“Why, what’s up, Ken?”
“It’s the report on the background of Mr. Kyle Brogan. And I gotta tell you, David’s idea may not be as far fetched as it sounds.”
“What?”
“You’ll get the full report in the fax, but to cut things short, let me just tell you two things. Number one, David was right, Brogan carried the diaper bag into the bank, I saw the surveillance tape. Two, Kyle Brogan’s cousin is Mallory Gerlach..”
Alex was stunned. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Brogan keeps his distance from the guy nowadays, but there was a time when he was being groomed to take one of the top spots in the organization. However, he decided to move from Idaho to the east coast for college. But he didn’t leave his family behind. His younger cousin, Derek came east with him. He changed his name, though.”
“To what?”
“White.”
Alex felt her knees give way, and she dropped into the chair beside her desk. “You mean Kyle Brogan is related to Mallory Gerlach, and Derek White?”
“You got it. Everything else is in the report. I think you should read it as soon as you can.”
“Thanks, Ken. I’ll see if it’s in yet, and then I’ll go rescue David.”
“What’s wrong with Dave?”
“The guys found out about his theory. They were razzing him when I left to take your call.”
“Well, they might want to close their mouths. It wouldn’t surprise me if Dave was right on this time.”
“God, that’s a scary thought, isn’t it?”
*******************************************************
She was walking slowly and reading the report when she heard the laughter coming from the task force workroom.
“Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me that you suspect this guy because there wasn’t a diaper bag in the car?” Alex wasn’t yet through the door, but could see David’s nod in her mind.
“Shit, Dave, I’d be more suspicious if there was a diaper bag.” There was general laughter in the room.
Alex stopped in the doorway, noticing that Cliff had rejoined the men.
David wasn’t happy, she could tell. “Look, I didn’t say I had proof, but …”
“But what, Dave? I know I wouldn’t carry a damn diaper bag.”
“You don’t have kids, Steve.”
“So?”
“All right, stop it.” Cliff interrupted. “It’s an interesting theory, Dave, and with you being the only man on the team with a young kid, it’s an idea none of us would have had. Problem is, there’s nothing to back up your suspicion.”
Alex caught David’s eye and gave him a wink. You owe me, she mouthed at him. “Cliff, that may not be completely true.”
Everyone turned their attention on her. Cliff turned to meet her eyes.
“What are you talking about, Alex?”
“You know, Ken didn’t like this guy either, even before Dave had his … idea. So, he ordered a background check, and told Research to be thorough. And they were.”
Steve grinned at her. “What did they find, Alex? Was he a babysitter when he was a teenager?”
“I don’t know, Steve. But I doubt his cousin was.”
“His cousin?”
“Yeah, Mallory Gerlach. You know, the leader of the Aryan Resistance League?”
Nobody said anything. Then Cliff cleared his throat.
“What exactly are you talking about?”
“Research came through. I just got the report. Kyle Brogan, our friend in Philly, is the cousin of Mallory Gerlach. And not a distant cousin, either. When Gerlach’s father Thomas was at the height of his career in Idaho’s Nazi ranks, his second in command was his Mallory, but his third was Brogan.”
There was still silence in the room, so Alex continued.
“When he was fifteen, Brogan took part in the beating of a young Jewish man outside of Boise. He pleaded no contest, and was sentenced to six months probation.That was the only time he was convicted, but not the last time he was suspected. When he was eighteen he and three others were arrested for the murder of a rabbi in Oregon. There wasn’t enough evidence to take it to trial, and all four of them, including Gerlach, were released.Two months later, Brogan was on the podium when his uncle passed the reins of the group to Mallory. The next day there was a rally, which became a riot. Witnesses accused Brogan of wielding a baseball bat in the middle of the fight. No charges were brought.”
She looked around the room at the stunned faces. Steve’s mouth was hanging open, and his eyes were blinking rapidly. Mark’s pen, which he’d been twirling, had dropped to the floor. Cliff was just sitting, very very still.
It was actually David who broke the silence. “Okay, so how did Brogan get out to Pennsylvania?”
“He left to go to college. He went to Penn State, where he majored in Communications. After graduation in 1992, he got a job with a RyeTech, a brand new telecommunications company. He went back to Idaho for his cousin’s marriage in ‘94, but hasn’t been back since.”
That got Cliff out of his silence. “So, if he hasn’t been in touch with his family, maybe he’s no longer involved, and this was just a coincidence.”
Alex frowned. “It could be a coincidence, sir, but I never said Brogan wasn’t in touch with his family. He keeps in very close contact with his younger cousin, who moved to Alabama.”
David rubbed his chin. “I don’t remember any Gerlach involved in anything in Alabama.”
“That’s because there isn’t. He changed his named when he left Idaho. In 1994 he officially became Derek White. And if you’re wondering, yes, he was recently named Director of Whites for America, in Birmingham.”
Again, it seemed no one had anything to say. Steve finally got his mouth to close, and Rudy, who had been leaning against a back wall, leaned forward to slap David on the back.
“I’ll never laugh at your hunches again, Agent Wu.”
*******************************************************
It was just a couple of minutes after six when Alex approached Cliff Jackson’s office. The outer office had been empty, Cliff’s secretary having left at five. The inner office door was closed, and Alex hesitated for just a moment before rapping gently.
She had to admit she felt just a touch of trepidation. There wasn’t much that scared Alex, but being involved with the CIA was one thing that did. Her college study of the agency had been thorough, and she had found things that she couldn’t, or didn’t want to, believe.There had been rumors that the CIA had paid assassins on their staff, but Alex had held the proof of that in her hands. She knew a few secrets that the general public wasn’t privy to. It was just enough to make her breath come a little faster as she waited for an answer to her knock.
The door opened and Cliff looked down at his agent. “You’re late.”
“Sorry. I was rereading the report on Brogan. I think David and I should go interview him.”
“Agreed, but we’ll talk about that tomorrow.” He stood aside and motioned her into the office. “Right now, I want to introduce you to Agent Ron Graves, and Teren Mylos.”
Alex reached to shake hands with Graves. His hand was firm, squeezing hers a bit more than necessary, and it was slightly damp. She looked him at him squarely, and noticed that his eyes didn’t rest on hers for longer than a moment. Then she turned to meet the other person in the office, and nearly bit her tongue in half.
Teren Mylos was sitting comfortably in the chair closest to the wall. While the office was well-lit, Teren seemed to have found the one corner that held any shadows. Her black jacket blended in with her obsidian hair, which fell just past her collar. Teren remained seated, almost sprawling in her chair, but Alex could still tell by the long legs that this woman was tall, probably half a foot taller than she was. She could also tell that the air of ease that Teren projected was just that: a projection. Behind the comfortable sprawl was coiled viper .
As Teren leaned over to shake Alex’s hand, her bright blue eyes met Alex’s green ones, and Alex had in instant of recognition. She put it aside and took the chair Cliff pointed her to.