Page 102 of Shadow

“I can do that. But there’s risk. If they get too close⁠—”

“That’s why the fire has to be convincing. That’s why the bodies have to be unidentifiable.” Daphne took another sip of coffee. Shook her head. “That’ll kill the dead.”

He wanted to smile. “Okay. We do this right, maybe they believe it. We do this wrong, we’re all dead.”

“So we do it right.” She cocked her head.

“We do it right.”

“Good. Except there’s another problem. Where do we go after? We can’t go back to the safe house. We can’t trust any FBI location if there’s a mole.”

“I know.”

“So where?”

Asher met her eyes. Held her gaze. “I have a place. Off-grid. Secure. No one knows about it.”

Daphne studied him, her eyes narrowing. A muscle worked in her jaw. “What place?”

“Somewhere safe. That’s all you need to know right now.”

“That’s not good enough.”

“It has to be. If there’s a mole, the fewer people who know where we’re going, the better. Even you.”

Her brows arched. “You expect me to just trust you? After everything?”

A beat, then, “Yes.”

Daphne drew in a breath. Swallowed. “If this is a trap⁠—”

“It’s not. I swear to you, it’s not.”

“Your word doesn’t mean much right now.”

“I know.” Asher’s voice went quiet. “But it’s all I’ve got.”

Silence. The creek rushed outside. The heater rattled. The shower hummed through the bedroom wall behind her. Water dripped from the faucet. Plink. Plink. Plink.

Daphne watched him. Her fingers tapped once against her thigh—the only tell that she was considering it.

Finally, she nodded. “Fine. But I set the security protocols when we get there. I verify it’s actually secure before we commit. And if anything feels wrong—anything at all—we’re gone. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

“And Asher?” Her voice went harder. “If you’re lying to me. If this is a trap—I won’t hesitate⁠—”

“I know.”

“Okay. I need to make calls. Set up the forensic pathologist. Coordinate the vans. Get supplies.” She moved toward the door. Her boots made soft thuds on the carpet. “How long until you can have the technical setup ready?”

“Six hours. Maybe eight if we need specific equipment. I need to scout Blackwater Pass.”

“Then we execute tonight.”

“I’ll be ready.”

She reached for the door handle. Stopped. Looked back. “This place you’re taking us. How far?”