told for a price. The fact he’s working with Minyawi is more interesting.
“Now Minyawi,” he went on, “he’s a catch, that one. Is on the wanted list in several countries because of what could be described as less than humanitarian methods of obtaining information. Man’s been on a killing spree for nearly five years. Rose in the ranks of his group like wildfire spreads across a dry valley. He’s careful, goal-oriented and smart. And I’ve never heard of a single person who’s given him the slip. Which makes me wonder what’s so important about you that he would take the time to track you down. Either you’re the smartest hit he’s ever had, or you’ve got the luck of the Irish on your side, girlie.”
Kat tensed.
“You know something about someone Minyawi’s indebted to,” Halloway added. “Or afraid of. That makes you priority number one for him. Enough to get him to risk coming into the U.S., which is something he’s steered clear of until now.”
Kat didn’t answer, but her expression confirmed Halloway’s words. Pete’s eyes narrowed as he watched her. Just what did she know? And how high did this run to have both CIA and FBI involved with her case? He wasn’t naïve enough to think she was anything more to the government than a pawn in a very large chess match.
“Of course,” Halloway said when it was clear she wasn’t going to answer, “doesn’t really matter to me. All I care about is bringing him in.”
“Why you?” Pete asked Halloway. “If you’re retired, why did Slade call you?”
Halloway looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “Minyawi was involved in one of my last cases. Martin knew I’d want a crack at him.”
Pete knew better than to believe that. There was something else going on here.
“Okay,” Kat finally said as if she had all the explanation she needed. “What now?”
Halloway looked her way again. “Now we take you in, put you in protective custody. Your location will most likely be leaked so they can draw him out. You’ll be completely safe, of course.”
Of course, Pete knew that was a big fat lie. But what could he do? This didn’t concern him, and ultimately, it was her choice. But man, big red warning flags were popping up all over in his mind.
Kat glanced Pete’s way, uncertainty and the slightest bit of fear in her eyes. She looked at the wood beneath her feet, then glanced up at Halloway again. “Okay. But you have to take both of us.”
“What?” Pete and Halloway both asked at the same time.
She ignored Pete and instead said to Halloway, “You and I both know he’ll go after Pete to get to me.”
“Look,” Pete cut in, all her quiet time in the car suddenly making sense, “I don’t need—”
Halloway ran a hand across his chin. “She’s probably right.”
Pete shot a glare at Kat, then nodded toward Halloway. No way he was being dragged anywhere else he didn’t want to go. He’d had enough of that to last him a lifetime. “You’ll understand if I don’t kick up my heels in delight at the thought of going anywhere willfully with the Feds. The State Department did dick for me when I was stuck in Afghanistan.”
Halloway scratched the top of his head. “I read about your situation there, Kauffman. Ticked off the wrong people on that little trip.”
Kat’s brow wrinkled as she looked Pete’s way, but he ignored it. “Yeah, and when the U.S. cracked down on militant uprisings in the country I got stuck. Six weeks. No one did shit for me then.”
“INTERPOL had you listed on a blue notice,” Halloway said. “Your extenuating circumstances were a plus at the time. The Afghan government cooperated out of necessity.”
“You mean INTERPOL wanted to keep an eye on me, and the Afghanis didn’t have a choice.”
“Pretty much.” Halloway said. “There was a lot going on then.”
Pete’s jaw clenched. For him, too. A three-day meeting had stretched into six weeks until the U.S. Embassy had finally gotten him out. He had less-than-happy memories of the way he’d been treated on that trip. Especially because it was right after Kat had died, and he’d had his nose to the grindstone. Shit, he’d been careful not to piss off the wrong people on that trip, though he had on numerous ones before.
“Pete,” Kat said. “It won’t be forever.”
“Is that what Slade told you?”
Her expression dropped. Okay, low blow. But dammit, he wasn’t about to give up his life over this. Not again.