Page 78 of Under Fire in Big Sky

He’d been distant since they got back to the house. Sean had been vicious in the barn, with the physical attack as well as his words. How could she have been so blind to Sean’s ability to wound and humiliate? Perhaps she always chose to hope the good in him outweighed the rest.

Not after today.

Chance wrote down what they knew about Sean and the two previous targets, both Aegis clients. Next, he listed known associates, from Audrey Carter to the kid Tristan. Then possible associates. Chance put down law enforcement with a question mark since someone had gotten to Audrey in the county jail.

“We’ll need to contact Trujillo to see if he made any progress questioning the employees of the carbon capture facility,” Olivia said. “At least one of them was an insider helping Sean. I think it might’ve been Caleb. The guy who remained inside, shutting things down.” She looked at Bo. “What did you learn at Backcountry Adventure?”

“There are three cofounders, who also work as instructors. One of them is Tristan’s godfather. They were already guarded, but as soon as I mentioned Shepherd, I was forced to leave,” Bo said.

Chance added the names of the instructors, circling Tristan’s godfather. Mike Kennedy.

The name was so familiar. Then it came to her, but she needed to be sure. “Are there pictures of them on the website?”

“Yeah.” Bo pulled it up on his phone and showed it to her.

A photograph of three men and a woman, arms draped over each other’s shoulders. “I don’t believe it. That’s Mike Kennedy and his wife, Siobhan Gannon. Sean’s sister. I met them at his fake funeral.”

“I guess you’re not the only one who knows he’s alive,” Eli said.

“Guess not. Sean met Mike when they were both stationed at SOCOM,” she said, referring to the Special Operations Command. “He played matchmaker for his sister.”

“There’s no telling how many additional connections we’ll find to Sean,” Autumn said. “We should focus on his next probable targets.”

Olivia grabbed her secure laptop and logged in to her Aegis account. She brought up the latest file, showing possible future targets, any projects in the state that had drawn controversy, especially from environmental groups. She showed it to the group.

“These are all hard targets.” Autumn glanced at Olivia. “Didn’t you say Sean intended to kill a person?”

“His exact words were, ‘Not a what but a who. Someone whose death will make a statement.’”

“Any idea when he plans to strike?” Takoda asked.

Olivia shrugged. “I can’t exactly say when, but definitely before Tuesday. He promised to let me go by then.”

“You still believe him?” Eli stared at her. “After all his manipulation and lies? You think that was true?”

“I do.” She took a calming breath. “Why pick Tuesday? Why not Friday? He was worried about our interference and wanted to keep the IPS pieces, as he referred to you, spinning on the board, just long enough for him to complete his objective here in Montana.” The one thing Sean forgot was that even a pawn could take down a king. “Whatever his plan, I think he intends to execute it late tonight or sometime Monday.” She only wished Sean hadn’t burned down the cabin. There were clues inside his office that would’ve led them to the target. She was certain of it.

“Maybe it’s someone who’s connected to one of the new projects on the list,” Chance said. “Let’s divvy it up and dig deeper.”

They divided the projects and began researching the individuals tied to them, working well into the night.

“It feels like we’re looking for a needle in a haystack,” Eli confessed to Liv while the others were in the other room, using the kitchen table as a desk.

“I’m going to call Lauren. I can’t see any way around it. We need a list of Aegis clients located in Montana. One she’ll be reluctant to give.”

“Are you going to tell her about Sean?”

Her eyes flared wide with alarm. “Absolutely not. Sean wasn’t lying about what would happen if it’s discovered he’s alive and is arrested. He’ll talk. Loudly. The CIA will take action. I’ll be considered a loose end.”

Without thinking, he put a hand on her arm. Touching her was more than a habit. It was a reflex. One he didn’t know if he could change. “You should get ahead of it. I don’t trust Lauren to look out for your best interest, but if you go to her with the information rather than her discovering it, that’ll say something about your loyalty. No matter what the institution, good or bad,” he said, thinking of how she told the group Sean thought Aegis was evil, “loyalty is rewarded. Demand protection in exchange for your silence.”

“It would be a gamble.”

“One you have to take. Unless the intention is for us to kill Sean once we find him.” And they would find him. Eventually. That was now his personal mission, and he was determined to complete it.

He already knew what choice she’d make. The right one.

“We’re not vigilantes. Sean has to answer for what he’s done through the justice system,” she said.