Page 49 of Stealthy Seduction
Her voice came out faint, reedy. “How?”
He slipped his hand under the blanket and found her chilled fingers. “This isn’t the same people who held you hostage, Izzy. It’s connected to a bombing that took place at the same time.”
Con settled his palms on the table and looked straight at Steele. “Shut up!”
He started trying to explain more, but Con cut across him. “Shut up, Steele! Shut up now!”
Izzy jolted to her feet, prepared to take flight like a frightened bird.
“Jesus, Con. She’s been through enough!” Steele grabbed her, pulling her down next to him and keeping his arm around her shoulders. She was trembling all over.
Con sent him a glare. “We need her to swear in. Not another word until she swears in.” His eyes cut to Izzy.
“What? What am I swearing to?” Panic seeped into the edges of her voice, making it brittle.
Steele squeezed her fingers. “Izzy, what you’re asking is classified information. We need you to keep this under wraps.”
She let her eyes slip shut and when she opened them, he saw she was more grounded. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
Con pushed off the table. “Ms. Cruz, before we proceed, I need you to understand that what you’re about to hear is classified information vital to national security. By accepting this briefing, you agree to maintain absolute confidentiality about all operational details, personnel identities and tactical information shared in this room. You will not discuss or disseminate any portion of this intelligence to unauthorized individuals, including your colleagues, supervisors…oranymedia outlets. Violation of this agreement could result in federal prosecution under the Espionage Act. Do you understand and agree to these terms?”
She gulped, chest heaving. “I agree. Now somebody please tell me what’s going on.”
Steele leaned in, capturing her gaze. “There was a Blackout team in Syria working to protect Alyssa while she negotiated for your rescue. At the same time, there was a bomb threat—a delivery to the American Red Cross station.”
“The Red Cross… The doctor?”
He shook his head. “He plays a part in this, but we have cause to believe the guy in the mask is Cipher.”
“Cipher!”
He nodded. “His real name is Daniel Sheen. The woman running that Red Cross station was his mother.”
Izzy’s eyes widened as she began to process the information.
“One of her coworkers was being extorted,” Steele continued. “He knew about the bomb and sent an email warning to Daniel. Naturally, Daniel reached out to everyone he could think of to try to save his mother, but…” He paused. “They couldn’t risk compromising the hostage rescue mission to stop the bomb.”
Izzy went very still, her journalist’s mind working to connect the dots. When she spoke, her voice was slow, measured. “And the doctor I interviewed—Dr. Samuel Webb—it was Daniel’s mother he tried to save after the bombing.” She looked around the room, her amber eyes reflecting a growing understanding. “What are the chances that I was the one held hostage in Syria, then I’m the one who just happens to interview the doctor who tried to save Cipher’s mother?” She let out a hollow laugh. “Sheer coincidence. I mean, I’m like the guy who kept getting struck by lightning.”
“You’re not alone,” Alyssa said softly.
Izzy’s gaze moved around the table, and Steele could see her putting together pieces she hadn’t seen before.
“Chase and each of the women in this room is a target for Cipher,” Steele explained.
Chase picked up the thread, reaching for Alyssa’s hand as he did. “Alyssa was the negotiator trying to free the hostages in Syria. That placed a target on her, which you already knew.”
Kennedy shifted in her seat. After a pause, she made up her mind to share her story. “I needed my background as an exotic dancer wiped clean so I could get a government security clearance without embarrassment. Cipher is the one who erased my work history.” Her voice carried a bitter edge. “What are the chances of that? Another lightning strike, right?” She shook herself slightly before continuing. “And then he used that connection to plant spyware on my phone, which meant he always knew where Alyssa was.”
After a glance at Henner, May spoke next. “I became a target when I was working with AJ to locate a bomb. There was a military general being controlled by Cipher who was trying to move the device to a populated area.”
Sophie’s voice was quiet when she added, “I’m one of the few people capable of decoding his puzzles and cryptograms. He’s not my biggest fan.”
Steele took over once again. “It took us a while to figure out the connections. But the pattern became clear eventually.”
Con leaned forward. “The thing is, they’re all safe because there are protocols in place, and we have rules.” He fixed his gaze on Izzy. “The reason you’re safe right now is because Steele followed those rules.”
“Did you know Cipher was targeting me?” she asked.
