This kind of thing didn’t happen to her. She was a nerd, a nobody. In her field, she was well thought of, but she didn’t think she was a big deal. She’d given a few talks at conferences, but that should have been a safe place to discuss military security because everyone there worked for the government.
How deep did this thing go? Could someone have infiltrated the government? Was the enemy inside with them?
With the alarm silenced, every noise echoed. Someone was looking for them, and it sounded like two people. The fear built until she was shaking.
Then Brady visibly relaxed and blew out a breath. “Those are guys from my team. It’s okay.”
“Bean, that’s right. You said people call you that.”
He nodded. “They do.”
“Hey, Bean!” someone yelled outside in the room.
“Your friends, I know their names but not their nicknames. I need to learn those and what their voices sound like so I know who they are even when they have face coverings.”
Brady stood and grunted when he stretched out his back. “I’ll make sure you know them.” He pushed open the door as he called out. “Mick, I’m in here.”
The door opened, and Mick stepped in. Garnet studied him, adding his nickname to the name she already knew for him. Two other guys came in, and Brady greeted them. Now she knew who Stanley and Keel were.
Only three more left to learn. She stepped from the closet, looking around for any problems. Fear still held onto her, but with these guys around, she felt safer.
Now they just had to figure out who was after her and how to stop them. She thought the terror would end once she’d been rescued, but now it seemed like it would continue. When would she ever be safe again?
Chapter 12
Bean wipedhis hand over his face, trying to come to terms with the fact that someone had broken into the embassy and tried to take Garnet again. Even with all the Marines on site, they hadn’t caught the guy.
There was too much danger to stay. They had to head back to the States. But would Garnet be safe back in the US?
He needed more information, like where she lived and how much security she had at her place. Maybe once she left Beirut, no one would look for her. Or maybe, she would never be safe again.
What did she know, or what did they think she knew? Was it really worth the risk of breaking into a US embassy to get her?
He left the bathroom, glad his team was watching Garnet now instead of the Marines. They were good people, but they’d allowed someone to infiltrate a secure place that should have been incredibly safe. The security had been increased significantly, but still, it wasn’t enough.
“I was thinking we should go back to the USA.”
Garnet sat up, her eyes wide. “What?”
“It’s not safe for you to be here.”
“But I need to finish.”
Bean shook his head. “Someone else can take care of it.”
“It will only take me a few hours, well, maybe more than a few. If I jump on it right now, we could leave tonight.”
Bean didn’t like the idea of staying here for even one more minute, but she was right. They had to fix the problem, and if she could get it done in a few hours, maybe staying was the right thing to do.
Mick pointed at her. “I hate to say it, but she’s right.”
Chase crossed his arms over his chest. “We can keep her safe. We’ll take shifts, three on, four off. We’ll watch her around the clock until she gets her work done.”
She stood and wiped her hands. “It really should only take five, maybe six or seven hours if I work nonstop.”
“Let’s get to it,” Scott said.
Chase nodded. “Stanley, Keel, and Scott on first.”
