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She swallowed her food and nodded. “Better now.” Her voice was rough and thick and she coughed.
“Do we have more water?” Will asked the others.
Tank rummaged through a bag next to the desk. “Here’s the last one. I’ll run to get some.”
“Why don’t you both go? Get some other groceries too. Miranda will have a safe house ready for us tomorrow morning. We’ll set up TOC there as we wait on the fibs to figure out what they’re doing.”
She tried to memorize every word, but the unfamiliar lingo tripped her up. It didn’t seem to faze the team though. Pierce and Tank finished their plates in record time and headed out the door. Before she realized what was happening, Hannah was alone with the intimidating, intriguing soldier, Will.
She nibbled on her food as she watched him pace the hotel room. The room was bigger than her entire apartment, but there was something abouthimthat made it feel miniscule. He was muttering to himself as he walked, turning sharply on his heel when he reached the opposite side of the room. She couldn’t figure him out. The team didn’t feel like a military unit, though it wasn’t as if she had enough first-hand experience with that to say for sure.
“I think I saw him,” she said quietly.
Will stopped short and turned back to her. “Say again,” he said. She could tell by his voice that it was a command, but it wasn’t harsh.
“I said, I think I saw him. At the cafe. Before the explosion. I think…” She shook her head. “It’s probably crazy.”
“No, no. Tell me. I need to know everything.” Will sat down on the edge of the bed, and Hannah stared at her hands.
“There was a man. He walked past my table and went toward the bathrooms. I don’t know why… I just feel like he was watching me, maybe?” She looked up and her breath caught at the intensity in Will’s eyes as he listened to her story.
“Can you tell me what he looked like?”
“No. Maybe? I don’t know. I was watching the door, waiting for you to come back. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but then I was thinking back and it keeps sticking out.”
Will nodded. “That’s really good, Melanie. Trust your gut, okay?”
Her conscience twinged again at the reminder of her dishonesty.
But Will was still talking. “Will you try to remember more, and tell me what you remember?”
She nodded and looked at him. She trusted this man, however crazy that seemed after she’d been ambushed by someone else.
“Can I ask you something?”
His eyes flashed with an emotion she couldn’t identify, but he dipped his chin in agreement.
“How did you find me?”
The corner of Will’s lips lifted, and her eyes caught on the dimple there, taking her by surprise.
“We got the footage from the hotel of the assassination and the parking garage and found your car. Your nametag and the registration of the car made us put two and two together. Melanie Byers,” he said.
“Melanie Byers,” she repeated slowly. “And now you’re stuck with me?”
That caused Will’s half smile to transform into a full grin, his dimples deepening. Her heart let out a little pitter-patter, and she mentally scolded it to behave.
“Well, Ms. Byers, our mission is to capture the assassin. I was pretty sure we’d be too late and he would be out of the country on the first flight after the shooting. But the working theory is that he hung around to make sure President Walters actually died. And now, he’s turned his sights on you and that pesky video of yours.”
Hannah swallowed thickly. Nothing like hearing that a professional killer was after you, even if you already knew. “Why would he care about my video?”
“If the shooter is who I think he is, he’s absolutely serious about being invisible. The hotel security footage shows no trace of him, but your video might. And it’s got him scared. We’re pretty sure he’s not going anywhere until he takes care of you. Which is crazy, because there isn’t even anything on your video. I’ve looked. Stephen is combing through it frame by frame right now. But our guy will stop at nothing to make sure there are no photos or videos of him.”
“Who is he?”
Will hesitated. “I really can’t say. I’m sorry. It’s classified, and it really doesn’t matter. Knowing who he is won’t change what you need to do.”
“Which is?”
