She grabbed the AR-15 from where it had been stashed and put it on the island in the kitchen.
Once there it took less than fifteen seconds for her to clear the chamber and disassemble the gun, leaving it utterly useless.
She stood looking at the shambles and pieces of a weapon that could remove every heartbeat from the room.
And she started to shake.
How did she know this?
She closed her eyes and tried to capture where she’d learned what she’d just done.
When she looked up, all three men stared.
Neil’s expression was stoic.
Isaac’s concerned.
Leo’s . . . confused.
She left the fieldstripped weapon where it lay, returned to the living room, grabbed her notebook, and left without a word.
In her room, she tossed her notes on the bed and walked into the bathroom. Leaning on the edge of the sink, she found her reflection in the mirror.
Every single thing that had “come” to her in the past month was just like the AR. Knowledge without reference. Where had she learned to pull apart a gun she couldn’t ever remember seeing in the past? How did she know the name of a World War II weapon, let alone one made in Russia?
Who the hell was she?
Seconds ticked into minutes, and all she could do was stare at her reflection. A sharp rap on her door brought her back. She turned the water on cold and splashed her face in an effort to wake herself up.
She patted her face dry, moved into the bedroom, and opened the door.
Leo stood on the other side. “Are you okay?”
She shook her head and turned away from him, leaving the door open.
He followed her in, closed it behind him.
After crawling up onto her bed, she tucked her legs in and retrieved her notebook. “How did I know how to do that? And why do I know about Russian war guns?”
“What do you remember?” he asked instead of trying to answer her questions.
“Guns.” She closed her eyes and envisioned weapons of all shapes, sizes, makes, and models. “There is a list a mile long in here,” she said, pointing to her head. “All the calibers and capabilities. Which ones are reliable and which ones would be better off used as a kickstand on a bicycle. None of that information was there twenty minutes ago.”
Leo attempted a smile. “This is good. It means you’re remembering.”
“Weapons?” she asked. “Okay, if I was an agent like you, maybe that makes sense. But . . .” Wait . . . was she? “Am I?”
“A federal agent?” he clarified.
She nodded.
“No. Not unless you’re really deep undercover.”
“So . . . maybe.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, shifted a knee so he faced her. “What do you know about the FBI?”
Olivia pulled her thoughts inward. “You investigate crimes, terrorism, civil . . . organized crime, obviously. Threats to the United States, foreign and domestic, right?”
“Yeah. Can you think of any specifics? Something that would indicate you’re working undercover?”
She sat up a little taller, thinking for the first time that maybe she was onto something here. And Leo wasn’t completely disregarding her train of thought.
“Let’s look at the facts.” She opened her notebook and looked over her notes. “I was in Vegas. Wasn’t carrying a purse or any identification. No one came searching for me.” She glanced up. “If I was undercover, all of that fits.”
Leo placed a hand on his chest. “If I went missing, my department would investigate. Hospitals and morgues would be the first things they check.”
“Yes, but how much time would you have before they realized you were gone? You check in every week here, but . . .”
He shrugged. “There are times the assignment keeps you silent longer, but weekly check-ins are more common.”
“Is anyone looking for me now? We’re going on nearly two months since I dodged the reaper.”
Leo cringed. “I don’t like when you say it that way.”
“It’s true. I’m lucky to be alive. I know that. And I’m strangely at peace that I was shot. Almost as if I was expecting it. Doesn’t that sound like something you’d say?” she asked. “If you woke up in the hospital and Neil was looking down at you . . . ‘You were shot, next time duck faster,’” she said in a lower voice in an attempt to sound more like Neil.
Leo slowly started to nod. “I can’t deny what you’re suggesting.”
She pointed to the closed door of her room. “What I just did out