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He turned toward me, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets. “That would never be the case with you. You rescued Charmaine, which is what I asked you to do and the odds were horrendous. I appreciate what you endured in the process.”

“I’m used to it, but Charmaine isn’t and doesn’t deserve this bullshit.”

Gray clapped me on the arm. “You care about her. I knew you would.”

Now I rolled my eyes. “Don’t make something out of nothing. You didn’t know you were being forced into a dangerous game. Did you?”

His eyes reflected anger. “I was told there was a possibility Charmaine would be able to provide vital information on Alfaro to the US government after I pressed Agent Wilshire more than once. The FBI seem to think Alfaro has taken a liking to Charmaine because of the article she wrote. She has balls.”

“Yes, she does, enough that she almost got herself killed.”

“Do you know if any information was provided?”

“Why do I get the feeling they were less concerned about her safety and more about this mysterious information?”

As he studied me, I knew instinctively he was attempting to ascertain whether or not I was lying. “You must have gotten fairly close to Charmaine during the extraction.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I’m not suggesting anything other than she had to place her trust in you.”

My hand was itching to touch the jump drive. I didn’t. However, it was apparent that Gray was under duress.

“Alfaro uses people then eliminates them when he’s finished.

In my opinion, everyone should continue to be concerned about her safety.

She has a target on her back and crossing the borders of the United States doesn’t change that.

Whatever information she has is limited since she was tossed into his savage prison world.

She was in the country for a reason that had nothing to do with enticing an El Salvadoran drug lord. ”

“I hope you’re right about that. You did your job. It’s time for you to live your life. The remaining fee will be transferred to your account.”

“Who are you working for, Gray? Level with me.”

His face grew ashen. “Some people who are fearful Alfaro is prepared to move into the country. And who are concerned he has friends.”

“You have help from some unknown American sources. Right?” While his expression didn’t change, his jaw was instantly clenched.

He had placed his trust in me because he knew I wasn’t in the middle of whatever criminal activity that had been discovered. Did that make me feel any better about the chances taken, the lies told? No, but this wasn’t my fight.

“The less you know, the better. You’re free to go. I suggest you do so and enjoy spending time on your ranch.”

“Why am I here being interrogated like I’m a criminal?”

“Because, as I told you before, you and Charmaine are cut from the same cloth. You both fight for the underdog, pissing off a lot of people while doing so. I knew she could trust you.”

Trust. I certainly wasn’t going to betray her now.

“Oh, I see. You really believe she spilled details about her connection with Alfaro to me? You can’t get past the possibility.

That’s insulting, Gray. If you truly believe that then you don’t know anything about the woman.

And you forgot the kind of man I was forced to become.

She’s tough as nails and someone who will always walk on the right side of the law and common decency. ”

Maybe I was a little too forceful in my statement, but it was obvious she needed someone in her corner.

Gray managed a slight laugh. “You really do like her. I thought you might.”

Now I had to sigh. This was like playing a volleyball game.

I rubbed my eyes, everything from jetlag and fury keeping exhaustion just below the surface.

“She’s the victim, Gray. That’s it. I did my job.

She certainly didn’t anticipate being caught in whatever this is.

She cares about kids who have nowhere to turn and no one who really cares about them.

She insisted I free several women being held as hostages. ”

“Which as I said, several countries are eternally grateful for.” He suddenly had a strange look in his eyes, as if he’d reached the end of his rope.

“The article she wrote evidently sparked Alfaro. Maybe he was going to use her to get his message across the world. Maybe the man is as much of a twisted fuck in his level of desire as he is in his hunger to torture people. I don’t know.

I don’t care. What I do know is that I don’t appreciate not being told the full story.

You can wire the remaining fifty percent of my fee to my account.

After that, I don’t want to hear from you again. ”

“Grant. Hold up. I’m not going to let anything happen to Ms. Douglas. But I need a favor. I need you to hang around a little bit longer.” Our conversation was nagging at him. He flipped another frustrated look toward the door.

“How long?”

“Long enough that the government is satisfied she doesn’t know anything. A couple days. That’s all I’m asking.” No, he was asking me to continue protecting her.

I closed the distance between us. “What aren’t you telling me?

” I’d almost convinced myself I could hand over the jump drive to my old friend.

Not like this. Not until I was certain about his level of involvement for what seemed like a cover-up.

Maybe it was none of my business, but my instinct said I’d been dropped in the middle of a storm with no life raft.

“If you want my continued help, you’re going to need to confide in me, Gray, or I am fucking out of here. ”

His scowl was an indication I was right. “I already told you. A communication she had with an unknown source was intercepted. They’d like to know who that is.”

“You think that person might contact her again?”

He studied me carefully before answering.

“Entirely possible. It means the FBI believes she was provided with time-sensitive information that could help bring Alfaro and his regime to its knees. If that’s the case, whatever information she was provided needs to be handed over.

But you don’t know what I’m talking about. Do you?”

I knew the commander well enough to know he was sending me a message. Be careful where I treaded. What in the hell was really going on? He needed to have plausible deniability.

Which meant lying to him.

“No, I wouldn’t know anything about that, Gray. I did my job.”

“Why don’t you tell me what exactly did happen down there. Just so I know for the record.”

There was no doubt he was under tremendous pressure.

Whatever the case, I refused to be used as a pawn.

And I wasn’t going to allow Charmaine to be destroyed in the process.

“Your coordinates were correct. She was being held inside the man’s compound, the one I was imprisoned in before.

Funny how little had changed. I found her with the other hostages who I helped escape.

I killed several soldiers, more in the jungle after the rescue. ”

“Very straightforward.”

“From there, we faced a goddamn monsoon on top of being chased by the bastards I didn’t gun down, so I found a place to stay for the night before heading to Honduras where we stayed at the apartment of someone I trust.” Although I questioned that as well given the fact Alfaro’s soldiers had been combing the city.

Why did I have a feeling the men who’d set the bomb weren’t employed by Alfaro?

“And?”

“And we were almost discovered, but managed to make it to the plane, leaving without incident. Fairly cut and dried. I am curious how we were found.”

He lifted his eyebrows, offering a single nod. It was enough to take the heat off my position and involvement.

For now.

“The person you trusted?” he asked.

“Not a chance.” I was tossing him a suggestion as he’d done with me. Somehow, someone had found a way to discover our position.

“Alright. Did she say anything about the reason for her visit to El Salvador?”

No matter what game he was playing, the constant questions were becoming old very quickly.

“The same thing you told me. That she was reporting on orphanages in dire need of money and that many of the older children were swept into the slave trade market. You need to remember, her crew was eliminated in front of her eyes.”

“Alfaro has a list of targets he’s bragged about on open media.” It was almost as if he was starting to put the imaginary pieces of the puzzle together.

“Including members of the United States government,” I suggested.

“Yes.”

I nodded several times. “She doesn’t have anything. If she did, the bastards who took her would have discovered it. If they had, I doubt she’d be alive, infatuation or not.”

“That’s what I told the agent. I just wanted your take on it. Will you stay until tomorrow at least? I’m certain the second round of questioning of Ms. Douglas is a mere formality. I think she’d appreciate having someone she trusts in her corner.”

“Meaning they’ll grill her again until she breaks.” This time, I issued the words under my breath.

“As I said, Maddox. She’s not being accused of anything. Just keep her safe.”

“Alright. I’ll stay for twenty-four hours. Then I have a life to return to. I’m finished with playing games for anyone, Gray. I thought you understood that. Now, she needs rest. I’m assuming you made arrangements for a hotel for her.”

“Yes, that’s been arranged. The Marriott down the street.”

“Fine.” I moved around him, opening the door.

“I’ll wait, but not for long. Just try and remember I don’t like when anyone is railroaded to serve a purpose.

” He knew exactly what I was saying and what I would do to keep her from being some scapegoat.

I might not know Charmaine so well, yet I was well aware she wasn’t involved with a pig like Alfaro.

I headed into the hallway, bristling as I did.

What the fuck was going on and why did I have a terrible feeling Gray was in way over his head? Maybe the man felt he could no longer trust anyone. Whatever the case, I didn’t like the way this was transpiring.

The disk drive would remain in our possession.

Especially since we had no idea what it contained.