Zane took a sip of coffee and looked to his left. A splash of red rooftops lined the beach a mile or so in the distance. Like most island towns, Terre-de-Haut was slow to start the day. A few tourists were walking the streets, but other than that, the village was relatively quiet.
Zane looked toward the beach. The clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea glistened in the morning sun. The view never got old. While he preferred cooler locales, Zane had to admit this part of the world had a special appeal. The beauty alone made it worth the visit. He made a mental note to see if Katiya wanted to come to the islands for their next vacation.
The back door opened behind him. Zane turned to see an attractive young woman walking toward him, a coffee cup cradled in one hand. She wore black leggings and a tight gray T-shirt with Vanderbilt emblazoned on the front. Her dyed blond hair fell just past her shoulders. It had grown out since Zane had last seen her.
Although he didn’t show it outwardly, Zane still felt slightly uncomfortable in the presence of Danielle Holland. His discomfort wasn’t because she was a bad person. On the contrary, she was kindhearted, the type of person who always seemed to put the needs of others before her own. Instead, his discomfort came from her actions following the events in France. The two had been through a horrible ordeal together. They had both been held captive, then later both had been chased through the streets of Paris by a hit team. Such an experience would have been traumatic for anyone, especially a civilian who hadn’t been exposed to life-threatening situations.
Upon returning to the States, Danielle stayed in Arlington for several weeks to be debriefed by the Delphi Group and other US intelligence agencies. She also met regularly with a group of government counselors who were trained to assist those who had been through traumatic experiences. During her time in Arlington, Danielle began to display an unexpected pattern of behavior indicating that she had a romantic interest in Zane. Her actions included numerous phone calls, texts, and visits to the condo he leased in Alexandria.
At first it seemed harmless — perhaps a brief reaction to stress — but over time, Zane could tell that her behavior was slowly tilting toward obsession. She insisted they meet regularly in person, and she even called Zane when she knew he was on a trip to see his girlfriend, Katiya. Even though Zane gave strong hints that things had gone too far, Danielle continued to contact him on the premise that they stay in touch as friends. According to her, they had gone through a traumatic experience together and therefore needed to support one another throughout the healing process. Over time, Zane stopped responding to her calls and texts, and eventually she stopped reaching out to him.
Despite all of Danielle’s actions, Zane never held anything against her. It was clear the experience in France was behind her behavior. He believed she had experienced something similar to Stockholm Syndrome. Even though Zane hadn’t held her captive, he had helped her safely escape what could have been death or something even worse than death. That in turn had apparently triggered some kind of attachment in Danielle’s mind, an attachment that was hard to break.
Much to his regret, Zane had never told anyone at Delphi about her actions, including the Oracle. He didn’t tell them because the behavior eventually came to an end, and he didn’t want anything to go on Danielle’s record. After all, it wasn’t who she really was. At least, as far as he knew.
But now Zane’s decision had come back to bite him. Not only had Ross sent her to Terre-de-Haut, but he had also asked them to attend the gala together. Zane had thought about telling Ross what had happened in the wake of the events in Paris but thought better of it. Ross was already in a sour mood, and Zane wasn’t about to push him over the edge. Besides, it was possible that Danielle was completely healed.
Zane did ask Ross why he was sending a civilian with no training in covert activities. Ross told him there were two reasons. One, Danielle was an accomplished stage actress, which would enable her to play the role of Zane’s wife at the gala. Zane didn’t think acting was the same as going undercover, but he did see the Oracle’s reasoning.
But there was also another reason. Once she recovered from the events in Paris, Danielle remembered her brother, David, had disappeared just weeks before she had been taken. After looking into the matter, US intelligence thought there was a good chance the same group was holding him, although there was no concrete evidence to confirm that. Ross wanted Danielle to attend the gala on the off chance her brother was working there against his will. It was a long shot, but no one else would be better at identifying him than his own sister.
Despite his continued discomfort in her presence, Zane had to admit that Danielle had been both polite and professional since arriving. He could see that she was very close to being the person she was before, and that was a good thing.
“Stunning view, isn’t it?” Danielle asked.
“I love it,” Zane replied, “but it’s also distracting when you’re trying to focus on mission detail.”
She came and stood next to him. “And here I thought you were just out here relaxing.”
“If only I could.” He looked over at her. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you something last night… I’m really sorry to hear that your brother has been missing for so long.”
“Thank you. David’s one of the few people in my family that I’m close to.” She returned Zane’s gaze, her eyes glistening with tears. “I can’t lose him. I just can’t.”
“If he’s there, we’re going to find him. I promise you that.”
“I just appreciate all of you giving me the chance to play a part in what you’re doing.”
Zane didn’t approve of her presence, but she didn’t need to know that. She was here, and he needed to make the most of it. “How do you feel about it?” he asked.
“About what?”
“About the risk you’re about to take? I’ve done this type of thing before. Trust me, it’s not going to be easy.”
Danielle leaned forward and put her elbows on the rail. “You know, my love for David is so strong that I’m not really all that nervous.”
Zane faced her. “Tell me more about him.”
“I know I’m biased, but he’s the best brother anyone could ask for.” She smiled. “It’s funny. He’s also the best father I could’ve asked for.”
“Were your parents divorced?” Zane asked.
She shook her head. “No, my father died of cancer when I was ten and David was fourteen. We really had it rough after Dad passed. He didn’t have much life insurance, so Mom had to go out and earn a living. Unfortunately, that was extremely difficult for her because she had an undiagnosed medical condition that made her tired all the time.”
“Did she try to get help?”
“Yes, but the tests were all inconclusive. One doctor thought she might have chronic fatigue syndrome. Another thought her symptoms were consistent with fibromyalgia. And to be honest, there were a couple who thought Mom was making the whole thing up just to get on disability.”
“They actually said that?”
“They didn’t have to,” Danielle replied. “We could see it in their expression and their attitude.”
“Could she do any kind of work at all?” Zane asked.
“She had been a middle school teacher for a long time but stopped when I was born. She thought about going back to the classroom, but over time, she realized that wasn’t an option. Someone with her symptoms couldn’t take a job that required such long hours and intense focus. As I’m sure you know, being a teacher isn’t just standing up in front of class going over material. There are parent-teacher conferences and late nights spent grading tests and papers.”