Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 149137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
“Not the way that bastard did,” Ezra shot back. “Don’t you put me in the same folder as him. I would never have sent a college student into fucking MSS. I’ve read his files, well, the ones that aren’t redacted. He’s beyond ruthless.”
“But he wasn’t a criminal. And you know what, he never let me down while I was on the inside. I knew what I was doing. If he hadn’t offered me the job, I would have found a way to make my sister’s death meaningful. I would have gone after someone, and it likely wouldn’t have ended well. I know he saw that fire in me that night.”
“He left you inside when he ditched the Agency.”
“No, he handed me off to Ten, who took care of me, too.” She took a deep breath. “Look, this is easy. Let’s get him on the phone. I can talk to him.”
“He’s gone. Disappeared a couple of days ago,” Ezra explained. “Well, we think he’s disappeared. His so-called wife says he’s out on something called a nature walk, and she doesn’t expect him back until he’s rethought his life choices. No one in town will say anything else. I don’t believe her. He’s not out on some fucking nature hike. I think he’s on the run. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in Mexico right now.”
She couldn’t help but think about the smile on his face in that picture. No. If he was in the wind, he had a reason for it. “I can’t believe that John Bishop has spent the last five years as the mastermind behind a cartel.”
“Someone is,” Ezra said. “Someone is working with Morales, and I don’t like the connection between Morales and Joshua Hunt. And I’m starting to worry that we’re being led down a path we don’t want to go down. I don’t like this. Any of it. I don’t like Levi. I think he’s in on this with Bishop.”
A chill went down her spine. “That’s a hefty accusation, Ezra. Do you have any evidence to back it up?”
“Nothing but the feeling that this is a trap of some kind. Someone is working against me back in DC. The files I request go missing or the exact information I need has been redacted. I’m being blocked. And it’s not just in DC. You know that nasty feeling you get in your gut when you know someone’s watching?”
She’d felt it. God, she’d felt it over the last couple of days several times, but she couldn’t be sure if that wasn’t about the fact that the press stalked Josh like an animal. “I do, but we’ve got an op to run and we don’t get to cancel it because we feel like something’s off. We have to figure it out. If Levi is working some angle, it’s up to us to find out and take him down.”
“And if that angle leads to Bishop?”
She couldn’t quite bring herself to even contemplate that path. “Do we even know if they ever met? Levi hasn’t been around as long as the rest of us.”
“He’s been around long enough, and I know Morales and Bishop have to have a partner on the outside. Perhaps several.”
There was a whole bunch that didn’t make sense to her. “But what would be the purpose of this op? Why would he want the two of us in a particular place at this particular time? Why bring us into this at all? I would think it would make more sense for them to want to keep us as far away as possible. Do you think he made up an agent in trouble? Or was that a mistake?”
“No, not even he could make up some phantom operative. Our plant is gone. Unless, of course, he’s in on it, too.”
She put her hands on his shoulders. “Ezra, when this is over, I need you to take a vacation and think about getting the fuck out. You sound paranoid. It’s not good for you.”
“It’s not paranoia if everyone really is out to get you,” he said quietly. “I can’t talk you out of going?”
She shook her head. “No. I can’t let Josh walk into this alone, and I do not for a second believe that he’s involved in any criminal way. Josh is innocent. And if Bishop is involved, well, I probably know him better than anyone but Ian and Ten. Certainly better than anyone on this particular team.”
His shoulders slumped, obviously giving up the fight. “All right. I’m supposed to head back to DC in the morning and coordinate from there. Levi is your contact while in Mexico, but I’m going to shadow you. I won’t be far behind. I promise.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” There was no question in her mind that it was time for Ezra Fain to look for different opportunities. Maybe he could join McKay-Taggart since they were definitely in a hiring phase after losing several experienced agents to a new firm started up by Adam Miles and Chelsea Weston, but she was worried with how he would go out. “Levi said something about you being on thin ice. Do you want to get burned?”