Red After Dark (Blackwood Security #13) - Elise Noble Page 0,60

common goal: to bring peace and stability to Northern Syria. The region had problems, and not all of its own making.

World leaders had hindered the provision of aid and troops to the area for their own political ends, an issue compounded by the previous US president meddling with the military justice system. As a result, both morale and discipline had suffered. In recent years, the situation had settled somewhat, but President Harrison acknowledged there was still work to be done. Cowboy outfits like EBR Group weren’t helping matters—in volatile situations, they acted as a match to the powder keg, and those gathered for the discussion concurred that hauling Ridley before a military judge for his past transgressions would send a message that such misdeeds would no longer be tolerated.

In the early hours, they’d hashed out a plan, one which nobody liked but everybody agreed was necessary. Nada and Judd would be taking a trip to Syria. Nada hadn’t wanted to go. She hated the thought of leaving her daughter, she didn’t trust Americans, and there were people in Syria who’d kill her on sight. But Alaric saw in her eyes that she wanted justice for those who had died. Judd wasn’t keen to go either because he hated working for his mother.

But going they were.

Their objectives? To find a cache of documents and data Nada’s husband had once hidden as a bargaining chip, plus locate the teenage girl who’d witnessed Ridley’s atrocities and convince her to testify against him. That was why Nada needed to go, why she couldn’t just give Judd directions to the cache and stay at home—she knew the witness, and if anyone could gain the girl’s trust, it would be her.

Stella was facilitating their exfiltration and providing a nanny, Harrison had offered witness protection for anyone who needed it, and Blackwood was sending Logan, one of Emmy’s core team, to assist. They had four days. If they took any longer, there wouldn’t be enough time for the wheels of justice to turn before the senatorial election, and with the search for Piper close to a dead end, they’d be relying on guilt by association to turn the public against Devane.

“Some of the discussions got a little sensitive,” Alaric told Beth. Technically, he shouldn’t have been present either since his security clearance had lapsed, but Black hadn’t objected and he seemed to be in charge. “It turns out that Nada has a background in intelligence we didn’t know about, so she’s assisting with the overseas investigation of Ridley.”

“Wow, really?”

“She and Judd will be out of contact for a few days.”

“They’re not doing anything dangerous, are they?”

“They’ll be fine.”

Alaric had to believe that. Nada feared her lack of recent training would let her down. As she’d pointed out, “The alkaliba who pushed me in front of the car would never have caught me off guard like that two years ago.” So Stella had swung a punch at her to see what happened, and quick as a flash, Nada got her in an armlock. It was the first time Judd had smiled all evening.

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed they manage to find something since we don’t seem to be having much luck, do we? Are we going back to do the rest of the houses on Lakeshore Drive?”

“Yes, but let’s stop at that diner we passed yesterday for some food first. I’m flagging.”

“Good idea. Breakfast wasn’t the same without Stéphane, was it?”

Stéphane had taken Irvine to church in the morning, and the senator hadn’t looked at all well. In Alaric’s non-expert opinion, Irvine would be talking with the big man in person soon. Harriet had wanted to go with her father too, but one of the horses in the barn looked colicky, so she’d walked the nag around in circles while Beth helped the two ranch hands with the mucking out. Chores at that place were never-ending, a bit like this damn case.

“No, toast and cereal wasn’t a patch on pancakes.”

That was what Beth ordered when they got to the diner. A stack of pancakes with maple syrup and crispy bacon. Alaric opted for sausages, biscuits, and gravy, and he’d also have to fit in a run later if he wanted his pants to do up tomorrow.

A late breakfast at the diner was a welcome respite from the trials of the last few days, made even better by the company. But a yellowed map on the wall made Alaric think of the old days once again. He’d always wanted