He considered all the reasons she’d show up here and still had no idea. “You wouldn’t be here unless you needed something. Want to start there?”
“Not yet. Tell me what you can about being in the mansion without breaking your team’s rules.”
That was an interesting way to interrogate. He’d tell her nothing, but he had to find out what her play was. “Like you, we were there to extract someone. Maybe the same person.”
“No, that is not possible.” She answered without hesitation and sounded truthful.
He kept his voice conversational and infused it with sincerity. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because I am the only one searching for the person I’m hunting.”
Had someone else besides the senator been kidnapped? That was a plausible explanation for her presence, but it didn’t mean she spoke the truth. “Do you know for sure your person was there?” Until she stepped over a line he’d mentally drawn, he’d treat her as if he would any other unexpected intel resource. Listen, but question every word from her lips.
“I located my person,” she claimed. “The room had been set up as a trap.”
“That’s how they captured you,” he said more to himself than her. “But youdidsee your target?”
“Yes.”
Sam ran a hand over his hair, trying to think through his next question. Had she seen the senator? “I know you’re going to bark at me about asking more but was the package you were after a high-profile individual?”
“No.” Another quick answer. This sounded personal if she was the only one after that second person.
Her face showed that she’d taken in what he said and processed it. “It makes sense that your team had been there hunting a high-profile prisoner.”
“Mm-hmm.” He kept hearing something in her diction that wasn’t entirely American but couldn’t put his finger on it.
She made an irritated sound that hissed out between her lips. “If you spend our time playing games, neither of us will find who we hunt.”
He couldn’t argue that point. This was no civilian he could run circles around in a conversation. Might as well get to the point and see if this meeting would end with any actionable intel.
“Fine.” He put the beer can down and crossed his arms. “Yes, we’re hunting a high-profile prisoner.” That could be anyone in the world theater and still not point to the senator since his kidnapping had not been made public.
Could not be made public.
Her lips almost curled into a smile, but whatever thought had caused that passed quickly. “Now that we’ve cleared up that confusion, I can tell you without a doubt that we are after the same kidnapper and our goals intersect instead of conflict.”
He wouldn’t agree to that right away, but she was talking. “I’m listening. Why are you here?”
“I have a lead on the kidnapper.”
His muscles tensed, but he was in no position to interrogate her. Staying quiet would produce more than demanding to know what she had.
She said, “I take your silence as understanding I will not hand over that information for no gain. That’s a good start.”
Good start for what? He fought the urge to grab his head in frustration, but he had nowhere to go and would play the crummy hand he’d been dealt for now. “We’re back to the same question. What are you doing here?”
“Giving you a chance to extract your package before yours dies.”
He had to tell Nitro everything and felt certain now that Nitro had not sent someone to watch him. The eyes Sam had felt on his back had been hers. He’d love to know how she got from Venezuela to Clercville when no one outside of his team should know he was here.
No one should know he’d ever been here.
She huffed out a breath, sounding impatient. “I’ve told you enough. Here’s my offer. You will join me in this hunt, but you can’t contact your team.” She laid those terms out as if he’d jump at her ridiculous offer.
“You think I’m just going to go along with you to find my missing person and not say a word to my team? You should know how a special operation team functions. In fact, where’syourteam? Why are you here asking me to join you?”
“I’m running solo for my own reasons and need backup this time to avoid a problem again.”
