The Sweeper File (Remote Traveler Series Book 2) Page 3

  “You are much better at tying knots than I thought. I struggled quite a bit when you put that gun in my holster.” Rhonda held her hand between her legs for emphasis. Colleen noticed that her whole midsection was almost completely bright pink. Colleen noticed that there was a dull red mark around each ankle and each wrist.

  Stunned, Colleen carefully placed the gun on the nightstand and complied with Rhonda’s order. “How could I do that?” Actually all that Colleen had really done was hog tie Rhonda at her direction. Rhonda had poured the Champagne in her hair and over her body, placing the empty bottles and gun in the bed before Colleen had tied her up, but things progressed way beyond Rhonda’s plan. Rohypnol was known as the date rape drug. Its other name was the ‘amnesia drug’ and Rhonda was the mistress of using it. Colleen remembered bits and pieces of what happened, but nothing clearly. She could feel the sticky residue of the Champagne and the strange emotions that ran through her head as she bound her boss. HER BOSS…! Colleen’s brain exploded in panic when she thought of doing all of this to the woman that just promoted her. She ran to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror across from the shower, she noticed that her body was covered from head to toe with Rhonda’s bright red lipstick. Colleen pulled the shower curtain back exposing a lathered up Rhonda. “I…am…so…sorry…” Rhonda smiled and pulled her in the shower proceeding to soap the shocked woman. “We got sticky together, so I guess we can get clean together. If I don’t want you to do something, I will tell you straight up without any frills although the gun pushed the boundaries. Get the instructor to show you how to clean it, until then wrap it in plastic before you put it in your purse.” Rhonda did not wait for a reply. “Get my back that Champagne got in places that I can’t reach. Make sure that you get all the bright pink lipstick off my ass.”

  “But I don’t do women!” She protested with the edge of desperation clear in Colleen’s voice.

  “Of course you don’t that was your twin sister last night, and she is a very wicked woman with some really perverse ideas. If you wash my back, you can have the shower to yourself.” Rhonda decided to continue her lecture. “Honey, if you are going to work for me you will have to learn how to take chances without being blind stupid drunk. You will be able to make better decisions and remember what the hell you did. We had a real adventure last night and all you can remember are bits and pieces of it. We had a mind blowing evening last night, but you will just have to take my word for what happened. That is not the way to live.” Rhonda had no intention of telling Colleen about the Rohypnol and was now sorry that she used it on her.

  Having been Sean Manworth’s assistant while she was running the ‘Sweeper Program’ Rhonda had become the Leonardo da Vinci of the setup. She had played Evan Black right up until the time that he tried to kill her. She literally had to blow his head off with a twelve gage shotgun. Rhonda also played that lunatic drag queen Senator George Mudson, until he puked himself to death in the bathroom of a flea bag motel while he was trying to eliminate the witness that he feared would testify against him. But this little experiment had gone way past what Rhonda had envisioned. However, she was thoroughly impressed by Colleen’s adventurous nature when she was loaded. She had every intention of finding out what Colleen would do sober, since alcohol only freed her inhibitions. The only one that ever bested Rhonda was Marshal Victoria Strong and that was only because Victoria was much more than she anticipated from either man or woman schooling her like a novice. Rhonda wanted a rematch with Victoria in the worst way.

  When they were dressed Colleen and Rhonda walked down the hallway to the elevator. A couple that were obviously tourists, stood waiting for the elevator which arrived as they walked up to the doors. Rhonda allowed them to enter first and stood facing the doors with her back to them. The rings around her wrists and ankles were obvious. The woman was curious as to how they got there. Rhonda put her mouth next to Colleen’s ear pretending to whisper. “That thing about me calling you mistress was just bedroom play. I absolutely won’t do it at the office. You owe me a new scarf. I can’t get the knots out and the stains will never come out of it. I also need a couple aspirin. I have a killer hangover like you wouldn’t believe since you force-fed me all of that Champagne after you tied me up.” The statement had its effect on the lady behind them as she let out a muffled ‘Oh’. Rhonda could feel the heat of Colleen’s blush without looking at her. She pulled Colleen to the side allowing the tourists to exit first, following at a distance. “That was your first lesson, don’t let a surprise crack your composure. You need to work at keeping your poker face.”

  Colleen was confused, “What should I have done?”

  “Just answer calmly ‘of course not’ and continue with the business at hand.”

  “But that couple will think that I do that kind of thing.”

  “It won’t make any difference unless you want it too.”

  A light popped on in Colleen’s head. “You set me up in the elevator. Did you set me up last night?”

  “Only to a point, I tricked you into tying me up. When you started with that gun in my mouth I was scared shitless. Then you put the gun between my legs. I thought that I was going to lose my mind.” The look in Rhonda’s eyes left no doubt in Colleen’s mind that she was not lying. “I needed to find out what you are made of because I need to depend on you. If you can’t handle it your old job is waiting for you in the accounting office. I was looking for an assistant that is willing to stretch the boundaries. That’s why I hired you even though you tried to access those files. I hired you as a real assistant and my job is not for candy asses. Are you on or are you off?”

  “I am on but only if I can have Felix’s balls,” Colleen did nothing to hide the hatred in her voice.

  Rhonda said lightly, “You may have them on the grill cooked to order, with ‘semen seed sauce’.” She linked her arm tightly in Colleen’s arm.

  “Honey, I will serve them up personally and we can have one each.”

  Colleen said lightly, “You really are quite the bitch.”

  Rhonda smiled back cheerily, “Honey I am the ‘Killer Bitch’!”

  Felix was getting pissed off he called Colleen’s number four times without anyone picking up. He called the number, one last time just before his meeting with the Attorney General began. Colleen picked up on the first ring. “Where the hell have you been I was trying all morning?”

  Colleen fired right back, “Whoa bub, you are not my boss. I know that because she was chewing my ass for asking about files that weren’t supposed to exist. If you kept your word you would be my boss, but being the lying piece of shit that you are, you are not.”

  “I called to ask you for the rest of the file.”

  “No problem, fill out the form in triplicate and submit it to my boss. Your name is on the file, so you can do it through regular channels.” Colleen was doing her best to sound pissed off. Rhonda was listening in with her record button lit up on the console desperately trying not to laugh out loud.

  “I can’t do it that way.”

  “My contact is a lesbian and she wants lip service.”

  “No problem, tell her what she wants to hear.”

  “Wrong lips asshole…” Colleen snapped.

  Felix caught the meaning. “Do whatever you have to do for her, I need those files.”

  Colleen was pissed off at his suggestion. “I tell you what the guard is a fat greasy pig that smells like a goat. Why don’t you blow him while I get the files? He prefers men anyway? That way you can do something other than whine.”

  “Did I tell you the money that I gave you was marked and I have a recording of our little transaction at the Watergate? If you don’t come up with the files I will drop the whole thing on your boss.”

  Rhonda nodded her head and Colleen started to whine, “You can’t do that I will never be able to get another job anywhere in Washington DC.”

  “I just need this one last favor and you are off the hook.”

  “What a
bout my lesbian friend.”

  “Do what you have to do. I need those files. Now be a good girl and do what you were told, so I won’t have to do anything ugly.” The sound of Colleen slamming the phone down hurt Felix’s ear. He hated to do it to her but he needed those files soon.

  Rhonda kissed Colleen on the forehead. “That’s my girl, I will start making copies and you can help.”

  “What about the files?” Colleen was worried.

  “Felix was on the cover of the file as being read in. As far as I am concerned it is not a crime to give someone files that they are read into. We are not breaking the law however blackmail is against the law. We can add that to Felix’s list of crimes along with bribing a government employee. With a little luck we can send him to jail to visit all of the bad people that he put away over the past few years. They can have an ‘iron bar’ pajama party with Felix as a guest of honor.” The thought of Felix and five or ten of his most ardent admirers playing hide the salami until the wee hours of the morning gave Colleen a severe case of the giggles.

  Rhonda handed Colleen an ID badge taking her into the security room, “It doesn’t look any different, but this one puts you into the deep end of the pool. If you accept this badge you will be charged with keeping the darkest secrets that this country holds. Once you are on the hook there is no getting off of it. You will have the highest security clearance there is. With that type of a clearance nobody will be able to challenge your promotion.” Colleen took the badge from Rhonda who indicated the card reader. “Swipe your card here, put your thumb on the pad there and open your right eye to the scanner. The vault is a triple secure room. You now have access to that and many other things that you don’t know about yet.”

  The room was lined with filing cabinets with a stainless steel table in the middle of the room. “All the files are single hard copy files only. They must be signed out and escorted outside of this area by documents personnel and an armed guard. Those would be the files in the red cabinets. The files in the black cabinet will never leave this room and each page viewed must be recorded. The red files are subject to viewing by anybody with permission to enter the vault. The black file cabinet is double locked. Only you and I will have the key. Even the director of the NSA is required to go through our office to enter the cabinet.” Rhonda walked over to a black filing cabinet pulling out a file that had to be ten inches thick laying it on the table. She pulled a sticker bearing a hologram with Colleen’s name on it out of her pocket placing it at the bottom of the cover next to her sticker. “You are now read in to all the records, as a documents controller, having the authority to issue information to all of the people that are currently read into any of the files in the vault. Since Felix is read into the sweeper file, issuing the information to him is not a crime. This is officially a sting operation and you are off of the hook for any actions that you are ordered by me to perform.” Colleen was particularly pleased at Rhonda’s pronouncement.

  Rhonda opened the file pulling out a gruesome photograph of a man lying on the floor with the center of his face missing. “This was one of my kills. He was the one that gave me this.” Rhonda pointed to the ten-inch scar that went three quarters of the way around her neck. “I was a witness back then and Felix was my totally useless escort. Evan stripped him down to the shorts, cuffing his hands behind his back. I finally had to take Evan out myself and rescue my escort. From the other picture you can see what my protector was doing.” Rhonda held up the picture of Evan Black. “This will be frame one.” It took until eight PM for the two women to complete the package. Colleen was appalled by the information in the folder. She held up an official senatorial picture of Senator Mudson. “I remember this one he choked to death on a chicken bone a week after his wife died in a plane crash. What a tragedy!”

  “Senator Mudson puked himself to death dressed in drag trying to strangle the woman that sold him his falsies. They couldn’t say that, so they came up with the ‘chicken bone’ story.” Rhonda held up a picture of what appeared to be a woman kneeling on a tile floor with her dress up over her waist. She pointed to where the tops of the thighs were and Colleen could clearly see that it was a man and not a woman. Rhonda held up a picture of a gorgeous woman with dark hair with blond highlights and Olive skin. “This is Simone the witness that he tried to kill. Later on Felix demanded that the CIA assassinate her requiring positive confirmation of her death. Rhonda proceeded to lay out how Colleen was to handle the delivery.

  Felix called at eight AM the following day making an appointment to meet Colleen at the Lincoln Memorial in thirty minutes. At the appointed time they met in the middle of the steps just in front of the memorial. Rhonda handed him the envelope with the chips in it. Felix took the envelope holding it loosely in his hand. Colleen made her outburst. “You rat bastard you blackmailed me. I tried to help out and you hung me out to dry. I suppose that you have a greater good story and only you know what the greater good is. You now have the goods.” Felix took the envelope shaking a single chip into his hand to be sure that he was not being taken. She snatched the envelope back running down the stairs taking the shortest route to the road way where a grey car was waiting to pick her up. When she was safe Colleen placed the envelope in a plastic bag. “I have his prints.” She spoke into the air knowing that the microphone she was wearing would be picking up her every word.

  Felix scrambled back to his car in a panic driving off fully expecting to see a swarm of squad cars descending upon him. He slowed finding out that nobody was following to his great relief. He needed to check the contents on his computer.

  As soon as he arrived home Felix ran to his den loading the chips into the lap top. He thumbed through the different images. When he came to the last image it was a video loop of two rats having sex, with Colleen’s voice doing the narrative. “This has been a sting operation. I work with Documents Security in Rhonda Savage’s office at the NSA. You are officially responsible for the security of all of the information that you received. Please don’t take this personally. Your computer has just been ‘rat fucked’.” The smell of burning electronics permeated the air of his den and despite his best efforts the melt down could not be stopped.

  Felix ripped the phone out of its cradle trying six times before he got an accurate dial. Colleen picked up the phone. “Did you enjoy your porn video?” All Felix could do was stammer into the phone, so Colleen continued. “Our computer boys call that ‘Digital Chernobyl’ it even burns the electronics. Please remember that you are responsible for all of the data that has been transmitted to you.”

  “It’s all gone. How can I tell what you transmitted to me? I am coming down to see you in person.”

  “Fine, while you are driving down here I will order the review of your security clearance.” Felix was cussing into the phone for two minutes before he realized that she had hung up. He drove down to the building parking in front and running inside. He found the office for Rhonda Savage, Director of Documents Security. Felix swung the door wide open only to see Colleen sitting behind the desk. She was sitting with a paper plate on her lap. “It is no good talking to you I want to see Director Savage.” He raged.

  Colleen reached for the intercom, “Director I have Felix Owens wishing to see you”

  “Have the fruit take a seat.” Felix was sure that he could push past Colleen and started to move. She reached under her plate producing a 9 mm Sig pointing it at his crotch. Colleen could hear the door open behind her.

  “I told you to kill who ever tried to push past that desk.”

  Colleen laughed, “I was going to give him three in the nuts and go from there.”

  “Good girl, let’s all go in my office and we can discuss this issue.”

  Rhonda sat behind her desk, Felix sat across from her and Colleen sat on the side like a line judge with her Sig on her lap. Rhonda smiled evilly. “If Felix gets frisky shoot him in the head.”

  “With pleasure…”

  Rhonda did not give Felix a ch
ance to start. “You bribed my employee and then black mailed her to get documents that you could have requisitioned through proper channels. You promised her a job, offered her money and finally blackmailed her. What were you going to do with the information?”

  “There were some loose ends that still bothered me.” It was a weak answer. Since it was his only chance, he had to see if it would fly. “Does Colleen have to be here? This is sensitive stuff.”

  “You had her copy all of the information. Colleen is my personal assistant and copied into all files even the most sensitive.” Rhonda loved the fact that he didn’t recognize her. She reached into her top desk drawer and slid a piece of paper across the desk. “Just enter the file required and the reason on the form. When you do that, I will have my assistant escort you down to the file room and she will supervise your activities. Since you have received all of the files you will be held responsible for everything in the file.”

  Felix saw the whole plan, “You set this up intentionally!”

  Rhonda slipped her finger in her scarf causing the thin material that was around her neck to pull down exposing the scar. “That’s right Felix you’re screwed by the women that you screwed over. I hope you appreciate the irony!”

  Felix let out a string of curse words until Colleen pressed the gun to his temple. “If you are looking for sympathy you will find it in the dictionary between shit and syphilis. Get the hell out of here before I get my gun off.” Rhonda looked at her with new admiration pleased that her new assistant had the guts to follow through on her orders.

  After Felix left Rhonda cupped her face in both hands. “I believe that we are going to have a long association together.” She reached in her top desk drawer pulling out a single piece of paper. “I had it predated to a week ago so you were under my orders the whole time. This is an official operation and your status starts at that date.