Page 23 of Hidden Ascent

“No. Not at all. I just wanted to make sure we were both on the same page first.”

“I think we are so far.”

“A friend of mine has gotten into some trouble. I would help, but my circumstances prevent that. And the situation involves intricacies that limit who we can trust.”

“And yet you think you can trust me?”

“You crawled up out of the ocean. I’m pretty sure you’re not part of the trouble we’re facing.”

“And what exactly is the trouble?”

This was probably the most precarious part of the entire conversation. Different people reacted differently when you brought government organizations or law enforcement into a conversation. Especially if you’ve spent a good part of your life avoiding them.

“She was on assignment with the DEA.”

“She?”

“Is that a problem?”

“No. I’m just trying to get a clear picture. She’s a DEA agent?”

“She is.”

“Okay.”

Jay hadn’t flinched and now looked interested. It was a good start.

“They were ambushed, and her team was killed. Everyone except her. Her boss was also murdered shortly after. When she arrived at his house to check on him, she found he’d been shot.”

“Why would someone kill the whole team, including going to the house of an agent? It’s one thing to attack a group that’s attacking you. That was a risky move.”

“Yeah.”

“Sounds like it was well planned.”

“Yeah.”

“And this woman who survived, you don’t believe she was in on it?”

“No.”

“You’re certain?”

“If you’re going to trust me, you’ll have to trust her. I’m certain that what she said was true.”

“Are there any other players I need to know about?”

“The man who killed her boss is with DHS. He was part of the team. He tried to kill Isla, too, but she managed to escape.”

“Again. Lucky girl.”

“I hear your sarcasm.”

“I wasn’t trying to hide it.”

“I believe God saved her. Like he saved you.”

“Are there any other federal agents involved?”

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