Yeun shook Diaz’s hand without hesitation, then turned and gave her a smile. “I’ll await Lizzy’s company with pleasure.”
She scowled. Both the smile and the commentary were sincere but the delivery was too polished and laden with innuendo. No need to encourage it. In her experience, even if it was intended as friendly at first, the man was fishing to see if more attention would be welcome.
Much better to shut that shit down before it got too irritating.
Yeun hesitated a moment, then apparently realized she wasn’t going to give him more of a response. Instead of looking put out, his smile only widened further and he took himself outside.
Both she and Diaz stood watching him until he reached the reception area. There wasn’t a direct line of sight, but if a person had a habit of using reflective surfaces to take note of what was going on around the corners, every part of the office space was visible from Diaz’s desk.
It required really good eyesight. Which she had.
And Yeun was in possession of a really nice ass.
Diaz chuckled. “Interesting guy.”
You betcha.
“Is there a reason you care?” She dumped herself into the armchair Yeun had just vacated, noting he’d left it warm. Normally that creeped her out but currently she wondered if the guy had a fever or if he just ran hot.
“He’s a businessman.” Diaz shrugged. “Not our usual type of client though. He’s not going for the political angle or the socialite status. Obviously has money. Prefers to spend it on what interests him.”
She snorted. “Women. Luxury junk. Food and booze.”
Assumptions. And not kind. But then again, she wasn’t inclined to overestimate people. They were less likely to disappoint that way.
“Background check says yes about the women.” Diaz was matter-of-fact about it. “But all discreet escort services and no black marks regarding him as a patron. Not even diplomatic commentary.”
Meaning he hadn’t used money to smooth over any issues that would’ve otherwise earned him red flags in an escort service’s point of view. Every escort service kept track of their customers. They might not share those records—in whatever unofficial form those took—with authorities conducting an investigation, but they might share with other information gathering personalities. And Diaz was building up a network of intelligence as part of Safeguard Division’s internal assets.
“So he’s not abusive and he pays up.” Good to know. She wasn’t going to judge the man for his choice in company or whether he paid for it.
“He does have expensive taste in cars and material items.” Dry tone there. “Also frequents some of the most expensive restaurants in town.”
Travel enough and people like her and Diaz didn’t tend to keep much in the way of things. Good food, on the other hand, was something worth spending on as far as she was concerned.
“There are worse things.” Yeun sounded like a normal guy, actually. She might’ve been less inclined to take a bullet for him if he turned out to be a horrible person. “Obviously, he’s done something to be on the naughty list in the corporate world though.”
“White-collar crime, and more than naughty. Anything involving Phoenix Biotech has more serious repercussions. That organization has serious funding and is involved in way more than cutting edge research.” Diaz sat in the other armchair and looked out the window, his gaze unfocused. A few months ago, they’d gone right into one of Phoenix Biotech’s facilities to extract a kidnapped woman—the younger sister of Diaz’s now-significant other, Maylin Cheng—and Diaz had barely come out of it walking. “It’s a slippery slope. A person starts out just with overlooking an email here, deleting an email there. Nothing intentionally wrong, per se. Then things slide into more questionable territory and they find they’ve dug themselves a hole.”
“Some of those corporate types do things they know are illegal and assume money and a good lawyer can get them out of it.” Maybe her comment came across a little sharp. But she’d met plenty of those during the social climber party she’d covered last evening.
“And we’ll get to know who those types are.” Diaz shook off his brooding and leaned forward in his chair. “We’re in shady territory here. We don’t know what to expect with Phoenix Biotech involved but they are willing to kidnap and kill their resources to accomplish their quarterly business goals. Keeping Kyle Yeun alive to testify against them in this case isn’t going to be easy.”
“Bring it on.” She wasn’t boasting, even though she liked a challenge. To be honest, she was spoiling for a fight and Phoenix Biotech tended to hire the kind of personnel who could give her a real one.
Diaz gave her a neutral look and continued without calling her on it. “Private security is going to be like this from here on out. The more we know, the more we can accept contracts on the right side of the law and maybe even help some people who otherwise find themselves in too deep for redemption.”
She raised her eyebrows at him. “This is starting to sound like one of those television shows Maylin watches.”
Diaz chuckled at the reference to his significant other. “The concept is worth considering. Most important thing I’m trying to keep in mind as I establish Safeguard is making sure we’re still doing the right thing. It means we need to make informed decisions and I need people smart enough and with enough of a moral compass to continue making them out in the field.”
Oh. Here it was.
“I’m going to need to know soon, Lizzy.” Diaz was serious now. “Harte has a new fire team for you, with a commanding position if you want it. You could go back into active duty with the squadron in Centurion Corporation. Or you could officially be assigned to Safeguard Division.”
“Not an easy decision.” She kept her tone light but making the choice was anything but.
Diaz didn’t even pretend to be fooled though. “You’ve had a lot of time to prove your point, Lizzy. You had your time in the military. You’ve been a tactical asset to the Centurion Corporation. All along the way, you’ve proven to the people in your teams and the clients we work for how valuable an asset you are. I’m asking you to start becoming a strategic part of this organization.”
“You think I’m ready.” She didn’t bother making it a question. She was, in terms of skill set and experience. No need to hear Diaz confirm it to validate what she already knew about herself.
“I think you’re dodging it.”
Yup.
Diaz sighed. “And trust me, I don’t blame you. But there are ways to burn off those anger issues of yours besides going out on the high-adrenaline, high-risk missions. Last night wasn’t just a good deed.”
No. She’d been spoiling for a fight. Otherwise, she’d have called the police and run interference until they could arrive on the scene. This wasn’t some faraway place. Here, on domestic soil, she was technically as accountable as any other US citizen when it came to the consequences of disturbing the peace.
There’d been a high probability Diaz would’ve had to come bail her out of jail when she’d made the decision to get into a physical altercation. And she hadn’t cared.
“Fortunately,” Diaz continued, “you happened on a lucky situation.”
“Lucky for Yeun.” The man was sitting comfortably slouched in the reception area, watching his police escort pace. For a person too restless to stay put in a hotel room, he was showing a lot of patience here. Probably because he was here on his own terms, pursuing something he wanted. “We could just keep him here for the next few days until his trial.”
“Negative.” Diaz cut the air with one hand. “We’re not a safe house. None of the facilities are intended for overnight stay, much less something longer. Plus, this is a joint operation. It’d raise the question of why the man isn’t being kept in protective custody on police premises or elsewhere in government faci
lities.”
Point. She had no desire to sit around at a police station for hours, much less days.
“It’s a good opportunity for us, actually.” Diaz sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
The motion drew her attention to him and his rare smile was there. He had surprisingly white teeth. Maybe because none of them smiled all that often. Well, except Marc. He smiled all the time, around a mouthful of food.
“You plan on expanding on your thought there?” She crossed her arms. Whatever this was, she wasn’t absolutely sure she wanted to know.
“Part of Safeguard Division’s longevity is going to rely on the contracts we acquire.” Diaz glanced in the direction of their guests and back to her. “Building a good working relationship with police and US Marshals would be an advantage. I’d rather work with them when the situation calls for it.”
Relations with local authorities were a major factor to consider in any mission. They could be a big help or could become a dangerous risk. She could see where Diaz was going.
“They don’t seem too eager about working with me.”
“Consider it a stretch for your diplomacy skills.” Diaz grinned. “Come out on the other side of this in one piece and maybe we’ll have established a solid precedent for working together in the future.”
“Huh.” She’d stay noncommittal on the idea.
Commitment was part of her problem.
It was easy when she was responsible only for herself.
“I’ll be going silent for the duration.” It was her preferred mode of operation. It should be a simple couple of days. If anyone was trying to find Yeun, they wouldn’t get his location from any intercepted communications between her and Safeguard.
They could take precautions against it, of course. Their technical expertise was some of the best. But the tricky thing in their business tended to be the knack their fellow mercenaries had in one-upmanship. There was always someone coming up with something better.
The only way to be sure there was no information leak was to have no communication at all.
Diaz nodded. “You know our schedule. Make contact if anything goes out of the ordinary.”
“It’s what I do.”
“Yes.” She’d tossed it out as an old joke. Diaz was serious though. “It is. For a few hours or a night. You excel at the short solo missions, even have issues with authority. It’s time to quit thinking of those points as badges of honor.”
She bristled, defensive. “Don’t go all big brother on me.”
“Consider it constructive feedback from your commander,” Diaz shot back. “We’ve worked together a long time. If there’s anyone I can send out solo, it’s you. If you can manage a mission in three or four hours, you can do the same over longer assignments. We both know it. But it’s time to acknowledge the fact that you don’t like taking responsibility for other people. You won’t take a team for longer than a few hours.”
“I can work in a fire team long-term.” Well, she’d done well in Diaz’s fire team. There’d been plenty of others where they could function but they’d never gelled as a group.
“And you used to be able to lead one.” Diaz had access to her file. He also knew her background. “Lead and pair with a spotter within the same team.”
She ground her teeth and didn’t respond.
“Most shooters work with a spotter.” He stood after a moment and walked over to his desk. “Whether you go back to the main Centurion Corporation with another fire team or stay here, it’d be optimal for you to be willing to partner up again, Lizzy.”
“Victoria and Marc are partnered. You lead.” She counted out her team members on the fingers of one hand. “Me as a solo distance shooter worked fine. It could in another fire team too.”
There was a chance. A small one. Theirs had been a particularly good combination. It’d take a long while to grow into the same sort of comfortable rapport with a new team.
“Or we could continue to give you specific contracts.” Diaz leaned against his desk. “There are good lead positions where you could provide cover from a distance and have eyes on the site without being down on the ground. Harte has several contracts where you’d come in handy.”
They didn’t just want surveillance. The Centurion Corporation followed a particular moral code, but it didn’t mean all the work they did was particularly virtuous. Taking on more jobs as a lone sniper meant she would be further focusing her skill set toward a narrower field. Eliminating specified targets.
Assassinations.
“This is a good time to decide where you want your career to go, Lizzy.” Diaz had lowered his voice to a quieter tone. “You’re good at what you do now.”
“I can be good at anything I decide to do.” It came out before she had the chance to consider. It was an automatic defensive response. Because Diaz wasn’t quite right about something he’d mentioned earlier. She still had a point to prove.
It might not be to him. Definitely wasn’t anything she needed to demonstrate to Victoria or Marc or any of the people currently with Safeguard.
No. She’d just spent so long proving to anyone who came anywhere within her sphere of influence that she was who she was, she wasn’t exactly sure what to do now.
Diaz was right. It was time to move on to the next step. She had no idea what direction it would be in. So she did what came easy.
“First things first.” She rose from the armchair. “I’ve got a job to do.”
Chapter Five
“You can’t be serious.”
Isabelle hustled Kyle Yeun into the small apartment when he stopped in his tracks at the door.
Over the past couple of hours, they’d taken a circuitous route out of Seattle before swapping cars and coming back into the city. It might’ve seemed ridiculous to some but if Yeun was being followed, convincing anyone watching him that he’d left the city for a few days was ideal. Officers Austin and Weaver had followed in a separate car at a distance along the same route while Marshal Decker had made visual contact at preplanned touch points along the way.
One big, coordinated road trip.
In the meantime, one of the Centurion Corporation trainees had already cleared the apartment and prepped it. Marshal Decker had also come ahead to clear it and gone to his unmarked vehicle out on the street to take up a stationary position a few blocks up Pike Street.
Officers Austin and Weaver would remain mobile, driving a circuit of the streets around the location watching for unusual activity.
The trainee remained waiting in the apartment for their arrival. She nodded to him as he passed them to leave, handing her the keys to the apartment. She pocketed those and locked the door, throwing the two dead bolts.
“Fridge should be stocked with basics.” She moved through the apartment, inspecting everything for herself while Yeun remained standing in the middle of the main room.
The trainees from the Centurion Corporation facility outside Seattle were on point, usually military veterans only in need of training in the procedures specific to their particular private military contracting outfit. And she was certain Deputy Marshal Decker had gone over every inch with his own discerning eye. But she still liked to go over everything personally. When working solo, even in coordination with other organizations, she’d learned to check every detail herself.
“This place is a dump.” Yeun didn’t bother with more complicated vocabulary.
She tossed her duffel down next to the armchair in the corner of the small main room. “It’s clean, there are no bugs and it isn’t anything like the places you’ve been choosing to stay in over the last forty-eight hours. There’s plenty of hot water and the water pressure is better than a lot of the older hotels in the area. What’s to complain about?”
Yeun’s eyes flicked in the direction of
the bedroom and back to her. “You’re telling me that’s a king-size bed in there.”
Not a hint of innuendo in either his tone or his posture, but hell, her own brain had supplied a few interesting thoughts. The man was too attractive for his own damned good.
“You’re sleeping alone.” And there would be no debate there. Not with him, not with her own libido, no matter how long it’d been since she’d last scratched that particular itch. “You can make do with a queen. The sheets are fresh. No one’s bled on them.”
“Generally, blood on the sheets isn’t the organic matter I’m concerned with when I’m faced with questionable accommodations.” Yeun’s mouth stretched into a wry grin.
Of course his charm factor amped way up with the change in his expression. She fought against smiling in return. No sense in encouraging him.
For all his complaining though, he appeared much more relaxed than he had back at the Safeguard offices. Fine lines around his mouth and between his eyebrows had disappeared, replaced with much better humored laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. Apparently, peace of mind made a huge difference for him.
He’d unbuttoned the collar and top button of his pristine white dress shirt, as well. Somehow he’d gone from polished businessman to stylishly business casual with just the two buttons. She wasn’t exactly sure how he achieved the affect but figured it had as much to do with his posture as the clothing he was wearing.
She liked his business casual look better. It was just a step away from rumpled.
Nope. None of those thoughts would lead her to wise actions. Not a single one of them.
“Not a worry here. There’s no television but I brought a tablet. We’ve created a sock-puppet account for you on a couple of the streaming video sites so you can watch movies without anyone realizing it’s you.” She pulled a tablet out of her second bag and held it out to him. “I’ll have a portable hot spot turned on most of the time for you to access Wi-Fi but I need your word of honor you won’t try logging in to any of your online accounts. No email. No websites. Nothing you’ve ever registered for or created a log-in user name and password. You’ll be surfing the internet via proxy server to avoid traceability.”
Deadly Testimony Page 4
