Rogue Asset (Book 3 of the Wade Hanna Series) by Joseph D'Antoni Page B
Authors: Joseph D'Antoni
Ads: Link
skin. He knew better but couldn’t stop scratching.
Sighting the drug store two blocks from his hotel was a welcome relief. He would stop and pick up rubbing alcohol and ointment. First he had to make it to the drug store. The traffic was getting worse, and so was his itching.
The traffic congestion helped Wade remember parts of the route Megan took from the restaurant last evening. He couldn’t be late for the reception. The next exit looked familiar. He had to take the chance.
The stop was brief, and Wade barely got to his room before he was stripping off his clothes. He jumped into the cold shower and scrubbed the red welts all over his body. The shower was followed by generous rubbings of alcohol and ointment until he felt some relief.
He sat at the desk in his room with a towel around his waist thinking about what else he could do to make the itching stop. He quickly pushed the button on the phone asking for an outside line. Wade dialed Yari’s secure line. No one answered so he left a message to call him back.
The itching started to subside. He had to get himself calmed down from the polygraph test. His presence at the reception wasn’t going to give him any new information, and he didn’t want to project concern. The thought suddenly crossed his mind his hotel room might be bugged. He didn’t leave the hotel’s main number or his room number feeling Yari could figure all that out.
The towel fell off when he jumped up to check the room for listening devices. Looking in all the usual places turned up nothing but he thought his naked body running around the room looking for the devices could make an interesting recording for some Agency nerd. Wade knew the hotel hosting the reception was owned by the agency. He wondered if his hotel was also owned by them.. If the Agency owned the hotel, camera and listening devices would be buried in more obscured places. He started making a second more detailed search for hidden listening and camera devices when the phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Hi, it’s Yari. I’m calling you back from a secure line.”
“Good, but that’s only from your end.”
Yari immediately knew from Wade’s comment he was suspicious about his surroundings and waited to hear how Wade wanted to handle their conversation.
“I’m wondering if you had updates on our recent conversation.”
Yari knew that his voice would be encrypted but didn’t know if there were listening devices on Wade’s end. Yari was able to tell that there were no taps on the line they were using.
“I think the line is clear.”
“Not sure about my room.”
“Roger that.”
Most of the conversation had to be one way coming from Yari’s end. He kept their conversation general and brief until he could get to a pay phone later that evening.
Chapter 5
Washington, D. C.
Wade arrived on time for the reception at the Crestview Regency Hotel in downtown Washington. The 1930’s structure had been remodeled many times over the years. Its last extensive remodeling had taken place only two years ago.
Walls in the now contemporary lobby were lined with beautiful granite. The large glossy tile floors were covered in a new thick red carpet with a subtle gray pattern complemented by well-appointed modern chairs and sofas. There were large ferns, birds-of-paradise, and elephant ear plants in large complementary colored ceramic pots lining both sides of the hallway leading to the reception desk.
A beautiful reception desk of marble and wood was staffed with young, smiling faces eager to help guests register. Incoming guests with luggage were milling about or standing in the waiting line. Waitresses, concierges, and busboys were bustling around helping them get settled.
The high level of lobby activity almost obscured the large sign on the easel next to the reception desk, which read, “Association of International Travel Agents (AITA) meetings and reception in lower lobby - By Invitation Only.”
Wade
Sighting the drug store two blocks from his hotel was a welcome relief. He would stop and pick up rubbing alcohol and ointment. First he had to make it to the drug store. The traffic was getting worse, and so was his itching.
The traffic congestion helped Wade remember parts of the route Megan took from the restaurant last evening. He couldn’t be late for the reception. The next exit looked familiar. He had to take the chance.
The stop was brief, and Wade barely got to his room before he was stripping off his clothes. He jumped into the cold shower and scrubbed the red welts all over his body. The shower was followed by generous rubbings of alcohol and ointment until he felt some relief.
He sat at the desk in his room with a towel around his waist thinking about what else he could do to make the itching stop. He quickly pushed the button on the phone asking for an outside line. Wade dialed Yari’s secure line. No one answered so he left a message to call him back.
The itching started to subside. He had to get himself calmed down from the polygraph test. His presence at the reception wasn’t going to give him any new information, and he didn’t want to project concern. The thought suddenly crossed his mind his hotel room might be bugged. He didn’t leave the hotel’s main number or his room number feeling Yari could figure all that out.
The towel fell off when he jumped up to check the room for listening devices. Looking in all the usual places turned up nothing but he thought his naked body running around the room looking for the devices could make an interesting recording for some Agency nerd. Wade knew the hotel hosting the reception was owned by the agency. He wondered if his hotel was also owned by them.. If the Agency owned the hotel, camera and listening devices would be buried in more obscured places. He started making a second more detailed search for hidden listening and camera devices when the phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Hi, it’s Yari. I’m calling you back from a secure line.”
“Good, but that’s only from your end.”
Yari immediately knew from Wade’s comment he was suspicious about his surroundings and waited to hear how Wade wanted to handle their conversation.
“I’m wondering if you had updates on our recent conversation.”
Yari knew that his voice would be encrypted but didn’t know if there were listening devices on Wade’s end. Yari was able to tell that there were no taps on the line they were using.
“I think the line is clear.”
“Not sure about my room.”
“Roger that.”
Most of the conversation had to be one way coming from Yari’s end. He kept their conversation general and brief until he could get to a pay phone later that evening.
Chapter 5
Washington, D. C.
Wade arrived on time for the reception at the Crestview Regency Hotel in downtown Washington. The 1930’s structure had been remodeled many times over the years. Its last extensive remodeling had taken place only two years ago.
Walls in the now contemporary lobby were lined with beautiful granite. The large glossy tile floors were covered in a new thick red carpet with a subtle gray pattern complemented by well-appointed modern chairs and sofas. There were large ferns, birds-of-paradise, and elephant ear plants in large complementary colored ceramic pots lining both sides of the hallway leading to the reception desk.
A beautiful reception desk of marble and wood was staffed with young, smiling faces eager to help guests register. Incoming guests with luggage were milling about or standing in the waiting line. Waitresses, concierges, and busboys were bustling around helping them get settled.
The high level of lobby activity almost obscured the large sign on the easel next to the reception desk, which read, “Association of International Travel Agents (AITA) meetings and reception in lower lobby - By Invitation Only.”
Wade
Similar Books
