Page 47 of Master of Lies

“But…but that’s impossible, Jed. That can’t be Boer. He’s dead. Burned in the fire. Positively IDed with DNA, dental records.”

“That’s what he wants you to think.” It was painful to say it, it sounded so much like a bullshit conspiracy theory that only an idiot would swallow. “But he faked it. I have no idea how. And I was supposed to die for real that day, in a fake car accident. They pushed my car off a bridge. I messed them up by surviving it.”

She studied me intently, frowning. As if trying to read my mind. My heart.

“I was their fall guy,” I said. “Someone wanted SmokeScreen. To use it, or sell it. Shane was part of the deal, because he knew the codes to open it. There was a guy doing time in Kalaharee who had dealings with Boer and was willing to bargain intel. I went into prison to cultivate him. I almost pulled it off, but then you came along. And now Boer’s in the wind.”

“He fell off the cliff, Jed,” Freya said. “He probably broke his neck.”

I shook my head. “No way. He won’t die that easy. He’s a tough motherfucker. He has a stab wound in the shoulder, and some bruises, but you better believe he’s not dead. Just regrouping. And he’s added you to his list of people to punish. Lucky you. You know, Freya, your brothers always bragged about how smart you were. The genius of the family, yada yada. But this stunt you’re pulling? It does not say ‘smart’ to me.”

“Tell me more about this Boer,” she said.

The careful tone in her voice bugged me. As if she was humoring someone who was having breakdown. “Shut up and let me think,” I snarled. “I’m not trusting sensitive intel to you. Not until I know how he found me. Who sold me out.”

She was silent for a minute. “I think I know how he found us,” she said.

That took me by surprise. “Yeah? How?”

She bit her lip, looking guilty and embarrassed. “By, um…tracking my phone. He must have hacked my phone ages ago. And followed us to the cabin with it.”

“But I took your phone!” I said. “I gutted your fucking phone!”

She cleared her throat, shooting me a nervous glance. “Um, actually…you gutted Sandee’s phone,” she corrected. “Not Freya’s.”

My guts clenched. “You have another phone? You’ve been using it?”

“Well, of course. I’m sorry, Jed. I never dreamed anyone would track me with it. Other than Ethan, of course.” She opened up a seam in her coat hem, and pulled out a smartphone. “I turned it on for maybe two minutes, max, this morning. And I guess…I guess that was enough for them to nail us down.”

“So that’s why you sneaked out,” I said. “I assume they’re still tracking us now.”

“God, of course not! I’ve been leaving out the battery so Ethan can’t track me! But I put it back when I get in touch with Holly. It must be the phone, because I didn’t tell anyone where I was going. I rented a car at the airport, and no one on earth knew what I was doing.”

I held out my hand. After a moment’s hesitation, she reluctantly handed them over. I buzzed the window down, and flung the device out into the snow.

Freya sighed. “Oh, God, Jed. That was not necessary.”

“You have the fucking nerve to say that to me, after everything that’s happened? So who did you call this morning? And what did you tell them?”

She hesitated. “I didn’t tell anybody anything,” she said, her voice small. “It was Holly’s birthday. She turned nine today. I just called to wish her a happy birthday. And tell her that I loved her.”

I realized, after a moment, that my mouth hung open. Fuck.

“So you risked my whole op, and both our necks, to say happy birthday to a kid,” I said.

“Yes. I’m sorry. I truly didn’t know that I was on anybody’s radar, at least not as Freya Masters. But listen, Jed. If what you’re trying to accomplish has to do with Shane, I want to be involved. Let me be on the list of people that bastard wants to punish. That’s exactly where I belong. Bring him on.” Wild anger lit up her beautiful eyes.

She wasn’t scared. She wasn’t cowed. Damn.

I realized right then, in a blinding flash, just how hard it was going to be to keep this woman safe.

I was in bigger trouble than I ever dreamed.

CHAPTER18

“Nicole! Come in, you dumb bitch! Answer me! Right now! Nicole, where the fuck are you? Come in, Nicole!”

Nicole’s eyes opened, blinking. Everything was red. Her eyes stung. Her head throbbed.

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