Defenseless (Salvation, #5)(69)

Dominic claps me on the shoulder. “I think you and I will get along just fine.” He hands me his card. “My cell is on the back. Call me if you need anything, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

We head off in different directions. I got a hotel in the National Mall area. That way I would be around the sights. After Frank showed me the photos of Charlie at the Lincoln Memorial, I figured I should be close to that area. I’ll head to her apartment tomorrow, but first, I want to take a look where she was last seen.

If only Frank had followed her farther.

The temperature drops during my walk, and I pull my jacket tighter around me. The chill in the air is welcomed and helps to sharpen my thoughts. Charlie had someone in her apartment when I was there, that’s clear from the photos, but why? They had to be CIA because of the car they got into. Then they were watching the Erickson’s house, so clearly this has something to do with her father. I pick up my pace as I spot the lights from the memorial.

Joggers and people on bikes pass by, even though it’s almost ten at night. This city is the ultimate chameleon. There’s deception and lies blanketed by the illusion of the truth. Every step closer, I think about how she was here and wonder if she’s in trouble. I left that day. I abandoned her when the predator was in her apartment. I knew something was wrong, but she pissed me off so much I didn’t think. “Frustrating female,” I mutter as I get closer.

I climb the steps and look around. This the first time I’ve been here. Every other time I’ve ever been to the nation’s capital, I’ve had no time to sightsee. “Why did you come here, Charlie?” I ask Abe. “What did she tell you?” I look around for something that would give me a clue. Maybe she stashed something somewhere. Then again, I’ll never find it. If she hid it, there’s no chance it’s still here.

I try to slip into what she could’ve been thinking. If I needed to disappear, then I would’ve found an exit that gave me a chance to blend well. There was no emergency that day, so she didn’t cause a diversion. Think, Mark.

“Hello, Mr. Dixon.” I turn as a man in a navy suit walks toward me. “You don’t know me, even though I know a lot about you. But I thought we should officially meet.”

If I were a betting man, I would lay money that he’s a member of the agency. Instead of going on the defensive, I relax and appear as if I was anticipating this visit. “I figured it wouldn’t be too long before you showed yourself.”

He pauses, and I wonder if I made the right decision. I need to trust my gut. You don’t give up your hand unless your cards are crap. For him to show himself means they need me in some capacity. “Why are you here?”

“Same reasons you are.”

“I’ve watched you for a long time. Once you became a part of her life, we learned quite a bit. Such a pity, all the trouble that’s happening to your friends.”

My fists clench as I fight the urge to smash them into his face. If they’re f*cking around with us, I don’t care who he is. Then I remember that they could have Charlie. I won’t let them hurt her. “It is.” I keep it short and calm myself. I recall Jackson’s words about checking my emotions.

“You know.” He stands against the wall. “I’ve always loved this place. It’s funny that so many find Abraham Lincoln iconic. He built his legacy on honesty and freedom. Yet, so many of us live a life filled with chains and lies. Baffles me how many agents, politicians, and regular people come here for perspective. They find it and then go back to their ways. We spend our lives in the darkness and shadows, and here he sits for the world to see. Funny, isn’t it?”

His monologue is boring. The thing about people like him is they don’t often say anything without a meaning behind it. When they speak, they have hidden layers. In my training, I really learned to listen. If I had to break his words down, I’d take away that they don’t have her. Her old ways would lead her to stay in the darkness. She’s trained to hide.

“Interesting speech, Mr. . . .” I trail off and wait for him to fill in the blank.

“Smith.”

I laugh. “Of course. How original.”

“You shouldn’t be worried about who I am, but rather what I know that you must be desperate for.”

“I love a good riddle. Why did the chicken cross the road?” I’m over this guy. I don’t think he knows a damn thing.

“I doubt you’ll find this funny, Mr. Dixon.” He extends an envelope.

I don’t want to touch it, but at the same time, I know I will. My main goal is to stay calm. I can’t let him rattle me. In the back of my mind, I’m aware that I’m playing into his hand. Charlie would tell me to throw it down and walk away, but if they have her, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to get her back. I open the envelope and pull out a photograph. It’s her bound to a chair. Her arms and legs are tied, and she sits behind a black wall. Nothing descript about anything in this photo except her. She’s gagged and blindfolded, but the tiny tattoo on her leg lets me know it’s her.

“What do you want?” I ask. I’m about to become his puppet.

“I thought that would change your tune. There’s a file. She has it hidden, and I want it. Now, be a good boy and fetch it.”

He has no clue how fast I could snap his neck. I have a feeling this guy is high on the food chain. There’s no way he’s acting alone, but if I f*ck this up, she’s dead. “What makes you think I can get it? You’re all spies, isn’t this your forte?”