“Possible, I guess. But how would he have found us in the middle of the woods?”
I glance at her, and it hits us at the same time. “A tracker?” I say.
“If he planted one on one of us, he’ll know we’re here, too,” she says.
We both turn to Rover’s jacket, which is hanging on one of the kitchen chairs.
“He loves that jacket,” I say.
“Let’s see what we can feel first,” Harding says.
Rover carried the jacket onto Vlad’s plane when we first arrived. It was too hot to wear. Vlad took it from him and put itin a bin overhead. A perfect opportunity to plant a tracker. We feel around all parts of the jacket and come up empty.
“What’s going on?” Rover asks as he walks into the room and spots us holding his jacket.
Harding tosses it aside. “We’re looking for a tracker.”
Rover’s brow shoots up. “In my jacket?”
“It’s possible Vlad is a suspect, and a tracker is the only way he would have been able to find us in the woods,” Harding says.
Rover picks up Harding’s list of suspects.
“Nancy said Damien owed her money. I wonder what it was for,” Rover says. He points to the paper. “Why is Moose a suspect?”
Harding explains to him the way she did to me. And he agrees with me it’s weak.
“Based on that thinking, Durango is a suspect, too. He was out with Damien and out of sight of the rest of us.”
Harding stares at me. “I’ve known Durango for years. He didn’t do it. I don’t know this other guy.” She turns to face Rover. “Did you know Moose is fluent in Russian?”
Rover takes a step back. “What? No. But this is the first assignment I’ve had with him.”
“Durango wasn’t aware until recently,” Harding says.
Rover glances at me.
“Look, I realize everything I have here isn’t much,” Harding says. “I’m just trying to put some pieces together.”
“When I told Damien we would keep him safe, he said all of us couldn’t keep him safe,” I say.
“All of us? Did he mean he didn’t trust someone in our group?” Harding asks.
“Who did your assignment come from?” Rover asks.
Harding shakes her head. “My boss. I’ve worked with him for years. He’s not dirty.”
“Can you be certain?” I ask. “Because if anyone at the agency is dirty and you report to them what Damien told me, we all become targets.”
Harding rubs her temples. “I won’t report it yet.” She smiles. “I’ll report something else. Then we’ll know.”
I glance at Rover, who shrugs. “What do you mean, something else?”
“Well, I think you’re wrong about my boss. And I’m going to show you.”
She grabs the phone from the table and presses in a number. “It’s Harding,” she says.
“Go ahead,” a male voice says.
