Page 53 of Lethal Deceit (Hightower Security #2)

The wheels touch down, and I have little time to consider whether I’ve made another promise I can’t keep. My concerns are dispelled as we exit the small jet Reese was piloting with Verity as his copilot.

Verity flashes me a smile as Adena offers to help Samantha off the plane.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”

I chuckle and extend my hand to Reese as he leaves the cockpit.

“Nice to fly with you again, Captain.”

Reese pumps my hand as he fights a smile.

“Weren’t you supposed to be keeping a low profile?”

I wince as Caleb slaps a hand on my back.

“Dundee was too busy fighting gators in the swamp,” he says.

Behind me, Brooke snorts. “Dundee?”

Caleb grins, way too pleased with himself.

“Crocodile Dundee.”

I shake my head.

“That movie’s older than half your crew.”

His grin widens.

“Yeah, I know. Axel’s stuck in the eighties. Guess it’s rubbing off.”

My gaze flicks from him to Brooke, then to Reese and Verity.

“Aren’t we keeping the FBI waiting?”

I ask Caleb, trying to steer us back to the point.

He shrugs his massive shoulders.

“Delilah has info, and she wants to share it before she gives anything to the government.”

Brooke casts a look at me and steps closer for a brief moment, her hand brushing my arm. Her eyes search mine—determined, composed, like the rush of danger didn’t faze her one bit. She’s tired, sure, but steady. Maybe too steady. "I’ll go see if Adena needs help. She said a nurse would be waiting."

I nod my thanks and follow her lead, hurrying down the stairs, hoping this won’t take long—I need to get back to Samantha and check in at the base. I hadn’t thought beyond getting her out safely, but thankfully, Silas found my phone. It’s back in my pocket, digging into my thigh. The battery died hours ago, which is probably for the best. I can only imagine how many calls and texts are waiting.

Caleb plugs in a laptop, balancing it on an old oil drum, and boots it up. I lean in. On the screen is a girl in a purple dress with a lace collar, her copper-streaked hair piled into a messy bun under a gaming headset. She takes a long sip from an energy drink. Gotta be the hacker—the one Hightower keeps behind the curtain.

When she notices Caleb, she sits up straighter and waves.

“You guys were awesome. I’ve made Zack watch it twice now.”

Caleb frowns but shakes his head as if this is a regular thing for her.

“Glad you enjoyed the show, Delilah, but we don’t do this for your entertainment.”

Her face falls, and she fidgets on her seat.

“I know. I know. I just... One of these days, I’d like to be out in the action.”

Caleb’s frown grows even more before he yawns.

“Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.”

Her mouth twists, and she pouts.

“You’re right. I’ll leave the action to you guys. Speaking of, Silas wants me to fill you all in before I send this off to the FBI.”

Her eyes scan the faces peering back at her, and she pulls a face.

“Yikes. You all looked better in night-vision green.”

Caleb snorts.

“We’ll wash the war paint off later. What did you want to tell us?”

She taps away, looking down at her screen before answering.

“The data breach was bigger than I first thought. It wasn’t just one. There were two separate, but linked, attacks. What’s really bad is that the attackers were employees of WayBridge Government Solutions, a subcontracting company.”

A document flashes up on screen, and we all shift closer to examine it.

“It’s a shell corporation. It doesn’t exist. But—and this is the kicker—it ties back to an American-owned company, and our nasty senator is a whopping great big stakeholder.”

That explains where they got the American weapons from. I’m sick to my stomach. Every single person who risked their lives today must be feeling the same level of betrayal I am.

Caleb’s phone rings, and he glances at it before answering me.

“I’m not comfortable with handing Samantha over. She’s injured, and we need to get Ben involved.”

“Ben?”

He holds up a finger and presses the phone to his ear.

“Where are you?”

Reese answers my question while Caleb steps away.

“Ben Harrison. Hightower’s lawyer.”

I give him a nod of thanks and make small talk, all the while trying to keep one eye on the room Brooke disappeared into and one on the phone call Caleb is having.

Finally, he nods, shoulders sagging slightly. His gaze tracks the direction Brooke and Adena took Samantha, and he lets out a long sigh. “Done.”

His eyes shift to Reese.

“How soon can you get us in the air again?”

Reese steps toward the exit.

“We can be wheels up in twenty. Fifteen if Verity helps me.”

I look at Caleb as concern starts to gather in my midsection. Last I heard, Samantha would receive medical treatment and we’d head straight to the local FBI field office. Something has changed, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.

“You think jerking the FBI around is a smart move?”

I say to Caleb.

His eyes zero in on me, and there’s a glimmer in them I’m not sure I want to question.

“At Hightower, we do it God’s way, or we don’t do it at all,” he says.