Page 80 of Searching for Valor

“Noah Holt?” she asked in a raspy smoker’s voice. “I’m Special Agent Justina Callahan with the FBI. I’d like to ask you a few questions about what happened to you and your family.”

Noah shrank back against the pillows, his eyes wide and fearful. Izzy placed a protective hand on his arm.

“With all due respect, Agent Callahan, Noah has been through a traumatic ordeal. He needs time to rest and recover before being subjected to more questioning.”

Callahan’s gaze flicked to her. “And you are?”

“Isabella Delgado. I’m a friend of the family.”

“She’s Monica Holt’s Power of Attorney,” Ash said, and Izzy looked at him like she was surprised he knew that, but she recovered quickly.

“Yes, and I’m also listed as Noah’s legal guardian in Monica’s will.”

Rylan could tell that saying it out loud pained her. She didn’t want to consider the possibility that her best friend was already dead, but she also wasn’t going to let Agent Blazer, here, steamroll the kid.

Callahan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Well, Ms. Delgado, I understand your concern, but this is a federal investigation. I need to gather information while it’s still fresh in Noah’s mind. Every minute counts if we want to find his mother and sister alive.”

Rylan stood, placing himself between the agent and the bed. “How about we take this into the hall?”

Callahan appraised him coolly. “And you are?”

“Rylan Cross. I’m with Izzy.” He felt her eyes snap to him at the declaration, but he didn’t look in her direction to see her surprise, instead keeping his attention fixed on the agent.

Callahan’s perfectly manicured eyebrow lifted a fraction. “I assume that means you’re also a friend of the family, Mr. Cross?”

“Something like that.” He didn’t elaborate.

The agent studied him for a long moment, then gave a curt nod. “Very well. Let’s talk in the hall.” She turned on her heel and strode out of the room without waiting for a response.

Rylan glanced at Ash, who shrugged. “Don’t look at me. The feds are calling the shots now. I’m just here for moral support, apparently.”

“Comforting,” Rylan muttered. Ash wasn’t exactly built for moral support. He glanced back at Izzy and Noah. “I’ll be right back, buddy. You just rest and let Izzy take care of you, okay?”

Noah nodded, his eyes still too wide and too scared. Izzy gave him a grateful look, mouthing “Thank you” as he followed Callahan and Ash out into the corridor.

The moment the door clicked shut, Callahan rounded on them. “I don’t know what kind of operation you’re running here, Sheriff, but this is now a federal case. That means I’m in charge.”

“How is this federal?” Rylan asked before the temper he saw brewing in Ash’s eyes could boil over. “The kids didn’t cross state lines.”

If the twitch of her eyelid was any indication, Callahan really didn’t want to answer, but after several stubborn beats of silence, she relented. “Monica has been an informant for the Bureau, providing us with intel on Julian Graves. When she disappeared, we feared the worst. Now that Noah’s been found, we’re hoping to piece together what happened and find her.”

Okay, that took a turn he hadn’t seen coming. He wondered if Izzy knew. Probably not.

“An informant?” Ash said, disbelief and anger warring in his voice. “And you didn’t think to clue me into that before now?”

“Graves is well-connected, and any leak could have cost Monica and her kids their lives.”

Rylan’s jaw tightened. “And yet here we are.”

Callahan’s eyes flashed. “Monica knew the risks when she agreed to help us. We did everything we could to keep her safe.”

Rylan scoffed. “Yeah, you did a bang-up job of that. She’s missing, her daughter is still being held hostage, and her son—her twelve-year-old—just had to abandon them and flee for his life. Real five-star protection there.”

“Watch it, Cross,” Callahan warned. “You don’t know the full story here.”

“Then enlighten us,” Ash said, crossing his arms. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like the FBI dropped the ball big time. And now my people are left to clean up your mess.”

Callahan’s nostrils flared. “I’m not going to trust a police department that’s under investigation by the attorney general for corruption.”

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