Page 59 of Secrets Beneath the Waves

Alex leaned across the table to kiss her forehead. “Yeah, trouble does seem to find you. I’m sure Ellie will find her share as well. But you’re right. She’s ready. She won’t run from it.”

Jamie sighed, her smile turning into a grimace. “Yeah. That’s what I’m afraid of.”

The soundof the phone dialing filled the air of the nervous man’s car. When the call connected, he spoke in a low, controlled voice, his words carrying the weight of betrayal. Almost whispering as if someone could hear the conversation.

“I have information that might interest you,” he said, his tone devoid of emotion.

“I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.” The voice on the other end was thick with an Iranian accent. “Your last bit of intel was gold.”

“If you thought that was gold, then you’ll love this.”

A pause, then an excited response. “And what do you have for me today?”

The man leaned back against his car seat. His face was obscured by dark windows on his car, but he still looked in every direction before answering. “Jamie Austen.”

A sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line caused his heart to skip a beat. “What about her? She’s out of the picture. She’s a ghost. No one can get to her.”

The man allowed himself a cold smile. “She has a daughter.”

Silence hung heavily over the line before the Iranian spoke again. “Go on.” His voice was laced with interest.

“She’s CIA as well. Her daughter is in the Cayman Islands right now on an assignment. If you want to strike at Jamie Austen, this is your chance.”

“Why are you telling me this?” the Iranian demanded.

“Let’s just say I have my reasons. Do you want the information or not?”

The Iranian paused again before he replied. “Yes. I’ll organize a team immediately. If this is true, we’ll make her pay.”

“Speaking of pay, I expect double the usual amount.”

“No problem. I’ve been wanting to get back at Jamie Austen for years.”

“I’ll expect half in my account. The other half when you verify the information.”

“That’s not how we do things. I’ll send the other half when she’s dead.”

“No! I want it all up front. I’ve taken a great risk giving you this information. If Jamie Austen knew what I’m doing, she’d rip my heart out and make me watch.”

“The money is on its way.”

“A word of warning. I hear the girl is as good as her mother.”

A groan on the other end confirmed the Iranian knew all too well what he meant.

The line went dead, leaving the man’s emotions as dark as his soul. He set the phone down and leaned forward, his head rested on the steering wheel. Regret pumped through his body like water through a water hose.

Years of being overlooked, passed over for promotions, and watching his brilliance go unrecognized had led him here. But as the Iranian's words echoed in his ears, a cold fear trickled through him. It’s one thing to sell information, quite another to give up the name and location of an undercover CIA operative that would result in her death.

Especially this one.

He couldn’t help but wonder if he’d made a mistake.

Double? No amount of money was worth it if Jamie Austen found out he was behind the treasonous act.

A bead of sweat trickled down his temple as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. His breath came shallow, the weight of what he’d done settled over him like a lead blanket.

He’d sold out before—small leaks, bits of intel that wouldn’t shift the balance of power but were enough to keep the moneyflowing. This was different. This wasn’t just intelligence. This was a name. A target. An American asset would die. And not just any asset.