Page 68 of Strike Fast

We? Who did he mean by “we”?

A charged silence followed as DeLuca checked his phone. What, had they all gotten the same message from someone?

DeLuca frowned, then his head jerked up and he locked gazes with Colebrook. After a tense second, he swung his gaze to Taggart and beckoned him forward. “Commander.”

Reid had no idea what the hell was going on, but it was annoying as hell to be left in the dark. A low buzz of conversation filled the room as the Colebrook brothers and both commanders met over in the corner.

“Any idea what they’re talking about?” Reid asked the teammates standing near him.

“Nope,” Rodriguez said. “But it must be good, and DeLuca, Brody and Easton all seem to be on the same page.”

God, this was driving Reid insane. What the hell was going on? He battled his impatience as the four men talked, and Taggart’s fascinated expression as he listened to the others made him curious as hell.

An analyst rushed into the room and went directly to speak with the two commanders. She handed DeLuca a slip of paper and rushed out again. DeLuca read it and nodded, his expression tightening.

Brody Colebrook said something to him. DeLuca took off his Chargers cap and ran his hand over his head in clear agitation before putting it back. Whatever they were discussing, he didn’t look happy about it. DeLuca said something back to Brody, who answered, and then all four men swung their attention to Reid.

Every muscle in his body tensed.

Autumn.They knew something about her.

Without even being conscious of moving, Reid was pushing his way through the wall of bodies to get to the four men in the far corner. “What?” he demanded when he got close, not giving a rat’s ass about chain of command or protocol or any other bullshit. “Is it about Autumn?”

Whatever it was, he needed to know. He aimed a hard look at his commander. Fuck this, he wasn’t going to be kept in the dark if they knew something, and didn’t want them withholding intel in an effort to spare him.

His heart clattered against his ribs as he waited for a response.

Taggart’s gaze cut to DeLuca, then focused back on Reid. “I don’t want to get your hopes up in case we’re wrong.”

The pressure around his ribs eased slightly. “Just tell me. I’m dying here.”

“We think she’s still alive.”

All the air rushed out of his lungs and he slumped forward. Easton grabbed him around the ribs, as though afraid Reid would keel over.

Over the rush of blood in his ears Reid was aware of the stark, brittle silence in the room, of all the eyes on him as everyone stared. “How do you know?” he forced out, his throat tight.

“The tip we just got says she is,” DeLuca said. “Seems like a credible source. We’re trying to find out who sent it, but whoever it was, they’re an insider.”

“What else did the source say?” He wanted proof. A location.

“No location for your daughter, but the person said they’d be in touch with more details soon, including proof of life.”

The backs of his eyes burned and he had to blink a couple times as he dragged in a ragged breath. His baby was still alive and he was going to find her. Bring her home.

Then DeLuca’s eyes shifted to Taggart.

“And?” Reid prompted. There was something more they weren’t telling him.

Taggart’s pale turquoise gaze was steady on his. “We don’t know whether it’s authentic or not, but if it is… Someone in theVenenocartel just offered up Ruiz to a contact of ours on a silver platter.”

Reid frowned. That made no sense. Except that the cartel world was as fucked up and cutthroat as they came, so he was just glad for the tip. “What are you planning to do?”

“If we do this, we’ve got five hours at most. Not enough time to get us all down there and stage a full-scale op. So we’d have to go with a plan B that involves a single agent and a…” He glanced at the Colebrooks before continuing. “Certain source we’re thinking of bringing in. For an off-the-books stab at Ruiz,” DeLuca said.

“A private contractor?” Reid asked.

“More like a consultant,” DeLuca said, sharing another loaded look with the Colebrook brothers. Reid glanced at his teammate, Easton, who didn’t say anything. What the hell? Why weren’t they letting him in on the details?

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