“Time is money, gentlemen.” No doubt, we interrupted an important meeting.
In the silence, I take the lead. “Special Agent Wulf here. The assistant deputy director has arrested Dr. Guinivere McGee and Lucky’s wife, Calliope.”
The man hisses under his breath. “What’s the charge?”
“Selling secrets to foreign entities. Give me a moment to explain. The FBI suspected Dr. McGee was leaking intel and tasked me with finding evidence. At my request, I asked Lucky’s wife to hold a team-building exercise at Rehoboth Beach. Out of her regular environment, I’d hoped my suspect would get sloppy. Instead, a Canadian mercenary used an RF weapon on her co-worker, Henry, who was collaborating with her. They were actually selling false intel, which is a long story, better suited for when you arrive. Are you with me so far?”
“Please continue.”
“The same man ambushed us as we were returning to DC. While cuffed in the back seat, he threatened Gwen’s daughter, and she used my gun to shoot him in the leg. From my understanding, he only needed ten stitches, but the locals are charging her with attempted murder.”
“Why aren’t the Feds taking over the investigation?” Quinn’s sharp mind gives me hope.
“Excellent point. The suspect had a bitcoin flash drive worth half a million dollars. This is where it gets interesting. The code to unlock it came from Congressman Rhinesmith’s email.”
“Understood. Don’t talk to anyone about anything. I’m in Virginia. I can be there in a couple of hours.”
After he hangs up, Lucky and I create a plan, and I wait for my boss to call. Grinning, I whistle and walk back into the building.
Payback’s a bitch, motherfucker.
Chapter 23
If you run from a wolf, you may run into a bear.~Lithuanian proverb
Gwen
“Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium…” Sitting in the FBI’s interrogation room, I give up fighting the tears and let them fall.
Axel Wulf played me.You’re the one who told me to seduce her.The phrase plays in an endless loop inside my head. I was nothing more than a mission to him. Dammit, I haven’t changed a bit. The moment a man shows interest in me, I bite his dangled hook and end up in the frypan. What a pathetic loser I am.
After waiting for over an hour, Wulf’s boss opens the door, sits, and scoots his chair next to mine. While he invades my personal space, he threatens to take my kid away and imprison me in Guantanamo Bay.
“L A W Y E R. Lawyer.” I’m tired of being Miss Crapped-Upon. Now, I am a lion, and they are going to feel my teeth in their backside.
You go, girl.
As I wait for my court-appointed attorney, a familiar voice curses in the hall. Standing, I rattle the locked handle and put my ear to the door.
Holy shit, Dr. Calliope James is pissed. I had no idea she’s besties with the president, and from what I’m hearing, neither did the FBI dumbass who arrested us.
Soon, the conversation in the hall dies down. All grows silent except for the buzz of the overhead light, the tick-tock of an old clock on the wall, and the hiss of my breath.
“Cobalt, nickel, copper…” By the time I reach tantalum, my lids grow heavy.
The next thing I register is a stranger calling out my name. “Doctor McGee? Are you awake?”
When I open my eyes, I wonder if I’ve died and gone to heaven. The man approaching me might be the Archangel Gabriel. That is, if he wore a designer suit, starched white shirt, and paisley silk tie.
While I escape from the cobwebs of sleep, the handsome god holds out his hand, “I’m your lawyer, Andrew Quinn.”
“Glad to meet you.”
Honey, you cannot afford him.On the same page as shoulder-Beyoncé, I open my mouth to explain but stop short. A chill runs down my spine, and I’m overwhelmed by a sense of dread. The last time this happened, my daughter had been in a car accident. “Mr. Quinn, before we get started, I need to knowAbigailis safe. She’s staying in Rehoboth, Delaware, with her father. The FBI put a guard on her, but something is wrong. I know it.”
The man studies my face for a moment and makes a call. “Lochlan? I’m here with Doctor McGee. We need an update on her kid. Yes, I’ll hold.”
After what feels like an eternity, Mr. Quinn presses the speaker icon and places his phone on speaker so I can hear Lucky’s question. “Did you give your ex-husband permission to take her to the UK?”
