Chapter 17
Bean made a right, then a left, then a few more turns, and he couldn’t make heads or tails out of where he was.
“Shit, I’m lost.”
“Give me your phone, and I’ll plug in directions to the base.”
“Thanks.” He handed over his phone and gave her his passcode, which he would have to change later.
“I can’t believe I got turned around. Usually, it never happens.”
“It’s understandable in this city.”
He didn’t get lost, not on missions. And if he did, it usually only took him a moment to figure out where he was.
He’d driven through two lights before the directions came up. They weren’t too far afield, and it took them only a few minutes to get back on track.
He hated not knowing where to go. Before missions, he had multiple contingency plans. No question, Garnet distracted him. He needed to get his head on straight so he could keep her safe.
The terrorists they were fighting against had deeper resources than they’d initially thought. Someone really wanted to get their hands on Garnet, and they were willing to do anything to get to her, even operate here in DC.
They were getting close to the base when Bean glanced in the rearview mirror and spotted a car closing on them fast.
“You’ve got your seatbelt on, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Someone is following, and they aren’t slowing.”
Garnet looked like she was going to turn around, but he put his hand out and stopped her.
“Don’t. If they hit us, it will be worse if you aren’t facing forward.”
He saw an opening and moved to the left lane. He didn’t know if he could make it, but he had to turn the next corner, or they would ram him.
“Hold on and brace yourself.”
There was just enough room for him to make a left across traffic. His tires skidded on the pavement, and for a moment, he thought he might lose control, but the tires gripped the surface, and he had full control.
The directions on his phone were telling him to make a U-turn, but first, he had to shake this guy following them. If they’d been just a little closer to the base, he would have let the MPs sort out the mess with the person following them.
After they made the turn, Garnet glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t see anyone following. There is smoke rising back there. Like someone had a crash.”
“Hopefully, it’s the person following us, and we can get into the base. There’s another entrance. I’m going to try it. It’s not a regular entrance, and we might get some shit for it.”
“Just do it. We’ll deal with the shit.”
He knew about the other entrance and made his way around the base.
Of course, it was heavily guarded, and the cement bollards were in place, blocking them from entering the base.
When they pulled up, the guards reacted nervously.
He just hoped the guy didn’t freak out and shoot before he could explain.
“This isn’t an entrance. You need to turn around.”
Bean shook his head. “Can’t. I’m Sergeant Carpenter. I’m transporting an important person, and we were attacked. I’m going to give you information on who to contact.” He handed over the information and then asked if they could sit inside so the person coming to attack them wouldn’t find them.
It took a little more talking, but after a moment, the guards allowed them to sit inside an office and away from prying eyes.
“Do you think they believed you?” Garnet asked.
He nodded. “Once they get off the phone, they will.”
The guard ended the call in minutes, and he came into the glassed-in office where they were seated.
“Okay, you’re allowed to enter. A car is on the way. The truck will be dealt with.”
“Thank you,” Bean said as they walked onto base and waited for the car to come to pick them up.
He wasn’t happy that Garnet’s issue had gained even more attention.
He hoped they didn’t come back to him and demand that Garnet be held somewhere else.
They might claim she would be safer in some military safe house where he wouldn’t get to see her.
He didn’t think that would be wise. Depending on who was working with the terrorist, the safe house could be the most dangerous place for her.
Garnet knew she was in danger. Someone had attacked her apartment, and then another person had come after her.
She needed to track down who was behind the push to bomb DC.
Now that the military was aware of the plans, she thought they might try to change their tactic.
Then again, they may not believe they were at risk.
Brady informed her that they weren’t flying out yet. Instead, they were waiting for her to talk to someone. She wasn’t sure who, but it seemed serious.
“Want something to eat?” Brady asked.
“Sure.”
“I’ll go find food. I’ll be back soon. You don’t have to speak to anyone until I get back.”
She let go of a heavy sigh. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
He hugged her, but stepped back quickly, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. “I’ll be back fast.”
The room fell silent when he left, so she paced to the end, then back to the table. There were no windows for her to look out, no tech for her to dig into. It was just her with her thoughts.
She closed her eyes, trying to figure out where someone might have come up with the idea that she could take control of a missile and aim it at DC. No question, she’d kept the idea to herself. Not once had she mentioned the fact that she could hack into missile sites and set off an attack.
Maybe someone she worked with had figured it out. Or could it have been something else? She couldn’t think of anyone who would know what was in her head or her notes.
The door opened, and two people entered. They smiled, but she could tell they were all business and just trying to act kind.
“I’m Agent Foster, and this is Agent Harris. We were brought in to assess the situation.”
Garnet shook their hands, trying to stall talking to them.
She wanted to wait until Brady was back.
She felt like maybe she’d done something wrong, but she hadn’t.
She had been taken by terrorists. She hadn’t volunteered for the crap that happened to her in Beirut.
But being innocent didn’t matter when the military wanted answers.
The agents indicated they should sit at the table, so she took a seat, and they took the two across from her. They both opened their briefcases and removed folders. It was a little eerie watching them.
“We’re just trying to figure out what happened. We’ve read the reports, and we have a basic idea. Can you tell us more?”
She didn’t know what more they wanted. She wasn’t going to reveal to anyone how security could be breached. She’d found the information out on her own and had been looking for a way to prevent it from ever happening.
“I’m not sure what more I could tell you. The reports were fairly thorough.”
Foster sat forward. “Listen. We just have to make sure nothing goes wrong.”
The door opened, and both of the agents looked annoyed. Brady stepped in, and relief filled her. Agent Foster stood and squared his shoulders as he turned to face Brady.
“Listen, we need to speak with Miss Stratton alone.”
Brady shook his head. “Absolutely not. I was part of the unit that went in and rescued Miss Stratton.”
She decided to speak up. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with these two. “He should stay.”
Foster turned back to her, annoyance evident on his face. “Listen, it will go—”
“He stays.” She crossed her arms over her chest, unwilling to bend on this. “He is the only reason I’m safe. I don’t know why these people are after me. There is zero reason for them to think I can do what they want.”
“Can you?” Harris asked.
She wasn’t going to tell these two the truth. No one, not one person inside or outside the government, needed to know what she’d figured out, not until she had a fix for the situation. “No. There is no way for it to be done. They made a leap, but they were wrong.”
Garnet was thankful Brady was with her. She had a feeling that these two would push her, digging into her brain by means she didn’t think were altogether legal. With Brady on her side, she knew he would keep her safe.
The car chase had thrown her off balance. She wanted to leave DC and head somewhere no one knew about. Were these two safe people? She didn’t have a great feeling about them and doubted they would keep her secrets. Too much stuff had happened for her to trust strangers.