Page 27 of Covert Obsession

He nodded. “Who are the other players?”

“Emit has a small staff at the ranch, there are the other members of Ghost Fox, and of course, as you mentioned, the CIA itself. I’ve got TrackMap working on connections between Lydia, her Ghost Fox counterparts, and the RING members. I’m afraid the thousands of CIA employees are beyond our scope at the moment.”

“Put me to work. I can run background checks or…whatever.” He stood and pulled out his cell. “What about a few tracking dogs? I have connections in that area.”

“Put them on standby. Flynn has his top search and rescue team heading there now, but I want every available resource we have protecting our team.”

“And Charmaine?”

“Our priority is Emit, and while he’s still insisting we rescue her, this is one time I have to put the good of the organization ahead of his orders. From what Flynn told me, she’s capable of taking care of herself and volunteered for this. She has a plan.Theyhave a plan.”

“But you hate not rescuing her.”

The weight of it sat like an elephant on her shoulders, her mind. “Flynn better damn well be right that she can handle torture, or I’m stringing him up by his balls for making us back off.”

He marched to her door. “Makes it easier for us, then. He can worry about her, and we’ll aid our team.”

“Jon?”

He turned. “Yeah?”

“It’s good to have you back.”

He gave a reluctant smile. “Good to be back. Don’t worry. Jeb, Trace, Moe, Cal…they know what they’re doing. They’ll keep Emit safe.”

When he left, she slumped, holding her head. Flynn was on his way to Colorado. Vivi had claimed he’d chosen to go because, like Beatrice, he was pissed that someone had changed the game on him. The CIA couldn’t operate on American soil, but that didn’t stop him from jumping into the middle of this clusterfuck.Or goatfudge, as the case may be. He wasn’t one to sit on his hands—he needed to be in the field, doling out orders and inserting himself into the operation.

Beatrice stood, snatching up her phone. Sloane was in good hands—her people were not. She wasn’t going to be sidelined by Flynn or anyone else.

“Is the jet refueled?” she asked Connor when he answered. “I’m going to Colorado.”

“It will be by the time we get to the airport.”

His response surprised her. “You knew I was going to commandeer it?”

Vivi appeared in the doorway, two overnight bags in hand. “I did. Ready?”

Rory hadn’t needed Vivi. They’d been planning this. Beatrice shook her head.These people. Some days they knew her better than she knew herself. “Connor, I want Rory—”

“He’s already in the car,” Vivi interrupted. “And Jaya said not to worry about Sloane. She can sleep over tonight.”

Connor confirmed that and added, “You’ll have full coverage of the takedown and communication with Cal through the entire operation onboard.”

Between Emit and Rory, they could give the CIA and military a run for their money when it came to technology. Emit had his own satellite circling the globe. She suspected he’d been dabbling in things that were far beyond what she could imagine. “Vivi and I will be downstairs in five.”

Her friend handed her the pink overnight bag. “I couldn’t find your black one, and I didn’t have time to search for it. I know you don’t use this one unless you’re going on vacation, which come to think of it, you never do. After this is over, you take Cal and get away for a while.”

“You’re just afraid Flynn isn’t going to give me that presidential pardon.”

They strode to the elevator and Vivi hit the down button. “Wouldn’t be the first time one of the alphabet companies screwed the two of us over.”

That was the truth. “It’s weird, but I have the feeling when he gives his word about something, he keeps it.”

The doors dinged and they stepped in, Beatrice feeling immensely better that she was taking action. She wouldn’t get to Colorado before Trace and his team surrounded the terrorists, but whatever happened, whatever fallout came, she’d be ready for it.

In the garage, Connor was in the driver seat and Rory rode shotgun. She and Vivi threw their bags in the back and were soon on their way to the airport. It was dumb luck, or maybe her guardian angel looking out for her, that they’d flown Jon and Jaya in that very day, so the jet was warmed up and ready to go.

Rory handed her a small computer tablet slightly bigger than her phone. “Once they’re in the vicinity, Cal will turn on his camera and you’ll be able to see it all.”

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