Page 16 of Every Last Breath

“Willow learned about the auction to sell smallpox by hacking into the dark web on her time off. When she was researching ways to get us in, she went through the database of associates for the invited arms dealers. She drilled deep for connections, found Cole Matthews—a man with no history. She ran his picture through facial recognition and got a hit on Nikolai, Ilya Reznikov’s brother. Once she learned his true identity, his prior association to you popped up from your personnel file.”

“Great work on Harper’s part.” She controlled the quaver of sarcasm in her voice. “Is this op the reason you rushed my assignment in Iran?” The accelerated timeline had forced Maddox to push her asset before she was ready. “Sent Alistair and Ares to extract me?”

“Recalling you was the best COA, despite the loss of your asset. Especially considering the Russians’ last-minute involvement we picked up in SIGINT traffic.”

If she’d had one more week to complete the assignment, her asset would still be alive, and she would’ve gotten the data they’d needed.

“An hour ago, Willow intercepted chatter on the darknet. Each arms dealer was sent an auction passcode via messenger. Convince Cole to get the code from Ilya.” He looked at his watch. “The auction begins in fifty-two hours. It’s imperative we get our hands on that bioweapon.”

Or thousands could die—here, possibly abroad. “I understand what’s at stake.”

“Maddox, I know this op is a challenge for you. Cole was someone you loved, hoped to marry, somehow wronged. Thought him dead. Then on top of all that, you suffered a late-term miscarriage.”

Her throat cinched. She tried to swallow against the dry knot, but it only tightened.

She’d fallen so hard and deep for Cole, the kind of love you go all in on. After believing he’d died, she’d failed to hang on to the only piece of him left, the child he didn’t know about. Somewhere along the way, she’d lost herself.

Checking every red flag of body language, Maddox disconnected, like pulling a plug, and wiped her mind blank. She willed herself to mirror Sanborn’s unflinching composure. He was gauging her ability to handle this emotional powder keg without blowing up the mission.

“The strongest steel is tempered in the hottest fire,” she said, quoting him.

He softened, flashing an apologetic smile. “If you feel the least bit conflicted, I’d say it’s understandable, considering. It’ll be tough to get close to Cole without getting entangled.”

Try impossible. “I assure you, I’m capable of doing my job.”

“Glad to hear it.” He took on that protective, fatherly expression she knew well. Despite being in his late forties, he looked far too young and vital to be her dad. She often wondered why he didn’t spend less time in the office and a little having a social life. He’d make some lucky lady a great partner. “But if you encounter any hiccups, you can come to me. I won’t view a setback as a failure in this.”

Nodding, a little choked up at his support, she had no intention of ever taking him up on such an offer. Running to him with a problem meant she couldn’t handle the situation, and that wasn’t going to happen.

“There is one more thing. Don’t blow your cover. Based on the asset’s psychological profile, he’s unlikely to cooperate with this agency or any federal organization.”

“That’s an understatement.” Cole would rather swallow rusty razor blades than help the CIA, FBI, you name it. As the son of a Russian crime boss, his family had been endlessly harassed. He’d had a disdain for law enforcement ingrained in him at an early age.

“Maintaining your cover as a buyer for Helios is key,” Sanborn said.

The front of Helios Importing and Exporting provided a solid cover for their constant travel, the fleet of vehicles, and the tricked-out helicopter Sanborn had squeezed from the DNI.

Except that Cole had a gift for smelling lies, a survival skill cultivated out of necessity, growing up around gangsters. Even as well trained as Maddox was, he would sniff one out from her. “Leveling with him, being honest—”

“Honest?” Sanborn’s shrewd eyes narrowed, tone going quiet. “With a man who let you believe he was dead, moved on, without a word to you in nine years? He isn’t worth the gamble of honesty.”

A dull knife twisted in her heart, but she didn’t so much as flinch.

Sanborn strode around his desk and sat on the edge. “Your cover is the best safeguard you have.” With a gentle smile, he leaned in and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “If you’re honest, he’s less likely to help you and more likely to endanger you. Trust me. I can’t stress enough the tightrope you have to walk here.” His compassionate manner was a comfort. “Mend the bridge. Only get as close as necessary to persuade him and don’t blow your cover.”

This wasn’t just about her duty, safeguarding national security and saving lives, although each mission drove her with the crack of a bullwhip. Sanborn had plucked her from a floundering desk job at the Agency, given her a purpose, groomed her, believed in her, forged her into one of his best. She owed him nothing less than her all.

She owed them both a win.

“I’ll get it done, sir.”

Chapter 05

Fishtown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

6:04 p.m. EDT

Val drove past Callahan’s Navigator, parked in a VIP spot directly in front of the casino. The area buzzed with constant traffic, millennials dressed to party and gamble through the night. Light casino security milled about, derelict in their vigilance. Val parked the sedan on the edge of the loading zone at the far end of the circular drive as Aleksander had instructed.