Page 19 of S.O.S. Mizzay

It was her turn to laugh. “You, too. But nobody calls me Andy anymore,” she told him. “I’m either Agent Andriopolos, or Missy.”

She dropped the car in gear, and with an astute perusal of the entire area, she pulled out.

Cobble raised a brow, comfortable that she was taking over on any exterior vigilance they needed. “Do you mind if I still call you Andy?” he asked. “That’s how I always think about you.”

“You think about me?” she questioned cheekily, but he could see a blush working its way up her cheek.

“On occasion,” he allowed, teasing her back. Still, he had to ask… “Don’t you ever think about me?”

Surreptitiously, he checked out her left hand.No ring.Good.

Andy smirked, but demurred. “You know I do. I spendallmy hours when I’m not on another case, digging into the shitstorm still swirling around you.”

Cobble sat back. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear, but he’d be satisfied for now that she was still using some of her time to keep him in mind, even if it was for business.

At the moment, however, he had something more exciting to think about; holing up in a motel together. That’s what Chuck had told him, at least.

“So, all that aside, where are you depositing me this time?” he asked while his body tingled with possibilities.

A frown line—that Cobble could see every time they drove under a street light—formed between Andy’s brows.

Cobble held his breath.

“I’m actually not sure. And neither is Chuck. He’s having to dig deep to find a place off everyone’s grid, especially since he can’t trustanybodyin his office. Although he feels that AgentEnglewood is a good guy,Ihaven’t ruled anyone out,” she allowed.

“So…?”

“So, here’s theotherstuff that will happen. As soon as we’re out of the area,” Andy continued, “Chuck will send Englewood, three brand new agents, and two other veteran agents he reallydoesn’ttrust to your breached safehouse to look for evidence of your intruder. With luck, Englewood or the newbies might see one of the suspected agents tampering with potential evidence.”

“What are those two agent’s names?” Cobble wanted to know, in case he had any contact with them in the future.

“Agents Georgio and Fleischerman” she returned with no hesitation before continuing with her concerns. “As for my office, there are at least two there who my DAAG and I agree are still behaving sketchily. And now we fear they may have cemented a network of sorts with their man or men in the FBI, in order for their smuggling operation to continue, unhindered.”

“Still, definitively a smuggling operation, then?” Cobble asked.

“Uh, huh. We’re one hundred percent sure that’s what’s driving this shit-show. And get this.” She gave him a sly grin. “We’ve just this week found ourmajornative player in South Sudan.”

“Chuck sort-of told me that, but said you’d fill me in. Anybody I’m familiar with?” Cobble asked excitedly.

This was good. A whole lot better than the big fat zero they’d had last time they’d talked.

“Yup,” she smirked again. “You know his face. As a matter of fact,onlyyou know his face in person as it attaches to a violent crime,” Andy agreed, growing solemn. “But we have a CIA rat to uncover first before we can nail him to the wall.”

Yes! They’d finally put a name to the face that had haunted Cobble for years. He noticed that Andy wasn’t giving out aname, but that was her way; laying things out carefully. She’d eventually spill.

“You mean, things are getting closer to wrapping up?” Cobble tried to swallow his exhilaration.

“That’s exactly what I mean,” Andy confirmed.

“That, Chuck didn’t tell me.” No wonder the opposition was ramping up to take him out.

Did that bother Cobble?No.Because it was about fucking time they got a break.

Cobble, about a month after he’d almost died, had regained full memory of the group that had breached the UN office. He’d never forget the guy who’d been in charge that day; the one who had so callously ordered the killings, nor would he ever fail to remember the man’s agenda.

Before the asshole had had his minions open fire on the entire office, he’d confronted one of the UN workers, demanding some sort of important paperwork, talking about gold. When the worker hadn’t handed over what the insurgent had wanted quickly enough, that poor asshole had been the first to be shot in the head.

Winch, standing by with the squad, had signaled that they weren’t to retaliate yet, hoping still to spare lives, but he waited too long. After the remaining UN staff opened up every drawer and cabinet to the interlopers so they could find what they wanted, all hell had broken loose… With Cobble as the only survivor.

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