Viper's Kiss by Shannon Curtis Page B

Reese had sent his primary field agents as support. He’d acted like a rookie.
    He found a worn ladies’ leather wallet. The clasp was broken, the leather dry and cracking in some places. Maggie must be spending her money on other things. It was confusing, though. With all the millions of dollars paid to Viper for her assignments, surely she would have at least bought a new wallet? A quick search of the wallet turned up identification cards, but not much else. Certainly no cash. He glanced at the driver’s license. It was way past time for renewal.
    “Is that her address?” Drew queried. “She’s not stupid, so she probably won’t go home, but we might find something there that will point us to where she’s gone.”
    Luke frowned at the expiration date of the license. Nearly a year ago. “Let me check.”
    He crossed over to another keyboard and typed in some data.
    Maggie’s image popped up on screen, as well as miniaturized versions of her driver’s license and university staff access cards. He pulled up more information. In seconds he had access to her bank details and bills.
    “The address on the license is wrong.” He printed out her current address, and pocketed her wallet. He was about to delete the screen when he noticed her statements. She was in overdraft.
    He quickly flicked through the account. Several large amounts were withdrawn, but only modest deposits in keeping with her librarian’s salary were made. Noah came up behind him, eyeing the screen.
    “Any good spy would have an offshore account.”
    “But any good spy would also keep their accounts in order so as not to attract attention. It looks like the bank is about to close the account,” Luke argued. He’d made the mistake of believing the facts before him. He’d assumed she was obedient, docile, and she’d pulled the oldest trick in the book and escaped. She’d raised some interesting arguments earlier, too, about the evidence against her. There were just enough questions that made him want to take a second look at the whole situation. Something about this just didn’t make sense.
    “Maybe that’s the reason she stole the prototype,” Drew offered, peering over his shoulder. “She needed the money.”
    “We’ve got records of Viper’s activities going back eight years. She’s been paid handsomely for her work. She could buy her own private island, if she wanted to,” Luke said.
    Noah shrugged. “You’re the tech dude. Find the money.”
    Luke held up the paper with Maggie’s address on it. “Right now, I want to find the spy.”
     
    Twenty minutes later Luke crouched in front of the door to Maggie’s apartment, squinting as he picked the lock.
    He heard a sigh of impatience before a boot connected with the door not an inch from his ear. The door slammed open. He didn’t flinch, but turned and looked up at Noah.
    “Well, that was subtle,” he commented dryly.
    Noah shrugged. “I wanted to get in before I died of old age.”
    Drew tried unsuccessfully to hold back a grin as he passed both of them. “Children…”
    Luke followed his colleagues into the one bedroom apartment and stopped in the living area, just as his colleagues had.
    The sofa was made up as a bed, a knitted blanket draped neatly over the cushions. Boxes were stacked with a neat precision, their opening facing the room to form a temporary wardrobe. There was no television. No stereo equipment. The bare essentials, and that was all. Books were piled haphazardly on the floor, and framed photographs littered every surface.
    “Well, lookee here,” Noah said, moving a pillow at the end of the sagging sofa. The corner of a graphic novel peeked out. He pulled it from its hiding place, looked at the cover and did a double take.
    “Wonder Woman? A spy who reads comics?” He handed it to Luke, who scanned the cover, frowning.
    “Viper has a real thing for Wonder Woman.” But why? He looked around the spare apartment. Why would a successful spy-for-hire