“Cameron,” Professor Buckingham’s voice came slicing through the Grand Hall, “if you are finished with your breakfast, I need you to come with me, please.”
“Why?” I bolted to my feet. “What’s wrong?”
“Right this way, dear,” Buckingham said. She swept her arm toward the big double doors, and I didn’t have a choice. I followed.
“Hello, Cammie.”
For a moment, I couldn’t move—couldn’t speak. I stood just inside my mother’s office door looking at the man I’d last seen sitting in a van with Ambassador Winters in Rome. I remembered everything about him—the moment he’d given me his business card two years before as I snuck out of our school to see my first boyfriend; the look on his face two days before as they were driving Preston and his father away. I knew exactly who I’d been brought to see. What I couldn’t imagine was why.
He seemed to doubt my memory, though, because he extended a hand.
“We met once—a long time ago. I’m Max—”
“Edwards,” I filled in. “Formerly of Interpol. More recently of a high-level task force in charge of arresting high-level Circle leaders and their teenage sons.”
He laughed a little, amused by my moxie, then said, “It’s nice to see you again, Cammie. I’m sorry we didn’t get to speak in Rome. I’ve become something of…a fan.”
He had a way of speaking, low and almost under his breath, as if I were the only person in the world who was meant to hear his words, even as we stood three feet away from my mother.
“Oh. Really?” I said, almost mocking, as he looked at me over the top of his glasses.
“It’s a compliment, Cammie. You’ve made quite a name for yourself, you know?”
I did know. But I was also pretty sure that it wasn’t the kind of compliment covert operatives usually wanted.
He lowered his voice even further. “I was very sorry to hear about your father’s passing. And what you went through. You have my condolences, Cammie.”
But I didn’t want his sympathy. So I just turned toward my mother. “What is he doing here?” I asked.
“He’s here with a request,” my mother said.
“As you are well aware, Cammie, the Circle of Cavan is currently engaged in a record level of activity,” the man told me. “As such, there is a new interagency task force. CIA. MI6. Interpol. Israeli Secret Service. All the usual players are taking part, and—”
“I know all this. Get to the part I don’t know,” I told him, my patience running out.
“What you saw in Italy, Cammie. That was the result of this task force. We’re going to track the Circle leaders down.”
I glanced at my mother, and Agent Edwards must have read the look that passed between us.
“I know what you’re thinking, Cammie. The Circle has double agents, moles, traitors at every level of every agency. Well…that’s why this task force doesn’t report to any agency. We are very small. We are very select. We only have people we trust completely. And one of the people I trust most…is you. That is why I’ve come to ask a favor.”
“I’m not doing any favors for you,” I snapped.
“Hear him out, Cammie,” Mom warned, but I raged on.
“Did you bring Preston here?” I asked, but I didn’t really let myself be hopeful.
“No,” Max Edwards said. “But there is something you and I need to discuss.”
“Make no mistake about it, Agent Edwards, you can try to make me talk—you wouldn’t be the first,” I reminded him. “But that didn’t work out so well the last time, so you can save yourself the trouble.”
I started for the door.
“I’m not here to question you, Cammie.” The man’s words stopped me. “Not about Preston. Not about anything.”
And I couldn’t help myself. I turned and glared at him. “Then why are you here?”
He shrugged, as if looking for a way to finally say, “I guess because we need your help.”