interested in."

Vanessa turned sharply and swung to hit the man.

He raised his hands. "Don't fight. I'm not armed. I'm not the enemy. I'm a friend."

"I have no friends," Vanessa said.

"Listen to him, X." Another voice came around the corner.

A familiar one this time.

"McKenna!" Vanessa growled. "You're so dead!"

"Just hear us out." He stood next to the other man.

Both were dressed in black suits, with white shirts and black ties. They were wearing black sunglasses.

"What are you? The Black Men?" Vanessa laughed mockingly.

"You wanted to know what was going on, didn't you, X? Introducing Jack Turner, the man who can enlight you in everything."

Vanessa looked around. "Let's move somewhere else."

The three of them went to a nearby park, and after reaching a place where there weren't any people, they stopped—the two men next to each other and Vanessa ahead of them.

"You have two minutes," Vanessa said shortly.

"Two minutes won't be enough," Jack Turner countered.

"A minute and a half." Vanessa continued nonchalantly.

"As you say. Does the name Archibald Price sounds familiar to you?" Jack asked.

"No," Vanessa answered.

"What about Robert Danforth?"

"You mean William Danforth?"

"No. I mean Robert Danforth—William's father."

McKenna stood in silence. Vanessa didn't say anything, either.

"Apparently, not." Jack continued. "Okay. Here is the story. Archibald Price co-chaired the Homeland Security Agency with Robert Danforth many years ago. After their retirement, they set up a non-governmental organization called The Cobweb."