Page 25 of The Savior

“Not an option,” Sorenson responded. “Theywill tip off Pham.”

“Theywon’t.”

“Of course they will,” she said. “They’ll watch over their shoulders and skit around like the boogie man is behind every mailbox.”

He frowned then looked at Westin and Black. Both waited, expressionless.

“I’m not asking for your help,” Sorenson continued. “I’m telling you this is your duty.”

“I don’t work for you.”

“You have an allegiance to this country, and if you don’t, I’ll keep you locked up where you can’t interfere.”

Indecision wrecked his thoughts, but he didn’t have a choice. “How long will it take to catch Pham?”

“However long it takes,” she said. “He’s a virtual ghost.”

“Who was abducted? When?”

“Quite some time has passed, which is why we’re focused on Pham, rather than finding the victim.”

There had to be a better way to do it. He couldn’t protect the Nymans indefinitely. “I don’t see how this would work.”

“Officially,” the senator said, “DHS will sign a contract with you.”

“For what?”

She shrugged a padded shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. But it will afford you an income, allow you to keep an eye out for the Nymans while staying in contact with me.”

There wasn’t another option. Some involvement was better than none. Still, short of staking out the Nyman’s street, he didn’t how to keep them safe with the senator’s restrictions. Liam tried again. “There has to be another way.”

“There’s not.” Senator Sorenson straightened. “We want him, and he wants to hurt you. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.”

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