Page 107 of Storm Warning

“We’ll make him.” He didn’t apologize for doing what was necessary to protect Riley, and he didn’t feel guilty either.

Teagan scoffed. “Come on. He trained Riley to resist torture. He has defenses against what he taught her.”

“That’s why she won’t question him. I will.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

NO. WAY. RILEYglowered at Andre. “This isn’t your mess. It’s mine. I should do the interrogation with Nathan.”

“No.”

Fury rolled over her. Where did he get off telling her what she could and couldn’t do? “That’s it? Just no?”

“Look, Berkley still has power over you.”

“I don’t work for The Company anymore. I can handle it, Andre.”

“This has nothing to do with your skill and everything to do with your pre-programmed response to Berkley.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You spent so much time taking missions from him that your programmed response is to believe whatever Berkley tells you.”

Riley opened her mouth to argue the point and realized she couldn’t. Andre was right. She took Berkley’s word as truth, even when he’d lied to her since the first day she’d met him. She blew out a breath. “You’re right.”

Everyone remained silent for a beat. “I am?” Andre looked dazed.

She wasn’t that bad, was she? “I didn’t realize it before now, but I would believe anything Nathan told me.” Some interrogator she would be, biased for the person in custody. “I trusted him, and I shouldn’t have.”

More silence, then, “I believe you would get the truth from Berkley. However, the process would take a long time. We’lllearn the truth faster if I do it. Berkley doesn’t know what to expect from me. Although he knows I used to be a Ranger, we don’t tell our training methods. Having to deal with me will keep him off balance and get us answers sooner.”

“All of us can’t go with you.” Seth’s expression was thoughtful. “When we finish discussing Riley’s list of people, we’ll decide who accompanies you on this field trip, Andre.”

Elias shook his head. “Before we do anything else, we need to find Berkley. No need to create a plan if he’s out of the country.”

He wasn’t wrong. Of all the things she’d considered, Riley hadn’t thought about the possibility of Berkley being in a place where Fortress couldn’t get to him. Just the thought of having to wait until he returned was maddening.

“I’ll find out where he is, and we’ll go from there.” Andre turned back to his sheets of paper. “Berkley’s second in command is Sam Cowan. He was the backup guy to whom Riley reported if Berkley wasn’t available.”

Seth looked at her. “Opinions of him?”

“Competent and creepy.” Weird combination, but an accurate assessment. She always felt as though she needed a shower after dealing with Sam.

“Explain.”

“I always felt he knew more than he let on while he left me in the dark.”

Grant frowned. “Dangerous and stupid.”

“Other impressions?” Seth’s eyes glittered.

Anger, she realized. Seth was furious on her account. Reminding herself to focus, she thought back through the years she was with The Company and realized the feeling of dirt and grime when she dealt with Sam had never changed. “I don’t think he had a family. At least, I hope he didn’t. Based on passing comments, Sam thought he was God’s greatest gift to women and pursued them relentlessly.”

Andre frowned. “Including you?”

“He hit on every woman he came in contact with, including me.”

He turned to Rayne. “I might let you come along when we track down Cowan. He doesn’t respect women much.”