Page 23 of Witness Security Breach

The media could’ve only learned their identities from one person.

“We need to find out what’s going on.” Charlie gave a furtive glance around, prompting him to do likewise. “And why the police think we killed Torres and a cop.”

“I’m sure our favorite person, Mr. Wonderful, would love to tell us.” Will Draper.

Charlie groaned.

A little girl about ten years old was looking straight at them. Her gaze bounced to the television and then back to them. She turned to her mother, seated next to her with her face buried in a magazine, and tugged on her sleeve. The mother leaned closer, gaze glued to the article she was reading, and said something.

The little girl whispered in her ear as she pointed to the television.

“We can’t hang around here unless we want to leave handcuffed in the back of a squad car.” Charlie nudged Aiden, guiding him through the double doors to the emergency room and around the corner out of sight.

Everything boiled down to two responses for Charlie—fight or flight. There was a time and a place for each, but if they weren’t careful, they’d make a bad situation much worse.

This was a misunderstanding. It had to be the result of a breakdown in communication. “Before we make a rash decision that we might regret and run off half-cocked, we need to understand what we’re dealing with first. Let me call Draper.”

“Whatever he has to say, I’m sure it’ll make my head want to explode.” She drew in a deep breath. After a brief moment of hesitation, she nodded. “You’re right. We need to know what’s going on, but make it quick.”

Aiden toggled his earpiece and dialed Draper’s direct line. Unlike headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and larger field offices, the San Diego office didn’t have secretarial gatekeepers.

“US Marshal Draper,” their boss said, answering his own phone.

“Sir, Aiden Yazzie here.” He stared at Charlie as she tapped her Bluetooth comms device, conferencing in.

“Aiden?” There was a muffled sound and a quiet exchange as if the mouthpiece had been covered while Draper spoke to someone else in the room. “What were you and Killinger thinking?”

No mention of the witness or Torres. Not a good sign of how the conversation was going to go.

“Sir, we were about to call with an update when we heard there was an all-points bulletin out on us. What’s going on?”

“I could ask you the same question. What happened out there? Did you two snap? Or are you doing it for the money?”

Charlie squeezed her eyes shut, frustration stretching tight across her face.

“We were doing our jobs. We had Albatross,” Aiden said, using Edgar Plinski’s code name, “and had just picked up the wife when we were ambushed on Mission Gorge Road. Torres was killed, along with a police officer that stopped to assist. Albatross was abducted and the wife was injured. She’s in critical condition and the doctors aren’t sure she’ll pull through. But we had nothing to do with it, Draper.”

“Nice touch on your part, trying to save the wife and calling in. It’d be enough to give me reasonable doubt about you two, if it weren’t for the damning evidence against you.”

Aiden’s heart stuttered. “What evidence? We would never kill an innocent person, especially not a colleague or a police officer. You know us. You have to believe me.”

“I believe money makes people do horrible things that they otherwise wouldn’t. Before today, I would’ve thought you and your partner were the best marshals I had, but you wouldn’t be the first ones in this office to sell their soul.”

“Doesn’t that say more about you than it does us?” Charlie snapped.

“Killinger.” Draper sighed. “With a chip the size of an iceberg on your shoulder, perhaps I shouldn’t be too surprised about you.”

Charlie barely suppressed a snort.

Draper had some nerve, standing on his self-righteous soapbox, spewing whatever garbage was going to help him sleep at night. There was absolutely no love lost for the man. Still, Aiden narrowed his eyes at Charlie. A silent warning not to get sidetracked.

“We’re not traitors or murderers,” Aiden said. “Why is there an APB out on us? Why do you think we killed Torres?”

“There was an eyewitness who saw it all and called 911.”

Eyewitness?

Aiden sucked in a shallow breath, the taste somehow acrid, making his eyes burn.