Out of Sight (Project Athena) Read online

  Jenna chuckled, but her mind processed every word, tried to read between the lines if there was anything to decipher. A long-time grounds guard seemed almost as unlikely to be an assassin as the vice president, but until she had evidence otherwise, she was operating on the premise of “could be guilty until proven innocent.”

  She tried to build on the superficial friendship she and Calvin were beginning to develop. If she could mold herself as a good person in which to confide and share office gossip, he could be one of her best resources. She sighed. “So, you have any tips how to impress my boss?”

  ”She giving you a hard time already?”

  “I feel like I’ve done something to offend her.”

  “It’s not you. Patti Kenton may do her job well, but she has a harpy edge to her. I think that’s why there’s such a large turnover in the janitorial staff. Honestly, we’re already placing odds on how long you last.”

  Jenna was surprised to be the subject of a bet. “Gee, thanks. Who’s we?”

  “Me and some of the other guards. We not only see the comings and goings of the world’s most powerful people. We see the people who clean up after them.”

  “And there’s been a lot of them?”

  “A fair number.”

  Was Patti’s phone conversation the night before merely the preparation for another employee getting the boot? It seemed as though every conversation she heard within the walls of the White House was intriguing enough to make her listen while being vague enough to yield nothing useful. Daniel wasn’t the only one who could take lessons in specificity.

  Calvin stood. “I better get back to work.”

  Jenna glanced at her watch, surprised by how quickly the break had passed. She didn’t know if any of the information she’d gleaned from Calvin was vital to her mission, but it was at least more promising than the discussion of the White House’s decor between a gaggle of ladies who lunch.

  She spent the afternoon cleaning up after the painters, whose whole purpose in life must be to track up the hallways. As she finished mopping for the eight billionth time, the head painter walked across the wet floor toward the restroom.

  “Damn it,” she said under her breath.

  The guy stopped in the middle of the hall and looked at her. Even with paint speckling his dark hair and face, he was good looking.

  “Sorry,” he said as he glanced down at the wet floor.

  She waved him away, and he continued on. When she returned from putting the mop and bucket back in the supply closet, he stood outside the East Room. Was he watching for her?

  “You waiting for me to mop another floor?”

  He laughed. “No. Just wanted to say I’m sorry again.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You’re not the first one to track up the floor.”

  “I’ll tell the guys to steer clear of wet floors.”

  Jenna eyed him closer. Was he flirting with her? When was the last time that had happened? Well, other than Daniel’s calculated innuendo.

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

  He extended his hand, which was also spattered with dried white paint. “I’m Kevin Mathis.”

  She hesitated for a second before taking his hand. “Jenna Walker.”

  “Jenna. I like that name.”

  Yep, definitely flirting.

  “Thanks.”

  “Well, Jenna, I’ve got to get back to work. See ya around.”

  “As long as you’re not walking across a wet floor.”

  “You got it,” he said as he disappeared into the East Room.

  Now that was the most interesting thing that had happened all day. Useless, but interesting. Maybe ogling Kevin the painter would at least serve to break the tedium.

  At the end of her shift, Jenna’s feet throbbed. While she waited for things to settle into quieter night mode at the White House, she escaped to the cool, serene interior of the National Cathedral. She didn’t subscribe to a certain denomination, but cathedrals always managed to help her relax and clear her mind. The peace that permeated the building contrasted with the chaos her life had become in the past week.

  As she sat in one of the pews near the back of the building, she thought of Kevin’s flirting earlier in the day. She’d seen him again as he was leaving, and he’d winked at her.

  “Feeling guilty about something?”

  Jenna spun on the smooth wood of the pew to find Daniel sitting behind her.

  “Are you sure you’re not the one who can make himself invisible because you keep popping up out of thin air?”

  “Sorry to disappoint you. I’m just good at what I do.”

  “Following me around?”

  “Among other things.”

  She ignored the innuendo. “I thought it was too dangerous for us to be seen together.”

  “We’re safe here. Loads of tourists milling about.”

  “How do you know they’re tourists and not double agents here to take us out?”

  Daniel smiled at her. “Have some faith in me.”

  “Why should I? I don’t even really know you. And you didn’t endear yourself to me last night with the specimen jar comment.” She crossed her arms and turned her back on him. “Why are you here?”

  “To get an update.”

  “Not much to update.” She detailed her day.

  “Keep at it.”

  As if she had a choice.

  “Don’t spend too much time on Kenton. I don’t think she’s involved.”

  “Why not?”

  He didn’t answer immediately, waiting until some visitors passed and exited the back of the cathedral. “Gut feeling.”

  “Pardon me if I don’t take that to the bank.”

  He leaned forward again and whispered close to her ear. “Be careful. See you later.” Something about the way he said it sounded like a loaded promise.

  Jenna heard the rustle of fabric as he slid from the pew. She didn’t turn to watch him leave. Thanks to him, she did have something to feel guilty about. Being the object of sexual innuendo inside a church didn’t feel very holy.

  ****

  The last hint of daylight framed the Arlington skyline as Jenna made her way back to the White House cloaked in invisibility. She was determined to get access to the files in Patti’s office. If the woman had something to hide, she wanted to find it quickly. If not, as Daniel suspected, she could mark her off the list of potential suspects.

  She left her shoes in the car so the squeak of the tread didn’t give her away and edged past the lone security guard at the side entrance. His partner must be occupied elsewhere, and the absence of conversation made her entry more difficult. She slid by slowly, careful not to breathe too loudly.

  She barely suppressed a gasp when she almost collided with the second guard coming around the corner. If she didn’t find her target soon, this assignment was going to shave ten years off her life. Already, the number of times she’d made herself invisible in the past week was making her feel jittery.

  Henry Jacobs occupied Patti’s chair again. If she hadn’t seen Patti in that chair earlier in the day, she’d swear his expansive rear was permanently affixed to the seat. Jenna froze as he looked up and straight at her, as if he’d either heard or sensed something in the hall. She held her breath and resisted the urge to glance down at her hand to see if it were still cloaked in the energy shield she could manipulate but didn’t understand.

  The light reflected off Henry’s bald head as he looked at his watch. He lifted his bulk from the chair and waddled out of the office. She watched him as he shuffled down the corridor and around a corner. Still she didn’t move. Not until the shuffling of his feet faded did she take the opportunity afforded her and head straight for Patti’s computer.

  She sank into the still-warm chair and wiggled the computer mouse. The screen revealed a checklist of tasks Henry evidently marked off as the night crew finished them. She minimized the window and clicked on the e-mail program. Damn. Password protected.
/>   At a loss for what the password might be, she opened the middle drawer of the desk to search. Only pens, pencils, paperclips and sticky notes stared back at her. The other drawers were locked, so she used a paperclip to pick the locks.

  Every few seconds, she stopped sifting through papers to listen for footsteps. She couldn’t believe Henry had left the room open and accessible. But then, he wasn’t expecting an invisible snoop to come in and take a peek. Thankfully, the hallway remained quiet except for the muted conversation of the guards at the nearest entrance.

  After scanning several files and finding nothing out of the ordinary, she found a thick day planner in the last drawer. She flipped through the pages, noting items like dental appointments. On the last page, a word was written by itself. Dogwood. Was it a reminder to buy a dogwood tree? On a hunch, Jenna typed “dogwood” into the password field on the computer. Voila.

  She opened the word processor and read several letters, personnel reviews — Henry really needed to improve, and staff memos. Nothing sent up red flags.

  Then she examined each e-mail carefully, hoping to find some indication of motive for wanting the president dead. So intent was she on the task that she didn’t realize she’d stopped listening for footsteps until it was too late. She had just enough time to leap out of the chair before Henry came through the door. No time to shut down the e-mail program. She stared at the open e-mail as her heart thumped against her breastbone.

  Once Henry sank into the chair, it took him a few seconds to realize something wasn’t right. Then he looked at the computer screen. His gaze roamed the room, seeking the intruder. He got up and looked into the supply closet, stood a mere two feet from her. Jenna wondered if she could shake so much it would interrupt the energy allowing her to remain invisible. She prayed she didn’t find out.

  From the way Henry moved toward the desk and snatched up the phone, she gathered he still couldn’t see her.

  “Did Patti come back?”

  Pause.

  “No, nothing.” Henry hung up and paced across the room. He muttered a curse as he ran his large hand over his bald head.

  One of the uniformed Secret Service officers in charge of the side entrance appeared at the office door. “What’s wrong?”

  Henry stopped pacing and looked like he was about to be led in front of the firing squad. Then he pulled himself together. “Someone’s been in here. Who’ve you let through in the past few minutes?”

  “No one. Were you out of the room? Did you leave the door open?”

  “I just went to the restroom.”

  “Did you leave the door open?” the guard asked more forcefully.

  “Yeah, but no one’s around.”

  “Evidently someone is.”

  “Well, if they are, you two should have seen them.”

  Jenna’s head pounded as she listened to the men argue. She eyed the door, but there wasn’t room for her to get by without risking detection. Damn, how did she manage to get herself in such a mess? How long would she have to stand here, avoiding being bumped, before she could escape?

  She squeezed herself further into a corner, which seemed the least likely place one of the men would run into her. The guard made more calls, evidently checking with guards at the other entrances and not receiving satisfactory answers to his query about whether anyone out of the ordinary had been let in.“Are you sure it wasn’t like that when you left the room?” the guard asked Jacobs.

  “I told you it wasn’t. I don’t have access to Patti’s e-mail.”

  The guard shook his head. “Patti’s going to fire your ass.”

  Jacobs’s head reddened.

  By the time several more minutes of calls and discussions passed, Jenna’s head pounded so hard she couldn’t see clearly. Her stomach was in danger of growling. She wondered if Daniel was sitting in her living room waiting for her.

  She leaned her head against the wall to try to relieve the headache, but the endless activity a few feet away made the effort a vain one. If the e-mail of a janitorial supervisor garnered this much upheaval, she couldn’t imagine what would happen if it were one of the really important computers elsewhere in the building. She imagined teams of search dogs and blinding spotlights combing every corner, every inch of lawn.

  Dogs. Surely they wouldn’t bring in dogs. They might not be able to see her, but scent was another matter entirely. Other than visually, just how much did the energy field cloak? Her stomach turned at the thought of a German shepherd clamping down on her invisible leg. She had to get out of here.

  More minutes ticked by, and instead of people leaving, more arrived. Her hopes for making a retreat anytime soon died when Patti Kenton strode through the door, her face drawn in sharp angles. She didn’t like having her evening interrupted and it showed.

  Jacobs was twice her size, but he paled when he saw her enter.

  “This is the last straw, Henry. I’ve already given you more chances than you’ve earned.”

  “But I didn’t do anything.” He sounded about eight years old.

  “You left the office unattended and unlocked.”

  “I just went to the bathroom.”

  “I don’t care if you only stepped out into the hall. Someone got access to my files, and we don’t know who or why. I can’t overlook it. This is the White House, not Joe Schmoe’s Bolt Factory.”

  “But—”

  Patti waved off his excuse. “Please get your stuff and leave. I’ll need your keys and ID badge. And you’ll have to drop off your uniforms tomorrow.”

  Jenna watched Henry’s meaty fingers clench, but he didn’t say anything in response to his firing. He likely knew it wouldn’t do any good.

  By the time Henry had divested himself of government property and left the building, Jenna’s hunger had turned into a queasiness deep in her stomach. She didn’t know if it was frustration, the headache or the extended period of invisibility that caused it, but she needed fresh air. She considered trying to make it to the door, but it was too risky. The office was small, and with two people and a desk between her and the door, her odds of making it out undetected were slim.

  Patti sank into her chair and shook her head. “I should have fired him long ago, but he supports his mother. Carl kept telling me to let Henry go because he caused me so many headaches. Well, this is the last one.” She looked up at the guard. “Tell me again what happened.”

  The guard went over the scenario again, making Jenna want to bang her head against the wall.

  “Have you checked with the rest of my staff?”

  “Yeah. Everyone was in some other part of the building. We didn’t see anyone go down this hallway.”

  “And all the day crew left like normal?”

  He nodded. “Even the new girl. I saw her get in her crappy little car and drive out of the lot.”

  Jenna wanted to throw something at the guy. She couldn’t help it because Daniel thought making her drive a Pinto was amusing.

  “Well, I guess there’s nothing else for me to do here. I’m going home to try to enjoy what’s left of the evening.”

  Finally. Jenna nearly exhaled in relief.

  “Better lock the door so we don’t have anymore unexplained intrusions,” Patti said.

  “We’ll keep watch on this hallway the rest of the night.”

  No! Jenna pushed out from her hiding spot and tried to make it to the door, but she couldn’t get past Patti and the guard. She stared helplessly at the inside of the door as the two left the room and locked the door behind them. She was trapped.

  ****

  The queasiness in Jenna’s stomach and the pressure in her head increased as the night wore on. She tried to occupy her mind by reading the rest of Patti’s e-mail and examining her bank account tally. She hadn’t deposited any suspicious amounts of money.

  Jenna wondered if she’d feel better if she released the controlled energy and allowed herself to become visible. But she feared falling asleep and being discovered the next
morning with no feasible explanation. Even the truth would only get her to one of those government labs at mind-boggling speed or a one-way ticket to the looney bin.

  She raised her hand to her forehead. Yes, her skin was warmer than it was ten minutes ago. Could a human spontaneously combust? Either she was coming down with something or she was discovering symptoms of long-term invisibility. What she wouldn’t give to be curled up in her own bed back home with Pegram snuggled up beside her.

  To make the hours move faster, she wiped any possible fingerprints from the keyboard and focused on the conversations she’d heard earlier. At least now, she was fairly certain Henry had been the topic of discussion when she’d caught Patti in what had seemed like an incriminating conversation the previous morning. She had probably been talking to her husband, the Carl she’d mentioned earlier. If so, Jenna needed to head down another path. But so far, she had no clues and didn’t know which path to investigate.

  About three in the morning, she was so close to collapse that she gave in. She released the energy and curled up in a corner of the supply closet.

  She woke at 5 a.m. when she heard the guard making his regular round. Her heart nearly stopped when he paused outside the office door. The jangle of keys prompted her to curl herself into a ball behind a large box of toilet paper. When the door swung open, she didn’t dare move. Heaven help her if the guard decided to come in and search the closet. The seconds stretched endlessly. When the guard finally left, she nearly cried.