Page 100 of Smoke and Shadows

“Stop treating me like crystal,” Maia groused.

Jack only smiled affectionately, and Marissa was heartened to see the fierce love in the way McCord regarded his wife.

He lowered the food on the round conference table and cupped Maia’s face with his hands, planting a very wet kiss on her lips. “Good evening to you too, sweetheart.”

“Hate to bust y’all’s bubble, but eating in the datacenter is not allowed,” Tim said even as he eyed the bags of food hungrily.

“Since when?” Jack’s head pulled back like a cobra’s.

“I hope you’re not countermanding my rules, McCord.” A voice spoke from behind them.

Viktor had just walked in with Nathan and Derek.

Jack grinned as he lifted the food bags. “Not at all.”

“Did you get my Kung Pao chicken?” Derek asked expectantly.

After their belliesstarted to fill with sodium-laden Chinese food, Allison apologized to Tim and let him load the first discs into the AGS software.

They were all hanging out in the break room when Tim came back with the laptop, a look of excitement on his face.

“Got something,” he said, laying his laptop in front of Viktor. The others gathered around them.

“They were careful to avoid the surveillance cameras—” Tim began

“They?” Marissa clarified.

“Logan and some other guy,” the analyst replied. “But I managed to catch an angle as they were leaving the store. They came in two vehicles, Logan in a white panel van, the other man in a Ford F-150,” Tim continued. “I’ve run the plates. The white panel van was rented with falsified identification and was dumped this morning. The pickup truck is registered to Eloisa Logan, Logan's cousin.”

A pop-up notification scrolled through the screen. Tim clicked on it. It showed a split screen of two faces. Marissa recognized Henry Logan, at a ninety-five percent facial match with his service picture. The other guy was not found in the database and was simply featured with the screen shot from the surveillance video. He had a shaved head, a full beard, and bushy brows.

“The other man may have come in with Owen Reed on theCassiopeia.”

“Looks like a Merc to me,” Derek piped in.

Viktor, who had been quiet until then, said, “Release an inter-agency bulletin on the pickup truck. The directive is ‘not to engage but call it in immediately to our hotline’.”

Marissa staredat the blinking number on her personal phone.

“You gonna get that?” Agent Olsen asked beside her. They were heading to the U.S. Capitol complex in DC to brief Senator Robinson on the search for the chemical weapons. Viktor hadn’t wanted her to go by herself and sent Olsen with her. Viktor and Nathan were off on a lead about the pick-up truck. It had been flagged near an apartment complex, and the two had been staking out the area since early this morning.

She contemplated ignoring her father’s fifth call, but her gut told her to answer this time.

“Dad.”

“Finally.” Her father’s annoyed voice greeted her. “What would it take for you to return my calls?”

“I’ve been working nearly round the clock, Dad.”

Silence for a beat and then, “Did something happen? Are you okay?”

Marissa noted a genuine concern in his voice.

“We’re dealing with a situation right now, but I’m fine,” Marissa replied. Not wanting to avoid the subject, she added, “Viktor told me what you did. Though in some twisted way, I understand your reasons. I think you also know that I can’t be manipulated with your money. Otherwise, I would’ve taken an interest in Cole Nauticals.”

Trenton Cole sighed heavily. “I wished you didn’t leave like you did the other night.”

“What did you expect, Dad? You tried to bribe myboyfriend,” Marissa lowered her voice, embarrassed that Agent Olsen would overhear such a conversation.

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