Page 106 of Secrets Beneath the Waves

Chairs scraped against the floor as everyone rose and exited the conference room. Ellie took her time, gathered her notepad and pen, and kept her movements measured so as not to draw attention to herself. She was on her way to her car when Luke fell in step beside her.

“We need to talk,” he said.

Ellie stopped, crossed her arms, and faced him. “Say what you need to say.”

Luke glanced over his shoulder before stepping in closer, voice low but accusing. “I know what you did.”

Ellie tilted her head, feigning confusion. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

His jaw was tighter than a vise. “The marina. Did you kill that man?” His voice shook, and he ran a hand through his hair with nervous anticipation.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It has to be the man you saw at the marina a few hours before. That’s not a coincidence, Ellie.”

She held his gaze, unflinching. “That doesn’t mean I killed him.”

“Don’t be coy with me. You and I both know what happened to the men on the boat. Whitaker is going to find out that I was there as well. If the authorities connect this back to the Agency?—”

“They won’t.” Her voice was smooth, certain.

His eyes flashed. “How can you be so sure?”

“No one can tie it back to you,” she said, stepping forward, so she was in his face. “There are no witnesses. No evidence. No one is looking at us.”

“You don’t know that,” Luke shot back.

She cut him off, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “You’re the only one who knows anything, and you don’t know everything.”

Luke swallowed hard. He kept looking up, scanning for anyone who might hear the conversation. Ellie had purposefully positioned herself, so she’d see anyone coming.

“That’s the point. I need to know everything. I’m knee deep in this thing. What is your mission? Why are those men trying to kill you?”

She studied him for a long moment. “You don’t want me to answer that.”

He shook his head. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”

“It’s not a game,” she said. “It’s a mission. And it’s bigger than either of us.”

“If Whitaker asks, I’m not going to lie for you.”

In reality, if Whitaker wasn’t the mole, then he wasn’t a problem. Even if he found out about her involvement, her parents could handle the fallout on their end. If he were the mole, she didn’t want Luke blowing her cover.

She leaned in, voice razor-sharp. “Listen to me, Luke. If you so much as breathe the wrong way about this, you’ll be interfering in something far beyond your clearance. You have noidea how high this goes. If you don’t want to ruin your career, then I suggest you keep your mouth shut.”

He looked away. “I’m not going to jail over this. I won’t cover this up.”

“Who do you think you’re working for? This is the CIA. Secrets are our business. Don’t forget that those men tried to kill you as well. What we did out there was self-defense. Those were bad guys. They are our enemy. America is safer today because those men are dead. That’s the oath you took. To defend the United States of America from all threats, foreign and domestic.”

Luke rubbed his face roughly. He didn’t like it. He didn’t trust it. But she could see the resignation setting in. He had no choice.

“Do I need to remind you of the oath of secrecy?” she said, then quoted it, although not word for word. “I swear not to discuss with or disclose to any person any information related to intelligence or the source of that intelligence unless authorized. I am not authorizing you to disclose this information. Is that clear?”

“Not even to my superior?”

“I can assure you that Whitaker’s superiors already know all about it.”

“How do I know you’re telling me the truth?”