Page 67 of Insidious Threats

Sasha locked eyes with her. “Good. All you need to do is keep him safe. Don’t worry about trying to get a coherent story out of him right now. Feed him some soup. Maybe read a book with him. I’m going to put the sketches away because they seem to upset him.”

She nodded. “What’s the plan, though? You’re going to buy time with Poppy, and then what?”

“Maisy’s checking on something for me. If I can find out who Landon spoke to in Silicon Valley, we can present the district attorney with a case against someone other than your dad and get him a solid cooperation deal, probably with no jail time. He didn’t realize what he’d put into motion, Ellie. I’m not exactly your dad’s biggest fan, and even I can see that. He’s going to come out of this fine—as long as he can keep it together for a little while longer. That’s why I need you—”

“To stay calm. I understand.” She lifted her chin. “I can do it, Sasha.”

She smiled. “I have no doubt.”

She snatched up the charcoal drawings and shoved them into her bag then grabbed her coat and phone and ran outside.

34

As soon as Leo shut the door behind August and secured the deadbolt, he called Hank. Hank Richards was not only Leo’s best friend, and not only his boss. He was also the third-highest-ranking official in the shadow agency that kept the United States safe from the most domestic of enemies: those within its own government. It was a new role for Hank, and he’d brought Leo along as his deputy.

In truth, Leo wasn’t quite sure what his responsibilities were in this new role. Nor did he know exactly how much pull Hank had. But he was about to find out.

“What’s up?” Hank answered.

In the background, Leo heard the basketball game playing at low volume on Hank’s television. A moderate fan of Pittsburgh’s three professional sports teams, Hank scratched his basketball itch by following the Washington Wizards. He claimed rootingforsomeone in the nation’s capitol made for a refreshing change of pace.

“How are the Wizards doing?”

Hank grunted.

“That good, huh?”

“I know you didn’t call to talk basketball.”

“Are your kids sleeping?”

“If not, they’re being quiet, so same difference. What about the twins?”

“Jordana’s reading to them now.”

“Jordana? Where’s Sasha?”

“She had to go to upstate New York for a work matter. That’s why I’m calling. I need a favor. Two, actually.”

“Hit me.” The sounds of the game vanished as Hank muted the volume.

“I need to get on a flight to Sun Valley, Idaho. It’s an emergency. I need to be there by nine o’clock a.m. local time. How much pull do we have with the TSA?”

“You mean officially? I have no idea. But we both know enough people at DHS to get you on a plane.”

“Can I make some calls? I’m not sure what’s okay and what’s not in the new gig and I don’t want to jam you up.”

“Then don’t. Let me make the calls. I’ll make it happen. There’s no way there’s a direct flight from Pittsburgh International. So it’s probably going to be a messy, overnight zigzag across the country. You sure you have to be there in the morning? You can’t get there tomorrow afternoon?”

“I have to meet a source at ten o’clock local.”

“A source?”

“Not a source in the traditional sense. You don’t want to know.”

Hank groaned. “Is it illegal?”

“Probably.”