Garret's Gambit

government, the US government. We want to know what’s going on, but nobody’s talking.”
“So, if you’re asking us,” Garret said, “then chances are she’s in one of those little secret divisions.”
“That’s what we’re assuming because we find no sign of her on any of the websites. Also, when we Google her, we don’t get anything.”
“Sounds like little sister’s grown up,” Garret said. “You could be completely wrong though, you know?”
“It happens,” Jonas said, “but not very often.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s not happening now.”
“Like we said, if it is, it is.”
“Damn,” he said. “I hope she isn’t involved in that shit. She was a pretty nice, innocent young girl.”
Just then a cold crisp voice with a hard edge cut across the lobby. “I still am, only now, I’m a woman.” And she walked across, her gaze on Garret.
He stopped and stared. “Okay, little sis, you grew up.”
She gave him a big hug. “We came very close to being family,” she said, “but all that went by the wayside.”
“I thought you would have been family by now, through my brother instead,” he said.
“Your brother isn’t too eager to move forward.”
At that, Garret stopped and stared at her. “Seriously?”
“He said he wanted to straighten things up with you before he took any further steps in that direction.”
Something inside Garret settled a little at that. “I can’t imagine he loved Amy, what with the way it happened,” he said. “But still, that’s no excuse.”
“No, it isn’t,” Astra said. “The only thing I can say is that I thought my sister was growing up a little bit.”
“Well, there’s definitely room for that,” he snapped back.
She winced. “You still pining for her?”
“Hell no,” he said. “She’s just another life lesson, that’s all.”
“Maybe so,” Astra said. “But not all lessons have to be bad.”
“They’re never good though,” he said. “So, enough of that. What are you doing here?” He motioned at the two men at his side. “Do you know these two?”
She looked at Kano, frowned, and said, “You work with Garret, don’t you?”
Kano reached out a hand, introduced himself.
She nodded. “That’s what I thought.” She turned to look at Jonas and frowned. “You’re the one who’s been bugging me for information that I don’t have.”
Watching their interactions, Garret found nothing in her crisp assertive mannerisms even slightly reminiscent of the young girl he used to know. It was all he could do to not stare at her bemusedly.
At that point, Jonas stepped forward. “We do have a few questions.”
“And I don’t have any answers,” she said. “Maybe now that Garret’s here, we can find some though.”
“What is it you think Garret can do for you?” Kano asked curiously.
Garret had to admit he was looking forward to hearing that answer as well.
She looked at Kano, then at Jonas and finally back at Garret. “He’s the only one who has answers, at least according to my sister.”
*
Astra watched their faces when she said that. She knew that Garret had already been shocked at her presence. But she wasn’t the young woman he used to know. She’d grown up a lot over the last few years, becoming a little more directed, a little more focused on getting what she wanted. And what she wanted now—and in the past—was Garret, and she wanted her sister out of his life completely. But she hadn’t wanted her sister to disappear.
The minute Amy had emailed, saying Gregg had gone missing and that she might have some information, Astra immediately contacted her sister, but Amy hadn’t answered her phone. Neither had she given any inclination as to divulging what that information was.
As she studied the MI6 officer in front of her, Astra said, “I really don’t have anything more to tell you.”
“If I believed you,” he said easily, “I wouldn’t be here.”
She glared at him.
He just smiled genuinely back at her.
“Okay, enough with the in-house fighting,” Garret said.
“My sister said she had information that might help find Garret’s brother, but she gave no details,” Astra said coolly. “I’ll forward the email to you.” She pulled out her cell phone, brought it up, and showed it to Jonas. Then she said, “Give me your email.” When Jonas supplied it, she forwarded the message to him. “That’s it. That’s all I have. Talk to Amy.”
Jonas studied her for a long moment, then gave a clipped nod. “We don’t have any details or even a report about Gregg being missing,” he said. “But, now that we know she’s involved in something to do with him, that’s a whole different story.”
“That’s quite a leap,” Astra said. “We don’t know that she’s involved in Gregg’s disappearance.”
“Maybe not,” he replied, “but it’s a likely deduction.”
“Possibly,” she admitted. Then she glanced at Garret. “I’m sorry. She didn’t give me any details, only that stupid email.”
“Did you call her?”
“Yes, several times, and I got nothing.” Just enough bitterness was in her voice that he was coming down on the side of believing her, and she could see it.
“That’s why I flew over,” she said. “I was actually in France for a conference at the time.”
“Are you in the government? Like, high up?”
She gave a bitter laugh. “No,” she said. “I used to be.” She looked at Jonas. “Your intel’s a little outdated.”
He shrugged.
“I now work for a private security company,” she said.
“Please tell me it’s not Kingdom Securities,” Garret said.
She smiled. “No, it’s not them, and it’s not Bullard’s team either, or you would know.”
He nodded slowly. “Not too many other big players. Legendary Security out of Texas being the other.”
“Different kind of intelligence,” she said. “I’m working with an international cybersecurity company.”
“Okay,” he said. “So you know about my brother being missing—your sister too—but have you done anything to find them?”
“Outside of contacting you?”
“Yes.”
“Not a whole lot,” she said. “I’ve sent out some feelers, but I don’t have any answers at this time.” She looked back at Jonas. “So, as I said, I really don’t have anything more to offer you.” Then, adding an unexpected twist to the conversation, she asked Jonas