Page 136 of Storm Warning

The others laughed as they stepped out into the hallway. The operatives bypassed the elevators to carry their gear down the stairwell to the garage. By the time Elias and Iona arrived andRiley and Seth had checked out of their suites, the bags were in the cargo areas of the SUVs. A moment later, Seth led the way down the interstate toward Nashville.

Although the operatives remained alert, no one interfered during their journey. An hour later, the security team on duty at Fortress opened the gate to allow Seth and the others into the Fortress compound, where they parked inside the garage and unloaded their bags.

The elevator arrived on the executive floor a moment later, and the door slid open. A pretty woman wearing a white lab coat smiled at Riley as she and the others exited the elevator car. “Hey, Riley. I haven’t seen you in a while. How’s everything going?”

Riley grinned. “Abby, I didn’t expect to see you on this floor.”

Her friend laughed. “Yeah, I usually have my eye to the microscope unless I’m taking a lunch or dinner break with Carlos. I delivered some reports to Micah Winter. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be out of the lab.”

“Oh, yes. Carlos.” Riley wiggled her eyebrows. “How are things going with your new boyfriend?”

Abby sighed dramatically and patted her chest over her heart. “What can I say? He’s the most romantic and sweetest man I’ve ever known. Carlos is the perfect man. I don’t know what I’d do without him. He’s thoughtful, kind, and wealthy. He spoils me so much. I adore him, Riley.”

“Sounds like he’s perfect for you. I’m glad you’re so happy. You deserve it.”

Abby’s expression was smug. “I agree.” Then she laughed. “I better get back to the lab. They’ll be missing me soon. Good to see you again, Riley.”

Zane Murphy zoomed up to them at the elevator. “Come with me.” He spun his wheelchair around and led them to the large conference room, where Brent waited for them.

“Take a seat. Zane.”

“I’m on it. One minute.”

Iona looked at Brent. “When and where will we meet the M team?”

“They’ll be here in about 30 minutes. They returned from deployment late last night, and the jet hadn’t returned yet.”

That was a piece of luck. After Andre seated Riley, he dropped into the seat next to hers and waited for whatever came next. At the one-minute mark, the President of the United States appeared on the wall screen.

Andre swallowed hard. Oh, man. This was not what he’d expected, but he should have. They were talking about national security, after all.

Brent straightened. “Mr. President, good to see you again, sir.”

“You pulled me out of a meeting on a day with a packed schedule. What is so important that I had to pause a meeting with the British Prime Minister?”

“A weaponized flu virus.”

Martin’s eyes sharpened. “How credible is the threat?”

“Ninety-five percent. We’re confirming and reconfirming as we speak.”

“I want to know the instant you hit 100%. Who?”

“Obsidian Storm.”

The president’s face went blank.

Andre went on alert. That expression said this man knew more than he could say. Had the president been aware of Obsidian Storm and its agenda? What was going on?

“You’re sure they’re behind this threat?” Martin asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“How do you know this?”

Brent looked over his shoulder at Andre before turning back to the screen. “This is Andre Marsh. He and his partnerRiley Sloan were targeted by kidnappers on the orders of Javier Garcia and Diego Mendoza. The kidnappers were captured and questioned.”

“Where are they now?”