“Booming business, apparently,” Winter replied coldly.
“Winter has a personal invite to the prime minister’s gala,” Sydney said.
“Ah, I see. He’s just your golden ticket.” Tems eyed him up and down.
“Lose something?” Winter offered, following his gaze.
“A little respect, yes,” Tems replied.
“Leave him alone,” Sydney said.
He smiled at her. “So protective of your new partner. I don’t remember you being this nice to me.”
“Hate to pierce your heart, but you were never my partner.”
“What a shame.” Tems took a sip of his drink. “Well, I’m not going anywhere.”
“I don’t think Niall said it was your choice, to be honest.”
He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “I’m not going anywhere,” he repeated, “and I’m going to tell you why.”
“Why, then?”
“What we knew about the assassination plot against President Rosen is no longer accurate. The rebel group isn’t acting alone. They’re being sponsored by someone higher.”
At that, Sydney blinked. “How do you know?”
“The rebel suspect I was trailing for months was killed recently in an ambush. But a parcel he was meant to deliver still somehow went through, and I suspect that it went through successfully because it was given to a very specific patron.”
“Who?”
“Ethan Seah, Minister for Foreign Affairs. The same person seated next to President Rosen on the gala’s seating chart.”
A shiver traveled down Sydney’s spine at his words, and she paled. “The suspect is in Singapore’s own government?” she said.
“Wait—” Winter interjected. “Singapore is sponsoring the murder of the US president?”
Tems nodded. “Yes, although I doubt the entire government is aware of it. What I need is evidence, but that’s a bit difficult when I’m being watched all the time.” He shook his head. “You see why I can’t leave. If I go now, my trail goes cold, and we leave President Rosen vulnerable to the assassination at the gala.”
“So what do you want from us? To report it for you?”
Tems shook his head. “I need you to disobey Sauda and Niall.”
“What?”
“Help me stop the assassination at the gala.”
Sydney’s heart began to beat quicker. “Sauda warned us to steer clear of it.”
Tems’s voice had turned low and urgent now. “I can’t just call for the arrest of one of Singapore’s cabinet members without giving a good reason. I need to hand the CIA something that solidly points to Mr. Seah before the gala. And that means I need someone who can get proof—a recording—anything—that can prove to the CIA that Mr. Seah is the culprit. If we can do that, the CIA can ensure that Rosen is absent from the gala at the last moment, and we can have Seah arrested there instead.”
“Why can’t we tell Sauda and Niall?” Winter asked. “Niall’s here with the CIA.”
“Because you know what he’ll say. Niall wants the CIA to handle it and drag me home because my cover will be compromised.”
“And why is that bad?” Winter pressed.
“Because I’m not about to put Rosen’s life in the CIA’s hands. They don’t know how precarious the situation is.”
