Page 49 of Dead Drift

“If it was Stallings or, worse yet, his mystery man, I need to get out of here—fast.” She trembled beside Kate.

Luke called Declan and explained the situation, along with his extraction wishes for Tanya.

Tanya stumbled back, her gaze wary. “Who are you people?”

“I’m Kate and this is—”

Luke shook his head. She could share her real identity if she chose, but he had to keep Garrett Beck in play.

“Names aren’t important,” Kate said, “What’s important, what matters most, is getting you out of here.”

Luke ended his call with Declan and waited a few minutes before alerting Mack, trying to buy Declan time to arrive before the Agency’s sweeper team came in and whisked Tanya away. Her safety depended on Declan reaching them first, and having her placed in witness protection. But for Declan to provide that, Tanya had to give them something of value.

“I don’t understand,” Tanya said, her voice quavering.

“I’m a private investigator working with a task force to bring down the person who we believe is your mystery man,” Kate explained.

“You lied to us?” Tanya’s eyes narrowed. “This is because of you? Is Hank dead because of you?” She angrily waved her finger at her husband slumped back in his chair. “They thought we told you something!”

They had talked—a lot—and Ebeid, no doubt, had gotten word of it. If only they could tie him directly to these hits, but Ebeid was far too careful for that.

Luke strode to Tanya. “I need you to tell me everything you know.”

She retreated so quickly, she bumped into the wall and nearly tumbled to the ground. “I’m not saying a word. They’ll kill me. Besides, I don’t know nothing. Hank made sure I was protected in case anything went wrong.”

She did know. She’d shared enough last night to get them all killed, and it had nearly worked. “They’re going to kill you if you don’t talk.”

“What? Do you think I’m a fool?”

“To put you in witness protection, you need to give the FBI agent who’s on the way here right now some information of value, or he’ll be forced to let you go—and out there, you’re dead.”

“I’ll go to my sister’s place in upstate New York.”

“You think the man who did this”—Luke pointed at Hank—“can’t easily find you at your sister’s? It’s one of the first places they’ll look, and then you’ll be endangering her too.”

Tanya nibbled her chipped, red-polished nails. “I don’t know anything.” Tears streamed down her face, her makeup running with them.

“Just think,” Luke said, using a calming tone. “I’m sure there’s something. . . . Hank said someone was using a handful of his trucks. You think he’s connected to Stallings. Any idea who he is?”

“No, but he was foreign. Moved here a few years back. Started working with Stallings. I saw a couple of his guys once, and most were Middle Eastern or Asian.”

“You guys also mentioned he was using a warehouse. Any idea where?”

“No. Hank didn’t say.”

“Who picked up the trucks?”

“I don’t know. It happened late at night. Hank was told to be here—alone, with trucks ready.”

“When was this?”

“Late last week.”

Luke knelt in front of Tanya, trying to direct her focus. “And Hank never mentioned who picked them up?”

“No. He said he knew they were for Stallings’ mystery man, but it’s not like the man would actually pick up the trucks himself.”

Right. He’d send his men. Luke straightened and surveyed the office. “Any video monitoring here?”