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“Tell him you don’t care what’s on it. Your mom is protected,” Garcia’s voice came through her comms.
“I don’t give two fucks what may be on this. My current team doesn’t give two fucks. My mom is protected. She won’t see anything from you. You’ll have to do better than this.”
She saw the vein on his neck pop out as his face turned red. Was he losing his cool already? “How’s this for better? You can’t keep your mom, your sister, and her three children protected forever. As soon as any of them are vulnerable, they’ll be killed.”
“You could kill me right now,” she said.
“That’s not the outcome I’m looking for.”
“And what is?”
“First you answer my questions, beginning with your current unit.”
Laura Lee gazed away from him.
“Tick tick,” he said. “At some point, your time runs out and someone will die.”
Her fear turned to rage. “You fucking harm a hair on any of my family member’s heads and I will fucking kill you in the most painful way I know how. And my team will help dispose of your body.”
Harrison West smiled a satisfied grin. “Your unit?”
“It’s a quasi-military hybrid extension of the group formerly known as Blackwater. I assume you’ve heard of it.”
He nodded. “How in the hell did you get into that group?”
“It’s interesting, Harrison. Some women, when they are raped and blackmailed, turn into frightened mice. Others internalize it and it drives them to be dark themselves. Some kill themselves, unable to cope. Other women strike out and kill any motherfucker who crosses them as a coping mechanism. Guess which I was?”
“There are those ugly words again,” he said. “You said quasi-military, but you still have access to traditional military bases, and you’re still listed as active duty.”
“Was that a question?”
“No, I know you have access. And I assume you had a couple of your colleagues busy on the west coast as well, a blond woman and man,” he said.
Laura Lee shrugged. “My team operates all over the world. The west coast isn’t out of our operating area.”
“Your team is special indeed, being granted FBI creds.”
“Earned FBI creds,” she corrected him.
“I’ve pulled all the files of those who haveearnedthem outside of Quantico. I’m pretty sure I’ve identified many of your team. My question, though, is who heads up your team. Someone with some clout.”
“That is way above your paygrade, Harrison,” she said. “Trust me when I tell you that if you get that name, I wouldn’t be the one you have to worry about.”
“Michael Cooper. He was the last one I processed. Is he one of your teammates?”
“I only know callsigns, no names. You got a photo of him?”
“Not on me. We’ll talk about that at our next meeting, which will be tomorrow in my office.”
“We will not be alone in the same room.” Her voice was firm.
“We won’t be alone. I want you to meet one of my colleagues. We have a job for you, Army Girl. Call it a job you can’t refuse.”
“Or you’ll kill one of my family members?”
He rose and stepped over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “You always were a smart girl.”
She was no longer afraid of him. She was angry. Very angry. How dare he threaten to kill one of her family members! “Get your fucking hands off me or I’ll break them both,” she hissed.