Sean eyed Evan. “Then maybe we’ve got it wrong. Maybe the threat isn’t a single attack but an accumulation of attacks or many simultaneous ones.”
Kiley frowned, her face continuing to look washed out. “Eisenhower has requested the national threat level be raised.”
Mack shook his head. “Don’t much like that. People on the watch list might go to ground, making our job that much harder.”
“Which is why we need to work faster,” Kiley said, sounding stronger now. “Eisenhower has booked the last two seats on the first flight to Pittsburgh in the morning. I’ll be going and need to decide who to bring with me.”
“Evan,” Mack said quickly. “Take Evan. He knows the players better than we do, and he’s an explosives expert.”
“I agree,” Sean said.
“As a bonus,” Mack said, “when you’re done in Pittsburgh you can hop a quick flight to D.C. to check out the dance studio and interview Waleed.”
“I’ve got the interview in the morning with Barzani,” she said, as if thinking how the interview would impact her decision.
Sean stood. “Mack and I can do that. He’s been reviewing the information anyway, so he’s up to speed on the guy.”
“I’ll even make one of my famous omelets for you before you leave.” Mack smiled. “So no more excuses. We can handle things here while you’re gone.”
“Fine.” She shifted her focus to Evan. “We need to leave for the airport in an hour. Be ready.”
He nodded, but her reluctance to travel with him cut him to the core. Tension was bound to linger on the hour drive to the airport plus the five-hour flight at her side. Yet Evan would do his best to put that aside so he didn’t make things more difficult for either of them.
“Eisenhower’s forwarding scene photos, along with a preliminary report from Pittsburgh,” she said. “We can review those on the plane.”
“I’ve got a written background report on Waleed I did for another investigation,” he said. “I’ll print that for you to review too.”
She ran a hand through her hair. “You ever worked a bomb investigation before?”
“Car bomb,” he replied as the horrific images played in his brain. “Four fatalities.”
“Then you have some idea what to expect here. Other than the train engineer, the injured and dead are innocent people in a car by the tracks. One’s a three-year-old boy.” She shuddered.
The desire to comfort her again burned in Evan, but now definitely wasn’t the time to try to take her into his arms and hold her while she worked through the pain. Now was the time to act as her co-worker and help her investigate this horrific bombing.
“I’m gonna go pack a bag.” She walked out of the room, her head down, shoulders drooping.
Evan let out a long breath.
Mack walked over to him. “Keep an eye on her. Make sureshe eats and gets plenty to drink. She has a tendency to get dehydrated at the drop of a hat. And make sure she gets at least a few hours of sleep.”
“Sounds like you should be the one going with her.”
Mack shook his head. “I meant what I said. You have experience with explosives and a deeper understanding of terrorism and the players involved. And—” he paused and met Evan’s gaze—“I think you’re just the person she needs right now.”
Evan was about to ask what Mack meant by that, but the guy strode across the room and knocked on Kiley’s door, then disappeared inside.
Evan would like to be a fly on the wall in her room, but he had to grab his bag from his own room. Knowing Kiley, if he was even one second late, she’d leave him in the dust.
CHAPTER 12
EVAN TOOK KILEY’S OVERNIGHT BAGfrom her shoulder. She thought to argue with him, but he meant nothing by it. No power play. No assertion of strength. Just common consideration to lift it into the airplane’s overhead bin. He’d always had impeccable manners, and this was simply Evan being Evan. Embracing the manners he’d learned in his wonderful family growing up.
She got that. Totally. So why as she dropped into the window seat did it feel like she was surrendering something to him?
Oblivious to her turmoil, he settled into the aisle seat next to her. “You always fly first class?”
She stowed her backpack on the floor. “Only when we have to be somewhere quick and they’re the only seats available. Or there aren’t any military hops.”
