“You’re going to have to pretend to be a dirty cop.” Bethany sat back, running her hands through her hair and pulling it back from her face. “I just don’t see another way around it.” They were at a small diner in St. Elmo, a small neighborhood at the foot of Lookout Mountain, seated near the back where they had a good view of everyone in the restaurant, as well as everyone coming and going in the parking lot through the large picture window at the front. They had just spent the last two hours going over every detail, no matter how small, of the bank robbery and what the other hostages had witnessed during the various exchanges. They had also discussed what they thought J.P. had seen and heard, and how they could use him as the key to moving forward. He was the only real link left to the organization that Bethany still had, so she would have to use her relationship with J.P. to get back into the group. They were all hoping that bond was strong enough to allow her not only to get reconnected but also to bring Daniel into the fold.
“Being labeled as dirty really stinks, but I don’t see any other option,” Daniel agreed. “Too many of the other hostages know I was a cop or could find out by asking a few simple questions. They would all start to wonder how you escaped without me looking the other way.”
Justin Harper, the third party at the table, nodded. “We just don’t have time to put another cover story in place in time. You’ll also have to use your own name. We can’t come up with a believable legend for you after what happened at the bank.” He took a drink of coffee. “Don’t worry though. We’ll be sure to restore your name and reputation once this mission is completed. For the time being, you’ve been temporarily assigned to the FBI task force. Captain Murphy knows, but no one else. Everyone else at the Chattanooga Police Department has been told that you’ve been assigned to a special detail and that’s it. Keep the FBI connection to yourself.”
“Bringing you on board might be easier than I originally thought,” Bethany said as she took a sip of her hot chocolate. “We’ll be offering them something—someone in law enforcement with an excellent reputation that they think they can manipulate. That’s a big carrot. It also took them a year to trust me, but in their eyes, I’m Hailey Weber, a criminal with a spotty past. I had to prove myself. You, on, the other hand, already proved yourself by saving me at the bank.”
“Do you think J.P. can get you the introductions you need?” Justin asked.
“That’s the crux of the entire problem.” She looked to Daniel, who was hearing most of this information for the first time. “The organization is set up in cells. Jackson Smith was the head of our cell, but he was really the only one who had contact with the other cells. I was just getting to the point where I was trusted enough to know a couple of the other players, but I don’t know many, and I don’t know how to get in touch with them. With Jackson dead, I’ll have to try to make contact with a man named Bishop Jacobs. He was the man Jackson reported to. If J.P. will vouch for me and for you, Daniel, it will go a long way with Bishop and might just ease our transition into a new cell. If he doesn’t, well, that could spell the end of this undercover assignment.” She took another drink of her hot chocolate. “Let me start at the beginning. The group I’ve infiltrated is called the Heritage Guard. It started back in the 1980s up in Virginia and was basically formed as an anti-government group that created its own regional militia and recruited local families. The members thrive on conspiracy theories, and believe they are fighting to save America from a government that is too big, mismanaged and destroying the freedom of the common citizen. They’re violent extremists, and they set out a plan to gradually gain strength and money so they could pursue political power and take their ideals to a larger audience. Members have to take an oath of allegiance, and there are different levels of membership.”
“What are the different levels?” Daniel asked.
“I still don’t know all the ins and outs,” Bethany admitted. “But new recruits are at level one. If I’m still accepted, I’ll be moved up to level two now that I participated in the bank robbery. There are six levels, six being the top of the pack. Jackson was a three. Bishop is a four.”
“What do you have to do to get moved up to the next level?” Daniel asked.
“The threes have planned and executed jobs like the bank robbery. The fours have committed assassinations of enemies of the Heritage Guard. I have no idea what the fives have done. You can bet it’s horrific.”
Justin leaned forward. “I can tell you about one of their projects that failed. They had a scheme to devalue the American dollar and cripple the economy back in the 1990s by counterfeiting money. The scheme was detected and several of the key players were arrested before the counterfeit bills were actually introduced into the major market streams. Twelve members of the Heritage Guard were tried and convicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The trial dealt a heavy blow to the Guard, but they slowly grew again. Now, they are a lot more secretive and a lot more careful, hence the new organization and the cells that have developed to safeguard their internal structure.”
Bethany put down her cup. “They planned to use the cash they were going to steal from the bank to support their political candidates in upcoming elections. They’re convinced that placing Guard members in the government is the only way they can get their ideas accepted across mainstream America, and they only want true believers in office. They will do whatever it takes to advance their agenda, including robbing banks to fund their efforts, causing social upheavals, even murdering the opponents. To them, the ends justify the means, no matter the cost, and they have a lot of true believers in their group who will stop at nothing to get their goals accomplished. They have a big project in the works right now called Operation Battlefield. I know it exists, but I don’t know what it is or what it entails, although I do think it has something to do with the elections. I don’t even know the dates for when it’s planned, but there was a sense of urgency around the discussions the last few times it was mentioned, and that’s what I’m trying to stop it from happening. From the little I have been able to discover, I know that a lot of people will get hurt if I can’t stop it. I’m trying to figure out the details now.”
Daniel rubbed his hands through his hair. “So what’s our next move?”
Justin handed him a folder and gave one to Bethany, as well. “We created a background for you that melds with the usual type the Heritage Guard tries to recruit, and we’ve already changed your personnel file and other documents to match this profile. Memorize it. Bethany’s background is also in there so you can become familiar with it. Her undercover name is Hailey Weber. Your story is that you knew each other at the University of Tennessee and even dated a bit but didn’t want to give that away during the robbery. Now that a few days have passed, we want J.P. and the rest of the Guard to think that you’ve rekindled your relationship. They already believe Bethany is a true believer, so it won’t be that much of stretch for them to think that she dated one in college. Since they didn’t score any cash at the bank, they’re going to have to plan something fast to find the money they require somewhere else. You need to find out what they’re planning and get them to accept you as a member as soon as possible. We also want to know who the other Heritage Guard members are and any details at all about Operation Battlefield.”
Bethany widened her eyes. Slow down. Rewind. They wanted her to pretend that she was dating Daniel? She looked over at Daniel and swallowed. He didn’t seem bothered by the idea in the least. In fact, if she had to guess, she’d say the look on his face was somewhere between pleasantly surprised and smug. How in the world was she going to do this and keep her emotional distance from him as she’d planned? It was clear that Justin had no idea what he was asking her to do. She felt like going outside and hyperventilating in private. This was not what she had signed up for! She pinched herself hard on the leg. Okay. Keep it together. This wasn’t the time or place for a meltdown. She tried to focus on the immediate problem. She needed to help get Daniel accepted into the Heritage Guard. “With J.P. arrested and in the hospital, should Daniel escort me there so we can have a visit?”
“That’s what I was thinking. He’ll obviously realize something is up because he’ll recognize Daniel from the robbery. That will be the perfect opportunity for you to feed him the story about Daniel being dirty and wanting to join the cause.” Justin stood, his hands on his hips, his voice serious. “I don’t have to tell you how dangerous this mission is. The problem at the bank wasn’t just a communication failure. There’s more. I think there might be a mole in law enforcement. Someone is dirty somewhere, and the communication breakdown was deliberate.”
Bethany leaned back abruptly. “Are you kidding me?” She tossed the folder down on the table. “How can I go back in there if I don’t know you have my back?”
“I do have your back,” Justin said fervently. “And I’m going to find out who the mole is. But this operation is too important to stop right in the middle. We have to push forward. While you’re investigating the Heritage Guard, I’ll be investigating at the bureau, and I have contacts at the local level that will be looking into the Chattanooga Police Department. We’re going to find the mole. I guarantee it.”
“Yeah? Well it wasn’t you they were targeting at that bank, was it now?” she said vehemently. She knew he outranked her and she was being insubordinate, but good grief, she had almost lost her life, and now he was telling her that her life was at risk both due to her undercover work and from her own team in law enforcement! This day was going from bad to worse. What other great news did he have to share with her?
“I’m not going to let you down, Bethany, or you either, Daniel.” He handed them both cell phones. “Talk to me and each other only. No one else. Got it? These phones are clean and untraceable.” He handed them each a set of keys. “Because of the bank job and the risk of a leak, I want you to stay at a different apartment. The address is in your folders. I just set this up this morning. Nobody knows about this place but me at this point. It was a last-minute decision.”
She smacked her leg with her hands. “Wait a minute. You want us to stay in the same apartment?”
“Sure. It’s got two bedrooms.”
“But, sir...”
He straightened and furrowed his brow. It was obvious that he was not enjoying her reaction to his edicts. “Do you have a problem with any of this, Agent Walker?”
She glanced over at Daniel again. He seemed to be intensely studying a rather crooked picture of Ruby Falls that was hanging on the wall, trying to stay out of the fray. She felt a sudden urge to kick him under the table. Hard. But she refrained.
“No, sir.”
“That’s what I thought. To be on the safe side, don’t go back to your old apartments, either one of you. I brought you both bags with cash and a few essentials. Let’s start this operation fresh from this point forward and see where it leads us.”
“Yes, sir,” Bethany responded.
Justin shook both their hands. “I think we’re close to the end here. Once you two infiltrate the organization again, I think you’ll be able to bring this case to a successful conclusion. Operation Battlefield is close. I can feel it. Keep me informed.” He gave them a smile and headed out of the restaurant.
Daniel watched him go, secretly pleased that the situation had created an opportunity for him to spend quality time with Bethany. If nothing else, he would have time to figure out what had gone wrong in their relationship. He might not be able to fix whatever problems had arisen, but at least he would understand what had happened.
He opened his folder, pulled out the sheets inside and started scanning the information about his new persona. They hadn’t changed much—just added a few new details and altered a couple of things that made his résumé perfect for a Heritage Guard recruit. He found living a lie much easier than living the truth, and he had been doing just that most of his life anyway. His early days had not been pleasant, and he never revealed that part of himself to anyone. He was pleased to see that according to his new dossier, his childhood and teenage years had actually been improved. Maybe this undercover work would be easier for him than he’d thought. It would be like acting in a play. He folded the sheets and put them in his pocket, then turned to Bethany, who had also been reading the file. She raised her eyebrows a couple of times as she took in the information but otherwise didn’t react.
“So are you ready to talk?”
She put down the folder. “About what?”
“About us?”
She raised her eyebrows. “I don’t think so, Daniel. Now is really not the right time or the place.”
“Really? Then when is the right time? Where is the right place?”
She crossed her arms, making him wonder if he would ever be able to pry the answers out of her. Her body language made it clear that she wasn’t interested in having him try, at least not right now.
Suddenly a large explosion shook the building, shattering the glass windows and sending bits of debris throughout the restaurant, covering everything and everyone within. Daniel and Bethany immediately hit the floor, but then stood with their weapons ready once they realized there were no further explosions or any bullets flying. Realization hit them both at the same time.
“Oh, no! Justin!” Bethany cried as they caught sight of his SUV that had exploded in the parking lot.
They secured their weapons and rushed outside. Flames were still licking the metal roof of the vehicle and surrounding area, but it was clear that Justin Harper had been killed. The inside of the car was completely black with soot and melting fabric and damaged material, and the bitter smell of burnt rubber and plastic met Daniel’s nostrils. He grabbed his police cell phone and called in the explosion, his eyes surveying the scene as he did so. There were no suspicious people milling about, and there had only been a few customers in the diner, none of which had raised his concern. If he had to guess, the bomb had probably been set to go off when Justin turned the ignition of the vehicle. The bomber was probably long gone.
He looked behind him and noticed Bethany had returned to the restaurant and was helping the customers. It didn’t look like anyone was seriously injured. A young married couple who had been closer to the windows both had some cuts on their faces and hands from the flying glass. An older man also had a cut on his left cheek, but the restaurant staff seemed unharmed. The waitress had brought out a first aid kit and Bethany was already cleaning and applying salve and Band-Aids to the worst of the cuts. The Christmas decorations that had brightened the diner only a few minutes ago now seemed to be a haunting and macabre sight among the damage and debris.
A few minutes later, Bethany was back by his side. Her features were grim. “I’ve called Max Westfield at the FBI and let him know what happened.”
Daniel wanted to wipe the fear from her eyes, but he knew it was impossible. “Do you trust him?”
She shook her head. “No, but to be honest, I’ve been gone for so long that after what Justin told us about the mole, I’m not sure who I can trust at the FBI and who I can’t. I’ve been working on my own for a long time, and Max is my only other real contact. Justin was my lifeline. Now I don’t know what to do.”
“Who’s Justin’s boss?”
“A woman named Sandra Duval. I’ve only met her once. I assume she’ll replace Justin at some point now that he’s gone.”
“Well, we have three options. We can contact her, or we can go straight to the US attorney who prosecuted the Heritage Guard under the RICO statute. Maybe they can help us.”
“And option number three?”
“We can contact Captain Murphy, my boss, and bring in the local team.”
Bethany paced a few steps back and forth, her arms tightly wrapped around her stomach. “I have to think about this. We have to think about this before we contact anyone. If whoever killed Justin killed him because of this case, they probably also know about me and maybe even you and our connection to the Heritage Guard. We could be next.”
Daniel rubbed his hands through his hair. “Or maybe the killer doesn’t know about us. Perhaps the mole knew he was being investigated, and he killed Justin to stop the investigation. He might know Justin had someone trying to infiltrate the Guard, but the mole might not know that anyone was successful, or that you are the one who actually became a member of the Guard. There’s no telling what the mole knows or doesn’t know at this point. There are a hundred possibilities. We need more information before we talk to anyone else.”
He heard a siren approaching from the distance and he gently grasped Bethany’s shoulders. “You need to disappear. I’m the cop that called this in, so they’ll expect me to be here, but I don’t want you anywhere near this place. I’ll tell them Justin had some questions about the robbery, we talked and then the SUV exploded when he left. We’ll meet up in a couple of hours at the hospital and see J.P., okay?”
“Okay. Call me on the new cell if there are any developments.”
He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, and he was surprised when she didn’t protest before she turned and disappeared into the gathering crowd.
Their handler was dead. He had declared that there was a mole and that he was in the process of investigating that mole, and then he had subsequently been murdered. The implications of what had happened were just starting to sink into Daniel’s thoughts.
The Heritage Guard had to have infiltrated law enforcement, but was the mole in the FBI, or was he in the local police office where Daniel worked? Who did they report to now? Who could they trust? There were too many questions, and not nearly enough answers.