Dear Readers - After too much delay, here is the next installment of Marsha, Scott, and Mark's adventures with the CIA and its adversaries.
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The CIA Doublecross - Part 3 - A Future in Idaho
We were being seated in the Boise State faculty club dining room and I was doing my panicked best to decide how to handle the fact that our CIA contact, Mark Cooper, had just been introduced as a special friend of the university and chief alumni fund raiser.
Marsha squeezed my hand under the table and whispered, "Be nice."
Eleanor and Margaret were glancing back and forth between Mark and me. I explained, "Mr. Cooper has been working with us on a problem at our company in California."
Ellie, the experienced deputy sheriff, was putting two and two together real fast. Meg looked a little confused and asked, "Does this have anything to do with what happened over the weekend?"
Mark jumped in, "Yes it does, and thank you for helping get these two out of trouble. They seem to find it wherever they go. My people are stretched just trying to keep up." His smile was wide.
Dean Saunders was also smiling, which could only mean Cooper had clued him in.
"Ms. Youngblood, I'm impressed with your credentials for admission. You seem to be following in your parents' footsteps as a high achieving person. We need students like you."
Meg smiled, "You mean I don't have to sit here quaking, scared this visit is going to end badly?"
Everyone laughed and Mark said, "What about your twin sister? Is she applying for admission too?"
The two of them sat up straighter and Marsha said, still laughing, "We would like to room together, but then Scott would be underfoot all the time."
After we ordered, Mark asked if Marsha and I had a few minutes to talk after the meal. I chuckled at him, "We are not officially here, so I guess it is ok to talk to you about what we are not doing."
Ellie added, "Law enforcement thinks they've gone missing again. Meg and I are supposed to be home for a late dinner."
Cooper said, in a light tone, "In that case, I will provide transportation after we are done. For the two individuals we didn't have lunch with."
Saunders was nonplused, which confirmed my suspicion that he was an operative. Good location, I thought. A campus Dean heard a lot of things, some of which were interesting to a spy agency. And also got a look at promising recruits, of whom Margaret Youngblood was an excellent example.
The food was good and we talked about the nationally ranked football team, and other athletics. Everyone turned the dessert offer down and Dean Saunders invited the Youngbloods to his office for some paperwork. I put an arm around Ellie and said, "I think you just decided to let your daughter apply for admission."
Her kiss on my cheek was warm. "Thank you, Scott and Marsha, for coming on this trip. I hope to see you again soon."
Marsha got a kiss on the lips from her twin, and so did I, with a warning, "Treat her right, or I'm coming after you!"
In the backseat of Cooper's nondescript rental, Marsha said it first. "You can't touch that girl until she has finished school, Mark."
He laughed and said, "So you are coming after me, and Megan is going after Scott? Sounds like the men are getting the worst of the deal, or is it the best?"
After the laughter stopped, he said, "You didn't hear me say this, but the diversion in Idaho has blown this whole case wide open. Everyone from the National Security Advisor on down is pleased as punch. The boss even offered me a promotion to Langley, but I told him I had the west in my blood."
Marsha curled into me and said, "We're not going back to the company, are we?"
I laughed and asked, "You've decided you like the undercover cowgirl life, have you?"
"Look out. Remember, I'm your noshit girlfriend."
Mark broke in, "You're better than that. I have some ideas, but at the moment we need to park you somewhere inconspicuous."
I said, "Mark, this woman and I are getting pretty good at hiding out. That is, when we aren't tagged by some bad guy."
Marsha kissed me and said, "He's such a tough man. I don't know why, but he is fun to hide out with."
"What would you think about a few days at my family's ranch about an hour north of here? They value their privacy and so do I. I've never let the location be known to the agency or anyone else."
I hesitated, knowing we had just been offered very special treatment. Marsha nodded at me, and I said, "Mark, that's very generous. We would like a chance to explore options, if that is what you have in mind."
"I'll call and see if we are welcome today. We have all your stuff with us?"
"Yes. Your agency transport system doesn't check bags."
"You impressed those last pilots. Said they couldn't figure out how two young people in love could be so organized."
Marsha reached and pulled his ear. "You scare the devil out of us, and of course we are going to be organized." She sank back into my arms and closed her eyes.
The Cooper ranch was on the North Fork of the Payette River, south of the Cascade Dam and reservoir. Beautiful country. I could see why Mark kept a low profile on the property. We had passed by this morning on the way south.
"My mother and oldest brother work the ranch. Have temporary help now and then. Family settled here when there was still virgin timber in all directions. But ranching and recreation is what is left now."
"If you don't mind, I'm going to use your real names. Not much point in being devious with family. Your and my story is that you are on special assignment with my team, but just back from a difficult project and need some R&R."
"Mark, how thoughtful. I do indeed need R&R." She pulled on his ear again. "You and I need to talk about Margaret."
He swiveled his head to glance at her. "You are going to allow me to offer an internship in the summer?"
"No, she does the internship with Scott and me. Ellie will insist."
I wondered what Marsha was up to. Had we just been farmed out to the agency?
We turned off the highway and headed west toward a ranch house in the distance. Mark pulled over next to a landscaped verge with a pond beyond.
"We need to talk before we go to the house. There is a nice bench there by the water."
Ambling across the grass, Marsha put her arm around Mark, kissed him on the cheek, and said, "Honey, you keep taking me to the nicest benches!"
I growled and they laughed.
He plunged right in. "There is a situation here you may be able to help with. About a year ago, a couple from the east named Harrison bought a big spread across the road and up the valley a bit. Twelve hundred acres or so. Deep pocket types who started pouring in money on top of the purchase price. Barns, fencing, a bunkhouse for the help, a swimming pool for the missus.
"Nice enough people, who introduced themselves around, threw a party for all the neighbors, and found a church to attend. Have two beautiful matched bays, and go riding with neighbors.
"One evening my brother was driving back from a Rotary dinner in town and noticed a large horse trailer leaving the Harrison place and heading south. Wasn't all that remarkable, but strange to be dragging that thing around in the dark. Animals don't like it much either.
"A week later, he and Mom were out here by the pond at twilight and same thing happened. Horse trailer heading out in the dark.
"My brother isn't basically nosy, but told me about it the next time we talked and asked if I could do a quiet background check. Told him that with my job, he shouldn't be asking for that kind of favor, but I would do it once.
"Harrisons don't check out. Previously lived in Philadelphia suburb on the New Jersey side. No sign of family money. He was an insurance investigator, she did accounting work at home.
I said, "I suppose the local bank account to pay for all this is supplied by offshore wire transfers?"
He smiled, "Bingo!"
Marsha added, "Horse trailer is convenient way to move lots of interesting things. Drugs, cash, bodies."
"I have a problem. I don't want the DEA or Treasury in here, trashing and burning. And I don't want my brother's name involved."
He smiled again, "I want two young agents in training to take this project on. Ask silly questions only relatives from California would ask. Crawl around in the dark in your black getup."
"Marsha, we've been had again. Brings us to the family ranch and sticks the knife right in."
She crawled into my lap for a kiss and said, "At least it's not the Chinese military."
Two people who could only be Mark's mom and brother were walking down the drive towards us. We stood and went to meet them. After introductions, I said I would bring the car to the house by myself so they could stroll.
I sat on the porch step, waiting and thinking that just when life was calming down, the devious CIA guy had us heading back into trouble. Marsha walked up to me, smiling, and I could tell she was back in agent mode herself. Felt good. Might get shot at again.
It was almost cocktail hour, and after washing up, we gathered on the back porch with a marvelous view toward hills rising on the western skyline. Seemed too peaceful for a mob invasion nearby. Mark filled his family in on their houseguests.
"Marsha and Scott are new members of my team. Know the technology business backwards and forwards. Just broke a big case wide open. They are here for some R&R, and to poke around a bit."
He hesitated, and continued, "Mom, Joel got me to do a background check on the Harrisons, and the results are not good. Can't say anything more than that right now, but your guests are equipped for some investigating. They can't talk about the assignment, so please don't give them the third degree. Joel and I have agreed we aren't going to alert the Sheriff until there is more evidence."
Kate looked at her son and smiled, "Mark, don't be so serious. The ranchers in this valley have been dealing with rustlers and other crooks for a long time. Your mother knows how to keep her mouth shut!"
Marsha stood and asked, "May I borrow Mark for a few minutes?"
They strolled toward the corral fence, Marsha talking fast, and Mark nodding. In a few moments, they were headed back, a wide grin on his face. He took his seat, mumbling in my direction, "Damn, she is good."
Marsha got to give the pitch. "Scott and I came up here to see the country, and so far, Mark hasn't let loose of us for five minutes. I just convinced him our investigation would be more plausible if Scott and I explored your back country on short horseback trips. To make the cover story even better, we are going to have a guide. She is the daughter of the Deputy Sheriff in Sandpoint. A Nez Perce descendent I would trust to take us anywhere. If you agree, Scott will get on the phone and ask her Mom and Dad after dinner. One of us can drive up and provide transportation in a day or two."
Kate smiled, and said, "Wonderful idea. Perhaps Joel can go get her in his plane."
Mark gave me one of his 'gotcha' looks. I realized lots of Idaho ranchers must have planes to get around.
As we broke for dinner, Marsha took me aside and said, "Let me call Ellie and Meg first before you talk to Horace."
