Page 120 of No Regrets

KELLY WATCHED THE TEAM leave and glanced at Sam.

“They’ll be back before you know it. “You’re safe here. No one is going to get near you.” Sam added gently.

“Do you think Lazir could be here?”

“No. He’s on the terrorist watchlist. It would be a big risk to try and come here. If we’re right about Saleem, he’s been here working for Reborn for three years. No need for Lazir to take that risk now.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Sam’s phone rang and he left to take the call.

Kelly turned her attention back to the dark net, needing a distraction from thinking about Lazir. She trolled through the chatter, searching for anything relating to the support group, Amir Saleem and the new dawning of Allah. Her persistence paid off. She found several mentions from at least eight different users. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, doing their magic. Chatter about LAX, and the conference center. Possible targets for a planned attack? If full, the conference center would hold a couple of thousand people and the airport, well that would be a huge target.

A few minutes later, Sam returned. “Got someone I want you to meet.” A woman appeared on the video screen.

“Mira, meet Lieutenant Kelly Kimber.”

“Kelly, nice to put a face to the voice.”

“Likewise.” Kelly smiled at the woman on screen. She was maybe a few years younger than her, with long dark hair, olive skin and a dazzling smile.

“Mira went over to the FBI office to help on this. We do that sometimes.” Sam explained.

“Sam, am I free to talk?” Mira asked.

“Yeah, tell us what you found.”

“We recovered a couple of files off the laptop. Photographs.” Mira put them up on screen.

The pictures were of Dex, his team, Kelly, and Matthew Dawson. The blood drained from Kelly’s face. Sam saw it.

“What is it?”

“Why would he have a picture of Dex’s father?”

No one answered.

“It’s strange, don’t you think? His father had nothing to do with that op. He’s retired.”

“He’s still Dex’s dad. If Saleem or Lazir are looking into Dawson, they would have dug into his family,” Mira said.

“That’s what’s worrying me. Matt was killed in LA, right? By the airport?”

“Correct,” Sam answered.

“Do you know where he was driving to?”

“He’d just finished up at the conference center, believed to be going to his hotel.”

Kelly shook her head, biting her lip. “Sam, I’ve been going over chatter on the dark web, anything Rashid was involved in, or that mentioned the support group or the new dawning of Allah. There was a reference to LAX and the conference center.”

“When?” Sam’s voice was tight.

Kelly transferred a screenshot of the chat to the large screen, with the date and time highlighted.

“The day before Matt was killed.”

AMIR DIDN’T LIKE TO rush his plans, but with Rashid dead, his laptop and remaining threats in the hands of the authorities he must act now.

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