Page 45 of Laura's Truth
Drew gritted his teeth against the automatic and harsh reply to the threat. He was playing in Ross’s sandbox, he’d have to obey the rules.
“Are we clear?”
Drew gave a short nod. For now.
Ross led him back into a big kitchen crowded with people. A quick head count proved there were only five more people, two women and one man he hadn’t met, but as they all looked his way, it felt more like five hundred.
“Everyone, meet Andrew Garner,” Ross said by way of introduction. “Who isn’t nearly as dead as I’d hoped.”
“Formerly of the CIA,” Laura added, coming to his side.
While he appreciated her generous show of support, he didn’t think she could do a thing to stop them from having him drawn and quartered if they were so inclined.
Drew recognized the other man as Rick Dreyer, who’d also been on the security detail when Drew’s mission had literally blown up around them. Rick lifted his chin in greeting, but his eyes were cold, assessing.
“I’m Eva,” a woman with dark hair said from her place on a counter stool. “One of the CS partners. Out of courtesy to Laura, my fiancé isn’t here.”
“Her fiancé is a Haleswood deputy,” Allie explained. “We didn’t want him to feel obligated to haul you or Laura in.”
The words were delivered in a friendly way, her smile sincere, but he wasn’t ready to call any of them friends.
“Taking Drew in would be my jurisdiction,” Laura reminded all of them. “And the charges against me are bogus. We came here for help, not hostility.”
“It’s a two for one,” Eva said, raising her coffee mug. “We multitask around here.”
Drew laughed. He liked her.
The woman next to Rick kept a wary eye on Drew. “I’m Nicole. Allie and I used to work for a pharmaceutical company in Virginia.”
Drew felt Laura go tense beside him and he was grateful for the distraction when Allie set a full mug of coffee in front of him. “Cream or sugar?”
“No, thanks.”
“I don’t forget faces,” Nicole said. “Why were you there?”
“The only other time you’ve been stateside,” Laura murmured. She’d sure as hell learned to read him, and obviously it was too much to hope that she might forget any details he blurted out along the way. Such was the nature of their work. He took a deep breath and waded in with less enthusiasm than a swimmer in shark-filled waters.
“My loss that I don’t recall either of you.” No surprise his attempt at charm wasn’t well-received. “I was in Virginia for the sole purpose of gaining evidence against a man by the name of Jonathon Hackett.”
“Hackett?” Ross exchanged a look with Rick. “He was a JAG officer when we were out in Iraq.”
“He was,” Drew confirmed as Dreyer nodded his recollection. “And he’s the reason your men died.” He watched Ross process the bold statement, but when he didn’t toss out questions, Drew continued his story. “The pharma company was doing research that interested Hackett, so it interested me. I managed to interrupt the deal he was making.”
“What kind of deal?”
Drew looked at Allie, then his gaze slid to Laura. She trusted everyone in this room. He’d barely started trusting her. Still, he pulled the flash drive from his pocket, set in gently on the countertop. “It’s a long story, but the details are on this.”
He saw Laura’s eyebrows rise in surprise and he enjoyed the contact when she patted his shoulder in approval. Once more, he thought of leaving her here, safe and protected, while he finished off Hackett in Charleston. It felt like the simpler solution, it would certainly put fewer lives at risk, but it wasn’t the smart solution now that the element of surprise was gone.
At some invisible signal, Eva snatched up the drive. “I’ll take care of this at the office.”
“It won’t be smart to search any background online. Hackett is looking for something like that already.”
“No worries. I’d know,” Eva countered shaking her head. “And I can respond appropriately. But if I do any online research here…”
“Please don’t.” Laura aimed a pleading look at Ross.
“Relax,” Eva said. “If this Hackett guy is as good as advertised, he’ll soon learn I’m better.”