“Dresden doesn’t suffer fools well. Segorski is a small player, but his political machinations helped put Crimea’s oil rights into Dresden’s hands so the bastard could bargain with it. I can’t believe Dresden would knock off the prime minister though. He wanted his money too badly. No, it just doesn’t make sense, unless…”
“Tell me, Ella. Unless what?”
“Unless it was never about the money.”
Jude hissed in a breath. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that if Dresden didn’t need the money, he had another fish on the hook all along. That oil will net him enough money to do what he’s always wanted—effectively rule the world. He’ll be the single richest entity on the globe. Richer than any sovereign nation, richer than Croesus. And that much money would allow him to control everything, Jude. Everything.”
“Who do you think the fish is?”
“I don’t think it’s a who. I think it’s a group of whos.”
It must have hit him then. “No way, Ella. You’re talking treason. There’s no way someone, or a group of someones, would sell out their own countries for money.”
“Remember me telling you about that mysterious group the Piper was always talking about?”
Horror masked Jude’s face. “No. I can’t believe it.”
“What if people in the White House are involved with this group? I don’t have enough yet. Let me search. I need to talk to Vivi,” she told him, but it came out a request. “I think at this point we need to start considering that the Piper is either onto this group and playing a dangerous game, or he’s as thick with them as Dresden.”
Jude nodded. “Give Brody a call while you’re at it, okay? King said the man’s champing at the bit to talk to you.”
“That’s good news. Give me a few minutes to talk to him, and I’ll explain why,” she informed him.
Ella glanced up and found Jude right in front of her. He’d always moved like a big jungle cat—stealthy and silent. He reached for her face, cupping her cheek in his big palm and thumbing the dent in her chin.
She’d always hated that dent. Jude had always loved it.
“A truth?” he asked.
She gazed up at him, her answer on her face.
“I don’t think you betrayed your team.”
Relief washed through her.
“But we still need to talk about what you did do, Ella. You should have come to me immediately and let me help you. You didn’t trust me, trust us, enough to come to me, and that hurts, Ella. It hurts bad.”
She sank her teeth into her lower lip. That small bite of pain centered her. “I messed up. I’m trying to correct it, Jude.”
“I need you to promise me you won’t leave, Ella. I need you to go all in with me, with your team.” His voice stroked along her nerves. Jude was an excellent interrogator. He could cajole and get information and promises out of men even when they knew they were dead men walking.
Could she make that promise though? In her mind, the only solution was for her to go back to Dresden. He would make it hell for her, but that was the only way she was going to be able to get the information Endgame needed to take him down. And it wasn’t as simple as a bullet to the temple—Dresden was only one head. The entire organization could have many, and all of their organizations had to be dismantled.
She needed to find out as much as she could about the mysterious group Dresden was a part of. And there was the matter of Anna Beth Caine.
Ella was her only hope, and she wouldn’t leave the woman with Dresden to suffer. She needed to hit Brody up again and see where he was with that. She didn’t believe Dresden would kill her—Anna Beth would lose her value then—but he could break her, much as he had Ella.
“Give me the words, Ella. I’ll help you hold to them.”
It was the same thing he’d said to her last night.
“I won’t leave you, Jude.”
“All in?” he asked.
She nodded, and he kissed her forehead, pulling her tight against his chest and just holding her there.
“Jude?” she asked after long moments.
“Yeah?”
“I need to make some calls,” she answered with a smile in her voice.
“And I need to hold you,” he responded.
She laughed, and he pulled away from her. “Make ’em then. You’ve got ten minutes,” he told her gruffly.
Her mouth dropped opened.
Jude shrugged. “I don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to stay here. I’m starting to realize how badly Dresden wants you, and we need a head start if he’s headed our way.”
He handed her the sat phone and walked out of the den. “Hey,” he called. “When you’re finished, come to the door under the stairs.”
“Code?”
“5572463.”
“Give me a few,” she said and sat down on the couch. She dialed Brody first.
“What do you want, Keeper?” Brody’s broken voice called over the line.
“Madoc, it’s Ella.”
“Ella-Bella—you call, give me limited information, and bail. What the hell have you gotten me into?”
She chuckled. “How are you?”
“Still alive, same as last time we talked,” he told her.
She’d take that from Brody. It meant he hadn’t decided to eat a bullet yet, and damn but she’d struggled to pull him out of that hell for a year. She didn’t want to lose him now. “I’m okay with that. You eating? What about the meds?”
“Did you become my mother over the last month or so?”
“Nah, but somebody’s got to look after your mean ass. Now, eating? Meds?”
“Yeah. I’m doing all that shit. Look, I got your information, and I’ve got some for you. That drive you sent me? Damn, Ella, do you have any idea what that holds?” It was hard to gauge Brody’s attitude or demeanor from his voice. He sounded like someone had shoved his vocal cords into rubbing alcohol after using a cheese
