Blood Sins

had allowed them to leave without comment became the last thing on her mind.

* * * *

Please, take care of Lexie.

I can't protect her anymore.

Father's started watching me.

Chapter Twelve

Paris

FBI DIRECTOR MICAH HUGHES would never be accused of being an extrovert, so the fact that he was expected to socialize with other law enforcement officials from all over the world was a trial, not a pleasure. Even in Paris.

He would have preferred to attend the seminars during the day and then retreat to his hotel room, where he could review on his laptop the day's happenings back in D.C., but cocktail parties and dinners were an expected part of the trip, and he was nothing if not doggedly professional.

Still, he was more relieved than especially curious or anxious when the post-dinner small talk on this Thursday night was interrupted as one of the waiters slipped him a note that said he had a phone call. Another waiter directed him to the hotel's house phones, in an alcove outside the banquet room where this particular dinner was taking place.

It was blessedly quiet out in the hallway, and he took a moment to enjoy that before going in search of the house phones. The alcove was, as promised, nearby, but as soon as he turned into it, he stopped. Nobody was on one of the half dozen or so phones lining the desk-height counter that ran around all three walls, but the room had one occupant.

'What are you doing here?'

The man was tall, broad-shouldered, and athletic, and could have been any age between fifty and sixty-five. He had the sort of regular features and good bone structure that made for a handsome face, and striking green eyes made it even more memorable.

'You should know by now that I can turn up just about anywhere.' He had a deep voice with a note in it that Hughes had heard many times in his life: the absolute assurance of a man who was very much accustomed to getting what he wanted.

'I just thought you were back in the States.' Hughes heard the slightly nervous note in his own voice and bitterly resented it.

'I was. Yesterday.' He paused a moment, then went on calmly, 'I take it you've made no progress?'

'Look, I warned you it would take time. Bishop may be ruthless, but he isn't reckless, at least not openly. He knows he's being watched, that his unit exists only as long as it's successfuland he keeps it out of the news. He's careful. Very careful. He knows just how far to bend the rules and the regs without breaking them. And until he does cross that line, I can't touch him. Not officially.'

'I see. And were you aware that he's currently in North Carolina investigating a church?'

'What?'

'Ah. Not aware, I see. Clearly my spies are keeping a closer eye on Bishop than your own are.'

Hughes did not like the idea of anyone outside the FBI cmploying spies within it, but he had spent enough time with this man over the last months to swallow any retort or objection he might have made. But that didn't stop an increasingly familiar jolt of profound uneasiness.

It had seemed so clear at first. But now he wasn't at all sure he was doing the right thing.

'You'll be receiving a packet via courier by morning. Background information on the church and its leader, details your own people could have easily discovered and, in fact, probably have filed away somewhere. Plus some additional information less easy to acquire concerning recent activities of the SCU. And Bishop.'

Hughes was reasonably sure at least one of the 'spies' this man had within the FBI was actually inside the SCU, but he had never asked and didn't now. He had no need to know that. 'Is there anything in the information that's actionable?'

'Perhaps. It certainly does raise questions as to whether Bishop is working for the FBIor is conducting a vendetta of his own.'

'A vendetta?' Like yours? 'You believe this church or its leader has done something to personally injure Bishop?'

'What I believe is that he's a dangerous man who's pursuing an investigation based on absolutely no evidence whatsoever. And he's getting people killed.'

'You know that for a fact?'

'I do. He hasn't reported the latest casualties, but I have good reason to believe that at least two have died within the last two weeks. One of his own agents, and an operative with that civilian organization he helped found.'

'I've told you I can't do anything about Haven. Not as long as they keep their activities on the right side of legal. And so far, they have. John Garrett is also neither careless nor reckless.'

'As far as you know, they've broken no laws.'

Hughes nodded unwillingly. 'As far as I know.'

'I'll keep my people working on that. In the meantime, I would assume that the death of a federal agent, presumably in the line of duty, at the very least calls for an investigation.'

'It's automatic.'

'Then you might, when you return to the States, check into the whereabouts of Agent Galen.'

'I'll do that.' Hughes drew a breath. 'The wild card in all this is still Senator LeMott. Bishop caught the murderer of the senator's daughter three months ago. Not just the SCU; Bishop himself was personally involved in the capture. LeMott is not going to forget that, and he's a powerful man.'

'So am I.'

'Yes. I know. But LeMott could cause me a lot of trouble. I have to be careful when and how I act.'

'I doubt you'd have your present appointment had I not exerted considerable influence on your behalf.'

'I know that too. Believe me, I'm more than grateful.'

'I didn't ask for much in return, did I, Micah? I didn't ask you to violate your oath, to break the law. I didn't ask you to betray your country or tarnish your office. All I asked was that you find a way to remove a dangerous man and his followers from an otherwise fine organization.'

'Yes. And I have no problem with that request.'

'Then we understand each other.'

'We do.'

'I'm glad to hear it. Enjoy the rest of your stay in Paris, Micah. It's a lovely city. Do yourself a favor and at least take the scenic route to the airport when you leave. Enjoy a few of the sights. Take your mind off business for a while.'

'Thank you. I will.' Hughes watched the other man stroll away, aware of his own tension only when he released a pent-up breath. He found himself actually looking around to make certain no one else had witnessed that telltale slump of relief.

And Micah Hughes resented that most of all.

Grace

'The only thing I can figure,' Hollis said, 'is that Lexie's owner has a pretty damn powerful personal shieldat the very least. That plus the obvious fact that this little dog has probably been carried around in that bag most if not all the time must have protected her from whatever killed the other pets.'