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She picked up the pace, heading down to the first bench on the path. Once there, she unzipped her coat and shrugged off the drawstring backpack that barely fit her slim laptop. She knelt on the gravel and turned her portable wireless hotspot on.
Jessica used the center’s internet for all of her usual online activity. But when it came to conversing with her sources in the UK, she had zero trust she wasn’t being watched. Which was why at least once a day she came out to make use of her hotspot and check her private accounts in a secure browser. She wasn’t expecting any news today, so she wasn’t disappointed when there were no messages awaiting her.
Since she had some time still, she brought up a few message boards to skim then shot off another request to her contact to reconsider his stance.
There was no way she was going to get to the UK any time soon. She had no illusions about her freedom. They could say all they wanted that the security was here for her benefit. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt if she tried to leave the facility, someone would stop her.
“What are you doing out here?”
Jessica’s head snapped up.
Samuel stood a dozen yards away at the bend in the path carrying a water bottle.
That infuriating man.
She snapped the laptop shut and pocketed the hot spot while Samuel closed the distance between them.
“Jess?”
“I’m still irritated with you,” she said.
He had the nerve to sigh. He sounded like her father when he did that so much that she fully expected him to say she was being foolish in his next breath.
“I’m sorry,” he said instead.
Her head snapped up again, and she froze in the process of sliding her laptop into the drawstring bag.
“What?” she asked.
He perched on the end of the bench. “I’m sorry.”
“For?” She cinched the bag shut a little too hard.
“You’re right. The end goal blinded us.”
She sat back and stared up at Samuel.
“The lead on Daar was too good to not make that move. You know he makes a trip to the US once a year. Made a trip. I don’t think he’ll be traveling anytime soon.” He scratched the back of his neck. “And Robin? Our whole approach? That’s on me. I didn’t do enough research. I looked at the stats, a wealthy sorority girl who wasn’t employed and just did fundraising. I sent Harper in there thinking he was going to sweet talk a socialite and be another in a long line of men.”
“How are you going to do better?”
“You made a good point about the way we approached Robin. It was sketchy. And from now on, if it’s my call, I’ll focus on same-gender undercover agents.”
She nodded and stood. “Good. Because you could have done serious and lasting emotional damage. Women are preyed on enough by men for you to do it in the name of justice. The ends don’t always justify the means.”
“You’re right.”
“Tell Robin that. She’s the one who would need to hear that. Not me.”
Samuel nodded and damn it, she felt like she’d kicked a puppy.
She clutched the light backpack. “Not all men would admit that. Thank you for hearing me.”
“I know we won’t always agree or see eye to eye, but I don’t like fighting with you, regardless of what you might think.”
“I’m not the one avoiding you.”
“Ouch. You ever pull a punch?”