My phone pings.
I look down and the word that has been on my mind flashes on my screen.
Charlie Ross
Danger.
I unlock it, not caring if Oliver and Finn think it’s rude.
I read Charlie’s text messages. Then I read them again.
Without preamble, I stand.
“Is everything OK?” Oliver asks.
Finn is aware of our secret operations, but he’s on a need-to-know basis. And he doesn’t need to know this until I figure out what is going on. I hand my unlocked phone to Oliver, then head to my office to put my laptop in my messenger bag and leave.
Oliver is moving quickly as well. He walks me out of the office and hands me back my phone. “Bring her back here and we’ll sort out her security,” he says. I give him a firm nod and do my best to stay calm. Charlie is in control of the situation if she can still message me.
Dammit. I should have pressed her on wearing a tracking dot. Or at least granting location access to me or Ian. I should have taken the time to show her some defensive maneuvers.
I get in my SUV and speed out of the parking lot. My bike is strapped onto the back because I was supposed to go for a training ride after work. A few weeks ago, I would have been annoyed to miss training to help Charlie. Now all I can think of is getting to her.
The GPS on my phone directs me to her quickly. Thankfully, traffic is light and the beach bar it leads me to isn’t overfull yet.
I scan the outdoor seating area and don’t spot Charlie. No sign of her brown hair and blue-black glasses. What was she wearing earlier? My mind provides an answer. Dark green blouse and white jeans that hugged her ample curves. Even when trying to avoid her, my mind was still cataloging all it could.
I enter the bar discreetly. It’s open-air so there isn’t a door to walk through, but I want to be cautious. I’m not sure what kind of danger Charlie thinks she is in. My instinct is to find her and throw her over my shoulder to bring her to safety, but I have to think strategically.
I stand near the entrance and do a quick survey of the people around me. The bar is filling, people are talking, the noise level so high I won’t be able to hear Charlie.
My eyes find her at the bar; she is sitting there next to . . .
Blaed Johannson.
My mind catches on several things at once.
Blaed used to be in my unit. I haven’t seen him since I separated from the navy. There is no way this is a coincidence.
With this assumption, my mind finally places the man we saw in Copenhagen. Without his beard, I might have recognized him sooner. Someone X.C. introduced me to once in passing. An old friend of his from basic training who had been stationed across the world. The man, Shane Ramedia, must have been recruited by the Order as well. Two guys I used to serve with both now working against FIRE? Was this connection somehow exploited for the trap that was laid in Osaka? How could Blaed betray me and X.C. like that?
I watch Charlie and Blaed. She’s smiling as he talks animatedly, then she laughs at whatever joke he just finished. They look like a happy couple on a date. Blaed is flirting with her. It’s obvious. My fists clench. Some caveman coding in my DNA wants to get them as far apart as possible.
Charlie is generally a trusting person. I might have trust issues, but I can easily surmise Blaed is working for the Order and therefore a threat. I hate that my mistrust is accurate this one time. I wish this was a case of jealousy or unrequited feelings. But it is more. If Blaed is on a mission, he could be trying to get information from Charlie, or, worse, apprehend her.
The crowd swells and grows louder around me, bringing me out of my inner thoughts. I remind myself that Charlie sent a help signal. She must sense he is dangerous. She must be playing along for the sake of keeping herself safe in this crowded place.
I move toward the side exit and pull out my phone. I send off a text to Charlie.
Declan Davidson
You need to freshen up in the bathroom.
That’s all I send. There’ll be time for us to go over the details. Right now, my focus is on extraction. I wait for Charlie to approach.
After a minute, Charlie makes her way over to me. We lock eyes and her shoulders relax. A small smile, a genuine one, forms on her lips. She lets out a deep breath.
Charlie opens her mouth to speak and all I want to do is scoop her into my arms and silence her with a kiss once more. It’s not the worst way to keep Ms. A Million Questions quiet. Instead, I indicate she should remain silent with a sharp gesture across my throat.
