Adrian nodded, his eyes distant like he was trying tosolve a complex equation in his head. “Or this plan by theblackmailer has been in play for years.” He shook his head.“There’s a horrific thought.”
“So my whole life has been nothing but someone elsepulling strings? Making me do what he wants me to do, go where hewants me to go. For what?” she asked. “So he can get revenge forsome clandestine operation my father was involved in? I waskidnapped two years ago. This can’t have been going on thatlong.”
“Revenge is a powerful motivator.”
She certainly knew that from personal experience. Hedidn’t need to tell her. If Megan ever found herself in the sameroom as El Cuervo again, shecould prove exactly how powerful revenge was.
But that didn’t mean Zimmerman and the Venezuelan hadanything more to do with the blackmailer than the fact thatZimmerman’s family had been targeted.
“I don’t like that look on your face.”
She folded her arms, then realized that just made herlook defensive. Megan sighed and lowered them. What was the pointin responding? She’d already given herself away.
The question was, what would Adrian do about it?
While he decided, Megan opened the email. “Two menare at the top of the list of Remy’s potential targets. A captainand a rear admiral. Both navy. They were listed in the planningstages of the operation. Remy said they’re both booked at the samehotel for this coming weekend.”
“It’s Friday morning,” Adrian said. “You meantonight?”
It was Friday already? Megan shook her head. The lastfew days had thrown her for a loop. “Yes.”
Adrian made a face. “No, but yes?”
“No. Yes.” She shook herhead again. “Yes, tonight.”
“I think you need a nap on the way there.”
Megan blew out a breath. He wasn’t wrong, but shewasn’t about to admit to weakness. She wanted to trust Adrian. In away, she already did. No question. And yet, at the back of her mindthis thing just…niggled at her. Maybe that wasn’t even the rightword. Still, it was there. A tiny voice questioning whethereverything was as she perceived it to be.
The same voice that had been there right before sheand Will were captured. One she should have listened to.
If she had, would he still be alive?
If Will lived through that kidnapping the way shehad, he’d be with her. Working to bring down Zimmerman.
But that meant she wouldn’t be with Adrian.
Megan blew out a breath and ran her hands through herhair. She probably looked like she’d been dragged through a bush byher feet. Been there. Not something she wanted to repeat,but life was life.
She said, “What about Will?”
Adrian’s look softened. “What about him?”
“Were we taken because we were on some list of theblackmailer’s?” she asked, aloud. Not necessarily expecting him tobe able to answer. “Or because our FBI cover had been blown?”
Adrian got on his phone. “I’ll ask this Remyperson.”
Of course he had her number now. He’d probablymemorized it off Megan’s phone screen. Like it was that easy tocontact Remy.
She said, “Maybe it had nothing to do with our tryingto take down El Cuervo andeverything to do with putting us in the path of this blackmailer.And then Will is killed—” She swallowed, but pulled herselftogether quick enough to say, “And I get…rescued. Which ruins theirplans.” She thought for a second. “Now it seems like I have a partin what’s happening, all these years later. I don’t get it.”
In another scenario, would the blackmailer haveforced her to get the sonic weapon from Emma and take it on arampage? She could have been swallowed up by this, even more thanshe already was.
“Having a small part is a good thing, Meg.” His eyeswere soft still. She liked that look on him.
But a good thing? Maybe. She didn’t like beingthe focus of some unknown entity playing God with all of theirlives. Zimmerman could kill those two men—and more—before this wasdone.
She looked at the screen of her phone and keptreading.
“Adrian.”
He glanced up from his phone, a frown still on hisface. “What?”
“This conference in Denver.”
He shifted to see what she was talking about.
“The place where these two men are booked, thatZimmerman supposedly wants to hit.” She looked up. “It’s where mymom is going.”
**
Adrian braced, and asked the question, “Same placethose two Navy guys are going to be?” She nodded. He said, “Thenlet’s go,” and waved toward the SUV.
They headed that direction, and he detoured for asecond to check in with Hank and fill him in. When he got to thevehicle, he saw Megan in the front seat. He climbed in thepassenger side.
“My turn to drive,” she said, turning on theengine.
“Fine by me.” His heart was still racing from hearingthose shots ring out. That split second where he didn’t know whowas alive—and who was dead. Adrian had never liked thosemoments.
The FBI was all about regulation, procedure. Order.Then there were those times when it was pure chaos for a fewminutes. The times that defined the rest of what they did andimpacted the agents the most.
He tried to push away the adrenaline, even as itretreated. Get rid of the feelings of being flustered and out ofcontrol from his system as quickly as possible.
Get back to work.
The vehicle’s GPS directed Megan to the airport. DidDouble Down have a plane waiting? They’d done that before. The FBIcould probably get them on a flight to Denver tonight.
Megan’s phone buzzed in the cup holder. “Can you seewho that is?”
“Sure.” She gave him herpasscode, and he unlocked her phone. “Text from Mint. He hasn’tseen Steve.” The phone buzzed again. “Bradley hasn’t seen himeither.”
Megan pressed her lips together, then shifted themback and forth.
Adrian wanted to ask why she was trying to get aholdof her boss. He backed up to her messages and looked for the threadwith Steve. She hadn’t contacted him after she discoveredZimmerman’s likely target. She’d done it before—after they’d chasedthe shooter.
Was the shooter Steve?
The implications of that set his brain to spinning.He reached for his own phone to inform Hank, then hesitated. Whatif it wasn’t Steve who’d
