Page 56 of Deadly Hope
The implications hung in the air. Axel saw Olivia’s hands clench in her lap, saw the subtle straightening of her spine. He recognized that look. She was done running. That meant his job was about to get a lot more complicated.
A muffled thump from upstairs had everyone’s weapons up. Ronan’s voice came through their comms. “Just ice falling from the roof. We’re clear.”
But Axel had made his decision. “We need to move.”
“Copy that, bro.” Ronan jumped to his feet. “Knight Tactical has more safehouses than I have socks. I’ll call the big boys, see what’s available.”
Izzy cracked her knuckles. “I can have the Pilatus ready for takeoff in less than an hour, if you pilot types think we’re good to go wheels up in this storm.”
Ronan and Griff shared a long look. “I’m good if you are,” Ronan challenged.
Their quiet teammate smiled, the barest movement of his lips. “This ain’t nothing. Let’s haul butt.”
Flying into this soup made Axel’s stomach twist, but he’d do anything to get Olivia farther away from Driscoll. He shot Ronan a grateful look and then addressed the group. “Pack it up. We move in fifteen.” He caught Olivia’s eye. “Whatever patterns your brother left, you’ll have to solve them somewhere else. This location’s been active too long.”
As his team moved with practiced efficiency, Axel watched Voss watching Olivia. The CIA agent’s expression was unreadable, but there was something in her eyes—relief? Fear? He couldn’t tell. But one thing was certain—they were now playing a much bigger game than simple witness protection.
32
The abandonednaval communications station loomed against the twilight sky, its weathered exterior belying the sophisticated sanctuary within. Perched on a remote stretch of the Northern California coast, its crumbling Cold War infrastructure provided perfect cover for Knight Tactical’s most secure safehouse. Olivia watched through the window as Griff secured their plane in one of the old hangars, the plane’s sleek lines incongruous against the derelict building.
Inside was another world entirely. Warm light spilled from recessed fixtures, illuminating polished concrete floors and state-of-the-art security cameras hidden behind peeling paint. The kitchen gleamed with professional-grade appliances, and Olivia could smell coffee brewing from what looked like a coffee shop’s worth of equipment.
“Thank you, Lord, for your protection and guidance,” Deke’s deep voice resonated as the team stood in a circle, hands clasped. “Watch over us as we seek justice and truth. Amen.”
“And thank you for this fully stocked kitchen,” Izzy added, already heading for the refrigerator. “Though I need to beback home by Tuesday. Promised Chantal I’d help with the sledding races at school.”
From the communications room, Ronan’s voice carried, “Miss you too, babe. Tomorrow night, then?” A chorus of exaggerated kissing sounds from Zara and Kenji had him slamming the door, but not before they caught his reddening face.
The pure normalcy of the moment hit Olivia like a physical ache. These people had lives, connections, homes to return to. She glanced at Margaret Voss, sitting calmly under guard in the living room, and wondered if the woman was genuinely trying to help or leading them into another trap.
“I can help you find the evidence James left,” the woman said, her voice carrying across the room as the team dispersed from their prayer circle. “I worked with him for three years. I know how he thought.”
Olivia’s hand went to her throat, where the cricket pendant lay against her collarbone—another piece of the puzzle Voss had somehow known to give her. “Why should we trust you?”
“Because Bing Driscoll killed my partner too.” Voss’s expression hardened. “Six months before James. Made it look like a heart attack. By the time I pieced it together, James was already closing in on the truth about Cerberus.”
Kenji and Zara exchanged glances. Izzy paused in unpacking supplies, her usual energy subdued.
“You work counter-intelligence,” Axel said flatly. “Lying is literally your job description.”
“True.” Voss met his gaze steadily. “But James embedded failsafes in his code. Patterns only Olivia would recognize. Family references, shared memories. I can help identify where to look, and with luck, I might even find them, but I can’t decode them without her.”
“Or you’re setting us up,” Axel countered. “Leading us exactly where Driscoll wants us.”
“The nomination hearing is in three days,” Voss pressed. “After that, he’ll be untouchable. This is our window.”
Olivia felt the weight of everyone’s eyes. The cricket pendant, James’s old nicknames for her, the references to their childhood games—it all meant something.
But trusting Voss meant risking everything.
“I need a minute,” she said, standing. She caught Axel’s slight nod toward the deck outside. They needed to talk this through.
The wind whipped Olivia’s hair as she stepped onto the deck, carrying the scent of sea salt and pine. Behind her, Axel closed the door with a soft click. For a moment, they both watched the moonlight silver the waves below.
“You want to trust her,” he said. Not a question.
“The cricket pendant, Axel. It was something only James would know about.” She turned to face him. “That’s not in any CIA file.”
