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“So, that’s it, Agent Harper?” he said. “You’re going to shoot us in the skull, then…what, throw us in the river? Not a very effective way to hide bodies.”
“Maybe not, but who’s going to question a bunch of military has-beens who commit suicide together?” Michelle pulled a note out of her pocket and held it in front of his face, her hand visibly shaking. “Maybe it was PTSD, or guilt over your buddy’s death. Or simply the lack of control over your life, your circumstances, what happens to your loved ones.”
Kyle’s gaze darted to Scotty, then back to Agent Harper. “Are you sure you’re talking about us, Agent Harper? Or are you describing yourself?”
“Shut up.” She folded the note and stuffed it into the pocket of Kyle’s camo green T-shirt. “You have no idea what I’m dealing with.”
“Why don’t you tell me, then.”
“Like hell.” She backed up a step and raised her chin. “Weapons locked and loaded, agents.”
The sinister snick of a trigger being cocked whispered in Scotty’s ear. The agent behind him placed his hand on Scotty’s shoulder and forced him to hold still. The others did the same.
Kyle’s jaw clenched. “If I’m going to die today, Agent Harper, I think I deserve to know why, don’t you?”
“You don’t deserve a damned thing.” She scowled. “Neither do I.”
“Why not?” Kyle persisted. “Why are you doing this, Michelle?”
Scotty lowered his head to hide his grin. Kyle was good, very good. Switching to the enemy’s first name to build rapport. Nice.
She shook her head and stared out over the small bay, past the lazy rocking of the boats tethered near them. “Look, I don’t want to do this, okay? But I don’t have a choice.”
“We always have a choice, Michelle.” Kyle had moved forward slightly once more, making his cuffed hands visible to Scotty and the others. He extended two fingers this time—the signal to get set for imminent attack. Scotty’s muscles tensed in anticipation.About time.“Who’s forcing you to do this?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“We can protect you, Agent Harper, if you tell us the truth. Is it Michael Becks? The same group who took out Coran Williams Publishing last week? We can help you fight them. I don’t have any grudge against you. I only want justice for my brother’s death. That’s all. You help us, we’ll help you.”
“You can’t help me.” She inhaled and turned away, arms crossed. “No one can.”
Scotty eyed the agents around him. They’d gone from looking confident to wary and fidgeting, as if they were picking up on their boss’s anxiety. Good.
“That’s not true,” Kyle insisted. “I know people, have connections in high places. Tell me why you’re doing this, and I swear I’ll do everything I can to help you find a better solution to the problem.”
Michelle snorted and turned to look at Kyle once more, her face a mask of rage and sorrow. “You got a cure for cancer? Or a million dollars for the treatment? Because that’s the only way you can help me and my son now.”
The team members exchanged a look, and the pieces clicked into place in Scotty’s mind. The mother-child bond was one of the strongest in the universe. Strong enough to make this woman risk her career, her freedom, her life to save her child. Whoever was bribing her to do this understood that bond and wasn’t afraid to manipulate it to their advantage—meaning they were both cruel and extremely dangerous. “What kind of cancer does your son have, Michelle?” Kyle asked, his voice gentler.
“Neuroblastoma.” Her words caught. “He needs brain surgery to remove a life-threatening tumor. You think I have that kind of money? My insurance maxed out months ago.” She gave a broken laugh. “And then, guess what? I get word they’re going to disband my team and I’m about to be out of a job. Just perfect.”
“I’m sorry, Michelle.”
In the distance, Scotty heard the low roar of traffic from the interstate and the twitter of birds in the surrounding trees and…something else. Something quiet, distinct, grumbling. A car engine, approaching and then turning off. His heart rate kicked into overdrive, but he schooled his features. He checked the faces of the agents around him, but none showed any signs of having heard the noise.
A soft thump echoed, followed by the snapping of a twig. Oh, yeah. Someone else was definitely here. And it didn’t seem as if Agent Harper and her merry men were expecting anyone. Given their time of travel to this marina and the low tingle of awareness in his gut—the same one he’d had that very first night in the Matthews’s abandoned house—he knew exactly who it was.
Hayley.Aw, dammit, Hayley, stay out of this.
“I’m sorry, too, Matthews.” Michelle exhaled. “See you in hell.”
She raised her chin, and each of her agents moved the barrel of their gun from their victim’s temple to the base of their skull once more.
Scotty kept his gaze trained on Kyle’s hands, waiting for the signal.
Waiting, waiting…Go!
* * *
