Torn (Deep 8, #5)

26. Roger

TWENTY-SIX

Roger

Despite Harlow’s emotional meltdown when they arrested Dean, she skillfully navigates the moving parts of this high-stakes op. At every turn, we zig, and something or someone zags. We can never get ahead. Maybe with Nick Wagner’s help, we’ll be one step closer to finding my father.

Sean rents a Range Rover for us, giving the team a comfortable fit, and drives out of town to the safe house in Springwood, South Wales. The traffic out of town has cars packed together as we pass houses pressed against each other with no room for a yard.

My memories of Australia are vague because I was so young, but I remember the smells. We lived farther out of town, where the air always smelled clean, like spring rain. As we cross the city line, lush trees line the streets, and pockets of houses dot the landscape. The air smells fresh, and I roll down the window, inhaling deeply.

When my parents divorced, I was in school during the winter. My mom packed us up, and we flew back to the U.S. without warning. Within a week, I was in a new country, a new school, and a new home. Daddy dearest must have paid a pretty penny because we bought a house in Highland Park, a wealthy area outside of Dallas.

We pull up to a small reddish-brown brick house with green garage doors. The house looks small from the outside. We grab our duffels and head for the house quickly as dusk sets in. The fewer neighbors who see us, the better.

The interior looks new with white marble floors, sleek accessories, and white walls accented with decor of floral patterns. We meander through the house without a word, only the sound of duffel bags hitting the floor here and there. Beck carries Dean’s stuff as two heavy thunks echo as he drops them. He puts his arms around Pippa, whose eyes are puffy and red, her face ghostly white.

Everyone pairs up to pick a bedroom for our short stay. Harlow nods, signaling she and I will share a room. We enter the master suite, and she flings onto the bed with her arms spread out. I sit next to her, waiting for her cue on where this conversation will go.

"I know Dean is angry with Pippa, but she didn’t have all the information she needed to make that call. There’s more to Dean’s story we don’t know about." She gazes at the ceiling.

"Like what?" I ask.

"I’m not sure. But we’re going to find out tomorrow when we talk to Nick Wagner, head of the ASIO. I should meet him alone and try to get some intel." She sits up, waiting for my response.

"That’s a hard no. I won’t leave you alone with him without knowing what the real story is between Dean and his father. I know something about the complexity of the father-son relationship."

She leans back on her elbows. "I want to read him in on our assignment. I’m sure he knows about Lucas, but I want to gauge his reaction. Let me set up the appointment and we’ll go from there."

"Agreed."

She grabs the phone Sean gave us and dials a number to the ASIO headquarters in Canberra. "Hi Penny, It’s Harlow Pierce. Any chance Mr. Wagner is available to take my call?" She winks at me. Cheeky woman.

I motion to put him on speakerphone.

"Hello, sir. I wanted to let you know I’m back in the country and have some pertinent information regarding the disappearance of Lucas Bane."

"It’s good to hear from you, Harlow. It’s been a while. Can you come by the office tomorrow around noon? I have a few minutes. Since Lucas’s kidnapping, I’ve been up to my ears in meetings with few leads."

"By the way, have you heard from Dean lately?"

Nick sighs. "No, it’s been too long. I’ll see you tomorrow." He clicks off and we have a bit more information than we had before.

"That’s interesting. Dean hasn’t called his dad since he’s been detained," Harlow says more to herself than to me.

"Is he hoping we’ll get to him before his dad finds out?" I ask.

She shrugs but doesn’t provide any more information. The wheels turn in her head trying to put the information together.

The rest of the evening is low-key as we tell the team about our plan for tomorrow. They agree it’s worth a shot. Sean pulls me aside.

"You and Harlow?" he asks. "Do you know what you’re doing? Operatives sleeping together is complex. Believe me, I’ve been there. It didn’t end well."

"Jess wasn’t an operative?"

"No, thank God. She was an investigative journalist in a bad situation." His eyes light up.

I nod. "I want to be there for Harlow. It’s been a rough go, and some things have cropped up that I need to keep my eye on." Our voices are low.

Sean frowns. "Do we need to be concerned?"

I shake my head. "I don’t think so. She’s been spot-on with most of her calls so far. Without her, we would not have gotten this far."

Sean slaps me on the back and says good night. Everyone heads to bed early. Most of us have had our share of traveling, but the time change has each of us a little loopy and tired.

Harlow and I head out early the next morning for the drive to Canberra. She slept like a bear in hibernation last night after a stressful day. Nick might be our link to what comes next in our pursuit to free Dean and find Lucas. If my hunch is right, Lucas is being held somewhere in Australia.

We pull up to the ASIO headquarters' sleek, modern office building and park the car. They ask for our credentials and confirm our appointment. Harlow greets some employees as we make our way to the top floor.

Meeting with the head of the ASIO is a big deal and requires respect, no matter what we think of his relationship with Dean. We’re ushered into his office and offered coffee or tea as our wait begins. Most of the time, leaving people to wait is a power play, but in this case, he’s probably in another meeting.

He enters his office flustered, rearranging his suit jacket. "Harlow, it’s nice to see you. Tell me what’s going on."

"I want to introduce you to Roger Bane, Lucas’s son. We’re working together to find Lucas."

Nick extends his hand and gives me a faint smile. "I’ve only met Lucas a few times, but I see the resemblance. I’m sorry this is happening." He takes a seat facing us. "Why don’t you give me the details?"

Harlow reads him in on everything that has happened up to this point. He’s quiet and contemplative, nodding at the right times. "We’re waiting for contact from Deep 8, who I’m sure is on your radar, and they will tell us what to do next."

Nick unbuttons his jacket and leans back in his chair. "You have two pieces of whatever this is?"

Harlow looks at me before she answers, "Yes."

"I’m not sure it’s safe for you here. We have a lot of intel on Deep 8 and things seem to be heating up. I don’t know if this is their home base, but they are active."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"We’ve had security breaches on many levels, but I can’t comment beyond that. I would like to offer you a secure escort to the airport. You could leave the pieces with me, and I can secure them for you until you know what’s going on."

"Do you know Dean has been detained at the airport?" Harlow asks.

Nick’s face falls to be almost undetectable as his fingers curl. "No. He didn’t contact me. I didn’t know he was in the country."

Harlow pops up out of her seat. "Thank you so much for meeting with us. We don’t have the pieces with us, and we wouldn’t give them to you if it means getting Lucas back. We can find our way out of the country. Have a good day."

She heads for the door, and I follow behind her. Once we’re in the elevator, I whisper, "What was that about?"

"We need to get out of here. I guarantee you he’ll have us followed. Something is off."