But as our car pulls away from the restaurant, I catch a glimpse of Elena in the side mirror—standing on the corner, phone pressed to her ear, watching our departure with the focused intensity of a cobra.
Two million dollars well spent, perhaps.But the true cost is yet to be determined.
ChapterThirty-Three
Brie
The KOAN debrief takes place the next day in a nondescript Midtown office building, the kind of anonymous space that could house anything from accounting firms to import businesses.Hudson leads us through the aftermath with military precision—what went right, what went wrong, and what Elena’s next moves might be once she’s cornered.
He’s not happy I went against his directive, but Quinn’s calm “she saved the op” undercuts his reprimand—I owe her for taking the blast radius on that call.Hudson’s scowl at her voice over the speaker tells me she’ll take heat for defending me.
“Pierce is currently being questioned,” Hudson reports, scrolling his tablet.“FBI with Kansas authorities.Picked him up at his office two hours ago.”
Pierce’s arrest will send ripples through Crawford’s donor network.The senator’s coordinating with Alicia Morgan to manage potential fallout.
“What about Elena?”I ask.One scenario we worried over is that we wouldn’t get to the right people for an investigation, or that someone in her network would bury it.
“She’s gone.By the time federal agents reached her last known address, the apartment had been cleaned out.Furniture still there, but closets mostly cleared.Running theory is she got word that feds were going to pick up Pierce, and she acted.”
“She’s choosing to flee, not lawyer up,” Noah says, head tilted, thoughtful.
I’m not entirely surprised.Elena Vasquez struck me as someone with an exit strategy.
“So we won,” I say, though the words feel hollow.“Crawford’s safe.If any of his business comes out in deposition or court, I’m sure Alicia has a plan.Pierce is in custody and even if he walks, a court case is in his future and any threats he’s made are substantially weakened, and Elena’s operation is blown.”
“No announcement yet, but rumor is she’s out as deputy chief of staff.But…” He pauses.“Vasquez is still out there, with resources.If she’d stayed, the money would bleed into defense.On the lam, she may take a different tack.”
“Revenge?”I ask.Fine hairs lift; the chill beads under my skin.
“If I were her, I’d take a step back and assess the damage,” Quinn says.“The good news is, all evidence has been passed on to the authorities—in duplicate.I wouldn’t be surprised if Pierce talks to cut himself a deal.If you’re wondering if she’s going to go after d’Avricourt, I don’t see the point.She won’t gain anything other than adding to the list of charges against her.”
Hudson looks at the phone that’s placed on the table, the source of Quinn’s voice.It’s odd that he keeps her down in North Carolina most of the time, but maybe she doesn’t like to travel.I’ve never asked.
“I tend to agree with Quinn.The risk level is low, but it’s not non-existent.d’Avricourt’s residence is secure, correct?”
“Yes,” I nod, but honestly, if Elena were to go after him, I’d envision a setup that feels disconnected from her; a mugging gone wrong in an alley, or a stray bullet that could be blamed on gangs.“What about Alicia Morgan?”
“Her primary residence is in Georgetown,” Noah answers.“I can check it out.Do an assessment, but she’s known as the fixer.I’d expect this isn’t the first time she’s been in a risky situation.”
“True,” Hudson agrees.“And it would be odd for anyone to hold anything against her.She was acting on behalf of a client.But doing an assessment on her home is a good idea.If anything does happen, we’ll be faster with recommendations.”
“Sure thing,” Noah says.
The meeting continues for another hour, covering security protocols and ongoing monitoring, but I find my attention drifting.We’ve accomplished what we set out to do, yet something feels unfinished.Elena fleeing doesn’t sit right.She’s what?Early sixties.Would she really disappear to a non-extradition territory never to be heard from again?Didn’t Moira say she’s too ambitious?
By the time I return to Adrien’s penthouse, evening shadows are lengthening across Manhattan.The city lights twinkle beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, beautiful and distant, like stars in an alien sky.
We arrived within minutes of each other—me from my meeting in midtown, him coming from his nearby office.When I arrived, he’d been waiting in the lobby, likely tracking my approach on his phone.He brushed a kiss across my cheek and we silently ascended to his home.We pass wordlessly through the foyer of his penthouse and the gleaming center table with orchids and a new, stunning fall floral arrangement.
My gaze lingers on the polished walnut table and memory hits—him kneeling, mouth and hands, heat flooding back so fast it leaves me oddly hollow after, missing the urgency and hating this despondent echo.We won.I shouldn’t feel like this.But I do, and I can tell Adrien feels the same.
I follow him through the penthouse to the wine alcove off the great room.He quickly selects a bottle and sets about uncorking it.
“Busy day?”I ask, knowing he’s likely been insanely busy.
“Eddie isn’t someone I can trust, but he did a lot.I’ll need a replacement—fast.And now I have two more on staff to terminate, although thankfully they weren’t managing directors.”
“No?”
