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A lump erupts in my throat. “You break into my place, not a nun thing to do. Know who I work for, not very nun-like either. I don’t need you to admit it to me, but I think it’s becoming obvious you’re working for some kind of government agency. Now, why don’t you tell me the truth? You might be surprised to learn why I’m here.”
She exhales a long, slow breath. “I know why you’re here, Sean. You’re here to find Sofía Hernández.”
A bigger shock to my system might’ve been her throwing ice water down the front of my britches, but not by much. I take a step back, swing around as if to see if anyone heard her. No one here. It’s okay. I check this place for bugs regularly. I’m careful. “How do you know that? Who do you work for?”
Although her eyes never stray from my face, she grasps that leather bracelet again. “I’m an undercover agent, part of the U.S. Catholic Working Group on Global Compacts on Refugees and Migration. The sisters here reached out for assistance, because they’re worried about the refugees passing through the area. As Rosa said yesterday, some have gone missing. We are looking to discover how and put a halt to this.”
Fury steamrolls across my shoulders. She’s lying. Oh, she’s a right good liar, but not good enough to get past me. “You’re a spy? Sent by the Church to investigate the abuse of refugees? I’m supposed to believe this?”
Her shoulders straighten and she digs in her heels. “The Church has a long and deep history of helping refugees globally. If you doubt that nuns have a hand in that, that we do the difficult work, you need to go back and educate yourself about us.”
I’m sure she’s right. I’m absolutely sure there is some connection to truth here, but being a good liar with a good background story doesn’t fool me.
“Okay,Sister. I still don’t believe you.” I put up a hand to stop her protest. “I don’t need to believe. You know who I am. You could bribe or unmask me to Walid. But haven’t. That’s enough for me to let it be. For now.”
I don’t add that I figure one of the reasons she’s not telling me the truth is because it’s against protocols for whatever three-letter organization she works for. A look of relief crosses her face.
She takes in the room. “Where do you get these passports? They’re from all over the world. Some don’t even have stamps from Mexico, so you’re not stealing them from here.”
A clever lady, who can turn a conversation on a dime. She’s back on the offensive.
I pick up a passport, the one for Carlos, and brush it off. “You have your secrets. I have mine.”
Her gaze drops to the passport. “I can see you care, Sean.”
I flinch on hearing her speak my name.
“I respect you for that. I also see you’re beginning to realize how fruitless your quest has been.”
She gives me the silent opening to object. I can’t. I’ve recently begun to doubt my methods, despite the information I’ve gathered. I need to get closer to Walid but have no idea how to do that. Armand keeps me at arm’s length.
“If you team up with me, I can help you find Sofía.”
My heart thumps hard against my chest. “You can do that? Find Sofía?”
“The people I work for have already begun mapping routes through the US, but we need more.”
This sets my heart racing. I want so badly to trust this woman, to know there is someone with enough government connections to be capable of acting on what I’ve discovered already. “How can you help me find Sofía?”
For a moment, it seems she’s almost disappointed with my reply, as if she’d hoped I wouldn’t agree, but she blinks and says, “First, if you help me, you have to promise to follow my instructions down to the letter, because this endeavor is very dangerous.”
My wounded pride nearly makes me object. Instead, I say, “Give me the details.”
“I need insights into Walid’s business, his personal habits, his compound security, his moods, his personnel, his layout, especially of the mines he has underground at his compound.”
“He has underground mines? Why in hell would he ever tell me?”
“Some, he’ll tell you. Some, others will tell you when you begin working at the compound. Some, you’ll be able to infer. Some, you’ll have to take risks to uncover. Specifically, you’ll have to get into his computers. It’s dangerous work, Sean. Dangerous enough that if it didn’t mean the freedom of many women, including your Sofía, I wouldn’t ask for your help.”
“I’ve no idea why you think he’d invite me to work at his compound.”
“You’re going to offer him something he wants.”
I can only imagine what that git wants. Makes the stomach turn.
I don’t say that, but she must read the disgust in my face, because she says, “I can tell you his motivations, what he wants, and how to offer him something that will repress his suspicion, even when he finds out who you really are.”
My mouth slams shut. My teeth grind together. “Are you threatening me?”
