Untouched

"CARE FOR A SCOTCH?" Daniel MacAlister stood by the window looking out at the rainy suburban landscape of Bethesda. While not as romantic as the spy rendezvous on foggy London bridges and deserted parks that happened in movies, Jack White's Maryland town house served its purpose, and more comfortably. CIA field operatives--especially deep-cover ones like Daniel--didn't have offices, but worked all over the globe on assignments that rarely made the papers. A coded phone call would summon him when he was needed. Daniel couldn't count how many times he'd stood in this spot, awaiting his orders. Jack always asked him if he wanted a drink, and Daniel always answered the same way. Jack's offer was a gesture, a pro forma nicety that Daniel wasn't expected to accept. "No, thanks." "All right then, down to business." Jack took a folder from the black leather case on the desk and pushed it across the table, his voice matter-of-fact. "This is beyond top secret--destroy it when you're done." The file, heavy in his hand, was as thick as a novel. Daniel frowned. "Remington? I thought she was decommissioned after the accident last year." Almost a year ago, Daniel had been infiltrating a secret terrorist lab discovered in the heart of the Nevada desert, with Risa Remington at his side. She wasn't an agent--she was the government's secret weapon, a mind-reading superhero. She'd lost her powers when something set off an electromagnetic blast in the lab--almost killing her, as well. Jack took a leisurely sip of his drink, his sharp blue eyes meeting Daniel's, revealing nothing. "That's true. But she's not adjusting to civilian life. We're worried about her." "She's become a threat?" he asked bluntly. Jack shrugged. "We knew it was possible. But in spite of what people think, we're not in the habit of killing someone just because they're not useful to us anymore. We had to assume she'd stay quiet about everything she knows until she proved otherwise. She and her family have done a lot of good for this country. We owed her that chance, at least." "But you think she's turning?" "Uncertain. She's exhibiting questionable behaviors. Isolating herself in her apartment, using her Internet aliases and underground contacts to get her hands on basic surveillance equipment. She's emotionally unpredictable, unconnected to anyone in the real world, and she doesn't have any experience with normal, everyday life. It's been months since she went out on her own. We did what we could to help, but..." "Why didn't you just keep her here?" "Maintaining her life here was expensive. The government couldn't justify spending that amount of money to house a weapon that no longer works." Daniel had worked with Risa Remington a half dozen times over the years. In spite of Jack's impersonal reference, Risa was human, an intensely beautiful woman, yet she didn't seem real. Maybe it was convenient for everyone, including him, to think of her as not quite human. It was a disturbing thought. All agents were strictly ordered not to touch Risa--she could read thoughts, emotions, secrets, even physical statistics like blood pressure or heartbeat, with the slightest touch. Daniel had broken the no-touch protocol to go back and pull her out of the lab. He hadn't been reprimanded for his actions. After all, Risa was a valuable asset. At least, she had been. Now she was on her own. Daniel looked at Jack squarely. "What do you want me to do?" "Make contact. Get inside. Basic recon--find out if she's into anything she shouldn't be. If she isn't, then perhaps you can help her make a more successful adjustment." "I don't understand." "Help her live in the normal world. Neutralize the potential for future threat." Daniel's back stiffened, but his voice was calm. "You must be joking. Half the world is exploding out there and you waHunter, Samantha is the author of 'Untouched ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373793037 and ISBN 0373793030.