Page 37 of Ground Zero (Lantern Beach Blackout: Detonation #3)

T he next morning, Sheridan pulled into Blackout’s parking lot and immediately knew something was wrong.

Three black FBI vehicles sat near the entrance, along with a mobile command unit. This wasn’t a small follow-up team. Why hadn’t Cook told her they were coming?

Unless he didn’t trust her.

Her phone buzzed with a message from Maverick.

In position. All quiet so far.

He’d set up the meeting, and Jake had promised to meet him in a couple of hours. Maverick had wanted to get to the ferry dock early to keep an eye on things.

She typed back.

Be careful.

He responded with:

You too.

She deleted the messages before stepping out of her car and drawing in a deep breath.

This was it. Showtime.

As soon as she entered the building, she saw Assistant Director Cook.

Cook’s face told the story of every hard case he’d worked—deep lines around tired gray eyes, a nose that had been broken at least twice, and a permanent five o’clock shadow that suggested long hours were his norm.

At one time, he might have been handsome, back before the job wore him down to sharp edges and bitter pragmatism. Now, his broad shoulders hunched slightly forward, as if he was always ready to charge into the next crisis.

His voice boomed across the lobby. “Agent Mendez. In the conference room. Now.”

He hadn’t wasted any time . . .

She swallowed a knot of anxiety and followed him to the same conference room where she’d first met with Ty and Colton. This time, the place was full of FBI agents, some she recognized, others she didn’t.

Ty Chambers stood in the corner, his expression unreadable. Colton Locke sat at the table, a haggard look in his gaze. Police Chief Cassidy Chambers had her phone to her ear as she paced in the distance.

Jake was here also, she realized. Not meeting Maverick. But it wasn’t too late for him to leave. He still had time.

She’d keep her eye on him.

But the possibility remained that Jake hadn’t really texted Maverick. It could have been someone else pretending to be Jake.

“Sir?” She kept her voice steady despite her racing pulse as she turned to Cook. “I wasn’t expecting to see everyone back?—”

“Plans changed.” Cook’s tone sounded clipped.

“We intercepted some message Adams sent. He tried to put the base in Norfolk on high alert. I’m not sure what game he’s playing.

We found other communications that indicate he’s working with someone and planning something big.

The words ‘mass casualties,’ ‘explosion,’ and ‘9/11’ were mentioned.

Either way, the message came from Lantern Beach. He’s still here somewhere.”

Sheridan’s mind raced. Had he sent those messages when she wasn’t looking?

What if all this time he’d been playing her?

No. She stopped her thoughts. That wasn’t what happened.

She could trust him. Someone had set him up.

Still, a trace of doubt remained. She’d be stupid if she didn’t consider the possibility that trusting him had been a mistake.

“What can I do?” She stared at Cook, trying to read the truth in his expression.

Cook gestured to a laptop on the table. “I want you to review Blackout’s personnel schedules. See if you can identify any patterns that might tell us where Adams will surface, who he’s working with.”

It was exactly what she’d planned to do anyway, but now she’d have an audience.

She sat down, hyperaware of Jake watching her from across the table.

If he was the traitor, did he know she’d teamed up with Maverick? Because someone had to be communicating with the men who’d chased them. Those men had seen her and Maverick together.

She pulled up the scheduling system, trying to look focused while her peripheral vision tracked everyone in the room. She was one of the newer agents in Norfolk, where her team was based. She didn’t feel a lot of connection with her teammates.

Eight FBI agents, Ty, Jake, and?—

She froze as Kyle Harrell entered, carrying a tablet.

“You asked for a list of any significant events happening on the East Coast over the next month.” He handed the device to Cook. “This is what I found.”

Cook scrolled through it before looking at Jake. “Why has the submarine pen security evaluation been moved up?”

“From what I understand, the commander requested it,” Jake said. “The British submarine is arriving six hours earlier than originally planned. They want security protocols in place before it docks.”

Six hours earlier. That meant the attack timeline had just shifted from tomorrow afternoon to tomorrow morning. Less than twenty-four hours.

Cook’s gaze remained calculating. “Who’s running the evaluation?”

“I am,” Jake said. “Along with Hudson and Kyle. Standard three-man team for a facility that size. Of course, the military will also have security in place.”

His words confirmed what she’d seen while doing her research. All three of Maverick’s teammates with Norfolk access would be at the submarine pens at the exact time of the attack.

Her throat tightened.

Either it was the perfect cover for the traitor, or someone was setting them all up to take the fall.

As Cook continued to bark out directions, Sheridan’s phone vibrated with an incoming message. She glanced at it, expecting Maverick.

Instead, it was an unknown number.

Check the server room. Now.

She looked up, scanning the room.

Who had sent this? And was it a trap?

No one was watching her. But whoever had sent this clearly knew she was here.

Her pulse pounded in her ears.

“Agent Mendez?” Cook stared at her, an irritated tone to his voice. “Something important?”

She stood. “No, sir. But I’d like to check something on the server.”

“Fine. But take Agent Morrison with you.” Cook nodded to one of the FBI agents she didn’t recognize.

Anxiety rushed through her. “That’s not necessary?—”

“It’s not a request.” He glowered at her. “We have emergency protocols in place right now, and this is one of them.”

“Of course.” She knew better than to keep arguing.

Morrison stood—tall, broad-shouldered, with an empty expression.

As they left the conference room, Sheridan caught Jake’s eye.

For just a moment, something passed across his face.

Warning? Threat? Understanding?

She couldn’t tell.

If he was the one truly meeting Maverick—and it wasn’t someone imitating him—he’d need to leave soon. Sheridan wouldn’t be here to see if he was departing or not.

If she knew Jake was leaving, she could give Maverick a head’s up.

But it was too late now. Staying in the conference room would only look suspicious after the conversation she’d just had with Cook.

As she headed toward the server room, Morrison spoke behind her. “Interesting that Adams’s messages surfaced today.”

She turned slightly. “You think that was calculated?”

Morrison smiled, and it didn’t reach his eyes. “I think it’s a possibility.”

What did this agent know that she didn’t?

Her muscles pulled tighter as more dread pooled in her stomach.

The server room loomed ahead.

Whatever was waiting inside, Sheridan was about to find out if Morrison was there to help her—or to make sure she never came back out.