Not willing to back down or buy into that grumpy-as-shit attitude, Ward just sat there, totally in the way. “Poor baby.”
“Okay, then. I see this is going to happen no matter what I say.” With a scrape and a clunk, Ford opened the locker and threw a pair of jeans and a tee on the bench next to Ward. “Let me shower first.”
Nice try at avoidance, but he had known Ford too long to let it fly. “Hold off.”
“Why?”
“If it helps, I’m skipping the ‘I told you so’ part on Shay and jumping over the million questions about whether your cover is blown.”
Ford straddled the locker room bench and sat down a few feet away from Ward. “For some reason that makes me more nervous than your yelling.”
“Proves you’re smarter than everyone thinks.”
“Insults. That’s great.”
Now that he had Ford’s attention, he planned to use it. “I want to talk about the other issue we keep circling and ignoring.”
“Another one? Shit, how many issues do we have right now?”
Ward got up and walked toward the showers. He turned a faucet and the water came on. The steady fall against the tiles functioned as white noise as it sent steam billowing in the shower area. He gestured for Ford to join him in front of the pounding water.
Ford hung up a towel on the hook just outside the open stall. “I don’t usually shower with a guy on the first date, but if Tasha’s okay with it—”
“A mole.”
The amusement left Ford’s face as his mouth flattened into a straight line. “What?”
“You and I both know someone leaked intel about our operation in Hampstead. There’s no other explanation for the armed guard and the timed explosion.”
“And the DC warehouse shootout had all the earmarks of a setup.”
Ward didn’t need to say more. He knew from the comment and how out of sorts Ford had been on this job that they were on the same page. The idea might also have been in the back of some team members’ minds. For Ward, it stayed at the front, drilled into his brain. “The bad guys seem to know when we’re coming.”
Ford nodded. “That’s what I’ve been saying.”
Taking the final step, Ward put his latest concern on the table. “I’m thinking Matt’s records might have been cleaned up before we got to him.”
Droplets of water splashed against Ward’s arm, and the humidity made his shirt stick to his back. His office might have been a better place for this conversation, but when you didn’t trust your coworkers to keep quiet, you couldn’t trust them not to plant listening devices either.
They had sensors to pick up and block those sorts of things and Security conducted an office sweep every morning. But they all knew the schedule. Someone who really wanted information could handpick a way to listen in and move devices around in time.
Ward hated the paranoia and how it infected everything.
“You know I agree with all of this, right?” Ford asked. “I’m the one who’s been shouting about a double cross from the beginning.”
“I know.” While they were laying out the factors, they might as well hit the one where his view differed from Ford’s. “I also think you like Harlan for this.”
“Could be he’s working both sides. Not sure why—money, boredom, whatever.”
All possible in the abstract but not in fact. Ward had decided that much. “No.”
“Because he’s one of us? I know you think that matters, but agents turn. The pathetic pieces of crap.”
“Because I’ve been watching and planting pieces of intel and he’s not biting.” This was the part that had ticked Tasha off this morning. She’d stormed out of the kitchen and hadn’t said a word on the ride into work. Ward guessed she was storing it up and he’d have a yelling match on his hands when they got home.
Ford whistled. “Damn, Ward. That’s cold.”
“I know.”
“Sounds like something I would do.” Ford shrugged. “I’m kind of pissed you did it first but I like knowing you can still go there despite being in management.”
That didn’t make Ward feel better about his actions. “You’re not the only one who thinks something is wrong there.”
“Does Tasha know your theory and about your Harlan surveillance?”
Ward was trying to block her reaction from his head so he could get through the day. “Let’s just say we don’t agree on all office procedures.”
Ford made a face that suggested he got how much trouble Ward had created on the home front. “So, what do we do now?”
“You get ready to move Bravo on Anthony’s house.” When the water puddled around Ward’s feet, he shifted to the side but still within noise-covering territory. “He won’t keep anything damning at his office, so it has to be the house.”
“Ellery says the place is locked up with a military grade security system.”
They’d had briefings and gone through blueprints. Taking a closer look at Anthony had been a priority for days. Problem was, Ellery kept finding intel that suggested getting close to Anthony would not be easy.
Which is why he had her handling work-arounds. The sooner Bravo got in there, the better. “I’ll figure out a way. You just need to break in according to plan but be quiet about the tactics.”
“Meaning?” Ford asked.
“Only Ellery, Tasha, and the two of us know the real date and time you’re going in.” Ward’s paranoia spiked and adrenaline surged through him as he talked. The temptation to close that circle even tighter hit him and he fought it off. Ellery had to be included because if the tech experts were working against them, all of Alliance was doomed. “That means no backup and limited tech support. Your guys would be out there on their own.”
Ford shrugged. “We can handle it.”
“It’s dangerous shit.”
“For you maybe. My guys are professionals.”
The ego and self-assurance—Ward counted on Ford for both. “You keep your team on alert, and ready them at the last minute with an order to go radio silent about it.”
It was the best imperfect plan he could come up with out of all the imperfect plans. They were hunting a toxin and a known arms-dealer-turned-potential-terrorist, waiting for an auction that could change the geopolitical dynamics for years to come and now trying to flush out a traitor in the Warehouse. The UK and U.S. created Alliance to handle just this sort of catastrophic perfect storm, but damn, that was a lot to take on, even for these guys.
Ford stepped back and shook his head as he stared at the floor. “I fucking hate going after our own, but this person, whoever it is, needs to go down hard. You should know my inclination is to kill not capture.”
“You can use my gun.” And that was no joke. Ward viewed Alliance as his baby, and having someone fuck with it made him itch to attack.
Ford didn’t stick around for the details. He grabbed the towel and shut off the water. Steps took him toward the lockers again.
“What are you doing?” Ward asked.
“I need to go shoot things.”
Times like these, Ward wished he didn’t have the damn injury and still could grip his gun.
20
THE MINUTE Ford walked up to the Warehouse’s underground, inside gun range, all conversation among his team members stopped. He really wasn’t looking for quality time with the men. Certainly didn’t need conversation. After talking with Ward he wanted to burn shit down.
They definitely had a mole. The last time he’d dealt with someone out for his own interests and switching sides for cash or cover, a good operative had died. An inside guy snitched then, too. The weasel, worried his boss had traced the missing weapons to an inside job, had sold out Tom to buy time and save his own ass. The gunrunner sent mercenaries to cut up the most important person to Tom, Kelly, while he w
atched and begged for her life. Ford had arrived in time to hear the pleading, then see the knife slice across Tom’s throat.
With the fury running wild inside him, he hadn’t left a single mercenary standing.
Now he faced a repeat. Another weasel, this time selling out Alliance. Death would be too easy for whoever the person was. Ford wanted torture. Lasting pain and a moment where the guy knew his life meant nothing. That’s what a guy who helped a lethal toxin see daylight deserved. Agony.
Reid unloaded his gun, checked and rechecked it before setting it down and shifting to the side to make room for Ford at the bay. “Surprised to see you here.”
“I practice now and then just so I don’t accidentally shoot one of you. Ward thinks that sort of thing would break morale.” Before Shay, he’d come down to the gun range and fire round after round. The bangs couldn’t silence the restless anger in his brain, but he’d tried. Now he lost himself in her instead.
Yeah, forget falling. Between the face and the hot mouth, the way she made him want to walk into the light and stand with her, he’d fallen. Past tense. It was too late. He’d blown it and turned the corner from truly liking her—something that was already foreign to him—to loving her.
For the hundredth time since he met her he thought the same thing: he was fucked.
“Do you ever shower?” Lucas asked. “Dude, you stink.”
Ford didn’t try to hide his sarcasm. “With your mom, but she asked me to wait and come by later tonight. We like to wash off after.”
West lifted the portable gun vault onto the counter. Opening it showed off a line of shiny weapons. “Those jokes never get old.”
Lucas laughed. “Are you sure? They seem stale to me.”
“I meant I thought you’d be sleeping in. What with all the late night activity you’re having. You look tired, by the way.” Reid leaned against the cement block wall as he toyed with his karambit.
He handled the curved knife with a precision and expertise people trained years to accomplish and never got close. Reid flipped the karambit around, swiped it through the air, and slipped it back in its sheath on his belt. The man and the knife had proven equally lethal. Together, no one within cutting range stood a chance.
“Something you’re trying to say about what I do in my off time?” Not that Reid hid his idiocy on that topic all that well. Ford knew he meant Shay and that the team was more than a little interested in how much time he spent at her place. As far as he was concerned, they could watch porn if they needed to get off because his private life was going to stay just that for now.
“She is pretty,” West pointed out as he shuffled through the guns in the case.
Ford was not in the mood for a pile on by his men. “Shay?”
“No, Harlan,” Reid scoffed, and threw in a few profane words as well. “Of course we’re talking about Shay.”
West dropped boxes of ammo on the counter. “He doesn’t want to talk about her.”
“Yet you guys keep trying.” Ford reached for his gun but got cock-blocked by West standing in the way. Ford settled for exhaling as he waited for the next round of annoying questions he had no intention of answering.
“When did you break cover?” Reid asked.
“I didn’t.” And he wouldn’t. Still, he had no idea where that shot came from. Could be rumors about the video had started making the rounds in the Warehouse. Lucky him.
“You didn’t leave out something and she found it?” Reid asked.
What the fuck is this about? “Like what?”
West shrugged as he stacked the ammo boxes in a line. “Your gun, maybe.”
Reid smiled. “Or your employment agreement with Alliance.”
Now Ford knew they were just busting his balls. They’d probably seen his separate meetings with Tasha and Ward and figured something was up. He wasn’t ready to set the record straight just yet. “Shut the fuck up.”
West looked around the room. “Who are you talking to?”
That was the easiest question Ford had gotten since he started with Alliance. “All of you.”
Reid came away from the wall to stand next to Lucas. “Ellery almost has the security system at Anthony’s place cracked.”
“We’re changing the topic?” Lucas asked.
Reid threw out a hand in Ford’s direction. “Poor bastard looked ready to bolt, what with all that romance talk. I took pity on him.”
“You can transfer to Delta.” Not that Ford wasn’t grateful for the diversion. For any diversion away from his love life.
Lucas whistled. “Harsh.”
“That sounds ridiculous with the British accent.” And with that, the power shifted again. Ford had regained the upper hand and moved back into the leadership chair. He much preferred being in charge and holding the floor to getting question whiplash from the team.
“I don’t think so.”
They all turned at the sound of the female voice. Ellery stood in the doorway wearing her usual short plaid skirt and sweater. She had barely reached her mid-twenties but the big eyes and relaxed wardrobe made her look even younger.
Ford didn’t notice much about her except that she was pretty in a friend’s baby sister kind of way. Cute and off limits. At least he thought so. But from the way Lucas shot glances in her direction about a hundred times a day, he doubted that Lucas thought of her in a sisterly way.
“Ellery.” Reid smiled and waved her inside. “Give us some good news.”
“Not today. Sorry.” She walked in with a folder in her hand and stopped next to Lucas.
He shifted until their shoulders almost touched. Dumb bastard. Ford bit back a warning on what happened when you dated someone on the job. He knew all too well how it had the potential to backfire.
West groaned. “Now what’s wrong?”
“Anthony is officially investigating Ford.” She handed a folder to Ford. “The alarms went off about an hour ago.”
Lucas glanced down at her. “Alarms?”
Her gaze went to his then skipped away. “I set up a system where I get notified if anyone tries to check any of your aliases or covers.”
Reid frowned. “Sounds like standard operating procedure.”
“Not quite.” Ellery talked with her hands. They waved through the air as she explained. “Most systems notify when people try to go behind firewalls and get into places they shouldn’t be. Mine goes off if anyone checks your names anywhere.”
West winked at her. “I feel safer.”
“Well, I can’t stop the searches. I just redirect them if they get close to information they shouldn’t have.”
That brought up a topic Ford didn’t want to consider but needed to, especially if he was going to take Bravo into Anthony’s house on a secret mission. “How often does that happen? That someone gets that close to us.”
“Never.”
Lucas lifted a hand but stopped just short of touching Ellery’s hair. “Spooky computer genius.”
She sighed and directed it toward Ford. “We have another problem.”
He knew that expression couldn’t be good. “I’m no longer enjoying your visit.”
“Shay ditched the car that was following her.” Ellery made the comment and then winced as if waiting for the fallout.
Ford guessed he should blow up but he’d clearly missed a step. He had no idea anyone but him was watching over Shay. “What?”
“Ward’s orders.”
There came the anger. It rumbled in Ford’s gut and built to a crescendo. “Who and when?”
And then there was the problem about being out of the loop. He’d just stood almost in a shower with Ward and the guy never mentioned the Shay recon. Interesting what facts Ward shared and which ones he didn’t. Ford trusted the man with his life, but this sucked.
“Someone not in Allia
nce,” Ellery said. “I’d give the name but you’d probably try to drown him in the shower.”
“Damn straight.”
Lucas held up a hand. “Take it up with Ward.”
Ford ignored the way Lucas acted as if he had to protect Ellery from him. As if he’d go after her. She was the linchpin of Alliance. They all knew it but rarely admitted it. She could shoot, but her real strength lay in being able to use her computer to get them out of most jams.
“This tail lost her?” he asked.
“He said she was stopping at a series of ATMs.” Ellery motioned to the folder in Ford’s hand. “It looks like she went into one bank, and after he waited for a long time for her to come out, he went in and she was gone. He didn’t expect the subterfuge and is stomping around swearing about it.”
West made a tsk-tsking sound “Her behavior sounds bad, man.”
“Does she have money issues?” Lucas asked.
Ellery answered before Ford could. “Not according to my file on her.”
Standing there, Ford tried to block all of the questions. He needed to concentrate and think, to work through the possibilities of what Shay could be doing and why she felt the need to hide it.
“Thanks, Ellery.” He somehow got the words out even though thoughts and excuses for Shay flooded his brain.
Ellery headed for the door then stopped and turned around again to face them all. “We’re tracking her movements out of the bank using security and government cameras. We should be able to piece together the trail soon.”
West looked at Ellery then back to Ford. “Then what?”
“I don’t know.” That’s all Ford could get out right now.
As if taking pity on him, Reid stepped in. “We have to see, but your cover could be blown.”
“No.” That answer floated through Ford’s head and refused to leave. “Not that.”
“How do you know?” Lucas asked.
“She’s had plenty of chances to kill me in my sleep and didn’t.” If she were engaging in subterfuge and really part of Trent’s plot, then getting rid of him would be no issue for her. Ford understood that much.
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