Page 77 of No More Lies
She nodded. “I do trust you, Steve. Don't ever doubt that.”
When she headed upstairs, Steve took the call off mute. Though, he vowed he was going to do whatever it took to take away the sadness in his wife’s eyes.
“Dex. Thanks for waiting.”
“No problem. Everything alright?”
“Be better when we find the fucker and his damn sarin.” Steve sat, leaning back on the sofa and closed his eyes. His head was spinning from Diane’s revelations, but he tuned it out temporarily. “Tell me some good news.”
“Wish I could. The car the sarin ended up in was stolen. The owner is on vacation in Canada. Had no idea it was taken. His alibis check out. He’s telling the truth. Sanchez got a hit on the car.”
“Let me guess. Burnt out?” Steve said.
“Yes. We’re back to focusing on a location, so we can try and contain this thing.”
“Impossible to evacuate right now.”
“Without a target? Yes,” Dex agreed. “We need to find the target or, assuming Volkov knows where it is, find him. To do that we are going to try and draw him out.”
“How?”
“We know Volkov doesn't have the sarin, so FBI are going to reach out to his company with a request to speak to him regarding a recent shipment he transported. Rattle him. He will either comply, or he’ll run. If he runs, we have the location of his jet, his planes. Sam has him on the no-fly list.”
“He’ll get desperate. It could put the hostages in danger.”
“He’s a smart man. If he thinks we are on to him, killing them will not help him. It is a risk, but there are thousands of lives on the line here including ours if we don't find that sarin.”
“This is way too close to home, Dex. What if we can't find it?” Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. What if he never saw Megan again?
“You know better than to think that way. Megan will not be exposed to it and if you stay where you are, neither will you.”
“It’s Reborn,” Steve said. “They make it personal. The team could be the fucking target. I should be there with you guys.”
After a few seconds silence, Dex spoke.
“We’ve considered that, and we’re being careful. The girls will all be on base, and that shit isn't getting to anyone here. You’re where you need to be. Let's see if Volkov comes forward, and we can regroup in the morning. Maybe you bring Diane to the base, too. I’m assuming she’s not going back to work?”
“Not a chance. It’s Friday tomorrow, so she can work from here. I want this fucking thing wrapped up before she sets foot back in that place. Any news on whether her firm are involved in any way?”
If they were, that would mean the end of Diane’s partnership dream there and, since she was working on Volkov’s case, she would be questioned about her involvement. He had no idea how that would affect her ability to practice. Although, after their conversation tonight, he wasn't sure she even wanted to practice law again.
“I haven’t heard anything more. Have the partners reached out to her?”
“Left voicemail. She plans to check in with them tomorrow. Keep up the pretense of preparing for the hearing.”
“Sounds good. Let’s not give them any reason to be suspicious. If they’re involved, we’ll take them all down.”
Yes, they would. If McCormick and Michaels were helping Volkov, they deserved to be brought in. But, hell, he didn’t want Diane tainted by any of this.
Wanting to go and continue his conversation with Diane, he said, “I’m going to go check on Diane. Talk in the morning, unless you get something sooner. Stay safe, Dex.”
“You bet.”
Steve ended the call and headed quietly upstairs. When he stepped into the bedroom, Diane was in bed, facing him, her eyes closed. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm of sleep. He wanted desperately to talk more, but he wasn’t going to wake her. She was obviously exhausted. They could talk more tomorrow.
He moved to the ensuite, got undressed, then brushed his teeth. Plugging his phone in beside the bed, he slipped under the covers and cradled Diane from behind. She stirred briefly and snuggled back into him. It felt good to be back in their bed, with his wife. He should have never let her sleep alone. Unless he was on an op, it was damn well never going to happen again.
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