Intercepted Risk

by Sidney Bristol

  “Then let’s trust your gut. Give me your list, prioritize them however you want and I’ll get started.”

  “I’ve done a surface level check on all of them. It was about all I could do the other day. So we aren’t starting from scratch.” Kelsey spread out the sheets of paper she’d made with her notes.

  Order. How to order them?

  She began skimming the notes and making a pile, picking up only those lobbyists who she couldn’t see being connected.

  Then there were ten sheets of paper.

  She set aside her first stack. “I don’t think any of these are involved in the... The, ah, human trafficking.”

  For some reason, saying that to Felecia made it seem more real than before.

  What Kelsey wouldn’t give for Baruti or Samuel to take a look and give her their gut feeling.

  “Any word on the agents?” she asked, keeping her eyes on the paper.

  “Nope,” Felecia whispered.

  Kelsey would have to do this on her own.

  She slid Santiago Fernández’s piece of paper over to the side. He’d be one of the last ones she picked up. For some reason, he’d just stuck with her. His smile. It had given her the creeps.

  At long last, she picked up the final piece of paper and looked across at Felecia.

  “That’s it, then?” she asked.

  “I think so.”

  Felecia held out her hand. “Let’s get started.”

  Kelsey’s phone rang. She glanced over at the display and her breath stopped.

  Walter Reed Hospital.

  Robert had been moved there for the added protection.

  She snatched the phone up. “Hello?”

  “Is this Ms. Kelsey Young?” a deep voice asked.

  She stared across the desk at Felecia. “Yes. Yes, are you calling about Robert Brown?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I was asked to inform you that he’s awake and alert.”

  “That’s great news. Fantastic.” She blew out a breath. “When can I speak with him? You know what, I’m on my way. It doesn’t matter. I have to speak with him.”

  She hung up the phone.

  Kelsey wasn’t sure if Robert would command Zora’s attention, or if her plate was already too full.

  “Come on. Get a coat.” Kelsey grabbed hers from the back of her chair.

  Felecia’s eyes widened. “I’m going?”

  “You’re going with me to hold a notebook and look like you’re taking notes. That’s it.” Kelsey paused in adjusting the way her coat sat on her shoulders. “You get your stuff. I’m going to check in with Logan before we go. Then we’re off, okay?”

  Felecia nodded and grinned at her.

  One of the things Kelsey liked most about Felecia was that everything was a new adventure to her. Doing routine things took on a magical quality with Felecia.

  “I can’t believe you’re checking in with Logan.” She wrinkled her nose and laughed.

  Kelsey rolled her eyes. “I don’t feel like dealing with his grumpy ass later. It’s self-preservation.”

  Or more accurately, she didn’t want him to worry. She’d never realized Logan’s snapping at her was coming from a place of frustrated concern. It was hard to be angry at him for that.

  Kelsey ducked out of the lab and pulled out her phone. On second thought, she really didn’t want to walk into a room full of the guys right now and have some weird reaction to Logan with an audience.

  She hit dial and waited.

  “What’s burning?” he asked after maybe one ring.

  “Robert Brown’s awake and I’m going to go see him. I’m dragging Felecia with me so I’m not alone.”

  “Evan’s going to want to go with you. I’d appreciate it if you’d let him tag along to watch your back.”

  “Sure.” She leaned a shoulder against the wall. “Are the guys in front of you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. This wasn’t so bad. I’ll imagine you saying something like, thanks for working with me on this. To which I’d reply with it’s not so bad when we’re on the same page and I don’t assume you’re just trying to control me.”

  “You read my mind.” Was it her imagination or could she hear the hint of a smile in his voice? “Update me later and come see me when you’re back, if you have a moment?”

  “Will do.” She turned and glanced over her shoulder at Felecia, who was all grins. “Felecia and I are going to pull the truck around. Tell Evan to meet us in the garage.”

  “He should be to you by now.”

  Kelsey gasped. “Were you buying him time to catch up?”

  Now Logan laughed. “All he heard was Evan’s going, and he was gone.”

  “Fine. Alright. Go do whatever you’re doing and I’ll check in later. Bye.”

  Kelsey fought the urge to bite her lip and shoved the phone in her pocket.

  “Ready?” she asked Felecia.

  “Yup.” She grinned.

  Footsteps echoed down the hall.

  That would be Evan.

  Kelsey watched as the fair haired man came into view around a corner.

  “Is my honey coming with us?” Felecia’s smile grew impossibly wider.

  Kelsey cringed and drew back. “Oh, God. You aren’t going to do that weird, kissy voice, are you?”

  Felecia rolled her eyes and held out her hands. “No.”

  Evan barely slowed his pace. He wrapped his arms around his wife and spun, hoisting her up in the air.

  Kelsey shook her head. There was something so pure about those two. It was hard to not be happy for them. Felecia. had let go of all her past pain and was fully devoted to living her best life.

  “Are you two finished?” Kelsey grinned.

  She couldn’t see herself in Felecia’s shoes exactly, but Kelsey saw the appeal of finding someone to walk that path with. The problem she couldn’t stop worrying about was what happened when the path split?

  “We’ll explain in the truck, just come on already.” She turned and waved the two to follow her.

  It was a quick trek from the building to the apartment parking lot. Her truck was already rumbling away and getting warm thanks to the remote features.

  Gosh, it was cold.

  She hugged her coat around her as the wind tried to slice right through the material.

  Kelsey grabbed the door, but Evan put his hand against it before she could open it up.

  “What’s going on with you and TL?” Evan’s face was calm, pleasant even as he looked down at her.

  Kelsey scowled at him. Her natural reaction was to bite back, but she made herself pause. She studied his face for a moment.

  There hadn’t been time to discuss anything with Logan. They hadn’t yet decided if they were being open or secretive.

  On the other hand, Evan could have asked in front of his wife, yet he’d waited for this semi-private moment. He was being discrete.

  “First, why is that any of your business?” she asked.

  “Because he’s my TL. And we’re all friends. The other guys didn’t think much of you being there before us this morning. It’s not like Logan to ignore his phone. Or not do the dishes. Or to be caught unaware.” Evan licked his lips and his brow furrowed, hardening his expression. “I guess, is this serious? Or a fling?”

  Kelsey nodded slowly. She thought she understood his concern better. “I’m not quite sure what’s going on. Yet. We’re...exploring things. I’d like to do that privately for now. I’m not good at these things, and I know you might not believe me when I say this, but I don’t want to hurt Logan. I really don’t, but I’m afraid I will.”

  Evan nodded and removed his hand from the door.

  “If he screws up, tell me.” He winked. “I can hide the body.”

  Kelsey barked a laugh.

  Okay, she hadn’t seen that coming.

  She smiled sweetly. “And I suppose if I break his heart you’ll kick my ass?”

  “Oh, no. I don’t hit women.” Evan grinned at her. “I�
��d leave it up to Felecia.”

  Kelsey recoiled in mock fear. “You wouldn’t.”

  To Felecia’s credit, she was more than a little dangerous with a knife herself.

  Evan chuckled and opened her door. “Get in.”

  Kelsey climbed into the cab of the truck, mulling over her words. She’d realized something in that moment. Her and Logan getting closer meant complicating things for the team, regardless if they were together or if it didn’t work out.

  No pressure or anything.

  SUNDAY.

  Skilton stared at the map with its pins and information. John was in the wind, as was one of Skilton’s sources. The other two had nothing to tell him, citing it was the weekend and moving around the Task Force building was more difficult with fewer people around.

  Useless excuses.

  It did, however, give Skilton time to find and retain some extra help. Namely, muscle.

  “Sir! Sir?”

  Skilton glanced up at his wide-eyed assistant. “What?”

  “The microphone? Something is happening.”

  “What? Bring the receiver here.” Skilton snapped his fingers.

  The young man darted out then back in, bringing with him a tablet.

  “The microphone is losing battery. At most we have another twenty-four hours, maybe less. I think they’re in a vehicle right now. I’ve been listening to them talk about Dixon’s work in South America.”

  Skilton knew the highlights. It was one of those endeavors John hadn’t wanted to share in an attempt to keep the profits for himself.

  “What are they doing now?”

  “They’re going to talk to someone named Brown, I think?”

  Skilton’s blood went cold.

  John Dixon’s right-hand man had openly opposed Skilton at times. He’d known from the day John settled on the man that there was a divide.

  Robert Brown knew too much.

  “Who do we have close to the hospital? Who can get in there and stop that man from talking? Who?”

  Fuck.

  Why hadn’t Skilton been notified the man was still alive? Last he’d heard, Robert Brown was hanging on for dear life. If that man turned on John, they’d all be belly up.

  “I need that man dead already,” he snarled.

  SUNDAY. WALTER REED National Military Medical Center. Bethesda, MD.

  Kelsey wasn’t sure why she was so anxious to see Robert again. It was all she could do to keep from sprinting down the hall ahead of their nurse escort. She was glad to see that their security advisory had been heeded. A pair of uniformed guards barred entry to Robert’s room. They even insisted on doing a full pat down and search of her things before they’d open the door.

  She stepped in, Evan and Felecia at her back.

  Robert lay on the hospital bed, surrounded by machines whirling and beeping.

  Another man stood at Robert’s bedside. Judging by his suit and the stern cast to his face, Kelsey assumed this was his lawyer.

  “Morning, Robert.” Kelsey laid her jacket and tote down on the padded bench.

  “Ms. Young,” Robert drawled. His eyelids were heavy, and he seemed to have a little issue focusing on her. “You left a few things off your resume.”

  Kelsey came to stand next to the bed. “I know, and I’m sorry it was necessary.”

  He opened his mouth, but it took a second for the words to come out. “I also understand you saved my life.”

  “Just doing my job, sir. I’m glad you made it.” She glanced up at the lawyer. “I expect you’re here for his benefit?”

  “Yes,” the man said coolly.

  “Mr. Brown, I have questions about what led to the incident at the senator’s house. Are you aware another attempt has already been made on John’s life?”

  Robert grimaced. “Yes.”

  He patted the bed until he found the remove, and slowly the bed shifted into a reclining position that allowed him to look at her more easily.

  Kelsey had two approaches she’d planned. Now was the time to commit. Did she ease toward her end goal? Or did she dive in?

  “Robert, what do you know about a man named Skilton?” she asked.

  “What?” Robert pushed up in the bed, his eyes gone wide and face pale. “How do you know that name?”

  “Robert,” his lawyer said sharply and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Lie back down.”

  Robert shoved his lawyer away and instead leaned toward Kelsey. “Is he involved? How do you know about him? Is he why they attacked John? Tell me.”

  Kelsey stared back at Robert. “I’m not at liberty to tell you anything.”

  He eased down on the bed and jabbed at the buttons until he was sitting up another few inches.

  Kelsey mostly watched Robert, but she didn’t miss the bewildered glances his lawyer gave her.

  “Everyone, get out,” Robert said, then pointed at her. “Except you.”

  His lawyer placed a hand on the bedrail. “Is that—”

  “Get out,” Robert snapped.

  Kelsey glanced at Evan. “Go. I’ll be fine.”

  Evan glanced at Felecia. The two of them shared a private kind of smile.

  Immediately jealousy sank its teeth into Kelsey.

  She wanted that. With Logan? Was it possible?

  The others filed out while she rolled those thoughts around in her head. Both Kelsey and Robert watched the door a moment longer after it clicked shut.

  She moved first, blowing out a breath and turning to face Robert.

  “No recordings,” he said sharply. “I’ll talk, but you won’t record me. Not until I have a deal.”

  “I can’t guarantee that,” she cautioned.

  Robert stared at the ceiling. “I don’t care. I told him. I told him if push came to shove, I’d talk. I told him. I won’t have this on my soul.”

  Kelsey held her breath. What did he know?

  “Can I take notes?” she asked.

  “You should. Hand me that water over there?” Robert nodded at a cup on the rolling table next to him.

  She circled the bed and gave him the water.

  Kelsey pulled the table between them and laid her phone down. “I’m using my phone to take notes. I’m not recording.”

  She was tempted to. But she’d err on the side of caution, especially if he was going to tell her everything he knew.

  “Skilton. That rat,” Robert muttered.

  “When did he come into the picture?” she asked.

  Robert glanced at her. “When? He was there before me. Before all of it.”

  Fuck.

  “I never wanted to know, but from the way John talked, Skilton funded most of John’s political career. Not directly, mind you. He’d bring people to John, and they’d funnel money through them. I tried to stay out of it.” Robert closed his eyes and breathed a heavy breath. “You want to know when John started to do the other stuff.”

  “What do you mean by, other stuff?” she asked.

  Robert turned his head and stared at her. “Don’t play dumb with me.”

  “Alright. I know John has strong ties to a human trafficking ring. I suspect he has other endeavors. What can you tell me about the trafficking?”

  “Jesus.” Robert closed his eyes. “Yeah. Okay.”

  “If you don’t agree with this stuff, why stick with him?”

  “I didn’t know. Or more accurately, I didn’t figure it out until I was in too deep. Then, it was a decision between do I stay and keep going or do I bail and probably end up dead? I guess... It was greed. Not money. I take no part in getting paid the way John does. I signed on to work for John because I believed he was presidential material. I wanted to ride that pony all the way to the Oval Office so badly I put blinders on.”

  Kelsey couldn’t understand that mentality, but this wasn’t her story. She jotted notes, documenting his words but also his disposition.

  “John, he’s not very good at subterfuge. When he realized I wasn’t interested in the money, that I was
only focused on one thing, he tried to keep that stuff separate. Eventually, though, we came to an understanding. I’d ignore it and he could do that business around me, but I wouldn’t say anything. I warned him, though. I told him that if he ever got caught, I wasn’t going to cover for him.” Robert’s face creased. “He probably thinks I was joking. Look, a lot of people are taken by John. You’ve seen him in action. He’s got this way about him. That never worked on me.”

  “Because of your blinders? You had a goal, and nothing—not even John’s charisma—could get you off that path,” she said.

  “That’s a nice way of saying it.” Robert picked up the cup again and took a drink.

  “How does it work? What is it John’s doing?”

  “It started with Skilton. This was before, when I still didn’t know everything. I remember that night. Vividly.” Robert set the cup down and lay back, staring at the ceiling. “I knew of this Skilton figure. Hadn’t met him. Sounded like bad news. Anyway, John got a call from him. Had to cancel some big dinner. I was pissed. Pissed, I tell you. John goes. That night I get a call still at the office from John and he’s frantic. I tell him to come to the office. He never would tell me specifically, but I understood that his long-time backer wanted John to do something. To repay him for all the years of support.”

  “And you have no idea what that was?” Kelsey asked.

  Robert shook his head. “No. I remember going home. I didn’t finish what I was working on. I went home instead and asked myself if it was time to jump or stay.”

  “What made you stay?” That was a selfish question.

  “John got an appointment two days later by the Senate Majority Leader. It was a feather in our cap. John took care of whatever Skilton wanted so I figured, it was handled and done.”

  Kelsey dearly wanted to know more. She had to balance the history of how the partnership had begun with also understanding how it worked now. Richard spoke slower and his color wasn’t the best.

  When he was better healed, they’d get it all. Every last detail.