Next Moves (Secrets Of The World Storyline) (Patreon)

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Laylana and her Deep Secret CIA team found a clue that would definitively lead to information as to where the money the group known as Spectrum was going. The time had come to take action.

|| "Next Move" is a part of the Secrets Of The World storyline. ||

“Laylana…” Eva’s voice echoed slightly in the stark concrete hallway of Away 4. “I got correspondence from Cal Davis.”

Laylana got up from her bed and joined Eva in the hall. “What’s the plan?”

Eva smiled. “Let’s say things change completely.”

She knocked on Kaori’s door. “We got a briefing. Beauty rest is over for now.”

By the time Laylana reached the open area of the underground base, Mason was already seated on one of the sofas, so she joined him. By the time she was seated, the others were filing in.

“Davis is pleased with the evidence,” Mason said to Laylana quietly.

“Yeah, I picked up on that.”

Natalie sat down on the floor. “Anyone besides me feeling good?”

“You can say that again,” Gavin replied. “Long time coming.”

Since joining the Deep Secret team, Laylana had been on ops in Vietnam, France, and New Guinea. Before joining, the team had hit places in China, Thailand, and others. It was on the drug raid in New Guinea that they had found something that should never have been written on a napkin and kept.

“I’m glad to see this happening, for sure,” Dawson replied.

“The bank numbers,” Eva said to the group, “have Cal really worked up. ‘This is the break we’ve needed,’ he said. Time to shift from investigation to prosecution.”

“So, what’s our orders?” Laylana asked.

Eva passed the iPad to Laylana. “In short, some of us get a holiday. A few of you have work to do.”

“Who gets what?” Natalie asked.

“All of us dead people in the room go on alias holidays.”

“We’re only dead on paper, you know,” Owen said from where he stood sipping from a water bottle.

“That still counts,” Eva replied. “Dawson, Laylana, and Mason have work to do.”

Laylana had scanned the message from CIA Deputy Assistant Director Cal Davis by then. “Using Eva’s words, those of you who are dead… he wants you to stay close to each other, near an airport, but otherwise, act like economy tourists.”

“I say beach!” Eva spoke up. “Living underground, I kinda miss the sun.”

“Beach sounds fine, to me,” Natalie replied.

“How do we pair up this time?” Ryan said. “Do I have to pretend to be Eva’s boyfriend again?”

“Dibs on Kaori!” Owen called out.

“Do I get a say in this?” Kaori asked, rolling her eyes and laughing.

“What’s Ryan talking about?” Laylana asked.

“Tourists…” Gavin replied. “Me and Natalie… Owen and Kaori… Ryan and Eva…”

“Tourists usually don’t travel alone, right?”

Dimitri then said, “Well, by my math, we’ve got an odd number—someone’s flying solo.”

Ryan raised his hand to get attention from the group. “You take Eva this time. I’ll stay in my room.”

Eva pretended to be offended. “Guys, I’m right here. I can hear you, and I’m not really that bad am I?”

“There are limits to how much I can laugh and smile in a single day,” Ryan replied.

“It’s impossible to laugh too much,” Eva said, shaking her head.

“I’m not sure that’s true,” Dimitri added. “You get on a roll sometimes and the muscles on the back of my head hurts.”

Eva shook her head. “Then your smile muscles need to be worked out more!”

Laylana enjoyed the good-natured banter. It reminded her of how good teams acted—teasing and joking when things were light, but getting the job done when things were on the line.

“We get separate rooms, right?” Kaori said.

“I say yes,” Natalie replied. “Except Gavin and I will share.”

“As you do,” Eva replied. “So we need an affordable beach location.”

“Domestic, so we don’t have to do customs to get back to the not-dead people,” Gavin added.

“We’re only dead on paper,” Owen said again.

“Noted,” Eva replied.

Laylana handed the iPad back to Eva. “Google some options. Meanwhile three of us are going to D.C. We’ve got interviews at the FBI headquarters. Davis will be there.”

“Interviews?”

“Davis is handing over the criminal prosecution to the FBI. We’ve got to give depositions, and statements. We have to verify the chain of custody of the evidence, how it was collected… all that.”

“Then the Feds take it from there?” Dawson asked.

Laylana nodded and Mason answered. “Standard procedures. We collected the foreign intel. FBI will pull in DOJ and they’ll build a case. Based on our testimonies, they’ll subpoena bank info, get warrants, and eventually arrest someone… or some people.”

“Hopefully,” Natalie said, “we’ll hit pretty close to the top.”

“Someone will get a plea bargain to testify who they work for.” Mason added. “The CIA will try to keep it out of the press so CNN and Fox don’t try the case between car commercials. Hopefully, we end up with an indictment and conviction.”

“Hopefully, we pull the plug on Spectrum,” Natalie said, smiling.

“Someone will take their place,” Dawson added. “The world is broken.”

“And we’ll be ready, if they do,” Laylana replied.

Natalie looked at Eva. “What does Google say?”

“Not too busy, affordable beaches… Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Texas, New Jersey, or Oregon?”

“Not Oregon,” Kaori replied. “More sunshine.”

“Can we say not New Jersey, just out of principle?” Ryan added.

“Where in Texas?” Gavin asked.

“South Padre Island,” Eva answered, "and Corpus Christi."

“North Carolina is closest to D.C.,” Kaori said.

“That makes sense,” Owen replied.

“Are we trying to make sense or have fun?” Eva asked.

Natalie smiled. “How about both?”

Gavin took the iPad and everyone watched him. “Hmm… Airport access should factor in…”

“Sensible,” Natalie replied.

Gavin looked up. “I say Wilmington. There’s a Holiday Inn on the beach… Short flight to D.C.”

“Make it happen,” Laylana replied. “Now, what?”

“Pack up and get to the airport,” Eva replied. “I’ll get a flight plan logged. We can be wheels-up in the morning.”

{{{{ FIN }}}}}

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Please remember that ALL characters in this story are AI models, characters, and the do NOT represent anyone known real people.