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“In all seriousness, when we get to that point, that’s when you’re going to be glad Dynamis Security is on your side. Calvin Cruz is one of the best computer hackers I’ve ever known. It makes the CIA and the Pentagon really nervous that he’s working for Dynamis and not in their own house.”
“Never heard of him,” she said.
“Most people only know of him as Cypher.”
“Right,” Eden said, impressed. “Him I’ve heard of.” And the fact that Dynamis Security had acquired someone who was considered as much of a threat as a hero for all the good he’d done for the country said something. Cypher was a man of many talents. It only made her more curious about the man sitting next to her and what he was hiding.
“Look there,” he said, pulling to the side of the road. “Tracks in the snow. Multiple sets by the looks of it.”
He left the engine running and they both got out, leaving the doors open in case they needed cover. Eden’s gun was out and she automatically covered Nate’s back as they looked around for any unseen threats. The land was open and there wasn’t a good place for cover, so they both relaxed and focused on the tracks that were quickly being filled in.
“Blood,” Nate said, bending down in the road to get a closer look.
“He tried to cover his tracks, sweeping behind himself, but he took a direct hit. There’s no way he didn’t leave blood behind. Looks like we found where he came back on land.”
“And there’s the Zodiac.”
There was a steep drop from the road to the shoreline and Nate stood right at the edge looking down. The Zodiac, or what was left of it, rippled like ribbons in the water, caught on some kind of plant. Jonah had taken his knife to it to help it sink faster, but it would’ve still been dark when he’d come ashore and he’d have been in a hurry.
“He’s making mistakes,” she said. “He could be hurt worse than I thought.”
“If he’s made one, he’ll make others. He had some kind of vehicle parked here on the road so he could get out easily.”
“It looks like a snowmobile or something similar. The tracks are odd. The other set of tires are going to be from our Russian friends.”
“Let’s follow the trail for as long as we can, then we’ll need to stop and regroup and pick up some supplies. I’ll need to check in with Atticus too.”
Eden looked over at him and arched a brow. “And how are your survivalist skills, Agent Locke?”
He went back to the Humvee, but she saw his mouth twitch. “They’re passable. You won’t have to haul me through the snow on your back, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“Don’t worry. I’d just leave you to the scavengers. Wolves get awful hungry this time of year.” She had to admit she enjoyed bantering with him. And he might not know it, but if she had to she’d haul him out of hell. Because that’s what partners did. And until he proved otherwise, that’s just what he was, and she’d already begun to think of him that way.
“You have a mean streak,” he said, putting the Humvee in drive and following the tracks left in the road. “I don’t know why I like that about you.”
The laugh took her by surprise. It had been so long since she’d done it she almost didn’t recognize the sound that had come from her throat.
“You know, neither you nor Atticus mentioned what your background was. Were you military or CIA? I don’t remember ever hearing the name Nate Locke whispered among the legends.”
“What can I say, I’m a private kind of guy.”
“Legend said that Atticus Cameron always worked with the same team. Cypher was one of those people. Gabe Brennan was another.”
“Gabe Brennan has opened his own security agency on the European side of things. He and Atticus still work together on occasion.”
“Damian Huxley was also in his band of merry men.”
“Yeah, well, Huxley turned out to be as big a bastard as Jonah Salt. You’re not the only one who’s been betrayed by someone you thought you could trust. By a friend you’ve known most of your life. Atticus lost his wife and his daughter is hanging on by a thread because of Huxley.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I hadn’t heard. I’ve been off-grid for the last few months.”
Eden tilted her head and looked closely at him. He didn’t give anything away. There was no emotion on his face. No outward signs that he was uncomfortable talking about the subject. But her gut told her there was more there than he was letting on.
“Yeah, well, Huxley is dead so that’s something at least.”
“Vengeance is sweet,” she said in agreement. “If I recall, there was a fifth man on Atticus’s team. A guy only known as Warlock. I don’t recall ever hearing what happened to him. Does he work for Dynamis?”
Nate braked and brought the Humvee to an easy stop in the road. Visibility was becoming more difficult by the second and the tracks had all but disappeared. They were going to have to stop and turn back until things cleared up.
