Intercepted Risk

by Sidney Bristol

The seconds stretched on.

  He glanced at Bernstein, and Logan knew it wasn’t his imagination. Dixon was sickly and was that sweat on his hairline?

  Bernstein didn’t meet Dixon’s helpless stare.

  “Senator?” Zora’s voice was unrecognizable. It was soft and comforting. “Our goal here, our only aim, is to bring this man you call Skilton to justice. We discovered your involvement due to our investigation into Skilton and his organization.”

  Dixon licked his lips. “His organization?”

  Zora nodded. “Yes.”

  “So...” Dixon glanced at Logan, then her. “If I tell you what you want to know, you’ll make this go away?”

  Logan bit the inside of his mouth.

  The way Kelsey talked this was just one of Dixon’s many crimes. Was there a chance he’d walk free?

  Zora tilted her head. “Depending on what you have to say, I can make things a lot better for you. I’m afraid no one can wipe away your crimes, senator.”

  Bernstein cleared his throat. “If you can offer him protection and a reduced, or more comfortable sentencing, that would be fair.”

  Dixon’s head whipped around and he gaped at Bernstein. “Seriously?”

  The lawyer looked right back at the senator and said, “Yes.”

  “Robert was very helpful.” Logan tapped his knuckles on the table. “He explained how you communicate through lobbyists. Gave us the names of some we should talk to.”

  Dixon leaned forward, head in his hands. “W-what do you want to know?”

  “Everything you can tell us about Skilton,” Zora said.

  Bernstein held up his hands. “Before my client shares what he knows, we need a written agreement. A promise. Something.”

  Zora glanced at Logan. “We can get legal on it. I’m sure we can have something for you to review and I imagine we can come to an agreement by the morning?”

  “That would be acceptable,” Bernstein said. “At that time we can talk about what information you want from my client, if he has anything to share.”

  That sounded like a dismissal if Logan had ever heard one. He watched Zora, completely out of his depth here.

  She got up, said a few more things to the duo, but that was it. They’d secured the senator as an informant.

  SUNDAY. TASK FORCE Headquarters. Washington, DC.

  Kelsey couldn’t stop grinning.

  Her hunch had been right. She’d just known if she pulled the strings hard enough, they’d get something.

  Deep down, she knew Dixon would likely get off easy when it came to the human trafficking case. She consoled herself with the knowledge that those connected to this endeavor wouldn’t get off so easily. And it was likely that Dixon was guilty of other things. She had a feeling he’d already hung himself with a series of poor decisions at the cost of other people’s lives. She hated how this was going to play out, but in the end she had to put her faith in the justice system. That the bad guys would face the consequences. She couldn’t undo the evil he’d unleashed, but she could do this.

  God, she wanted to kiss Logan so bad right now. Instead, she shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and rocked back on her heels.

  Zora stared at her phone screen. “I know it’s getting late, but we need to have another hard talk.”

  “About?” Logan asked.

  She looked up from her phone. “The agents.”

  Shit.

  At once, Kelsey’s stomach sank.

  She knew the four agents were down here, being kept in cell-like rooms. They’d each gone willingly. None of them had been arrested.

  “We going up to the lab?” Kelsey asked.

  “Let’s talk in here.” Zora gestured at the small meeting room they’d been in once already.

  Kelsey kept her gaze off Logan and followed close on Zora’s heels into the small room.

  Since the four agents had agreed to be locked up, Kelsey had gone over everything in her head. Each moment. All the exchanges.

  It had to be Joon. Didn’t it?

  They all filed into the room. Kelsey sat between Jamie and Harper. Tucker and Evan were across from them, while Logan leaned against the wall by the door.

  Zora remained standing.

  She paced from one side of the small room to the other.

  That was odd.

  Zora never showed nerves or really any emotion.

  “We cannot afford to have our four most involved agents sidelined like this,” she said.

  “Wait,” Harper blurted. “You want to let them out?”

  Zora held up her hand. “That’s not what I said.”

  Kelsey swallowed. “Has Diha made any headway?”

  Zora waved a hand. “No. Their personal devices—everything—is clean.”

  “We discussed it.” Harper nodded at the others. “We agreed Joon and Baker have our trust.”

  Kelsey turned her head to look at Harper’s profile. “So what are you saying then?”

  “Sorry, little bit.” He peered sideways at her. “There’s something about Baruti that just... I don’t trust him.”

  “Baruti? Seriously?” Kelsey gaped at him.

  Out of the four, Baruti was the most reliable. Which was saying something because Samuel was practically a vault.

  “Right, TL?” Harper looked at Logan.

  Her head whipped around and suddenly she didn’t know who she was looking at anymore.

  Logan thought Baruti was suspicious?

  “It was a conversation,” Logan said slowly. “We were trying to talk it out. Baruti... He never stays on the weekends. He’s always got somewhere to be. He’s a nice guy, but what do we really know about him?”

  Kelsey turned and stared at Zora.

  She knew, didn’t she?

  “This is bullshit,” Kelsey blurted. “Zora, this is bullshit and you know it.”

  “Why’s it bullshit?” Harper asked.

  “Because...” She opened and closed her mouth.

  It wasn’t her place to say it.

  Growling in frustration, she shoved up to her feet.

  “Kels. Kelsey? Sit back down,” Harper called out.

  “No,” she snapped.

  Logan sidestepped out of her way.

  She yanked the door open and stalked down the hall.

  Kelsey hadn’t wanted to go down farther. She hadn’t wanted to see where her friends were being kept under suspicion of leaking information and killing suspects in custody as well as other agents. It was all too much.

  She stared at the doors.

  Which one was he in?

  “Last door on the left,” Zora said.

  Kelsey glanced back at her. “Thanks. Will my badge work?”

  “Yes.”

  She headed straight for that door, not glancing at the others.

  Kelsey pulled out her badge and swiped it at the door. It clicked, and she opened it a crack.

  “B? It’s me. Can I come in?” she asked.

  “Thumbelina, come see me,” he called out.

  Baruti always sounded like he was a moment away from bursting out in laughter. He was a joy to work with. She’d learned a lot about being empathetic toward others because of him.

  She stepped inside the small room.

  Baruti reclined back on a bed pushed into the corner. There was a table and four chairs. A toilet and sink. It was similar to the other rooms.

  Her heart suddenly ached.

  “How are you?” she asked.

  He grinned at her. “Enjoying a quiet weekend.”

  “How are you really?”

  Baruti toned down his smile and shrugged. “The truth will set you free, right? That’s what Samuel says. So, I’ll wait for the truth. How are you?”

  Why was she getting so emotional over this?

  Kelsey pushed ahead anyway. “There are some people who think you going home on the weekends and taking private phone calls means you’re hiding things.”

  Baruti snorted. “Are they now?”r />
  “Take this seriously. Please?”

  He sat up and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. In place of his usual suit, he wore sweatpants and a hoodie. “What would you have me do? Hm?”

  “I don’t know.” She let go of the door and paced. “Now that I think about it, I’m just...”

  “In your feelings?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “Would it make a difference to the team as a whole if I explained myself?” he asked.

  “You shouldn’t have to.”

  “Becoming FBI means giving up a lot of things. I’ll talk to them, tell them if you think that will improve things.”

  Kelsey paced. “I don’t want you to have to.”

  “Prickly princess, my mother would say you have the heart of a lioness. I know this has to be hard on you. You don’t know how to not invest your soul into what you do.”

  “I know. Look, I’m sorry I burst in here like this and pushed more on you. They feeding you okay?”

  He patted his stomach. “My belly is full and my bed is warm.”

  She chuckled. “Good.”

  The door beeped and slowly opened.

  Logan and Harper stood on the other side, their faces twisted as if they’d tasted something sour.

  “Gentlemen, welcome.” Baruti gestured to the table. “Have a seat if you like?”

  She turned to scowl at the two men. “What are you doing here?”

  Baruti’s deep, rich voice rolled over hers. “Kelsey was telling me about a little disagreement you were having.”

  “Baruti.” She glanced at him, willing him to be quiet.

  Baruti ignored her. “Harper, I’m sorry I’m always gone whenever you ask about grabbing dinner. I’d love to, but the weekends are the only time I can go home to see my family. My husband and kids still like me and want me around for some reason.”

  “Oh.” Harper blinked a few times. “I didn’t realize you were married.”

  “Six years.” Baruti held up his hands. “Legally two, but we claim six. I guess I’m accustomed to keeping work and personal separate.”

  Logan held up his hands. “Hey man, that’s your right.”

  Kelsey stared at the two men. “Now do you understand?”

  Baruti laughed. “I’d say her bark is worse than her bite, but...”

  Logan shared a knowing look with the other man and chuckled.

  What the hell was that about?

  Kelsey crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling like she was on the outside of something.

  “Now, is there anything else I can do for you?” Baruti asked and peered at the clock on the wall. “Not to be rude, but I get to talk to my kids in ten minutes.”

  “Tell them hi for me?” Kelsey wanted a Baruti hug. She wanted to be enveloped by that warmth and friendship. But she couldn’t. Not until he was released from this room, because the others were right. They couldn’t trust these people, and that was killing her.

  16.

  Sunday. Task Force Headquarters. Washington, DC.

  Logan hadn’t felt like this much of an ass in a really long time.

  He tugged the zipper on his coat up a bit more and kept pace with the guys as they walked across the parking lot under the darkening night sky.

  Kelsey had stayed behind and he hadn’t been able to think of a good reason why he needed to hang back, too. In the end, he’d gotten pulled along with the guys.

  “Baruti is gay?” Jamie asked again.

  Harper chuckled. “Yeah, never saw that one coming.”

  “Huh. I guess these days you never know. Well, good for him?”

  “Says the man who is practically married.” Harper smacked Jamie’s shoulder. “When are you proposing?”

  He scowled at the other man. “It hasn’t even been a year. Cool it.”

  Logan lifted his hand. “I’ll see you guys later.”

  “You don’t want to come have a beer?” Harper asked. “Jamie here said he’d actually hang out with us for a while.”

  “Nah, I can’t.” Logan thumbed over his shoulder. “I’ve got some work to do.”

  And a date he wanted to keep.

  Harper rolled his eyes dramatically. “Fine, work yourself to death and see if we care.”

  “Ignore him, TL.” Jamie wrapped his arm around Harper’s neck and squeezed. “I’ll keep this one in line.”

  Logan chuckled and took that opportunity to duck into his apartment.

  It would take the guys a while to leave, and he didn’t know when Kelsey would be home. Or if she’d still want him to come over.

  While his initial thought about the potential leak had been one of anger, his second had been for Kelsey. He was aware of how close she was to three of the four.

  He locked his apartment behind him and did his usual walk-through while rolling those thoughts around in his head.

  Baruti was the one that was easy to find suspicious. He didn’t spend much time with the team as a whole. He took calls on the side. Then there was his friendly nature. Everyone wanted to like him, which was what made Logan uneasy about the guy. But if they were explaining his disappearances by including the knowledge that he was married with kids, that made a lot more sense. It was harder to see someone with little children as the bad guy here.

  Samuel was always around. It was hard to see him as a mole, though. The man ate, slept and breathed the bureau. He was the consummate agent, which made it hard to see him as a potential threat.

  In the bedroom, Logan stripped off his button down and exchanged it for a long sleeved Henley shirt and a hoodie. His nicer shoes got traded for a pair of almost worn out moccasins his mother had given him one year. He had no idea where they were from, but they were clearly handmade and had lasted close to ten years.

  He made a mental note to ask Mom about them later. Maybe Kelsey would want a pair for Christmas? Were house shoes even a thing she’d like?

  Quinten Joon was a lot like Samuel, only somehow more reserved. The Asian American agent could give Tucker a run for his money when it came to being the silent type. Yet, there was something about him that made him the second most likely suspect on Logan’s list.

  Lastly, Nadine Baker. While initially she’d cool and distant with Logan and the rest, she’d warmed up. In Logan’s mind, she was the least likely suspect. She’d been with the CIA for decades. One of her grandkids had even begun talking to her about following in her footsteps.

  In hindsight, beyond the questionable behavior, the only thing suspicious about Baruti was his proximity to the senator’s home the morning of the attack. Even that was weak. But there were no better reasons to suspect any of the others.

  This sucked.

  Logan’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out and breathed a sigh of relief at the text from Kelsey.

  Just got home. Shoving all my crap out of sight. Any input on dinner? Starving.

  Logan tapped out a warning he was on his way and hit send. He grabbed a few bottles of beer from the fridge before venturing out into the breezeway between the units.

  He peered around the corners and listened for any sign of the guys before jogging around to the side where Kelsey lived.

  Her door opened before he even got the chance to knock. She tipped her chin up and scrunched her face.

  “Maybe we should be at your place? I realize it looks like I’m squatting here.” She stepped back.

  Logan chuckled and stepped in.

  It couldn’t be that bad.

  He stopped just inside the door and stared at the barren apartment.

  “Wow,” he muttered.

  “I know.” She groaned and surveyed the space with him.

  Their units were laid out identically.

  Just inside the door was a linoleum space for a dining set. The small galley kitchen opened up to the rest of the room thanks to the bar. Off the bar was a recess that one might call a hall. That led to the bathroom on the right and the bedroom on the left. The living room was a narrow rectangl
e with a balcony he’d never used.

  He’d furnished his place with a mix of things he’d brought and stuff he’d bought.

  Kelsey?

  There was a TV and a futon that had seen better days.

  That was it, as far as he could see.

  “You do know Zora provided each of us with a housing allotment, right?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Her shoulders slumped, and she tilted her head back comically far to look up at him. “I might have spent most of mine on Felecia since she didn’t get one. I just...haven’t bothered. Do you want to go to your place?”

  “Nah. If the guys come looking for me, they know where to find me if I’m here.” He held up the bottles. “Your fridge does work?”

  “Yes.” She took the bottles from him and went to the fridge. “What are we getting for dinner?”

  “The burrito place around the corner delivers fast,” he said.

  Kelsey pushed the door closed. “Sold! Can I be ultra-lazy and ask you to order for me? I haven’t eaten there.”

  “Sure.”

  He went down a short list of her preferences, then made the call. He requested additional chips, salsa and queso, because why not?

  Kelsey disappeared shortly into the call, only to reappear wearing pajama pants and a pair of what looked like blue, furry feet slippers.

  He laughed. “What are those?”

  “Hey now, I’ll have you know I won these.”

  “Where? A kindergarten?”

  “No, this Christmas party like last year. It was one of those white elephant things where things get stolen. I was the fifth person who got these.” She lifted her right foot. “I’ve worn them so much there are holes. I’ll be sad when they’re dead.”

  Logan decided to bump up the house shoe question to tomorrow morning.

  Kelsey gestured at the futon. “Well, make yourself comfortable.”

  “Hm.”

  He reached out and took her hand in his, pulling her toward the futon with him.

  “It’s not even a new futon.” She laughed, but it was a nervous sound.

  “Looks functional to me.” He lowered onto the cushion and was pleasantly surprised by how plush it was.

  “I know most adults don’t have things like futons anymore, but this is the one comfortable piece of furniture I’ve ever owned and I refuse to part with it.” Kelsey flopped down beside him and sighed. “Hi.”