Page 38 of Undercover Savior

I’d tossed and turned a good share of the night, making mental lists of action items for today, including a full briefing from Sullivan on her investigation, if she was willing. If so, I’d wait until after it was over to speak with Con privately. If she wasn’t willing, I’d get it over with first.

Since I knew he was awake, I rang Gus rather than reply. “Can’t Periscope speak with anyone else?” I said even before good morning, since it wasn’t.

“It’s you or no one, or so I’ve been told.”

The woman was my handler; we weren’t mates, for God’s sake. I’d never been her confidant. In fact, we’d hardly spoken. “Why?”

Gus sighed. “While I can’t be certain, I think it’s because she knows Sullivan is with you. Or she strongly suspects it.”

“And?”

“Someone got her to relay a fake kill order, Ash. Whoever it was still wants Ms. Rivers dead. To be honest with you, I foundthe notion of letting Periscope believe no one was on to her ridiculous.”

“I agree. I was skeptical it would work.”

“If the ultimate goal was to get her to confess her involvement with Weber and Tower-Meridian, you meeting with her is the quickest way to it.”

“Right. On the subject of someone wanting Ms. Rivers dead, have you gotten anywhere with yesterday’s intruders?”

“Making progress. They’re definitely professionals. However, so are we.”

“Where was the access point?” I asked, getting out of bed and pacing the room.

“We’re still trying to piece that together.”

I thought about some of the satellite images Sullivan had showed me yesterday. I knew where she’d gotten them, just not how. And after she’d specifically stated she wouldn’t tell me, I wasn’t sure how to broach it today.

“I’d like to have a team meeting this morning, which means if I have to give in to Periscope’s demands, I won’t be able to meet with her until this afternoon.”

“Roger that. Let me see what I can do.”

“Before you ring off. How’s the security update going at Ashcroft?”

“Nearly done. In fact, Con’s been here most of the night.”

At any other time in my life, that would’ve filled me with confidence. Right now, what I felt bordered more on dread.

“What’s going on, Ash?”

“I’ll fill you in later. What time can the two of you be here?”

“Zero nine hundred.”

“See you then. Oh, and did Con say whether he met with Ms. Wallace?”

“He did.”

“And?”

“He said he’ll fill us in later.”

I thoughtabout checking on Sullivan, but it seemed like a bit of an invasion of privacy. Plus, if I peeked into the room and saw her still in bed, the lure of joining her would be hard to resist.

Instead, when I came downstairs, I found her in the dining room, speaking with Tag.

“Good morning,” I said, catching them both off guard. What precisely had they been discussing that resulted in my startling them in such a way?

“Ash,” said Tag, getting up from his seat.

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