Part 27 (2/2)
”That is what we are saying, yes, Agent Toles,” Krause intervened.
Alex pinched the bridge of her nose. ”For what purpose?”
He nodded and pulled out his chair, taking a moment to pace across the kitchen toward a window. ”That's really the question; isn't it?”
”Krause, what the h.e.l.l does that mean? You don't know the objective? You work for these people, don't you?”
”Alex,” Ca.s.sidy put her hand over the agent's to calm her.
Jon Krause looked at Jane who offered him a halfhearted smile of encouragement. ”Agent Toles, John and I...we were raised to be who we are. To do what we do. Do you understand? The objective? We took orders. Orders to protect our country. That was the objective.”
”Protect the country? Selling arms to warlords and drug dealers? You are telling me he knew about all of this?” Krause nodded. ”Why? Jesus Christ,” Alex pulled away from Ca.s.sidy's touch as her anger began to burn hotter. ”So, now what? You want my help?”
”Yes,” he said.
Alex let out a sarcastic chuckle. ”Why now?”
Jane looked at Ca.s.sidy and then made her way to Alex. ”Alex, listen to me. We are pretty certain that John was working against The Collaborative.”
”The what?” Alex asked.
”The Collaborative,” Krause repeated.
”The Collaborative?”
Jane took Alex's arms. ”Alex, please....please, sit down.” Reluctantly, Alex complied. She looked at her friend as Ca.s.sidy gently stroked her back. ”Listen, for a long time there have been people working to root out the source; determine who is really pulling the strings.” Alex looked at Jane skeptically as the former first lady continued. ”Matt...he never went that way. Even when our father tried to convince him to take a role in Admiral Brackett's office at the Pentagon, he refused. Things didn't make sense to him. John...He called Matt that Sat.u.r.day. Left a message. They never spoke.”
”All right, what does this have to do with O'Brien?” Krause started to answer and Alex stopped him. ”What about Ca.s.sidy and Dylan?”
Krause looked at Ca.s.sidy and smiled. ”I'm sorry, Ca.s.sie,” he said honestly. ”O'Brien is nothing more than a p.a.w.n. The admiral chose him, among others. He fit a profile; ambitious to a fault, adept at storytelling; a convincing liar.” Ca.s.sidy shook her head and rolled her eyes as he continued, ”he was easy to manipulate.”
”And now?” Alex asked.
”Well, Claire Brackett has tipped that on its head. Look, Agent Toles, I will tell you everything I can. I don't know as much as I know you would like to believe. I can tell you about transactions, players...orders,” he stopped. ”We are all p.a.w.ns. Nothing more.”
Alex studied his expression. ”Why? What changed?” She looked at him and caught his gaze drift to the woman beside her. Alex chuckled and shook her head.
”They killed my brother, Agent Toles.”
Alex sighed. ”So, where do we start? We both have something to protect.”
”SPHINX.”.
”What do you know about it?” she asked.
”Not a lot. Enough to know it leads somewhere deeper than even I have been.”
”What did he want me to know about Iraq?”
”I don't know, Agent,” Krause admitted. ”He would never speak about that; never. SPHINX leads to something deeper. It was not my operation, not part of my duties.”
”Okay...what do you want me to do?” she asked.
”Matthews.”
”The Amba.s.sador?”
”Yes,” he answered.
”Jane is closer to Russ...”
Krause looked at Alex. ”No. Jane needs to be out of this part.”
”Why not just come to me, Krause? Why involve Ca.s.s?”
”Ca.s.sidy is involved, Agent, no matter whether you or I like it that way. Dylan, well no matter whether they think he is...o...b..ien's or John's or....”
”You're worried they might use him as leverage. Against who?” Krause looked at her blankly. ”s.h.i.+t. Against me?”
”Maybe. Against anyone.”
”And Ca.s.sidy?” Alex asked.
He sighed. ”Agent Toles, I came here because I don't intend to let anything happen to Ca.s.sidy or Dylan. Now, after John; after what happened in France; this is the only way.”
”This is crazy,” Ca.s.sidy muttered as she put her face in her hands.
”Ca.s.sidy,” Alex whispered. ”I won't let anything happen to you or Dylan.”
”What about you, Alex?” Ca.s.sidy's voice raised a decibel.
The agent attempted to smile. ”What did I tell you, earlier?”
”I know, I know this is a lot,” Jane said quietly. ”You deserve to know, Ca.s.sidy. John tried, my father tried to keep me from it. When John came home from Iraq, things just didn't add up. Not for me. It wasn't just PTSD. It was something else. I heard him on the phone screaming at someone about murdering innocent people. That's when I went to Matt. That was the first time I heard of The Collaborative.”
”Jesus,” Alex muttered. ”Ca.s.s, maybe I should step...”
”Don't you dare, Alex,” Ca.s.sidy cautioned.
”Alex,” Jane said. ”Ca.s.sidy is safer with you than she would be without you and so is Dylan.”
”All right. Ca.s.sidy doesn't need all the details. Krause?” He nodded his agreement. ”Why don't we take a walk,” Alex suggested. ”Let Ca.s.sidy and Jane breathe.”
”Alex,” Ca.s.sidy stopped the agent as she went toward her jacket on the back of a chair.
”It's all right,” Alex kissed the teacher. ”Better we know. We'll be back.”
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