Lean In

THE FOLLOWING DAY, ARTIE MET WITH CAROLE AT THE TINY BISTRO where they initially met to discuss the “Smythe assignment.” This bistro’s location allowed for ongoing weekly meetings between Carole and Artie, providing both with an opportunity to clarify information not expressed, even in the most encrypted of emails. They initially caught up on each other’s families, but sensing something stirring in her friend, Carol waited for Artie to complete her security report. Finally, she decided to gently press Artie.

“You seem unusually quiet today, Artie. Anything you want to share, or that I should know about?”

Artie averted her eyes, contemplating just how much she wanted to say.

“I’ve been with Smythe for what? A little over six months? I must confess, I’m beginning to lose my objectivity. I may have to hand her over to Dennis and take a back seat.”

Carole raised her head slightly in Artie’s direction.

“It can happen, Artie. It’s a long assignment, but, nonetheless, you can’t just hand the details of Smythe’s security over to Dennis. Once you accepted the assignment and I briefed your benefactor, that person specifically requested that you be heavily involved in the day-to-day interactions with Smythe. You accepted that requirement.”

“Carole—”

“No, Artie. You indicated that since Davey was out of the picture for the coming year, you could take on this kind of assignment. The benefactor was satisfied that their request had been granted. And you are being handsomely paid.”

“However—”

“Let me finish, please. Dennis is a good guy. He’s sharp, and it helps that he has been with you since the inception of your company. I trust his level of expertise completely. However, if this had been any other case, I might well have gone to bat on your behalf; but your benefactor will want him only as your number two.”

Artie shifted in the booth, glancing past Carole into the almost empty bistro. Vacant of any activity from the window she gazed through, Artie’s eyes dulled to the world around her.

Carole watched her friend’s demeanor. She reminded herself of the recent change in Artie’s behavior—the ever-present sharp edges in Artie’s countenance softening over the last several weeks and now, in front of her, she could see how much her friend had compromised her objectivity. After a few moments, Carole spoke again.

“Your benefactor has done the necessary homework on you, Artemis. You’re it.”

Artie ran her fingers through the sides of her hair. It was a tell that Carole had become familiar with. Artie was uncomfortable, and on more than one occasion, Carole had used it to her advantage.

“You really like her, don’t you?”

Artie sighed. “Yeah, I do. There’s something about her. She’s intelligent, kind, compassionate, stubborn as a mule, and she likes kids.” Artie said, half smiling.

“All the more reason to keep her alive, then.”

“That’s cold, Carole, even for you,” Artie shot back, her gray-brown eyes glaring at her friend.

Artie shook her head and stared into her coffee cup before taking a sip. She was conflicted, something she had never experienced in her professional career. Her own ethical standards prevented her from becoming emotionally involved with her clients, friendly or otherwise. They were the job. Period. That standard had never been an issue—that is, until Smythe. Yet, from the moment she officially met her in the middle of the intersection, her heart had begun to sing. While she did not understand the rise in emotion at the time, she maintained her laser focus on the protection of her new client and simply shoved whatever feelings she had for Smythe aside.

But now, months of living with Smythe had worn her defenses, and she was beginning to question some of her security decisions around her protection. She needed her friend Carole to help her navigate her increasing feelings toward Smythe—not Carole, the mutual colleague concerned about the same case.

“Look, I don’t know Smythe the way you do, but I’ve seen that stubborn side of her. Her stubbornness is the reason you’re protecting her now. She should have gone into WitSec. However, with that said, I’ve discovered that life has a funny way of bringing things together for the benefit of all, in some of the most outlandish ways. The trick is to keep our hands off of the how and just do the next thing we’re supposed to do.”

“You’re beginning to sound like Smythe.”

“Well then, pay attention. I don’t know about you and Smythe, but perhaps the gods have planned this all out. Let’s face it—you don’t get out much anymore, and from your pattern of life assessment of Smythe, she doesn’t, either. Maybe this was the only way for the two of you to meet.”

Artie shot Carole a look.

“Don’t give me that look. All I can tell you is that if your feelings for her are hindering your objectivity, you are going to have double down on your efforts. Lean on Dennis to be a second and third pair of eyes around your protocols.”

“I’m already doing that.”

“I figured as much. So, does she know?”

“I don’t know, but—well, I don’t know. Right now, I’ve got to keep her alive. As you said, I’ve got to get her to trial.”

Carole paused, choosing her next words carefully. “Might not hurt to lean into her a little bit. You might actually get more cooperation from her.”

Artie raised an eyebrow.

“Listen, love, I’ve known there’s been something between the two of you, or at least with you. You’ve been more, mmm, protective in your speech about her rather than your usual clipped descriptions. I’ve read your reports. I’m not sure she fully grasps the significance of the case. And the amount of traveling she wants to engage in over the next few months makes me really nervous. Leaning in a bit might get us the necessary cooperation.”

“To your last comment, the answer is no. Next, I’ve added the necessary security detail for the trips. I’ve also taken away all but one day of her driving privileges. Beyond that, it has to be business as usual, or she’ll bail, Carole. She was really close yesterday.”

“I know you’ve taken the necessary precautions. I’m just saying that if she has similar feelings for you, she might be more willing to be more security cooperative out of loyalty to you.”

“You obviously don’t know Smythe.”

Carole reached her hand out and placed it over Artie’s.

“No, I don’t, but I’m hoping to. Just keep the ranks closed in around her as much as possible and get her to trial.”

Artie nodded.

“I need to change the subject. I have additional information to share.”

“Sure.”

“My sources in Kauai have been doing some snooping. PAC money has been given to several local government officials to turn a blind eye to what the chem company is doing. We’re looking into corruption from local government officials. I’m not sure any of this is connected, but we’ve also learned the local syndicate on the island is connected to the one here. We don’t have all of the pieces, yet it seems likely through some backdoor dealing that the chem company has hired some muscle to keep their dirty dealings a secret.”

“What?!”

“Yeah, and we also have evidence the vic was part of a local valley group here, which was hired to look into the company. He obtained the missing documents from his grandfather on the island of Kauai.”

“Where did the grandfather obtain them?”

“From a company employee. The employee has a daughter who has become very ill with the illegal spraying of those GMO crops.”

“Jesus. Are the employee and the grandfather safe?”

“Right now, yes. I can’t say much more than that.”

“Understood. So, what exactly would this vic and his group have been able to do? They’re up against giants.”

“There is a lack of political courage. Ultimately, this local environment group is fighting for a political system that works for the people, and not big business.”

Artie rolled her eyes.

“I know, I know, Artie. But it has to start somewhere.”

“So, my client got caught up in the middle of a political mess. Politicians, chem companies, and the syndicate are all cozied up, and in walks Smythe?”

Carole remained quiet.

“Keep her alive, Artie. Take no unnecessary risks. Trial may come toward the end of the year. I’ll keep you posted.”

Artie nodded. The two finished their meal and set up a tentative meeting before going their separate ways.

*
*     *

Artie climbed into sat in the back seat of her team’s SUV, stunned at the news Carole shared.

Nothing is by coincidence, she thought.

“Where to, boss?”

“To the client.”

The late summer sun seemed at its brightest, and temperatures were climbing. Yet, for Artie, her internal season felt like winter—darkness prevailed in the early morning and late afternoon.

She reflected on the notion of the word “darkness” and all of the misconceptions around it. She held a curiosity both for the physical and emotional darkness. She maintained that it was in this place—where it was difficult to see, much less navigate—where real growth took place. Darkness, she believed, required we become very quiet and lean into our senses. Firmly planted into the physical realm, she had come to befriend the dark, recognizing the rich texture of complexity contained within it.

Artie turned her thoughts toward her recent conversation with Smythe. Artie’s understanding of the human condition and her keen sensitivity to energy rarely steered her wrong. After initially surveilling Smythe, Artie used her behavioral profiling skills. She determined Smythe’s recurring pattern of normalcy—how she interacted with others and reacted to any given situation. That pattern assisted Artie in creating a psychological profile of her client. She felt Smythe was stable, if not just a bit eccentric at times, highly intelligent, learned in a variety of subjects, holding a wide variety of interests given the sheer number of books she read per week—especially in the arts and psychology—and highly introverted, needing calm and minimally stimulating environments.

Yet, beyond that, Smythe was hiding something, of this Artie was sure; something she kept well hidden in her darkness. Given yesterday’s meltdown, her intuition told her there was a deep undercurrent of pain Smythe had yet to express to her, perhaps even to herself. It was that deep undercurrent that concerned Artie, as she believed it would prove deadly under stressful conditions.

“What are you hiding?” Artie questioned aloud.

“What’s that, boss?” her team member asked.

“Nothing, just thinking aloud.”

What do I know about you? What are you hiding, baby?

“Boss, we’re being tailed,” her driver said.

Artie looked up.

“Alpha tango, now.”

She pulled her weapon from its holster and braced herself for the bumpy ride that was about to ensue. She leaned forward and peered into her driver’s side-view mirror, taking note of a gray SUV sitting two car lengths behind her vehicle.

“I’m really beginning to tire of this,” she sighed.

In the left lane, her driver executed the maneuver Artie requested. The series of movements would allow them to drop back to an open right lane, abruptly reducing their speed and force the tailing vehicle to pass them. A quick maneuver would allow Artie’s vehicle to tail the SUV that had been following them. It was a well-executed move that often drew the attention of everyone around them, but Artie was in no mood to play nice. She simply wanted to lose the vehicle.

Artie’s driver found what he was looking for in the maze of city traffic. Without warning, he abruptly pulled over to the right lane. With no time to tuck in behind Artie, the gray SUV drove past them. Now the SUV was in front and to the left of her vehicle which allowed her driver to trail their nemesis.

“Well done,” Artie said, as she sat back against the seat.

Artie’s driver copied the license plate to discover the identity of the owner, but Artie shook her head in resignation, confident his endeavor would not provide them the information they wanted.

“More than likely, it will be registered to a shell company, but run it anyway,” Artie said.

Another event to give Carole an ulcer over.

The suspect drove along a route which eventually led them out of the city and away from Smythe’s location. After tailing the vehicle for a few miles, Artie instructed her driver to conduct another driving maneuver, which allowed them to lose the vehicle in the maze of traffic well before leaving the city limits.

“Boss?” the passenger team member started. “Is it possible they don’t have a bead on our client’s location?”

“Unlikely, but it is curious. They seemed to have made themselves known. That wasn’t sloppy surveillance work on their part. Did you notice them while I was with FBI?”

“No, not at all.”

Artie made a call to Dennis, who reported Smythe was safe within her unit. She described what happened and asked that he dispatch a team to conduct a perimeter sweep of the complex as well as an interior sweep of Smythe’s apartment.

“I’ll be there shortly.”

Sensing danger for her friend, Artie called Carole and offered a security detail, but Carole refused.

“I’m good. Use your resources for Smythe and yourself. And I agree. It wasn’t sloppy tailing.”

“Carole…”

“No, Artie. I mean it. Your resources aren’t infinite. Thanks for the offer, but I’m ok.”