Page 51 of Fearless
“That’s quite a bit of area to cover,” I say, gesturing toward the screen.
“Yes, it is. I have cameras in all the sit-down coffee shops, but there’s no telling if Robert or Eloise will go to a restaurant, library, or other location that has internet service available. If that happens, then it will be up to Jerry to figure out their location. Eloise didn’t bother to use a VPN. If she had, it would have made tracking her IP address more difficult.”
“She might want us to find her,” Jessie says.
Jaxon taps his fingers rhythmically on the table that he’s turned into a workstation. “Could be, but I don’t think so. She was in and out of the last location in under three minutes and had a disguise tucked into her bag. She took precautions even though she had no idea we were tracking her movements. Patrick noted she kept looking over her shoulder, but he didn’t notice anyone else following her.”
“Where’s the gym that Eloise entered?” I ask.
“It’s the red dot,” Jaxon says.
I rub my chin thoughtfully. “Hmm. It’s central to all three locations, and Eloise was on foot. Either she’s driving to the gym and using it as a staging location, or she and Robert are staying nearby. Can you get me a list of all new memberships within the last week? I want to compare that to rentals within the vicinity that are currently booked.”
Jaxon immediately sends an email to our team at HQ with the request. “Done. Now, all we can do is wait.”
Chapter twenty-seven
Harper
Agents Smith and Jones don’t speak a single word as we walk toward the parking lot nearly a quarter of a mile away. Frankly, I’m okay with that after hearing them threaten Roger. Since I’m going with them of my own free will, they spare me the embarrassment of being escorted in handcuffs. It’s not as if I’m under arrest, but I wouldn’t have put it past them to make an example of me simply because of who my father is.
“Are we going back to DC?” I ask, sliding into the back seat of their black town car. Smith slams the door without answering.This is going to be fun.
Jones starts the car and tears out of the parking lot, forcing me into the back of the seat. “Once again, I ask, are we going back to DC? If so, I’d like to get there in one piece. Do you mind slowing down and not driving like a 16-year-old boy who just got their driver’s license?”
I laugh inwardly, remembering the day I got my license andtried to take my mom’s Prius for a joy ride. It was in ECO mode, which made getting to a top speed nearly impossible before having to slow back down.
I must have let a giggle slip because Jones locks eyes with me in the rearview mirror and narrows his gaze. “You think this is funny? Your father is building a nuclear bomb and plans to unleash it who knows where. He’s recruited more than a dozen agents to his cause and is creating a rift in the department.”
“No, Agent Jones, I don’t think this is funny. You have my father tried and ready for execution without knowing all the facts. Have you stopped to think that maybe the Deputy Director of the FBI uncovered a plot and is trying to stop it? Agents like Zurkowski, Ackerman, Henrickson, and Walsh are all decorated war heroes who love their country. Yet, you believe, for some mysterious reason, that they all just decided to betray their oaths and turn traitor. Think again. Better yet, stop thinking and start paying attention to the facts!”
The more I talk, the more my heart feels at peace. Now I understand why the Shining Knight team verbalizes every thought that comes to mind, whether it’s correct or not. When it’s right, they feel it to their core.
Smith turns around and sneers at me, his lip curling up in a snarl. “If your father uncovered a plot that could tear this nation apart, why would he go into hiding? Why not get the entirety of the Bureau working on it? Because he’s in on it! That’s why!”
I’ve asked myself the same question over and over again in my mind, which is what led to doubts about not only my father’s innocence, but my mother’s as well. “He was overseeing the arrests, evidence collection, and trials of all the major players inthe CIAs scheme that was uncovered six months ago. He may very well have tried to keep his investigation secret to prevent retribution. Not everyone was caught, including several key leaders inside The Demon Kings. The Demon Kings attacked my parents, federal agents who are working with my father, my husband, Agent Simms and Monroe, and the rest of their team.”
“Are you referring to the operation last night? If you are, you need to get your facts straight, Miss America. Simms and Monroe were working alone, which is why they barely escaped with their lives. It was Finnegan’s men who took out The Demon Kings. Half of them, anyway.”
I sit silent as I comprehend what Smith just told me.“Finnegan’s men took out The Demon Kings.”
“Oh look, the cat got your tongue!” Smith says with a smug grin.
“My mistake, but it doesn’t change the fact that The Demon Kings and my father arenotworking together. It only validates my point,” I argue.
Smith doesn’t give an inch. “Your father was trying to tie up loose ends.”
“Or someone else was!” I fire back.
“Enough!” Jones shouts. “We’re here!”
We couldn’t have been driving for more than ten minutes, which means we still have to be near Key West. I watch as Jones shows his badge to the man in a Navy uniform guarding a gate and quickly determine we are at the Naval Air Station just north of the resort.
The guard motions us through, and a few minutes later, wepull up to a nondescript building that could have once been a dormitory. Agent Jones and Smith get out of the car and wait for me. I sigh. So much for being gentlemen.
Once I’m out of the car, Smith grips my arm with more force than necessary. Without thinking, I stop in my tracks and pivot toward him, twisting my arm out of his grasp. His eyes widen for a brief moment before fury takes hold. He pulls his right shoulder back to throw a punch, but I step toward him to close the distance, holding up my left arm to block the blow. I swing my right elbow and clip him in the jaw. He stumbles back and shakes off the hit. “Touch me again,” I dare him, using a calm, but menacing, voice.
The agent doesn’t seem to understand that he’s outmatched and moves in for another strike, only to be halted by a booming voice. “Stand down, Smith. That is not how we treat one of our own. I’ll take it from here,” Agent Simms says with a commanding authority.
