Her non-answer aside, Sean could make an educated guess on how those process servers had found them, despite their home addresses being restricted. The CIA had probably usurped the Congressional channel and sent a hunting pack after them consisting of a surveillance team to monitor their every move for subpoena purposes or worse. Paired with Stanislav’s precognitive power, there was no escaping those eyes.
It left Sean feeling cold and uneasy, but he refused to show how uncomfortable he was. He didn’t allow a single micro-expression to slip through. Helena could try to read him all she wanted, but Sean wasn’t giving her any ammunition to carry back to Langley.
Helena pointed a finger at the tablet, but otherwise didn’t move. “That holopic is scheduled to be released tonight. Imagine the upheaval it will cause.”
Sean arched an eyebrow, not willing to play the word game any more than necessary. “Probably the same as the last set of holopics you helped release toThe New York Times.”
“We’re willing to withhold it, and everything else we have, in exchange for your cooperation.” Helena gave him an encouraging smile for their audience, though her eyes were hard. “Think about it, Mr. Smith. I know you haven’t seen your family—yourcousins—in a long time. You wouldn’t want any of them to come into harm’s way, now would you?”
Sean went still, not quite believing what he was hearing. As his former case officer, Helena knew what made him tick. She’d always come across as dedicated to their country, but he had to wonder if that was all a lie now. He’d never expected she would try to use the concept of MICE against him, a former CIA officer.
When one got right down to it, money, ideology, coercion, or excitement were what caused a person to betray their country. Sean had used that concept himself over the years to target people. That Helena was here, trying to coerce him into spying on the MDF for the CIA by dangling the lives of the former agents he’d once served with in front of him, was mindboggling. If it wasn’t the agents, then it would be Jamie and his family.
Neither choice was acceptable, but Sean knew which one he would ultimately choose if push came to shove.
“We’re done here,” Sean said.
“Don’t be difficult.”
“I’ll be difficult all I like. Tell myattorneywho couldn’t be here that he really should have tried harder to get rid of that problem dogging his heels.”
Helena opened her mouth to respond when the door slid open again and three people stepped inside the interrogation room. She stiffened in her chair and turned her head to get eyes on the newcomers.
Katie, wearing a sheath dress, sharply pointed stiletto heels, and a pissed-off expression on her face snapped her fingers at the detective coming in behind her. “Get him out of those cuffs.”
The detective who’d been in and out of the room for the last hour or so looked annoyed at being addressed in such a way, but he didn’t argue. Sean wondered what agency the MDF had gone through to step all over everyone’s toes here and get the police to give ground so meekly.
Sean didn’t recognize the other man Katie was with, but by the looks of him, Sean would peg him as JAG, probably working out of the MDF. Two attorneys—even if one was fake—in one small room was too much, however, and Helena got to her feet. The look Katie shot her had Helena freezing where she stood, rightly understanding that she was not the biggest threat in the room at the moment.
“Your help is no longer needed, Ms. Johnson,” Katie said coolly.
Helena retrieved her tablet from the table, glancing between Katie and Sean, taking their measure. “Call me.”
Sean rolled his eyes as the detective undid the mag-cuffs. He let out a heavy breath, the tension in his body draining away. He had to stop himself from rubbing his wrists as he got to his feet.
“Oh, and Ms. Johnson?” Katie called out, keeping her eyes on Sean.
Helena paused in the doorway, looking warily over her shoulder. “Yes?”
“Tell your boss that offer will never be accepted.”
Reading my mind?Sean asked, not in the least annoyed at her actions.
Just your surface thoughts,Katie replied. “And send yourassistantin. I’d like my subpoena.”
Helena’s eyes widened ever so slightly, her gaze lingering on Sean for a few seconds more before she nodded slowly. “I’ll send her in.”
Helena left and someone else darted inside. The woman placed the folded synthpaper into Katie’s outstretched hand before rushing out of there, obviously spooked. Katie didn’t even bother looking at it, just handed the subpoena to the JAG representative. He took it before handing Katie a black velvet box.
Sean’s eyes snapped from the box to Katie’s face when she offered it to him.I made sure Alexei never saw it.
The relief Sean felt at her kindness ran deep. He took the box from her and tucked it out of sight in his pocket.Thank you.
“Ready?” she asked out loud.
“Yeah.”
He wanted to ask about Alexei, but thought it better to keep his mouth shut. Sean needn’t have worried. Once they exited the interrogation room, he instantly spotted Alexei. The other man was turning away from the pair of police officers who had brought them to the station, giving them a mock salute as he did so. The smile on his face was irritatingly smug, and Sean could only shake his head a little at Alexei’s audacity of stirring up trouble.
