Chapter Fifteen
RILEY STARED AT her mentor. Who promised Angie to leave her alone? Her words made Riley question everything she thought she knew about Angie. How well did she really know her friend? “What does that mean, Angie?”
Angie surged to her feet and paced the length of the living room, agitation rolling off her in waves. “Nate Berkley. He recruited you, didn’t he?”
“How did you know?”
“Because he did the same thing to me.”
Riley froze. Angie knew Nate? That could mean only one thing. “You were CIA.”
Angie stopped pacing to look at her. “Yes.”
Andre threaded his fingers through Riley’s and squeezed in silent support. “What did you mean when you said Berkley promised to leave Riley alone? He talked to you about her when she was still in high school?”
She returned to the couch. “She was amazing with computers even back then. I knew MTSU would hone her skills, and I didn’t want Nate and The Company to get their hands on her.”
“Nice of you to be concerned about her.” Elias’ tone was wry. “You could have taken it a step further and actually warned her that the CIA was interested in her.”
“If you were so worried about the CIA getting their hands on Riley, you should have stayed involved in her life.” Iona scowled at Angie. “Instead, you disappeared, abandoning her like her family did.”
“Don’t you understand?” Angie’s eyes burned with fury. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“Sorry, sister. I’m not buying it.”
Andre frowned. “Were you still in the CIA when you were in Homestead with Riley?”
“You can never truly leave.”
“That’s not an answer, Angie. Were you working for the CIA or not when you were helping Riley?”
“That’s not a simple question to answer.”
Elias snorted. “Just like a fed. Another non-answer to your question, Andre.”
Angie glared at him. “Think you know all about the CIA?”
“I’ve dealt with enough crap from the government. All of us have.”
“You don’t understand as much as you think you do. The answer to your question is yes and no.”
“Explain,” Iona snapped. “You’re wasting time, and that makes me wonder if you’re behind the things happening to Riley.”
Angie’s eyes widened. “What things? Are you all right, Riley?”
“Were you working with Nate or not when you were in Homestead, Angie?” Why wouldn’t she just answer the question?
“Yes and no. Yes, I was technically still on the CIA’s payroll, but I wasn’t active.”
This made no sense. Why wouldn’t Angie just spill everything? “Are you telling me you were a field agent?”
She nodded.
“Why were you living in Homestead?”
“I was hiding.”
Okay, not what she’d expected to hear. “From what?”
“Not what. Who. Eduardo Garcia.”
Riley stilled. No, that couldn’t be right. “How did you cross paths with Garcia?”
“On a mission. How else?”
“Where?” Andre asked.
“Mexico. The Chihuahua Province.”
Riley groaned. Of course, it had to be in the Chihuahua Province. Ninety percent of the population who lived in that province hated Fortress Security and its operatives with a passion. Fortress interfered with criminal activities the public officials ignored.
“I don’t believe it.” Elias shook his head.
Angie straightened, her gaze intense. “You’ve been to the Chihuahua Province?”
“More than we want. It’s never fun.”
Iona’s lips curled. “Understatement.”
“What were you doing down there, Riley?” Angie frowned. “It’s too dangerous for you and your friends to go on vacation in that area.”
“Vacation?” Elias laughed. “Lady, no one in their right mind would visit that part of Mexico for fun.”
“Then why were you there?”
“Ever heard of Fortress Security?”
“Brent Maddox’s outfit?”
“That’s right.”
“Who hasn’t? The Company hates it when our operations cross paths with his.”
“Yeah? Well, he’s not a fan of the feds, either.”
Angie turned to Riley. “Are you a contract worker for Maddox’s group?”
Well, this would be interesting. Even though Angie knew Riley had been a field agent for The Company, she persisted in thinking of her as a computer nerd. “We’re members of black ops teams.”
Her friend groaned. “Oh, Riley. What have you done?”
“I’m good at my job, Angie.”
“I don’t doubt that.” She shook her head. “They never let you go. Don’t you understand that?”
Andre frowned. “Does The Company still have its hooks in you?”
“What do you think? I know where the bodies are buried. When I threatened to expose the powerhouses who would spend decades in prison, they made me swear to keep my mouth shut and threatened my family if I ever talked.”
Riley shrugged. “I don’t have a family to threaten.”
“Who matters to you most?”
Riley’s head whipped around, and she stared at Andre, horror growing inside her at the implication. Oh, no. Andre Marsh and her Artemis teammates were her family. The threats of kidnapping and death, were they part of a CIA plot to bring her back into the fold?
Andre shook his head. “Forget it, babe. I’m not budging, and neither will our team.”
“You can’t fight an organization as large and infiltrating as the CIA.”
“Watch me.”
Angie looked from one of them to another and back again. “Has Nate contacted you again? Is he threatening you or the people you love?”
Riley squeezed Andre’s hand before breaking eye contact with him and refocusing on Angie. She needed to tell Andre how she felt. It was time to speak the truth. “No. At least, I don’t think he has.”
“What does that mean?”
“Three men kidnapped me this week while we were in Mexico on a mission, then two other men attempted to abduct me in less than twelve hours here in the States but I haven’t seen Nate’s hands on this.”
“Yet.”
“I left The Company behind two years ago, Angie. They haven’t bothered me since the day I walked away. What could they want with me now?”
“Who knows?” She sounded bitter. “The power brokers are bloated with their own power. I’ll tell you this. If they are after you, there’s nowhere to hide. They’ll find you no matter how far or how fast you run.”
Nice to know they were like bloodhounds who never gave up. “They’re welcome to try.”
Andre squeezed Riley’s hand. “If they do, they’ll regret it. Riley is mine, and I protect what’s mine.”
Elias held up his hand. “She’s ours. The CIA doesn’t want to mess with us or Fortress. You aren’t the only one who knows where the bodies are buried, Mrs. Whitmore. If Berkley wants trouble, going after Brent Maddox’s company or his people will bring more than Berkley and The Company can handle.”
A door at the back of the house slammed. “Mom, what’s for dinner? I’m starving,” a youthful voice called.
“That’s my son. Please, my children don’t know I used to be a field agent. I never wanted that world to touch them.”
“They won’t hear it from us.”
She sighed, the relief clear on her face. “What will you do now, Riley?”
“Do you have any idea who might try to kidnap me?”
She shook her head, her gaze darting toward the back of the house.
“Can you find out without putting yourself in danger? Perhaps ask a friend you can trust who is still connected?”
Another head shake. “I can’t take that risk. I have too much to lose.”
While Riley understood, that wouldn’t help her with the present dilemma. Knowing people might come after her for doing the job was one thing. Not knowing which direction the danger would come from was something else entirely.
Andre stood and helped Riley to her feet. “So does she.”
“Mom!”
“Go take care of your son.” Riley turned toward the door. “We’ll figure out who wants me badly enough to risk going up against Fortress.”
Angie walked them to the door and opened it. She turned back to speak to Riley when a shot rang out.
Angie cried out and clamped a hand over her right biceps to staunch the flow of blood and kicked the door closed with her foot.
“Down.” Andre and Elias hurried to either side of the picture window and peered out. Iona joined Elias, weapon in her hand.
“Third house on the left,” Elias said. “He’s behind the bushes at the corner.”
More shots rang out, and the picture window shattered, shards of glass falling to the floor.
“Get her out of here, Riley.”
Riley wrapped her hand around Angie’s uninjured arm and urged her toward the back of the house and away from the gunfire, although her first instinct was to palm her weapon and join in the hunt for the shooter.
Elias glanced at Iona. “Stay alert. Even though we only saw one shooter, he may have a partner lurking nearby. If he does, take him down.”
“Copy that.”
“Let’s go.” Andre motioned for Elias to follow him.
Riley continued almost to carry her friend toward safety. What was her problem? Did she have a death wish?
Angie slowed her pace when she realized where Riley was taking her. “No. My son. I don’t want him to see me like this.”
“The kitchen is the safest place for both of you. More walls between you and the shooter’s last known position. Tell your son this was a drive-by shooting.”
“In this neighborhood? The most dangerous things that happen in this subdivision are drunk and disorderly calls and a few domestic disturbances.”
They hurried into an enormous kitchen, where Riley guided Angie to the breakfast bar. A teenage boy turned from the refrigerator to look at his mother. His eyes widened.
“Mom! What happened?”
“Someone shot me.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine, Brett. I promise.”
Riley ripped the sleeve of Angie’s shirt to get a better look at the injury. “She’s right. This is a flesh wound. Angie, you should still go to the hospital. You need stitches or butterfly bandages and antibiotics.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to go to a hospital. I hate them.”
“Who doesn’t? Suck it up, Angie. You need medical treatment for your family if not for yourself, and you need to report the shooting to the police.”
“When did you become so bossy?”
Riley smiled. “When I was a teenager, I had this friend who wrote the book on bossy behavior. I took copious notes.”
“Should I call an ambulance for you, Mom?” Brett asked.
Angie shook her head. “I won’t need an ambulance, son. Your father can drive me to the emergency room. He should be home any minute.”
Andre walked into the room. “How’s she doing, Riley?”
“She needs to go to the ER for stitches.”
“We can make that happen after Angie gives a statement to the police. They’ll be here in five minutes.”
Angie groaned. “Why did you call them? They can’t do anything. This is Company business.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Really? This is a safe neighborhood where no one lives a risky lifestyle, including me. I’m the most boring person in the whole subdivision. What are the odds that I’m a victim of a drive-by shooting in this neighborhood?”
“Near zero. There are no coincidences in our business.”
“Exactly. Somehow, this connects to our past. I don’t want to draw attention to my family.”
“Tough. You need to report it so that the attack is on the record. How much you tell the cops is up to you.”
Angie glared at him. “You never give an inch, do you?”
“With anything involving Riley and her safety, no.”
Sirens from a police cruiser cut off abruptly. “Decide what you want to say before they walk in your front door, Angie.”
Brett looked from Andre and Riley to his mother. “Who are these people?”
“Friends from another life.”
The doorbell rang. “I’ll answer it.” Brett slid a hard look at Andre, then left the kitchen.
Dread filled Riley. She’d had enough dealings with the cops as a teenager to last her a lifetime, and here she was again, about to have another encounter with them.
Andre reached for Riley’s free hand. She smiled at him as she pressed a clean dishtowel against Angie’s wound to staunch the bleeding. He knew how much she was struggling at that moment. How? Was he that intuitive, or did Andre know her that well?
A minute later, Brett returned with two law enforcement officers on his heels, their hands resting on their weapons.
“I’m Officer Reagan. This is my partner, Officer Green.” Reagan’s gaze focused on Angie’s arm. “What happened here?”
After another sullen glare at Andre for forcing her into a discussion with the police, Angie gave the police the bare-bones version of the shooting. In truth, she couldn’t embellish much. The whole incident had been over within seconds.
After Angie and the Fortress operatives had given their statements, Reagan nodded toward the injured arm. “You should have your arm looked at.”
“So I hear.”
“Angie? Baby, what happened?” A tall, dark-haired man rushed into the room and raced to her side, dropping his jacket on a chair as he passed. “Is Diana all right?” His gaze dropped to her arm. “It’s you. You’re hurt.”
“I’ll be fine.” Angie rested her hand on his chest. “I need a trip to the hospital for stitches and antibiotics, though.”
“Of course. I’ll be glad to take you. You can tell me what happened on the way to the emergency room.” He held his hand out to her. “Let’s go. I want a doctor to look at your arm.”
Reagan held up his hand. “Before you go, I should tell you that a crime scene team will be here shortly.”
“Why?” Riley’s friend frowned. “It’s a drive-by.”
“No offense, Mrs. Whitmore, but you were too rattled to pay attention to details. We might get lucky and find evidence from an examination of the crime scene and your security camera footage.”
Oh, that was ironic. Riley’s lips twitched at the corners.
As a field agent, Angie should have caught more details than she had.
When she had time to get past the shock, her old friend would be upset with herself.
If Angie had been in the field today, her reaction would have led to serious injury or death, and she had more to lose now.
As Officer Reagan talked to Angie and her husband, a different angle occurred to Riley. Was it possible her kidnapping and attempted kidnappings might have been a ploy to bring Angie out in the open? Was some unknown enemy targeting Riley to smoke out Angie?