Backlash

by Rachel Dylan

  Even though Layla had never intended to be more than an analyst, she’d gone through training at the Farm because the CIA insisted. Now maybe that training was going to be put to good use. “I’ll be on guard, believe me.”

  “Good. Because your life may depend on it.”

  Hunter arrived at the hospital and, after pushing through some red tape, found out where Layla was. When he got to her room, he heard a female voice talking in hushed tones. Taking a deep breath, he knocked before peeking his head inside.

  Hunter didn’t recognize the tall, slender brunette with glasses by Layla’s side. But his eyes immediately went to Layla. Alive . . . she was alive. Yes, Elijah had told him that, but he had to confirm it with his own eyes.

  Even though he could tell Layla was injured, she still looked gorgeous. Her long, wavy black hair flowed past her shoulders. When she made eye contact with him, neither of them said a word.

  The woman walked over to him and stretched out her hand. “Scarlett Bell. You must be a friend of Layla’s.”

  He took her hand. “Hunter McCoy.”

  As he said his name, he saw a flash of recognition in Scarlett’s eyes. Unfortunately, she knew exactly who he was.

  “I’ll be back later to check on you. I’m going to see Viv.” Scarlett leaned down and whispered something in Layla’s ear before making her way to the door.

  Hunter turned his attention to Layla and walked over to her bedside. “I know I don’t have any right to be here, but when I heard you were injured in the attack, I had to come.”

  She didn’t immediately respond, and an awkward silence filled the room. Would she tell him to hit the road? Or worse? He clenched his fists by his sides and hoped she would say something soon.

  “How did you even know I was here?” she asked softly.

  “Elijah works for Alexandria PD. He told me.” He knew Layla would remember Elijah, given how much time she’d spent around him back when they were together.

  More silence. This had probably been a bad idea, but there was no going back now. He stood in front of her, looking right into her dark brown eyes, and he was finding it hard to steady his breathing. There was something about her that cut to his core. And his decisions had ripped apart everything they’d had together.

  “I’ve had quite a day,” she whispered, almost like she was defeated. “But you really don’t need to be here, Hunter.”

  He exhaled, not ready to give up. “What are the doctors saying?”

  “I’ll be okay. Concussion and some bumps and bruises, but it could’ve been much worse.” Her voice started to shake.

  It took every ounce of willpower in his body not to hold her and try to comfort her. Instead, he took a tentative step forward. “But you’re alive, and that’s what matters.”

  “Have you heard anything about the investigation?” she asked.

  “Minimal. FBI is working a terrorism angle, and Alexandria PD and FBI are on the scene.”

  She bit her bottom lip.

  He knew that was one of her tells. “Is there something you know?”

  “No. I wish I did.”

  He’d known Layla well enough to see she wasn’t telling him everything, but he wasn’t in any position to push her.

  He heard motion behind him and turned. Two men stood in the doorway. The taller one spoke.

  “Ms. Karam, I’m Agent Blakely, and this is Agent Jones from the FBI. Can we ask you some questions?”

  “Sure,” Layla said.

  That was Hunter’s cue to leave. “I’ll check on you later.”

  “That’s not necessary,” she said.

  But there was no way he was just going to slip away, never to be heard from again.

  Hunter walked out of the room and stood outside of the agents’ line of sight, then pretended like he was looking at his phone while he listened to the conversation. He knew he shouldn’t, but he needed to know she was okay.

  Agent Blakely cleared his throat. “Let’s start at the beginning. You were having lunch at the Old Town Grille?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who were you with?”

  “My friend Vivian Steele. Izzy Cole was going to meet us, but she was running late.”

  “Do you remember anything suspicious? Anything out of place?” Agent Jones asked.

  “No. We were waiting for our food to arrive. Everything was very normal, like it usually is.”

  Hunter’s gut was screaming that something was off. There was some reason that Layla was holding back, and he had no idea why.

  Agent Jones cleared his throat. “And you work for the State Department?”

  “Yes,” she said without hesitation.

  Hunter was one of a handful of people who knew State was just a cover for Layla.

  “And your friend works there too, right?” Jones asked.

  “Yes. We both do.”

  “Did you go to this restaurant often?”

  “Every Saturday.”

  Hunter realized the importance of that tidbit.

  “Do you know of any other Saturday regulars?” Blakely asked.

  “Not like us. Not every Saturday,” Layla responded.

  “Is there anything you’re working on right now that you feel could put you in danger?” Jones asked.

  That was exactly what Hunter wanted to know.

  “Not that I can think of.”

  “Exactly what do you do at State?” Blakely asked.

  “I’m an analyst in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.”

  Hunter moved closer to get a better look into the room.

  Blakely jotted down some notes and then pulled a card out of his jacket. “If you think of anything else, please give me a call. We’ll be following up as the investigation unfolds.”

  “Thank you.”

  Hunter scurried down the hall to avoid the agents, but he couldn’t stop wondering what kind of trouble Layla was in.

  CHAPTER

  FOUR

  That night, Izzy helped Layla into her condo. Bailey and Viv were there waiting.

  “You didn’t need to go to all of this trouble,” Layla protested. “The doctor said I would be fine.”

  Izzy knew Layla didn’t like all the fuss, but considering the circumstances, it was more than warranted. “We’re doing this because we want to.”

  “Well, Viv needs some TLC too,” Layla said.

  Viv patted Layla’s arm. “I didn’t get hit in the head like you did.”

  It was nice how Izzy had become a part of the group. She was the youngest of them all, and she looked to each of the other women for advice and guidance. Now there was an opportunity for her to help in return, and she was going to do just that. “I’ll start making dinner soon. You two just relax. Let Bailey and me handle everything.”

  Layla lifted her hand. “First, I need to talk to everyone. Please sit.”

  Izzy took a seat in one of the chairs.

  “I’ve been placed on administrative leave,” Layla said.

  “Because of the bombing?” Izzy asked. “What about Viv? Have you too?”

  Layla and Viv exchanged a glance, and something passed between them.

  Izzy felt like the odd one out. “What am I missing?”

  Layla shook her head. “It’s just me. This has nothing to do with Viv. There’s an internal investigation. I have no idea why I’m being investigated, and neither does my boss. But for now, I’m not going to be working until this is sorted out.”

  Izzy looked at Bailey, who also remained silent. “So this investigation doesn’t have anything to do with the bombing?”

  “They are acting like it’s a totally separate thing,” Layla said.

  “And you’re not so sure,” Izzy guessed.

  “Here’s what I do know. I’ve felt like someone has been watching me for the past couple of weeks. Today, the restaurant I frequent every single Saturday like clockwork was the site of an explosion. And then, on top of that, I’m told that I’m being investigated by the IG’s off
ice. Does that seem right to any of you?”

  Izzy bit the inside of her cheek as she tried to process this information. She didn’t want to say it, but she thought Layla was hiding something. As she looked at the other two women in the room, she had the same sinking feeling. Since she didn’t have the tight bonds built from years of trust like they did, she didn’t think it was her place to interrogate Layla. Especially not after the day they’d had. She’d let it go for now, but she was determined to figure out why she was being kept in the dark.

  “There’s more,” Viv said. “Bailey found out that the tourists sitting at our normal table were among the casualties.”

  Layla nodded. “That bomb was meant for me.”

  Silence filled the room for a minute.

  “But why would you have been targeted? You’re an analyst at State. Why try to take you out?” Izzy asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Layla responded.

  “I’ve got another question,” Bailey said. “How did you feel about seeing Hunter today?”

  “What?” Viv asked loudly. “Hunter? When did you see him?”

  Layla sighed. “He heard about me being hurt in the bombing and came to see me in the hospital.”

  “Wow,” Viv muttered.

  “Yeah, I ran into him on his way out,” Bailey said. “He looked like he was starstruck to me.”

  “Who is Hunter?” Izzy was once again confused.

  When Layla didn’t immediately answer, Bailey spoke. “Hunter was Layla’s boyfriend in law school. The relationship ended badly when Hunter cheated on her.”

  “Oh. I’m so sorry.” Izzy still wasn’t convinced that many good men existed in the world. She’d borne her fair share of heartache in that department. She was still in counseling regarding the assault that happened to her at the hands of a police sergeant.

  “Yeah, I don’t talk about it much, but Hunter really hurt me,” Layla said quietly. “We haven’t had much communication since we graduated from Georgetown.”

  Izzy hoped she wasn’t overstepping, but she was concerned about her friend. “How was it today, then?”

  There was so much sadness in Layla’s eyes. “At first I was shocked. I couldn’t really believe it was him. It was hard seeing him standing there. He said he had heard about the bombing and had to come see me.”

  “Word travels fast,” Viv said.

  “Especially if you’re a PI,” Bailey added.

  This story just kept getting more interesting by the moment, but Izzy couldn’t help but be angry at this Hunter guy, because he’d obviously caused Layla so much pain. The fact that he’d come to see her today made Izzy think there was even more to it. That seemed to be the theme of the day.

  After Izzy and Bailey went into the kitchen, Layla turned to Viv. “I hate lying to Izzy, but I think it’s best. I shouldn’t have even made the comment about me being a target. I was speaking too freely around her. I’ll need to be more guarded going forward.”

  Viv nodded. “Yeah. Even if we’ve become super close with Izzy, that doesn’t change the stringent requirements you face.” She turned to face Layla on the couch. “You think this has to do with the DEA joint mission you told me about?”

  “Given that this is the second incident involving the team, and some additional intel I got from Scarlett, yes.”

  “Scarlett came to see me too. She said she was worried about you but didn’t want to get into all the details. There’s more to all of this, isn’t there?”

  “Yes, but I’m telling you as much I can right now.” It was for the best to keep some information to herself.

  Viv gave an understanding nod. “If Scarlett is worried, then I’m worried. She doesn’t scare easily. Her reputation at State is for being about as hard-nosed as one can be.”

  “Yeah. I’m fortunate to have her as a mentor—and a friend. It’s good to have someone watch my back outside of the Agency.” Layla was learning quickly that having people on your side meant everything.

  “How many people were on your team?” Viv asked.

  “Four, including me.”

  “Where does the IG investigation come into this?”

  “I’m not sure. I know they were reviewing my actions associated with the WSI case and how I helped Bailey, but I was told pretty soon after that happened that I had followed protocol and that there were no further issues—especially when you consider the Agency’s involvement in all of it. That was supposed to be a done deal.”

  “Maybe it isn’t? And those impacted are calling in some favors to exact revenge?”

  “But then, why would I be the only one in the crosshairs? What about Bailey and Marco and the rest of the NCIS team, including Izzy?”

  Viv grabbed her hand. “The bombing was too close of a call. If there is someone out there who wants to hurt you, and if this was in any way connected to that, then you’re in real danger. You need to figure out how you’re going to protect yourself.”

  “I know.”

  “You could come stay with me,” Viv offered.

  “No way. I’m not bringing you into this any more than you already are. I have a state-of-the-art security system here, and I’m more than confident in my gun-handling skills.”

  Viv was quiet for a moment. “Maybe you should reach out to Hunter.”

  “You cannot be serious.”

  “He’s a PI. Maybe he can help.”

  Layla tried to stay calm. “Even if I was to consider your suggestion, there are a million reasons why I shouldn’t.”

  “Layla, I know you don’t want to hear it, but I have to be in brutal-honesty mode right now. You’ve got multiple threats coming at you from all sides, and we can’t be sure what the exact cause is.”

  “But then what? I reach out and what happens?”

  “I don’t have the answers, but a PI would be just the person to help you investigate—especially in relation to the IG review.”

  “You know it’s a lot more difficult than me just picking up the phone and calling Hunter. There is so much history there. If you’re right and I need someone, then I should find an investigator who can start with a blank slate. Be objective. Not bring all the baggage with him.”

  Viv’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, but you can’t do that, because no one else can know what you do for a living. Hunter is one of the few people who already does know. That’s a game changer.”

  “I can’t go to him for help. There’s no trust there anymore. I’ll have to do this my way.” Layla hugged Viv tightly. “But thank you, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  On Sunday, DEA Agent Zane Carter walked out of an Alexandria sub shop and headed to his SUV. When someone grabbed his arm, he turned, ready for battle with his other fist reared back.

  But he relaxed when he saw the woman in front of him. “Cass, you ought to be glad I didn’t flatten you.”

  “I need to talk to you,” Cass said with a shaky voice.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Let’s get into your car.”

  “All right.” He unlocked his vehicle with the key fob, and Cass jumped into the passenger seat. He’d worked with Cass for about four years, and he’d never seen her act like this. She was always so level-headed. Cool as a cucumber, regardless of the mission or danger they faced in the field.

  For a split second, the unthinkable occurred to him. What if Cass was strung out on something? It wouldn’t be the first time something like that had happened to even celebrated agents. But he quickly pushed that thought out of his mind and turned his attention back to her.

  “Talk to me, Cass.”

  “Drive.”

  He did as she instructed.

  “The cartel is out to kill our team.”

  “I know you’re still shaken up about the break-in at your house, but we need to take things one step at a time and not jump to any conclusions.” Cass had told him about the tattoos she’d identified on her attacker, but it had been dark, and she’d been fighting the man off, so he wasn’t a
hundred percent sure this was linked just yet.

  “There’s no jumping to conclusions. I’m sure you heard about the bombing in Old Town yesterday. Layla was there.”

  His stomach clenched. “She was? Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. I spoke to her a few minutes ago. She has some minor injuries but will be okay. She goes to that restaurant every Saturday for lunch. This was planned.”

  “You think this is a coordinated effort to take out our team?” Zane’s mind went into overdrive.

  “I do, because I’m not done updating you. Layla also talked to Scarlett Bell.”

  “What did she say?” Scarlett always had the best intel.

  “Get this. Her contacts are telling her that the word on the street is that Roberto Mejía was killed during our operation.”

  Zane’s grip tightened on the wheel. “Are you sure? Could it be the cartel feeding our sources misinformation?”

  “Scarlett thinks it’s solid intel, and it would explain the major backlash we’re getting.”

  “Okay, I get the motive, but how would Diego know who to come after? We were extremely careful with cutting any video surveillance.”

  Cass shrugged. “I’m not sure. That’s one of the many unknowns.”

  “We should go see Diaz and brief him on the latest developments.” John Diaz was a seasoned DEA agent and the fourth member of their team.

  “Glad we’re on the same page. I’ll punch his address into my GPS.” Cass pulled her phone out of her jacket.

  “He’s in Arlington, right?” Zane asked.

  “Yeah. Since it’s Sunday, the traffic shouldn’t be too bad. We can do it in fifteen minutes from here.”

  “How did you know where to find me?” Zane asked.

  “You love that sub shop. I swung by your place first, and when you weren’t there, I figured hitting up your favorite restaurant was a good plan. The coffee shop down the block was my next option.”

  “You know me pretty well, don’t you, Cass?”

  She gave him a little smile. “We’ve worked together for quite a while.”

  “We have, and we’ve done a lot of dangerous ops in multiple countries. What went south here?”