Free Rogue Asset (Book 3 of the Wade Hanna Series) by Joseph D'Antoni Page A

was starting out.
    They continued speaking for more than an hour. Megan scanned the room several times looking for Wade and hoping he was mingling with other agents and students, but she saw him mostly with Leo. She had never seen Leo before and didn’t know who he was or what office he worked in. She was curious enough to find out something about Leo from one of the older agents she knew.
    On the other side of the room, Leo pulled out a business card and handed it to Wade.
    “Call me if you decide you want to do something different. This is my Zurich office. Just leave a message there and I’ll get back to you.”
    It was clear Leo and Wade had made some connection with each other. Leo didn’t know much about Wade but didn’t want to discourage him. Over the years, Leo had developed good instincts about people in his line of work. He felt Wade had a spark that he recognized. He filed the information in his mind knowing that one day they would meet again.
    Wade couldn’t wait to ask the next question that brought him over to Leo in the first place. Holding up his glass next to Leo’s glass Wade asked, “I couldn’t help but notice we fold a napkin around the glass in the same way.”
    “It’s an old habit of mine. The fold keeps fingerprints off the glass.”
    “It’s been a similar habit for me. I’m trying to break the habit.”
    “If you come to work in my line of work in my field you don’t ever want to break that habit.”
    Wade thanked Leo for his time and advice and moved across the room to another group by introducing himself.
    Megan saw Wade separate from Leo. Her curiosity couldn’t be contained. She went over to a senior agent she had known since joining the Agency. She discreetly pointed across the room.
    “Who’s that gentleman standing next to the piano?”
    Her friend looked over then turned back with a smile, “He calls himself Leo in this country. He’s a ghost operative rarely seen in the U.S. I met him briefly several years ago working on a black ops mission. Except for tonight haven’t seen him since.”
    Megan wanted to know more, “He seems to be a loner.”
    “He’s very much a loner and rumor has it he’s involved in strange, wet assignments.”
    Megan decided to abandon her inquiry for the moment. She saw Wade drifting over to another group and wondered what Wade and Leo had been talking about.
    After briefly listening to the new group Wade politely bowed out, turning back to the piano where Leo had been standing. His question would have to wait because all that remained was the napkin wrapped glass sitting on the piano.
    Wade introduced himself to other groups of agents and students as he slowly made his way back toward Megan. He waited a while for Megan to get off another phone call dealing with agents’ delayed flights.
    Megan saw Wade waiting. She ended the call and took down a message. She headed across the room to deliver the message to another agent. Wade waited for the message to be delivered and intercepted her path back to the organizing table.
    She was glad to see Wade and greeted him with a smile, “Well, hello stranger. Are you meeting lots of people?”
    Wade seemed a little tired of all the ballroom activities, “I’ve met all the agents and candidates I can handle at this point.”
    Megan sensing Wade’s frustration responded, “Do you remember how to get to my place from here?”
    “I think so.”
    “Let me give you my garage and door key.”
    She handed Wade key and card in her cupped hand, “Why don’t you go to my place and make yourself at home. I have to be here for another hour or so and I’ll meet you at home.”
    Wade didn’t have to think before he replied, “That sounds like a good idea.”

 
    Chapter 6
    Washington, D. C.
     
    It was just after 11:00 o’clock when Wade entered Megan’s condo. He went to the kitchen and got himself a glass of water, folded a napkin around the glass in his typical fashion and picked up a coaster from