by Juno Rushdan
“Doesn’t your network have a notification system when you get a recognition hit?” Maddox asked.
A deer-in-the-headlights expression froze on Harper’s face. “Of course.”
“Then why didn’t you notify us the minute he set foot on the premises? Castle and Reece were on-site.”
Her brother slammed a fist on the table. Harper jumped and a hand flew to her necklace, thumb stroking the pearls. Reece shook his head, bitterness etched on his face.
Cole sat beside Maddox, arms folded, eyes narrowed.
The sole unreadable one in the room was Gideon. Perched against a wall, he stood with hands in his pockets, chewing a wad of gum. His arctic gaze locked on Harper, his face an irksome blank slate.
Harper swallowed hard as if she had something lodged in her throat. “I was on a break.”
“Pretty damn convenient.” Castle’s voice was so caustic, Harper winced.
“Or coincidence.” Gideon’s tone was rock-steady.
“It’s just me working on this. You didn’t want me to get any help.” Harper plowed through her words in a strident rush. “I had to pee and get coffee. I haven’t slept. I’ve been working all night. When I got back to my desk, I saw the alert flashing. Novak wasn’t on the monitor in real-time. The program looped back to when he was first picked up entering the restaurant, and I called you. I was only behind by four and a half minutes.”
“Only.” Castle expelled a breath.
“We’re all tired and on edge.” Maddox sipped coffee, forcing herself to calm down. Pissing off their best analyst wouldn’t improve the current situation. “Earlier, you mentioned Novak left the hotel wearing a disguise.”
Harper nodded. “A black wig, glasses—”
“Burgundy hotel jacket.” Maddox’s stomach dropped to her toes. The Ghost had doubled back after she lost him in the train station, then had the gall to stroll right by her and Cole.
“Yes.” Harper rolled her pearls between her fingers, brows drawn together. “On the playback of the hotel video, he passed all of you.”
Castle popped the knuckles of his bad hand like he needed to hit someone.
“Can you run a picture of Novak in the disguise through the program?”
“He kept his head lowered. I’d need a full facial shot, but I can try.”
Maddox stifled the expletives prickling her tongue. “Review the footage for any leads. Also rustle up whatever you can on Kassar. We have details on how Blackburn and Callahan were taken out, but nothing on Kassar.”
“Okay.” Harper hurried from the room.
This was a major hit, but Maddox couldn’t let the setback derail the team’s focus. “This isn’t over. Not until we find Novak and the bioweapon.”
Reece adjusted his cap, propping the bill up with a knuckle. This one read I Drink Coffee for Your Protection. “Harper’s slipup can’t be ignored.”
“Especially in light of your mole problem.” Cole raked dark hair back from his face. “How well do you know her? Is it possible she left her desk to give Novak time to get away?”
“She keeps to herself, doesn’t associate with anyone here,” Maddox said. “Harper was away from her desk at a critical moment, but it was also her idea to modify her facial recognition program to tap into the video surveillance system. And she took it upon herself to access the private security feed of the restaurant.”
Cole removed his riding jacket. “It could be a feint. Distract someone by getting them to focus on one hand while you’re winding up to take them down with the other.”
“Did you see her as she explained?” Gideon took a seat. “That was no feint.”
Maddox didn’t get the sense Harper was faking her jitters either, but the fact remained there was a traitor. A fool with no ethics, no conscience, who was bartering classified information and risking national security but sooner or later was going to get caught.
“Harper could be the leak, or she could’ve made a mistake,” Maddox said. “I lost Novak in the train station. Looking at this case from the outside, I’d be under suspicion too.” Taking ownership of her failure cut like a switchblade. “But Cole is right. It’s a problem.”
“Let’s keep Harper and bring in Cutter or Amanda,” Castle said. “Checks and balances.”
Both were solid analysts, but if Maddox had to pick, it’d be Amanda hands down. She was a crackerjack analyst and a great friend and could be relied on in a pinch.
“Do you want to resource some of this out to Rubicon? I can talk to my boss, Donovan.”
As simple as Cole made the idea sound, it was the exact opposite. One didn’t farm out classified work to noncleared personnel. It would mean allowing them to process highly sensitive information pertaining to national security in a facility that wasn’t cleared to handle classified material. They’d have to go through the proper red tape, which would take time they didn’t have.
One thing for Sanborn to allow a single essential civilian in with a nondisclosure agreement, but there was no way their boss would green-light something of such magnitude under the table. They could all go to prison.
Before responding, she shot Castle a questioning glance to see how he read the idea.
An expression of utter disbelief that she’d consider it washed across his face. “Fuck. No.”
Yeah, he didn’t like the prospect of prison either. “We go with Castle’s idea. It’s the smart play.” Redundancy beat hedging the wrong bet.
“Of course it’s the smart play. It’s my idea,” Castle said.
Cole leaned in, resting a hand on her arm. “Nice to see your brother hasn’t changed.” He flashed a casual, lighthearted smile, as if the world wasn’t about to end.
The warmth in his face caught her off guard, and she smiled back, longing to recover the years they’d been cheated.
Wretched years that had changed them both, for better or worse.
Forcing her gaze from his, she looked at Gideon. “Please tell me you have good news.” She grabbed a bottle of water and took a sip.
“I’ve got Van Helden,” he said, deadpan. “Sitting in an interrogation room.”
Maddox choked, and Cole patted her back.
“How?” was all she managed.
“After Van Helden landed at the helicopter charter company, he booked a private jet to Dubai. The man spent the night in a luxe suite at the Four Seasons. I found him chilling in a posh lounge at Dulles International, waiting to go wheels up in an hour.”
“Holy hell.” She straightened in her seat. “Why didn’t you start with that before we got into the Novak snafu?”
Gideon chewed on his gum, detached demeanor locked tight. “I worked him over a little. Didn’t take much.”
Reece shifted in his chair. “Did he give up the seller?”
“Never met the seller. Van Helden offers a blind system for any skittish clientele. There was a specified site, date, and time for Van Helden to pick up the bioweapon along with specific instructions for the auction process. The seller gave him a list of the arms dealers to be invited, date of the auction, and the international account number for the wire transfer of payment.”
The team exchanged can-this-crap-day-get-any-crappier looks.
“And here’s the kicker,” Gideon said, his icy, pale-blue eyes sparkling.
Apparently, it could.
“The auction room was wired. The seller saw and heard everything.”
Cole groaned, rolling his eyes. “With that system, how does a skittish seller know Van Helden won’t just steal their product?”
“Van Helden may be a criminal, but he prides himself on not being a cheat. He’s built his business on his reputation.”
“At least there’s one less black-market middleman out in the world,” Castle said.
“No-go on sending Van Helden to the Hole.”
&
nbsp; The Hole was the super-spook maximum security facility so highly classified, the only Gray Box personnel to know where it was located were Sanborn, Castle, and deputy director Knox.
“Sanborn made a call to arrange Van Helden’s transfer. Ten minutes later, the director of national intelligence called.”
The Gray Box only reported to the DNI and the president.
“Sanborn has to cut him loose. Looks like either the CIA or NSA is protecting him as a confidential informant. They’re working something and need Van Helden to hook a big fish. Sanborn is on his way to the White House to find out specifics and update the president on our status.”
Cole unleashed an appalled snicker, leveling the room into silence. “Van Helden is just as bad as those scumbag arms traffickers, not to mention whoever decided they wanted to sell a bioweapon. And you guys are letting him walk because of some filthy interagency deal?”
“Sometimes, we let the lesser evil walk in order to protect the greater good,” Castle said.
Incredulity gripped Cole’s face. “You guys are no better than—”
Maddox rested a hand on Cole’s arm and squeezed. “This is going to be a long day.” She needed to shut this down. They had to pull together, not tear each other to pieces. “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”
Janet strolled into the conference with a platter of sandwiches and crudités. She was a godsend, greasing the wheels to keep everyone moving. “Should I plan dinner too?”
She’d already fed them breakfast, and this spread would carry them through. Hopefully.
“No,” Maddox said. “Don’t trouble yourself. Thanks.”
“I have a fresh pot of coffee brewing.” She grabbed the old pot and left.
“Reece, do another search through the stuff we found in Novak’s room,” Maddox said. “See if we missed anything.”
They’d done a thorough sweep of the room before leaving the hotel, bringing back everything they’d found. In the closet, she’d discovered the tux the Ghost had worn at the auction and the empty metallic case the bioweapon had been stored in. That at least told them the cylindrical canister they were looking for was sixteen inches long.
Reece had canvassed the bathroom, collecting the contents of the wastebasket. Cole had found a copy of the Washington Post on the desk and had brought it to the conference room.
“On it,” Reece said.
“Castle,” she said, catching him with a sandwich in his hand, “before you stuff your face, we need to know what’s within a one-mile radius of the hotel. He chose to stay at the location for a reason. We need to figure out what it is. Prep a threat matrix for each potential target. Prioritize anything high-profile or time-sensitive. Task an analyst to help. Not Harper.”
As much as she hated bringing in a second analyst full-time on this, they had little choice. She wanted Amanda, trusted her the most in analysis, but a mole in the small organization meant the traitor was going to be someone they trusted. Better to let Castle choose, a random pick.
“Agreed.” Castle rose. “But just to clarify, you are not the team leader.”
Suppressing an eye roll, she smiled. “I believe Sanborn called you—and I quote—backup.”
“Backup with three years seniority.”
Another damn challenge. She was in charge and if this op went south, it would rest squarely on her head and her record. But she could throw Castle a bone here and there if it meant he’d cooperate. “Agreed. You’re the senior person on my team.”
“Reaper, can you compile a spreadsheet of the Ghost’s past known contracts? Types of targets he’s taken out, any special skills he might have had to use to pull off the jobs.”
One assassin looking at another might be helpful for a different perspective.
“Sure.” Gideon dug into a sandwich and sat, logging in to an individual screen on the smart table.
Sensing Cole’s stare on her, Maddox glanced at him.
Once they had regrouped at the hotel after losing Novak on the train, he’d given her a breathtaking bear hug, and for a split second, she’d forgotten how their ugly past had poisoned any hope for a future.
A dangerous moment of hesitation.
Time to establish boundaries and set him straight about his place in this mission.
“You should hydrate.” She took one of the last ham sandwiches. “It’d do you good to get a bite away from here. You’re not used to working in a place with no windows. It can drive you stir-crazy.”
“Take a break with me. You need one. Clear your mind for a few minutes.”
“I can’t.” She tensed and considered stepping into the hall for what she needed to say next, but being alone with him right now wasn’t a good idea. “Cole,” she said, lowering her voice, “this thing between us is a distraction. You’ve no idea how hard I work to measure up. I’ve sacrificed, suffered, bled to be here. I’m good at what I do, but out there, I need to be objective. Not emotional.” An operative. Not a woman. “You have to back off.”
If she wasn’t a good operative, she was nothing.
Cole hardened his jaw and shot a glance at Gideon, as if uneasy they weren’t alone. Gideon ate while working. He was listening, of course, but appeared oblivious.
“There’s no putting me on a leash,” Cole snapped.
Another one of those dog references he threw around like she thought of him as a pound puppy.
“And with this thing between us,” he continued, “there is no backing off.”
“Then you need to walk away from this.” Not just for the sake of the mission or herself but to keep him safe. God, what if something happened to him out there, at Novak’s hands? Her stomach clenched at the thought.
Cole popped to his feet, his expression mulish. He looked fierce and as pigheaded as ever. “That’s not happening. You’re pissed I hugged you in the hotel when I saw you were safe. It wasn’t wrong, even if it was ill-timed. We didn’t lose him because of a hug. Don’t forget, Novak slipped by Castle and Reece too. Novak was just better than us today. Your inability to find balance with me being a part of this equation is your issue, not mine. But a word of advice—practice until you can.”
He snatched Novak’s copy of the Washington Post off the table.
“I’m taking a break.” Cole stormed out of the room.
Balance had never been an issue. She didn’t allow her personal life to invade work. Her world was simple, small, sterile…because he hadn’t been in it. Now the lines were blurring.
Practice until you can. When did he start talking like a Chinese fortune cookie?
The sudden tightness in her chest was an irksome weight.
Janet breezed in with a fresh pot of coffee, plugged in the carafe, and marched out with the pep of the Energizer bunny.
“You’re right,” Gideon said, typing on the virtual keyboard, not looking at her.
“Thank you.” The validation was a relief.
“But he was also right.”
She stiffened, not seeing how that could be the case. And quite frankly, right now, she wasn’t inclined to try.
* * *
Gray Box Headquarters, Northern Virginia
5:30 p.m. EDT
In the bathroom, Maddox pressed a cold, wet paper towel to her eyes. Two minutes of this while taking deep breaths was the best quick refresher.
The door opened and closed. Based on the sound of the shoes—a quiet rubber sole—on the tile and the cadence of the step, it was Amanda. Instinct prodded her to look and find out for certain, but she had another minute to go.
“It’s just me,” Amanda said, entering a stall.
Her friend knew her well. “Thanks.”
Maddox let her shoulders relax and absorbed the cool sensation penetrating her eye sockets, clearing her mind.
An image of Cole popped into her brain—him lying
on the hood of the truck like he owned the world. He was right. She did need to take a break, the physical kind with him, only not now. She blocked him out.
Amanda flushed and washed her hands.
Maddox tossed the paper towel away.
“You look stressed to the max,” Amanda said. “Are you pulling another all-nighter here?”
“If I have to, but…”
Thoughts of Cole boomeranged back. She always shared her sexual exploits with Amanda. The intimate details of making lo…what she’d shared…with Cole last night were private, but not saying anything to one of her closest friends was like having the juiciest secret tap-dancing on her tongue. If she didn’t drag it into the light, acknowledge it to someone else, did it really happen?
“But what?” Amanda asked.
Maddox shrugged. “I’m kind of hoping to get another workout in later.” She couldn’t hide the grin that stole across her lips. The tingle in her fingers and the stupid kick of her heart were confirmation: it had indeed happened.
“Another? With who?” Amanda eyed her speculatively. “The badass-looking hottie?”
Maddox’s grin spread to a deep smile.
“Omigod, you’ve already had sex with him?” Amanda gave her a playful nudge. “You work fast.”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it, over lots of wine, once this mission is done.”
“I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on me. You know I have to live vicariously through you.” Amanda sighed. “I miss sex. Correction. I miss good, steamy sex. Especially the early morning kind, when you roll over, half asleep, and one touch leads to another until you’re both wide awake.” She tipped her head back and did a little shimmy.
Memories rolled in, threatening to carry Maddox to a place she wasn’t prepared to go, where lust and love inextricably entwined. She remembered how good it’d once felt to fall asleep curled in his arms, covered in the scent of him. In the twilight, how his touch could rouse her from the throes of slumber, loose a sigh, get her aching and wet when they were barely even awake.
“The ultimate stress reliever.” Amanda fluffed her hair and checked her face in the mirror. “If you’ve finally found a man you want to do the mambo with more than once, do not hesitate to lock down that totally lickable man. I bet early morning sex with him is hot.”