If felt like she’d slept for three days, but the clock said it had only been sixteen hours. Still, Megan was more rested than she’d been for days. After all, she had enough brain power to calculate how long she’d been asleep. That meant something.
Adrian sat across the hotel room much like the last time she’d woken up. The covers of the other bed were rumpled again, like last time. So he’d gotten some rest, too.
The text came through while she showered.
She came out of the bathroom to brush the tangles from her wet hair while she booted up her computer. The message had come through to a burner phone she kept. A username. Then another text, the password.
When she’d first been hired on with Double Down, she’d been brought in on their security measures. It was serious if Steve thought they needed to go to the website they’d set up just for situations like this. For the purpose of a team meeting that could be kept off the radar. They would be secure—thanks to a friend she’d introduced to Steve who had a private security business. A computer whizz known only as “Remy.”
Nothing was impenetrable, but this was about making it as hard as possible for the blackmailer to even know they were communicating with each other.
She waited while the video call connected, and three screens filled with an image. Emma with Mint beside her. Steve, in his office. Bradley—who’d chosen to keep Alexis out of this meeting. She was at Rachel’s. Two of their team had been killed in Colorado a couple of weeks ago. Those windows were blank, and she had to bite her lip at the sight of them.
Adrian settled beside her. He rubbed a hand down her back. “Okay?”
She brushed off the grief and nodded.
“Arm hurt?”
“Dull, but whatever they gave me worked because it’s manageable.”
Steve’s voice came over the call before his screen loaded. “That’s good to know, Perkins.”
She glanced at the screen. “Hi, guys.”
“Okay, since everyone is here, we’ll begin,” Steve said. “Megan’s injury was first on the list, so next is Sylvia.”
Megan said, “Why, what’s up with mom?”
Adrian shifted.
They both waited. Steve said, “Nothing’s wrong.” He lifted his fingers so they were huge on the screen. “Sorry. What I mean is, she’s headed to a conference in a couple of days. So do we have her cancel and stick her in a safe house for the time being so the blackmailer doesn’t target her?”
“Yes.” Megan nodded. “Do that.”
“Or,” Steve said, dragging out the word. That meant this suggestion was his recommendation. “Do we let her go, send cover with her—with or without her knowledge—and let her keep her schedule?”
“Why does she need to go?”
Steve’s gaze softened slightly. “Part of the conference is honoring fallen federal agents. They’re going to have all the surviving spouses and some of their children come on stage.”
“She told me she was going. But she didn’t say anything about that.”
Her mom knew Megan would never have gone for that. She hated the spotlight. Not to mention standing in front of all those people when she’d done nothing worth honoring was super awkward. No wonder her mom hadn’t mentioned it.
Steve nodded. “So do we let her go?”
“Who would the cover be?”
He looked down at his paper. “Guy I used to know. Former Delta Force. The wife was CIA. Now they have kids. He’s on retainer with Double Down.”
“You trust him?”
“No doubt.”
Megan didn’t like it, but was it worth her mom complaining to the entire team and making all their lives miserable? “Let her go.”
“Agreed,” Bradley said. “I know those two as well, and they’re solid.”
Mint said, “Me too. On both counts.”
“Okay.” That made her feel better. Whoever this guy and his wife were, the Double Down team knew they were good.
And while she knew they weren’t placating her, she couldn’t help but think being a woman made them all want to take care of her. Good thing she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.
“Next up is the think tank,” Steve said. “We’re looking into the backgrounds of the two who were killed, looking for something that might warrant someone retaliating against them.”
“My office is doing the same,” Adrian said. “Though my guess is the target was the Army general and not the janitor.”
Steve nodded. “The general has a lot of top secret, redacted stuff in his file. Seems he was over a whole lot of clandestine operations. Some of them go back decades,” Steve said. “If we’re going to get a connection, we’ll have to know what we’re looking for.”
“Whatever it is, has to be connected to South America.”
Adrian’s statement made her stiffen. He didn’t glance at her, or acknowledge her reaction. Something she was glad for. The last thing she wanted was for the guys to think this was all getting to her. They’d yank her from the operation faster than she could dig her heels in.
Nothing they could do would remove her, or protect her, from this. She was right smack in the middle of all of it.
She said, “What about the others who were in Mexico?” Steve would know she was referring to the time she’d spent there when Will was killed and not anything else. “If Zimmerman went to the hospital because that kid’s father was connected, then maybe he’ll try again with a different one of the men who were in Mexico. Use one of them to send another message.”
Steve said, “Good idea. I’ll find out where they are.”
If anyone could do it, it was Steve. “Thanks.” She hardly wanted to end up face to face with any of them. But if it got them answers, she would do it.
Steve said, “Walker, do you have anything from the FBI about Zimmerman’s family?”
“They’re investigating the family’s disappearance as a kidnapping. But considering the lengths gone in order to cover it up, I wonder if they’ll find anything at all. None of these people have made a misstep. Only Zimmerman, trying to pass that flash drive to Megan. And the blackmailer got men there to intercept and steal it. They were pros. If it’s the same people who took Zimmerman’s wife and children, then it’s going to be a hard task.”
Steve took a second to absorb that. The man never reacted straight away. He thought things through, and his slowness infuriated Megan at times, but he was right.
Finally, Steve said, “He’s killed a child already today.”
Megan nodded, trying not to think of Sofía and José.
“I’ll follow up with the FBI on that, if you want,” Bradley offered. “Make sure we do everything to see they’re found—no more victims.”
Megan broke the seal on her prayer life and asked that they be found alive. She didn’t want to see any more children killed because of this blackmailer.
On the screen, Mint nodded. Emma leaned against his shoulder, as though being right there was precisely where she wanted to be. Megan could appreciate that. It was nice having Adrian beside her.
Emma had talked to Megan about doing accounting for a nonprofit that helped victims of violence. It was a great idea, but they were all waiting until this was over before they made moves like that. Took different career paths. It was why Mint and Emma hadn’t gotten engaged yet. Or so Megan figured.
Not wanting to make major life changes when the threat against them all was still very real.
Bradley’s history with Alexis, and having known each other for years, meant he hadn’t wanted to waste time. They’d gotten married weeks ago. Megan had always thought she wanted to make a fuss for her own wedding. After all, the idea was to only do it once. Right?
Someone chuckled. She focused on the screen and saw them all smiling.
“Yep,” Bradley said, a smile on his face. “Drifting.”
“I’m fine,” Megan argued.
“Good.” Steve nodded. “Because you’ll be needed soon enough. I have a feeling that think tank was just the beginning of what he has planned.”
Adrian stayed still while Megan bristled—mostly because he was trying not to bump up against her wound. He also seriously doubted she wanted him to coddle her when the men were acting protective. They probably thought nothing of it, but she was tense.
“I have an idea on that,” Megan said. “My friend who set up this system. If anyone can figure out how all this is connected, it’s her.”
Mint said, “Can she hack top secret files?”
Bradley nodded. “Because Zimmerman could hit the next target before this ‘contact’ of yours figures it out.”
“Maybe you should have a little faith in the people I know, okay?” Megan shrugged her good shoulder. “Aren’t you always telling everyone to trust God?”
Bradley’s eyes narrowed, but Adrian spotted a gleam of humor there. “Yes.”
“Then don’t make a stink when I want to try something,” she said. “We need the help.”
“It’s a good idea,” Steve said. “We know she’s good, so why not call on her since we need all the resources we can get.”
Megan shifted and smirked for a second before her face blanked. On the computer screen, Emma smiled.
Adrian didn’t envy Steve his job. Seemed like it might be more like babysitting at times, or settling squabbles between siblings.
“Then I’ll get on it.” Megan shifted her finger to hover over the End Call button on the screen. “Talk soon?”
Everyone nodded. Megan tapped the screen on her laptop, then leaned back on the bed. An audible groan spilled from her mouth. Tears filled her eyes.
“Whoa, are you okay?”
“That hurt. A lot.”
“Your arm.”
She nodded. “And my hip from the other day. I think whatever you gave me last night wore off in the middle of the conversation.” Her stomach rumbled.
He smiled and stood, looking for where he’d put his cell phone. “And evidently you need food.”
Megan pursed her lips and blew out a breath. Then she touched her arm below the injury, cradling it to her. Face pale. Hair splayed out around her on the comforter.
“You really don’t look well. Do you have a fever?” He wandered over and planted his hands on either side of her head. He leaned down toward her forehead to check for a fever.
Her head tilted up.
Did she think…?
“I’m not going to kiss you.”
“Back up.” Her face hardened.
Adrian stood. “I’m trying to check for a fever.”
“With your face? What’s wrong with just putting your hand on my forehead?”
“It’s not as accurate.” But he stepped back, realizing why she might be weirded out. “My mom always used to touch her lips to my forehead. It’s more accurate,” he repeated. “I wasn’t making a move on you. Not when you’re hurt.”
She gave him a look he couldn’t decipher. Did she want him to make a move on her if she wasn’t hurt?
He moved away and grabbed the key card. “That isn’t why we’re in a hotel room.”
“I know.” She sounded mad, but he didn’t know who she was mad at. Him. Herself. Both.
“I’ll go get us some food.” Surely there was a restaurant of some kind nearby.
“And coffee. Something with four hundred calories of dairy and sugar and four shots. No, six.”
Adrian shot her a look.
“Unless you want me to continue being hangry.”
“Will you be okay while I’m gone?”
Megan sat up and winced, then returned his look. “Are you sure you’re here to find Zimmerman, not just to look after me while I try to find him?”
“That might be…part of it.” And why not? She needed someone there with her.
Her eyes narrowed. “Get out.”
“Megan.”
“No.” She bit the word out between clenched teeth. “Are you kidding me? I’m calling Hank.” She rummaged around for her phone, though he could see it hurt her a lot. “I don’t need babysitting.”
“That’s not what’s happening.”
“No? I don’t believe you.” She pushed out a breath. “Hank is going to answer to me.”
Adrian took a step toward the door. “I’ll be back in fifteen with food and that coffee.”
At the last second before the door clicked shut, he could have sworn he heard the word, “Coward,” spoken in a low voice.
From her, or from himself?
She’d said she was hangry, so what was the big deal in cutting out and leaving her to it? She wanted to be independent, she could protect herself. He wouldn’t be long.
Fifteen minutes, in fact.
He juggled the bag and drink carrier with huge coffees for both of them, and got the door open. He half expected her to be cleared out and gone. Instead, she was looking out the window. Phone to her ear. Laughing.
Years. Stress. Pain. It all bled from her face in that few seconds she smiled wide and shared a moment of humor with the person she was on the phone with.
Adrian stared.
She shifted around, and he saw the gun in her other hand. She let the curtain fall back into place, and he set the food down on the desk. The knot that had collected around his heart eased.
“Okay.” Megan moved to her computer. She hit a button on the phone and said, “You’re on speaker. Adrian is back.”
“Pull up a new browser tab and type this in.” The voice was young. Female, low-toned. Rich. The woman rattled off a series of numbers and letters. Backslash, pound, asterisk. Enter. This had to have been the contact she’d mentioned to her Double Down teammates—the one who might be able to get them answers.
Megan said, “Done.”
“Enter all the information on that page.”
“Where?” Megan stared at the screen. “It just looks like a bunch of pictures of someone’s vacation.”
“Click between margaritas and whale watching.”
“Okay, but…” Megan paused. “Oh. I see.”
Adrian wandered over and looked at the screen. A window had popped up.
“Type everything in there. All the factors you have, and all the variables. I’ll run the numbers and let you know what I come up with.”
“And if the blackmailer gets ahold of this website?”
“He can try,” the woman said.
“How about trying to predict where he might hit next?” Megan asked. “After the think tank collapsed, we need to get ahead of him.”
“Without a pattern, there’s no way to predict where this guy might target next,” the woman said. “At least not without me figuring out the common underlying link first.”
Adrian said, “Some of the information you’re going to need is top secret covert black-ops stuff.”
“Okay.” Like that was no big deal.
“O-kay.”
“Like I said,” the woman continued. “I’ll let you know what I come up with.”
It seemed there was no doubt in her mind that she’d come up with something. The only question was what that something would be.
Megan said, “Thank you so much.”
“No worries. My boyfriend went AWOL a few weeks ago. I’ve got the servers running overtime searching for him. Until I get a hit, I’ve got time.”
Megan glanced up at Adrian, an “Eek” look on her face. He grinned, then handed over her coffee. She mouthed, Thank you. And then, Sorry.
He shook his head, then leaned down. Waited until she realized what he was doing. Adrian touched his lips to her forehead. She was warm, but not hot enough it could be a fever.
When he leaned back, he smiled. Shook his head again.
“Me-gan… Did I lose you?” the woman asked.
“Tunnel,” Megan said, immediately.
She chuckled. “I know you’re sitting in a hotel room. The restaurant next door has better waffles than you’ll get downstairs.”
“Bye, Remy.” Megan hung up the phone, chuckling again. She took a sip of coffee. “Wow, that’s good stuff.” She looked up at him. “I’m sorry I snapped.”
“I forgive you.”
“I don’t need looking after.”
“Mm-hmm.” He tore into the bag of food and pulled out a burrito. Bit into it.
“Not going to say anything else?”
He shook his head, then pointed to his full mouth as he chewed. Swallowed. Quickly took another bite.
Megan rolled her eyes. “That smells good. Where’s mine?”