The Sweeper File (Remote Traveler Series Book 2) Read online

  Rhonda put her finger on the top name on the list. “Felix put this file together. If he wanted this file all that he had to do was put in a formal request. He could have his access. He just didn’t want to have his name on the request.” As Colleen started to rise Rhonda pushed down on her shoulders heavily with both hands to block the explosion that she knew was coming. She found that the longer she talked the harder it was to keep Colleen in her chair. “You were setup by an artist. He thoroughly enjoys abusing women.” Rhonda took a seat on the edge of her desk placing her feet on the tops of Colleen’s thighs once again. She gave the uncomfortable woman the view that made her more uncomfortable. Rhonda pealed back her scarf pointing to the ugly scar that went across her throat and then to another three-inch scar at her hair line as she proceeded to lie. “Felix tried to talk me into not pressing charges against the asshole that did this. He didn’t do it but he might as well have done it. Felix was planning on screwing you just not with his tool. It is enough to put you off on the whole male sex. How would you like to have a little revenge?” She released Colleen’s thighs allowing her to jump up right into her chest.

  Colleen jumped up cursing, “That rotten son of a bitch, knew that I would get busted. Felix promised me a job at Justice and a raise of two pay grades. He knew that I would be fired so that he couldn’t hire me.”

  Rhonda took her by the shoulders, “If you cooperate I will make you my assistant. That will bump you up four pay grades. You will also watch the same thing happen to him that he was planning for you. Just tell him that the file is not digitized but it is here. See if he keeps his promise.” Rhonda held up a wafer thin piece of plastic the size of a postage stamp. “This is a digital recorder, comb it in your hair and it will record everything that you hear. Just don’t be chewing when you talk to him.” Rhonda Savage had changed her name from Pauline Rider through witness protection. They had promised to give her a job at the CIA, but the NSA decided to keep her. They put her in charge of document security since she proved that she could keep secrets. Rhonda’s testimony kept the NSA ‘Sweeper Program’ from being exposed to the public blocking a public trial by killing the only other witness that could refute her testimony. She also prevented ten legislators from being disgraced when she destroyed the blackmail files of her former boss. When Rhonda helped shut down the NSA sweeper program she called a truce with the remaining antagonists. Promising not to investigate or pursue any of the opposing groups since they were CIA, FBI and another group that she couldn’t identify.

  Colleen agreed to meet Felix around seven at a coffee shop in Georgetown. The meeting had to be quick so that Felix could take his son Todd to his first T-ball game. Colleen was pissed off, “You didn’t tell me that it was heavily classified. I was sweating bullets by the time I was able to get a peek at it. How come you asked me to check it out when your name is at the top of the report? You put it together that means that you can request it and have it delivered to your desk.”

  Felix blanched, but managed to avoid the question. “You looked inside!”

  “You wanted me to verify that it was there. They didn’t digitize the report the whole thing is hard copy.” She decided to go for the big question. “I kept my end of the deal. It’s time to keep your end.”

  Felix coughed into his fist. “I am going to need copies of some of the pages.”

  Colleen blew up, “Are you out of your mind! I risked my job to take care of this. I can be fired and so can my friend. She has accessed to a file next to the one that we need. She stuck her neck way out for me. Just put in your request and they will give you access. You wrote the damn thing. Now when can I expect the move over to Justice?”

  Felix shrugged avoiding her hard question. “It’s not that simple because I assembled the report and closed it out. My going in that file will raise alarms and I don’t want to tip my hand just yet. There are reports in the file that I didn’t create plus I need copies of the reports from all of the agencies in Los Angles, CIA, FBI and the Congressional oversight committee. I just want to make sure that there are no loose ends.”

  “Yes, all of that makes perfect sense, so just submit your request and they will show you what you need to see with no hassles. You will…”

  Felix shook his head, “I can’t do that. This is oversight on their over sight.”

  Colleen shook her head, “Verifying a document is one thing stealing them is another especially since you are going to stiff me on my job. I need 5,000 for me, 5,000 for my friend and that will only get you digital pictures of the documents, otherwise fuck off.”

  “Don’t you trust me?”

  Colleen smiled, “How do you tell someone that you want to fuck them?”

  Felix shrugged, “How…?”

  Colleen smiled sweetly. “Trust me.”

  Felix had the message. “Alright when can you do it?”

  “After you give me ten grand...!” Colleen got up and stormed out the door.

  Late that afternoon Colleen drove to the Deep Sea restaurant in Baltimore. As she walked in the door a waiter got her attention and walked her back to Rhonda’s table. Rhonda indicated a chair and the waiter helped Colleen move up to the table. “I think that you will like the crab lump it’s quite good. I prefer a sparkling Rose to white wine would you like a glass?” Colleen held out her glass in acceptance. “How was your meeting with our darling Felix?”

  “Felix is a lying bastard. I will make him pay ten grand in advance for the documents that he wants me to steal. Then I will screw him.” Colleen ran her fingers through her hair producing the recorder that was combed into her hair. “I hope this thing worked.” Colleen kicked the table leg in anger. “I should’ve known better to meet at the Watergate that bastard tried to get me drunk and take me upstairs to fuck me!” Colleen held out her hand offering the recorder to Rhonda.

  Rhonda accepted the recorder plugging it into another electronic device that would play it for her. While Rhonda was listening Colleen downed her wine and poured another glass to the brim without asking.

  Rhonda broke out in a hearty laugh, “Trust me…!” She reached over to Colleen stroking her cheek softly moving her hand gently to Colleen’s knee. “When you come to work Monday, move your things into my front office. The sign on your desk will say that you are a secretary, but you are my assistant. You will be paid as an assistant.”

  “Oh my god, it works that fast?” Colleen was feeling the two glasses of wine and did not say anything to Rhonda when her hand reached halfway up Colleen’s thigh.

  “Yes I want people that I can trust, and you just proved that.”

  Colleen was worried, “How am I going to get those files for him.”

  “Don’t worry I will be your friend in the files department. He will have digital pictures of everything he requested and something very special that he is just going to love.”

  Colleen didn’t understand, “I thought you were going to bust him.”

  Rhonda smiled sweetly. “We bust him when we see what he intends to do with the files. Stealing the files is one thing, but misusing them is another thing. He may prove to be a traitor to his country. We are also entrusted with apprehending traitors when we find them.” The word ‘WE’ was not wasted on Colleen. Rhonda had made a promise and delivered without being asked. The two ladies settled in to a long afternoon lunch with Rhonda insisting that Colleen take a cab home because she had so much to drink. “Just show me where it’s parked. I will have someone put it in your parking space Monday morning.”

  Colleen mumbled, “Parking space…?”

  “Yes a parking space goes with the position. You are that important.” Colleen knew that she had arrived. Having an assigned covered parking space next to the building was the sign that ‘you have arrived’. There was even an extra gate that had to be passed in order to get into that particular lot.

  Colleen was at work early to clean out her desk in accounting but first she looked for her car finding that she did in fact have her own sp
ace with her name on it. By eight thirty she had moved into her new office. She fired up the coffee pot which was brewed before Rhonda surprised her by coming out of the inner office which took Colleen totally by surprise. “How do you take your coffee mam?”

  Rhonda spun on her heel. “I hired an assistant not a waitress. The coffee is nice but I really need an assistant. We will be working closely together, and I will bring you up to speed as we go. Two hours of every day will be spent reviewing security regulations that you will be responsible for enforcing.” Rhonda opened the top drawer pulling a 9 mm Sig Sauer out laying it on the desk. “If someone tries to push past you I expect you to shoot them.” Colleen smiled thinly as Rhonda continued. “I want you down at the range every day until the instructor approves your skills. I have arranged a Federal concealed carry permit and you will keep one on you at all times. You are a live round assistant, not just trimmings. Your old phone will ring at your new desk in order to keep in touch with Felix.”

  As if on cue the phone rang and Felix was on the line. “I have the money. When can you deliver?”

  “I will try for tonight but I will have to call you at the last moment,” Colleen whispered into the phone as if she were hiding something. They are coming in the office now. I will call you back later.” Colleen hung up.

  Rhonda held up a chip, “I was busy on Sunday if you are going to be my assistant you will learn that nine to five and weekends are not sacred. Call Felix around four o’clock and set up a delivery for happy hour at the Water Gate we will have a complete video setup and audio will be in place too. When Felix hands you the money put your napkin over it, and be sure that you do not touch the envelope. I also have a happy hour menu be sure that you hand it to him for an order. We need his prints to prove that he was there.” Colleen spent two hours at the firing range. At four PM she made the call to Felix calling for a five o’clock meeting at the bar in the Water Gate lounge. Both she and Felix arrived at five o’clock straight up.

  Colleen went straight after the question. “Do you have the money?”

  Felix pushed an envelope across the table. “Do you want to count it?”

  She shrugged and opened the envelope counting out 100, one hundred dollar bills. “You screwed me once you bastard.” Felix could not believe his eyes, right on the table in the middle of the bar Colleen counted out the money handing Felix the chips and a camera to view the information. Felix was going crazy with this money out in the open. He grabbed the happy hour menu to cover the money. Grabbing the discs, he ran out of the bar, not stopping until he got back to his office. Colleen looked across the bar to Rhonda who pointed to the ceiling. Colleen scooped the money off of the table replacing it in the envelope, using a napkin to pick up the menu and moved to the elevator. Rhonda was right behind her pressing the button for the ninth floor. They ran down the hall giggling like a couple of school girls. Rhonda opened the door and Colleen slammed it behind her. They both fell down laughing so hard that it was painful.

  Rhonda was the first one able to speak. “We need to go back to the bar right away.”

  “Why…”

  “I want to see if there is a turd on the chair, because I do believe Felix shit himself.”

  Colleen started laughing all over again gasping for air. “You have to stop I can’t breathe.” Rhonda reached in her purse producing a picture of Felix in his undershorts with his hands cuffed behind his back with her standing behind him holding a shotgun dressed only in lingerie and heels.

  “This is the fifth frame down in his package. We were ambushed by the bad guy and I had to save his ass for a second time.”

  Colleen choked, “So he knows that you are here.”

  “No this was two years ago. I changed names and did four plastic surgeries. With a new face and tits, we talked for over an hour and he never guessed. They also took a little adjustment in my vocal chords. He thinks that I was assigned overseas to the CIA.” She cupped Colleen’s cheek smiling sweetly. “You were superb why did you count out the money on the table?” Rhonda opened a large cooler that she brought with her producing two magnums of Champagne and two chilled glasses proceeding to open and pour as Colleen continued. “Did that idiot really think he can ply you with booze just to screw you?”

  “The bastard dared me to count the money so I did. I could almost smell the shit. His jaw dropped when I laid those hundreds on the table. I told him that he screwed me once and that it was not going to happen again. He expected me to get crazy and I didn’t want to disappoint him.” Colleen took a sip of Champagne and it seemed to go straight to her head. “And yes he did think he could screw me if he gave me enough booze.”

  Rhonda held up the picture of her and Felix again. “You didn’t tell me what you think. What do you think he would do?”

  Colleen took another sip of Champagne. “He should surrender I know that I would.” With just one sip of booze Colleen was already slurring her words.

  Rhonda smiled broadly removing the Sig Sauer from Colleen’s purse slipping the clip out and ensuring that the breach was cleared. “Strip…” She had rubbed a small amount of Rohypnol around the rim of Colleen’s glass earlier. Rhonda did not want to knock her out just lower her inhibitions. Colleen dumbly did as she was told. Rhonda removed her scarf handing it to Colleen. “The only way that you are going to stop me from raping you is to tie me up.” Colleen meekly accepted the scarf from Rhonda.

  “Well, I guess you are going to spend the night tied up.” Rhonda cupped her breast and kissed her passionately. “Rhonda, are you sure were supposed to be doing this?”

  “Yes baby I am quite sure were supposed to be doing this. I will give you the instructions. All you have to do is follow them.”

  “Okay…,” Colleen said with a dreamy look in her eye as she lay back on the bed.

  Felix downloaded the two chips into his personal lap top for viewing noting that there were almost 400 files. The load almost ate up his entire hard drive since they were pictures and not data files for each page, so each file was around a few million pixels a piece. The first file was the cover, and the following four were stern warnings that unauthorized people should not view or possess any part of this file. The fifth file set him off, it was a picture of him standing in his boxer shorts with his hands cuffed behind his back. An almost naked Pauline Rider standing behind him holding a twelve gage shotgun with the stock planted solidly between her thighs. A note on the picture read: ‘WHO’S GOT THE BIGGER GUN’. He jumped out of his chair pacing the room furiously, finally kicking a hole in the wall taking ten minutes to calm down. Afterward Felix realized that he would have to pay someone to fix the hole. The sixth page was the initial report from Evan Black about the loss of three of his four-man sweeper teams. He had read this report before and it held nothing for him. He waded through report after report until he reached the report from Four Diamonds Security and one thing caught his eye. Alex Chalenger had called the office from London within minutes of the break-in. This seemed odd and he bookmarked the report. As Felix read on he noted that the response from the Chalengers was almost immediate. They were back in LA within twelve hours which wasn’t just fast it was unheard of. There were notes on the security system provided by Four Diamonds outlining the system which was way too advanced and expensive for a private residence causing Felix to make a note to investigate Four Diamonds Security.

  Everything revolved around Alex Chalenger although he made all of the appropriate calls to the proper authorities. He made a note to check with passport control to see who was traveling at the same time as Alex. Felix noted that Nadia Smirnoff who was listed as the principle owner of Four Diamonds Security North America was also his daughter and that the international office for Four Diamonds was located in Manchester, England. Tom Thomas was the responding guard supervisor that night. Felix went on line to see if he still worked for the company finding that he was in charge of the U.S division of Four Diamonds and currently living in suburban Maryland. Tom Thomas had gone fro
m being a supervisor in the LA office to being head of security for the North American Division. This inspired Felix to make several notes about investigating Tom Thomas’s influence throughout the case.

  Felix was filling up a small notebook quickly wondering how he could have missed all of this before. Putting his notebook to the side Felix started a special file on his personal laptop not wanting anyone to discover that he had accessed the buried file. He would use his personal lap top for this not wanting anyone in his department to stumble on what he had found. Felix opened a page for every name that popped up. It was mid night and he had waded through only twenty percent of the information that Colleen had given him. From what he had seen Felix knew that he would need more material from the file, but how was he going to blackmail Colleen into copying more of the file. She was obviously not going to be in a cooperative mood.

  Colleen was awakened by a firm thump to her forehead she opened her eyes to a mass of blonde hair. “What the…?”

  Rhonda’s voice was frantic, “Untie my feet I have to pee.” Colleen sat bolt upright in bed to see Rhonda hog tied with her long scarf. “Feet now…!” Colleen had to work to undo the knot at her feet which took much more of an effort than she had thought it would. Rhonda made a mad dash to the bathroom not waiting for her hands to be untied. “I thought that you would never wake up.” Colleen looked around to see two empty champagne bottles and her Sig lying in bed next to her. She jumped to the gun finding that the clip had been removed and when she checked the chamber was empty. The barrel of the Sig was covered by Rhonda’s bright red lipstick and felt sticky to the touch. Rhonda came back around the corner her body covered with Colleen’s bright pink lipstick. “You are going to want to find a toy softer than that. I will be sore for the next few days although I do applaud your sense of adventure. Untie my hands we need to get ready for work. Now…!” Colleen could not believe how difficult it was to take the knots out of the scarf. Rhonda put one foot on the bed holding her wrists next to her ankle.