Catching Cade's gaze, Tristan whispered, "You think that's who's looking for me?"
"Probably."
Tristan sucked in a breath, nodded and focused on Hamm's voice through the phone.
"What are we doing to find this Handler?" asked an unfamiliar voice.
"I've had spiders deployed on the dark web for weeks, but he's elusive, and I haven't found anything to establish or trace his location yet," Annabeth answered.
Hamm added, "Last night, the driver who transported the girl to location one was followed home, where Rodriguez and Taylor questioned him. He doesn't know who the Handler is and has never seen him. The Handler calls and gives him an assignment, and others pay him when he delivers. That's all he knows.
"We're holding him here and are monitoring his phone. If the Handler contacts him, we'll see if we can get to him through the driver."
"But if the operation is sunk, the Handler has no reason to call," someone observed.
"That's true, but he's our only connection to the Handler right now. We'll keep looking."
The silence that followed was telling, and Tristan's heart sank. Chancing a look at Cade and seeing him frown confirmed his fear that finding this Handler was not going to be easy or quick.
"Anything else we haven't covered?"
When no one spoke, Hamm continued, "Okay then. You know what to do. Don't mess this up. We've got a lot of scared kids in there."
"Understood," said several voices.
Cade disconnected the phone, and Tristan stared at the grains running through the wooden table, his worry swelling once more.
"So your team, they're all good? They'll get Natalie out, and not, like, accidentally shoot her or something?"
"Yes, they're the best. Rodriguez is a weapons expert who's been shooting guns since he was a toddler. He's smart, fast and efficient. Taylor is ex-military, tough as nails, nerves of steel. You can count on him to be calm under any circumstances. And Tag,even though he's a huge asshole, is a smart tactician who can assess any situation and adjust on a dime. They're a solid, highly trained team, Tris, so no, no one's going to accidentally shoot her or the other girls."
Satisfied, Tristan voiced another nagging concern. "And after we get Natalie, she and I will have to keep hiding until you find the Handler, right?"
"Yes."
"How long do you think that will take?"
"I don't know."
"Will you be the one protecting us when that happens?"
Pressing his mouth into a hard line, Cade admitted again. "I don't know."
"Okay," Tristan mumbled as that truth sank in. "And then, when the Handler is found, then what happens?"
Cade shrugged. "You take Natalie home, get her some therapy, and go back to your life," he said, avoiding eye contact.
Now that the moment was upon him, Tristan's mouth went dry, and his heart thumped erratically in his chest. Despite his fear, he forced out the words.
"I mean with us."
Cade's whole body stiffened, and some unreadable emotion flashed across his face before he schooled his features into a neutral expression.
"Like I said, you go back to normal."
"That's it? That's all you're going to say?" Tristan challenged, his chest constricting from rejection and annoyance.
As his dark eyebrows furrowed, Cade's jaw clenched, but his expression remained passive. "What else would I say?"
