Chapter 10 #3
“We can’t risk letting anyone know about our involvement, yet,” he answered. “To make matters more complicated, Elaina’s mom died in a car accident three months ago. Elaina moved in with one of her mother’s colleagues from the university.”
“No father? Grandparents?” Liam asked.
“No records of any living family. Elaina was American by birth, but her mother was originally from Chile. The birth certificate from Texas had no listed father.” He took a breath.
“Elaina’s mom moved to Santiago right after Elaina was born to conduct research for a university there.
Talia, the mother, was one of the most brilliant minds on the planet.
We’re talking ranked in the top ten to have ever lived in the modern era. ”
“What was her research?” Emily asked.
“She was working on finding a cure for memory loss.”
“I still don’t understand who’d be after Elaina,” she murmured.
“You don’t actually think Elaina knows enough that can bring down Carballo.
” Liam was on his feet now, standing in front of the president.
“She’s worth ten million dollars to someone, and you want to know why.
” The president rose to meet him eye to eye.
“Would you have sent us to rescue her otherwise?” The muscles in his back snapped together, drawing a line down his tee.
“Honestly,” the president said, “no, I probably wouldn’t have risked sending a team, not without a green light from the Argentinian government.”
“But you want to take down Carballo, too, right?” Distress cut through Emily’s voice, panic at the idea Carballo could get away again. “He’s killed a lot of Americans, and now he’s supplying weapons to terrorists—”
“It’s a top priority, yes. But first, I’d like to know why Elaina is so important,” he cut her off.
“Money,” Liam sputtered. “Someone from the task force is after the ten-million-dollar payout Carballo had been offered. If we identify that person, we might be able to discover who is after Elaina and why.”
“Carballo might try and get Elaina back,” she pointed out. “He’ll be pissed she was taken from under his nose.”
She reached for the small charm dangling from the white gold chain around her neck. Her mother had given it to her as a law school graduation present: Lady Liberty blindfolded with the scales of justice in her hand.
She rarely took off the necklace, a reminder she’d always be a champion for justice and what was right.
Smoothing the charm between her fingers, she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe there was a time and a place when justice had to travel outside the courtroom walls.
In Carballo’s case, there’d never been boundaries to begin with. He slaughtered an entire team of DEA agents five years ago.
“We go after everyone,” the president said after a beat. “But are you sure you want to put your life on the line for this?”
He had to have been asking Emily since Liam probably put his life on the line almost every day for the nation.
“Yes,” she said without hesitation.
“She’s my wife, sir.” Liam bowed his head. “I’d never let anything happen to her.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“You want to run that by me again?”
“Um.” The words were stuck in her throat, so she’d have to leave it up to Liam to explain.
“Luke married Eva last weekend. Owen married Sam. And well, Emily and I got married, too.”
“Yeah, I didn’t see that coming.” He leaned against his desk and observed them. “Is Luke still on his honeymoon?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then call Jessica. Assemble Bravo and Echo Teams.”
Bravo and Echo?
“I’ll have you coordinate with Jared Morgan and Don Hopkins, the men you met up with in Chile. We’ll keep it to just the two of them.”
“I want my team taking point on this. I don’t want to take orders from Morgan, and my team will feel the same.”
“That’s fine. I’ll let them know.” He nodded. “I’ll get CIA Director Rutherford and FBI Director Mendez in here next to discuss what’s going on.”
“If you can find out who requested to be part of the original ten-person task force that might help narrow down our leak,” Liam said. “My guess is someone heard chatter about the ten mill before the task force was even assembled.”
Good thinking. The kind of hollow ache from a two-day fast hit her core, and she resisted the urge to press her hands to her abdomen as nerves tangled inside of her. I can do this, damn it.
“And, sir?” Liam said. “The next time an American kid is being held hostage in a foreign country, you send our team regardless of whether you deem him or her valuable to a case.”
Wow.
“Noted, but talk to me like that again, and I’ll make your life a living hell, understood?” There was a casualness to his tone like it wasn’t his first time threatening someone.
“Anything else, sir?” Liam asked.
“Yeah, do I owe you two congratulations, or was this a drunken Vegas mistake?” He crossed his arms and eyed them both.
“I, um . . .” She didn’t know what to say.
“We should get going,” Liam said, coming in for the save. “Given what happened tonight, I suggest we relocate Elaina to a new safe house.”
“Agreed.” The president looked at Emily. “You do realize if anyone finds out we’re playing outside the legal system it could mean your job, right?”
And that was why he’d sent her boss out of the room.
“Yes, but I’ll do everything in my power to ensure we have the evidence we need for a legal takedown.” She started to turn but then glanced back at him. “And if not, then I’ll make sure no one ever sees the evidence of what was done to take him down.”
Did I just say that? She tried to keep her cool, to act like she belonged.
“You’re planning on saving all of our asses, legally, huh?” There was an amused twist of the president’s lips.
She cleared her throat as subtly as possible. “Without a doubt, sir.”