this. They think you murdered those Marshals.”
Alarm cut through him. This was exactly why he had called Doris first. “Shit, Doris, the Marshals I shot were on Cordova’s payroll.”
“That’s what I thought…but, Ethan, I’m in the minority.”
“Dear God, Doris, you’re fucking kidding me.”
“I wish I was. Hold on.”
The phone clicked again. “Edwar ds,” a voice said softly. “Lancaster, is that you?”
“Yeah, Cap.”
“What the hell is going on over there?”
Ethan gave him the abridged version. “We took Shanahan to the hospital,” he said finally. “Now it’s just me and Bethany.”
“I know,” Edwards said tightly. “Shanahan is still in surgery. He’s in pretty bad shape.”
“As soon as he comes out of it, I’m sure he can tell you the whole story.”
“Yeah,” Edwards replied, but Ethan didn’t like the doubt in his voice. “I’m sure he will.”
“We need a new vehicle and a safe house.”
Edwards was silent for a long moment. “I’d feel better if you’d bring Bethany in.”
“Love to, Cap, but we’re hotter than hell right now. We need a vehicle and a place to lay low a couple of days. Then I can bring her in.”
“Hold on a moment.”
The phone clicked and Ethan waited nervously. His captain finally came back on the line.
“This is going to take a little time. Where can I contact you?”
“I picked up a throw away cell and after I hear back from you, I am throwing it away.” He gave him the number.
“Give me an hour.”
Ethan glanced at his watch. “One hour, you got it. Uh, Cap?”
“Yeah?”
“Keep this low profile. A need to know basis only.”
“You got it.”
Ethan disconnected the call, trying to ignore the jangling of his instincts. His captain was one man he could trust, but what about the others in his office...like the new guy he had met? Was he also on Cordova’s payroll?
“Well?” Bethany asked.
“Good so far,” he replied, his voice lighter than he really felt. “He’s going to call me back in an hour.”
The hour passed relatively quickly. But Ethan still warred with his instincts and Doris’ s words echoed in his head. They think you murdered those marshals.
He had killed , but only because they had been shooting at him. Still, his captain knew he was a good agent. But his instincts continued to nag him. If the captain doubted him, and was worried for Bethany’s safety, then the best thing for him to do was to make Ethan think he believed him. Setting up the vehicle and then the safe house might involve setting up a trap for Ethan.
He shook his head stubbornly. No, he couldn’t think like that.
Finally, the hour was up. Ethan’s cell rang right on time. Edwards gave him brief instructions to the vehicle. “In the glove box will be the directions to the safe house, Ethan. I’ve got one agent waiting there for you. Agent Christine Holly.”
Ethan cursed. “Cap, I don’t even know her. I met her once before I went undercover. I told you to keep this low profile.”
“Take it easy, Lancaster. Holly has an impeccable record and you need backup. Besides, I thought it best if Miss Kress has a female agent with her.”
“All right,” Ethan growled. “But if anything about this starts to smell fishy, I’m getting Bethany out. Do you understand me?”
“I understand, Ethan,” the captain said gently. A little too complacent...almost patronizing. “But you’re going to be okay. Just take her to the safe house and we’ll go from there.”
“All right,” Ethan replied, frowning, and hung up. He turned the Suburban around, heading for the new vehicle. As he drove, he rolled down the window and tossed the cell phone into the street. It shattered into a million pieces.
****
Bethany battled to keep from chewing her fingernails to the nub. Normally, she didn’t have a problem with nervous habits. Although Ethan tried to remain relaxed and confident, she sensed the tension rolling off of him in waves.
Alarm cut through him. This was exactly why he had called Doris first. “Shit, Doris, the Marshals I shot were on Cordova’s payroll.”
“That’s what I thought…but, Ethan, I’m in the minority.”
“Dear God, Doris, you’re fucking kidding me.”
“I wish I was. Hold on.”
The phone clicked again. “Edwar ds,” a voice said softly. “Lancaster, is that you?”
“Yeah, Cap.”
“What the hell is going on over there?”
Ethan gave him the abridged version. “We took Shanahan to the hospital,” he said finally. “Now it’s just me and Bethany.”
“I know,” Edwards said tightly. “Shanahan is still in surgery. He’s in pretty bad shape.”
“As soon as he comes out of it, I’m sure he can tell you the whole story.”
“Yeah,” Edwards replied, but Ethan didn’t like the doubt in his voice. “I’m sure he will.”
“We need a new vehicle and a safe house.”
Edwards was silent for a long moment. “I’d feel better if you’d bring Bethany in.”
“Love to, Cap, but we’re hotter than hell right now. We need a vehicle and a place to lay low a couple of days. Then I can bring her in.”
“Hold on a moment.”
The phone clicked and Ethan waited nervously. His captain finally came back on the line.
“This is going to take a little time. Where can I contact you?”
“I picked up a throw away cell and after I hear back from you, I am throwing it away.” He gave him the number.
“Give me an hour.”
Ethan glanced at his watch. “One hour, you got it. Uh, Cap?”
“Yeah?”
“Keep this low profile. A need to know basis only.”
“You got it.”
Ethan disconnected the call, trying to ignore the jangling of his instincts. His captain was one man he could trust, but what about the others in his office...like the new guy he had met? Was he also on Cordova’s payroll?
“Well?” Bethany asked.
“Good so far,” he replied, his voice lighter than he really felt. “He’s going to call me back in an hour.”
The hour passed relatively quickly. But Ethan still warred with his instincts and Doris’ s words echoed in his head. They think you murdered those marshals.
He had killed , but only because they had been shooting at him. Still, his captain knew he was a good agent. But his instincts continued to nag him. If the captain doubted him, and was worried for Bethany’s safety, then the best thing for him to do was to make Ethan think he believed him. Setting up the vehicle and then the safe house might involve setting up a trap for Ethan.
He shook his head stubbornly. No, he couldn’t think like that.
Finally, the hour was up. Ethan’s cell rang right on time. Edwards gave him brief instructions to the vehicle. “In the glove box will be the directions to the safe house, Ethan. I’ve got one agent waiting there for you. Agent Christine Holly.”
Ethan cursed. “Cap, I don’t even know her. I met her once before I went undercover. I told you to keep this low profile.”
“Take it easy, Lancaster. Holly has an impeccable record and you need backup. Besides, I thought it best if Miss Kress has a female agent with her.”
“All right,” Ethan growled. “But if anything about this starts to smell fishy, I’m getting Bethany out. Do you understand me?”
“I understand, Ethan,” the captain said gently. A little too complacent...almost patronizing. “But you’re going to be okay. Just take her to the safe house and we’ll go from there.”
“All right,” Ethan replied, frowning, and hung up. He turned the Suburban around, heading for the new vehicle. As he drove, he rolled down the window and tossed the cell phone into the street. It shattered into a million pieces.
****
Bethany battled to keep from chewing her fingernails to the nub. Normally, she didn’t have a problem with nervous habits. Although Ethan tried to remain relaxed and confident, she sensed the tension rolling off of him in waves.
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