Julio put his things away, went to the bedroom and brought back the two burner phones. Together, they took them from their packages and programmed the numbers into them. Knowing they probably wouldn’t get a chance to see each other anytime soon, he watched as she slipped the phone in her briefcase and then took her hand, leading her back to bed.
Early the next morning, Rebecca leaned over him, kissing him softly. He stretched lazily and sat up, surprised to see her dressed.
“They called me in,” she explained as she sat on the bed’s edge. “I have to fly home.”
His hand slid to the side of her neck as his thumb caressed her cheek. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. “I have to go,” she whispered.
“Be careful,” he warned. “I love you, Becca.”
“Love you, more,” she whispered, kissing him.
Julio watched her walk out the door, admiring her confident stride. Swinging the covers back, he got up and dressed. Something gnawed at his gut, making him go over their conversation in his mind. Maybe Becca’s uneasiness caused him to react. At the first sign of danger, he’d pull her out, regardless of whether they lost their jobs. Rebecca Rhodes was the first woman he ever loved, and he knew she’d be the last.
CHAPTER TWO
Rebecca smiled as she passed her coworkers, greeting them as she headed to her office. Putting her briefcase at the edge of her desk, she closed the door and took out the burner phone Julio gave her the night before. Slipping it into her boot, she sat down at her desk and turned on her computer. Clicking on the history, she bit her lip as she noticed several attempts to retrieve Avie Rahimi’s location.
Agent Harrison tapped on the glass and opened the door. “Director Jackson wants to see us. He’s in a bad mood,” he warned.
“Great. I haven’t even drunk my coffee yet,” she grumbled as she closed her computer and walked down the hall with Agent Harrison. “What’s got him riled up?” she asked as she sipped from her mug.
“Some new intel came in last night concerning Rahimi. He’s pissed the bastard made it in the country,” Agent Warren Harrison said in a low voice.
“We’ve only gotten snippets of chatter. No one pinned him to one place. Where did he enter?” she asked, feigning innocence.
“Rahimi entered through Canada,” he informed as they entered her director’s office.
“It’s about damn time,” her boss grumbled. “Why am I hearing third hand about Rahimi’s whereabouts?”
“We didn’t pinpoint him close to any borders. The information we received showed he remained in Afghanistan,” she said calmly. “Do you know where he’s headed?” she asked, hoping her expression didn’t give anything away.
Director Jackson rose and paced the floor. “Word has it, he’s searching for his wife and child after escaping US custody. We need to get a team there, pronto. Avie Rahimi and her son may be in danger as we speak.”
“She’s safe,” Rebecca assured him. “I have her stashed in a remote location. He won’t even think to search for her there.”
“Where?” he demanded.
She shook her head. “The fewer people who know, the better.”
“Damn it, Rebecca,” he pounded on his desk. “Do you want to take the heat when he snatches her up? She’s a credible witness and gave us multiple weapons stashes. We owe it to her to keep her safe.”
“She’s good,” she said firmly, already planning her escape route.
“Fine. I want you on the investigation. According to the last report, he entered using the name Hamid Karimi,” the director informed them. “I have two agents already working on facial recognition. Hopefully, they have some leads for you.”
Agent Harrison stood up and opened the door to leave when the director called out, “Rhodes, I’d like a word.”
Rebecca nodded and waited until Harrison left. “What can I do for you, sir?”
“Move Avie Rahimi. Take Harrison with you tonight and get her settled,” he ordered.
“No. She’s secure. I have measures in place to ensure no one finds her,” she said firmly. She relocated Avie to Greenville, Maine, under an assumed name, a fake wig and turned Deni into a girl, which he didn’t appreciate. Rebecca used two agents from Arkansas whom she worked with some months ago. Avie and she communicated through email with a cheap laptop she kept in the women’s bathroom vent at her local coffee shop. Leaving the messages in the drafts folder, she waited until Avie repeated the same technique. In her last check-in, she reported everything seemed fine until a few weeks ago. Two men entered the town asking questions, and she took Deni for a weeklong trip. When Avie returned, the men were gone. After several moves, she chalked it up to her overactive imagination. Rebecca, armed with the knowledge of Rahimi’s escape and current re-entry, didn’t plan to leave it to chance.
Her director stared at her for a few moments, trying to intimidate her into doing his bidding, but she remained firm. She refused to upheave Avie and Deni again when they held no connection to the place.
“If you don’t need anything else, I’ll join Harrison and track Rahimi down,” she said, hoping he dropped the idea.
“Fine. Keep me informed,” he said, glancing at his computer.
