CHAPTER
TEN

On Wednesday afternoon, Layla waited for Scarlett’s arrival at her condo. They were going to have coffee before Layla met Viv and Izzy for dinner. They’d been texting each day, with Scarlett checking in to make sure Layla was safe.

After getting her college degree, Scarlett had gone straight to the DEA and quickly risen through the ranks by proving herself in the field on dangerous ops time and again. She’d worked with the Agency multiple times, and Scarlett had confided in Layla that the Agency had recruited her hard. But Scarlett had other ideas. She loved the thrill of fieldwork, but she also had diplomatic ambitions. Being at State opened different doors.

While Scarlett had never come out and said it, Layla thought that she might even have political ambitions down the road. And working in high-level diplomatic jobs at State was a great résumé builder. Layla had even considered whether State might be a good fit for herself initially, but the Agency needed her skills a lot more than State did, and Layla desperately wanted to serve her country in the best way possible.

When the doorbell rang, Layla went to tell the Agency guard that it was okay to let Scarlett in.

“Thanks for breaking away from work for coffee.”

Scarlett greeted her with a warm hug. “Of course. I had a few errands I had to run, so it worked out perfectly to swing by here. How’re you holding up?”

They walked into the kitchen. “Considering all that’s happened, I’m doing okay. Each new day, things seem to get more complicated.” Layla picked up the coffeepot and poured them each a big cup. “And you see my security detail is in full force.”

Scarlett sat down at the table. “Well, that’s actually a great idea. I’m sleeping better at night knowing you’re not here all alone. Those guys are highly trained and ready for anything.”

Layla scoffed. “Including monitoring my every move.”

Scarlett didn’t seem fazed by Layla’s sarcasm. “On that point, have you heard from the IG’s office yet?”

Layla shook her head. “No. It seems they’re operating on their own timetable, and that only adds to my already high stress level.”

Scarlett picked up her yellow coffee cup. “I know I sound very suspicious about this, but I can’t help it. What I haven’t told you yet is that I’ve lived through this process.”

“Really?” That came as a surprise.

“Yes. I was a young DEA field agent. An investigation was opened on my entire field team. They put us through the wringer, but I never, not once, showed weakness. In the end, they folded, we were all completely cleared, but that put a bad taste in my mouth forever when dealing with internal investigations. So if it seems like I’m coming in hot on this, I am.”

It was just like Scarlett to lay it all out there. It was one of the things that made their friendship work so well. Layla didn’t like passive-aggressive types. “Thanks for sharing that. At least I’m in good company.”

Scarlett smiled. “I did make some informal requests from my side to Langley.”

“And?”

“They’re being tight-lipped. Usually I can call in a favor and get what I need, but not on this one.” Scarlett sighed. “And that’s what really concerns me. Everything about this screams to me that they think they have something big on you, but they don’t have quite enough evidence yet to act on it.”

Layla groaned. “But I’m telling you, there’s nothing.” She had spent countless hours thinking about this, and absolutely nothing came to mind. She was a rule follower through and through. She had memorized Agency protocol from day one and had never broken it.

Scarlett patted her arm. “I believe you, but that’s all the more cause for concern, because it means someone set you up.”

“We talked to Bryce.”

Scarlett’s eyes narrowed. “That guy is a piece of work, but I don’t know that I can see him taking things this far. Anyone else you can think of on your enemies list?”

“My what?”

Scarlett lifted her hands. “C’mon. We all have one.”

Layla didn’t think she did, but now, staring at Scarlett, she wasn’t so sure. “I don’t try to make enemies.”

“Of course not, but our intentions don’t always matter. I’m sure there are other people at the Agency who would like to get rid of you. Think of your competition.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your contemporaries who want promotions and see you as a threat. It’s no secret that you’re a rising star with unlimited potential. You’ve already been rapidly promoted, leaving others in the dust. They can’t compete with the substance you bring to the table, so maybe someone has decided to play dirty to get what they want.”

Maybe Layla was living in too insulated of a bubble, because these things hadn’t crossed her mind.

“I can see I’ve unloaded a lot on you. I don’t want to stress you out, but I wouldn’t be a very good mentor or friend if I didn’t help you navigate these troubled waters, and to do so, you need to have your eyes wide open. You must fight for this the same way you’d fight on a mission or in your analytical work. I’ve seen how tenacious you are when you’re working. Take that same passion and focus and use them here. Don’t let them railroad you, Layla. You’ve worked too hard for that to happen.”

“And the Agency wonders why I want a desk job.”

Scarlett laughed. “You’re more talented than you even realize, you just don’t have the confidence yet to see it. But enough of all this. If I do hear anything, I’ll contact you immediately, and my earlier advice stands. Lawyer up before you submit to any questioning. Even if they claim it will be informal. There’s no such thing. Okay?”

“Understood.” Layla would just have to be patient, because the IG was clearly running at their own speed.

“Anything new on Mejía from your side?” Scarlett took another sip of coffee.

“Our best guess is that either the team was caught on a surveillance camera we missed or that someone on the inside sold us out. The same person they suspect has been feeding intel to the cartel for quite a while to help them stay one step ahead of DEA.”

“How careful were you with the electronic surveillance?” Scarlett asked.

“I thought we were completely buttoned up, but Mason thinks we missed one of the cameras. DEA is actively investigating the mole. Hunter has also been hired to conduct a separate independent investigation.”

“Really?” Scarlett smiled. “How are things going with him?”

She’d told Scarlett about the Hunter saga years ago. “It’s not easy, but our personal baggage has to wait. There’s no time to get distracted by all of that right now.”

“I know you may think that, but baggage has a way of always being there. That’s why they call it baggage.” Scarlett sighed. “But I am a complete and utter failure in the romance department, so don’t take advice from me on that front.”

That wasn’t true, as far as Layla was concerned. “You’re single by choice, Scarlett. You’ve had plenty of guys interested in you.”

Scarlett grinned. “Thanks for helping support my narrative.”

Both of them laughed, but Layla had one more serious topic to get to. “There’s something else I wanted to run by you.”

“Shoot.”

“There’s new information that the DEA mole could actually be CIA.”

Scarlett’s eyebrows went up. “Really? Now, isn’t that interesting. How reliable is the intel?”

“Seems like it could be legit, but I wanted to pick your brain. You know a lot of the Agency officers who work in the region. I’ve done some digging, and one name keeps coming up as a potentially promising lead.”

“Who is it?” Scarlett asked.

“The last thing I want to do is wrongly throw someone under the bus, because I’m living through that situation now, but I trust you, and I know you’ll be discreet about this.”

“Absolutely. My lips are sealed.”

She knew Scarlett wouldn’t act on anything she was saying. “The name is Keith Hammond.”

Scarlett’s eyes lit up. “Yes, I’m familiar with Keith. He’s been in Honduras off and on for the past couple of years. He’s known as a tough operator who isn’t afraid to make waves. I can’t say that he has anything to do with this, but he would be a good possible fit for the profile.”

Layla grabbed Scarlett’s hand. Maybe this would be a much-needed break. “That’s valuable insight. We’ll run it down, and I promise we won’t do anything that will compromise him without real evidence.”

Scarlett squeezed her hand. “I’ll do anything I can to help you, but I’m worried about your safety.”

“But you just commented on my great security detail.”

“They’re only here with you at your condo. When you leave, you’re out there on your own.”

“Not exactly. Hunter is my shadow right now.”

“That’s a good thing. Keep it up. I can’t say I’m a big fan of him, given how he treated you, but it seems like he still cares about you and is willing to go to the mat. You need people like that surrounding you.”

“Yeah. I can’t live under a rock forever, but the way I understand it, if Diego wants you killed, then you don’t make it out alive.”

Scarlett patted her shoulder. “Drug lords may have a lot of power, but you still have the resources of the US government behind you and a great head on your shoulders. You’re going to make it through this.”

Layla looked down. “I can’t say the same about John Diaz.”

Scarlett hung her head. “John was a great agent and a good man. Really a decent guy, and there aren’t many men like that anymore.”

“You know how these cartels work a lot better than I do. Why haven’t they touched Zane? He was on the op.”

“Maybe they don’t know he was there. That would be my best guess. Or they have a bigger plan for him down the road. Or . . . I hate to even say this.”

Layla shook her head. “No. Zane isn’t working with them.”

“You have one of the kindest hearts of anyone I’ve ever met, but that’s also your blind spot. I’m not accusing Zane. I’m just pointing out once again that you need to keep your eyes open, okay?”

Layla knew in her gut that Scarlett spoke the truth. The question now was what she was going to do about it.

Hunter sat in his office, staring at his computer in frustration. He’d been tasked by Mason to find out who had stolen the cartel cash, but unfortunately, even after all the work he’d been putting in, he was no closer to finding the culprit.

He’d received a load of documents from the DEA that had been secured through warrants to a variety of banks and financial institutions. He’d been sworn to secrecy, so he hadn’t been able to talk to Layla about any of this, and he felt the weight of guilt at poring over her finances—which he’d done because he wanted to satisfy himself and Mason that Layla was clean. Layla’s finances were exactly what he’d expected. She lived a reasonable lifestyle, putting a good part of her modest government salary into her savings account. He didn’t find any suspicious accounts or activities. No questionable transfers. Her biggest splurges seemed to be at her favorite clothing store, a boutique in Georgetown, and those purchases only happened a couple of times a year.

Now he was deep into the other core team members’ information. He noticed that Cass’s savings account was depleted. He would be on the lookout for any other indicators of financial stress. Making some notes for follow-up, he decided to review Zane’s documents.

He was surprised to see the size of Zane’s accounts. This guy had money. Lots of money. But would he be so brazen as to steal cash from the cartel and then put it all in his domestic accounts? Hunter’s best working theory was that the stolen money had ultimately ended up offshore somewhere. But Zane’s financial situation meant he needed to do more digging. He knew Zane was former military, which also didn’t explain that amount of cash. The number of zeros was enough to make Hunter’s head spin. This man was beyond rich.

After putting in a number of hours, Hunter headed over to Elijah’s place. Hunter had decided to hang out with him while Layla saw her friends for dinner. He hated to leave her, but she’d shown him just how capable she could be. And he knew she wouldn’t be alone, because she was going to Viv’s house.

“Talk to me, man.” Elijah handed him a soda and took a seat in one of the huge chairs in front of the flat-screen TV. A game was playing, but he’d put it on mute.

“Layla is in danger. I can’t go into the details, but I’m worried about her.”

“Worried as a friend or something more?”

“You know the answer to that already.”

“So that’s what’s got you so wound up?”

Hunter let out a frustrated groan. “Layla’s still upset about the past. She’s focused on the present, which is a good thing as far as her security goes, but when she looks at me, I can’t help but feel like she’s staring right through me.”

“What did you expect? That she’d just fall willingly back into your arms?” Elijah shook his head. “No way.”

“I get that. It’s just all business between us. Like we’re partners working an investigation.”

“Isn’t that exactly what this is?” Elijah pulled the ottoman forward and propped up his feet.

“Yes, but you know that’s not what I want.”

“Do I? And more importantly, does Layla?”

“Obviously I haven’t broached that topic.”

“You need to be patient. If the two of you are ultimately meant to be together, then it will happen.”

“You’re not going to start preaching at me, are you?”

“Do I ever preach at you?”

“Sometimes.” Hunter laughed. “Seriously, though, you’ve respected my feelings on that front. For the most part,” he added quickly. Elijah was as rock-solid as they came in his faith, and Hunter was on shaky ground at best.

“I know I’ve given you some room to work through your faith struggles, but ultimately God is still there waiting on you. You just have to look in the mirror and ask yourself what it really is that has you so wound up. You have to be truthful with yourself, because I feel like you’re in denial.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Just because he was having doubts didn’t mean he was in denial. “I’m facing this thing head on. It’s just that I don’t like what I see. What I feel.”

“You were never that good at the feelings thing.”

Hunter leaned back in the armchair and sighed. “You wear yours on your sleeve, and I keep mine wrapped up tightly in a box.”

“That, my friend, is the problem. Look at me right now and honestly tell me what has you so angry.”

“Decisions I’ve made.”

“Be specific.”

“What happened with Layla.”

Elijah raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean what you did to Layla? How you cheated on her and broke her heart? No need to sugarcoat it.”

“Right.” It was much more of a tangled web than that, but now wasn’t the time or place for that discussion.

“It seemed to me before like you had taken personal responsibility, but now, hearing you talk, I wonder if that’s not completely the case.”

“It’s more complicated than you know.”

Elijah shifted in his seat. “Is it, though? You made a mistake. A very bad mistake. You say you’ve moved on, but there’s something still holding you back.”

“You’re right.”

“Whatever that is, no matter how small or big, that’s what you need to take to God. Get His help.”

Hunter admired his friend’s faith, but he just wasn’t feeling it. “Why would He help me now? He didn’t before.”

“God works in His own time. We can’t expect to understand all of His ways.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“Now, wait a minute. We’ve been through too much together for you to act like I’ve had an easy path in life.”

Hunter was kicking himself. “You’re completely right. I’m an idiot, as usual, saying stupid things. I can be a bit self-absorbed.”

“You think?” Elijah laughed. “But don’t be too hard on yourself. I give you tough love because I’d want the same thing from you. When I went off the rails sophomore year, you were there to help get me back in line.”

Hunter remembered that all too well, but he’d do it again in a heartbeat. “At least neither of us has had a meltdown at the same time.”

“And let’s keep it that way.” Elijah took a sip of his drink. “Is there anything I can do to help out?”

“Not at the moment, but that could change.”

“I’ll be on standby. Just call if you need me.”

“Thanks, Elijah. For everything.” Just talking had actually helped him feel a little better.

“No problem.”

Hunter picked up the remote. “So how’s the game so far?”