Chapter 36
Everything was going according to plan.
Ren had planted an abundance of evidence in the CIA network suggesting Franklin was a Russian sleeper agent. Thanks to Tenley’s B&E skills, there was also plenty of planted evidence on his home computer.
The anonymous tip had been sent, and Reuben was already on the hunt. He’d secured a warrant to search Franklin’s place within a couple of hours. That warrant would be executed that very evening.
Eric and Stella would maintain a safe distance and would be ready to run if everything fell to shit at any point. Ren had even wiped the bar’s video surveillance to erase all traces of Knox’s presence that night with Reuben, and he and Tenley were more than halfway home by now, free and clear.
He’d even worked out a Plan B with Ren in case everything went sideways. It wasn’t ideal, and it was super risky, but if the worst happened, they might not have a choice.
They’d considered every angle, every possible play Franklin could make. Safeguards and backup plans were in place. It should all go down like clockwork. Except…
Cole had a bad feeling.
He would imagine most people could ignore a bad feeling or two. But Cole’s bad feelings over the years had saved him from getting blown up by hidden roadside bombs and captured by enemy combatants. He trusted his gut and it had never let him down.
So, what the hell were they missing? What was going to go wrong tonight and how could he avoid it to keep Hadley safe?
Hadley ran a fingertip over a piece of decades-old machinery and cringed when it came back black with grime. “We couldn’t have picked a cleaner place for this meeting?”
“This place is perfect from a tactical perspective. And if you’ll remember correctly, I told you to sit this out. Or to at least stay with Ren.”
“And let you have all the fun? No way.”
Over their com earpieces, Ren said, “I’m in place. I can see everything, and I have cameras on all the angles. We’re good to go.”
Cole turned his attention back to Hadley. “You’re sure I can’t convince you to wait this out somewhere safe?”
Her smile was all kinds of adorable. It annoyed him. No one should be that cute while defying him. “You jump, I jump, right, Jack?”
“You know I have no idea what that means.”
“We’re going to have to work on your pop culture knowledge when this whole thing is over. I just mean that I’m going wherever you go.”
His chin hit his chest. “Yeah. That’s what I figured you’d say.”
“Franklin’s car is approaching,” Ren said. “He’ll be inside in 3 minutes.”
Hadley took a deep breath. “I’m nervous.”
“That’s normal. Just keep breathing, slow and steady,” Cole said, taking her hand.
She scowled at him. “If it’s so normal, why aren’t you nervous?”
“I’m better at hiding it than you are.”
It was only a partial lie. Truth was, the key to not being nervous in dangerous situations was not giving a shit about yourself. But he was doing his best to make sure she didn’t know he was actually terrified. Not for himself, of course, but for her.
“CIA fuckwit entering in 3, 2, 1,” Ren said.
Hadley flinched when Franklin shoved the warehouse’s metal door open and started walking toward them, his cheap dress shoes clickety-clacking across the concrete floor.
“I can’t wait to wipe that stupid smug smirk off his stupid fat face,” Hadley muttered under her breath.
“You and me both.”
Franklin stopped a few feet away from them and stuck his hands in his pockets, very purposefully letting them see his service weapon in the holster on his side.
Cole almost snorted. Did this dumb motherfucker really think a gun was going to stop him?
He could drop this asshole before that gun ever cleared leather.
“Well, aren’t you two looking closer than ever,” Franklin said.
“Your fly is down,” Hadley said, giving him a disgusted once over.
Cole huffed out a laugh as a now red-faced Franklin yanked his zipper up. “You said you had an update, so let’s have it,” he grumbled. “I don’t have all day.”
“Oh, I’d say you have plenty of time to hear what we have to say, Franklin,” Cole said dryly.
He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “Spit it out, Clayton. Before I get bored and decide to say fuck it to this entire mission and let the Irish have their way with her.”
Hadley lunged for him, but Cole looped an arm around her waist and hauled her back against his chest while Franklin cackled. “Well, well, well, who knew she had that kind of fire in her?” he said, flashing that ugly smirk again. “But I’m guessing you figured it out pretty quickly, huh, Clayton?”
“Get fucked, asshole!” Hadley shouted, struggling against Cole’s hold. He was lucky she didn’t decide to use any of the escape tactics she’d learned on him for holding her back. Taking a hit to the nuts did not sound appealing.
Cole leaned down and whispered in Hadley’s ear, “Don’t let him get to you. We’ve got him right where we want him, yeah?”
She huffed out an exasperated breath and stopped struggling. Her muscles were still tense, though. If he gave her the go-ahead, he imagined she wouldn’t hesitate to kick Franklin’s ass. It made him obscenely proud of her.
“Sorry,” she muttered. “I didn’t mean to lose it.”
“Not gonna lie. It was hot.”
“Really?”
“Yep. I’ll show you just how hot I thought it was later.” He kissed her temple before letting her go.
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
He wouldn’t have it any other way.
“So,” Cole said to Franklin, “you’re sure you gave us all the information we needed to get the job done before sending us in, right?”
Franklin gave him a bored slow blink. “Of course I did. I’m not an amateur.”
Cole nodded. “I knew that about you, Franklin. You’re corrupt, lazy, and way more confident than you have any right to be, but one thing you’re not is an amateur.”
He slapped a hand over his heart dramatically. “You wound me, Clayton. And here I thought we were going to get together for a slumber party and braid each other’s hair when this whole thing was done.”
“Oh, that sounds like fun,” Hadley said, feigning excitement. “Maybe I’ll come, too, and bring my new friend, Stella.”
The name had barely passed Hadley’s lips and Franklin’s entire demeanor changed. Gone was the smug, smirking prick who thought he had them both over a barrel. In his place, was a slightly wild-eyed, sweaty, noticeably paler man who’d just realized he wasn’t as untouchable as he thought he was.
It was enough to warm even the coldest heart.
“You didn’t think it was important to tell us that your ex lived in the neighborhood? Or that she was married to the man you suspected was a sleeper agent?” Cole asked casually.
Franklin shook his head and sneered at him. “No. Not really. Because if you’d just done your damn job, you would’ve found the proof I needed, got out, and been none the wiser. But no, you just had to go digging, didn’t you, Clayton?”
He shrugged. “If you wanted someone who wouldn’t ask any questions, you should’ve blackmailed someone else.
So, humor me, Franklin, let me know if I’m on the right track here.
You, still utterly obsessed with your ex, do a background check on her new husband.
You realize something is off, but you can’t prove it.
Then you ask your boss to send in a couple of operatives to research the guy and get proof he’s a sleeper agent.
But your boss won’t do it, because you sound exactly like the paranoid, delusional, stalking piece of shit that you are.
That’s where we came in and you decided to fund this whole mission yourself off the books. ”
Franklin’s mulish silence spoke volumes.
Hadley’s nose scrunched up in disgust as she said, “I can’t believe you were willing to let me die just so you could make sure your ex-wife wasn’t happy. That’s so pathetic.”
“It doesn’t even matter,” Franklin eventually said. “I could kill both of you right now, hire a freelancer to collect the evidence I know you found, and still get everything I want.”
Cole sucked in air through his teeth. “Wouldn’t recommend it. Did you honestly think we came without backup?”
His head whipped around as he looked for anyone who might have a gun trained on him. He wouldn’t find anything. Ren was too good for that. “I’d lie to you about a lot of things, Franklin,” Cole said dryly. “But not that. Trust me. I have backup and cameras.”
Franklin’s chin came up defiantly. “You can’t kill me, either. I have fail safes in place.”
“You mean the check points on your home computer that would send my information to the FBI and the Irish if you don’t sign in every day?” Hadley asked innocently.
“Yeah, those,” he sneered.
She scoffed. “Please. We wiped those out ages ago.”
“When we planted the evidence that makes it look like you’re the Russian sleeper agent,” Cole added helpfully. “So, this is your last opportunity to disappear. I’d take it if I were you.”
A bead of sweat ran down his temple. “No one will believe that. Especially since I was the one who suggested the CIA look into that neighborhood to begin with.”
Hadley pulled out her phone. “Oh, they already believe it. Here, check it out.”
She took a few steps toward Franklin, holding out her phone, allowing him to see the live feed Ren had set up in front of Franklin’s house. The feed that showed the swarm of CIA agents who’d just broken down his front door and were searching the place from top to bottom.
Everything happened in slow motion after that for Cole. Hadley moved within Franklin’s reach. Franklin looked down at her screen and the realization that she wasn’t lying crashed over his face like a tsunami. His expression shifted from panic to dismay to rage in quick succession.
That’s when Cole’s bad feeling morphed into something much, much bigger and even more ominous.