Chapter 10
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FRIDAY MORNING, RADLEY scanned over the surveillance footage and bristled.
While there’d been two alerts, one was a freaking bear prowling around the parking lot.
The second was a lone vehicle. Two men had arrived at the warehouse and left shortly thereafter.
There’d been no movement of the remaining crates, which were still stacked against the far wall.
“What’s wrong?” Boone asked, coming to stand at her side.
She flashed him an exasperated look. “I’m worried we missed our chance. Nothing has happened all week after they shipped out the first batch of crates. If we’d have tagged them, we might have a leg up on what’s going on.”
“Yeah, but we’d only just discovered the new warehouse when they showed up,” he pointed out. “We would still be monitoring that old cabin if you hadn’t found the address.”
Radley eyed him, thoughtful. “It’s interesting that chatter hasn’t mentioned the warehouse at all.”
Boone lifted a shoulder. “They’re being secretive and probably assume they’re being watched. Maybe they suspect someone’s been prowling around and digging into their business.”
“Possibly. But what are the chances that we set up surveillance and suddenly there’s no movement at all?”
“We don’t know how much movement there was before,” Boone pointed out.
“I don’t know,” Radley said. “Something about it just feels off. Why establish a new location and have so little going on?”
“They need new supplies,” Knox said as he strode into the room. “There could’ve been a delay in a shipment of goods. We don’t know how they’re procuring materials yet, but they can’t exactly pack crates full of explosives if they have nothing to put in them.”
Radley drummed her fingers on the table, thoughtful. “It bothers me that we don’t have any new leads. Days have passed, and we’re not any closer to getting answers.”
Boone’s gaze slid to hers. “We could go back to the cabin and scout around there some more,” he suggested, his deep voice reverberating right through her. “Maybe there’s something you missed.”
“Maybe. I didn’t search all the back rooms thoroughly since I was eager to visit the address I discovered. The cabin was abandoned, so it made the most sense to leave and check out the new location.”
“I’ll tell Holt we’re heading over there. Xaden and Gage are doing some recon work around the home of one of the suspected terror cell members. We only have the full names and addresses of a few.”
“Which guy?” Radley asked, curious.
“Blake Shepperd,” Boone told her.
Radley nodded, recalling seeing his photograph. The guy was young, only twenty years old, with a baby face and pale gray eyes. It was hard to imagine a clean-cut guy like that becoming radicalized and plotting attacks on the homeland.
“There’s a large number of men to track,” Radley said. “Maybe this guy will lead them to some of the others. We don’t have enough manpower to follow everyone.”
“Which is why we focused on where multiple men were meeting,” Boone said. “The cabin. The warehouse. If nothing is happening with either of those, we still need to move forward with the investigation in other ways.”
“I should meet with one of them,” Radley said, an idea blooming in her head.
Both men’s heads swiveled toward her.
“The hell you shouldn’t,” Boone countered.
“I could make contact with one of the members,” Radley said. “Make small talk. Get him to trust me. I’ll see if I can learn anything new that way.”
“Notice how the terror cell is all men?” Boone asked, his voice hardening. “Aside from the fact that they hate America, they hate women as well. If they even suspect you’re working with the Feds, you’re as good as dead.”
“I’ve gone undercover plenty of times in my career,” Radley said, her voice growing icy. “I only left the agency because I was compromised. It’s not your decision,” she reminded him. “I’ll bring it up to Holt later on and see what he thinks.”
“And I’ll tell him it’s a damn reckless idea,” Boone countered.
Knox eyed them curiously. “Look, I think her idea could work, but whatever. While you two are busy with your little quarrel, I’m going to look more into who the possible servicemembers involved in the plot are.”
Radley’s face flamed. Calling it a quarrel almost gave the impression it was a lover’s spat, which was the furthest thing from the truth.
She and Boone bantered constantly, but damn.
That’s because the man got under her skin.
She wasn’t dating the guy. They’d known each other for mere days, and he had absolutely no say in her decision making.
“The possible involvement of U.S. servicemembers is an entire other layer that we need to analyze,” Knox continued.
“We have the intercepted messages. I want to narrow down who else could be involved. Analysts have been working on it around the clock, but I’ve got some thoughts I want to discuss with them. ”
“What are you thinking?” Radley asked, curious.
“I’ll fill you in later,” Knox told them both. “It could be nothing, and I don’t want to get everyone’s hopes up until I do some digging. Call me if you two need any backup.”
“Will do,” Boone said, his expression still hard as he looked at Radley.
“Let’s go,” she said, turning and walking away without so much as a backward glance. Boone could be stubborn as hell, and the last thing she needed was another man trying to control her or decide her fate.
***
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, they were heading to the cabin. “Don’t be mad, kitten,” Boone said, smirking as they rode in his truck.
She glared at him. “We could’ve taken my vehicle.”
“And as I already explained, we know you’re under surveillance. Speaking of which,” he continued in his smooth baritone, “you haven’t mentioned any new texts.”
“That’s because I switched phone numbers, remember? The IT staff has my old one, and I’m sure they’re receiving texts but not notifying me.”
Boone frowned.
Radley eyed him, unable to stop the smile from spreading across her face. “Cheer up, big guy. I’m sure they’ll fill me in when necessary.”
“Would’ve been helpful if they filled me in since Holt asked me to keep you safe.”
“And we’re back to that again,” she said sarcastically. “I for one don’t mind not reading those nasty text messages.”
“Were there more before you changed your number?”
“Yes, including a particularly disgusting one about tying me to his bed. That asshole claimed I had it easy with Schultz and that he wouldn’t be so careful with me.”
“Sick bastard,” Boone muttered.
“Yep. Which is why I reported Schultz to my superiors. He tried to deny it you know. He claimed it was consensual and that I’d been coming onto him for weeks.
Fortunately, I had the wherewithal to go to medical and have blood drawn after I woke up in his room.
Drugs like that disappear quickly from your bloodstream, and I wasn’t taking any chances.
I’m careful—always. I thought I could trust Schultz given we were colleagues. I was wrong.”
Boone kept his hands on the steering wheel, but she noticed how his grip tightened and body stiffened, his jaw ticking.
He was pissed. The fact that he was that mad on her behalf made Radley feel good.
She might argue with him most of the time, but deep down, Boone was a decent, honest guy.
She felt nothing but safe when they were together.
“Whoever is texting you can’t be that loyal to that asshat. Schultz,” he clarified, but Radley was already chuckling. Schultz was an asshat. “Maybe this guy’s career was somehow derailed in the fallout.”
“Maybe. Or maybe Schultz is somehow paying this idiot to follow and threaten me. He’ll get out of jail eventually, but maybe he doesn’t want to wait that long to seek revenge.
” Radley’s voice was hard, her mood stormy.
It had been one thing after another since going overseas with Schultz, and she was more than ready to be done with the man for good.
“Think he’d come after you then?” Boone asked, shooting her another look.
“No. I think he sent some jackass after me now instead. They want to scare me into silence and submission. I have no idea what their ultimate end game is, but I’ll be happy when I never have to hear his name again.
Turn here,” she quickly said as they approached the turnoff she’d taken mere days ago.
Boone slowed, flipping on his turn signal. “This is out in the middle of nowhere,” he commented. He checked his rearview mirror again, making sure no one had followed them. Radley appreciated that he was careful. He’d taken precautions when they left Shadow Security as well.
“It’s off the beaten path,” she agreed. “The cabin was a perfect location in many ways, but it wasn’t big enough for their project.
Let’s see what we can find today,” she said, checking the side mirror.
“This may be only our first assignment at Shadow Security, but I’m ready to end it before anyone gets hurt. ”