Chapter Thirty-Three Seraphina #2
“How’d you find out about the DEA assets?” I asked as I clocked Reed exchanging a look with another operator. Did they know each other?
Beth smoothed a hand over her blonde ponytail. “You were told by Homeland to stand down and abort mission.” That was an asshole nonanswer from her.
“You knew we wouldn’t back off—and let me guess: That’s what you wanted.
” Alex folded his arms. “You were at my hotel for a reason on Tuesday. Don’t lie and pretend it was a coincidence.
Director Johnson probably realized DHS planned to assign us the mission to track Sera down, so you came up with a plan after that. ”
“And you pulled a Houdini on me at the hotel and disappeared. Some things never change,” she said bitterly.
Alex rolled his eyes at her jab. “Then you found out we had a disgruntled former associate you could pull in to help track us.” He tipped his head in Leo’s direction. “How’d you track us to Mexico? Leo sure as hell didn’t do it.”
That was a good point. How did they find us?
Alex tsk ed, not waiting for her to oblige him with a response. “You’ve been monitoring ángel ever since Andrej was killed.”
That had Beth’s attention. Yup, we know about Andrej being your asset. Reed’s theory was right.
Eyes on me, Beth shared, “I read the DEA’s file on you this week.
” She about-faced the hell out of that topic, giving me whiplash.
“Brave. A little reckless, too.” She let those adjectives sit between us for a moment, and I allowed them to roll right off my shoulders.
“My associates somehow missed the connection that you were Anna Cruz, but you’d have made an excellent asset for us .
You chose the wrong agency to go to for help. ”
Yeah, thanks to Ezra not wanting anyone to know my real name. I had to believe he wanted to keep me around for his own despicable reasons, ones he’d never gotten around to trying to commit.
“I suppose everything happens for a reason. Even I can’t argue with fate.” Her tone was as bland as her pantsuit. “The way the dominoes fell, not even I could’ve planned it that perfectly.”
“What cryptic BS are you talking about?” I asked, not interested in having her mindfuck me the way Alex had claimed she did to him.
“I’d really prefer not to get into this now.” Her dull, casual voice grated on my nerves. “But it appears your stubborn curiosity is going to slow me down if I don’t give you something.”
“You boxed us in with rifles and a helo, but that’s all it is,” Alex gritted out. “Stubborn curiosity on our part.”
“Fine.” She’d probably always planned to offer up a little something to try to get us to bite, to move forward with her plan.
She quickly began listing facts as though she’d rehearsed.
“A former member of my team provided Homeland with the tip about the money launderer for the terrorist cell you went after. He was told not to act on it, but he passed that intel over to a friend at DHS anyway. The mission then landed in the lap of your security firm. That’s domino one.
” She held up a finger. “Your team winding up at Ezra’s party to capture your mark is domino two.
Saving Miss Torres from death, domino three.
” She showed us three fingers as if we couldn’t count.
I really, really hate you.
“Then DHS was pulled into the FBI-DEA task force this week because the DEA lost their only assets and needed help. Director Johnson was alerted to the situation when the DEA let Homeland know they had one dead and one missing asset.”
She’d confirmed Alex’s theory with that remark.
“Well, you get the picture, don’t you? Domino after domino, and now here we are.
” She looked at Ryder next, a devious smile crossing her lips.
“Who do you think nudged Lainey’s boss, Director Hernandez, to give you the mission to go find Miss Torres on Tuesday?
Well, Director Johnson did, but at my suggestion. ”
A blur of dominoes falling one by one flashed through my mind as I put everything she’d said together. I still didn’t understand what she was getting out of all this. What was her team’s endgame?
Beth stepped forward, and Ryder protectively pulled me back.
“Maybe everything really does happen for a reason,” she droned on.
“Including my colleague defying orders and tipping off Homeland.” She pierced me with those blue eyes of hers again before they took a slow journey over my body as if doing a quality check, and the tight draw of her lips told me she didn’t think I’d make the cut.
“If you died Saturday night, then this opportunity wouldn’t have presented itself to my team. ”
“What opportunity?” My patience was long, long gone when it came to her.
“To set a trap for the Moraleses,” Reed said, offering his own theory. “Using you as bait to draw out Ezra—and in doing so, draw out the highest-ranking Moraleses in the cartel. Something the Agency never had a chance to do, not even when working with Andrej and ángel before Andrej was killed.”
“Or, more likely, never thought to do until this week, when they got smacked right in the face with your bold plan,” Alex tossed out flippantly.
“So it’s never been about going after the Sokolovs for the CIA?
” Ryder joined in on what felt like a cross-examination, and I was here for it—anything to get to the truth.
“Otherwise, you’d intercept his flight when he lands and interrogate him.
You could throw him in some black site and ask him who he works for, but you don’t want to know.
Or maybe you already know but you don’t care. ”
“You’re only after the Moraleses? Both myself and Ezra are bait in this?”
“Is that such a bad thing?” Beth looked directly at me. “Think about this: You have a chance to help take down one of the worst cartels we’ve ever faced. Imagine all the lives you’ll save.”
“What about Ezra? What about what he’s doing? Why not also take him out?” That part makes absolutely no freaking sense. “And don’t you dare tell me that’s need to know.”
“He’s their fall guy.” Reed was quick to offer his theory, and he seemed to be doing a decent job at reading her mind. “The Agency doesn’t want to take credit for the hit.”
She didn’t answer, which I took as confirmation that Reed had nailed it.
“Ezra needs to survive,” Beth said flatly, her gaze roaming over me yet again, which was starting to make me even more uncomfortable than I already was.
“Something tells me it’s not so you can ask him who he reports to,” Ryder said, calling her out on that. I was on the same page.
Reed leaned against our SUV, casually staring her down. When she kept quiet, he asked, “Since when does the CIA get involved in the drug trade?”
“Since the Chinese did, and they started using the Moraleses’ trafficking routes to funnel not only drugs, but terrorists and weapons across the border.
” Beth spun her finger in the air, signaling to her operators to get a move on.
“As you correctly called it, we need the attack against the Moraleses to look like a rival hit. It can’t fall back on the CIA.
The Chinese will retaliate if they know we’re involved. ”
Alex grimaced. “Yeah, right. There’s a hell of a lot more to the story than that.”
“Think whatever you want,” she answered in an unbothered tone. “Whether you believe me or not doesn’t change the plan.”
“You’re using us, too, right?” Ryder interjected, probably worried about a new argument between Alex and Beth starting up. “You need us here so Ezra doesn’t know his guardian angels are the CIA coming in for a surprise assist.”
“What about justice for my family?” They were why I was there in the first place. A much-earlier domino she failed to mention—and had she, I would have found something tangible to shove down her throat instead of a metaphorical something. “They were killed because you turned Andrej—”
“Your family was a casualty of war.” Blunt and heartless from her. I hated her more and more each passing second.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Alex’s tone was as pained as his expression. “You didn’t used to be like this. But let me be very clear: After this ends, don’t ever come to me for anything ever again. Don’t even breathe my name. Got it?”
“You always say that, and you never mean it.” She shoved her jacket sleeve up to check the time.
“You have a meeting to attend. You need to go now. You’ll have backup.
” She switched gears and slipped back into her suit of numbness and detachment, wearing it far better than I ever did.
“Air support as well. We don’t anticipate any problems, but in case things go sideways, we won’t let you die. ”
Not yet, you mean. Not before you get what you want.
Still holding my hand, Ryder squared up with her, and Beth motioned to Leo to point his weapon, and he didn’t hesitate.
“We have a problem, Lawson?” Beth angled her head and leaned in closer to him, then whispered loud enough for the two of us to hear, “I never liked you, and considering your ex is four months pregnant with your friend’s kid and you only broke up three months ago, looks like she didn’t like you, either. ”
What. The. Actual. Hell? I stumbled, but Ryder kept me upright.
“So please, please fuck around and find out. We can do this without you if we have to,” she hissed, but I was still hung up on the fact that it sounded as though Lainey had cheated on Ryder.
When Ryder didn’t step away, continuing to engage in a staring contest with her, I could tell he was channeling everything he had inside himself to remain in stand-down mode.
I squeezed his hand, reminding him I was still there, and as long as we were together, we’d be okay.
And screw Beth. Fuck Lainey, too.
Beth focused on me next. “Maybe you’re the only one here with some sense. So if you don’t want to see the man holding your hand Tasered, convulsing on the ground in two seconds, then get in the fucking SUV and go to that meeting.”