Catch a Falling Spy: Miss Fortune World, #2

By Kamaryn Kelsey

#2 CATCH A FALLING SPY When Fortune learns retired CIA Agent Garrett Stone has dementia and needs her help, how can she say no? After all, he once saved her life and now that he's in danger, she knows it's the right thing to do. So while Director Morrow is locating a secure facility for Garrett to live, "Uncle Gary" visits Fortune in Sinful.

But with his mental and behavioral lapses, it's not long before chaos ensues, leaving Swamp Team 3 scrambling to keep him out of trouble. Join Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie as they work to uncover the secrets he's hiding and discover who wants him dead.

Authors note: This is Fan Fiction. It is not written by the original author, but by a fan who has special permission to create stories using the author's characters and locations. The events/timeline may not coincide with those in the original Miss Fortune series.

Special thanks to Jana DeLeon and J&R Fan Fiction for making this possible.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: J&R Fan Fiction
• Release date: Mar 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393515074

Book preview

Authors note: In Chapter 7, Gertie’s choice of a place she’d like to visit—China—was written before the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent quarantines and restrictions.

This is Fan Fiction. It is not written by the original author, but by a fan who has special permission to create stories using the author's characters and locations. The events/timeline may not coincide with those in the original Miss Fortune series.

Special thanks to Jana DeLeon and J&R Fan Fiction for making this possible.

Cover design by Heidi Sutherlin - https://www.upwork.com/fl/heidisutherlin

Line editing and beta reading by Kit Dawson.

Chapter 1

I GRABBED MY PHONE and answered it with a smile. Hey, Harrison. How much weight did you gain this week?

The last time we talked, my former partner complained about going to the gym, and we agreed civilian life had its own pitfalls. But he didn’t respond with his usual banter and, as the silence lengthened, I knew something was wrong. My heart pounded like a hammer in my chest as I considered the possibilities: Director Morrow, Hadley, or even Harrison himself. Maybe it was his girlfriend, Cassidy. I shut my eyes and clenched my fist as I waited for him to tell me the bad news.

It’s Garrett Stone.

Garrett Stone—superspy, agency legend, hero. Like my father, the man earned those titles. But Garrett continued his CIA career after many burned out or left for easier jobs. He’d earned the respect of every agent in the business, including me.

Harrison and I owed our lives to him. We had been in Columbia to extract an asset working high up in the cartel when our cover was blown and we had to run for our lives. I recalled the heavy air as we sought refuge in the dense rainforest—the moisture trickling off large leaves, the cry of startled birds, and the biting insects. And the snakes; I shuddered as I remembered them dangling from trees and silently slithering across the moist floor of the forest. When we hadn’t arrive at the pickup rendezvous as scheduled, Director Morrow sent Garrett after us, and he used contacts he’d developed over many years to rescue us. The icing on the cake? He retrieved the asset as well. Reflecting on that mission, I realized that I couldn’t clearly recall the detailed features of the man who saved us. Maybe that’s one reason why Garrett was so good.

Fortune, did you hear me?

I shook my head to clear the old memories and focus on what Ben was saying. Sorry, I drifted for a minute.

I know. It’s hard to believe. I never imagined he’d end up like this.

How did it happen? Unexpectedly, a sadness settled over me, and I chided myself for my emotional response. It’s not like Garrett was a close friend, but I never thought he’d die at such a young age. It didn’t seem fair.

I didn’t see the medical report, but I assume it’s hereditary. However, head trauma likely accelerated it. Anyone who has been in the game as long as Garrett is bound to have battle wounds.

My brow wrinkled. Hereditary death? I suppose Harrison was right, but I had never seen it listed as a cause. Maybe Ben was becoming a philosopher. Lord, I hoped not!

Are you paying attention, or has Louisiana turned your brain to mush?

I ignored his question and asked, When’s the service? I loathed funerals, but I’d go because Garrett Stone was one of the good guys, and I wanted to pay respect to his memory.

I never thought I’d see you slip like this. What have you been doing in Sinful? Living on sugar and caffeine? Something’s melted your mind.

I sucked in my stomach and scowled at the phone. Just because he was right about my dietary habits didn’t mean I’d become sloppy—or fat. It was simply the news that caught me off-guard and I told him so.

Quit lying, Fortune. I know you well enough to tell that you have no idea why I called.

I gazed out the front window of my house, not actually seeing the squirrel tightrope walking the telephone wire or my neighbor in her housecoat pulling weeds in her lawn. Instead, I tried to recall what Harrison had said. But it was no use.

Next time give me the relevant information first, I suggested sourly, only to hear him snort with laughter.

You’re definitely slipping. It’s a good look for you.

Oh, really? Well, guess what I’m doing now and tell me how it looks, I snapped, lifting my middle finger and making a face at the blank screen on my phone. I didn’t need him to remind me that my skills weren’t as sharp as they used to be. I imagined my father’s frown of disapproval, and I got up to pace the living room.

A large oval mirror reflected my movement, and when I paused to look, I visualized seeing my mother. The image of my stern father faded, replaced by one of her laughing as she helped me to my feet, gently assuring me it was okay to cry when I was hurt. I don’t know where the memory came from, but I felt better and my mood improved.

Okay, you win, I told Harrison, grinning as I sensed his shock at my admission. What did I miss?

After he repeated his story, I felt a little foolish for jumping to the conclusion that Garrett was dead. But I didn’t dwell on my mistake because there was something more important to consider: Garrett Stone was in trouble and needed our help.

Are you certain this call isn’t being monitored? I asked.

No chance, Harrison assured me. But don’t count on that to continue. At this point, the only people who know about the op are you, me, and Director Morrow. Once he sets this in motion, any communication between us will need to be restricted. I still have my email account set up if you need to use it.

He was referring to the one we used to communicate when I first came to Sinful and was hiding from Ahmed.

I remember. So, when should I expect the package to arrive? Some old habits, like referring to a person as a package, would probably stay with me for the rest of my life.

Tomorrow. Morrow is getting Garrett released from the medical facility where he’s been staying on the pretense of visiting a specialist in New Orleans. Once we arrive there, we’ll leave the clinic through the back where Morrow will have a car standing by to transport Garrett to Sinful. In the meantime, Morrow will make arrangements for Garrett’s care at a safe facility and he will contact you when he’s done so. Until that time, you’re on your own. Are you sure you can handle it? Harrison asked.

I hoped that Garrett’s tenuous grip on reality wouldn’t bring the operation down, but I trusted Morrow’s judgment. If he felt Garrett was in danger, that was good enough for me. Besides, I owed my life to him and this was my chance to repay the debt.

I’ll take care of him, I promised.

Fortune, no one can know that you’re harboring a top CIA agent with dementia, he warned me—unnecessarily. If Garrett’s whereabouts are leaked, you’ll have an international villain gathering in Sinful. I don’t know how the agency has kept a lid on this as long as they have, but you can bet there’s a long list of people who would like to get their hands on Garrett.

This is Sinful, I reminded him. There’s no sneaking anyone into town, so I’ll introduce him as my uncle. Ida Belle and Gertie will help sell the story and keep him safe.

I hope you can keep him from spilling secrets. What Garrett’s carrying in his head could topple countries, and if any of his stories make it onto the internet, it could get rough. Even deadly.

You just worry about your end of it, I advised him. How are you going to avoid suspicion if you disappear the same day he does?

I’m not disappearing. Cassidy and I already had a romantic getaway planned, so it fits in perfectly, he explained.

Does she know what you’re doing?

He sighed. "I can’t tell her without putting her in jeopardy. I hate keeping it from her, but it’s for her own good. All she knows is that we’re escorting a