Avenged (Hostage Rescue Team Series) (Volume 5) by Kaylea Cross Page B

Quantico.”
    “What happened?” There was no mistaking the sudden tension in her voice, even if she sounded calm.
    “Intel’s still coming in, but the guys will fill you in with what they know on the way down. For now, get dressed and repack your suitcase, okay? They’ll be there within the next few minutes or so.”
    She blew out a breath. “Nathan, you’re scaring me.”
    Ah, God, he hated to give her anything more to worry about. “Don’t be scared. We’re moving you as a precaution, that’s all.” He was thankful two of his teammates were going to be there to watch over her and make sure she was safe, but he didn’t like knowing she was at risk, and not being there to guard her in person. “Stay in your room until they get there, and don’t leave with anyone but them.” If attackers had managed to locate and kidnap protected federal witnesses, then he couldn’t rule out the possibility that WITSEC had a security leak somewhere.
    “I won’t.” He could hear her moving around the room now, probably grabbing her clothes.
    “That’s good. Everything’s gonna be fine. We’re just erring on the side of caution.”
    She made a sound that let him know she was listening. “Are you going to be there? At headquarters?”
    The hope in her voice made him ache inside. He looked down at his free hand, gripping the edge of his truck’s doorframe. Shit, he was so compromised when it came to her, but he couldn’t shut his feelings off. He needed to be the one making sure she was safe, period. It would drive him nuts otherwise. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”
    “Good,” she said on a sigh of relief.
    He was quiet a moment, listening to the sounds of her opening and closing drawers, the rasp of a zipper, probably on her suitcase. “You okay?”
    “I’ll be better once I know what the hell’s going on,” she muttered, the annoyance in her tone making his lips twitch. She wasn’t scared, she was pissed that he was withholding information from her. But he wouldn’t talk about this latest incident over an unsecured phone line. His phone was encrypted, but if anyone was listening in on her end, he didn’t want to tip them off.
    “Soon, I promise. Just get your stuff together and be ready when my guys get there.”
    “I will.”
    “Want me to stay on the line with you?”
    “No, it’s fine.”
    There was no reason to continue the conversation, but he found himself stalling, searching for an excuse to keep her talking, just to hear her voice. And he wanted to take her mind off the situation a bit, ease her anxiety level. “I’m just hopping into my truck. Wanna keep me company while I drive?”
    She huffed out a small laugh. “Guess that means you don’t want me to turn on the news while I wait, huh?”
    “Damn straight.”
    “Sure then. I’ll pack, you drive.”
    “Deal.” He got into his truck and turned on his hands-free system. “You still with me?” he asked as he backed out of the garage. The street out in front of his building was quiet, just a few people out talking on the sidewalk or walking their dogs.
    “Still here, almost packed.”
    “How did the meeting with the lawyers go?”
    “Fine, everything was about what I expected. Mostly they wanted to go over the details of the plot I learned about when I was Qureshi’s prisoner. They’re going to focus mostly on that, rather than the human trafficking, weapons and drug smuggling, but they’ll bring all that up to paint a picture for the jury. They took pity on me and cut things short in deference to what happened today though.”
    “That’s good. I bet you were glad to get the extra downtime.” He heard a faint knocking in the background, a muffled male voice calling out.
    “It’s Cruz,” she said.
    “Check through the peephole first before you answer.”
    She didn’t answer, but he could hear her moving around the room. Then, “Yeah, it’s Cruz and Vance.” The distinctive turning of a deadbolt followed. “Hi. I’m just