“I don’t know.” As a sob escapes me, he hisses.
“Where?” The raw edge in my sibling’s voice spikes my blood pressure.
“I don’t know that either.”
“Put me on speaker.” He gives me a few seconds before asking, “Fed, are you there?”
“Yup.” Tone firm, Hunt’s hand lands on my shoulder and squeezes.
“Fix this.”
Holy shit, I don’t think I’ve ever heard Kade sound so furious.
“Working on it. We’ll keep in touch.” Thank heaven, Wildlife takes no offense but me? I’m mortified.
Ending the call, I watch the double yellow lines curve this way and that before putting words to my thoughts. “Why the hell can’t we find a judge and ask for a warrant?”
Hunt frowns, letting the silence stretch. “Do you think we have enough evidence?”
I shake my head. “No—If only I could talk to Dante. He’s the key to all of this.”
“Right. So, tell me where he is.” His narrowed gaze strips away my last excuses. I’ve dodged his question for too long. My mentor values his privacy, but this is something way more important. Without the border chief’s input, people could die.
“He has a shack in the middle of nowhere. No power. No roads. It’s a mile hike, all uphill. I’ll take you but be prepared. He’ll be pissed.” Cringing, I imagine Dante’s bright red face as he swears over a pot of the thick sludge he calls coffee.
Scott furrows his brows, knuckles white on the helm. “Angry? Hell, so am I. First light, we’ll head out.”
He inhales, then exhales through his teeth. “Perhaps Wulf has a better play.”
Jaw jutted, he places his call while muttering, “Pick up, pick up.”
Five tortuous rings later, his groggy, irritated friend answers. “Damn, bro, don’t you ever sleep?”
Speaking as if each second counts, my FBI guy leans forward. “Didn’t plan on dragging you back into this. Shit’s hit the fan. The Iranians didn’t simply smuggle in ricin—they brought an army of chemists. Whatever they’re up to? It’s happening soon. Washington’s in chaos. I already called Patten. They’re sending as many men as they can spare.”
The pause in conversation lasts so long I wonder if Wulf got disconnected. Finally, he sucks in his breath. “Poisoning a whole city? Is this what you’re thinking?”
Hunt laughs, but it holds no humor. “Unless you know some humanitarian use for ricin, yeah.”
“Jesus, who knows about this?” Wide awake now, Hunt’s inside man sounds almost as freaked out as I feel.
“Besides the Iranians? Me, Kelly, Lucky, Slate, and now you.”
“What about Hornsby?”
Scott snorts out his derision. “My boss, the Counter Czar? He doesn’t know. Listen Axel, every bone in my body says we’re hours away from a disaster, the likes we’ve never seen before.”
“Understood. I’ll do whatever it takes.” His lack of hesitation gives me hope.
Once he’s hung up, Scott shakes his head, no doubt trying to dispel the same demons as me. “That’s it. Every favor I’ve ever been owed. Cashed in.”
Anchorless, floating over an abyss of terror, I reach for his knee. Despite his coiled-up tension, his rock-solid muscles giveme strength. Picturing a calm day on Lake Champlain, I wiggle my fingers, release my death grip on his leg, and pray.
Chapter 28
Hunt
After dropping Ahmad with the lady sheriff, Kelly and I return to my hotel. Unable to keep our eyes open, we fall asleep.
