Skyler , he tugged her down onto the edge of the bed beside him. “You okay?” he asked as she hugged his arm to her chest, her expression wreathed in apology.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Just listen.”
He divided a curious look between the two men. “Listen to what?”
Connor sat forward, his elbows on his knees. “The first thing you should know is that Higgins didn’t intentionally hang Skyler out to dry. What happened last night was a sting operation gone bad . We set it up together to get the evidence I needed on my end.”
Drake shook his head, baffled. “Evidence for what?”
Connor drew a deep breath. “I’m sure you’ve heard of the Culprit,” he asked.
“Of course.” Who hadn’t? More than one broken Centurion had dropped the Culprit’s name during interrogation, identifying him as a key figure in the mob and imbuing him with the godlike power to protect or destroy his own kind. But no one had ever identified him, and every attempt to flush him out had been unsuccessful.
“We’ve determined who he is,” Connor announced.
“We?”
“Higgins and I,” Connor clarified. “Plus some of our colleagues in the Undercover Division.”
Drake blinked in confusion. “Don’t I work for you? Why wasn’t I kept informed of this?”
It was Higgins who answered this time. “Because we figured the Culprit might use you.”
“What? How could he use me?” He paused as possibilities flooded his brain. “Who the fuck is the Culprit?”
“He’s our boss,” his father answered. “Deputy Director Bill Milton.”
Drake was shocked into silence as goosebumps ridged his forearms.
Connor nodded. “Milton’s uncle was a mobster, remember? That’s what gave us the edge at the outset of our investigation. He knew how the mob operated and who was who, even though he claimed to have no more allegiance.”
“Wait a minute. If he was still a Centurion, why the hell did he rat on them?”
“It wasn’t a question of loyalty,” Connor answered. “It was all about extortion. For those who could pay him, like Jameson, for instance, he offered his protection. Those who couldn’t— he let them burn, safe in the knowledge that they couldn’t identify him since he’d hidden his identity for decades.”
“Jesus.” Drake ran a hand through his hair. “But there still had to be a leak in WITSEC for him to find Skyler .”
“There was no leak,” Higgins assured him, “though we considered that a possibility until Skyler admitted she’d called you, once from Omaha and another time from Portland. Both times, Centurions showed up a short time later looking for her. The phone calls had clearly given her away.”
“But I use a secure phone,” Drake protested. “How is that possible?”
“Believe me, I had the same question. I went to your father with my suspicions, and he acknowledged that the only way it was possible was for someone inside the Bureau to be monitoring your calls.”
Drake shivered. “Bill Milton,” he guessed. “But how?”
“Remember that mandatory software upgrade on your phone a few years back?” Connor answered. “Every field agent in the Bureau had to have it, allegedly for security purposes. That was Deputy Milton’s doing. He uploaded software on your phone that allowed him to bug your calls—in fact any conversation you have within range of your phone, whether it’s turned on or not could be monitored.”
So when Skyler had called him from Oregon and Portland and more recently from the motel last night, Milton had seen exactly where the call was coming from. His goons, already in the area, had come straight over to grab her.
“I can’t believe it.” Drake shook his head. “What made you suspect Milton in the first place?”
“Think about it. Every time a key Centurion went to trial, there was insufficient evidence to convict. But we had the evidence.” Connor slapped his palm. “And only Milton could have made it disappear
“I’m fine,” she said. “Just listen.”
He divided a curious look between the two men. “Listen to what?”
Connor sat forward, his elbows on his knees. “The first thing you should know is that Higgins didn’t intentionally hang Skyler out to dry. What happened last night was a sting operation gone bad . We set it up together to get the evidence I needed on my end.”
Drake shook his head, baffled. “Evidence for what?”
Connor drew a deep breath. “I’m sure you’ve heard of the Culprit,” he asked.
“Of course.” Who hadn’t? More than one broken Centurion had dropped the Culprit’s name during interrogation, identifying him as a key figure in the mob and imbuing him with the godlike power to protect or destroy his own kind. But no one had ever identified him, and every attempt to flush him out had been unsuccessful.
“We’ve determined who he is,” Connor announced.
“We?”
“Higgins and I,” Connor clarified. “Plus some of our colleagues in the Undercover Division.”
Drake blinked in confusion. “Don’t I work for you? Why wasn’t I kept informed of this?”
It was Higgins who answered this time. “Because we figured the Culprit might use you.”
“What? How could he use me?” He paused as possibilities flooded his brain. “Who the fuck is the Culprit?”
“He’s our boss,” his father answered. “Deputy Director Bill Milton.”
Drake was shocked into silence as goosebumps ridged his forearms.
Connor nodded. “Milton’s uncle was a mobster, remember? That’s what gave us the edge at the outset of our investigation. He knew how the mob operated and who was who, even though he claimed to have no more allegiance.”
“Wait a minute. If he was still a Centurion, why the hell did he rat on them?”
“It wasn’t a question of loyalty,” Connor answered. “It was all about extortion. For those who could pay him, like Jameson, for instance, he offered his protection. Those who couldn’t— he let them burn, safe in the knowledge that they couldn’t identify him since he’d hidden his identity for decades.”
“Jesus.” Drake ran a hand through his hair. “But there still had to be a leak in WITSEC for him to find Skyler .”
“There was no leak,” Higgins assured him, “though we considered that a possibility until Skyler admitted she’d called you, once from Omaha and another time from Portland. Both times, Centurions showed up a short time later looking for her. The phone calls had clearly given her away.”
“But I use a secure phone,” Drake protested. “How is that possible?”
“Believe me, I had the same question. I went to your father with my suspicions, and he acknowledged that the only way it was possible was for someone inside the Bureau to be monitoring your calls.”
Drake shivered. “Bill Milton,” he guessed. “But how?”
“Remember that mandatory software upgrade on your phone a few years back?” Connor answered. “Every field agent in the Bureau had to have it, allegedly for security purposes. That was Deputy Milton’s doing. He uploaded software on your phone that allowed him to bug your calls—in fact any conversation you have within range of your phone, whether it’s turned on or not could be monitored.”
So when Skyler had called him from Oregon and Portland and more recently from the motel last night, Milton had seen exactly where the call was coming from. His goons, already in the area, had come straight over to grab her.
“I can’t believe it.” Drake shook his head. “What made you suspect Milton in the first place?”
“Think about it. Every time a key Centurion went to trial, there was insufficient evidence to convict. But we had the evidence.” Connor slapped his palm. “And only Milton could have made it disappear
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