Page 29 of Ground Zero (Lantern Beach Blackout: Detonation #3)

S heridan drove back to the empty beach house, her mind churning over everything she’d discovered.

She’d changed her mind about talking to Ty and Colton concerning what she’d discovered.

Instead, she’d told them the drive was empty.

Both had looked skeptical, but neither had argued with her.

They both knew the device was now in FBI custody.

Maybe they were even relieved. The men were hard to read.

Now the USB drive burned a hole in her pocket. That device held evidence that would either prove Maverick’s guilt or prove this was an elaborate frame job.

She needed to talk to Maverick, needed to see his reaction when she told him what she’d found. She’d quickly grabbed a couple of sandwiches at a local restaurant call The Crazy Chefette before returning to the house. She figured Maverick would be hungry, and having him venture out was risky.

She slipped through the unlocked front door of the house where she and Maverick had slept last night and scanned the area.

There were no signs of life. No Maverick in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. No Maverick on the couch with his laptop.

Everything was quiet.

Lifeless.

She checked each room.

Nothing.

Had something happened to Maverick?

Panic clawed at her chest as worst-case scenarios flooded her mind.

Had he been captured? Had he decided Sheridan was too much of a liability and disappeared? Or had this all been an elaborate con from the beginning—a way to get close to an FBI agent and use her to gather intelligence?

Her heart pounded in her ears.

Maybe she’d just made the biggest mistake of her career. Maybe Danny’s killer was laughing at her right now, knowing she’d been played by someone she’d started to trust. Someone she’d started to care about.

Sheridan left the house and rushed back to her rental.

Her hands shook as she unlocked the door. She needed to think, needed to figure out what to do next. But the moment she stepped inside, bag of sandwiches tucked under her arm, her phone erupted with an incoming call.

Assistant Director Cook.

She stared at the screen, trying to decide what to tell him. That she’d found evidence implicating Adams but suspected it was planted? That she’d been working with the suspect? That she was starting to believe in Maverick’s innocence despite everything pointing to his guilt?

The phone continued to ring.

Sheridan took a deep breath before answering. “Mendez.”

“Agent Mendez, I need an update on your progress.”

As he said the words, she sensed movement behind her.

She froze, her senses going on alert.

Someone was in the house with her, she realized.

Her blood turned to ice.

“Mendez?” Cook’s voice came through the phone. “Are you there?”

She only had a second to decide how to react.

Maverick watched Sheridan’s entire body go rigid as she sensed his presence.

He’d heard her car in the driveway and had been waiting, not wanting to startle her by calling out when she entered. He’d already checked for bugs—the place was clean.

But apparently, his stealth training had worked a little too well.

He’d scared her—which hadn’t been his intention.

Her eyes were wide when she turned around, gun in hand.

Whoa . . .

Then she recognized him, and her body sagged with relief. She lowered her weapon and holstered it with a scowl.

But she didn’t miss a beat in her phone conversation. “Yes, sir, I’m here. I’ve been conducting interviews at Blackout headquarters and examining Adams’s workspace, just like we talked about.”

Maverick stayed perfectly still, letting her finish the call without interruption. He heard the tension in her voice, saw the way her free hand still hovered near her service weapon.

“Any concrete leads on his location?” the voice on the other end asked, just loud enough to be heard from where Maverick stood.

“Nothing definitive yet. I’m pursuing several avenues of investigation.” Sheridan’s eyes locked on his. “I should have more information within the next twenty-four hours.”

“Good. Remember, Agent Mendez—Adams is extremely dangerous. Don’t take any unnecessary risks.”

“Understood, sir.”

Sheridan ended the call.

When Maverick saw the look in her gaze, he knew this wouldn’t be a fun conversation.