Page 74 of Security Breach

He snorted. “If your agency was a ship, it’d be on the bottom of the ocean.” When Jordan protested, David cut him off. “How many people in your agency know about Emma and the crew of men hunting her?”

“It’s a tight group.”

“How many? Remember, I will confirm your claim.”

More cursing. “The circle is smaller than it was two days ago.”

“How many, Jordan?”

“It was twelve people.”

David blinked, stunned at the revelation. “Are you kidding me?” His voice rose. “You call 12 people a tight circle?”

“I’m down five marshals because of your girlfriend.”

“You’re down five agents because of your own incompetence,” he snapped.

David dragged a hand down his face. Good grief. Any number of people could have accessed the information in the database, including a mole. “What do the letters HC stand for?”

A hiss of annoyance from the agent. “I’ll learn who told you this information and arrest him.”

“Good luck with that.” If Zane was as good as Wolf Pack said, Jordan would never trace the leak to him. “Answer my question.”

“Hunt Club,” he muttered.

David’s eyes narrowed. He’d never heard of this group. “Who are the members?”

“Do you think I’d be sitting here talking to you if I knew that?”

“What do you know about them?”

“They’re dangerous.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“No one knows who’s involved in this group. Their identities are a closely held secret, but rumors say the only way out of the group is in a body bag. Makes people unwilling to talk about their little fraternity of blood brothers.”

“Where do they operate?”

“All over the country.” Bitterness filled Jordan’s voice. “Look, I can’t tell you anything else. If I do, my badge is on the line. If your sources are so good, dig up the rest for yourself.”

“So much for sharing information.”

“I can’t give you what I don’t know. I have one witness who can’t recall the faces of her attackers, and there’s no forensic evidence to work with. So, you tell me how I’m supposed to build a case on nothing but supposition.”

“Is Wells a member of this group?”

“No.” Jordan ended the call.

David shoved his phone into his pocket and leaned against the railing. Unbelievable. This group of hunters had been operating all over the country for at least 18 months, and the FBI had nothing to show for their investigation?

No way. Jordan had just lied to him, and David wanted to know why. Was he protecting Agent Wells? Maybe Jordan didn’t have enough evidence to arrest him.

As he turned to go inside, Rafe walked around the corner of the house with a pack on his shoulder. The former fed gave a chin lift in silent greeting.

“Finished your security shift?”

“Yep. I wanted to check the perimeter.” Rafe’s eyebrows knitted. “What’s up?”