Intercepted Risk (Aegis Group Task Force #5) - Sidney Bristol Page 0,71

be an asset to the inner circle.

“Okay.” Zora blew out a breath. “Can I have a cup of coffee? And Diha, would you call Miles? Let’s divide and conquer, people.”

Logan grabbed a mug and began filling it.

Evan edged in next to him, holding two empty mugs. “If you found out about the meeting from an email six minutes before we got here, how early did Kelsey get here?”

Logan kept his face stoic, but he met Evan’s gaze.

Logan had been caught, but not outed.

“What business is that of yours?” he asked.

Evan merely grinned back at him and said nothing. At least, not yet.

14.

Sunday. Task Force Headquarters. Washington, DC.

Kelsey a deep breath. She stared at the clear surface of the desk she’d set up at to make her phone calls. While she had her own office space with Baruti and Samuel, she hadn’t wanted to be that far away from the girls. The building wasn’t empty, but there were many fewer people there on the weekend.

She leaned forward and began dialing despite her rolling stomach.

A simple Google search and some translation had been more than enough to send her down a dark path.

She prayed she was wrong.

The line began to ring.

“Hola?” a woman’s voice said on the other end of the line.

“Hello, is this Ms. Layla Silva Perez?”

“This is she,” the same woman said. She had a melodic voice and a relaxed way of speaking that Kelsey found soothing.

“Hi, Ms. Perez. First, I’m sorry to be calling so early on a weekend. My name is Kelsey Young, and I work for the FBI. This last summer you wrote an article about a human trafficking ring. I was hoping to talk to you about it.”

“How do I know you are who you say you are?” Layla Perez asked.

“Well, you can always call the FBI field offices there in Venezuela or here in the States. It’ll take a while seeing as its Sunday for someone to get back to you.”

“I won’t reveal my sources to you.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to over an unsecured line.” Though eventually Kelsey would need them. In order to track Dixon’s actions down, she’d have to talk to the people he was doing business with.

Layla was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. “What would you like to know?”

“Obviously, I can’t tell you everything. In your article, you covered the entire process of how citizens returned to your country that fit certain parameters were kidnapped before they even left the airport. I want to understand what happens before then.”

“You want to know the American side of the problem?” Layla asked.

“Yes. I want to connect the dots and make it stop.”

“Whatever changes you make, unless you allow these people to stay, they’re going to become victims when they return here.”

Kelsey hung her head. “I know. The truth is, I’m one person chasing a lead. If I can put this together, if I can figure out how your story connects with my pieces, I might be able to do something.”

“Something is better than nothing. I’ll tell you what I can.”

Layla began at what she viewed as the beginning of the problem from her side. She’d coordinated her story with others from Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil. The list went on.

“The problem is that these women and kids, they come into the country already marked. I don’t know how or who. That’s where I ran into a wall.” Layla’s voice was tortured. She truly cared about these people.

Kelsey swallowed. She had a pretty good idea.

Dixon no doubt had someone working for him inside immigration. Those dirty officers earmarked people and sent them back in groups that would be easy to identify.

Layla talked at length about the inner workings of the cartels, how they operated and moved people. It was obvious to Kelsey that Layla’s real goal was to aim light on the cartels continued terrorism against citizens.

“I’ve done an awful lot of talking,” Layla said some time later. “What can you tell me?”

“Not much right now, but I’m hoping for better news in a few days.” It was killing Kelsey that she couldn’t share details. Things that might actually help Layla. But in the end, Kelsey couldn’t lose sight of the fact that Layla was a journalist. She was one person who couldn’t change things, only shed light on it.

Kelsey would find her a lead. Something outside the scope of their own investigation that Layla could use.

“You’ve been a big help,” Kelsey said. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll be in contact