Page 12 of Wired Strong

Marcella knew about the secret office and exit Sophie had used to ditch the team; but that wasn’t likely to be valuable unless they could use it to trap Connor or something. “Dammit,” she muttered under her breath. She was about to get kicked to the curb if she didn’t do something to prove her value.

The ambassador stood up and buttoned his jacket, apparently not satisfied with the justifications being offered around the table. “I won’t be assisting this group any longer unless I can be assured, in writing, that my daughter, her nanny, and my granddaughter, will not be used as bargaining chips to access those Thailand connections. I’ve lost confidence in the team’s ability to bring these criminals to justice. Any further communications with our family can go through my attorney.” He slapped a business card down in front of Waxman, and swept out.

Kate Smith hurried after him. “Frank! Let’s talk about this!”She’d probably been the one to bring him onto the team.

The door shut behind them. The room was in chaos. Marcella held her seat and her breath. They needed her now; she was the only one who could get close to Sophie, who had her trust. She would sit tight, and wait until they realized it.

That didn’t take long.

Waxman pinned her with his cold blue stare. “We’ll expect your full cooperation with this investigation, Agent Scott. You’ll answer directly to me.”

“Absolutely, sir,” Marcella said. “What can I do to help?”

Chapter Ten

Sophie

Bennie Fernandez looked muchthe same as he had the first time Sophie had met him during one of her FBI cases years ago. The short, round defense lawyer’s apple cheeks, snowy beard, and bright eyes never seemed to age.

Sophie had already drawn the blackout drapes and wanded her office for surveillance devices that morning. As an additional precaution, she had set up two fans on tall stands that created white noise across the corner seating area where Raveaux had joined them for the meeting to talk about his representation.

Sophie snuck a glance at Raveaux out of the corner of her eye. He looked haggard; dark circles surrounded his intelligent brown eyes, and the silver streak at his temples seemed a little wider today. This must be one of those times when he wasn’t eating or sleeping well. She could certainly empathize with that, since her shoulders still ached from running through Honolulu at night carrying a heavy backpack.

Sophie prepped the tea things as Fernandez engaged Raveaux. “Sophie is already my client, and she asked for this meeting to see if it’s appropriate for me to take your case as well. We have to make sure that there are no conflicts of interest that would interfere with supporting you.”

“I am fine with other representation, if you need to make a referral,” Raveaux said. He straightened his trousers, and cocked one ankle over his knee.

“I want Raveaux to have the best, Bennie. And you’re the best.” Sophie brought the tray with the tea things and set it on the coffee table. She seated herself in the armchair that faced the loveseat and couch in the corner of her office. “I owe Pierre all the help I can give him for his current situation, since it is, at least in part, due to me.”

Fernandez’s tufty white brows arched comically. “What exactly is the situation? If I could get a recap for the record.” His appearance was one of his greatest weapons; that cherubic face hid one of the keenest legal minds Sophie had ever encountered. “Be candid with me, please. Attorney-client privilege covers all matters disclosed in this meeting.”

Sophie met Raveaux’s eyes for the first time. “Should you tell him, or should I?”

Raveaux looked away and fiddled with his cuff. “Why don’t you explain the situation, Sophie.”

Sophie turned to face Fernandez. “As you already know, a multi-agency law enforcement task force is trying to leverage me to cooperate with capturing the international fugitive known as the Ghost. Remember when I first engaged your services a few months ago? I was responding to a warning that Raveaux gave me. He had been approached and threatened with deportation and worse, by agents from the CIA and FBI.” Sophie gestured to the drapes and the fans. “We had to take all of the security steps that you currently see here, in order for him to advise me of an incipient raid on my private island to capture my friend Connor. Monsieur Raveaux had also been tagged with a personal surveillance device, without his consent. And unless I’m wrong, he’s been under continual scrutiny ever since, threatened with deportation and even being taken overseas for interrogation.”

Fernandez made a note on a tablet. “Hmm. What is your status here in the United States?”

“I am a French citizen here on a work visa.” Raveaux rubbed at a scuff on the immaculate leather loafer resting upon his knee. “Since the original incident, I have also cooperated with two additional interrogations at the FBI headquarters, where I was not-so-subtly threatened with torture and deportation. As far as I can tell, though, my warning to Sophie was not detected. If it had been, I have no doubt I would no longer be here.” Raveaux addressed Fernandez directly. “I encountered the man they want to capture one time, when he hijacked a helicopter and directed it to rescue Jake and Sophie. I told them everything I knew about that situation, including that I thought he had paranormal abilities. I hope they’ve lost interest in me now.”

“Paranormal abilities?” Sophie’s eyes widened. “You never told me that.” She’d seen Connor’s incredible physical feats before, but nothing that could be called paranormal.

“Yes, I’m interested in hearing this, too,” Fernandez said.

“I think it was my description of that which has made me of less interest.” Raveaux wove his fingers together and rested them on his flat belly. “They think I was suffering some kind of post-traumatic delusion. Nonetheless, I know what I saw and heard.”

Sophie narrowed her eyes in irritation. “Son of a flatulent yak. Quit stalling, Raveaux.”

Raveaux narrowed his eyes right back at her. “I didn’t understand that phrase, but I don’t believe it was polite.”

Fernandez harrumphed. “My time is costing Ms. Smithson a good deal, Monsieur Raveaux. Please proceed.”

“Well, first of all, the man known as Connor found them by tracking a GPS chip he had embedded on Sophie, which I gather you are still wearing?” Raveaux raised his brows at her.

“Yes.” Sophie flushed—she needed to figure out what to do about that chip!Maybe Fernandez would have guidance for her. “Please, put us out of our agony and tell your tale.”

“We located the general area where you and Jake were trapped in the cave. But then, instead of helping Connor’s man Nine and me dig open the cavern’s shaft to make it larger so we could get you out, Connor sat down and meditated. Closed his eyes, lotus position, all of that. I was angry with him at the time.” Raveaux pushed a hand into his short dark hair, disordering it in his agitation. “Then, Connor said that he could see where you were. He perceived your energy fields underground. And then . . .” Raveaux seemed to falter. “I don’t know how to explain this. He seemed to appear and disappear, when we were digging, and I had a sense that—he’d done something.”

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