Rose Arroya, former NYPD investigator and founder of RAID, the Rosa Arroya International Detectives group, and her agents have been asked to help the CIA solve a stalled cyberterrorist case. A ruthless criminal's attack program threatens to expose classified government data. Worse, he has no compunction about killing anyone who gets in his way. RAID sets out to develop an invader program to kill the terrorist's program. But in an unexpected twist, Rosa discovers that her friend, German spy Ludwig Schmidt, has made contact with the suspected international hacker. Could there be a connection to Ludwig's plan to avenge the murder of his lover? Whatever the reason, Rosa must enlist his help to work with RAID before he spoils their plan to capture the terrorist. As Rosa hones her plan with the CIA, she finds herself an unsuspecting person of interest in a murder, cover-up, and taxi theft. She needs to get some answers from Ludwig-except he's missing. Rosa's sharp instincts, loyalty to her team, and courage to carry out the plan are paramount in working this case. But untangling herself from suspicion while actively working to bring a ruthless psychopath to justice may be more than she can handle . . .

Priority #1

CODE NAME: MARTYBy Elaine J. Anderson

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2013 Elaine J. Anderson
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-6674-9

Chapter One

It was a bone-chilling, gray day. A north wind blew across the cemetery. Three people clad in dark woolen coats peered down into the freshly dug grave. The undertaker made the first move to spread earth on the pine box in the open gravesite. Next, Rosa Arroya took the undertaker's shovel and lifted some of the soft soil, neatly lying by the gravesite, and let it fall gently on the box resting beneath them. Ludwig Schmidt, noticeably upset by the finality of it all, threw some soil onto the box and sobbed, "I'm so sorry."

The body of Karen Sapinsky had been returned from Mexico. She was buried with no honors, no fanfare, and no family members present.

Leaving the gravesite to the undertaker and his crew, Rosa took Ludwig's arm and walked with him toward her car.

"No one should die like that," he whispered, wiping his moist eyes with the back of his hands.

"You're right, Ludwig. The photos of her tortured body sent chills up my spine. Do you know who could do such a thing?"

"Yes, and I will get even. I plan to kill the son of a bitch," he told her with passion and conviction in his voice.

"You do? Do you have reliable sources? How will you get to him?" Rosa, stunned at his language, asked her friend, knowing he had been a German spy, and had many resources.

"The best! Getting to him is my business," he answered as he held the car door for Rosa to slide in behind the wheel. He walked around the car to the passenger's side, and removed his Stetson cowboy hat, glancing back at the backhoe filling in the gravesite. He got into the car, and turned to Rosa.

"Thank you for supporting my request to be here for this day. I needed to go through it for closure to this sad story. I believe I loved her," he told Rosa. "I never meant to get involved with my best friend's lover, but she was so alluring, I was involved before I knew it."

Rosa studied Ludwig's drawn, stressed face and said, "I know that this hasn't been easy for you." She hesitated, and said, "Remember, revenge is a dangerous business."

"Let's drop it. I need to try to enjoy a week's diversion. Are you ready to be my tour guide of Washington?" he said, getting himself composed.

Rosa saw the depth of Ludwig's resolve. It worried her.

"I'm ready, even if it seems odd to begin a holiday at a cemetery," she told him. She drove the car away from the burial site, out of the cemetery, toward the tourist stops on the National Mall and Memorial Parks with the Lincoln Memorial at one end, the Capitol building at the other end, and enough museums in between to keep a tourist busy for a week.

The traffic was light and the sun was beginning to break through the cloud cover on this chilly day.

"I wonder if you could eat a little something for lunch?" she asked him.

"I think that's a great idea. Do you have a place in mind?" he asked.

"I do. It is a small restaurant just off DuPont Circle. Have you ever heard of the Obelisk?" Rosa asked.

"No, but whatever you choose is good for me," he responded as he watched the road and traffic from his window.

Rosa used her voice-activated car phone to call in their reservations.

"Hello. Two for lunch at noon, please." After a short silence, she said, "Reservations for Schmidt."

"Good. They will expect us at noon," she told Ludwig, who nodded his approval.

Rosa glanced at her watch and stepped on the accelerator. They headed for DuPont Circle.

Ludwig smiled a wry smile to himself, feeling a sense of relief for the ordeal that was behind him today, but the story was not over in any stretch of the imagination. He wanted to get even. His sense of loyalty for his deceased lover, and his strong belief in right and wrong was driving him to avenge her death. It had all turned out so wrong. Love had a way of complicating life, he thought. He wondered if he was the only one suffering such emotional pain.

It had been years since Rosa had been to the Obelisk. It brought back memories of Jack Bucco and their cat-and-mouse game so long ago. She had fallen in love with him and his masterful disguises. Rosa remembered that he was Jake Baker when they had dinner at the Obelisk. He was the most charismatic man she had ever met. Her recovery from his death had taken a long time. She felt ready to move on. Still, she was curious to see if the restaurant had the same intimate charm she remembered.

Although the two had each experienced deep emotional losses, they hid their deepest personal feelings of these times from each other.

They arrived at noon in time for their reservation. As they approached the door of the restaurant, Ludwig opened it and held it for Rosa. A friendly young host welcomed them with a slight bow and big smile.

"Do you have reservations?"

"Yes. It is under the name Schmidt," she told him.

The young man checked the register.

"Of course you do, for a table for two. Follow me, please."

They were led into a tiny room with a half-dozen small tables covered with white cloth. He seated them by the only window in the room; its sill covered with assorted types and sizes of leafy plants, and placed a single menu on the table for them to share.

"Jonathan will be your waiter," the host told them, and then swiftly went back to the door to seat more customers.

"I'd forgotten how cozy this place was," Rosa said to Ludwig as she looked over the display of plants and scanned the tiny room for memories.

"Private is another way to describe it," Ludwig responded with a smile as he maneuvered to get his long legs and big feet in place under the table.

"Water?" asked a waiter appearing and holding a pitcher of iced water.

Rosa and Ludwig both nodded yes, and began to read the menu standing before them.

"Do you see anything of interest?" Rosa asked Ludwig. She remembered their meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, and how comfortable they were together. After all, they were both proficient spies. They had that in common.

"I think the Panini with brie and smoked ham sounds good to me," he answered.

"Hmm. That does sound tasty with the apple slices and spicy mustard," Rosa agreed.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked Rosa.

"I'll have a glass of Riesling."

When Jonathan, the waiter, arrived, Ludwig placed their order.

"Two Panini sandwiches, a glass of Riesling, and a bottle of Bass ale," he said.

The waiter nodded his approval and left. As Rosa and Ludwig sat looking at the collection of plants, her cell phone rang.

"Excuse me. I must take this call from RAID," Rosa told Ludwig.

Rosa left the cramped table and strode through the tangle of diners to get to the entrance. Outside in the light of the restaurant's window, she answered the call.

"Hello, Bud." Rosa saw his name on her phone display. Bud had joined RAID in her Washington office eight years ago. He was a well-built, usually tan, master spy. She trusted him above all others. Barry `Bud' Black was her RAID partner, top agent, and confidant.

"We have a major case that just came in. It needs your attention right away," he told her in a whisper that oozed concern.

"All of our cases are major. What makes this one any different?" she asked.

"Murder!" he said in a throaty voice. "The case is international in scope with blood everywhere."

"Who is contracting us for this case?"

"The CIA and they want it solved yesterday." He continued, "They want a briefing with us tomorrow morning at ten."

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