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Tomi picked up her tablet and tucked it under her arm. “Well, if you feel up to it, you have a visitor.”
Who in the world? “Yes. Thanks.”
As Tomi went out, she held the door wide. “She’s awake. You can see her now.”
Chapter Sixteen
Red
“Look at you, all pale and thin.” Her teammate Grey walked into her room—handsome guy, smart, talented at his job. But there was no chemistry between them. It was all deep friendship and work ethic.
“Surprisingly, I’m alive. Who woulda thunk it?”
“What the hell was wrong with you?” Grey wandered over to her I.V. bag and read the prescription. It didn’t seem to interest him. Probably just saline.
“Meh, just a little salmonella typhoid.”
“I told you to get the oral vaccine.” He pulled a chair over and sat.
“Yeah, except I’m not a virologist and didn’t know how to whip one up. The shot was the only thing available. But also, they debunked the difference in efficacy. It’s fifty-fifty on a good day.
“Antibiotics, hydration, and time?” He inched down in his chair, then raised an ankle onto his knee, looking like they were kicking back and having a beer together.
“Luckily enough.”
“So good to go?”
“Go?” Red quirked a brow.
“We’re told you’re over whatever and are resting. Are you rested?”
She pulled her brows together. “That depends. Rested for what”Not really. What the heck?
“Dancing?” he asked.
“With whom?”
“Me.” He hitched a thumb toward his chest. Grey was a good dancer, smooth and confident on the dance floor.
“No. But thanks for the invite. Why are you asking? Maybe I can think of someone willing to have her toes trod upon all night.”
Grey gave her a slow smile, letting her know he found her teasing amusing instead of an offense. After a moment, he licked his lips and said, “Sophia Abadi Ackerman passed a message from your buddy, Wajeeb, to Black.” He shifted his weight and reached behind him to pull a folded English-language newspaper from his back pocket. As he handed it out to her. He pointed at the article he wanted her to see. “Speaking of Wajeeb, there was an earthquake yesterday in Zaghreen. If you’d been conscious, you would have felt it in Lebanon. It hit as your extraction team was loading you onto the boat. Good thing they didn’t drop you in.”
“Yeah, good thing.” Frowning, Red scanned through the article.More horror. Those poor people.After a moment, she looked up and pressed the paper back at Grey. “How is it Sophia was passing on a message to Black? I mean, she met him when the FBI arrested her, but it’s not like she can ring Langley and say, ‘Hey, can you put me through to John Black?’”
Grey reached between his knees to grab the chair, pulled it closer to the top of the bed, and lowered his voice. “She asked Iniquus to develop a meeting.”
“Smart. Yeah, she’s married to that guy with Panther Force.”
“Exactly. Their TOC called Black and asked him to swing by so she could pass some information.”
“Wow. It must have been big.”
“That’s what he thought. Knowing Black, he thought a more colorful word.” Grey offered up a lopsided smile. “I have to say, your assets are batting a thousand for Team USA right now.”
“Poole?” She pressed the button to raise her bed so she was sitting upright. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“He’s with the interrogators.”