Page 66 of Secrets Beneath the Waves

She thought again about calling her parents back even at the late hour, but talked herself out of it. They’d be on a plane within an hour of hanging up with her. Armed with more backup than she could ever ask for.

This washermission. Her chance to prove herself—not just to them but to herself.

Three men were hunting her for whatever reason, and the game had shifted. This wasn’t about romance or finding a mole anymore. The mole was no longer the only one in the crosshairs. She was as well.

Tomorrow, she’d take the initiative and go on the offensive. The threat had to be neutralized. She couldn’t spend the entire mission looking over her shoulder or sleeping with one eye open.

Ellie got out of bed and double-checked the lock on the front door, her hand lingering on the bolt. She moved to the window, drawing back the curtain an inch. The dark street below looked empty, but she knew better than to relax. They were out there, somewhere. Watching. Waiting.

Tomorrow, the tables would turn. Ellie would make sure of it. Because if they wanted a hunt, they were about to find out just how dangerous their prey could be.

CHAPTER

FIVE

Two days later

This wasn’thow Ellie’s first mission was supposed to go.

She thought she’d be tracking the mole, peeling back the layers of deception until she had him in her sights. Instead, she was dodging shadows and playing cat-and-mouse with gunmen whose intentions were unclear.

One thing was certain: the three men were after her. She wasn’t paranoid; she’d seen them too many times for coincidence.

So, she decided to drop her disguise and make herself an easy target. Sometimes the best approach was the direct one. Her plan was to stay in plain sight, lure them out, and take them down one by one.

Ellie sat at a small table in a café, her back to the wall for a clear view of the room and of the busy street. The espresso in front of her had grown cold. She hadn’t touched her drink because she didn’t need more caffeine fueling her nerves.

She’d taken a cab to the area to keep her rental car unseen. As long as they didn’t know her new vehicle, she could move freely around the island. Her home’s location also had to remaina secret. It was her only refuge, the place where she could rest without fear of being ambushed.

That morning, she’d spent hours browsing shops, in and out of tourist venues, lingering on sidewalks. Eventually, she spotted one of the sedans. The other two showed up soon after the first man saw her.

Ellie made sure the sedan’s occupants saw her enter the open-air café. About twenty minutes later, one of the men came inside and sat a few tables away. He periodically glanced at her over the top of his newspaper. The pages rustled and betrayed his unease. Even if she hadn’t recognized him, his nervous behavior marked him as a threat.

The bulge in the back of his pants confirmed he was armed. Ellie noted his poor choice. A gun tucked in the back waistband was harder to draw than one in the front. Her own weapon rested snugly in her front waistband, ready to be pulled in half the time it’d take him.

Across the street, the other two men pretended to argue over a map. Their gestures were too exaggerated, their voices too loud. Ellie would have laughed if her insides weren’t screaming.

Her mother had warned her never to underestimate opponents, even if they seemed incompetent. Ellie couldn’t afford to. This was her first mission involving real threats. Training simulations were nothing compared to real enemies with guns.

Her heart raced and adrenaline coursed through her veins, but she forced a calm exterior.

Casually, she picked up her phone and used the camera to capture a photo of the man. She sent a quick message with a picture to Matthew:Three men. Middle Eastern descent. Tracking me. Need backup. Don’t tell my parents.

The last part felt foolish, but she couldn’t risk her parents storming the island like cavalry over what might turn out tobe something she could handle herself. Matthew, however, was her designated backup. And with three against one, Ellie needed him.

Though she doubted the men would strike in public. Too risky. They’d wait for a more secluded spot. That was her plan too.

The man shifted in his chair and dipped his hand into his jacket.

Adjusting something? Or reaching for another weapon?

Ellie wasn’t going to wait to find out. She stood deliberately, as though lost in thought, and left the café. She crossed the street toward the two men. Their conversation halted mid-sentence as they stared after her when she abruptly changed direction.

Movement in her periphery caused warning bells to flash inside her. The man from the café was following her now, as she had expected. He tried to appear inconspicuous, not realizing she had already outed him.

The other two men disappeared. They likely spread out to flank her or returned to their cars to tail her in the sedans.

That was a worry. A drive-by shooting would be how she would do it if she were them. They could kill her and drive away. Ditch the cars and go straight to the airport.