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“It’s hair dye. Byte, I’m not sure if you noticed, but I don’t have enough hair to dye.”
“We’re not dying your hair, we’re dying this...” Byte said as she pulled out a long blond wig. “If I’d known we’d needed one, I could’ve bought a blue one, but I only have a blond and brunette one here. The blue dye will work better on the lighter shade.”
“We still have the height difference to deal with.”
“Nah, it won’t be noticed while you’re on the bike.”
“No way. I don’t like motorcycles.”
“But you are able to drive one, right?”
“It’s been a long time, and I didn’t like it when I had to.”
“Well, then I guess you’ll not like it again, but it’s the only option you have to leave here without Cagey Carter’s knowledge. Just trust me. I will leave, unseen, with Aria and Seven. When it’s clear, I’ll drive my bike back to the office. Aria is driving you directly to ECP, where Cruz Livingston will meet you.”
“I don’t want the FBI involved in this. I didn’t even want ALIAS or ECP involved.”
“Too bad. You are one of us and we are going to protect you. If that means getting the Feds involved, then you’ll just have to deal with it. Besides, he’s not there to investigate anything. We’ve told him that you have a stalker and an attempt has been made on your life. He’s just there should ECP leave for an assignment. We’re just covering all our bases.”
Voodoo hadn’t meant to start crying, but knowing her friends were taking this seriously meant something. She’d not been lying when she said her parents would’ve believed Carter over her, if push came to shove. For years, it’d been just her and Daisy, and that was limited to phone or FaceTime calls. It was too dangerous for either of them to be recognized. Like Byte, she knew what her sister did was dangerous and illegal, but she couldn’t fault her, not after seeing all the good that Byte was doing with her skills.
“I don’t want to start all over.”
“Good, because I’d hunt you down if you ran. Just so you know.”
Voodoo laughed and then hiccupped. Her emotions were all over the place and she wasn’t sure if staying by herself was the wisest decision either. But she wasn’t going to voice that feeling. She needed to prepare herself for an attack, and staying at ECP would give her the chance to sharpen her self-defense and shooting skills. Plus, she liked the guys there. Even Susan had grown on her. How could she not, after knowing the torture she’d undergone months earlier?
No, if there was one thing she’d learned over the years, it was to not judge someone until you’ve lived their life.
If only she could live her life without regret.
You would have still married Carter... What a fool!
CHAPTERFIVE
Carter watched as the blue-haired girl left the office. He’d seen her before during his surveillance. He needed to be patient. It had taken him five years to find his wife. It just showed how good she was at hiding under his radar. After he left the agency, he bounced around from city to city, without any destination in mind. For some unknown reason, perhaps it was fate, he’d picked Texas to be his home, in particular, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, only a few hours from where Gwen was living. He quickly learned, however, that civilian life wasn’t for him, which was why he began his search for employment more catered to his skills. He needed something that didn’t require he provide the employer with his assassination qualifications, or explain how to turn a target into an asset. When asked why he would be a good hiring choice, he couldn’t say it was because of his stealth as an international spy. This was how he came to accept Ivy and Ghost’s job offer, or at least that was what he told them during his interview process. No way could they have known he’d had another reason.
The news of a group of retired special forces and trained assassins working to stop the sex trafficking industry was too good to ignore. Then to find out that it was owned by someone he knew was icing on the cake. However, all his years with the agency had also taught him the need to have the upper hand when meeting with a foe or friend. It was during his surveillance that he discovered his wife. True she didn’t resemble the woman he’d shared his life with, but no matter how hard she tried, he saw right through her changes. His desire to approach her, pull her against him, and kiss those blissful lips was halted when he remembered she had tried to kill him. So he came up with a plan, and as they say, the rest was history.
Since his impromptu visit the day before, he’d seen little to no movement. He knew there were apartments above the ALIAS office, which was no doubt a selling point for new candidates. It was for him. But now, those benefits were working against him.
Gwen didn’t live on the ALIAS property. Instead, she lived in a secured high-rise just a few miles from the state’s capital. Due to the nature of its residents, security went beyond a doorman or concierge. His best bet for seeing his wife was at the office, or so he thought.
The previous day he’d seen a couple leave the office. It was obvious they were former operatives, the way their heads swiveled, looking for potential threats. He’d thought about following them in the event Gwen was with them, but instead opted to stay across the street. He knew there were cameras everywhere. They most likely had captured him casing the office, but it was a price he’d pay for answers. The couple had returned later that morning, and while he didn’t know who they were, he didn’t believe they would provide him anything worth pursuing.
Neither Ivy nor Ghost had left, meaning they were hunkering down.
The only other movement was the young girl with the blue hair. Even though his introduction had been brief, there was no mistaking the girl. He’d heard rumors about a bold hacker who also wore her hair blue, but it seemed unlikely Ivy would hire a criminal to support her team. Besides, she’d returned to the office an hour later. So where was his bride?
With his offer on hold, Carter was homeless and jobless. He wasn’t surprised when Ghost called. Carter knew they wanted answers, which was why he was surprised when his job offer wasn’t rescinded. Ghost had asked a couple of questions, but otherwise had left the subject of him and Gwen alone, not that he was fooled by his lack of questions. No doubt, they were digging into his personal life and career.
Carter had successfully kept the dialysis off his insurance and paid cash for the treatments. They weren’t cheap, and he had to pull money from accounts no one else knew about to cover the nearly quarter-of-a-million-dollars hospital stays. The doctor had forewarned him that the treatment was expensive and most insurance companies rejected the claims, but he wouldn’t be submitting any documents for reimbursement.
A man in his mid-forties had entered through the front door, just as he had the day before. Carter assumed this was the second candidate Ghost had hired. All he knew about his fellow employee was that he too was former CIA. Ivy had created a landing spot for retired or former operatives, and as much as he hated to admit it, the offer was something he was genuinely interested in. His priority, however, wasn’t his employment... It was his wife.
He could’ve had her declared dead years before, but he’d held out hope, not that she’d given him any reasons too. She’d literally dropped off the face of the earth.
The only person he ever confided in was his partner. He’d had a rocky start with Vanessa. Despite reassuring his supervisor he didn’t need a partner after Johnston’s death, Vanessa was assigned to work with him.
