But the bottom line was that they were still targets—or at least everyone else was.
“You look deep in thought,” Cass said.
“Yeah.” There were too many things clouding his mind.
She nodded. “I can guess what about.”
Before he could confirm what she already knew, the door to the conference room opened, and Mason walked in.
“Zane, I need to talk to you alone for a minute,” Mason said flatly.
Cass stood. “I’ll head to the break room so you guys can talk.”
Zane wasn’t sure why Mason was kicking Cass out, but once it was the two of them, he watched as Mason frowned. “I recognize that face. What’s the problem now? Because I can’t deal with many more of them.”
Mason stuffed his hands in his pockets. “The team working on the investigation into the mole thinks they have intercepts between you and a member of the cartel.”
“What?” Zane felt his jaw go slack. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. Combine that with the fact that you’re the only member of a four-person team who has not been targeted directly, and those running the investigation believe you need to be questioned.”
Zane muttered some words that he probably shouldn’t say. “This is insane.”
“I know. I don’t think for one minute you’re dirty.”
“Then help me get out of this mess.” His voice got louder with every word.
Mason crossed his arms. “That’s my plan, but you have to talk to the team leading the charge. My hands are tied on that, but I already planted the seed with them that you’re not the problem here. If they look deep enough, they’ll figure that out.”
Thoughts started to race through Zane’s mind. “Maybe this was the plan the entire time.”
“How so?” Mason leaned against the table.
“They frame me to take the fall by purposely not attacking me. I’m painted as the traitor, and the real culprit keeps working for the cartel on the inside.”
Mason drummed his fingers on the table. “Sounds plausible to me. We have to figure out what those intercepts are they claim they have on you, though.”
“There’s nothing legit there. I can promise you that.” Zane hoped Mason would see the truth here.
“Okay. Defend yourself vigorously, and we’ll get through this. I don’t think the team really thinks you’re the mole, either, but they wouldn’t be doing their jobs if they didn’t run this thing down.”
“The mole isn’t me, but it is someone who has skills and is dangerous. We all need to watch our backs.”
Mason nodded before pausing. “How is Cass holding up?”
Zane wasn’t going to reveal just how vulnerable he thought Cass had become, because as much as he trusted Mason, it just wasn’t something he thought he should say. Cass needed time to get her head on straight, and she had earned that time without his color commentary on her mental state. “She’s solid. It’s been a lot to take in, but she’ll be fine.”
“Cass is a great agent, but she hasn’t seen combat like you and me. I just want to make sure she’s emotionally okay. Do you think she’d be open to counseling?”
Zane hesitated. “I don’t know.”
“Your face says it all. I didn’t think she’d want to do it either, because she’d be afraid it would make her seem weak, when that’s completely not the case. Do me a favor and ask her about it. I’d prefer she agree to it as opposed to it being an order coming from me.”
“Understood.” Zane would see what he could do.
Mason left him alone, and in a few minutes Cass returned with two cups in her hands.
“Coffee for you.”
“Thanks.”
She sat down, and he did the same. “What was that all about?” she asked. “Mason seemed even more serious than his normal self.”
Best to just lay it out on the table. “He was giving me a heads-up that I’m going to be looked at.”
Her eyebrows went up. “Looked at for what?”
“As being the inside man.”
She let out a loud laugh. “Wow. This really is amateur hour around here if that’s what’s happening. Is this just because no one has directly come after you?”
He shook his head. “No. That’s just an add-on. They claim they have evidence on me. If there is any supposed evidence, then someone wants me to take the fall for this.”
She grabbed his arm. “We can’t let that happen. Just let me know how I can help.”
He was acutely aware of her hand lingering on his arm. “Will do. Right now, I just wait until I talk face-to-face to the investigation team.” He placed his hand over hers and turned toward her. “There is one more thing.”
“Uh-oh. I don’t like the sound of this.”
“Mason wants you to go to some counseling sessions.”
She broke the contact between them and pulled away. “I hope you told him that would be completely unnecessary and a waste of time.”
“I told him I thought you were doing well and that I felt you’d resist this.”
“And you were right!”
“But he asked me to try to sweet-talk you into it because, Cass, he’s going to make it mandatory if you don’t go willingly.”
She threw her head back and groaned. “If I were a guy, we would not even be having this conversation.”
He didn’t fully agree with that. “I believe it has less to do with gender and more to do with your experience.”
“You’re a Marine, so you can handle it.”
“Do I sense some sarcasm there? I’m just being honest with you. I saw all manner of things when I was on my two combat tours. Mason is well aware of that, because he was there too. You didn’t go through that, and he just wants to make sure you’re handling everything okay. It has been a lot, and even though we see things on our DEA ops, what has transpired over the past couple weeks has been on a different level.”
“You’re obviously right about our experiences being different, and up until the last attack, I think I was pretty composed.
