Secret Lies

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What hell was she doing in California anyway?

Brady Lynn Sharp wondered as she sat in her rental car that was park in a dark alley on a nameless street in L.A.

Oh yeah.. running from an assassin named Johnny Kates. He was ruthless and damn good at his job.

It had started not more than 4 years ago, when Brady was only a field agent for the CIA. She had been in a special division of the CIA. A trained agent with skills that only few would get to learn and all at the government's expense. It was a great life.

Until it was time to get rid of her and her partner, Alex Mason.

Both Brady and Alex were on assignment in Peru, each with orders to get rid of the other. But neither knew about it until it was too late...

Brady had escaped just in time... but did Alex? Yes, she was sure of it. They both had the same training, so it was inevitable that both would survive... So, since then, Brady had laid low, kept herself under the radar, as she was sure Alex had. Brady was more secretive about it all than Alex...hell, Alex didn't give a shit some times and seemed reckless. He liked to wave the fact that the Government had failed in killing him...flaunt it really.

Not Brady, she was more careful...at least until now.

With the purchased, no brand name cellphone in hand, she dialed a number she never thought she'd have to use... but she couldn't run anymore, she needed help... she was tired and about ready to give up.

The other end of the line clicked, indicated someone had picked up. The only one she knew would. There was no time for 'hellos' or 'how are yous'.... instead, she spoke, "I need help." She knew he wouldn't respond. She knew he would find her. She knew he would help her...or at least she hoped he would....

Deep down, she prayed that he wouldn't just ignore her... her prayer seemed to be answered when she heard him, "I'll find you."

That was all they could manage with out the call being traced...

He would find her. She knew she could count on him. He would find her and help her...she hoped he wouldn't be too late. Or else, she'd be another notch on Kates' proverbial bed post.

Charles Matthews had been sound asleep in his home when he heard his phone ring. He looked over to answer it only to realize that it was the wrong phone. Immediately he got up and reached for the other phone. There were only a few people in the world that had this number and it had to be one of the most dire circumstances possible in order for someone to use it. He ran the modified scrambler on it as he answered it, making it harder to trace the call.

When he answered it he only heard three words from the person. He thought to himself before answering back, making sure the connection was secure. He gave his response and hung up. As Charles stood up, he stretched out a little while moving to his laptop and turning it on. He stood at about 6' and weighed close to 200 lbs. Though he wasn't the most physically fit person in the world he made sure to stay in shape. As he waited for his laptop to establish a secure connection he moved his brown hair out of the way. His blue eyes looked at the screen of the phone and then at the laptop screen as he punched in the numbers and found cell towers near there. "Hmmm, L.A., huh?" he said to himself out loud. "What did you get yourself into now, Brady?" he inquired.

Within minutes he used his main encrypted phone to send a text to Brady. He knew the number wouldn't show up on her phone and that it would only say something like 'unknown caller' but he had worked with her in the past. He knew she would listen.

'Go to this hotel and use the name Jessica Williams to check in. Will arrive by sunrise.'

Within minutes he got in and out of the shower, getting cleaned up before getting his emergency bag from under his bed. As soon as he was dressed he was already pulling out of the driveway of his house in Iowa, heading to the airport. All he could do was sit on the plane and wait for it to land in a few hours. It had been years but as soon as he got off the plane he would be reunited with his old partner and girlfriend.

Brady didn't waste time doing as she was instructed. Normally, she almost seemed to love to question orders or commands. But this time, with her life in danger, she knew better.

Closing up the phone and tossing it in a trash bin she passed, she stuck her hands in her pockets and kept her head low. Blending in with everyone as much as she could. The night was chilly. Usual for L.A. but cool enough for her to wear a knitted hat and matching scarf, which hid her hair and facial profile. At least, she hoped it did.
****

When she entered the hotel lobby, Brady yanked off her hat and scarf and took a deep breath as she pasted a fake smile on her face. She was trained to face most situations and well, to be a damn good liar. So, as she approached the desk and gave the receptionist, a male which worked in her favor, a little wink. "Hi, you have a room reserved me...Jessica Williams."

The man behind the counter gave Brady a shy look and nodded as he pulled up the name in the computer. After a few moments, he handed her a card key and gave her instructions on her room. She smiled widely and took the key card, along with the tips of his fingers in her hand, making eye contact. "Oh, by the way, no one should know I'm here... OK love?" She said and gave him another wink before heading for the elevators.
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No one could tell that Brady took note over every in the lobby. Their stance, their position and what they were doing. As she passed through the lobby, she counted 12 people. 4 women and 8 men. 2 of the men were hotel employees, one was a valet. The women, not surprisingly, had their faces buried in their phones, texting away.

No immediate threats.

Yet.

Charles slept as much as he could on the plane before it landed. Luckily, being in the CIA made going through security very easy at just about any venue. Shortly after departing the plane he went to the car rental place and got one of the most common sedan that they had. With the morning still being very early there wasn't a lot of people around so he didn't have to wait very long. After getting into the car he headed to the hotel. He continued to think about what had happened to cause her to call him.

When he got to the hotel he found a parking spot and opened the trunk to get his bag out. He opened it really quick and opened the false compartment containing a lot of different IDs. He searched them quickly until he found the matching ones for Mr. and Mrs. Williams. He also opened the envelope containing the wedding rings and her engagement ring. Charles put his ring on before putting the others in his pocket.

As soon as he got into the hotel he took a quick glance around to monitor things. He went straight past the desk and headed towards the elevators. He watched as most of the people were either checking in or out. He also noticed a lot of the staff working over at the breakfast bar. "Good," he thought to himself, "I can be as invisible as I want." As the doors opened he waited for one of the individuals to come out before going in. It would take a few moments before the person realized his wallet was missing. Charles punched the button to the third floor and waited with a few people as the doors closed.

Once the doors opened he was the only one to get out. He noticed a cleaning cart in the hallway and headed towards it. When he saw the person cleaning the room he interrupted them. "Excuse me," it seems that my card won't work," he told them. "I've just traveled over 12 hours and I'm exhausted, is it possible to open the door to my room really quick?" he asked. He was surprised at how easy it was to persuade the person to help him out. "Room 323," he told them. As soon as the door was unlocked he opened it up and as soon as the person was out of sight he tossed the picked wallet onto the cart.

He walked in, the door closing behind him. "Good morning, Jessica," he said as he set the ID and rings on the night stand next to where she was sleeping. He sat on the opposite bed as she began to wake up. "So, how did you fuck up this time?" he asked plainly and bluntly, expecting a very unique answer from her, no less.