Christmas Tapestry by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christmas stories, Christmas spirit, holiday stories, holiday, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Magi, Christmas gifts, Christmas anthology, Christmas mysteries
Publisher: Babylon Books
Published: 2021-11-11T00:00:00+00:00

Seventeen Days of December

By Kenneth Andrus

TARGET SUPERSTORE

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS

WEDNESDAY 8 DECEMBER

“Nick Parkos. What a surprise.”

Nick’s hand tightened around the box of Christmas tree lights he’d selected, his hummed song of “The Little Drummer Boy” jarred to a halt by the familiar voice. He turned to confront the FBI Agent who’d positioned himself on the other side of the shopping cart. “Vanatsky.”

“None other,” Gunnar Vanatsky replied, a sardonic grin crossing his face.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Shopping.”

“Bull––” He dropped the rest of his expletive as a young mother and her daughter passed by. “You just happen to be in College Station almost fifteen-hundred miles from D.C., and bump into me at Target?”

“I take it, you don’t believe in coincidences.”

“The last time I saw you, you’d slapped handcuffs on me and dragged me out of my office accusing me of treason.”

“Yeah, that was unfortunate.”

“Unfortunate? You damn near cost me my job.” He swung his head through an arc looking for Vanatsky’s partner who’d be lurking nearby. “What are you doing here?”

Vanatsky cast a furtive look at a young man who appeared at the head of the aisle. “I’m investigating a scientist who may have ties to the Chinese Ministry of State Security. Jessica said you might be able to provide an assist. By the way, she said to pass on her regards to you and Michelle.”

Assist? Michelle? He dropped the Christmas lights into the cart, struggling to maintain his composure. First Vanatsky appears out of nowhere, and now the guy just dropped the name of his wife in the same sentence as his friend, Senior Special Agent Jessica Caudry. “You keep my wife out of whatever-the-hell you’re up to.”

“We have no intention of involving her.”

“What are you not involving her in?”

“We’re cleaning up a few loose ends from the Lin-Wu operation.”

“We wrapped that up last year.”

“Your part anyway.”

That statement aroused his curiosity. “What’s going on?”

“We identified a scientist named Derek Yang who’s working for the Chinese. I suspected he was working on something Covid related, but things didn’t add up.”

“Never heard of him.”

“I’d be surprised if you had. He’s been hired by a new startup in College Station, Company called, AmpTex. The Bureau––”

“That’s it.” He grasped the cart’s handle, spinning it around on its front casters. He had no intention of getting pulled into Vanatsky’s web of intrigue. “We’re done. I’ve got to finish shopping.”

“You know, we indicted that professor from Cal Berkley.”

Nick spun to face Vanatsky. “Hopkins?”

“Yeah, turns out he was...” Vanatsky paused. “This isn’t the place. We’ll talk later.”

“What makes you think I want to talk to you?”

Vanatsky gave a wry shake of his head and started to make for the exit. “That’s what Geoff told me you’d say. We’ll be in touch.”

* * *

Nick watched Vanatsky until he and his partner disappeared, stunned at the mention of his close friend, Geoffrey Lange. Geoff was the head of The Curators, a deep, clandestine unit of the National Security Agency. Geoff, as-well-as the Director of the National Security Agency, Bryce Gilmore, also knew he wanted to take a break after their last op in Prague.

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