“Unless he renamed himself … your guess is as good as mine.”
“I’ll run these and see what I come up with. You don’t know where they’re headed from Yemen?”
“I don’t but I have a call in to someone in Oman. I’ll see what I can find.”
“This is a good start.”
He yawns. “Will do. Next time, if you could call during the day, I’d appreciate it.”
“No promises. Talk soon.”
I type the password into my computer to run those names when my boss, Nick Peterson, appears at my threshold. Before he has a chance to say anything, I hold my hand up. “I’ve got names. I’m running them now. Raji is back on track like I knew he’d be.”
“Finally. But that’s not why I stopped by.”
I hike a brow and wonder what other hell he could slap me across the face with.
“We’ve got a new assignment. Backgrounds have already been done and vetted so we can skip that part of the process—it’s become our number one priority. You’ll be getting an email in the next hour. Move it to the top of the list. I need your best on it.”
I bite my tongue because informing him I don’t contract with anyone but the best will only prolong his flyby. Seeing as my list of things to do is more complicated than the Mayan calendar, I don’t need him here any longer than necessary. But I know for a fact not one of my people will take a contract if I tell them our usual vetting process is being skipped. Nor should they.
If I don’t do it myself, they will. It’s a risk no one with a brain the size of a dime would take.
It’s amazing what management seems to forget once they acclimate to fluorescent lights and fake plants.
But with the goal of getting him out of my face, I don’t elaborate. “I’ll take care of it.”
“This is sensitive and needs to be carried out as soon as possible. Don’t put anyone green on this,” he stresses.
Like I’ve ever done that. This time I need a vise to keep my true thoughts of him to myself. “Of course.”
He slaps the door jamb, and with a curt nod, finally leaves me to my less-than-peaceful day.
When my computer dings with the email, curiosity gets the best of me. Setting aside the names I need to run, I maneuver my way through three levels of security before opening the encrypted document containing the information of our latest target who my supervisor wants wiped from this earth in the quickest way possible.
I scan the first three pages before going back to the beginning.
This can’t be right.
I read every single word and then read them again.
No fucking way.
I look to my open doorway where my supervisor stood and gave me an order. A kill order which has already been so-called vetted by higher-ups…
This is like nothing I’ve seen before.
The background noise of secrets and intel and covert operations drift through the building—operatives and case workers doing what they do best—but I hear none of it.
I look back to my screen and read the description of the so-called target that has apparently been moved to the top of our list.
“This cannot be real,” I mutter to no one.
Then I pick up the phone and dial Hollingsworth.
And I make plans that do not include orders from my boss. This target will be vetted deeper and more comprehensively than any I’ve ever done in the past.
Someone is playing a fucked-up game and we just got to level ten. All guns have been loaded and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Bella
“I can’t believe Cole arranged for you to do this. I could’ve cut them out myself.”
“What else do I have to do?” Gracie doesn’t look up as we have a chat while she works on the stitches I refuse to focus on because of the ugly scar I’ll be left with for eternity. “I hope you’re taking it easy and giving your body a chance to heal. You’ll create scar tissue if you overdo it. That will create complications later.”
Gracie showed up at Cole’s house right before lunchtime. If I were a dramatic woman, I would have fallen to my knees in gratitude. Not only did she arrive with a mammoth vineyard gift basket full of wine and nibbles, but she had a pork pie.
It was divine and instantly reminded me of home. What was even better, she slaved over it herself since I mentioned a pork pie to Noah