She pauses, seeming to be taken aback by my words. It’s one of the few times since I first met her that she doesn’t have a snappy retort or biting word. It’s kind of refreshing, actually.
“I believe in you,” she says. “I believe in the good things we can accomplish together.”
“And that’s why I haven’t removed the tracker in my arm. Why I won’t,” I tell her. “This is me showing you trust. I know if I remove it, you’ll catch the blowback. So I’m putting my trust in you.”
“And I appreciate that. I truly do.”
We both fall silent for a moment, and even though she’s hundreds of miles away, I can feel a crackling tension in the air. A sense of expectation hovers over us in a way it hasn’t before. Perhaps I’m reading too much into it, and this is one of those cases where it is only a spoon, but I get a sense of connection from her. A sense of a shared history.
“Delta, did we know each other?” I ask quietly. “I mean, before the accident. Did I know you?”
Her laugh is low and rueful. “That, I am afraid, is one of those doors you are not ready to walk through yet.”
“But—”
She shakes her head. “No more questions about that,” she tells me. “For both of our sakes, just leave it alone for now. There may come a time when we can talk about it but now is not that time. Trust me, Echo. It is for the best.”
I sit back and run a hand through my hair, the maelstrom in my mind spinning itself to a fever pitch. The revelation that we have a shared connection in the past hits me like a runaway train, and there are a million questions I want to ask. But in the end, I acquiesce and don’t give voice to them. At least for now, I’ll swallow them.
“There’s gonna come a time when you and I are going to sit down and have a chat,” I say.
“And I promise when that time comes, I will tell you what you want to know,” she says. “But until then, we must keep our eye on the ball.”
“And where is the ball taking us this time?”
“Arizona.”
“What’s in Arizona?”
“A job,” she says. “A job that requires your skill set.”
“Not even going to give me a hint?”
“What? And ruin the surprise?” she says, a laugh back in her voice. “Where is the fun in that?”
“I’m not a man who enjoys surprises.”
“Believe me, I know.”
Her allusion to our shared connection sends a fresh charge of frustration coursing through me. But before I can ask a single question, she cuts me off, all business once more.
“You need to leave now. We’re on a bit of a schedule, I’m afraid,” she says. “Ring me when you get to Arizona, and I’ll brief you on the mission.”
“Right. On my way then.”
“Excellent,” she nods. “I’ll talk to you soon then. And please be careful.”
“Will do, High Priestess.”
“You’re damn right.”
She terminates the call, leaving me looking at the blank screen. I came to Minnesota looking for answers, but I’m leaving with even more questions. Arthur was helpful, but not helpful enough, unfortunately.
Still, I was able to help a good man out of a tough spot. I feel a sense of satisfaction in that. After all, if what I’m doing with the Tower is trying to help safeguard the people in this country, then doing it on the street level matters too. Maybe it even matters more. It makes a more direct impact in the lives of the people we’re protecting than these high-minded games in this invisible war we’re fighting. And to me, that counts for a lot.
I climb into my car and start the engine. After finding a station playing Metallica, I crank up the volume and take off, bound for Arizona and whatever awaits me there.
Author’s Note
Hi there,
Thank you for reading Without A Trace, book 3 in my debut series, I hope you enjoyed it.
I want to continue bringing these fast-paced action novels for you to devour.
However, I need your help!
It would mean the world to me if you can please leave me a review so that others can find and enjoy this book as well.
Additionally, if you haven’t read the prequel to this book, you can click here to grab your free copy of Burn Notice.
If you want to connect with me or found any errors in the book you want me to fix, feel free to email me at [email protected]
Warm regards,
Michael Cross
Are you ready for Echo’s next adventure?
Read Book 4– Mission Mayhem
Also by Michael Cross
Book One - Amnesia
Book Two - Web Of Lies
Book Three - Without A Trace
Book Four - Mission Of Mayhem
Book Five - The Tower
Book Six - Last Inferno
Without a Trace Page 10
