Page 16 of Dangerous Protocol

“Shortly before your daughter started communicating with Sherborne, aka Samantha, he exchanged a series of phone calls with someone whose number included an international country code.” Papers shuffled in the background. “What makes them stand out is that the calls between them continued at a steady rate until the day your daughter disappeared. Then they suddenly stopped.”

“What’s the international country code?” Jeffrey looked at Maya across the desk.

“Qadira.”

Maya gasped, and the room began to sway. Strong hands circled her arms, and she was gently settled into a chair.

“Breathe, Maya.” Jeffrey’s voice came from far away. “Dammit, breathe!” He gave her a bit of a shaking.

She sucked in a massive breath, as if coming up for air after being trapped underwater. She blinked until her vision cleared and found his face inches from hers.

“Good girl.” His eyes searched hers. He tucked her hair behind her ear and hurried over to a mini fridge in the corner. He grabbed a bottle of water, twisted the top off, and handed it to her. “Drink this.”

She took a small sip, and her face burned with embarrassment.

“Everything okay?” Jonathan’s voice boomed from the phone on the desk.

Jeffrey gave her a questioning look. She drew her shoulders back, lifted her chin, and gave him a solid nod.

“Everything’s fine.” Jeffrey grabbed the phone, rolled a chair over, and sat knee-to-knee in front of her.

She’d been running on pure adrenaline and raw, knife-edged emotion since Isla went missing. It was time for her to get her shit together and tap into the hardened agent she once was. Otherwise, she would be of no use in finding her daughter.

He gave Jonathan a brief history of his relationship with Maya, kindly skipping the part where she snuck out on him in the middle of the night like a bloody coward. He explained how she’d been forced to change her identity, only to find out she was pregnant. Then he detailed the reason why she had to go dark. Mingled within his retelling were his repeated demands for her to take drinks of water.

“You’re quite bossy.” She scowled at him but took another drink.

“We’re staying in the tri-cities until Sherborne is brought in,” Jonathan said. “Andi knows one of the agents in the Kennewick bureau office, and he’s agreed to let her sit in on Sherborne’s interview.”

“Knowing Andi, she didn’t give them much choice.” Jeffrey moved to sit behind his desk.

“There’s that, too,” Jonathan continued. “She’s the best in the business at reading people, and her reputation is well-known within the bureau. Hell, within all of the alphabet-soup agencies and military branches.”

Jeffrey gave Maya a brief explanation of Andi’s experience and expertise as a former NSA interrogations tactics specialist.

“She’d like to chat with you, if you have a minute,” Jonathan said.

“I always have time for Andi.” Jeffrey took his phone off speaker and held it to his ear.

His voice was different—gentler—whenever he spoke of Andi.

Who was she to him? A former co-worker? A friend? A lover?

Check yourself, Maya.It was none of her business.

“Hey there.” His warm smile upon addressing the mystery woman nearly took Maya’s breath away.

She’d not seen one quite like it since she’d handed him a glass of champagne in their hotel room that last night. Champagne that had contained an odorless, tasteless powder strong enough to knock him out. How in the world had she survived twelve-plus long years without seeing something so wonderful? She certainly hadn’t seen such a smile since dropping a bomb into the middle of his life a few hours ago.

“How’s the baby?” His smile softened as he swiveled his chair around and put his back to Maya. “And how’s my girl doing?”

The baby? His girl?

He chuckled gently, and his voice quieted to the point she could no longer hear him. No doubt intentional.

For the next few minutes, as Maya stared at the back of his chair, a feeling of desolation washed over her. She was a stranger stuck on the outside looking in at the life he’d built without her.

Too often, in the loneliness that crept up on her in the darkness, she would muse about what her life wouldbe had they been able to pursue their mutual attraction outside of a fancy hotel suite. Would they have used each other up and gone their separate ways? Just two colleagues having scratched a sexual itch? Would they have fallen in love?

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