Page 84 of Sinner's Salvation

“I would if I were you,” Evan said. “It’s damned disrespectful of Homeland to just take him like that.” Evan paused. “Actually, this is the second time they’ve poached him.”

The FBI agents nodded, got to their feet, said goodbye and headed out of the restaurant.

Once they were gone, Marek started laughing and shaking his head. “You left out a lot.”

Evan finished up the food on his plate. “What did I miss?”

His boss gave him a grim smile. “I know you blew up that base.”

“I didn’t blow up the base,” Evan said, with only a touch of outrage.

“Set fire to it, whatever the hell you want to call it. You started it.” Marek shook his head again. “You’re only supposed to use that exit when it’s the only option you have left.”

“It was,” Evan said, keeping it simple. “It was that or watch Ledger torture two innocent people and cause a diplomatic incident.” He pushed his plate away. “Do you know what I don’t get?”

Marek waved his hand to tell Evan to keep talking.

“I want to know his source for this information. I want to know why a guy who’s just smart enough to tie his shoes in the morning was given intel that convinced him Anna Breznik was a vampire? Why did he believe it? What was he promised in order to act on that information?”

“You think he’s compromised?”

“Big time. He’s a lazy, narcissistic asshole. He wouldn’t do anything unless it’s worth his while.”

“Those are some questions I’d like the answers to as well. There’s just one problem.”

“I figured the other shoe was going to drop.” Evan made gimme gestures with his hands. “Okay, hit me with it.”

“I’m supposed to bring you in for a debrief.”

“A debrief, or a trip down Alice’s rabbit hole.”

Marek laughed. After a few seconds, he rubbed his face. “I can always count on your unique view of the world.”

“That was awfully polite,” Evan said. “Are you mic’d up or what?”

“I turned it off about twenty seconds ago.”

Evan stared at his boss, a knife twisting in his guts as if it were looking for something and couldn’t find it.

“You were smart to eat breakfast,” Marek said. “Fuel for the run.”

“Oh, yeah? Who’s coming for me?”

“Homeland. The FBI know nothing about it, so your advice to those two gentlemen might keep Homeland distracted for about five minutes. Your thoughts on who might be the source for Homeland’s info are good ones. If we could break the story and make Ledger look more like a moron than he already does, I think they’d throw him under the bus.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you were invited in, then treated like a disposable fork. Ledger is a political appointment. You have years of experience and a ton of money invested in you by the American government. You are not disposable. Not for this asshole’s delusions.”

“May he choke on a fat cock,” Evan intoned as if he were a priest giving a sermon.

Marek laughed again. “Get the fuck out of here while you still can.”

“Is this going to be a problem for you?”

“God, I hope so.” He sounded like he really was looking forward to it.

“Watch your back,” Evan said. If his boss was looking for an excuse to beat the shit out of someone, there was probably more going on than he was saying. He’d seen Marek play these spy games before. There were usually bodies left in the aftermath.

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