Viking Bay Read Free Page A

maybe,” Kay said. “It all depends on the job I’ll be doing and my pay grade.” Although Kay didn’t have any big secrets she was hiding, she didn’t like the idea of someone hypnotizing her and probing into the dark corners of her mind. But what she really didn’t like was Mercer’s attitude, acting as if Kay was so desperate that she’d do anything to land a job.
    As if Kay hadn’t spoken, Mercer said, “In addition to the psych eval and the physical, you’ll also be polygraphed. That’s just to make sure we haven’t missed something in our background checks. The flutter testing is nothing to get alarmed about unless you’re a Chinese spy.”
    The polygraph testing didn’t bother Kay or surprise her; Top Secret government programs often included periodic lie-detector tests.
    â€œSo what agency will I be working for?” Kay asked.
    â€œYou won’t be working for an agency. You won’t be employed by the federal government.”
    â€œWhoa!” Kay said. She’d assumed that she’d be working for the feds based on what her friend, Barb Reynolds, had said—or implied—and working for the feds was important for two mundane reasons: The government had a good health insurance program—which mattered now that her daughter was living with her—and a good retirement program in which she already had ten years invested.
    â€œYou were a GS-13, weren’t you, when you worked for the DEA?” Mercer said.
    â€œYeah. Well, a temporary 13. They fired me before they made me permanent.”
    â€œYour starting salary will be twice as much as a GS-13 makes.”
    â€œReally?” Kay said. That was good news.
    â€œYes. We know the cost of living in the D.C. area is high and that you’ll have to pay full price for health insurance for yourself and your daughter. But the main reason we’re willing to pay so much is because of the risks you may be asked to take.”
    â€œLike what?”
    Mercer shook her head. “Sorry. Before I can tell you more you need to complete the physical, meet with the psychiatrist, and get polygraphed. Then you’ll be required to sign a nondisclosure agreement that legally prevents you from ever discussing your employer and what you did for him. A really smart lawyer prepared the nondisclosure agreement, and if you violate it, we’ll sue you and ruin you financially and maybe even throw you in jail. Or maybe we’ll just kill you in the interest of national security.”
    Mercer smiled slightly when she spoke of killing Kay, like that oldjoke you always hear in the movies where the CIA agent says:
I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.
At least Kay assumed it was a joke. She also wondered what her job had to do with national security if she wouldn’t be working for the government.
    â€œLook,” Kay said. “I can’t agree to any of this without having a better understanding of what I’ll be doing.”
    â€œWhy not?” Mercer said. “Your last employer fired you and isn’t about to give you a good recommendation, so the likelihood of you getting a decent job in law enforcement is almost zero. We, on the other hand, are impressed by what you did in both Miami and San Diego, including your little adventure down in Mexico with the Olivera cartel. We’re offering you a job at twice your previous salary doing things that are compatible with your prior experience. What have you got to lose?”
    Before Kay could say anything, Mercer opened her purse and pulled out a cashier’s check. She noticed that Mercer’s purse, like her suit and shoes, was top of the line—leather softer than a baby’s bottom—and she had the unwanted image of a newborn calf being sacrificed to become a handbag. Mercer handed her the check and said, “That’s to compensate you for your time while you’re completing