Ignoring the question, Colt checked the small peephole before unlatching the locks. He opened the door and another man in a suit appeared.
Tall. Massively broad shoulders. Clean-cut appearance, and not a stitch of humor or joy on his chiseled face.
“Is that everything?” Colt asked the man gruffly.
With a dip of his square chin, the equally stoic man responded with a curt, “Yes, sir.”
Sir?
Alex took a few steps closer, spotting the burgundy, hard-shelled suitcase and quilted backpack in the stranger’s hands.
He didn’t.
“Are those my bags?”
Both men turned their gazes her way.
“This is Agent Paulson,” Colt announced. “He’s a member of my team. I had him go to your hotel and bring your things here.”
Agent Paulson eyed her closely before releasing her suitcase’s handle. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a plastic room key. “She’s next door.”
“I’mwhat?”
Colt took the keycard from the other man’s hand. “Thanks. I’ll check in with you and the others in the morning with our next steps.”
With a nod, Agent Paulsen rolled her bag over the metal threshold and set her backpack onto the carpeted floor. He turned to leave, but Alex belatedly rushed over to where both men stood.
“Wait,” she called out for him. “I want to see some ID.”
You already know what it’s going to say.
The stranger’s dark eyes slid to Colt, who gave his permission with a silent nod. Alex held her breath and waited as the man who was supposedly another government agent retrieved his official ID.
Reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket, Paulsen pulled out a leather holder identical to Colt’s. Her gut tightened as she took it from his large hand, part of her afraid of what she would find.
If what Colt had said was true, then at least that meant he was more than an immature playboy with no real goals in life. But that same truth would also mean Gordan Crawford truly was a monster. One who sold women and children to other sick freaks just like him.
There’s only one way to be sure, but you already know the truth.
Alex opened the leather holder and released a soft huff of breath. Aside from a different picture, name, and employee identification number, Agent Paulsen’s ID was exactly the same as Colt’s.
There it was, just like Colt said. In black and white and everything.
“Thank you.” She returned the ID and badge to its rightful owner.
Agent Paulsen gave her a slight nod. To Colt, he asked, “Need anything else before the team and I call it a night?”
“That’s all.” Colt shook the man’s hand a second time. “I’ll update you in the morning once I nail down our next steps.”
“Sounds good.” To Alex, Agent Paulsen added a quick smile, “Have a good night, Miss Webb.”
The door shut behind him as he left, and once again, she and Colt were alone.
“So it’s true.” She looked up at him. “You really do work for the CIA.” When he shrugged, she let out a shocked and slightly shaken, “Holy shit.”
“There it is.” Colt actually smiled. “And before you bite my head off about having your stuff brought here, I didn’t figure we had much of a choice.”
Alex considered this a moment and realized, “Because we told Gordan I was staying at the same hotel as you.”
