by Katie Reus
So far he hadn’t been able to contact Miguel. Wesley was taking security to a new level and ruining all his plans. Everything they did was being monitored by their Georgia office. And there was no way in hell he could get his hands on a cell phone now. He wouldn’t even try.
He was more than a decent hacker, but there was only so much he could do under these circumstances. If only he’d left town a few days ago. He wouldn’t have had as much money, but he’d still be free. He wanted to kick his own ass for not following his instinct and leaving when there wasn’t a chance he’d be tracked right away. If he tried to leave now, Wesley would know something was off and it would be damn near impossible to get out of the country. His boss would spare no expense hunting him down if he knew he was dirty.
The NSA would plug his picture into all the facial recognition programs around the country. And even if he somehow managed to make it through an airport undetected, he didn’t have any of his fake passports or near enough funds to live the way he wanted. The way he deserved.
As Stone and the Moreno woman walked in his general direction, he turned his back to them and started setting up one of the laptops. He couldn’t afford to be caught staring. Getting Sophie Moreno alone would be tricky, but when the time was right, he wouldn’t waste an opportunity.
Hell, maybe he wouldn’t have to use her at all. He really hoped he wouldn’t need her, but if by some chance Miguel was captured alive, he knew the drug lord would turn him over with little incentive. If Wesley had to make a deal with Vargas or him, he knew his boss would choose to deal with Vargas. The man was a criminal and he didn’t hide what he was.
He’d worked with Wesley long enough to know that no matter how much information he offered up, they’d never offer him immunity if Vargas was offering the same intel. He was considered a traitor, and for that, Wesley would turn his back on him. The best he could hope for would be life in maximum-security prison. And that was if they were feeling generous. If not, he’d get the death penalty for treason. Which was more likely.
That was why it always paid to have a backup plan.
• • •
Jack carefully laid out a listening device one of the analysts had given him on the six-foot fold-out table. Sophie sat next to him, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
As he inspected the device, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He frowned when he saw the number. “Yeah?”
“I think I’m being followed,” Ronald whispered.
Jack massaged his temple. He’d given the man simple instructions. “Where are you?”
“A couple blocks from the restaurant you told me to go to. On Ocean Drive.”
“Walking?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. At the next intersection, cross the street and pay attention to anyone who follows you.”
A horn blared in the background. “I’m across but I don’t know if anyone followed me.”
“Turn back in the opposite direction from the restaurant.”
“Why?”
Jack contained his frustration. “Just do it.”
“Okay.”
“Is there anyone across the street mirroring you?”
“Not that I can tell, but a green sedan just made a U-turn.”
“Good, that means your tail is driving. What kinds of stores are you near?”
“There’s a deli, a photo shop, a touristy—”
“Go into the deli. It’ll buy you more time.”
“I’m inside. Now what?”
“Look for a back exit.” Restaurants had to take out the trash multiple times during the day, making it less likely that an alarm was on the back door. Jack could hear people talking in the background, and so far it sounded as though Ronald was handling things relatively well. When everything went silent, Jack guessed the other man had made it.
“I’m outside now.”
“Head back in the direction of the restaurant, but stay on the street you’re on now. Do not go back to Ocean Drive. I’m going to put in a call to our guys. They’ll meet you out back.”
“Okay.”
“Problems?” Sophie asked, her tone distant as he disconnected.
Normally he loved the thrill of a new job, but he simply wanted this one to be over. Then maybe he and Sophie could hole up somewhere for a couple of weeks and do nothing but have sex. That was of course if she forgave him for lying about her friend. But if her friend actually died—fuck, he couldn’t even think like that. He had to take care of one problem at a time. “I don’t think so.”
“Jack? This may not be the best time, but where do you live exactly?”
“What?” He wasn’t sure what to make of the random question, and her expression gave away nothing.
“When you’re not working.”
“I don’t have a home.” It had never felt weird before, but not having any roots was beyond depressing. Nothing and no one had ever grounded him before—except Sophie. He was constantly working, constantly on the move, but right now he desperately wished he had a place to call home. Someplace to take Sophie to. And not on a temporary basis. The more he thought about that, the less it scared him. Hell, the thought of her walking out of his life was more terrifying than anything.
“Oh.” She frowned, then glanced around the expansive room, avoiding his gaze.
Jack struggled for a response but knew he’d have to wait until tonight when they’d be able to talk more in-depth about everything without prying ears. “Want to see how we’re going to be able to monitor Ronald?”
She turned back toward him and nodded, her expression tight. “Sure.”
Chapter 19
Bona fide: proof of a person’s true identity.
By the time Wesley walked into the building with Ronald, Jack had already set up four chairs. The two field agents who flanked Ronald wordlessly left him at the table.
Jack had felt a few curious stares at his back, but he ignored them. The only thing that bothered him was a few of the obviously appreciative glances in Sophie’s direction. He’d never thought of himself as possessive, but he’d also never been with a woman long enough to develop anything other than a physical relationship. The only woman he’d ever felt that way about had been Sophie—and that definitely hadn’t changed. They’d been operating in such a vacuum the past few days that seeing other men look at her made him edgy.
The agents and analysts had set up a sleeping area, a work area, and even a private area to shower. Jack knew Wesley was going to have an issue when he told him that he and Sophie weren’t staying, but his boss could deal with it.
Wesley ordered the rest of the agents away before he and Ronald sat across from Jack and Sophie.
Weller cleared his throat and looked at Sophie. “Sophie, I’m so sorry—”
“Save it,” she ground out. She stood and pushed her chair back as she looked at Jack. “Is it okay if I walk around until you’re done?”
“Sure.” He nodded before focusing on Ronald. “This is how it’s going to work. When you meet with Vargas, his men will probably scan you for any sort of listening or tracking device.” Jack held out what looked like an ordinary ballpoint pen. “This is something the NSA has been working on. There’s a minuscule listening device in here that uses an unusual frequency. We’re the only ones plugged into it. It should hold up under any scrutiny.”
Ronald held out a tentative hand. “It should?”
“It’s passed all our tests,” Wesley said.
“Is that it?” Ronald asked.
“No, you’re also going to be wearing this on your tie.” Jack held out a small silver, basically unnoticeable tie pin with a camera in it. “We’ll be able to see everything going on, and if anything happens, we’ll storm the place.”
“What about my daughter?”
“He’s going to call you before the meeting. Insist on talking to your daughter right then. If he doesn’t let you, it’s doubtful she’s with him.”
“What if he doesn’t let me?”
<
br /> “Then you refuse to meet him,” Wesley said.
“What if he does something else? Tries to make me?”
Jack scooted his chair closer to the table. “We’re going to have someone stationed at your house watching your wife and a couple guards at your office. If he makes a move, we’ll know.”
Ronald wiped a hand across his sweaty brow. “What exactly do you want from him?”
“Getting him on United States soil is the most important thing, and you’ve already done that. What we really need is more information on who he’s dealing with in North Africa,” Wesley said.
“What if I can’t get that? What about my daughter?”
“No matter what happens, we’re going to get your daughter back. Vargas will be prosecuted for his crimes, but you need to look at the big picture. If he gets any kind of biological weapons into this country, your entire family could be wiped out along with hundreds of thousands of others. Your friends, everyone you know.” Wesley’s voice had a reassuring quality to it.
“Is there anything else I should do?” Weller asked.
“Stay calm and don’t do anything that could tip Vargas off. Remember, we’ll be watching you at all times,” Jack said.
“Okay. . . . Do you think it would be possible to talk to Sophie before you guys take me back?” Ronald’s voice cracked.
Wesley started to respond, but Jack interrupted. “No.”
“I just want to tell her how sorry I am.”
“Maybe you should have thought about that before throwing her to the wolves.” Jack knew the last thing he should do was rile this man up, but the bastard had almost gotten Sophie killed.
Ronald’s face paled as he took the silver pin and slipped it into his jacket pocket. “I guess I deserve that.”
Wesley shot Jack a warning glare before standing. “I think we’ve covered everything. We’ll be in contact tomorrow before the meet to test out the audio.” He motioned to a couple of the agents cleaning their weapons. “If you’ll go with these men, they’ll make sure you get back into your office undetected.”
Ronald nodded as he stood and shot a pitiful glance in Sophie’s direction as he left.
“What the hell was that?” Wesley asked the second Ronald was out of earshot.
Jack shrugged, even though he understood what he was referring to. “What?”
“We need him calm for tomorrow. It wouldn’t have hurt to let him talk to Sophie.”
“I’m not letting anyone upset her. She’s been through enough thanks to that asshole.”
“You’re letting yourself get too involved with this mission.”
Damn straight he was. Jack lifted his shoulders again because he knew it would piss Wesley off. Jack didn’t care how involved he was. At this point he wouldn’t change a damn thing about the decisions he’d made. “You’re the one who insisted I take this job.”
“I thought you’d be able to get close to her because of your history—but I expected you to remain professional.”
“I guess you were wrong.” And Jack wouldn’t apologize for anything he’d done. He stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the concrete floor. “I’m getting Sophie out of here.”
Wesley started to argue, but Jack cut him off. “We’re not staying here. I’m taking her to a nice hotel tonight, and the agency is paying for it. She’s been through a lot.”
“She seems like she’s doing okay.”
“She is, but she just found out I lied to her and that her friend is likely being held captive by Vargas. I’m not forcing her to stay here with a bunch of armed men for the next twelve hours.”
After a pause, Wesley gave him a tight-lipped nod. “Let me know where you’re staying.”
“I will. What about the guy I brought in?” When Wesley had been gone he’d seen two of the field agents escorting him out, but he wasn’t sure where they’d taken him.
“Took him to a place off-site where he’s being questioned. My guy has checked in once, but the man doesn’t seem to know much. Could be lying, but we’ll find out.”
“What about Abarca?”
Wesley’s face darkened at the mention of her. “Still in federal holding. Won’t be put into the system until we bring Vargas down.”
Jack nodded, figuring that was the case. They couldn’t risk Vargas getting tipped off by someone that Mandy Abarca had been arrested. They weren’t sure how far his reach was or what kind of contacts he had. Jack glanced around to make sure no one was within earshot. “What about the other problem?”
“I’ve got a short list of suspects and an official investigation, but no one on my list is here. No one even knew what was going on until after we’d unpacked everything.”
Which meant there was still a mole somewhere within the NSA. A problem that needed to be dealt with, but it wasn’t something he could do anything about now. “I’ll call you when we get there.” At least now he wouldn’t be driving a stolen vehicle and he had a clean new ID courtesy of Wesley.
Jack spotted Sophie talking to one of the analysts, Steven something, and pushed down the foreign twinge of jealousy in his chest. The man wasn’t acting inappropriately or leering, just politely talking.
She must have felt the weight of his stare on her, because she looked up. For the briefest moment she appeared vulnerable, like the girl he’d lived with. The expression was gone so fast he could almost pretend he’d imagined it. But he hadn’t. He’d hurt her by lying about Hannah and he needed to make it right. She turned to the other man, said something, then strode toward him, closing the small distance between them.
“You ready to get out of here?” he asked.
Her eyes widened. “We don’t have to stay?”
When he shook his head she let out an appreciative sigh and it made him feel like the king of the fucking world. All the woman had to do was smile and he was lost.
• • •
After sweeping the hotel room for bugs, Jack shrugged out of his jacket and laid his weapon on the nightstand. Sophie was sitting in an armchair by the expansive window, staring outside, but he didn’t think she was really seeing anything. She’d been quiet the entire drive here, and he hated that she was pushing him out.
His cell phone buzzed with a text from Wesley. He shot off a quick reply and told him he’d be going offline for a while. At least until he could iron out everything with Sophie. He crouched next to her on one knee. She stiffened, completely aware of him, but didn’t glance his way. Yeah, he was going to have to work for this.
He wanted to reach out and touch her but held off. “I’m sorry I lied, Soph. I just didn’t want you worrying. I knew it would eat you up inside.”
She turned to look at him, her dark eyes guarded, almost accusing. “What else have you lied about?” There was a knowing about the way she asked that question.
He swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”
“Are you answering with a question because you don’t want to tell me the truth? I want to know your real name,” she snapped, pushing up from the chair, anger radiating off her in waves. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides.
He stood to face her, not sure how he could keep lying to her anymore. His soul couldn’t take it. “I already told you.”
She advanced on him, covering the distance between them until inches separated them. Her sweet scent wrapped around him as she looked up at him. “The truth. Now. What’s the name you were given when you were born?”
Time seemed to slow as everything but Sophie’s face funneled out around him. She knew and was just waiting for his confirmation. The vein on her neck pumped wildly. She might be nervous about his answer, but she wasn’t pushing him away. Part of his brain screamed at him to lie to her. Just give her the easy answer. But the part that cared far too much for this woman knew it was time for the truth. Still, he steeled himself for her rejection. “I think you know the answer.”
Triumph flared in her eyes. “I want to hear you say it.” Her strangled whisper
sounded overpronounced in the silent room.
“Sam Kelly.” The two words dropped with the intensity of a grenade.
Without warning, she shoved at his chest. Hard. Then she slammed her fists against him again and again. “I knew it, you fucking mentiroso!” Her loud shout echoed through the room. “I thought I was going crazy!”
Jack cringed as she shouted a few other choice words he understood clearly. His Spanish might suck, but he knew enough that she’d just called him a liar. And she was right.
He grabbed her upper arms and tried to pull her close, but she struggled against him. He was desperate to keep her from pulling away. “Let me explain!”
She struggled to free herself, but he refused to let go. He couldn’t let her run out on him. Not now. Not until he’d explained things. And he could tell by the look in her eyes that she was two seconds away from sprinting out the door and never looking back. He tightened his grip. “Damn it, Sophie, I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Then let me go,” she said through gritted teeth as she tugged against his hold again. Her breathing was erratic and the angry fire in her eyes scorching.
His heart was pounding like a jackhammer. “Will you listen to me if I do?”
Her jaw clenched and her body tensed, so he held firm. He didn’t squeeze because he was afraid of bruising her, but he kept her in place. “I didn’t want to lie to you.”
“Was sleeping with me part of the job?” she asked, the words a razor-sharp edge. Her eyes flashed with barely concealed rage.
His answer was immediate. “No. I never should have started something with you. That was a mistake—”
“So now you think it was a mistake!” It was as if he’d lit the main fuse on her rage. She hauled back and tried to knee him in the groin. He turned, taking the brunt of her strike against his hip.
“That’s not what I meant! I just meant that had nothing to do with the job. That was my choice.” Damn it, his thoughts got so muddled around her.
As he tried to shift away and deflect another knee shot without hurting her, she yanked one of her hands free. She slammed her fist square in his chest again and it was clear she wasn’t going to stop pounding him.
