Page 48 of Shadow Operative

Gage needed to figure out how Rob fit into it all.

Just as Nia thought, the caller with the unknown number had used a burner.

She wouldn’t get any information about who had bought it. At least not easily.

That left her back at square one.

Shecouldstill try to track down Hector, Rob’s attorney. She just might do that.

But as of right now, she didn’t have any more answers.

She’d noticed that one of Rob’s frequent phone calls and texts had been from Cormac. She still needed to locate him. She’d tried calling, but there had been no answer.

She had his address also. If she could get out of her office and find the courage to do so, she could try to track him down and question him. She could see if he was really out of town or not.

The problem was getting out of here.

She glanced out the window. Darkness had fallen outside. The days in February were short, and she missed the sunshine. At least in Miami it wasn’t cold.

A knock sounded at her door, and she called, “Come in!”

Melissa peeked her head inside, an apologetic look in her eyes. “Graham insists on talking to you. He won’t take no for an answer.”

Nia frowned but nodded. “Send him in.”

A moment later, Graham stepped inside. The man was in his late forties with thinning light-brown hair and a body and physique that showed he worked way too much overtime in the office. Yet the guy was skilled and did the tasks Nia didn’t want to do.

“I’m headed home for the night,” he announced. “Anything you need?”

“No, nothing,” she told him. “I’ll be leaving in a few minutes.”

He studied her a moment. “Are you okay? You seem a little jumpy. And your clothes . . .” He gave her a look of disdain.

She forced a smile. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

His gaze lingered on her a moment longer before he closed the door.

Nia released her breath now that he was gone. Then she turned her thoughts back to how she would get out of here.

Though Nia was tempted to camp out here tonight, she knew she couldn’t stay at work forever.

But it didn’t seem safe to go back to her apartment. So where could she go?

She could rent a hotel room, but if someone was smart enough or resourceful enough, they could track her credit card, and she didn’t have enough cash on hand to pay that way.

Besides, time was of the essence right now. At any time, she expected to receive another text. A demand.

She needed to figure out those answers before the gunman found her again.

Or Gage found her.

All she needed to do was make it to her car, which she’d left in the garage located next to the office building.

If she could make it there, she would be out of sight and safe.

In theory.

But what if the gunman was in the garage waiting for her?

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