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“Stay sharp, you two,” Paige chimed in, her tone tinged with concern.
Bridger glanced at Jane, noting how her deep green eyes scanned the room cautiously, her face a picture of poise despite the mounting tension.
He eyed the handsome magician. “Everything’s set?”
“Of course, my friend.” Romero stroked the dove gently. “You worry too much.”
“Occupational hazard,” Bridger muttered, forcing a small smile to ease the tension.
“Sounds like you thrive on the tension,” Jane observed.
The older man gestured gracefully. “You’re very perceptive, Miss Reilly. That I do. I’m one of those rare creatures that thrives on excitement. Probably why I kept my hand in the trade far longer than I should have.”
Stuffed with props and extra costumes, Romero’s dressing room had an eerie, disconcerting air, making Bridger feel like he’d stepped into some kind of twisted carnival attraction.
Romero cleared his throat. The dove shifted on his shoulder. “Two former FBI agents are on their way here—they’re NSA now. I’ve worked closely with these agents before—they’re trustworthy,” Romero assured them.
Rather than voice his concerns, Bridger nodded at the placid bird. “I’ve always wanted to know how you make those guys disappear.”
“Ah, magicians never reveal their tricks,” Romero replied, shaking his head. “It’s a code kind of thing.”
“Like pirates?” Bridger quipped.
“Pretty much.” Romero chuckled. “Let’s just say the average human is really susceptible to distraction.”
“Point taken.” Bridger scratched his chin. He couldn’t disagree with the man’s reasoning, but somehow, the magician’s response didn’t make him feel any better.
“Thank you for your help,” he said, catching Romero’s gaze in the mirror. “Means a lot to us.”
“Anything for a friend of Eileen’s.” Romero waved away the gratitude, his eyes flickering with mischief. “Besides, I miss the action.”
“Head’s up, friends. I’ve got two government suits heading in your direction.” Tai’s voice came over the comlinks. “Both male. One’s tall with a baby face, the other is Asian. Both late forties. Both look like they’ve had their sense of humor surgically removed.”
An instant later, a soft knock came at the door and Romero’s stage manager poked his head inside. “Are these the guys you were waiting for?” he asked the magician.
Romero rose slowly. “Indeed.”
The manager stepped aside to allow the two agents inside. “You’re on in five,” he reminded the magician.
Romero smiled confidently. “I’ll be right out.”
The two agents never took their eyes off him and Jane as the manager closed the door behind them.
The magician gestured gracefully. “Miss Reilly, Captain North, meet agents Marks and Tanaka.”
Faces blank, the two men barely acknowledged the introductions.
Bridger crossed his arms over his chest, widening his stance, just in case things went south.
“We understand you’ve got something for us,” the babyface agent, Marks, said.
“After we come to an agreement,” Bridger insisted.
Tanaka pulled an envelope out of his suit pocket, handing it to Bridger. “Understood. I think you’ll find the government’s terms acceptable.”
Bridger pulled out the letter, angling it so Jane could read it too. Signed by the NSA’s West Coast Chief of Operations, it said both he and Jane were cleared of any suspicion in the embezzlement of the funds that had been deposited in an account in Jane’s name.
He leaned closer to Jane. “You good with this?”
