“Bring that thing to me. I’ll hunt down where the signal is coming from.” Rafe held out his hand and wiggled his fingers.
Xander mumbled something about Rafe being bossy as he rose, sauntered to the dining room, and handed his teammate the device.
Rafe examined it, then his fingers flew over the keys. “Searching now. If whoever piggybacked the feed left so much as a fingerprint, I’ll find it.”
Raven sat beside Liam and lay her head on his shoulder. She hadn’t stopped working with Rafe since they’d landed.
“I’m glad you’re taking a break.” Liam leaned into her.
She sighed. “It’s been a long couple of days. I don’t want to stop, but I need to rest my eyes. I’m starting to see double.”
“How are your ribs?” The visible bruises had churned his stomach and made him want to go all alpha male on the men who’d used her as a punching bag.
“They’ve been better. But the wrap Xander put on helps.”
“Good. If you need to lie down, ignore these yahoos and do it. They tend to work themselves silly.” With Raven’s life at stake, the team wouldn’t compromise their alertness and stay up for hours on end, but they’d push hard to find answers.
“I’m okay. I just needed to get away from staring at the screen for a bit. I can still brainstorm.”
Liam understood that. “All right then, let’s come up with ideas. You’ve worked with a lot of agencies and contractors. Who all are on the list?”
Boone made his presence known and leaned against the door jamb, running his fingers through his sleep-mussed hair, listening to the conversation.
“The FBI, of course. Some joint ops with the DEA. And the CIA on occasion, specifically with Evan Rhodes.”
The mention of Rhodes’s name caught him off guard.
Xander’s head jerked up from the dismantled equipment. Boone straightened. Even Rafe’s fingers slowed on the keys.
Liam narrowed his gaze. “Rhodes. As inCIA golden boyRhodes?”
“He and I have partnered on several cases. He’s brilliant. But I haven’t worked with him in a couple of years.” She glanced around, making eye contact with each of them. “What’s wrong?”
Liam cringed at the implication of her partnership with Mr. CIA. “He’s a legend but has a harsh reputation. I hate to think of you putting up with his attitude.”
“Well, yeah, he’s not easy to work with. He’s a genius and struggles to relate to others. But he’s great at his job.”
“From what I understand, you’re being too kind.” Boone moved into the room and plopped into the recliner.
She shrugged.
“What else did you discover during your search?” Liam asked.
“Your friend Derek, who owns the Colorado safe house, is clear. He’s had quite the military career. And for the record, I don’t believe what that General said about him.”
Liam tensed. That information was classified. “How do you know that?”
“Please.” She rolled her eyes. “Analyst and computer genius, remember.”
“You mean hacking at its finest,” Rafe mumbled.
“Whatever.” Raven glared at his second in command.
Okay then. Liam chose to drop that line of conversation. “What about Gunther Scott, the agent who sent us to Mexico?”
“From what I found, he followed orders.” She held up her hand. “Before you ask, I haven’t peeled back that onion to reveal who gave the order. But the timing is suspicious. Plus, Rafe traced the email with the picture back to him. Maybe he’s the brains behind it. But I don’t think so. If he is, I can’t figure out why. Besides, why would he make himself visible?”
“Deputy Director Karen Walsh’s office is where Raven’s report reached a dead end. Doesn’t mean she’s responsible, but it shows where the trail ends.” Rafe continued to type. “CIA operative Noah Stone came up in the search as well. I’m still deep diving into him.”
