Page 35 of Her Fearless Warrior

We’ll make it.

Somehow.

Leila thanked God she’d been separated from Landry. There wouldn’t be any laughter or hope with him. She would have found a ballpoint pen and jabbed it into his jugular by now.

“I’ve got an idea on how we can while away the time. Can you think of who at Langley might have ratted you and Elijah out?”

“It couldn’t have been anyone who was in on the real reason we were there. We were reporting straight up to the highest level, the director. Can’t get any higher than that in the CIA. Anybody higher is just a Washington hack who doesn’t know what’s going on.”

“So, there were no middlemen between Elijah and the director?” Leila heard the doubt in Katherine’s voice.

“This was a top-secret op. Elijah reported directly to the first assistant director, and his boss is the director. He bypassed every step in between. I’d been amazed when Elijah told me he’d skipped all those levels to talk to the director. That was unheard of. It would have to be the director or the first assistant director who is the leak.”

“Or the person typing up the notes or filing the files. It just takes one person to tell and then the entire mission falls apart. Then there is the fact that somebody sold the information for money,” Katherine pointed out.

“You’re right, Katherine.”

“Any ideas?” she asked Leila.

“I would put my life on the line that it wasn’t the two higher ups that Elijah was talking to. Elijah is too smart to be fooled.”

“Okay, then it’s my thought, it’s somebody else who read this information, and would have to send Elijah to buy four American prisoners.”

Leila shook her head in the dark. Then spoke aloud so that Katherine could hear. “I doubt Vugar would care about America paying for prisoners. I also don’t think that he wants the diamonds. There has to be something more.” Leila stopped talking. “I can’t think of anything. Can you?”

“You’re going to have to tell me where the diamonds are one more time, and how Elijah was going to contact the man.”

Leila started explaining once more.

* * *

Linc squinted as the sun started to come up over the horizon.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“We’re screwed,” Jase whispered.

“Yep.”

“Our comm system is close enough to Gideon so we don’t have to use our phones,” Jase continued to whisper to Linc.

“Yes, they are,” Gideon said sarcastically. “You’ve had your mic on for the last thirty seconds, ever since you and Linc stopped. Not good.”

Jase winced.

“Now, why are you screwed? Aw shit, now I see the sun’s coming up. Are you going to wait?” Gideon asked in a low voice.

“We don’t have a choice. We’re a hundred meters away from the fence surrounding the place,” Linc said softly.

“And I’ve counted five different guards patrolling, all with AK-47s, all with grenade launchers, same as us.”

“I guess when you have billions, you can afford to set your team up with all the bells and whistles,” Gideon whispered.

“Which just might mean he had someone good training them,” Linc whispered.

“There’s Mr. Pessimistic,” Jase grinned. “I’ve missed you.”

Linc gave Jase the finger, then he pulled out his phone.