Page 105 of Sweet Little Spies

“But it was stupid to leave your phone where you wouldn’thear it ring.” Zach stayed standing, arms crossed over his chest. “I get it,man. You’re dealing with some personal stuff, but we’re also in the middle of amission. I know it seems easy…”

“Nothing’s ever easy,” Tris interrupted. “I know it. Allright. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. And please tell Big Tag not to be toohard on Kala. We needed the privacy. We were fine. She was still in the hotel.Now she’s with Carys, doing her job. So what do you have for me?”

Aidan was interested, too. When Tristan took a seat on thecouch across from Tasha, he sat down beside him. “Did Phoebe find something? Iheard Parker giving Adam permission to send what his agency had on Huisman’srecent financials.”

Tasha’s head shook. “Nothing yet. It’s late, though, so Iwould bet we won’t hear from Phoebe until tomorrow. No, I wanted you to beaware of something weird we found. We managed to get the schedule for thesymposium.”

“Weird?” Aidan asked. “It should be a series of meetings. Acouple of speakers. Meals. I know he schedules what he calls ‘free thinking’time, which is basically where everyone sits around and exchanges ideas.”

“The schedule isn’t the problem.” Zach paced behind Tasha.“Included with the schedule is a list of the attendees. When did you say yougot the invitation, Aidan?”

“Two months ago. I received the invitation to apply for thesymposium six weeks before that,” he replied. “So my initial contact with thefoundation was roughly three and a half months ago.”

Tasha looked back at Zach. “So before Australia.”

Before they’d met Huisman himself. “That’s good, right? IfHuisman hadn’t even met you, then it does feel like the timing backs up theidea this was all a coincidence.”

Tris had gone tense beside him. “Unless all of this was aplan and we’re playing catch-up.”

“We can’t know,” Aidan said.

“Aidan’s name is not on the list.” Zach frowned, a grimexpression. “There are sixty-two registered attendees, but no Dr. AidanO’Donnell. Did you have to send in anything like a bio?”

“Of course.” It kind of hurt, but he could come up with acouple of reasons he would be left off. “I sent in everything they asked for,including a bio and professional photo. I would bet it’s because I’m the onlyresident in the group. Everyone else is either a fellow or an attending. I cansee where he wouldn’t give a resident the same page space. I’m literally yearsbehind most of these guys. Or it could be a mistake. I can’t imagine anotherreason they would leave me off.”

“Plausible deniability,” Tasha replied.

Tristan took a long breath. “You think he wants to be ableto pretend Aidan wasn’t there at all?”

“I don’t know,” Tasha admitted. “If that’s his plan, thenthis is more dangerous than we previously thought, and it’s time to get Aidanand Carys to a safe house. I’m worried Huisman will make his move the minutethey enter the compound. Ben has done a lot of research concerning the house.He’s got serious security, and if they’re Huisman’s personal army, we could beoutnumbered.”

Tris sat back, seeming to think for a moment. “Uncle Iandidn’t say anything about ending the op. Is he leaving this in my hands?”

“I believe he is, though you should understand he knows whathe wants you to do,” Zach replied. “I think this is one of those Big Tag moveswhere he says he’s leaving it up to you—as long as you make the right call.”

Tris huffed out a laugh. “Good to know I’m going to make himhappy. We’re out. We’ll pack up and return to base and we’ll be back in Dallasby tomorrow afternoon. I think I’ll take my subs somewhere tropical for acouple of weeks until we figure out what’s going on. My father can do the workhe needs to do from Dallas. I know he wanted a chance at one of us gettinghands on Huisman’s system, but he’ll find a way.”

A deep sense of relief swept through Aidan. Tris wasdropping the whole op. He was coming with them. He could leave all of thisbehind if Tris was with them. “I’ll go and get Carys.”

Aidan stood, ready to get the train rolling. He’d been soexcited about the prospects of attending this event, and now he never wanted tohear the name Huisman again. Even if they were wrong and it was all acoincidence and Huisman was the caring man he presented himself to be, Aidanwanted out. Something was happening and it would hurt people. He wanted to makesure it wasn’t his people.

He needed to make sure it wasn’t Carys and Tris.

“Take Zach with you,” Tristan ordered. “I can handle thepacking.”

“I’ll go with him. I need to talk to my sister,” Tashaoffered, standing up and straightening her shirt. “She’s going to be pissed theop’s not on.”

Zach held his hands out as if telling them all he wasn’tabout to argue. “Definitely sounds like a Taggart family problem. I’ll helpTris get packed up, and we’ll meet you downstairs. Why don’t you get them inthe car and pick us up in fifteen minutes?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Tasha agreed. “Aidan, come with me.”

Tris stopped him before he could get to the door, putting ahand on his neck and getting into his space. “You do whatever Tash tells you todo. I know she’s a woman and your instincts will be to protect her, but she’sdeadly. She knows what she’s doing, and she’ll keep you safe.”

Aidan chuckled. “We’re walking down to the bar. I thinkwe’ll be okay, but I promise. I definitely promise I’ll hide behind Kala if itcomes to it.”

“I’m serious,” Tris said. “Something’s not right. I can feelit in my gut. Leaving you off that list was a choice. He’s playing games withus, and I don’t know the rules. Maybe we should leave everything behind.”

He seemed to have forgotten who their fiancée was. “You wantCarys to leave her makeup and shoes behind?”

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