Page 63 of Laura's Truth
He didn’t move. Neither did she. Both of them understood, without words, that as soon as they left the peace of this balcony, it meant the beginning of the end. They’d taken every precaution, but there were no sureties all of the details would go their way.
She stared up into his blue eyes and for just a moment, she let him see everything brimming in her heart. His gaze soft, he lowered his lips to hers, and the sweet tenderness of the kiss nearly destroyed her resolve. Let Ross deal with Hackett while she and Drew escaped to a country with no extradition agreement. It could be done.
Her heart clamored that it should be done.
Except… that wouldn’t change anything for Drew. Running wouldn’t restore his reputation, and while it may be romantic to think of two people needing only each other, she knew reality was different.
She’d seen that longing in his eyes when he’d watched the CS team at work. Drew wanted to belong. If not to the CIA, then somewhere.
He shouldn’t have to suffer on the outskirts, shouldn’t have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life.
If she couldn’t give him the words in her heart, if things went wrong and they were parted, at least she could give him that much: a clean reputation in his home country. She’d contacted Eva, put a few things in motion on the condition that the final choice would be left to Drew.
Inside, she heard the soft chime of the ringing phone. “That’s our cue.” She took his face in her hands and pressed up on her toes for one last, hard kiss.
“Let’s catch a traitor.”
From his sheltered vantage point, Drew watched Laura manage Hackett’s initial shock at finding her there to intercept the secrets he’d wanted to sell. He marveled as she calmed him down and spelled out his options.
Soon, Drew heard her pulling one incriminating statement after another out of Hackett. She was nothing short of fantastic. The man had started exchanging money for intel. Then drugs for land, weapons, even people. Simple, ugly truths. Damning details.
He still couldn’t quite believe Hackett had shown up. Apparently, Eva was better than advertised and managed to worm so far into Hackett’s system that he believed the sale would go down without a hitch. More importantly, whatever Eva had fed Laura had Hackett believing this conversation was his only chance for leniency.
Drew peered around the windowsill and saw them sitting on opposite ends of an iron bench, looking for all the world like two friends chatting over coffee in a courtyard garden. Ross had called in a favor to get this location and wire it up before the meeting. The man had impressive connections. Maybe there were perks to playing well with others.
In his ear, Drew heard Ross confirm the microphones were picking up what they needed, confirmation of the evidence he’d compiled through the years. Though she hadn’t yet drawn out anything that would clear up Drew’s responsibility for that fateful day years ago. It didn’t matter. He’d been living off the radar this long, he could do it again. He wanted Laura out of there, far away from a nasty piece of work like Hackett.
“One more thing,” Laura said.
“You know it all,” Hackett whined. “I swear that’s all. In the emails you promised house arrest.”
Wow, Drew thought. Eva had pulled out all the stops to drive Hackett into such a tailspin. He made a note to send her an elaborate gift at the first opportunity.
“We’ll get there.” Laura smiled with zero affection. “First, tell me about Iraq. I’m curious.”
Drew tapped his mic. “Moving in. He’s about to bolt.”
“Negative,” Ross growled back. “Hold your position.”
“Where is he?” Hackett demanded, lurching to his feet. His eyes wide, he looked wildly around the garden. “Aziz! Garner!” When no one answered, he raised a gun at Laura, holding it with steady hands as he took aim at her chest.
“Put that down,” Laura said. “No one else is here. I was just curious about that day.”
Drew went cold. Not with fear, though if he thought about it too long it might lean that way. He’d let her burrow too far into his life, his heart. Let his emotions run amok through mazes of what ifs and possibilities. They could reassess their simple, physical deal when they were clear. Right now, she needed his full attention or she wouldn’t survive the take-down.
If anything happened to her, Drew would never recover.
“I held up my end. Now I want to see Garner.” Hackett used the gun to urge Laura to her feet and closer to the shelter of the carriage house. “I know he’s here somewhere. Who else would care about that day?”
Damn it. He couldn’t let Hackett alter the space or timing, but he couldn’t pursue without making matters worse. In his ear, Ross ordered him again to hold.
“He’s on his way,” Laura was saying now.
“They promised me Garner would be here.”
Another clever move, Eva. The gun was bad enough, but Hackett’s strident voice as he shouted was worse than fingernails on a chalkboard. Hackett’s gaze shifted from Laura to the garden walls, up into the trees and back again. He was sizing up potential attack points and if they gave him enough time, he’d spot the mics.
Ignoring orders, Drew stepped out. “Looking for me?”