Forged Risk

by Sidney Bristol

  He continued, paying those mutters no mind. “Bond Girl is running with the data we were able to send her from the phones we took. Hopefully after we’ve had a chance to rest a bit, she’ll have more for us.”

  Felecia licked her lips and lifted her chin to look at Logan. “May I ask a question?”

  “Shoot.” Logan braced his hands on the back of Kelsey’s chair, earning a frown from the other woman.

  Kelsey shifted forward, elbows on the table and watched her.

  “Why is it you want my dad? Who are you trying to get to?” Felecia didn’t really need to know, it was purely for her own benefit.

  Logan regarded her for a moment while the others were all silent. “The remaining Horsemen. We need to get to them. Your dad’s supposed to be the key.”

  “What if I told you there’s another way?” Her shoulders drooped. “It might be more dangerous, it might not be.”

  Logan didn’t say anything and neither did he move. He did seem to change, as if going on alert, his focus entirely on her.

  Felecia took a deep breath. There was no going back and she never wanted to be a prisoner again. “Dad always said that if something happened to me, I needed to find his insurance policy and use it. It’s his master list of everyone he’s ever worked with and the work he did for them. For nearly all of them, that’s the last connection to their old lives. Who they used to be. And it’s the one reason why none of Dad’s clients have killed him yet.”

  “Where is it?” Logan’s voice was rough, deep, dangerous.

  “I have an address. I don’t know who or what is there. All he’s ever said was that they’d know I was coming and what needed to be done when I got there.” She shrugged. “That’s it.”

  “Where is it?” Logan asked again, slower this time.

  She made herself meet his stone hard gaze. “If I tell you, if I’m going to give this to you, you have to help me.”

  Evan’s fingers pressed into her shoulder.

  Logan jerked his head. “We’ll do everything in our power to make sure you’re taken care of.”

  Felecia wanted to feel more relief at that statement than she felt, but she had to take what she could get right now. “Then we’re going to Austin, Texas.”

  FROM EVAN’S POSITION he could see everyone’s faces. To the team’s credit, they didn’t give much away. From the few raised brows and tight lipped frowns he knew this wasn’t what they wanted to hear.

  “Felecia?” Logan released his death grip on the back of Kelsey’s chair and straightened. “Would you give us a moment to talk?”

  Evan bit the inside of his mouth. All she’d told them was that there was another way, and they didn’t even want to ask her questions. He shoved the annoyance aside. At least they had a better plan than throwing themselves at the brick wall they’d been trying to dismantle.

  “Hey, I’ll show you what I was able to scrounge up on our stop.” Kelsey stood, putting distance between herself and Logan while talking to Felecia.

  “Thanks,” she mumbled and got up.

  Evan grit his teeth and reminded himself that none of them truly knew Felecia. Just because he’d spent a little more time talking to her and understanding her didn’t mean she should be let in to all their discussions. Logan was a good TL. He had a reason and had never given Evan cause to not trust him.

  “Easy, killer,” Jamie muttered at Evan glancing up from his phone.

  Harper was too busy tearing into a granola bar to pick up on Jamie’s comment. Good thing since Evan wasn’t in a mood to put up with the horsing around.

  Logan lowered himself into Kelsey’s empty chair. “Diha should have something for us. Harper?”

  “Yeah, one sec,” said between bites.

  Harper hauled a laptop onto the table and set it up. In a matter of moments the screen showed the wobbling telephone icon.

  Diha’s face looked back at them. Her normally smooth braid was a little worse for wear and her glasses crooked.

  “Bond Girl.” Harper grinned into the camera. “Nice to see you. Get any rest?”

  “No.” Diha’s brow creased a little.

  “What’s wrong?” Evan asked over the others.

  Diha’s gaze jumped to his. “I guess now’s a good a time as any to tell you. Zora left me a message that she had to go somewhere. Some emergency. I needed clearance to crack the phone data you sent me, so I went to the director who in turn brought in Agents Wimbush, Jenkins, Baker and Joon.”

  “Shit,” Evan muttered.

  Similar curses were uttered all around the table.

  Baruti Wimbush and Samuel Jenkins were good FBI agents and prior to the team’s first mission for Zora, hadn’t been part of the Task Force. Even thought they were better off with those two men on their side. They weren’t the concern though. Baker and Joon were. Either of them, plus anyone else who worked at the Task Force, could be their mole. Roping those two in defeated the whole purpose of moving Diha to an off-site location, too.

  “I’m sorry,” Diha said with a cringe.

  “Not your fault,” Logan replied and leaned forward. “Anything we need to know?”

  “Nothing right now, though I have some good news.” Diha’s tone brightened. “Thanks to what you sent us about the man you called Caleb I was able to do some digging on him. He’s a person of interest for almost every department wading around in the Middle East. They all want to know where he came from, so now we know.”

  “What about the other three?” Evan asked.

  “I have leads on them, but Caleb was by far the more visible of the four. It sounds like he was the ring leader.”

  That was good news at least. Kill the head and the rest died. In this case Evan was hoping for confusion and in-fighting, but he’d take what they got.

  Logan glanced at Evan, as if they could communicate without words. He knew Logan’s gaze had meaning, but all he could do was guess at what it was.

  It came back to the mole and Felecia.

  “Diha?” Evan focused on the woman half a world away. “How much are you passing on?”

  “Nothing that I don’t have to,” she said without hesitation. “The only people who can tell me what to do are Zora and the director. The others obviously want more information. Until you or Zora tells me to bring them in, I’m not saying anything. But I wouldn’t tell me more than you have to.”

  Evan grimaced.

  This was a fucking disaster. They couldn’t trust their own support.

  “Diha, we’re going to get some rest and talk to you again,” Logan said before Evan could collect his thoughts.

  “Understood.” She nodded once then cut the link.

  Evan scrubbed a hand over his face. “Let me get this straight. We have no support, no one we can really trust that isn’t in this room with us besides Zora, Diha and Kelsey?”

  No one answered.

  “What’s our objective?” Evan glanced at Logan. “Are we still after the forger, do we go for the SEALs or should we play the big game and go after Obran’s insurance?”

  “Zora wanted the SEALs, but she didn’t think we’d be able to find them. We don’t have the manpower to go after them head on. We have to come at this from the side.” Logan lifted his gaze and looked at Evan. “I say we go after the insurance. Hand Zora more intel than she was hoping for. Maybe what she really wants will be in there? Then we don’t necessarily need Obran. We can assemble a proper tactical team to take care of the others.”

  “Why do Zora and the others want these guys anyway?” Harper asked. “Are we not asking that question anymore? Am I the only one?”

  Tucker shook his head. “We just follow orders, man.”

  “You think we should stay the course then?” Evan asked Tucker.

  “I didn’t say that.” Tucker stared at him coldly.

  “The insurance policy. That’s what we’re going after,” Logan said. “Whoever our mole is, they won’t know about that. They can’t warn anyone or do anything about it. Keep th
e circle tight. Maybe, while we’re making our move the mole will fuck up.”

  Evan doubted that would happen.

  Whoever these people were, they’d been part of the Task Force long before their team was even considered. They were up against more than just rogue SEALs and criminals.

  Some days Evan wondered why they’d taken this job. Why they stuck with it.

  He glanced over his shoulder, that thought reminding him that it could easily be someone else who’d found Felecia. Who’d rescued her.

  A surge of jealousy for a nameless, faceless person that might not even exist took hold of him. Evan scrubbed a hand over his face while he pushed that feeling down deep.

  He was here and he’d be damned if he’d let anyone else hurt Felecia. She was his to look after. For now.

  13.

  Tuesday. Safe House. Helsinki, Finland.

  Felecia towel dried her hair while Kelsey flipped TV channels and sprawled on the bed. At first the companionship had been nice, but now it was clear that Kelsey was sticking close to her intentionally. Did the others think Felecia would run? That she needed a babysitter?

  Why now?

  She hadn’t tried to get away and she’d had the opportunity.

  That morning she could have done something. She could have gone with Caleb rather than...

  Her mind shied away from what she’d done.

  She hung the towel over the back of a chair then joined Kelsey on the bed.

  “Aren’t you curious what the others are talking about?” Felecia asked.

  “Not really.” Kelsey rolled over and folded her arms behind her head. “I mostly work alone. I find that all these team talks wear me out. What’s to talk about? Really? We’re going to Texas. It’s the best, most logical move.”

  Felecia stared at the other woman, the answer startling her.

  Kelsey made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat, rolled her eyes and sat up. “They talk about everything. Everything. I can’t take it. So yeah, I’m hiding out in here with you because I don’t want to be part of that. I swear those men talk more than middle school girls.”

  “Oh.” Felecia blinked a few times.

  “Sorry to burst your bubble.” Kelsey grinned. “I’m totally using you.”

  Felecia lifted a shoulder. “I’m okay with that. I think I like that better than the idea of you being sent in here to watch me.”

  “Watch you do what? Shower? Please. Let’s just hope those idiots remember to put dinner in the oven. I’m starving.” Kelsey smiled, infusing the insult with fondness. Despite what she said about the team’s tendency to talk, she liked them.

  “If you work alone how are you part of this?” Felecia gestured at the door and the men beyond.

  Kelsey heaved a sigh and her smile dropped away. “That’s a long story. The short version I can tell you is that I was in a nasty situation, these knuckle heads pulled me out of it and I got involved in all of this thanks to Logan the Fearless Leader.”

  “Logan seems to be awfully concerned about you. He’s always checking in on you it seems.”

  “Ug.” Again she rolled her eyes. “I know. And it’s not like he’s trying to coddle me or anything, I’m just not used to all this team bullshit. I work alone. I have a handler. I make my own decisions. All of this is weird for me. Shoot. I’m over here talking about how weird it is for me. This has to be ten times as weird for you.”

  Felecia chuckled. “Yeah.”

  Kelsey studied her for a moment. “Can I ask a super invasive, not my business question?”

  “Sure?” Felecia said slowly.

  “Did you and Evan hook up last night?”

  Felecia froze. In her head she brushed the question off, but her body wasn’t cooperating. Heat rose from her chest to her neck and into her face. Her eyes were open wide and all she could do was stare at the other woman.

  Kelsey barked a laugh and slapped the mattress. “I knew it. Girl, take a breath. You didn’t do anything wrong. At least I don’t think anyone did anything wrong. I’m not exactly clear who works for who and what rules apply.”

  “W-what do you mean?” Felecia perked up. No one had mentioned an agency yet, but it was clear Evan and the others worked for someone in the US government.

  “Logan and his team, they’re contractors. The rules for them are different.” Kelsey shrugged. “I’m sure some things apply to them, but a lot don’t.”

  The question was on the tip of Felecia’s tongue. Who did Kelsey work for? Why were the rules different for her? But Felecia couldn’t make herself ask. She wasn’t supposed to know, and some part of her wanted to honor that much at least.

  “You and Evan.” Kelsey leaned back against the massive bedpost and studied her with a sly smile. “He’s a good one.”

  “He is,” Felecia whispered.

  Kelsey’s good mood seemed to vanish in a moment and the woman staring back at her was hard, dangerous even. “Someone needs to lay this out at least once. These guys? They’re the good ones and they’re sticking their necks out there for you. Don’t screw us over, okay? And don’t use Evan.”

  “I’m not. I wouldn’t,” Felecia stammered.

  “I’m not saying you would. I don’t think you would, but we don’t really know each other. As far as I can tell, you’re a ghost. Just prove to us we can trust you, okay?” Kelsey tipped her head up. “Smell that? I think that’s dinner. Come on.” She bounded off the bed and smacked Felecia’s thigh on the way.

  Felecia was slower to follow. Still off balance she took a moment sliding her feet back into her shoes and gathering her thoughts.

  She didn’t need Kelsey to tell her that these guys were the good kind. She’d seen it in how they treated her. Felecia had enough experience with truly bad people that the good ones seemed to shine to her.

  Wasn’t it obvious that she’d thrown her lot in with them? She’d told them about Austin. She’d warned them about the attempt to recapture her. At every turn she’d done her best to give them the tools to succeed. What more could she do?

  “Stop dragging your feet. Come on.” Kelsey hooked her arm in Felecia’s and drew her into the hall where the smell of dinner hung in the air.

  The guys weren’t clustered around the table. In fact, judging by the changes of clothes and wet hair a number of them had done the same as she and grabbed showers.

  Maybe they hadn’t talked about much without her?

  A hand pressed against the small of her back and a shiver ran down her spine. She glanced over her shoulder and met the brilliant blue gaze of the man she couldn’t seem to get away from. Not that she’d tried all that hard.

  “Hey,” he said softly. “I was just about to go get you two. Hungry?”

  “I should eat,” she said.

  “Try to.”

  She nodded and let him draw her toward the counter and what had become the serving line.

  Kelsey caught her eye and winked. Felecia felt her face go hot and busied herself taking a plate from the stack all while Evan’s fingers drew circles on her lower back.

  She was in too deep to change her mind, especially where he was concerned.

  EVAN WAS READY TO DROP.

  He’d barely slept yesterday, then he’d had first watch followed by the attack and most of the day spent traveling. It was early evening yet, but the whole team seemed ready to pack it in.

  They had several days of travel ahead of them and no idea what they were heading into.

  He should rest.

  That was the smart thing to do.

  Instead he stood in the hall, staring at Felecia’s bedroom door.

  He should stay away from her. Things were too complicated. She was both a source and a suspect. But she’d killed someone today to protect them. It wasn’t going to get any more clear cut. Things were going to keep getting jumbled. Which was why he should go to his own room and leave her alone.

  Evan rapped on the door with his knuckles, his other hand braced against the doorframe.<
br />
  She’d killed someone. He couldn’t forget how utterly lost she’d looked after that. That wasn’t the face of someone who was going to betray them. It was the look of someone who needed help.

  The door cracked open, one brown eye looking out at him.

  “Evan.” She let it swing open further. She’d changed out of the jeans from earlier into yoga pants that passed as pajamas. “Is everything okay?”

  “I was coming to ask you that.” He tilted his head to the side.

  She lifted her shoulders, the fabric sliding over her breasts, molding to her curves. Though he kept his eyes on her face, he was distinctly aware that she wasn’t wearing a bra.

  Felecia glanced away and his mind returned to the issue at hand.

  She’d killed someone and that was likely to bring up many more bad dreams.

  Evan knew what he should do, what was technically right by the rules. And then there was what felt right. Being here for Felecia felt like the right thing to do.

  He took a step into the room. She backed away. He nudged the door shut and reached for her, sliding his hand down her arm to hook his fingers in hers.

  “Come here,” he murmured.

  Felecia didn’t exactly throw herself at him, but she did shuffle forward giving unspoken permission. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes, allowing himself to be comforted by her in his arms.

  It would have been far too easy for a stray bullet to kill her. If things had gone wrong on their end, if the Horsemen had come through the door their team expected, they might have captured her. On the road a dozen different things could have killed them from a freak accident to one of the other people who’d tried to get her.

  Somehow they’d made it here safe and sound. He had to believe that was for a reason.

  “Today was tough,” he said softly.

  She squeezed his middle, her face buried against his shoulder.

  “It’s okay to feel whatever you’re feeling.” He brushed her hair back and in that moment he knew he wasn’t going anywhere. “Would you like some company? Keep the nightmares away?”

  Felecia peered up at him. “Yes.”