Page 118 of Critical Doubt

"Anything happening?" she asked.

"I haven't seen any movement. There's a Jeep in the driveway. Is the FBI on the way?"

"I didn't call Parisa until I was almost here. She's on her way, but it will be close to a half hour before she can get here. Oh, and they think they have a beat on Vance. They're sending a team to check out a warehouse in Bethesda. It's only about five miles from Spear. There's a chance the exchange is going on there."

He could see the hope in her eyes, but he didn't buy it. Even though he hadn't seen anyone yet, every instinct he had said this was the right place. "This is a better spot. It's remote. It's controllable. No witnesses nearby. No cameras."

"I don't disagree, just telling you what's going on." She pulled a pair of binoculars from a small duffel bag. "I found these in Parisa's car. She lent it to me earlier today when I went to meet my father."

"I do want to hear about that sometime."

"I have a lot to tell you." She peered through the binoculars. "There's movement now. I see someone."

She handed him the glasses. A man came around the corner of the barn with a semi-automatic in his hands. He was alone. As he walked back and forth, he checked his watch, pulled out his phone, and then walked toward the front.

"He's waiting for someone," he murmured, looking at Savannah now.

"Probably Vance. You're right. The weapons have to be in the barn."

"Along with Leo and Hank and God knows who else," he said grimly.

"What's the play? This is your show. Make the call."

He appreciated the respect she was giving him, and that trust gave him even more determination. "We need to get that guy's attention, draw him away from the barn, take him out quietly."

She nodded. "I'll be the decoy."

"I'll set up over there," he said, waving toward a line of trees near the barn. "Savannah, if this goes south, run like hell. Do not come after me."

She stared back at him with her amazing green eyes and said, "You know I won't do that."

"I want you to. I've made a lot of mistakes the past nine months. I don't want to make the biggest one now by putting you in danger." He grabbed her by the shoulders. "I love you, Savannah."

Her lips parted in shock.

"I need you to stay alive," he continued. "I do not want you to die for me. I want you to live for me. Do you understand?"

"No one is going to die. We're going to do this together," she said, a desperate note in her voice.

"You're not hearing me."

"I am hearing you. But you can't tell someone you love them and push them away."

"I can when their life is on the line. If you can't make that promise, then we'll both walk away. We'll wait for the team."

"No. Let's do this now," she said. "We may have only a small window of opportunity to get into that barn before everyone arrives."

"Do you promise?"

"You're going to have to trust me to do the right thing, Ryker." She opened the duffel bag, pulled out a zip tie and handed it to him. "Take that guy out."

He took the tie and then gave her a hard, emotion-filled kiss, hoping it wouldn't be the last. He moved into the shadow of trees that was only twenty feet from the side of the barn. The guard was walking toward him, but he was more interested in checking what was on his phone than his surroundings. And then a cascade of rocks drew his head up. The man looked in Savannah's direction. He walked straight toward the trees where Ryker was waiting.

As soon as the man moved in front of him, he crept up behind him and put him in a chokehold before he could react. A second later, the man slid to the ground. He tied the guard's hands behind his back and pulled him into the woods. Then he grabbed the semi-automatic, sliding his own gun into the waistband of his jeans.

He saw no further movement in the area, so he motioned Savannah forward. She joined him in the cover of the trees.

"I'm going through the back door of the barn," he told her.

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