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We ride in silence the rest of the way. I have my CIA phone out and keep an eye on team updates. Right now, we’re operating under yellow status, meaning we’re aware and alert, but no definitive danger has been determined. She could simply be out of cell reach.
But we’re in California, and the idea that they are in some remote location where a tracker won’t work feels highly unlikely. At the same time, a team covered the last location of her tracker and phone and there’s nothing there. It’s like she vanished.
Ryan takes a call through his headset. I can’t tell much about what’s being said to him, but I hear his end. It’s a lot of grunts, followed by, “About twenty-five minutes out. See you soon.” The call ends as we touch ground.
“We’re going to the FBI offices?” I ask for clarification as I scan the helipad, searching for our transport, and unbuckle myself.
“I am. You’re driving to Jack.”
“Why doesn’t he just meet us at the offices?”
“He doesn’t know yet.” He pauses and waits to speak until I’ve removed my headset. “It’s going to hit him hard. You go update him in person. If there’s a reason for him to come to the office, I’ll let you know. But we’re still operating under the assumption CalTan is a go and everything hasn’t gone sideways. Under that assumption—”
“I shouldn’t be seen near FBI offices, which are probably monitored via street cams. Gotcha.”
“I’d switch with you. Jack’s like a brother to me. But this plan makes the most sense. And I need to be with the team.”
“Right. I’m the operative, not the strategist.”
He gets me. I see it in his pensive expression, even if his ice-cold eyes are covered by shades. “I’ll keep you updated.”
I glance down at my phone. The trouble is, we don’t have any updates.
Déjà vu strikes on the drive through the Sullivans’ ritzy, gated, beachfront enclave. The same palm trees flutter in the wind. The green lawns manicured with golf course precision. Shades of pink, red, and white flowers dot the landscape in flowerbeds and pots. Every few houses, there’s a gardener out front tending the plants. The mansions are the kind that always made me wonder what career did they choose? The landscape hasn’t changed since I stopped working here, but everything in my world has.
As I pull up to the Sullivan gate and buzz for entry, the NPR announcer on the radio catches my attention. “Senator Talbot, the Texas Senator, died earlier today. His wife of forty-one years, Geraldine Talbot, released a statement to AP News. He was eighty-three years old.”
A buzz sounds, and the heavy metal gate slides to the right, letting me onto the property. The news segment transitions to an auto insurance commercial. The brief alert didn’t include cause of death, but at his age, the cause often doesn’t qualify as newsworthy.
The front door opens before I’ve reached the threshold. Jack Sullivan greets me. He’s got the look of a man who is hoping for a pleasant house call but has a gut instinct that’s kicked in and set him on edge. I get that, because my instincts have been on hyperdrive for hours now.
“Did Ryan call ahead?”
“Ryan?” He visibly swallows. “So, you’re here on official business?”
“It’s okay,” I say, scanning the yard behind me.
I step inside, and he closes the heavy iron and glass door. Ava peers out from the kitchen.
“Hey, Fisher. Long time no see.” She’s got a glass of Perrier clutched in her hand. She holds it up. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
“Babe, you want anything?” she asks Jack.
He gives a quick shake of his head and holds his hand out to her, a gesture she clearly understands since she sidles up to his side. I look to Jack, unsure about what I can say in front of Ava.
I scan the living area I know so well, and down the hallway that leads to Sophia’s bedroom, expecting her to come out and greet me. But she’s not here. My gut roils.
“Can I talk to you in private?”
“Anything you need to say to me you can say in front of Ava.”
“What’s going on?” Ava looks between me and Jack. Her palm covers Jack’s chest.
“She doesn’t have clearance.” I say it apologetically, because I know Sophia and Ava are close, but she’s not a part of Arrow. I didn’t delve into it with Ryan, but I assume the only reason Jack has clearance is due to his partnership in Arrow.
Jack lets out a defeated sigh and pierces me with a hardened stare. “I screwed up one marriage with secrets. It’s not going to happen with this one.”
