Page 13 of Misdirection

Then the shadow disappeared.

She released the breath she’d been holding.

She needed to get out of here before she tested her luck.

She quickly left the office, closing the door behind her and nodding to Wanda to let her know she was done.

But as Olive walked down the hallway, she couldn’t help but feel as if eyes were watching her every move.

Was Jason in his office, surrounded by surveillance cameras, and keeping an eye on her? Was he so suspicious of her that he’d do that?

Another complication she didn’t need.

She wanted to glance behind her. But she didn’t. Small details mattered. She couldn’t give any indications that might make someone suspicious.

Instead, she glanced at her watch. She could officially leave the office at three. The company had flex hours, and she’d come in early.

Normally, Olive tried to stay later. But considering Beau’s death and the fact she needed to meet with Jason tonight, leaving early seemed like a good idea.

She went to her office—which was plain other than her desk, computer, and a photo of her in St. Thomas—and grabbed her purse.

Before leaving, she sent Tevin another text, letting him know she was headed his way. Then she hurried to the parking garage.

She bypassed her Mercedes and instead headed toward a gray delivery van parked in the back corner of the second level.

The vehicle was designed to look like the vehicles used by a popular online retailer. Since those vans were always seen all over the city, they easily blended in. No one ever thought twice about seeing them on the street.

Tevin even had a matching uniform and several delivery boxes he could use when necessary for his cover.

Olive made sure no one was watching as she climbed into the back.

Tevin sat in the back, an entire operation center complete with three computers and five monitors surrounding him. Three different drones sat on shelves near the ceiling in case they were ever needed.

Once, he’d used a drone to deliver a package. It had seemed like a cutting-edge home delivery. In reality, he’d delivered intel to her, but no one had thought twice of it. He also used the drones to get the lay of the land in certain situations and to spy on people at other times.

They’d turned out to be very handy.

The man, in his early thirties, was tall and lanky with curly, dark hair and dark-framed glasses. He wasn’t the stereotypical computer nerd. He loved working out, running marathons, and listening to hip-hop. He was smart as a whip and knew how toget around a computer operating system better than a seasoned surgeon knew the human body.

Throughout their years of working together, he’d almost become like a brother to Olive.

“An ex, huh? That was unexpected.” Tevin held out a bag of walnuts and offered her one.

Olive politely declined. Maybe if they weren’t dill pickle flavored, she would eat one.

Tevin loved all things dill pickle flavored. And old Bruce Lee movies. And his mother—in a good way, Olive supposed. She found his dedication and daily phone calls to the woman endearing.

He also believed that systems were in place for a reason, and he often theorized that there was nothing a spreadsheet or a drone wouldn’t fix.

“I don’t know what’s going on at Conglomerate, but the stakes are rising.” She ran a hand over her hair. “I’m afraid my cover might be blown.”

A frown tugged at his lips. “Let’s hope not. I’m not sure how this detail got past us. Jason’s name was on the spreadsheet the team and I went over.”

“I’m not sure how it slipped by either.”

“We’ll figure that out. In the meantime, Rex wants to talk to you.” Tevin hit a key on his computer, and her boss’s face filled the screen.

Olive braced herself for whatever he had to say.

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