Chapter Fifteen

Millie

Washington, D.C.

2020

“Is your boyfriend hiding behind the door, waiting to attack me?” George says as I motion him into my hotel room.

“Nope.”

He takes a small, slow step in—his eyes darting around the room.

“Are you going to come in?” I let the door fall against him as I walk over to the table. “Or do you want to meet in the hallway?”

“I find it very suspicious you didn’t want to meet at the office,” he says as he finally walks in. “But fine.”

He’s abruptly cut off by Chase slamming him against the wall. “Hi, George,” Chase says in a menacing tone I’ve never heard from him before. “Long time, buddy.”

George whips his head around to look at me—equal amounts of betrayal and anger shooting from his eyes.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I say, glaring back at him. “And technically, he wasn’t hiding behind the door.”

George looks back at Chase. “I can explain.”

“Doubtful.” Chase flings him across the room toward the table. “Sit.”

George reluctantly sits opposite of me. “I guess she told you,” he says without looking at me.

“That you told her Mack was still alive. Yeah. She definitely told me that.”

“I believe I asked you not to tell anyone,” George says as he slowly turns to me.

“I don’t work for you anymore. I don’t work for the agency. I’ll tell anyone anything.”

“That’s dangerous talk, Millie,” George says carefully.

Chase comes over and kicks George’s chair. “Your problem isn’t with her. It’s with me. And things are about to turn real dangerous if you don’t start talking right now.”

George shakes his head as he looks up at the ceiling. “I could get fired for this. Or worse.”

“Believe me, the agency is the least of your worries,” Chase growls. “Talk. Why did you tell her Mack is still alive?”

“I didn’t tell her Mack was still alive,” George says slowly.

“Bullshit!” Chase kicks his chair again.

George looks at me. “I didn’t tell you he was still alive. I said there was a possibility. I don’t know if he’s alive.”

“Enough with the semantics. Why do you think he wasn’t killed that day in Iraq? You were in the control center when it happened. You saw the building go up. What makes you think he survived that?”

George looks down at his feet and whispers, “A tunnel. He escaped through a tunnel.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Chase walks aggressively across the room.

“Mack asked me not to tell you,” George says. “I wanted to. Actually, let me be crystal clear. He demanded I not tell you. He threatened me. You know how he was. I thought he was going to kill me.”

“He asked you not to tell me what?” Chase says sharply.