Page 144 of The Savior

“Affirmative, Echo One. This is Zulu Actual. I read you five by five.”

Five by five…They heard him loud and clear. Liam swore under his breath. “Who the hellareyou…Zulu Actual?”

“Depends on the day of the week,” Black said.

“There’s our guy,” another man said.

“Chance?”

Chance chuckled. “You looked like you’d seen a ghost.”

If Liam understood what was happening, he’d have something to say, but the questions piling upon questions left him stupefied—and hopeful. Suddenly, he dared to wonder if a plan existed, even if he was the last to know. “None of this makes sense.”

“I’ll tell you what does,” another man with a deep voice said. That was the same surly grumble he’d heard in the meetings with Sorenson. That had to be Westin.

“What?” Liam asked.

“There are lines that cannot be crossed. Civilian collateral damage for political gain? Not something we could stand by and watch,” Westin said.

“You watched when I dealt with the Nymans,” Liam accused.

“You have no idea how much backup you had, brother.” Westin grumbled as if offended he’d been questioned. “You duct taped your team together, but we came in with reinforcements.”

“And then some,” Chance muttered.

“No one could get near the Nymans’ house without all hell letting loose,” Westin continued. “No matter what Sorenson thought she was doing. That’s why we hauled your ass in earlier today.”

“You knew Chelsea would be abducted?”

“No but learning about Chelsea changed our play. It would’ve been fine, but Pham was too close.”

“Wherever the hell he’s been hiding,” Black muttered, frustrated.

Why hadn’t Liam mentioned Chelsea before? He was ass over boots in love with the woman, and she didn’t even know.

The possibility for regret turned his stomach—but Liam paused. “Hang on.” Apprehension stoked his paranoia. “How’dyouknow?”

“You’re welcome,” Chance answered for Westin and Black.

“What doesthatmean?”

“When it took you two an hour to drive five minutes?” Chance snickered. “I realized Boss Man needed to know about your girl.”

The bagel shop?Then Liam paused.Did Chance just sayBoss Man?Liam would pull together the connection between Chance and Westin later, and for the moment, he’d accept what they said because he trusted Chance. “What’s the plan?”

He needed to know if they were still following Sorenson’s Pham-will-come-to-you strategy. It was ridiculous.An impossible-to-catch terrorist simply waiting outside Chelsea’s condo?He didn’t like those odds.

“Same plan. Pham will come to you,” Westin said.

“That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?” Liam’s grip on the steering wheel tightened.

“Buy us time to juggle Sorenson, and stay live long enough for us to track your location. The rest will be a piece of cake.”

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