Page 24 of Redeeming Meg

“Like what?” As if reading Declan’s mind, Meg sucked in knowing breath. “You think Marchetti is a traitor?”

“Not the chief.” Declan motioned for her to follow him. “The man doing the shredding.”

Tessa suddenly joined in the conversation. “What the hell is on that USB?” she muttered.

Meg followed him across the room and hit her comm. “Loch Ness, we have a problem.”

Flynn’s voice cut through the static. “Then solve it.”

“I can’t.”

Declan sent her a look suggesting she remember they were a team.

She corrected herself as she waited for him to scan the hall before they went in pursuit of their target. “Wecan’t.”

“Why not?” Flynn snapped.

“Because, sir, the bag is here, but the USB isn’t.”

“Loch Ness, this is Swanny Three,” Spence cut in. “We have more problems than that. Are you getting this on your feed?”

“What is it?” Declan demanded, ignoring radio protocol.

“The front entrance is wide open,” Spence told them. “The police are nowhere in sight, and Hagar and the death squad are swarming the building.”

He knew it took all Meg’s willpower to ask the next question. “Orders?”

Nothing but silence followed.

Until…

“Get out,” Flynn ordered. “Abort now.”

NINE

The mission was a failure.

Blown.

Hagar was inside.

Coming for her.

For them.

Meg reeled in her panicked thoughts. There was no way the terrace could know she was here, that the Black Swans were here. Her team.

Hagarwasn’tcoming for her, he was coming for something else.

But what? The USB?

Looked like he was going to be as disappointed as she was.

She muted her comm and spoke to Dec as they snuck down the hall, heading back the way they had come. “Are we sure Hagar is after the USB? He’s a showman, but inciting a riot? He’s more likely to bride someone to get that intel, isn’t he?”

Dec touched his earbud, muting his comm as well. “You heard our orders. We’re leaving.”

“We don’t have the USB or Tommy.” Was Hagar after him? If the terrorist bastard had done his homework, he would knowTommy was gone. “Does Hagar already have him? Does Tommy know what’s on the drive?”