Page 24 of Ground Zero (Lantern Beach Blackout: Detonation #3)

S heridan woke to the pale light of dawn filtering through unfamiliar windows covered in gauzy drapes and the scent of something slightly sweet floating through the air.

For a moment, she forgot where she was.

Then the events of the previous day flooded back.

The attack at the cottage.

The chase through the forest.

The tracker in her pocket.

The phone call she’d overheard in the middle of the night.

That was right—the phone call.

She’d been half asleep when Maverick’s whispered conversation woke her, but she’d caught enough to make her uncomfortable.

He’d been talking to someone at Blackout—his boss, from the sound of it. Telling him he was innocent and asking if they believed him.

Had Maverick told the person on the other end where he was? Had he revealed Sheridan was with him?

She wanted to believe she could trust him. But could she?

They were playing a dangerous game right now, and one wrong move could mean the difference between life or death.

Sheridan sat up on the couch, wincing as her muscles protested.

Sleeping in her clothes hadn’t been comfortable, but comfort was a luxury they couldn’t afford right now. She wanted to be alert and ready to move at a moment’s notice.

She stood and padded toward the kitchen.

She froze when she saw Maverick already there, standing behind a sizzling griddle.

“Morning,” Maverick said, flipping a pancake. “I found a few ingredients in the pantry. I’ll try to reimburse the owners when this is all over.”

She appreciated the fact he was considerate like that—and that he was cooking.

She was surprisingly hungry.

However, he looked like he hadn’t slept at all—his hair was disheveled, and circles darkened the skin beneath his eyes. He’d stayed guard all night just as he promised. There would be no time for him to sleep today either.

She felt a burst of compassion. Then she remembered again that conversation she’d overheard him having with someone last night.

She needed to keep her distance. She’d keep reminding herself of that for as long as necessary. Her life might depend on it.

She slid into a barstool across from him, still studying his face as he cooked. “Did you get any rest?”

He shrugged and flipped another pancake. “Some.”

The lie was obvious, but she didn’t call him on it.

“You need to get ready if you’re going to make this work.” He poured a cup of coffee and pushed it across the counter to her. “I thought you could use this.”

“Definitely. Thanks.” She took a sip.

It was black—probably their only option here at the house. Normally, she liked her coffee with milk. But she wouldn’t complain.

“And here’s a few pancakes. They even left some syrup in the pantry.” He placed a stack of pancakes on a plate and slid it in front of her along with the bottle of syrup.

Everything right now felt normal. Too normal.

Especially considering that conversation she’d overheard.

Should she ask him about it? They’d both agreed they couldn’t trust anyone. So why had Maverick gone lone ranger and made a call to someone anyway?

The thought caused a spark of anger to burst to life inside her.

She took a bite of her pancake and chewed as she considered what she’d do. As she swallowed, she made her decision.

She would stay quiet about what she’d overheard and wait to see if he shared anything with her.

Two could play this game.

“These are delicious,” she said instead, holding up her fork, which was gooey with syrup.

“Glad you like them.” Maverick paused in front of her, unplugging the griddle and grabbing his own plate.

She took a few more bites before saying, “I wish I could eat more, but I really need to get going. I don’t want to be late and raise any alarms.”

“Probably a good idea.”

She stood and glanced at her watch. “I don’t think I have any choice but to go back to my rental. I left my car there.”

Maverick stared at her, tension on his face—tension he tried to hide. But she saw the tautness in the tight line of his lips and the hard set of his shoulders.

“I’d go with you, but that’s probably a bad idea,” he finally said. “Be careful, though. Check everything for bugs and trackers.”

She wished Maverick was simply being paranoid, but she knew he wasn’t.

And part of her hated the concern in his voice—the sincere concern.

It made her want to let down her guard, which was a terrible idea.

Instead, she forced herself to nod. “Yes, it’s better if you stay here. You be careful as well. There’s a lot going on, and one misstep could be the difference between life or death.”

Based on Maverick’s pensive expression, he totally agreed.

Twenty minutes later, Sheridan stood in her rental house and searched every item of clothing she planned to wear. Her jacket, her pants, her shoes, even her badge and holster.

She found nothing, no trackers.

But the process still left her feeling violated.

Someone whom either she or Maverick worked with had planted that tracker. Most likely, there was more than one person at play—someone on both sides.

The betrayal burned in her chest like acid.

She dressed carefully in a clean suit, checked her weapon, and applied makeup to hide her exhaustion and stress. In the mirror, she looked like Special Agent Sheridan Mendez, professional and competent.

The woman looking back at her gave no hint that she’d spent the night as a fugitive, helping a suspected terrorist who might be innocent.

Or someone who might be playing her better than anyone ever had.

The phone call from last night bothered her more than she wanted to admit.

Who had Maverick been talking to? What had he told them? And most importantly—could she really trust him?

She was about to find out. Because in thirty minutes, she’d be walking into Blackout headquarters, working alongside someone who might want her dead, armed with nothing but her wits and the hope that Maverick Adams was really one of the good guys.

Sheridan took one last look at herself in the mirror, straightened her shoulders, and headed out to face whatever was waiting for her.

It was time to get some answers.

Lord, be with me. Help me pull this off. Show me what to look for.

Most of all, protect us.

Not just me. Me and Maverick.

And all the people who could be killed if these terrorists get away with their plan.