by Dee Davis
“As I said, there isn’t much. It’s still early. But on first pass, I did find three frags from the bomb. I’ll need to run tests to make definitive conclusions, but there are a few things I can be fairly certain of, one being that the bomb wasn’t of Arabic design. Particularly not something I’d have expected from Ashad. They’re fond of duct tape and homemade pipe bombs. This was far more sophisticated.”
“But you said you only had fragments,” Hannah said. “How can you tell so much from so little?”
Tyler smiled, clearly in her element. “It’s amazing how much you can discern if you know what you’re looking for. One of the pieces we found was the corner of a circuit board. Probably part of the electrical detonator on the bomb itself. It’s far more advanced than the kind of thing Ashad usually uses. Plus at least two of the components were American made.”
“So maybe they used locals,” Avery said.
“Anything’s possible.” She shrugged. “But if I had to call it, I’d say Ashad wasn’t behind the bomb.”
“What about the prisoner?” Avery asked. “He said anything?”
“I interrogated him,” Drake said. “But he isn’t exactly a font of information.”
“Maybe we need to turn things up a notch,” Emmett suggested.
“Not the problem.” Drake shook his head. “He’s just not part of the inner circle. Says Rivon hired them to watch over the kid. Didn’t know about the kidnapping or that there was a bomb. Scared the shit out of him when the thing blew. Anyway, his name is Eduardo Montez. Basically just a thug for hire. He’s worked for Rivon before.”
“Fingerprints verify his ID,” Hannah confirmed. “He’s got a jacket as long as my arm. Armed robbery, assault, and trafficking stolen goods. But nothing political.”
“What about the dead men?”
“Same thing. Lowlifes with a record for penny-ante stuff. Nothing that would flag them as working with terrorists. And certainly nothing international.”
“Hired guns?” Jason queried.
“Maybe.” Hannah shrugged. “But if I were smart enough to get to Annie to take out a key government official, it seems to me that I’d be able to pull in higher-level people for the operation. Mercenaries at the very least. Like Drake said, these guys were just thugs.”
“So how is that different from most terrorists?” Emmett asked.
“It’s not. I mean, you’re right, most terrorists are thugs,” Hannah admitted. “But usually there are commonalities. Ideology if nothing else. And at least with the dead guys we’ve got nothing connecting them to each other. They’re from different parts of the country. They’ve all got varied backgrounds. And none of them has ever done anything that could remotely be considered extremist behavior.”
“I’m assuming they’re all Americans?” Avery asked.
“Yes.” Hannah nodded. “As I said, with long records. But nothing that makes me think there’s a link to Ashad. Or to Rivon, for that matter.”
“And we’ve got nothing on the shooter?”
“No.” Tyler shook her head. “Of course we’ll go over it again. But whoever it was, they knew what they were doing. We worked off trajectory and covered the immediate area where the sniper would have been but there was nothing.”
“How the hell did he get past you, anyway?” Avery’s expression was thunderous.
“There wasn’t time to cordon off the area. The explosion happened just as we got there, and our attention was on making sure that Nash and Drake came out of it alive. Not to mention Annie and her son.”
“We’ve got people canvassing the area now. Maybe someone nearby saw something,” Emmett said. “The area’s pretty deserted, but there’s a trailer park about a half mile away. And another farmhouse about a mile to the east.”
“So what about the kidnapper’s threat?” Avery said. “Anything there that might give us a clue to who this guy is?”
“Nada,” Jason said, shaking his head. “Annie gave me the transcript. Which you all have a copy of. There was no time to do a trace, and nothing in his words to give us anything to go on except that he obviously still expects Annie to do something. His exact words were ‘complete your end of our bargain.’”
“Which could be kill Dominico.”
“Or maybe there’s something more,” Avery said. “Something Annie hasn’t told us.”
“Well, one thing is for certain, he wants her to stay scared,” Nash mused. He’d seen how freaked she’d been. Hell, he couldn’t say that he blamed her. Not when the guy had just taken a potshot at her kid.
“So what about Dominico?” Jason asked. “Do we consider the threat to him ongoing?”
“I don’t think we can ignore it,” Avery said. “But clearly as long as Annie is with us, she’s not going to be taking out Dominico.”
“She’s got her son back.” Nash frowned. “So she’s got no reason to take him out at all.”
“Agreed. Which makes this whole thing feel off. I mean, obviously the kidnapper knows that we’re involved. He had a witness on site. Which means he also knows that Annie’s got protection. Speaking of which, I’ve upped security on campus just to be on the safe side.”
“What about if she’s shipped off to Washington?” The jury was still out as to whether Annie would be charged with anything. Tom, working as usual off his own agenda, was still advocating her being prosecuted. He’d flown to D.C. to make his case with his bosses and with the higher-ups at Langley. But nothing had been decided.
“Then it’ll be Langley’s headache. However, for now, we’re the babysitters.”
“And Dominico?”
“I’ve contacted his security and they’ve convinced him to hole up for the next week or so. He has a country house about an hour from here. Emmett, I want you to head that way and make sure everything is locked down. Just to be on the safe side.”
“Will do.” Emmett nodded.
“In the meantime,” Avery said, “I’ve got a call in to Langley. I still think Annie and Adam should fall under the CIA’s jurisdiction. She’s ex-CIA and she saved your asses. If nothing else that makes it worth arguing her case.”
“I can’t disagree with your logic,” Hannah said. “But we’ve also got to tread carefully. I mean, we don’t really know anything about her.” She waved Nash silent. “I know that she was your partner. And that she saved you and Drake. But she also left you to die in Lebanon. And we don’t know anything about what happened to her between now and then. And for all we know there’s something more playing out here. Something beyond her son and Dominico. I’m just saying we should be cautious.”
“Hannah’s right,” Drake said, his somber gaze moving to Nash. “There’s nothing more dangerous than letting emotions rule the day.”
“There’s nothing left between Annie and me.” It wasn’t completely true, but Nash was smart enough to recognize the wisdom in Drake’s words. “So what do you want to do about Adam?” he asked, in a transparent effort to change the subject.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” Avery said.
“I’m just wondering if maybe he knows more than he realizes? Something that might help us figure out who’s behind all of this.”
“Anything’s possible,” Jason began, “but hell, he’s just a kid. If we have to depend on his coming up with viable information I’d say we’re screwed.”
“Still,” Avery said, “Nash is right. It’s worth talking to him.”
“I can do it,” Nash volunteered, the words coming out before he had the chance to stop them. He didn’t exactly have a lot of experience with kids. And talking with Adam meant talking to Annie. Which was probably the exact opposite of what he ought to be doing.
“I think it’s worth a try,” Avery said, clearly unaware of Nash’s inner turmoil. “And in the meantime, we all need to try to put the pieces together. Figure out who the real culprit is. Somebody set this thing in motion. And I think we’re all agreed that it wasn’t Ashad.”
“I concur with that.”
Jason nodded. “None of this follows their pattern. Usually, if they want someone taken out, they just do it. Damn the consequences. This had a much more orchestrated feel.”
“Nine-eleven was highly orchestrated,” Hannah said.
“And highly public.” Nash frowned. “When these kinds of organizations take action, they want credit. So why go to a middleman?”
“Access in the United States?” Jason suggested. “With tighter regulations surrounding getting in and out of the country it’s a hell of a lot harder to just walk in and blow someone away.”
“I think the real question,” Drake said, “is why go to all the effort to pin the plot on someone else?”
“To keep it from being linked to the real puppet master,” Jason mused. “But that changes the motivation. Passing a murder off on someone else, even a high-profile one, indicates a very clear head, and someone who doesn’t want to get caught.”
“So our mystery man wants Dominico dead, but decides to let Ashad take the fall,” Hannah said. “Hence the planted intel.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Drake observed.
“Except that I’m usually pretty good at sorting through the chaff.” Hannah shook her head, her frustration evident. “So if this was planted it had to be done by someone who knows what they’re doing.”
“So basically, we’re saying that the intel about Annie and Ashad was a cover. But for what?” Jason frowned.
“For whom is actually the better question,” Drake said.
“Which,” Nash said, trying to sort through his thoughts, “puts us right back at square one.”
“So what?” Jason asked, putting words to everyone’s frustration.
CHAPTER 15
How are you doing?” Nash asked as he strode into the suite that served as A-Tac’s medical facility.
“How do you think I’m doing?” Annie spat back, gingerly edging off the table where Lara had just finished stitching her up. “Some crazy guy is threatening my son and taking potshots at us. And I’m stuck here in hospital hell.” She waved at the room, its stark features and antiseptic smell underscoring her words.
“I meant your leg,” he said with a frown, his expression not giving anything away.
“It’s fine.” She winced as she tried a step or two. “Or at least it will be. Couple of stitches and some abrasions. No permanent damage. Nothing to stop me from running the bastard to ground who did this to us.”
“I think maybe, for the time being,” he said, his scowl deepening as he helped her over to a chair, “you need to leave the heavy lifting to us.”
“Nash, it’s my son in jeopardy. I’m not going to just sit on the sidelines and hope it all turns out okay.”
“You may not have a choice,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the table. “How’s Adam?”
“He’s asleep in the next room. Lara says it’s the best thing for him. I just wish I could wipe the fear out of his eyes. He’s too young to have seen the things he’s seen.”
“But he’s safe now. And children are resilient.”
“Lara said that, too, but he saw his mother kill a man,” Annie said. “That’s not something you can just whitewash away.”
“You saved his life. That’s the way he’s going to look at it. I’m not going to pretend that there aren’t going to be repercussions. But the main thing is that you rescued him. He’s safe now.”
“The hell he is. The man who did this is still out there. Waiting for the opportunity to strike again,” she said, fists clenched. “To hurt me—to hurt Adam. The question is who?” She sucked in a breath and released it, the soothing motion allowing her to think. “It’s got to be someone from my past. At the very least someone who knew I had the skills to take out a target.”
“What if it’s something more personal?” Nash asked, his face thoughtful as he considered the idea. “Someone who has a grudge or wants revenge.”
“There’s a long list, but no one in particular comes to mind. I mean, I’m sure there are people out there with long memories, but I’ve been out of the game a long time now.”
“So maybe someone found you,” he said. “Is there anything you haven’t told me?”
“Like what?” She frowned, angry that he still didn’t trust her.
“Well, according to your transcript of the phone call the kidnapper said something about completing your end of the bargain.”
“I just assumed that meant Dominico.”
“Except that you’re under our protection and you’ve got your son. Both of which would seem to negate any possibility you’d off the ambassador.”
“I wasn’t going to kill him,” she said. “At least not if it could be avoided.”
“Your intent is irrelevant. The point here is that the kidnapper lost his leverage when we rescued Adam. And even with his continued proximity at the farmhouse, it doesn’t make sense that he’d think you could be lured into assassinating a public official without his holding something over your head.”
“And so you think he’s talking about something else. Something I’m not sharing with you and your friends.” She choked out a bitter laugh, pushing up off the chair to move farther away from him. “Why is it you always think the worst of me? First, that I’d kill Dominico simply for monetary gain. And then that I’m in league somehow with Adam’s kidnapper.” Tears pricked the back of her eyes, and she wiped them angrily away. “Are you insane?”
“I’m just covering all the bases,” he said, his placating tone ratcheting up her anger. “You know how this works.”
“I don’t know anything,” she bit out, “except that you continue to doubt me. For God’s sake, Nash, we were partners once. Lovers. We shared everything. Surely that has to mean something?”
“Of course it does.” His jaw tightened, his eyes dark. “But that was a lifetime ago, Annie. People change. Life goes on. You found someone else. Made a new life for yourself.”
“And you?” she asked, her gaze colliding with his.
“I got exactly what I wanted. I’m happy here. I’ve got friends, but no entanglements. The one thing I learned from my mistakes was that working black ops isn’t conducive to that kind of happily ever after.”
“And you’re good with that?” She sucked in a breath, still fighting tears, her heart breaking all over again.
“I am. I told you as much in Vienna. The night I told you I was transferring to A-Tac.”
“The night you left me.” She remembered that night. Remembered the anger. The betrayal. There’d been so much she wanted to tell him. But she’d never gotten the chance. Instead, he’d blindsided her.
“I didn’t leave you,” he said, his eyes narrowed in anger. “That one’s totally on you, baby.”
“You told me I had no right to be upset. That what we had wasn’t real. That it was only a by-product of living in constant danger.”
“I was angry. But you know there was truth in what I said.”
“I don’t know anything except that you decided unilaterally that you were leaving.”
“It was my choice to make. My life. And it was a hell of an opportunity. A-Tac is the best of the best. And I’d have been a fool to turn them down.”
“So I was just collateral damage?”
“I don’t know,” he ground out. “You didn’t give me the chance to figure it out.”
“That’s the point. It wasn’t for you to figure out. It was something we should have done together. Only you forgot there was an us.”
“Or maybe it was just never meant to be,” he said, the muscle in his jaw working overtime now. “Truth is, I’m not that kind of guy. I thought you understood that.”
“Well, if I didn’t, I certainly do now.”
“Look”—he raised a hand, stepping back—“this isn’t getting us anywhere. It’s ancient history. We need to let it go.”
“It’s not that easy.” She turned away, trying to push back the pain, old wounds seeming new ag
ain.
“I know,” he said, his voice gentle as his hands settled on her shoulders.
“What happened?” she whispered as she turned to face him, her eyes searching his. “What happened to us?”
“I don’t know.” He reached out to cup her face, the feel of her skin against his palm waking sensory memory, hunger and need blending together with the familiar urgency of raw desire. It had always been like this between them. Chemistry overriding everything else. Right or wrong, it was undeniable. And impossible to resist.
He leaned forward, tracing the line of her bottom lip with a finger.
“Mommy?”
Annie jumped back, her heart stutter-stepping as she turned to her son. “Hi, baby, are you okay?”
He nodded, his little head tousled, his eyes still heavy with sleep. “I was afraid the bad guys might come back.”
“No one’s going to hurt you, sweetie. Momma’s here.” She pulled him close, his heart beating next to hers.
“Hey, buddy,” Nash said, coming over to squat beside them. “There’s no need to be afraid. You’ve got all kinds of people watching over you.”
“Even the army guy?” Adam pulled out of her arms, curiosity overcoming shyness.
“Yeah.” Nash smiled. “Even him. So there’s nothing for you to worry about. Okay?”
He nodded, his expression serious again. “And my mom? Are you going to watch out for her, too?”
“I’m not sure your mother needs anyone to watch out for her,” he said, his eyes meeting Annie’s. “I mean, after all, she’s got you.”
Annie’s heart swelled as she watched Adam lift his shoulders and nod solemnly.
“I’ve got another favor to ask,” Nash said. “I’d like to talk to you a little about what happened. At the farmhouse. That is if it’s okay with your mom.”
They both looked up at her, their expressions almost exactly alike. She nodded, fighting against her rioting emotions, centering her attention on her son. “If it’s okay with you, it’s okay with me.”
Nash stood up and Adam walked over to sit on the chair, his feet dangling, his legs swinging a good six inches off the floor.
