Page 77 of Crossfire

“They would have told me,” he decided. “If this woman was connected to our case, they would’ve told me.”

“But they didn’t.”

Daniel’s lips thinned. “Maybe our case overlaps with someone else’s. Maybe we’re tripping over another department.”

“Maybe,” I said. “But it still doesn’t answer my question. Why do they think Samantha Jackson is a violent criminal?”

Daniel’s eyes snapped to mine. “Because they told us she is.”

“What if they’re wrong?”

“The CIA doesn’t make mistakes,” Daniel stated firmly.

A whisper in my mind dared to question, “Don’t they?”

“Not with something like this, no. If they said Samantha Jackson is a criminal, she’s a criminal.”

Doubt crept in like an insidious poison, threatening to undermine the very foundation of my beliefs. Could I trust myinstincts over the CIA’s intel? The thought of Ivy being a violent criminal felt like a twist of the knife in my gut.

“I’ve spent time with her, trying to get her name, and I don’t see it.”

Every moment I spent shadowing her, piecing together her life, I’d been drawn to her light, which warmed my icy shadows. Could I really extinguish such a light this easily? Jackson wasn’t a rare last name, nor was the first name Samantha. Was it possible, no matter how tragic it might’ve been, that they got the wrong Samantha Jackson when they’d given me her address?

Daniel turned his head slightly. “You’re questioning the CIA now? We’re not more informed than the CIA intelligence.”

“I’d like to see the order.”

“What?”

“The order.” My attention swept past him. “Is it on your computer?”

“The hell is that going to do? You have the name and address.”

“But it’s the wrong person. I don’t know how, but I think the real target somehow used Samantha Jackson’s name and address. Do you have a photo of the target?”

“She’s still alive, isn’t she?” He bit his lip so hard, I thought it might bleed.

“For now.”

“Jesus, Grayson.” Daniel clenched his eyes shut. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Trying to make sure an innocent person doesn’t get killed.”

“Is that her story you’re buying? Innocence?”

“I’m telling you, something is off. If this woman was an arms dealer, why did Vosch’s guy try to kill her?”

“She could be from a rival team. They could’ve had an argument. They could be in a dispute over money or a millionother things; it doesn’t matter! What matters is that we have orders, and we have to carry them out.”

“Then, why all the secrecy?”

“Because it’s the CIA! That’s their DNA.”

“Why didn’t they tell you that she’s connected to our case?”

“Maybe they don’t trust us right now after we messed up the last mission. We think we’re still fully on this case, but maybe they’re already cutting us out of it. Piece by piece.”

Shit.“If they don’t trust us, then why would they give us this assignment?”

---