At first, that had all been an annoyance; Michelle was, at her core, something of a rebel. But she’d loved the work. It had been so exciting, hunting down enemies of the state. The Advanced Surveillance and Technology Corporation had helped neutralize more terrorists, criminals and crazies than any other intel contractor.
Only recently, she’d begun to suspect all was not right with the organization. She probably would never have noticed if her brain didn’t work the way it did. Like a computer, she was able to store and analyze data with unerring accuracy. She saw thousands of details a day. They all filed into the vault of her memory, then moved around and formed patterns and trends, making it easy for her to evaluate, interpret and predict enemy actions.
Today, a random file had crossed her desk. Something in her brain had clicked and a horrifying realization had cascaded into place. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, her boss, Ralley Carson, the CEO of the corporation, was in cahoots with a terrorist.
Vladimir Babikov was hardly a new name to her—to anyone in the intel community. They’d been watching him for years. Decades perhaps, going back to his days as a KGB Commander. He was on the terrorist watch list, but only because if his nasty habit of selling weapons to all and sundry—including extremists who were enemies of the U.S.. He was also connected in the drug underworld and, to her disgust, involved in human trafficking. More than one of his enemies simply…disappeared. Some of his allies as well.
It was terrifying to think what such a man could do if he had real power.
It was even more terrifying that the plot he and Ralley were hatching could give it to him.
Hell, it was terrifying that Ralley had turned. He was an incredibly powerful man in his own right, and the weapons he had—weapons the government had handed him on a silver platter—could bring the country to its knees.
In point of fact, the two were colluding to rig the coming election and put their minions into the senate. With the tech, the vast reaches of intel, and the surveillance technology Ralley had at his fingertips, they could. They could do it.
It had all the hallmarks of a coup.
They had to be stopped.
In retrospect, auctioning off access to elite levels of national security to the highest bidder might not have been the wisest move.
Once again, her bile rose.
Oh. Where was James? Where was he?
Michelle looked at her cell phone again, willing it to ring.
To her shock, the screen lit up just then. It wasn’t a number she recognized, but it had to be James. She nearly collapsed with relief.
Thank God.
“James,” she huffed. “Where are you?”
“Michelle.”
Her heart froze. Her lungs locked. She sank down into the chair. It was not James’ voice. It was Ralley.
Her boss.
“Darling? Are you there?” It had always creeped her out that her boss called her “darling” in that slick British accent. It had always creeped her out that he watched her with a too-intent stare. Her fingers tightened. “Darling?”
“Ralley.” The word was choked out. Hell. Had he found her out? Did he know? But how could he? She’d called James from a pay phone in a Chinese restaurant. She’d spoken in code—the code her father had taught her as a child. The code only he and James had known. Ralley couldn’t know. He couldn’t.
“Sorry to call so late.”
Relief gushed through her. She drew in a deep breath. “I, ah, that’s not a problem. What’s up?”
“Nothing much. I was just working late and had a question for you.”
It wasn’t the first time her boss had called her after hours. He was notorious for toiling through the night. “Shoot.”
“It’s a simple question, really.” His tone was casual, languid. It did not prepare her for what he said next. “I was just wondering if you thought I was an idiot.”
Her pulse lurched. Pain radiated through her chest. Clammy talons raked her bowels. “What?” A croak.
“I think you heard me. Did you think I didn’t know? Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”
“I… I beg your pardon, Ralley. I’m not following you.”
“Aren’t you?” He tsked and his voice took on a timbre she knew well, hard, biting, bitter. “I know what you did.”
Oh. Fuck.
One thought roiled in her head. She had to run. She had to leave. Now.
She wasn’t safe. He would kill her for even thinking of betraying him. She knew it.