They were circling, like sharks around their prey.And that prey was bleeding.
She had been for years.
Sticking with Adrian wasn’t going to fix that. Shecouldn’t use him as a crutch forever, just so she could feelstronger. That wasn’t right. She needed to beat the fear over andover, every minute of every day. Choose bravery. Choose not tofear.
Choose life.
Adrian took a step back, his face blank in a way shehated. “Don’t go anywhere. I need to talkto Special Agent Cromwell.” He turned in the direction where Hankstood with a few of the local agents.
Megan watched him walk away, just to appreciate theway he moved. Trying not to think of the ways he’d helped her. Beenthere for her. Stuck around the last few days, so she wouldn’t bealone.
She shook her head. That wasn’t what he’d been doing.This had been about work. Protecting her in a way that meant he’dkept track of her progress and where Double Down was at this wholetime.
Maybe it was for the best that she’d hurt hisfeelings. Adrian shouldn’t get attached to her. This was a job.
Nothing more.
**
Adrian blew out a breath.
Hank said, “That bad?”
“She’s hiding the identity of the shooter,” he said.“She knows who it is.”
Hank shook his head slowly. “Stay on that. If shetrusts you as you say she’s been starting to, then stick with it.It’ll eat at her, and she’ll need someone to confide in.”
Adrian didn’t like it. “I figure we’ll get an answerfaster by getting into her email. She’s going to send her mom areport. If I was inclined to gamble, I would put money on the factshe’ll tell her mom who it was.”
“I agree.” Hank pulled out his own phone. “I’ll havethat noted so we flag it when it comes through.”
If there was any kind of tracking software in theDouble Down system, they’d likely attribute the breach to theblackmailer. Megan didn’t need to know the FBI was in there aswell.
“There’s more, though.”
Adrian said, “What is it?”
“When El Cuervoslipped out of the restaurant, he left this behind.” Hank lifted anevidence bag. Inside was a cell phone. “No passwordprotection.”
“So he didn’t think it would fall into the wronghands,” Adrian said. “Or he doesn’t care if it does. Hewants us to see whatever is in there.”
Hank said nothing.
“So what is in there?”
Hank shifted the phone, and the screen illuminated.“One thing.”
A picture of Megan flashed on the screen.
“She’s his target?” Adrian glanced back over hisshoulder. Megan was typing on her phone, but he could tell she wasaware of what was happening around her. She would never let herselfget so distracted she’d be blindsided.
“Or they’re working together.”
“Megan and ElCuervo? That’s nuts, Hank. You can’t seriously believethat.”
Hank’s eyebrows lifted, butAdrian noticed there was a spark of something there.
“What I mean, sir,” Adrian emphasized the word, “isthat Megan was destroyed by what happened to her in Mexico.You of all people know that. I can’t for one second believe she waspart of it.”
“Do we really know?” Hank asked. “I didn’t get tothis position by allowing my feelings to be blinded. Even bysomeone I’ve known over the years as well as Megan.”
“So you’ve kept her close to find the truth aboutwhether or not she was involved with him?” A sick feeling settledin Adrian’s stomach. Had Hank just been using him all along? “Doyou think she was in league with Zimmerman as well? He’s a victimof the blackmailer.”
“It’s too coincidental. The blackmailer targetsZimmerman, who is connected to ElCuervo. And standing in the middle is Megan Perkins.”
“If he turned her, she’s given him nothing. Shedoesn’t have access to privileged FBI information, so she can’t bea mole. It was you who made it so she kept her badge,sir.”
Hank said, “So you think she’s an innocent victim inall this? Targeted by ElCuervo, she manages to escape when her partner isconveniently killed. Now Zimmerman is using her as the recipient ofhis ‘message.’ One we also convenientlynever received.”
Adrian folded his arms. “This isn’t about Megan. It’sabout finding Zimmerman.”
“And you still don’t believe she’s the key to all ofthis?” Hank shook the phone in front of his face. “El Cuervo wants us to know he’sinterested in her.”
“Probably to unnerve her. He’ll know we’re workingwith her.” It could all be a ploy to make them think she wasworking for the other side. But he knew Megan. She would neverbetray her friends, or her family, or the memory of her partnerthat way. Not even if she was being blackmailed. “If he’s here toget her because she slipped out of his hands before, then it’s moreimportant now than ever that we make sure she stays safe.”
Hank saw it. Adrian hadn’t tried to hide it. He caredabout Megan, and that wasn’t going to be a secret. Not now. Notever. He needed as much truth between them as possible.
And if Hank thought he could implicate her, he wasgoing to have a fight on his hands.
“Either way,” Adrian said, “I will be sticking withher.”
“We’re closing in onZimmerman. The sighting of him headed for Chicago was legit.”
“And now?” The think tank had been destroyed, and twopeople killed the last time he’d been seen.
“He was seen in Des Moines. We think he’s headedwest,” Hank said. “As far as we can tell, we’re about four hoursbehind him at this point.”
“Good,” Adrian said. It bothered him not to be on thefront lines of the search. Local agents in each city were takingcare of the leg work. “Keep me posted.”
“Where will you take her?”
“We’ll head northwest. Thatwill at least get her out of the same city as El Cuervo.”
Yes, he was essentially stringing her along. Hisintention was to be there to take Zimmerman down when the timecame. But his orders were to stick with Megan. It had becomepersonal, but the reality was that if he wanted to get ahead at theFBI, then he needed to follow them.
Now that they knew for sure she had a connection tothe blackmailer, it was more important than ever that he stick withher. Get this done. Figure out Megan’s connection to theblackmailer and
