Page 52 of Final Exit

He was waiting for her inside the next office, the one marked Cyprian Cardenas, CEO EXIT Incorporated. She stepped into the room and her mouth fell open in awe.

“Son of a... wow, just... wow.” She turned in a full circle, trying to take everything in. It was the fanciest office she’d ever seen, with expensive cherry and mahogany wood furniture, a full bar, and what appeared to be a private bathroom. Even the ceiling was coffered, much like an old English library might be.

Kade had moved to the massive desk and plopped their go bags on top. He looked up from his examination of the old-fashioned desk phone, which was the only thing on the desk when they’d arrived. “You’ve never been here before?”

“I’ve been in the building. Cyprian’s admin, Jolene, met me in Human Resources on the first floor so I could fill out paperwork and get a badge. I’ve been to the cafeteria, too, when meeting other Enforcers. But I’ve never been up here. This place is like the Taj Mahal.”

“EXIT was a lucrative business, both the legitimate side and the clandestine side. Cardenas could afford the best.”

“I’m surprised that his daughter, Melissa, agreed to close the tour side down. She could have kept it going even after the government shut down the Enforcer program.” Although she was pretty sure the Equalizers would argue thatthey’dshut the program down, by shutting down Cyprian.

“From what I hear, she wanted nothing to do with the company after she learned the full extent of what her father had done.”

Bailey’s gaze shot to his. “She didn’t know about the true EXIT until her father’s death?”

“Not from what I was told.”

“Then how is she even alive? I’d have thought the government wouldn’t trust her to keep their precious secrets once she found out what was going on. They’re certainly eliminating everyone else who knows anything.”

Kade stiffened.

She stepped toward him. “I didn’t mean thatyouwould hurt her, or have her hurt. I realize you weren’t aware of the government’s plans to eliminate everyone associated with the program.”

“We still haven’t established that my boss, or anyone above him, is trying to kill everyone who used to be part of the Enforcer program.”

She frowned. “Hawke’s death, the bullet hole in your side, aren’t proof enough?”

“Your friend’s death was tragic, but could very well have been an accident. Simmons and his team could have made a mistake, then realized what they’d done and didn’t want to own up to it. As for my injury, yes, Porter is a bad apple. But that doesn’t mean everyone on this mission is corrupt.”

“The agents helping Porter try to kill us, what, helped on accident?”

“Of course not. But you have to understand how the bureau works. We follow orders, often without knowing all the reasons behind them. If Porter gave those agents reason to believe that you and I were a danger to others, they would have helped him—as fellow agents helping another in need—without question.”

She shook her head and put her hands on her hips. “And my other friends? Did you forget about Sebastian and Amber? Let me guess. Those were unfortunate mistakes as well?”

“I don’t know yet,” he said, his voice clipped and short. “But I would have hoped by now that you’d realized I’m not turning a blind eye to anything. But neither am I prepared to condemn everyone I work with without proof.”

She shoved her hair back from her face, not sure whether to rail at him or to apologize. How could he need more proof after what they’d been through? And yet, how could she be upset at him for wanting to treat people fairly and not turn his back on them without proof of their guilt? He was noble, with his own code of honor. And she couldn’t help admiring him for it, even though it drove her crazy.

She’d decided on an apology when he suddenly pressed a series of buttons on the desk phone. Movement to her right had her whipping her gun out of the holster and whirling around. But the only “threat” was a cherrywood door sliding back into the wall and lights switching on, revealing a previously hidden office.

“Sorry,” he said. “Should have warned you first.”

She holstered her gun and joined him at the opening. “What is this?”

“The heart of Cyprian’s operation, where he conducted the clandestine side of the business. There’s a desktop computer in there. It’s as good a place as any to start ferreting out whether my boss and others know what Porter is up to. Come on.” He headed into the other room.

She let out a deep breath and stepped inside, jumping when the panel slid closed behind her.

“Open that back up,” she said. “I don’t like feeling trapped.”

He moved to the desk that was a twin of the one in the outer office, and pressed a sequence of buttons on the matching phone. The panel immediately slid open.

“Better?” he asked.

She nodded. “Thanks.”

“Claustrophobia or something else?”

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