Page 50 of Critical Doubt

"Away from here."

He maneuvered in and out of city streets, until he was sure they weren't being followed. Then he pulled over on a busy street with plenty of traffic and bright lights. "I think we're good."

"Someone followed us to the bar. But the question is where did they pick us up?" she asked. "At Carmack Securities? At Brittain Park? Or did Jackie deliberately send us to the bar?"

He thought about her questions. "Jackie did send us to Vic, and Vic knew Todd. But I don't think she set us up. I could be wrong, but she seemed genuine in her concern for Todd and for finding answers."

"I thought so, too. That means we were followed."

"But why try to run us down?"

"We're asking questions, and someone is getting nervous. That's one possibility."

His gaze narrowed at the odd glint in her eyes. "What's another possibility?"

"You could be a target, Ryker. This might not be about us; it could be about you."

"Why would someone want to kill me?"

"I don't know. But Paul is dead. Todd is missing, possibly also dead. Jackie said Todd was scared, that he mentioned she could be in danger if she was with him. What if someone is taking out your team, one man at a time? It always looks like an accident or suicide. But it's not." She paused, letting her words sink in. "The explosion at Todd's house could have been meant for you. Not to cover anything up but to take you out. And tonight…"

He frowned. "I get it, Savannah, but I can't think of anyone who would want me dead."

"Vic mentioned that Todd had an intense conversation with Hank. That could be the Hank from your unit, right?"

"Probably. But I don't know what he would be doing in Atlanta. He lives in DC."

"DC," she echoed. "The text Jackie read came from a DC number. Why didn't Hank come to Paul's funeral?"

"Todd said Hank couldn't get away from work."

"Not the best reason, considering how close you all were, what you went through together. What's your relationship with Hank?"

"I don't have one anymore. I haven't talked to him since before I had my first knee surgery. Out of everyone on the team, Hank was my least favorite. We butted heads a lot. He liked to second-guess my decisions, but I let it go, because he was tremendously good at his job. I knew I could count on him." He paused. "Vic said they were talking about ghosting a woman. That's not surprising. Hank was never into relationships. He was always telling us not to get tied down. But I can't see how Hank and Todd having a drink together and talking about a woman is of any relevance."

"Well, Hank might know more about Todd's gambling problems."

"True."

"And even if he doesn't, we need to talk to him."

"We also need to speak to Mason," he agreed. "If there's any chance you're right about someone targeting us, they need to know what's going on."

"Where does Mason live?"

"Last I heard he'd moved to Bethesda."

"Which is close to DC." She glanced at her watch. I don't know if we can catch a flight from Atlanta to DC tonight, but we should be able to get one in the morning."

"We? You don't need to go with me, Savannah."

"Yes, I do. I'm following the clues, and that's where they're going."

"If I'm a target, you're not safe. You should stay away from me."

"It's too late for that. We've been a lot of places together already. We're connected and whoever just tried to run us down knows that. Even if I'm not with you, I'll be a loose end. I prefer not to wait for trouble. I'd rather get out in front of it. And we can back each other up."

Her words made sense, but he didn't want her to get hurt because of him. On the other hand, if they stayed together, he might be able to stop that from happening. "All right. Arguing would be a waste of breath, wouldn't it?"

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