Page 90 of Agency

“My aunt,” she said.

“Not exactly sure bringing in your aunt is a good idea,” I said. “Shit’s dangerous enough with just us.”

“Oh, trust me, Val isn’t your average aunt. She’s probably got more experience with this kind of thing than all four of us combined.”

“Seriously?” Morgan asked. “But what can she add to this? Good is good, but—”

“She’s also my handler at the Agency,” Ambyr said, voice flat. “Maybe she’ll know who the mole is, maybe she won’t. But she might be able to stop them from sending more assassins after me. And she might even know how we can get to the person at the top in all this.”

“Your handler, huh?” Jericho sighed and shook his head. “Jesus Christ, this can’t get anymore fucked up, can it?”

“Yeah, trust me. Lots to unpack, and maybe we can get to it while we’re on the road.”

“And you think she’ll be willing to help us?” I asked.

“I mean, I am her niece, and adopted daughter.”

“Who still works at the place that sent assassins after you…”

“Not to mention, maybe put a tracker in me. I know. Like I said, lots to unpack there.”

I glanced to Jericho, and he had a look on his face that reflected the one I just knew I had on my own.

“So, what do we do if she doesn’t want to help?” Morgan asked, shifting around in the driver’s seat. “What then?”

“Then we work our way up the chain. Because, if she doesn’t want to help, that means she’s part of the problem.”

Stunned silence permeated the SUV.

“Kill your own aunt?” I asked. “That’s a little cold, isn’t it?”

“And siccing that asshole Joergensen on me wasn’t?” Screw cold, because Ambyr’s face might as well have been the side of an iceberg as she looked to me. “Not to mention installing this fucking tracker on me, in case I stepped off the reservation and decided to never come in? I’ve got a whole raft of questions to ask her, and I’m more than willing to help you ask your own. Besides, it’s not like I want to kill her. I just want to make her squirm.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” I said.

“I’m being honest,” she replied. “She might be a heartless bitch, but she’s still the only family I have left.”

“Okay,” Jericho said after a moment’s more of silence. “Okay. We’ll head for Montana. Billings, or wherever. Think I have a place along the way where we can lay low and let you recuperate for a few days.”

“Where’s that?” Morgan asked.

“Family home,” Jericho replied. “Middle of nowhere, Nebraska.” His eyes turned back to Ambyr. “But we need to set a few ground rules. First, I’m in charge. This isn’t a democracy. You can speak your peace, same as these two, but this my unit. Understood? My decisions stand.”

“Sure.” Ambyr sighed and nodded. “Whatever. You’re the boss. Understood. Second?”

“No killing your aunt unless it’s absolutely necessary. No revenge trips, here. Even when we get to the top, we do this the right way, if possible.”

“Fine,” Ambyr replied with less than a split-second’s hesitation. “No revenge trips.”

“I want your word,” Jericho said.

“My word?” She let out an exasperated sigh and turned to look out the window. “What good is that, anyways?”

“It’s good because I say it’s good,” Jericho replied. “You going to make me into a liar? Or just a fool?” He glanced to all of us. “Or maybe you can make all three of us into idiots and fools? Would that make you feel better?”

She didn’t speak for a long moment, and I could tell Morgan was as uncertain about the whole thing as I was.

“Well?” Jericho asked.