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Liar Ch. 08 - Full Circle

This is another in the LIAR series, with Max, Billie, and their entire FBI team. If you're not familiar with the series, some of the content may be out of context. But I've tried to leave a few hints about prior stories so that you're not left out completely.

If you're looking for all sex with no plot, you may want to pass this one. I usually tell stories that lead to sexual encounters, but the focus is on the story and the ongoing characters. So yes, like COVID-19, this has a couple of "hot spots". But just a couple of them. The rest is the story line.

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Chapter One

He's On To Me

Max pushed the front door of his modest home open, as he fumbled with some bills that had arrived. He was still a bit tired from the stress of his job, days of travel, and his concern for Billie as she continued to recover from her recent trauma while being kidnapped. Nausea at the thought of what they had done to the only woman he ever really loved, made the despair over his current situation all the more consuming.

Less than a week earlier, he and his team had successfully closed a case. Then, he assisted his junior partner in pulling off the most amazing wedding surprise that only took a full team of undercover FBI special agents. Even before the celebration was over, out of the blue, he was served papers calling him to appear before a Senate hearing related to the operation, Crossfire Hurricane.

Without thought, Max reached over to a framed photo by the front door and put his hand flat on the glass. The photo turned green for a moment before changing to a glow of yellow that gradually faded until the original photo could be seen.

His home was small and located in the newly developed Charles Pointe area, just east of the Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the FBI. It was a bit of a joke to those within FBI circles as well as the locals. Everyone knew the center was far too large for the publicly stated mission of records retention. In reality, it was the base of operation for not only finger print and retina scanning databasing, but also cyber investigations, undercover training, and a base for a range of active undercover operations throughout the eastern United States.

His home was small due to the fact that as an undercover agent, he was rarely there. Yet, it was built with distinct specifications Max had overseen personally. With the help of his junior partner, Ross, the house was just as secure as his office in the catacombs of the FBI center itself. The open floor plan had a single great room with living space and kitchen. There was a spacious bedroom he used and a second bedroom that was nothing more than a home office space.

Max rarely had friends over, other than Billie. His limited relationship with family didn't require the need of a guest bedroom. The simplicity of the floor plan seemed a stark contrast to the complexity of his life. The house was decorated like a show home from a property developer, and had hardly changed since the day he moved in.

His childhood home was destroyed by fire a few years earlier leaving him with few personal possessions. It made moving fairly easy. A few suitcases, some boxes with memories, briefcases with equipment, and several pelican boxes with photography gear was all he had left. But what does an undercover agent need anyway?

He sat down in his weathered, leather easy chair and flipped on the TV. A national news service was repeating the top stories of the day before their host turned to opinion editorial. Max sank into the chair and tossed the envelops of advertisements mixed with bills onto the side table before closing his eyes.

"Should we be concerned about the deep state situation in our nation today?" The commentator asked to his news audience. "Just how far does this go? We know that Crossfire Razor was a national embarrassment. We know that General Flynn was innocent. It's a national tragedy what they've put this man through. Millions of dollars were spent in his defense. This dedicated patriot was bankrupted by a corrupt system. It's not the normal, hard working agents in the field we should be worried about. It's the radical, controlling leadership structure that everyone knows is corrupt. An out of control FBI needs to be examined and purged of it's deep state operatives."

"You don't know the half of it, Hannity." Max whispered to the TV as his eyes remained closed.

"And today, today, yet another mysterious death in the Clinton dynasty of disaster. Anyone who knows the truth about the Clinton machine and even hints that they'll come out as a whistle blower, ends up dead. Funny how so many people who know the truth about the Clinton Foundation either disappear, commit suicide, or end up having an accident. Well it appears that the Clinton team is at it again and this time it's no accident. Army Major, Alan Waters, yet another decorated war hero of this great nation was gunned down in the streets of our nations capital, just moments ago..."

Max shot up in his seat and glared at the TV. His eyes wide open now, he was intently taking in every detail being released to the public. Before the news commentator could finish, Max had grabbed his cell phone.

A soft but urgent pinging sound began ringing throughout the house. Four strategically place light fixtures that looked more like dusk to dawn, nightlights lit up with a glowing red warning. Max knew they weren't nightlights. They were proximity alerts.

He glanced around the room quickly as he drew his firearm from its holster. Moving rapidly to the floor, he shuffled along until he came to a large bookcase. Reaching up he slid his fingers into a groove along the left side of the bookcase. It swung free and opened like a large door.

As he pulled the bookcase door closed behind him it latched securely in place, a low glowing, blueish light came on in the walk-in closet sized room. The walls were surrounded in modern, textured, sound proofing. Max tapped a small video monitor on one wall which came on, showing a dozen video surveillance images of his home.

A slight movement blurred one image that portrayed what was taking place on the east side of the home, while one of the more central images showed video of two men entering his great room. They were both wearing full assault uniforms and were efficiently sweeping the home, viewing through the sites of their drawn, tactical handguns.

With a quick switch of mode, Max checked to assure the system was recording the screens. After being sufficiently satisfied that he had video evidence and proof, he turned to a small electrical panel. Flipping one switch, all the lights in the house went out.

He could see the confusion in the actions of the assault team as his security system went to night vision mode. This couldn't be an authorized tactical action. Why would an official tactical team invaded his home? There was already a date set for an appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also knew that his friend and mentor, Major Alan Waters, was just killed. Whoever had ordered this, they weren't going to take him that easily.

He took a step away from the screen and turned to the shelves behind him. Quickly, he threw an FBI, bulletproof vest over his core and strapped the velcro in place. Then taking a tactical hemet from the shelf, he pulled it down over his head. It was larger than the typical helmet and covered his entire head. A full screen covered his face and he strapped it on tightly. Dead silence surrounded him. With a mild grin on his face, Max lifted a plexiglass guard up and away from a red, brushed metal, switch on the electrical panel.

With one flip of the switch, all the screens went blank. He waited several moments before flipping the switch back to it's safe position. He struck the power switch for the main lights of the home, but the screen was still darkened. From his safe room, surrounded in sound proofing and his head enclosed in this particular soundproof assault helmet, he couldn't hear anything. But he knew what had happening.

The door swung open as he hit the night vision optics of his helmet. The room was empty and the front door was wide open. He could feel the cool evening air coming from the open door. Glancing around he could see two windows were broken out and several photos in the room had broken glass.

The sonic defense system he had installed with Ross worked efficiently. The non-lethal system emitted an extremely loud and bone rattling sound that would break glass, damage hearing, and dispel any intruder in seconds.

By now, Max knew that the sound would have alerted neighbors. Hell, even the police in Clarksburg, 8 miles away, could have hear this sonic burst. He tugged his helmet off and could see that several LED based lights were still on, while old school bulbs and light fixtures were blown out by the sound. He walked over to one of the hidden cameras in the room and pulled it out. The lens was shattered, causing the monitor to go blank in the safe room.

Before the police arrived and before the investigations would start, Max quickly examined the room. Years of practice in observation pulsed through his veins as his heart was still pounding from the encounter. Running on sheer adrenaline now, he moved throughout the house, searching for evidence. His firearm was still drawn when he noticed smeared blood on the front door frame. Possibly someone had experienced a ruptured eardrum from the sonic blast. Glancing around quickly he found more evidence of blood on the carpet near his easy chair.

Moments later he could hear the sound of police cars headed into the neighborhood. He waited until the sound of police surrounded the house before returning his firearm to its holster. Grabbing his FBI credentials from his jacket pocket, he held them open facing the doorway so that any officer entering the room would see them immediately.

As he heard a local police officer approach the front door and begin shouting at him, Max complied to avoid unnecessary friendly fire.

"FBI, Agent Max Wright, CJIS Division. This is my home and I was just attacked." Max shouted back at the officer, who, seeing the submissive stance and calmed slightly.

Without putting his firearm away, the officer called his superior by clicking the mic attached at his shoulder. "Landry. This is officer Wilkins. The living room is secure. I have a potential victim, so you better get in here."

Even before a senior officer could approach the house, Max could hear the distinct sound of the FBI Police vehicle approaching the house as well. Every FBI police vehicle had a distinctive siren to identify them separately from local law enforcement. Moments that seemed like an eternity later, a familiar face entered the room. The local officer received a squawked message to stand down.

"Hell Max. What is going on here?" Bart Peterson, director of the FBI Police group entered the room.

"What took you so long?" Max chided sarcastically.

Peterson snorted a chuckle. "Well, it's not every day that our scanners get wind of a sonic device going off, shattering windows for a half block." Peterson bantered. "How many?"

"At least four. All four proximity alarms went off at the same time. Could be more. I could only see two enter the house. There's video on the security systems." Max replied.

"You spooks give me the creeps, you know that?" Peterson replied before using a more modern headset mic to contact additional FBI Police officers.

After a few additional questions, Peterson seemed to have things under control. "We'll secure the house and work with local LEOs to keep watch for the night. You probably need to take a walk for now."

Max realized he was right. It wasn't safe here and he needed to find a secure location to get some rest. Stepping out on the porch, he could see the large, white, SUV with the FBI Police logo on the side. Unlike the black, unmarked SUVs used by agents, the FBI Police vehicles looked like most other state and local law enforcement agencies.

He glanced up to see in the headlights of the FBI vehicle, a familiar face among all the flashing lights.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Max demanded.

Adrian Ross walked toward him slowly. Behind him was his new bride, Cassie. "Our first few days of being married went well. But after the third day, I realized what a mistake I had made." Ross began.

"You shithead." Cassie shouted as she slapped his shoulder as high as she could reach. "He's just mouthing off again. The cruise was canceled due to some virus going around." Cassie explained.

"Look, I'm glad to see you. But you two are on your honeymoon. How did you know about this?" Max asked.

"Redundant systems." Ross said briefly.

"See. Marriage is already working on him." Cassie laughed. "Before he would have gone on for a half hour telling you about duplicate router systems, ip addresses, response call times, and embedded software integration."

Ross just shook his head. "That's a bunch of mumbo jumbo."

"Doesn't matter. What does matter is, he programed your sonic deterrent system notify him if it ever went off." Cassie finished.

"It did seem like the kind of event that would be a last resort action. Thought if the sonic bomb went off, it meant real trouble. What's going on, boss?"

"Well. Honeymoon or not, I'm glad you're safe too." Max said. "At least your system didn't buzz Billie. She's been through enough."

"I'll let you know when I've had enough." Billie shouted as she marched toward the group.

Max looked up to the night sky as if to ask, 'what else could go wrong tonight.'

"You okay." Billie asked. She quickly wrapped her arms around Max and drew him in for a kiss.

Max pulled her back a notch. "Billie. You know the rules." He blurted out, half whisper and half demand.

Everyone on the team was well aware of Max and Billie's ongoing relationship, including it's ups and most of the time, downs. There was nothing to hide in front of Cassie and Ross. Even Peterson knew of the relationship, although he couldn't acknowledge it publicly. Such relationships between two, senior agents could be seen as a liability while undercover. Such relationships were therefore, highly discouraged by the Bureau. Ross and Cassie, being support staff who rarely if ever were undercover, didn't seem to spark the same kind of scrutiny by the Bureau. The last thing they needed was an additional thing to worry about.

"Shithead." Billie shot back, being pushed back away from him.

"First of all, your language is rubbing off on Cassie, which is a problem. But more importantly, there's the chance that someone is watching us." Max stated, returning to boss mode.

Ross, using his taller vantage point, glanced around casually. But there didn't seem to be any people who were not uniformed officers.

"They've found you, haven't they?" Billie asked.

"What?" Cassie asked as her eyebrows furrowed.

"We need to talk. But not here." Max said. "Let's meet for breakfast at the place we first met Flavia."

"Is there something..." Ross asked.

"We really can't go into it here. It is truly bigger than one conversation could explain. Let's just say that until they struck my house and know my team members, it was above your pay grade. But now that this is striking us here in Clarksburg, I'm going to have to read you in." Max stated.

"I'm up to speed with the parts that are unclassified for my grade level. I'm fairly certain there's more." Billie said with a disdained look at Max.

"8 am, tomorrow. Where we met Flavia." Max said.

"Can we do 9. It is our honeymoon." Cassie said with a smirk.

"8 am it is. On it." Ross said, putting his arm around Cassie. They turned to head home.

"Take care of her." Max called out to the two as they left, with almost parent-like tones.

"Not going home. Got a suite at Stonewall Resort. We're still on our honeymoon." Ross said as they walked away.

"And you?" Billie asked as they were left alone.

"I need a place to crash. Probably just grab a room at the Courtyard across the highway." Max said causally.

"Such a loner." Billie said with an air of frustration. "Let's go to that place."

Max knew what she meant. Years earlier, before he was gone for months on end as a part of a major undercover operation, they had met for random hook-ups at a no-tell motel. It was the kind of place where cash was king and identification was optional. No trace of digital footprint to follow and a half way decent, clean room for a few hours.

"It's not safe for you to..." Max started before Billie interrupted him.

"Don't even start with me tonight. I've had enough of your bravado. We both need some sleep. We both need a good shower. And we both need a good fucking. So, let's go." She demanded.

Chapter Two

Coffee and a Starting Point

Billie slipped into the booth next to Max, pushing a cup of coffee in front of him. "Here. You look like you need this."

"Black?" Max asked, taking the cup in hand.

"As black as your thoughts right now." Billie said with a hint of disgust.

Lost in his thoughts, the aroma of the coffee drew him back into the realm of the living. He fumbled with the lid before taking a cautious sip.

"There." Billie nodded to the front door as Cassie and Ross entered. Ross glanced around and acknowledged them with a grin.

"Hey, sorry we're late." Ross started, recognizing they were a few minutes later than they should have been. Cassie slid her way into the booth across the table from Max and Billie. Ross joined her after she settled in place.

"It is still our honeymoon." Cassie grinned up at Ross, being sure to put her hand with the wedding ring on top of his to show it off a bit more. "We couldn't help ourselves and had to have seconds during our morning shower." She blurted out, causing Ross to redden a bit.

Billie shot back, "Hey, we had seconds in the shower too, but we don't go bragging about it AND we were able to be here on time."

Cassie looked at Billie with a confused expression, wondering if she should take the comment seriously. Billie kept her deadpan expression fixed as if to say, 'damn straight, we did.

"There it is. That's the trouble with kids today. They don't take responsibility. They just can't have sex as a part of their morning shower routine and still get to work on time. " Max said to Billie in a sarcastic, 1950s tone.

Grinning from the banter, Cassie stated, "God, I hope our marriage stays as fresh and fun as yours." But instantly it hit her, that Max and Billie weren't married. Her expression changed as she back-peddled. "I mean,... as your relationship."

"It's okay. We know we're kinda messed up." Billie said with a matter of fact tone. She leaned over and kissed Max on the side of the head as if to admit it and acknowledge that they were okay with it.

Max paused, letting her comment sink in. Possibly because he wasn't okay with it any more. He probably wouldn't admit it to Billy today, but the reality of what she was saying had stung. They truly were messed up. In recent days, he was starting to understand the desperation of his reality. Fake names, fake backgrounds, and fake careers while undercover had led to fake relationships and his fake marriage with Billie. They had been shot at, nearly blown up, chased by a sniper, and harassed by mob bosses. Billie had been kidnapped, Max had been drugged, and all of his team members had been compromised in the process.

Now the greatest failure of his career had come back to haunt him. The motto of the FBI is 'Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity'. But now he questioned his resolve in all three areas, as one mission was haunting him. It was only when he realized that his fidelity to the mission was compromising his integrity, that he walked away. Now, nearly five years later it still weighed heavily on his mind.
"So, what's the plan?" Ross stated. The comment quickly drew Max back to the issue at hand.

"My place is compromised. The stacks and catacombs are out too." Max was referring to the numerous floors of underground, short term, base of operation spaces at the FBI center. The facility was designed so that sections of those floors could be quickly reconfigured to meet the operational needs of various teams while mission ready.

"So, we need a base of operation." Billie said.

"That's why Billie and I have already been preparing for that part of the equation." Max explained confidently. "She's still on leave from the abduction and I'm now suspended from active duty until the Senate hearing is complete."

"By 1 pm, Tiffany Ann Madison, will arrive in Pittsburgh." Billie informed.

"Wait, she's still in the county lock up in Florida, isn't she?" Cassie asked. "She did help us but there were a few charges that couldn't be overlooked."

"Taken care of." Max said. "Amazing what the FBI permits and what paperwork can disappear when you're under a subpoena by a Senate committee."

"Just like that?" Ross asked.

"Just like that!" Billie said.

"Of course, her lawyer, Seth Lang, helped a bit." Max chimed in.

"Wait." Cassie cut in, with an inquisitive look on her face, "Isn't Seth Lang one of your undercover legends?"

Max nodded in self-satisfaction. "Seth can be found in databases everywhere as a lawyer for the third district court. He's third district court of appeal legal aid to judge Ambro. Or at least that's what any local court would find if they did a background search."

"You didn't." Cassie replied.

"He did." Billy said.

"Seth contacted the court at 8 am and demanded that the charges be dropped and she be released since the third district court needed her testimony. They're flying her to Pittsburgh for evidentiary inquiry apparently." Max mused at the thought of his own scheme.

"But those charges were made by the FBI." Ross interjected.

"Somehow that paperwork didn't make it to the right desk." Billie said as she pulled a paper file out of her carry bag and threw it on the table.

"So, when did you have time to have sex in the shower?" Cassie chuckled.

"Which time?" Billie asked, stone faced, causing Cassie to look a bit puzzled.

"Okay so what do you need from us." Ross asked.

Max paused to speak carefully. "We need you to go on your honeymoon and forget all this."

"Hell no." Cassie all but shouted. Her response was loud enough that several customers in the coffee shop turned to look at her.

"Am I missing something?" Flavia asked, walking up to the table.

"Double Hell No!" Cassie realized Flavia was now being included while she and her new husband were being sent off on a vacation. "There's no way you're letting Flavia go on this mission but not us."

"Me too." Maria said, making her way into the group.

Flavia shoved her way into the booth, next to Ross as Maria grabbed a chair from a nearby table and moved it next to Flavia. They circled the wagons and surrounded the small booth.

"He doesn't want any of you to go with us." Billie stated firmly.

"That's not fair." Cassie said, directed at Billie.

"Boss. You can't do this one alone." Ross said to Max.

"We did make a pretty good team in Florida." Flavia said confidently. "Besides, they're shutting down Maria's grad school buildings over some virus scare."

Maria nodded in agreement. "We're both free for the next week at least. I'll file a few papers that I've already done, but live classroom meetings are shut down indefinitely."

"Yinz all need to all calm down." Max blurted out, reverting to his native Pittsburgh slang.

The whole team began arguing over who was going to be excluded, who had seniority, and who really needed to be on their honeymoon. Finally Max dropped his head and whispered. "Okay."

"Okay." He said a bit louder, still not being heard. "OKAY!" He sounded off, cutting the argument back down to size.

He paused and looked at his team that had grown from three to six in the past five years. Max and Billie were the experienced, capable agents. Ross was the most talented tech, surveillance, and hacker geek in the FBI. Cassie was a capable linguist who spoke Russian almost fluently and was developing her skills as an analyst. Flavia was a natural at undercover work. In an impromptu mission, she was as capable as any experienced agent. It all came so easily to her. Now they were joined by Maria, bio-chemist whose aptitude test for crime scene analysis was off the charts.

"Okay." He said one more time in almost defeat. As the team quieted, he continued. "We're truly up against it this time. I don't have time to explain it to you now. But I will tell you this. You'd all be better off to walk away right now. We might be going up against the entire top tier of the FBI. These people are killers. They're despicable, liars, cheaters, conspiracy creators, they lack integrity and they will truly stop at nothing to accomplish their personal agendas. In other words, their politicians. It may be dangerous so if you want out, do it now."

"Not a chance." Cassie said quickly and defiantly, folding her arms beneath her breasts. The table went quiet for a long time.

"You won't offend me if you back out now." Max offered one more time. But nobody moved.

Seeing the he was not going to win this one, he accepted his fate. He exhaled completely as he looked around the table one last time.

"Ross. You and Cassie go to the FBI center. We need tech. But not too tech. We need equipment that was created pre-hacking era. Stuff that won't have current embedded codes or transition capability beyond the task. Look into old tech or such exclusive tech that the fourteen year olds in the hacker hall of fame can't trace it. If you have any hidden toys at drop sites, grab them too."

Ross nodded with understanding. All the modern equipment was integrated and would leave encoded signature copies with all the Bureau listening in.

Max turned to Flavia. "You, Maria, and Billie are going to the auto rental place around the corner. We need one van and one sedan. Ross, do you still have the dead card?"

Ross quickly grabbed his wallet and pulled out a credit card that was all black. He shot it across the table at the girls.

"This is dead plastic. It's a Bureau toy like none other. It's an open credit line, unaccountable, black ops payment system." Max said.

Billie took over, "It automatically takes the data being fed to it and makes it your account. So, when you go to rent the cars, they'll have you fill out all the data on their computer screens. Then when the rental agency swipes this card it quickly takes all the data from their very own computer form, instantly making it your card. With no credit limit. Locations that don't require matching ID, like Walmart or an ATM, it overrides and fills in the pin number for you."

"Flavia. You and Maria take the car, go to Pittsburgh, and pick up Tiffany Madison. Delta flight lands at 1:20. Then take her to Nemacolin resort where we'll all meet up tonight."

"What does Amy have to do with it?" Maria asked quietly.

"Nemacolin is one of her family's resort holdings. We need a place to stay low for a while without being traced. She can get us a place off the radar, under her name."

Max turned his attention to Ross. "Billie will take the van and meet you two. Load up everything you can think of. I'll join you after I meet with the operations chief at 10."

"Are you going to explain this to us?" Ross asked. "What this is all about?"

"It's above your grade." Billie interjected to end the discussion.

Max had a different view. "Tonight. If you're seriously planning to get yourselves mixed up in this mess, then you have a right to know what it's about."

"Max, it's classified." Billie protested.

"It's going to be on the evening news by the time we're done with it." Max said confidently.

Chapter Three

Talk To Me About It

Max had barely passed through the entryway security check point scanning, when he was summoned by the attendant at the front desk. The large, half-moon counter resembled a check in for an upscale resort, but was staffed by uniformed officers. He walked swiftly across the tile floor in the two-story atrium entrance of the Clarksburg FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division, section four. The attendant pointed to the far end of the counter where Max saw a familiar face.

"We meet again." Peterson said as Max approached. Peterson was dressed in typical police garb, with a white shirt sporting his name, badge and shoulder patches of the FBI Police division. His black, tactical pants were supported by a thick belt which sported a custom Smith & Wesson 45.

"You're no prettier in daylight." Max quipped.

"Always the rebel. Don't stress your house. It's been secured and after we're done with the investigation we'll have maintenance division lock it up tight for you." He said as he led Max down the hall.

The banter between the two had started in the late 1990s and hadn't changed much through the years. They both had arrived at the Clarksburg office about the same time. "We have a maintenance division?" Max quipped.

"Someone has to unplug the toilets from all the shit you spooks dump."

Peterson shot back. "But this isn't a visit to invite you to the annual cotillion for childish undercover agents. I'm suposta escort you to the chief's office, personally.

"Peterson, I'm from Pittsburgh. We don't do cotillions. We grab a case of Rolling Rock and go hang out on the Arden." Max shot right back, referring to a well-known local, river, party hang out, popular among the college age crowd.

"So what has the chief so pissed off at you that he sent me to make sure you go to his office first, before heading to the stacks?" He asked.

"Might have something to do with that whole 'Max got served a subpoena by the Senate Judiciary Committee' thing." Max said as the two stepped into a waiting elevator. "It has a way of dampening the mood of the superiors. They feel left out."

Peterson started laughing as the two turned in the elevator cabin and the doors closed. "You just can't fuckin help yourself, can you?"

"Hey, hey, hey. Language." Max said.

"Elevators aren't bugged. The hall is, but the elevators aren't. Ever since Director McReese was recorded talking about his affair with his secretary." Peterson explained. "Ended up on the internet. Don't you remember?"

"Nope. Don't post pics of my dinner on Instagram either." Max replied.

The doors opened on the top floor of building four, opening onto a plush level of office suites. The deeply padded carpet, wood trimmed walls and high end furnishings made you think you were meeting with a top-level executive. They made their way down the hallway and approached another group leaving.

Max quickly identified the dignitary in the center of the group, leaving the director's office. It was none other than Christopher A. Wray himself, the sitting director of the FBI. What kind of issue would this division have going on that would require the Director of the FBI himself to fly from Washington and meet personally with the division chief?

Wray was busy speaking to one of his henchmen as they passed. But as they did, it was clear that Director Wray knew who Max was and for a moment their eyes met. The untrained eye would think that Wray had no idea who Max was. But the several tells were there.

Max and Peterson moved on toward the chief of operation's office. They passed through a glass doorway separating the chief's suite from the hallway.

As Max turned, he looked down the hall at the group leaving. There it was. He could clearly see one of the members in the group who looked like she was a part of the security detail, had a patch covering one ear.

Peter Moss stood still holding some files as Max entered the room. Most of the current agents weren't that excited about their current operations division chief. Most of the agents thought he was a bit worthless, which led to the commonly used nickname they used. It was obvious. The chief was nothing more than Peat Moss.

He was a likable guy, jovial and friendly enough. Yet, most thought he was in over his head and lacked the gravitas to direct a key division of the FBI. He had quickly become an insider who knew how to play the game. Max himself really didn't think Moss had the skills let alone the street cred to lead the division. Yet Moss had never done anything to give Max the impression he was incapable within the organizational structure.

"Max. Thanks for coming by." Moss began.

"Not exactly my choice." Max replied nodding his head sideways to point at Peterson who was leaving as he closed the door for them. Peterson shook his head in a show of distain for Max's form of humor.

As soon as the doors closed, Moss began. "Sit down. We don't have much time." The sudden change of tenor in his mannerism caught Max off guard, so he simply complied. "They're unhinged." Moss said with a clear contempt.

"What?" Max asked, trying to piece together the context.

"We know what's going on. They think I'm a lightweight but they're going to find out that the elitist scum has manipulated the media and played fast and loose with the law for far too fuckin' long."

Moss turned and poured two whisky glasses and soon passed one along to Max.

"You do know it's only 10:15." Max said, taking the glass.

"You'll need it." Moss said before downing his glass. Then, half choking at the burn, "Never too early for whisky when you're at war."

"So why do I need this?" Max asked taking a more restrained sip of the glass.

"You're suspended." Moss said bluntly.

Max looked at Moss intently, searching for some kind of meaning in his expression. Then he downed the rest of the whisky in a single gulp.

"I'm doing you a favor." Moss began.

"Hell of a favor."

"You're off until the Senate hearing anyway, so by suspending you, you're not required to report your whereabouts to this office until after the end of the hearings. The favor is taking your collar off and letting go of your fuckin' chain so you can go after them." Moss finished.

Suddenly Max had a new appreciation for his boss. Granted, he hadn't had many interactions with this chief. He had closer connection with prior agents who had held the position. Moss hadn't been here long enough for it to come together. Today, it did.

"Are you instructing me to go dark?" Max asked.

"Hell no. You know better than that. Nobody ever instructs an agent to go dark." Moss quickly barked back.

"Understood." Max said sharply. This was the first-time Max had ever heard on of his superiors even suggest that he should do an end run. It was the FBI culture to have its finger on the throat of every element of the organization. There was no such thing as a rogue agent. Or at least that's what they public was led to believe.

"And?" Max asked. He knew there was more to it or Moss wouldn't have called him in.

Moss turned to a portrait on the wall. Max knew this particular framed portrait it well. The portrait covered a wall safe, the same safe that had held evidence that a former chief was involved in a cover up. Moss leaned in for a retinal scan and the safe opened.

"That's new." Max commented.

"This is the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division. We kinda do retinal storage here every day." Moss mocked. "Seemed like our office in the very same building should modernized as well."

He reached into the safe and pulled out what looked like a simple, portable hard drive and tossed it to Max.

"A four-terabyte drive. Filled with all the dirty little secrets of the entire Crossfire operation. All thirty-nine of them." Moss said soberly.

"Thirty-nine? There were only six Crossfire operations." Max blurted out in shock.

"Yes. The public only knows of four. I know you were involved in number five and I also know that when number six came around, they wanted you to get more involved in it. That's when you stepped down. Some shit about 'integrity and loyalty to the nation'." Moss said as he closed the safe door.

"I wasn't going to break my oath..." Max started.

"Damn it Max. Would I be giving that to you if I thought you were the kind of person who would break your oath. You're the only agent I trust with it because you wouldn't be compromised and you have the balls to do something about it." Moss all but shouted back at him. "Don't you get it yet? They think you're the perfect fall guy for Crossfire Hurricane as well as the whole damn Crossfire scheme."

"I assume you want me to expose Crossfire and those involved?" Max said.

"That asshole, Director Wray, is nothing but a political hack. He's a wolf in sheeps clothing who is making Crossfire disappear. He needs to be stopped."

"Wray wasn't involved in this." Max stated firmly.

"But he wants it shut down and silenced. He thinks it's best for the FBI if this whole thing went away. 'For the good of the Bureau' he says." Moss said with exaggerated mockery.

"Even if I wanted to stop him, how would I get this out of the building?" Max asked, knowing the security on the campus was tight.

"You're not alone. I've made a few friends around here. Yeah, I know the average agent thinks I'm just Peat Moss." He said, knowingly. "When the time comes, the right people will step up, because its the right thing to do. Trust the people your gut tells you to trust."

Moss held his hand out. "It kills me to ask, but. I need your badge. Wray has demanded it."

Max complied as he stood and pulled the badge from its leather cover, handing it to his boss.

Moss threw it in the top drawer of his desk. "Now get out of here."

Turning to leave, Max asked, "Why aren't you doing this?"

"They got me too, Max. If I even think of starting anything, they'll destroy my family. They've already threatened my daughter's business. You know what they did to Flynn."

Max suddenly understood. They elite pressure method. They would threaten hundreds of legal actions against family members if the subject didn't comply. Even if they were innocent, the family would end up bankrupt from legal defense fees and humiliated in public perception.

"One more thing." Moss said. "Tell Ross to be careful with that drive. He'll know how to open it correctly. He's smart enough to know that it will be harder than just plug and play. Tell him it's a shell game."

"I tell him to be careful." Max replied.

"Did he get all the toys he needs?" Moss asked.

"What?" Max feigned ignorance.

"Get over yourself. I know everything that goes on around here."

"I don't know." Max said by way of confession, realizing they were made. This guy was more on the ball than anyone had given him credit for.

"Well, two agents loyal to the nation have already looked the other way for him. They said he almost got past them without a clue. A little more experience and he'll be running your team. Now go bring those bastards down." Moss finished, sitting back down in his chair.

Minutes later Max stepped out of the elevator, still scrambling to consider all the ways he might be able to exit the facility without being caught carrying out a hard drive.

The looming obstacle of the TSA like exit process that would instantly detect the drive in his pocket made him hesitate. He started to turn and head back to his office, possibly to consider an alternative exit plan. Maybe there would be a way to transfer the data without getting the physical drive itself out of the building.

Suddenly, one of the henchmen that had been in Wray's entourage appeared. "You've been suspended. It's time for you to exit the building." He said firmly, extending his arm to guide Max toward the front doors. "Let me help you to the security search Mr. Wright."
Just then, Peterson approached from the security offices, located just off the main lobby. "Max. I need you to sign this before leaving."

Max hesitated, giving the unknown man a firm glare, before moving toward Peterson. He approached to see Peterson's typical look of derision when it came to their banter through the years. He approached cautiously, knowing the dangerous position he was in at the moment. Who should he trust. His gut told him to trust Peterson, who he had known for nearly two decades.

"Over here." Peterson pointed him to an information desk for the receptionist to the FBI Police wing of building four. "Right here. Sign this form in triplicate." Peterson instructed.

Max began signing the documents related to facility and grounds access during suspension as well as a reminder of his signed confidentiality agreement. Peterson pointed to each indicated point on the form for his signature. He turned the page and signed in the same places. But when he turned to the third page, it had only one sentence on it. 'Use Security Lane 3 - Billie ready to pick you up.'

Without reaction, Max signed that page also in approximately the same locations as the other pages. As he turned to go, he looked at Peterson who kept the same deadpan expression he typically had. Those in frontline law enforcement know the 'resting cop face' look.

"Have a nice day. Careful out there Max. It's a cruel world." Peterson said flatly as Max turned to leave.

He walked intentionally toward the rows of employees leaving the building. Pacing himself, he waited until getting in line for the third security checkpoint seemed natural with the flow of people leaving. His heart was pounding, trying to comprehend the situation. But his mannerisms and expression were casual and unchanged. Years of undercover training kicked in as naturally as fear and flight would to the average person.

As he approached the metal detector and watched the expression of the operator, he couldn't read anything from the man's expression. The security officer raised his hand to wave Max through the machine. Only then did Max see a slight quiver in the officer's hand. Max stepped through and moved to the pause markings, on the floor.

Those exiting the building passed through and waited for a green led to light up, telling them they could exit freely. If he was being betrayed by Peterson, he would know soon enough. The moment of standing on the pause graphic, pasted to the floor, seemed like an eternity. The green light came on and Max stepped casually through the doors, into the daylight.

Just as he approached the parking lot, a white van pulled up. He could see Ross was driving and the passenger seat was empty. He jumped into the van and they drove away.

"Easy peasy" Ross said as they drove through the FBI gates and onto public streets.

"What do you mean?" Max said in a bit of confusion.

"It was almost like everyone disappeared from our whole wing. Shutting down the cameras and getting a load of equipment out was easy peasy." Ross said.

"Too easy?" Max asked.

"Far too easy." Ross replied. "I even, intentionally made a couple of mistakes to see what reaction I'd get from the systems. Nothing. It's almost like they were letting me get away with robbing them."

"They were." Max said.

"Damn. If that's the case, I should have grabbed a few things for our new house." Ross said sarcastically.

"They even let me get out with this." Max said, raising the three inch by two inch, black drive in the air.

Ross glanced at it but continued driving. Then suddenly, when they were out of range of the front gates of the FBI center, he pulled into the parking lot of the local hospital. He sat staring out into the distance after parking near the entrance. Suddenly he jumped out of the van and ran around to the trunk, before rummaging through the equipment.

"What?" Max asked in concern as he got out and joined him.

"This." Ross said, pulling out a storage box about the size of a shoebox. "Why did they lead me to this?"

"What? Max asked again in utter confusion.

"They made sure this was in the bin that had every piece of equipment I would need. Someone knew I would need it too. It was too easy. I picked up the entire bin since everything in here would be needed. Yet, this was in here too." Ross said as he held his hand out to Max, asking for the hard drive.

Max gave it to him and Ross opened the small case. There was a slot inside that would fit the drive but the rest of the box was packed with a dense material. Ross pressed the drive down into the slot and a light on the drive appeared. Then the larger box began to hum. Ross closed the box and clamped the four latches in place.

"This contraption will kill any tracking and acts as a conversion for black mamba." Ross explained. "If the drive had a tracking device, it can't track us now." He said as he checked each latch on the larger box. "If it has encryption on the drive, we can now plug into it safely." Ross turned the larger box around and showed a series of ports for various computer formats.

"Do you think he gave it to me to track us?" Max asked.

"Who?"

"Moss gave the drive to me." Max replied.

"God, this is bigger than you've let on." Ross replied.

"Yes, but, are they tracking us?" Max asked.

"Why would he give you a tracker if he also gave me a device to stop the tracking? I think he gave us this so that we could safely get to the data on the drive." Ross reasoned.

"Plausible." Max pondered. "Let's run it by the team before plugging into that toy."

"Toy? I'm holding at least a hundred K in tech right now." Ross replied.

"All the more reason to believe they wanted us to see what's inside." Max replied.

"Where's the rest of the team?" Max asked.

"The Icebox." Ross replied.

Five minutes later, they pulled up near an average looking self-storage facility. Ross texted a passcode to someone on his phone. "Watch." He said, pointing to the security cameras around the entrance. They gradually began to turn until they were pointing completely away from the entrance. Then Ross pulled all the way up to the gate which opened. "Security for those who want discretion." Ross mumbled.

"At what price?" Max mused.

"I'm a part owner. Those of us who put this little gem together made sure we had specialized spaces for our own needs." Ross replied.

"Impressive." Max replied.

They pulled up to one of the units and backed in as if to permit loading directly into the trunk. Max started to get out.

"Not yet." Ross said. The unit door opened and Ross backed directly into the storage unit. Once inside, Max realized that several units surrounding this doorway were fake. It was all a single, much larger unit. The unit was filled with racks of travel boxes, neatly arranged and labeled. He gave his junior partner an approving nod.

"And how does one pay for all this on an FBI special agent's salary?" Max asked mockingly.

"The occasional odd job for the right people. Congressmen, Senators, and once there was a Presidential Cabinet member." Ross began.

"I don't want to know." Max mumbled.

Getting out of the van as the garage door closed, Max realized that Cassie and Billie were there, with several cases spread out on a work bench for Ross's approval.

Chapter Four

Briefing at Nemacolin

The double door entry to the suite at Nemacolin opened both doors completely as three bellhops tugged luggage carriers into the tiled entry. Ross, Cassie and Billie began offloading the equipment picked up from both the FBI center and the Icebox storage area.

Max brought up the rear and offered tips to the bellhops for their help.

"Cassie, let me help you with that" Flavia said as she and Maria came out of one of the bedrooms closer to the front door.

"Thanks." Cassie offered. "These three go in the living room and I'll grab some of our luggage. Which room?" She asked the other girls.

"Your still on your honeymoon, so we thought you'd get the master bedroom. Through the living room and toward the left."

"God, that's so sweet of you." Cassie responded, giving Flavia a hug.

Max grabbed a few black, plastic, travel cases and carried them to the living room where he set them down near a large desk. Standing upright he stretched and cracked his back by twisting to one side. As he did, he saw Tiffany standing in the middle of the living room with her arms folded beneath her heavy breasts.

"Seth Lang, I presume?" Tiffany said with a dubious look on her face.

"Guilty." Max said.

"I'm sitting in my jail cell one minute and the next, they're taking me to a changing room and giving me my clothes back, signing some documents from a lawyer I didn't hire, and falling all over themselves for having incarcerated me longer than required." Tiffany said. "I guessed it was you even before you called on my way to the airport to ask for a return favor." She paused for her typical, dramatic effect. "You know how much I love to return favors."

"Just some paperwork." Max said sarcastically. "Those Ts need crossed."

"Well, consider the use of the best suite in the house as a thank you for getting me out of doing jail time." Tiffany replied.

"As well as drugging yours truly?" Max said with a grin.

Tiffany walked over to him and grabbed both his arms, drew him in and planted a huge kiss directly on his lips. Then, releasing him she ran one finger across her lips before saying, "That's my apology for the whole drugging thing."

She raised one eyebrow and looked around the room. "Looks like your gang is all here."

Billie was now standing behind Max with a mildly disgusted look on her face. She cleared her throat loudly before speaking. "Including a member of the team that wasn't involved in the last case."

"Oh, Tiffany, you've not been formally introduced. That last day in Florida..." Max started.

Billie pressed around Max and held her hand out to introduce herself to Tiffany. "Billie." She said curtly, interrupting him.

"Tiffany." The younger woman shook her hand and then turned to the rest of the group. "If you need anything, just let me know. I've taken the opportunity to thank you all by extending a line of credit for each of you at the clothing stores, gifts shops, and bars throughout the resort. Just text me to let me know what names can be associated with the accounts."

"Thanks so much. We headed out so quickly that we didn't bring enough clothes." Maria said softly.

Flavia turned to her lover and said, "You look better without clothes anyway."

Maria rolled her eyes at her more dominant partner.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Max. You have my cell number. You know you can use it anytime you need to, day or night." Tiffany said with a slightly mischievous tone. She then turned to exit the suite.

As the doors closed, Max turned to the group and tried to reestablish decorum. "Briefing in 15 minutes." He said firmly.

"Which way to our room?" Billie asked.

"Through the hallway there on the right. It's near ours." Maria pointed.

"One for me?" Max asked.

Maria had a bit of a confused look on her face. "Well, there are only three bedrooms, living room, kitchen and three and a half baths. I guess we assumed you'd share a room with Billie."

Billie grabbed his shoulder bag and tugged it away from him. "I'll take it to the room. You get set up for the briefing."

Max stood somberly as she walked away toward the room.

A few moments later Cassie peeked into the room where Billie was settling in, putting personal items away. It was a good bit smaller than the master bedroom that Cassie and Ross would enjoy, but it had a great view of the southeastern Pennsylvania woodlands.

She put both hands on the door frame, slightly above her head and leaned into the room, swaying back and forth playfully. "Sooo. Billie."

"Yeah." Billie mumbled as she closed a drawer and threw her overnight bag in the corner.

"What's with you and Max?" Cassie asked cautiously.

"I wish I knew." Billie said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Cassie saw it as an opportunity. She glanced back down the hallway and then entered the room, sitting next to Billie. "He's been pretty screwed up since the moment he heard you were kidnapped. I guess I've told you that already. It's just that he's not been himself."

"Tell me about it. We haven't." Billie started. "Forget this. You shouldn't be needing to worry about this while you're still in honeymoon mode."

Cassie gave her a sympathetic look. "Well, come on. Ross and I have been living together for a while. It's not like we weren't." Cassie started.

"Yeah. Only Max and I don't right now." Billie said, stopping her.

"Well, if I can..."

"Hey. Max wants us in the living room." Ross said, poking his head into the room.

Max stood near the window as the group entered the living room and found spaces. Ross and Cassie fell in on the couch as Billie took an easy chair. Flavia sat down on a chair from the desk and Maria sat on her lap.

"Before I start, I have to warn you that if you want out, you may want to leave the room now. Half of what I'm about to tell you is classified and beyond all of your grade levels; including Billie. I'm throwing my NDA out the window for even talking about this with you." Max started.

Nobody in the room moved. They didn't even hesitate or look to the others in the room. All eyes were on Max.

"Late in the last presidential term, there were fractions within the upper leadership of the FBI that fell back on darker days within the Bureau. There have been secretive eras within the FBI when leadership not only upheld the law, they made it up as they went."

Max leaned back and half sat on the window sill, gripping the ledge with a hand on either side of him. "The elite, that are mostly political appointees, were fearful that their preferred candidate would lose the election. So, they decided to tilt the scales a bit. I was sent to investigate and go undercover for an extended period of time, on a mission that I was told would be nothing more than surveillance."

"That why you were gone from Clarksburg when I started with the FBI. Everyone thought you'd be my trainer but they assigned me to Billie who was the temporary acting lead for our group." Ross said, putting the pieces together in his brain.

"And that's why you haven't told me anything about the reason you were gone for so long." Billie said looking directly at him, finally understanding why Max was so uptight.

The expression on Max's face told the story as he spoke directly to her. "I'm deeply sorry Billie. I didn't want you to get sucked into this thing."

"But that was four years ago." Cassie said, wondering why it all mattered.

"They came up with a scheme. It was called the Crossfire Initiatives. I understood there were only a handful of these dark ops missions, but I found out this week that there were far more than I ever could have imagined. HRT 7 was likely the team that attacked my home." Max said.

"Wait, there are only six HRT teams." Ross said, with Cassie shaking her head in agreement.

"You taught me that in the first few weeks of directly entry training." Cassie said.

"I lied." Max replied flatly. "I was a part of HRT 7 for the seven months prior to coming back to Clarksburg. It's the Director's personal dark ops squad. Off books, off the record, and nothing but ghosts."

"But Max." Billie protested. "Why would a team you were a part of four years ago, attack you now?"

"The whole Crossfire operation is falling apart. Comey, Clapper, Brennan, key figures at Justice, they all were in on it. Former United States Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, Peter Strzok was the Chief of the Counterespionage Section. He led the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email server. It was actually Strzok who personally cared for the disappearance of all those emails Clinton couldn't produce. The FBI was in on it and helped Clinton cover up everything they knew about everything. Strzok and Lisa Page knew far more than any of the documents released to the public have even documented." Max said firmly.

"So, Clinton knew about these operations? Is that what the files were about?" Ross asked.

"Yes and no. It was more than that. Clinton had dirt on every player in Washington. She kept it all on a private server in her home. The agreement Strzok made with her on behalf of the entire network of kingmakers, was simple. If she let Strzok destroy the emails and the entire hard drive of data, they would work from their end to tilt the scale of the election in her favor. They'd use fake dirt on her opponent, muddy the water with allegations of Russian collusion, and take down key members of her opponent's team." Max explained.

"How were you involved in all this?" Cassie asked.

"My role wasn't pretty. I got caught up in doing as I was told by James Comey himself. My team did surveillance on Carter Page and at one point even tried to frame him. I was told Page was a Russian operative and that I was being a patriot by bringing him down. So, we did."

"Isn't that the guy that they just let off from all the allegations?" Maria asked quietly.

"Yes. Because he was innocent. He was just a a former foreign policy adviser who knew geo national trade policy. He had no more contact with Russian political leaders than anyone in this room." Max leveled.

"Again, why now?" Billie pressed.

"The Crossfire operations included Carter Page as well as George Papadopoulos and Michael Flynn."

"Flynn was Crossfire Razor." Cassie added.

"It wasn't until they pressed me to continue with HRT 7 and become involved in yet another of their Crossfire operations that I decided to get out. So as long as their cover held, I was fine. But now it's all falling apart." Max finished.

"Why are we here then? Can't we just let the house of cards collapse?" Billie offered.

"It's not that easy. Moss gave me direct evidence of the actions of the FBI in all the Crossfire operations. This evidence could sink countless conspirators and bring them to true justice once and for all." Max finished.

"Max. Just stay low until this blows over." Ross added.

"Do you really think these people won't give up? Think of what they pulled off already. They fabricated a dossier filled with the most outlandish accusations they could think of and passed it off as research data to a FISA judge. They convinced a judge, three times, to grant them the authority to put surveillance on a major party's presidential candidate. Knowing their information was fake they ruined the lives of Carter Page and a decorated Army Lieutenant General, Michael Flynn. They conned the nation into believing a conspiracy theory for over three years. This shadow of fake reports, false accusations, smoke and mirrors, has clouded every decision of the new administration." Max pressed.

He stopped the rant and leaned back against the glass of the window. "It's not going to go away." Max finally said, partially under his breath. "Last night, my mentor and friend, Army Major, Alan Waters, was killed. Alan lead HRT 7 but when he realized what was happening, he walked away too. That's what made me realize that the Crossfire Initiatives were not what they told us they would be." Max said quietly.

"You knew about this?" Billie said soberly. "You knew the truth about all this shit in the news for the last four years and you didn't say a word about it? Not even to me?"

"I know." Max said somewhat defeated. He paused and then stood upright and left the room. Quietness fell over the entire group and nobody even moved.

Finally Billie stood. "Ross, decrypt that stupid drive. We need to get it to the right people and get it out of our possession before someone gets killed.

She charged out of the room and still as nobody moved, they could hear her slam the door behind her as she followed Max into the bedroom. Then the muffled sounds of shouting.
"Damn you Max. Just fuckin' damn you to hell." She said through gritted teeth.

"I know." Max said quietly. He was sitting in an easy chair next to the bed, his head leaning back with his eyes closed.

"Why the fuck have you been holding out on us?" Billie shouted, loudly enough that the others in the living room probably could hear. Max didn't respond. She took a step closer. "I'm talking to you, shithead."

"What do you want me to say?" Max replied.

"You've been a pain in the ass for a month now." Billie confronted. "You've watched the news endlessly. You've watched as the incitements came down. You knew this whole time that it was all a shit show."

"Yes." He said sitting upright and opening his eyes.

"Even WORSE than leaving me for nearly a year on assignment with not as much as a 'how the fuck do you do', you waltz back into my life acting like nothing changed. How fuckin' dare you?" She said in a shouted whisper.

"I didn't want you to get involved in this thing." Max said.

"I am involved in it!" She shouted back again in full voice. "Those kids in there are involved in it now." She said throwing a hand outward to point toward the living room.

"Maybe we should head down to the one of the restaurants and let them thrash this out." Ross said, as the sound of Billie's shouts filtered through the suite.

"It is dinner time." Flavia said, breaking the tension.

"Probably a good idea. That's why I love you so much." Cassie said, hopping up on her tip toes and kissing Ross on the cheek.

Maria grabbed her clutch bag as Flavia had already jumped toward the bedroom. "I've gotta pee before we go." Flavia said.

"We'll wait for you at the elevator." Cassie said as Flavia's cute ass bounced past.

"I'll catch up." She shouted to the group as they started for the door.

The three left the suite and the main door closed behind them.

"The more you knew the more it could hurt you." Max said beginning to get frustrated.

"It's not just the time you were away, and the way you fluttered back into Clarksburg. There's more than just that." Billie demanded.

"What?" Max said. "Look we talked about it. I asked you to move in with me and you shot me down."

"That was two years ago. I didn't know if you were even going to be around or if you'd disappear again." Billie said in frustration.

"Sorta like I didn't know you were actually NOT married and that you actually WERE on loan to the CIA." Max shot back.

"You know we have to keep secrets about work. But work secrets aren't why I'm so fuckin' pissed at you." Billie argued.

"So what the fuck? Why are you so pissed off?" Max demanded in return.

"Why?" Billie said loudly.

"Why what?" Max demanded.

"Why haven't you touched me like you used to..." Billie started crying through her anger. "Every since I was kidnapped." She said through her tears.

Max stopped dead. He stood up and approached her.

"Last night!" Billie stated with almost a questioning voice.

"I stayed at your house, with you. You asked me to and I wanted to." Max said in reply.

"No. Stop right there. You slept on the fuckin' couch!" She blurted out in frustration. "I need you to tell me why? You haven't touched me or made love to me or been intimate with me in any way, even after you rescued me." Billie said, completely broken now. "I want the truth. Don't you want me now?"

"I don't know what you want from me." Max began.

"Damn it Max, tell me the truth. Is it this conspiracy? Is it stress about who knows? Is it guilt that you were involved in it?" Billie started ranting, but then lifted her head to look him in the eye. "Is it me? Do you not want me anymore, after, you know, the rape?" She said in broken, emotional speech.

"It's because I couldn't save you from them." Max grimly blurted out, letting go of the frustration inside him. "I couldn't.." his voice cracked as the facade of Max the undercover agent and team leader shattered. "I couldn't save you from a bunch of college kids. How can I save you from the full force of Crossfire?" His voice now quieted.

Billie stepped toward him. She tried to reach up to his face but he took her wrist and drew her hand to his chest. "Nobody could have." She whispered.

"I should have." Max said through gritted teeth. "I couldn't stop you from being hurt, not even from a bunch of college kids."

"I thought you didn't want me anymore." Billie said as a fresh surge of emotion rolled over her.

"I don't deserve to be with you." Max said. "I failed. I failed at Crossfire, I failed on the Kansas City Mission, I failed in not uncovering the additional Crossfire operations, and I even failed from keeping a bunch of Frat boys from kidnapping you and raping you." Max continued in a defeated tone.

"I thought you didn't want me anymore after those guys had ..." Billie began.

"God, no. That's got nothing to do with it." Max shook his head at her and gripped his eyes closed. "I should have gotten there before any of that happened!" Max demanded.

"But you saved me." Billie said.

"It took nearly a week." Max said.

"It was four days. Who else could search the entire nation and find one FBI agent being held captive, it in four days?" Billie whispered.

"I'm weak. I failed to protect you. How can I even expect that you'd consider marrying me if I can't keep you safe?" Max said as Billie pressed herself to him. The sudden word of marriage caught her off guard. She looked up at him in shock having never heard him even hint of marriage.

"You aren't a failure. You found me when nobody else could. You led a team of one experienced agent, one rookie, and two potential FBI recruits. With that team, you found me." Billie whispered, reaching up to kiss him.

The warmth of their kiss was filled with the passion of their lost time together. The taste of salt from their tears filled their senses as they drew their bodies toward each other.

Max pressed her away for a moment. "I.." He started to speak again but choked.

"What is it Max?" Billie asked.

"If we're going to be completely honest and transparent about everything, I need to just be straight with you. I was so frustrated while searching for you. I couldn't sleep and couldn't think straight. Cassie came into my room while Flavia and Ross were tracking down information. She... she and I ..." Max fumbled for words to his own confession.

"I know." Billie said softly. "It's okay. I know that you and Cassie have slept together several times. Yeah. I know you did the night before you found me." She suddenly pushed back a bit further. Almost laughing now, "Is that why you haven't slept with me since then?"

"God I'm sorry. It just happened. I was stressed and she came in and started telling me how much I needed to get some sleep." Max started. "I'm such an utter fuck up."

"You're telling me that all this time, you've been worried because you didn't want to admit to fucking Cassie?" Billie laughed.

Max closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. "So, how long have you known."

"Cassie admitted it to me a day after we got back to Clarksburg." Billie said. "She came over and was all apologetic. God, you two act like I'm so insecure that it would be the end of the world for me?"

"So?" Max said.

"So, what?" Billie asked.

"Will you marry me?" Max blurted out.

"Here she comes." Ross said, reaching over to hit the down button for the elevator. Flavia came down the hall, walking swiftly after being the last one out the door.

"Well, I can't remember a time when they've been this torn up at each other." Cassie said, finish an earlier thought.

"Wonder if they're going to be okay." Maria asked, thinking out loud.

"I think they're gonna be just fine." Flavia stated confidently with a mild grin on her face.

Chapter Five

Interlude

Billie tore at Max's shirt, fumbling with the buttons as she began kissing him. His white button down dress shirt pull from his shoulders and fell to the ground as Max ran his fingers through the short, dark brunette hair, gripping her head in his hand and drawing her to him.

Their pent-up passion had built up during the long months of Billie's rehab. Now it was mixed with the frustration of conspiracy, the angst of confession, the brokenness of failure, and the proposal of marriage.

Ripping off her stock, dark blue, dress jacket that fell to the ground, she could feel the firm grip Max had now taken on her left breast. She closed her eyes for a moment, drinking in the sensation but still tugging at her dress slacks. She swiftly fumbled to get out of her shoes and then stepped out of both her pants and shoes in one step.

Max gently shoved her backward, onto the bed. The sudden sensation of falling caught Billie off guard. She lay on the bed looking up at Max as he stood at her feet, admiring her legs now exposed before him. Slowly he unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down

Kneeling down at Billie's feet, Max removed his shoes before taking her feet in his hands. He began kissing her feet and ankles, gripping them firmly.

Billie inhaled deeply and glanced at the door for a moment to assure it was tightly closed. Secure in the knowledge that the door was tightly closed, she began unbuttoning her shirt. Pealing it open she fumbled with the small hook between the cups of her bra.

Max shifted her right leg, bending it slightly as he kissed her calf, then her knee, and then the inside of her thigh. She moaned with pleasure as the flat of his tongue pressed against her flesh and slid up along its way upward.

She opened her legs to him, wanting him, desiring the passion they had shared for over a decade of ups and downs. Reaching down she gripped his head, hastening him to her desires. She could feel him tugging at her panties, not just to the side but pulling them completely off. Lifting her hips slightly, the material of her panties slid along the skin of her ass before falling more freely down her thighs.

He tugged them off her bent leg, but let them hang uselessly along the calf of her other leg. Then, pressing at her knees with both hands, he spread her open to his view. He drank in the sight of her, the long days of confusion between them now a thing of the past.

She begged him to continue, but she knew how patient and slowly Max paced himself when offering her oral pleasure. There was no rushing it, or skipping over it. There was never the thought that foreplay was useless or annoyance that it was a mandatory task. No, to Max, orally pleasuring his lover was as integral a part of making love to a woman as penetrating her. It was an essential and pleasurable element of expressing his desire for her and pleasing himself at the same time.

The longing and begging began in Billie's anticipation. Exposed, and spread bare before him as he paused to drink in the site of her only deepened her desire for his mouth. She rested in his presence, completely exposed with nothing between them. Now with all of their secrets confessed and demons cast aside, not only were they physically bare before one another, they found themselves bare mentally and emotionally as well.

Her desire was now a reality as his mouth pressed into her. Her back arched and her mouth fell agape as the first wave of warmth fell over her body. Both of her hands slid down to the back of his head, begging him, pressing him, urging him on. She could feel the warm sensation of his tongue penetrating her and the licking upward, pressing flat against her clit. The pressure made her reflexively raise her hips into his face as her hands gripped the back of his head.

He gently sucked on her clit as the tip of his tongue playfully toyed with her most sensitive part. She writhed in pleasure, running her fingers through his hair and at times gripping a handful for control.

The long, lonely nights of separation, the anguish over petty things in the past that had kept them apart, the uncertainty of how her lover felt about their future together, all faded away as she approached orgasm.

She bucked up into his face firmly and then swiftly rocked her hips into his tongue a dozen more times before latching on for the ride she had so longed for. The wave of climax began at her sexual core and caused her body to shake uncontrollably. She moaned with such volume that they both feared what the young adults in the next room would imagine. But they didn't care at this point.

As her climax passed he could taste the sweetness of her body, freeing itself from the pent-up frustration. He savored her as she gradually stilled and rested back into the bed.

Billie gripped his head and all but pulled him upward, on top of her. "God, I need you inside me." She said in a demanding voice.

Max willingly complied. Crawling up her body, he could feel his erection gliding along the flesh of her legs and discovering the wet warmth of her thighs.

"I haven't had an orgasm in months." She whispered as he found himself face to face with his lover. "I haven't had sex since... "

Suddenly Max's eyes widened and he hesitated. The angst and frustration of Billie's captivity fell over him like a dark cloud warning of an approaching storm.

Billie grabbed his arm as he started to move away from her. "Don't you dare." She demanded. "Sooner or later, we're both going to have to get over this." She urged passionately.

"But, just the thought of it." Max began.

"It's time for you to stop thinking about what happened months ago and start thinking about the here and now. In the here and now, I want the man I love to make love to me. Nothing has changed in how I feel about you."

She drew him down, back on top of her as she spread her legs to accommodate his hips. She could feel the nature, warm, strength of his erection, barely touching her labia. She had missed him for so long that she ached for his presence.

He hesitated, but his resistance was failing. His weight was now on her and his firm erection was undeniable.

Possibly to make light of the struggle, possibly awkward deflection of the difficult realities, Max tried to shrug it off. "You usually get to have two or three orgasms before you let me..." He sheepishly grinned.

He wanted their lives to be normal again. He wanted her now more than ever before. Now that he knew what he needed to do about his past involvement in what was being reveled as treason to his nation.

"I'll have you sign an IOU when we're done." Billie sarcastically replied. Then she firmly slapped his ass with enough force to shake the entire bed. "Now fuck me, damn it!" She demanded.

All his arguments were gone. Even with all of his personal failures and shortcomings, she still loved him. It was easy to be in her arms. It was where he belonged. As his weight pressed into her body, his cock penetrated her with such aching, slowness that each moment created a new ecstasy.

He could feel her squeeze her muscles and relax, accepting him. Her body shifted, preparing to be taken the way they had expressed themselves sexually for as long as she could remember. It wasn't routine or rote movements. It wasn't mindlessness or a mechanical sexuality. It was her, wanting him more than she wanted anything else in the world.

As he took his first actual thrust into her, he realized how different it was from all the other women he had fucked. The emotion was on the brink of understanding. He had fucked women while undercover when called upon to keep appearances. He had experienced intimacy with their junior partner, Cassie, while on such a mission. He experienced her again before she had joined the FBI, while they had been on the run from a killer. He had even experienced Cassie in the throes of stress while hunting for Billie. He wasn't certain, since he had been drugged at the time. But he may have had a sexual encounter with Tiffany while undercover. He wasn't sure. But it didn't matter.

All of the other women were meaningless. It was just the mechanics of fucking. Behind the mechanics there may have been friendship, like Cassie. Yet, only Billie could be defined as something other than fucking. Billie was different. Yes, there was friendship and yes, there was an intimacy. Still, deep inside him, he tried to define the emotion. It was that simple then, wasn't it? Billie was the only women that he truly loved.

'Men don't cry', he argued with himself. Always the federal agent and never the human being. Yet welling up inside him was the emotional explosion, held back for months. Gazing into Billie's eyes as he made love to her, he realized it was time. It was time to end his career, retire, and beg this wonderful woman to be his wife.

Just as the thought that it was time, struck him, he experienced a shuttering climax inside his lover that had been building up since Cassie told him Billie was missing. His body shook, wracked with emotional release, confirmed by physical release, and shared with the one he desired more than anything.

She clenched her muscles, milking him for each spasm of his love. Gripping his head, she kissed him deeply. She could taste the saltiness of his emotional state as they kissed. His body collapsed as the wave of orgasm ended the throbbing and jerking inside her body.

Wrapping her arms around him, she could feel the emotional release from their stressful times. "Looks like you needed that far more than you wanted to admit." She whispered before kissing the side of his face again.

Billie exited the bathroom, dressed and presentable to the team again. She started to leave the room and let Max have a turn in the bathroom as he spoke. "What about that IOU?" He said humorously.

"I'll have my lawyer draw it up. But I don't think you're going to like the interest rate. Compounded hourly." Billie said with a twinkle in her eye. It was a much more relaxed and joyful expression than Max had seen in her for months.

She started for the door again when Max stood and took her arm. "Seriously, you didn't answer my question." Max said.

"Which question was that?" Billie grinned, returning to her normal banter.

"Okay, okay. You're going to make me do this?" He asked.

"Yes, I am." She said firmly.

"I'm naked and spent. Is this the way you want it?" Max said.

"You're not going to ask me to marry you like this. In a time of chaos, naked, and directed by your cock's need to blow. You don't even have a ring." Billie said, defining a proper proposal over what he had said earlier.

As she opened the door to the living space, they could hear the team returning from grabbing dinner at a cafe in the lobby. "We brought you guys some food." Cassie shouted from the living room.

"Get dressed. We need to get somewhere with that data yet tonight." Billie said firmly. "We'll talk about this when there is time to sort it out. You know. To talk it out properly."

Billie left the room, as Max stood there naked, spent, and disappointed. 'That's the problem. There's never time to talk about it properly.' Max thought to himself.

The team members were all busy at various tasks when Max came into the living room. He was fully dressed and looking much more like himself. Billie had her back to him, talking to Ross who was at the desk, hooking up electronics.

"Billie." Max said in a firm voice. "I asked you a question and I think I deserve an answer."

Billie turned around to face him. Every eye in the room was on her as she shot Max a mild expression of disgust mixed with confusion and embarrassment. "This isn't the time." She said. Of course, what Max heard was, 'not in front of the children.'

"Then when?" Max replied, undeterred. He stepped up in front of her and knelt down, taking her hand.

Cassie gasped and in slowly enunciated speech, let out, "Oh my god."

Ross pushed his chair back out of the line of fire.

"Billie, will you marry me?" Max said in a strong, confident voice. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a ring.
"Oh, good lord! How did you...?" Billie started to say as the emotional reaction struck her.

"I've had this with me for the last year. I'm not going to wait any longer for the right time to talk it out properly. Will you marry me?"

Billie hesitated as the perturbed look on her face melted. "You shithead, of course I'll marry you." She said.

The group broke into applause as Billie pulled Max up from his kneeling position and started hugging him. "There's no backing out this time Billie. We have witnesses." Max said before kissing her.

The, holding her hand in his, he slid the ring onto her finger, making it official.

Chapter Six

Research

Ross sat at the computer screens that had overtaken the living room of the grand suite. The group ate their dinners but Ross was too focused to eat. Boxes of take-out covered the counter in the kitchenette and empty Rolling Rock bottles were now scattered throughout the room.

Billie and Cassie sat on a couch, comparing rings as Maria looked on from an easy chair, a bit envious. Flavia slid into the chair with her and whispered something in Maria's ear that made her smile. The two kissed and settled in as they finished their drinks.

"Got something." Ross said loudly.

Max jumped up and looked over Ross's shoulder to see what he was looking at.

"Hidden in plain sight." Ross said under his breath.

"What?" Max asked.

"I've been careful not to just plug this into our computer system that's networked and run it. I didn't know if it would auto erase or pull a virus stunt. So, it's still in the security chamber. I ran diagnostics and disabled the tracking software on the drive. Pretty ingenious if you ask me." Ross started.

"And?" Max pressed.

"It's safe now. The tracking was high end, but the security chamber..." Ross explained.

Max interrupted, "You mean this box that Moss made sure was included in the equipment they set out for you?"

"Yeah. It acts as a buffer between this laptop and the drive. It lets you look inside at the operating system and scans for both digital and physical tracking."

"Was it set for tracking?" Max asked.

"On both counts." Ross confirmed. "But I disabled that easily. What I found was absolutely nothing on the drive."

"So, what's going on with it?" Max asked, in confusion. "Moss told me it had all the documents and evidence needed to put away the entire group."

"Look at the model number and ID on the back." Ross pointed out. The drive was now harmlessly propped up on the desk, now that the fear of tracking had been mitigated.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It just doesn't match the manufacturer's numbering systems. It's made me look at the drive itself more carefully." Ross said.

"All the drives from this manufacturer, have IDs that start with the drive format, then disk size, then an ID or serial number. But this one is different. It's backwards. The serial numbers don't match the pattern of the manufacturer's numbering system, either." Ross mumbled.

"How the hell did Moss think we could get the data off this thing and expose their secrets if plugging it in would destroy it. Then, why would he go through all this trouble to give you a blank drive?" Max quietly ranted.

"What did he say when he gave it to you?" Ross asked again.

"He said you'd be smart enough to know that it will be harder than just plug and play. 'Tell him it's a shell game' was the last thing he said about it." Max replayed the conversation in his mind.

"It can't be that easy?" Ross said in disgust.

He turned the drive over again and looked at the numbers. Then pulling out his pocket knife, he flicked a blade open and slid it along a seam on one side. Then, using the blade to pry the case open, the outer shell of the drive fell away.

"Damn." Ross said.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just a harmless drive, hooked up and operating normally. Sorry boss. I just don't get what Moss was trying to say." Ross said.

"He said it was a shell game. So maybe the evidence isn't under this shell and he's just moving three shells around, making us look like fools." Max said.

"You think the evidence was never even on this drive? That it's just a shell." Ross asked.

"It's a possibility." Max began.

"FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!" Ross shouted a he grabbed the shell of the drive and flipped it back to the numbers. "FUCK!" he shouted again and turned to the primary computer keyboard.

"What?" Max asked in confusion.

"The digits Max. It's in the serial number on the shell." Ross said. "The data is under a different 'shell'." Ross said as his fingers hit a flurry of keys.

Suddenly the left screen of his computer setup, went blank and started the operating systems prompts. Ross typed in several lines of code and the system started searching. A password system appeared on screen and Ross typed in the numbers.

"What are you doing?" Max asked with a bit of concern.

"It's in the shell." Ross mumbled.

Then, magically a hundred lines of data shot past the screen and data began downloading to the computer.

"Ross, what's going on?" Max asked in shock.

Ross turned in his chair and had the attention of the entire room. "All the evidence is already on the internet. It's hidden in a billion bits of data packets, spread out on unsuspecting internet users around the world. It's a system called the shell." Ross began explaining in rapid fire.

"So, it's there but nobody knows it?" Cassie asked.

"Right. Billions of computers have bits of the information. But without the code to draw the information back into actual documents, text, and files, it's useless gibberish."

Max still looked confused.

"Okay, for the old guys in the room." Ross rolled his eyes and continued. "If I had a puzzle that had a billion pieces and hid one piece in the far back of a junk drawer, of a billion homes spread out around the world, I could hide the picture the puzzle creates. But given a guide map to each of those homes with the location of each piece of the puzzle, you could put it back together again. For you that would take forever, but to computers on a world-wide web, it can take place very quickly." Ross explained.

"What's going on with this thing then?" Max said, pointing to the lines on the screen shooting by.

"That's the dark web software using our combination to go get all the pieces and reassemble the puzzle on this hard drive." Ross replied, calmly. "It could take a while. So now we wait."

"A year ago, we were tracking down microfiche from the sixties and today we're tracking down puzzle pieces from junk drawers." Billy said as she stood and leaned up against her partner. "Makes you feel kinda old, doesn't it Max?"

"I brought toys from the Icebox that will top that, easy." Ross said.

The whole-time Max sat, astounded at how quickly he was becoming the old guy in the department. The thought of the changes that were headed his way were overwhelming. "It won't matter much to me. If they arrest me for treason and release of national intelligence, they'll probably lock me up in a cell with an actual, old school key." Max muttered.

Several hours later, Max pushed the door open to Cassie's room. Cassie was resting on the bed while the team waited for the download of data to download and compile.

He sat gently down on the bed next to her and shook her shoulder, "Hey Cassie. You're on deck soon." He whispered, waking her up slowly.

She sat up next to him and ran her fingers through her hair. Then she reached over in groggy motions to hug him. "Easy there, partner. You're married now." Max laughed.

"Yeah I know. Still sinking in." She said, still gripping him. She pulled back from the hug slightly before speaking again. "Thank you." She said softly.

"For what?" Max asked, surprised.

She let go of him and sat up, side by side with him. "For believing in me. For introducing me to Ross. For making sure I'd do my training with you. For walking me down the aisle since my folks are gone. You know, you're kinda like a dad to me." She whispered.

"You're pretty special, kiddo." Max said as they sat there quietly. "I think there's always a reason to circumstances. It wasn't an accident that we got to know each other while I was undercover. Your expertise and talent are why I recruited you. As for Ross, I think you kinda introduced yourself."

"Oh, god... I remember." She said with a smile. "I walked past your video conference with him while I was topless."

"Yeah. Let's just say that when you're topless, you make a pretty big impression on most guys." Max replied with a laugh.

"You made the night before that kinda special for me as I recall." Cassie said softly.

Max stumbled a bit as he tried to respond. "I tried my best, but you are half my age." He finally replied.

Cassie laughed at him and shoved sideways, knocking him a bit with her shoulder. "Yes. On that night the fucking was pretty hot. But what I meant was, you kept me safe. I felt safe."

He paused before speaking again. "Ross is a truly good guy." He said, turning their conversation back to new realities.

"I know. I just can't believe that we're married before you and Billie." She said.

"Don't be. I wasn't really all that sure she'd say yes." Max said knowingly.

"Seriously? Like that would ever happen? She's sooo into you its not even funny." Cassie said.

"She's the only one I've ever felt this way about." Max said softly.

"Well, leave me speechless." Cassie said sarcastically. "Guess I was just yesterday's leftovers now that you're engaged."

Max grinned and wanted to laugh, mindful of the fact that he and Cassie had shared a bed several times. "Present company excluded." He replied.

"I'll let it slip this time." Cassie said with a grin.

They could see shadows approaching from the hall. Billie peeked in. "Hey, what is my fiancé and Ross's wife, doing alone in a dark bedroom?" She said with a smirk.

"Better keep an eye on this one. He might get away." Cassie said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Cassie. I need you." Ross shouted from the living room.

"Be right there." Cassie called back. "My husband needs me." She said to Max with a smile, still learning the comfortable use of the term.

She left and Billie sat down in her place. "What was that all about?"

"It's about time." Max replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Billie said, a confused expression on her face.

"It's about time for the kids to take over." Max said confidently.

Billie's eyes widened as she took in his meaning. "And how do you propose they take over?"

Max remained calm and quiet. "If I'm not in jail a week from now, I'll be turning in my retirement plan with the chief."

"Diiiiid you consider talking to me about that before you decided it?" She said, pondering just how close their engagement would bring them to discuss such matters.

"I'm tired Billie." Max said quietly.

"You never take a day off, you've run a dozen back to back operations, and you haven't seen a true vacation in years." She said. "Of course, you're tired."

"I don't know. Maybe sabbatical or maybe it's just time." He said, before turning to her. "Maybe I should consider becoming just a trainer or work in consulting for a while before truly retiring. But I can't keep this up."

"What about me?" Billie said bluntly.

"You've always been your own person. You keep doing what you love until you don't love it anymore." He replied.

"I'll have to think about it." She said sadly. "But then again, you may be right. This is a game for younger people than us. We gave up relationships, marriage, family, friends, ... everything."

"It's not too late. We're young enough to have some life for us now." Max said.

"MAX!" Cassie called out urgently from the living room.

Max and Billie entered the living room to see the entire team at work, reading documents being printed. Cassie was scanning a document written in Russian.

"This will require a diplomatic translator to verify. God Max, this stuff is unreal." Cassie said, waving for him to come over. She pointed down at several lines of text as if Max could read it. "Sorry. This is a document is signed by the Russian prime minister, first deputy, four deputy prime minister and a few federal ministers."

"Sorry but what level of government would that be for Russia?" Flavia asked.

"That would be like the president, his cabinet, and a few heads of various departments within the government." Billie explained.

"Who is Alexander Bortnikov?" Cassie asked.

"The former Federal Security Service director. Or the equivalent of the Director of our FBI." Max chimed in.

"And Nikolai Patrushev." Cassie finished.

"The current Federal Security Service director." Max said in confusion.

"What's this about?"

"They both were in regular communication with James Comey. These documents are transcripts of a hundred or more phone conversations." Cassie looked up with almost terror in her eyes. "They were plotting against the current president of the United States during the last election. They're talking about ways to undermine the election."

"So, the whole Russia Collusion thing that's been in the news for the last three years is a lie?" Maria said.

Max hesitated. "I knew it wasn't true when I walked away from the black ops team. I just couldn't prove anything. I was told that Carter Page was an enemy of the State and that we needed to take him down. But the guy never bit once. He was like an old-school boy scout."

"There's more. It's just as damning in English." Ross said looking over a file on screen. "I'm not sure, but this may be a transcript of the same conversations, from the FBI's archives."

Billie had been silent for several minutes while reading a paper document that had finished printing. "Max." She handed him the document, turned to a specific page. "This is a shitstorm."

"What?" Cassie asked as Max read the page of the document.

Billie grimly looked at the group. "Obama not only knew about it, he directed it."

Chapter Seven

Undercover

Maria entered the restaurant first as Flavia held the door for her. They were greeted by the petite hostess who wore the matching white dress shirt and black, short skirt with dark hose, as all the other staff. She took their name gave a seating time before the girls heading to the bar. "There she is. Over at the end of the bar." Flavia said quietly, leaning into Maria's ear to be heard over the cacophony of noise. The crowd of DC elites were packed into Fogo de Chão, just blocks from the J. Edgar Hoover Building.

Flavia made a quick move to sidestep her way into position as a guy was obviously hitting on their target. She aggressively forced her way between the two, calling the bartender for two drinks in her native Portuguese. The bartender of the Brazilian steak house nodded in appreciation of a customer's fluency.

She turned and looked to the two people she had blatantly interrupted and said, "So what were we talking about." Maria stepped forward and boxed in the conversation for good measure.

"This guy was just about to use a line on me." Said the woman at the bar.

"He's probably going to walk away when he finds out I'm a lesbian."

With that the guy nodded and smiled. He took a sip of his drink before say, "Pardon me for bothering you."

As he walked away with his tail between his legs, Maria spoke directly to Flavia. "You truly are amazing." She shook her head in disbelief for the way things had played out.

"Yeah. And you owe me twenty dollars." Flavia said with obvious satisfaction.

"For what?" The woman asked, amused by the turn of events.

"She told me you were a lesbian." Maria said a bit amused herself.

"So what gave it away?" The woman commented.

"I just read people. It looked like you truly weren't interested in Mr. Georgetown." Flavia said, letting her Brazilian accent free to accentuate the conversation.

"That's why I love her." Maria said, moving in more closely to Flavia. She reached behind Flavia and accepted the drinks from the bartender, handing one to Flavia.

"Flavia, Party of Three?" Called out a hostess.

"That's us." Maria said.

"Well it was nice meeting you. Thanks for the save." The woman said.

"No. That's US." Flavia replied. "I took the liberty. Would you join us?"

The woman seemed taken by Flavia's aggressive personality and the look of confusion melted into amusement. "I'd be delighted."

"Okay, who trained her? This isn't in any of the textbooks." Billie said, as the team listened in on the conversation from the van outside.

"That's the scary part. Nobody trained her. She's just a natural." Max replied, listening intently with one headphone pressed against his ear.

"Tracking down the agent who stormed your home was the easy part. But Flavia is making this right down child's play." Ross commented.

"Just wish I could be there to see it in person." Cassie commented, feeling a bit left out of the operation.

"This agent would know you two. Flavia and Maria aren't in the books. They're the safest bet to get close to the target."

Dinner concluded as the woman they now knew as Leigh, stopped Flavia from turning her red coaster to green for the last time. "I couldn't eat another bite." Leigh demanded. The typical Brazilian steak house would see a wave of waiters bringing meats to your table when they see the red coaster next to a patron.

"Well, there's always room for Brigadeiro." Flavia said.

"Oooh. I'll have some too." Maria said.

"What is Brigadeiro?" Leigh asked.

"It's a cross between a chocolate truffle and a chocolate custard, rolled in coco or shaved chocolate. Truly decadent." Flavia explained as she called a waiter over.

"The girl's got game." Max said laughing.

Ross shifted to adjust the gain on the recording systems, making sure everything was being tracked.

"Why?" Cassie asked.

"Brigadeiro, is a desert named after a Brazilian General who stopped a coup attempt in Brazil that would have led to Communism." Billie explained.

"A bit ironic." Cassie replied.

"God, isn't she pressing the limits here?" Max said with a bit of concern in his voice.

"Like someone else I know." Billie said.

"It's not much, but in DC who can afford anything?" Leigh said as she opened the door to her apartment a half hour later. The three girls entered the small, efficiency apartment as Maria asked for directions to the bathroom. "Nothing is too hard to find in a place this small. Right through there."

Maria headed off into the bedroom to find the bathroom as Flavia chatted up the subject.

"So, you're with the FBI. Must be dangerous." Flavia said, looking around at the framed photos of Leigh with other FBI agents. The bright yellow lettering on black wind-breakers was hard to miss.

"Yeah. Been with the Bureau for about six years now." Leigh said. "Nothing all that dangerous." She continued.

Flavia reached up and caressed her cheek but ultimately asked, "So this injury had nothing to do with being a bad ass federal agent?"

"Oh, that." Leigh said, tilting her head to let Flavia caress her. "Nothing much. Just a training accident.

Flavia stepped closer and used her hand to tilt Leigh's head, exposing the injury but also exposing her neck. "Hum. Might not be as bad as it looks then. It looks very delightful, by the way."

Leigh hesitated but smiled gently. "I think things look delightful too."

Given the freedom in Leigh's voice, Flavia ran her caress down Leigh's neck and along her collar bone. She tilted her head as if to be examining Leigh's neck and skin.

"You didn't start without me did you? Maria asked as she re-entered the room. She walked confidently toward Leigh and slid a hand across the small of her back, gently resting her hand on Leigh's hips.

Flavia leaned forward and kissed Leigh tentatively. They lingered, tasting each other and experiencing the pleasure of their warmth. "Sorry, but I couldn't deny myself the touch of your lips any longer." Flavia said with her smoky Brazilian accent.
Leigh seemed a bit stunned by the moment and turned to see Maria's expression. But as she did, Maria also leaned in and kissed Leigh as well. Maria tilted her head and reached up, grabbing the back of Leigh's head as she pressed her mouth to waiting lips. It was a firmer, more forceful kiss than Leigh had expected.

"You're right," Maria finally said, "those are amazing lips."

The two girls both advanced on Leigh at the same time, Maria tilted her head so that she could kiss at Leigh's neck, giving Flavia a turn at kissing their new friend.

Leigh's breathing hastened and the girls could feel Leigh's hands now exploring their asses. Maria's short, full skirt was tugged upward as Leigh gripped a soft mound of flesh. Her thumb slid along the material of Maria's thong, playfully tugging at it which was causing Maria to also become aroused.

Leigh could feel Maria's breath on her neck, fluctuate with passion as she caressed the flesh in her hands.

Flavia was wearing a classic, little black dress, that was so tight, Leigh only gripped at the thin material. Relishing the position she was in, Leigh softly held the girls in her grip, pressing their bodies to hers as they took turns kissing her.

"I didn't really expect this tonight." Leigh said softly.

"Is that regret?" Flavia asked.

"Only regret that I didn't shave more closely this morning." Leigh said.

"Guess we'll have to be the judge of that." Maria said as she started unbuttoning Leigh's blouse. As the light blue blouse fell away, it exposed the sensual, nearly see through bra she was hiding underneath.

"Not all work and no play, I see." Flavia said as she reached behind Leigh and unfastened the bra.

Leigh's fair skin and soft, round breasts were exposed to the cool air in the room. Her mouth fell agape as both women, simultaneously leaned in to suckle on her breasts.

Soon Maria stepped closer to Leigh, gently nudging her backward until she sat down on the padded ottoman in front of the couch. Flavia walked around behind the ottoman and helped Leigh lean back until she was resting on her back.

Maria knelt between Leigh's legs and unbuttoned the dress slacks she was wearing. Pulling softly, Leigh raised her hips and permitted herself to be completely undressed by the girls.

She lay naked before them and watched as both Maria and Flavia undressed. Flavia's darker Brazilian skin seemed to glow against the pure white lace panties and bra as she removed her cloths. Maria, much fairer skinned as Leigh, also undressed, revealing a spring teal colored bra and panties that soon were tossed aside on the couch.

Maria knelt again between Leigh's legs and pressed them open. Flavia, still wearing her heals while totally naked, stepped forward until she stood hovering over Leigh; one leg on either side of the ottoman and thus on either side of Leigh's head. She was given a perfect view of Flavia's body.

Leigh reached upward and explored Flavia's thighs as Maria bent forward and took a slow, leisurely lick of Leigh's labia. Leigh let her head fall back and slightly off the ottoman, a small groan leaving her mouth as Maria explored.

Leigh's mounds were full and she had the kind of labia that were think and delicate. Maria used the tip of her tongue, sliding along the frail folds she found by using her grip, fully exposing her.

"Looks like you keep things tidy enough down here." Flavia said, bending forward to inspect the neatly trimmed pubic hair before taking her turn at licking Leigh's clit from the opposite direction. In doing so, she knelt on one knee to the left of Leigh's head with her right foot still solidly on her heels. By shifting slightly, Flavia was able to lower her own sex to Leigh's waiting lips.

She wasn't disappointed. Leigh was certainly experienced at providing oral pleasure to a woman. Flavia looked to Maria and in an unguarded, out from undercover moment, she mouthed the words, "Wow, this woman knows how to do this right."

Maria smiled, "I hope you give me a ride on your new plaything."

The three, continued pleasuring each other until Leigh broke loose first. There were audible groans and her tongue stopped pleasuring Flavia as the first wave hit.

Flavia stood upright and traded places with Maria. But Maria chose to face the other direction, lowering her labia to Leigh's face. She looked down between her legs to watch as Leigh enjoyed herself. Maria ran her fingers through Leigh's hair a Leigh became even more hungry for her lover.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Maria asked as she realized she was being a bit aggressive in the way she was grinding herself into Leigh's face.

"Never." Leigh whispered, looking directly upward into Maria's eyes. Leigh's expression suddenly changed and brightened as Flavia did something unique between her legs.

"She does that to me often. Isn't it wonderful?" Maria grinned.

Then gripping a handful of Leigh's hair, she pressed herself into the face of the woman below her. Her hips began grinding down aggressively. A few moments later, Maria's head fell back and she let out a deep, guttural moan as an orgasm wafted over her body. She let her full weight press down on Leigh's face as Leigh's hands gripped Maria's thighs. Maria could feel the deep, penetrating presence of Leigh's tongue, piercing her, causing her to grind even more fully into Leigh.

Flavia had begun not only orally pleasing Leigh, but fingering her new friend as well. Leigh raised her legs and drew them up until they touched Maria's back, fully exposing herself to Flavia's attention.

Maria, reached behind her and took Leigh's legs under her arms, holding her legs upward as Flavia aggressively fingered Leigh, now with two fingers, rubbing intensely as she found the woman's special spot deep inside her.

The movements paid off as Leigh broke loose and shook beneath the two women.

"God, how long do these two go?" Billie asked from the van as the rest of the team experienced the audio version of events.

Both Ross and Cassie, nearly in unison, replied, "All night."

"So you both?" Billie asked cautiously.

Both Ross and Cassie nodded nonchalantly.

"What the fuck have you guys been doing while I was kidnapped, raped, and in rehab?" Billie asked sarcastically.

"Well, he did it first.' Cassie said, almost in a tone of a tattle tale, throwing a thumb in the direction of Ross.

"It was while on an operation." Ross stated firmly. "You did it because you wanted to."

"Oh, like it was such a chore for you." Cassie shot back.

"Look, I..." Ross started to shoot back.

"Hey, Hey! Guys. We're on an operation here. Can we deal with our rampantly out of control sex lives, some other time?" Max chimed in.

"Well at least Max didn't ..." Billie began, but looked over at him.

Max sheepishly admitted, "Well that was the night Cassie and I kinda."

"Is there anyone on this team that hasn't been fucking every other member of the team?" Billie commented.

"Well, for the record, you and I haven't." Ross said confidently.

Billie paused a beat and looked at him with a stare that could kill. Then she leaned over and kissed Ross right on the lips. She let loose, giving him a deeply penetrating kiss that, as she pulled away, leaving the much younger man speechless.

Ross was stunned for a bit. Cassie was even more stunned.

"Could you teach her that thing you just did with your tongue?" Ross asked before receiving a massive slap on the back of the head by Cassie.

Flavia had sprawled her entire body over Leigh, pressing her breasts against her new lover's while kissing her. Maria circled the two, gently sliding the tips of her fingernails across Flavia's bare ass.

"I think I'm the only one who's been left out so far." Flavia said, again drifting into her Brazilian accent.

Leigh shifted, accepting Flavia's weight on her. The shift permitted their legs to intertwine as Flavia's pelvic bone rested firmly on Leigh's.

"What's stopping you?" Leigh asked, looking into Flavia's eyes.

"I like to be on top. I also like to be in control." Flavia said aggressively.

"Like I said, what's stopping you?" Leigh said, inviting her lover to take control.

Flavia began arching her hips, grinding against Leigh's. Both women could feel the increased wetness between them. Flavia lifted her torso, gripping one of Leigh's breasts in one hand while gripping a shoulder with the other.

She watched intently as Leigh's breasts shook with each grind of her hips, and stared deeply into Leigh's eyes as she became intentional in her movements. She was determined to achieve her orgasm a Leigh urged her on.

Leigh was fully engaged with Flavia and didn't even notice that Maria had left the room. In Leigh's bedroom, Maria gently opened a window and pulled out a clear patch of plastic. Then peeling off a protective paper layer, she reached to the outside of the window and stuck the adhesive side against the glass. Pressing it firmly, from the inside you could only see a single black dot, the size of a lady bug.

Moments later she rejoined the girls in the living room. She grinned, knowing how aggressively Flavia would become as she neared orgasm. She sat on the edge of the couch and leaned down, kissing Leigh as Flavia used her for her sexual gratification.

Pulling back, Maria caressed Leigh's face and ran fingers through her hair as she watched her partner in the throes of passion. A smile fell on her face, knowing how much Flavia enjoyed her more dominant position of sexuality.

She thought back to the days when they first met and how suppressed Flavia had been. Now she was watching her lover blatantly express her desires without reservation.

They caught an Uber back to the hotel where Max and Ross were already listening in on Leigh's apartment.

"This isn't legal and wouldn't stand up in a court of law." Billie reminded Max.

"Legal hasn't stopped Comey and his band of merry henchmen. But if it gives us a lead that we can use to uncover admissible evidence, I think I'm ready to see it." Max replied.

"Even a data dump of inadmissible evidence on the dark web helps the cause of unmasking the people behind all of this." Ross pointed out.

"How so?" Cassie asked.

"If you have a thousand hackers out there trying to find the evidence, they wouldn't find much. But if you give them the scent of where the evidence is, they'll track it down like hound dogs chasing a rabbit." He explained.

"That's so cruel by the way." Maria said in disgust at the analogy.

"Cruel or not, you point the hackers in the right direction and every one of these documents could end up posted on millions of websites within minutes." Ross said confidently.

"Minutes?" Max mused.

"If that long." Ross continued. "Consider the whole Wikileaks thing. Those documents hit the fan and were spread like wildfire within one day of release. It only took a few seconds for the embers to light fires all around the world."

"So, you think that if we released all this information to the world, .." Max started to speak but was interrupted.

"She's on the phone." Cassie said, pointing to the headphones she was wearing.

"I know, I know. I should have checked in with you." Leigh began speaking in a one-sided conversation. The vibration of her voice across the window glass in her bedroom picked up her voice and transmitted it as digital signal to the van.

"I get it. You need to know where Max and Billie went after they left Pennsylvania."

"God, she even knew where we were." Billie said with a gasp. "These guys are good."

"Listen, you need to tell Mansa that I have it covered." She paused. "Yes, I get it but, ... Oh give it a rest. Everyone knows codename Mansa is for Obama." Leigh shouted into the phone.

Cassie dropped her headset and grabbed a stack of documents, quickly flipping through them at an amazing pace. The rest of the group continued listening intently to the conversation. Billie was taking notes and Cassie continued her document dive.

"Mansa wants us to be more aggressive? The last time we were more aggressive we were attacked by a sonic boom and I still can't hear out of my right ear." Leigh barked into the phone, sounding more like a swat team member than the lesbian lover of a earlier that night.

"Mansa. Got it." Cassie shouted. She pulled out a document that showed the codeword being used in conjunction with operation Crossfire. "Mansa authorized the initiation of the Crossfire operations. He left it in the hands of James Comey and the FBI in charge of the operation. Clapper wasn't happy about it. Comey was instructed by Mansa to ruin Michael Flynn." Cassie said, summarizing the pages she began handing to Max.

"God this is deeper than we knew." Max said in disgust.

"There are dozens of references to Mansa in the documents I've read so far." Cassie said confidently.

"What's Mansa?" Flavia asked innocently.

"It was like saying the king or sultan to many Islamic countries. It's language from the 14th and 15th century." Ross muttered.

"African History and Culture for 800, Alex!" Billie replied shaking her head at him.

"Yeah, I know. Can't figure out how I remember crap like that." Ross said.

"There's a document toward the back of that file that said something about Mansa coming from a paper he wrote in college. Some political hero biography." Cassie pointed out.

"Got it." Maria said quietly and confidently.

"Got what?" Max asked.

"It's in his file that was a part of the data dump." Maria said looking back and forth at the team in the dim lighting of the van.

"Who's file?" Billie asked calmly.

"The file on Obama and his college days." Maria said quietly.

Now the whole van was quiet. They drank in the reality that not only did the prior president know of the unethical activities of FBI members, he had actually orchestrated those activities. Even worse, he used the FBI against the duly elected President of the United States.

"Where?" Max finally asked.

"There's a list of summary paragraphs of just about every paper Obama turned in during college. The opposition research team wanted to know if there were documented papers Obama wrote, that could be used to point out a weakness they could use against him in the campaign of 2012." Maria said.

"Isn't that illegal?" Flavia asked. "In Brazil it would be normal, but does it happen here too?"

"Any public document that a candidate has written, is fair game for an opposition research team." Max stated. "The Russian Dossier, was produced by Hillary Clintons opposition research team, but it had only a handful of statements that were true." He finished.

"What was true." Cassie asked in confusion, knowing now that the whole dossier was fictional.

"The name of the candidate running in position to them." Max said grimly. "And that he was from New York."

"Obama had an obsession in college with a sultan king from the 14th century that was one of the Mansa leaders. There's a whole paper on him." Maria said, forcing her way back into the conversation.

"Wait. You know what this means?" Ross said.

"Yeah." Max said somberly.

"We don't need to set the scent for hackers." Ross continued for the group.

"That's good, cause the poor rabbit and everything." Flavia replied for Maria's sake.

Ross grinned a bit but finished. "You not only can put them on the scent, you can give them the specific GPS of where the rabbit it sitting."

"I'm thinking, 'Fire Sale'" Max said to Ross.

His eyes grew twice their size and Ross realized what Max had planned.

Chapter Eight

Senate Judiciary Hearing

It was the nuclear option of hackers everywhere. A fire sale was, for the more radical hackers, the thought of an intentional, international, hack of government, state, and local computer systems being hacked simultaneously. The thought of all computer operated systems failing at the same time was believed to be the opportunity for a new world order to emerge.

But for Max, this had become personal.

"You sure this is the right direction?" Billie asked him as she straightened his tie.

"There's no other way to correct the FBI, let alone all the other agencies of the federal government." He replied.

"Your name is in those documents." She said grimly.

"I know." Max said, taking her hands away from the tie she had fixed four times already. "They'll be so busy with the big fish that my minor part in all of this will take years to sort out. Moss, knew that by giving me this information that he would be ousted too."

"Well, before you go in, you should know that Ross made some adjustments to the files." Billie said.

She immediately felt Max pull away in frustration. "It has to be all or nothing. We can't be like them and protect ourselves while we point out the illegal activity of those in leadership." Max said, frustrated with the knowledge that Ross had tampered with evidence.

"Like it or not, those documents that link you and Moss to this mess are not in the fire sale, along with any other lower level agent that was just following orders. If they thought they were doing the right thing and were lied to by their superiors, then I had the documents removed.

"Who authorized you to do that?" Max said.

"I did." Billie said defiantly.

"You can't. This is my team and I make the final decision." Max demanded in anger.

"You resigned. Or you retired. Whatever you said you were doing. So therefore, you are no longer in charge. I'm the senior agent on the team." Billie said with a forceful tone that Max had rarely heard.

"This conversation isn't over." Max demanded, just as defiantly.

"Good. We'll have something to argue about for the next thirty or forty years." Billie said. "Now go light the fire."

"Mr. Wright. We're now prepared to take your opening statement. You have thirty minutes." The chairman said before sitting back in his black, leather chair.

"Thank you, Senator Graham. I've spent half my life as a loyal member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In that time, I've spent most of my service in the role of an undercover agent." Max began.

Cameras flashed from the mosh pit of media as he gave his opening statement. The Senators listened intently for the most part but two were turned, listening to their aids.

"I wish to go on the record today, confessing my knowledge of and participation in the operation Crossfire actions of the FBI in late 2016."

Additional aids began speaking with the Senators, and several audience members began quietly talking behind him.

"I will also testify today that the former President of the United States of America, not only knew about Crossfire, but he directed the operation from the Oval office." Max continued.

"This is an outright sham." Shouted one Senator.

"Order. We will have order in this hearing. Your comments are to be held until your time begins." Senator Graham stated firmly in his signature southern accent.

"I have factual evidence that leads to only one conclusion. The former President of the United States has committed treason against our great nation. He used the full weight and authority of the FBI to place wiretaps, bugs, and even plant spies in the campaign of the opposition party during the 2016 election."

The entire Senate hearing room was now buzzing as phones were being held to ears and text messages were being received.

"Not knowing who to trust in the government, I have personally released all documentation relating to Crossfire Hurricane as well as two dozen other operations targeting political members of the current president and his team."

Outraged members of the left began shouting to be recognized as Senator Graham gaveled them down. Staffers were showing documents and cell phone screens to their Senators. Looks of panic crossed the faces of several Senators as several others sat back with expressions of satisfaction.
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