Free 3 Lies by Helen Hanson

addresses for internet logins. Look for changes in pattern, any break from established norms.”
    Doug swiveled to face Simon. “I want to see the programming in use now, so I know what an agent has to do to get listed as missing.”
    “I’ll get that for you straight away.”
    He turned back to Natalie. “I’m going to need some help. I want Posey Kong assigned to me for this project. He’s smart, underutilized, and not a contender in this case.”
    “You got him.”
    Albert burned. “Now, wait just a damn min—”
    “He’s on the team.” Chester cut him off then spoke to Doug. “Keep him busy, don’t keep him informed.”
    Doug stuck it to Albert intentionally. Opportunities like this were rare. He pressed his lips against his teeth to prevent his kiss-my-sweet-ass smile from ruining the moment. “Understood, sir.”
    Natalie missed nothing. Her eyelids took on feline contours as she continued to glare at Doug. “Verify the hard assets. Cars, planes, houses, boats, house boats. Anything that sits, moves, flies or floats big enough to hold a body. If we do have ten agents missing, we don’t know if we’re facing ten operations or one. They could be strewn across the globe or sitting in Motel 6 waiting for a shipment of C-4.”
    Doug put on his race face. “Geographically, how do you want me to proceed?”
    “Start with domestic and work out from there until we get a tickle somewhere. A team from my office is working international first, and they’re assigned to help you in any way. They’re on a limited information basis, but they’ll have ready access to the data that you’re going to need.”
    “Thanks.”
    “You find anything so much as a whisker out of place, I want to know about it. Understood?”
    “Understood.”
    “That goes for all of you. And nothing about this gets discussed in any substantive way outside this core group. Is that perfectly clear?”
    Assents met her from around the table.
    “Very good. We meet back here at oh-eight-hundred hours. Chester.”
    Chester stood and tugged up his pants with his belt. At sixty-two, Chester’s formerly hardened exterior had begun to soften. There wasn’t anyone brave enough, however, to state that fact out loud.
    “I want you all to understand the importance of speed on this assignment. I’m meeting with the Director tonight, but he’s got a more important meeting before then. Specifically, with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.”
    He paused to make sure that his words sank sufficiently deep. Doug’s knee started to jump again. Simon spun his pen once out of habit then laced his fingers.
    “The truth is we don’t know what the hell we’ve got on our hands. It’s possible we’re dealing with nothing more than a programming snafu. Only people that don’t work with computers seem to think they’re infallible.” He moved out from behind the table and walked around the chairs. “But with ten of our agents, you could start a war. The Director needs to apprise the military about the potential security threat.”
    He stopped in a position where everyone could look at him comfortably, everyone except Albert.
    “If runaway kites have started a mission we can’t control, we may have bigger problems. More strategic assets may be missing.” His ten fingertips braced the table. “The Director is going to ask the Chairman to order a full inventory of our nuclear arsenal.”

Chapter Twelve
    Clint longed to spend the evening in cotton sweats with Louie snoring at his feet. Dinner anywhere with Paige counted as a mistake, But he particularly regretted choosing Bergans restaurant. While Bergans didn’t have a written dress code, they serviced the wealthy patrons of the financial district, and anything less than pricey business wear looked conspicuous. Instead, he hit their massive mahogany doors at seven-fifteen wearing cashmere, camel hair, and a scowl.
    “Mr. Masters.” The maître d' intercepted him. “It was a pleasure to see your