Page 83 of Silver Fire
“Do you want me to come in?”
“No, stay with your woman,” Viktor said. “This Justin guy has blindsided us and it’s pissing me off. His interest in Sophie may just be a diversion to have us looking in the wrong direction, but until we’re sure, do not let her out of your sight. There’s nothing we can do right now, they’ve already fucked up the crime scene.”
“What’s the next plan?”
“Let me think,” Viktor said slowly. “We might have to work on Blackstone. Tim is still trying to hack into Opperman’s network without leaving any digital fingerprints.”
“We’re running out of time, Viktor. Sophie said that it would take less than a week to build the device, another to make the cores. They already have the cores, they’ll have a functioning bomb in three days max.”
“I know,” Viktor replied. “Be at AGS tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. We need to figure out if we have a leak somewhere. Endpoint Systems comes highly vetted by the government agencies.”
“Copy that.”
Viktor ended the call just when another one was coming in. Marissa.
“Where the hell are you?” Viktor said without preamble.
“I got your message, Viktor,” Marissa replied coolly.
“You guys fuck us over, things are not ending well.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“No, Marissa. But I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Neither do I.”
Viktor fell silent for a beat before saying, “AGS tomorrow. Ten a.m. We get to the fucking bottom of this.”
“Still bossy as ever.”
Viktor’s lips twitched. “Be there, Marissa.” He ended the call without waiting for her reply.
Eight years he managed to stay away from her. He had seen her over the years and had talked to her, but it had always been formal and business-like. Last Sunday morning, he realized she still had the power to get under his skin. Well, he’d be damned before he let that happen again.
* * *
Derek glaredat Viktor across the room. His friend just alluded that Sophie might already be compromised and was in fact working with Justin. Viktor Baran, Marissa Cole, Maia Pierce, Tim Burns and himself were in the “war room” for the meeting.
“If she is, she’s one damned fine actress,” he said acidly. “You better have a good reason for accusing her.”
“Circumstantial, plus—” Viktor shoved a folder across the table toward Derek. “A predisposition to Stockholm syndrome.”
Derek stopped the slide of the folder. He knew what was in it. A white-hot rage threatened to consume him, and he clenched his jaw so tight, he thought he would break his teeth. He flipped open the folder and pictures of bondage paraphernalia was burned into his consciousness. A Saint Andrew’s Cross. Fuck! There were several pictures of Sophie wrapped in a blanket and a shirtless man dressed only in his jeans. Adam. Fucking Adam Carter.
“You have no right,” Derek bit out. “Those records were sealed. She was sixteen, damn it!”
“That was low, Viktor,” Marissa said quietly.
“Is it, Ms. Cole? The CIA has done worse,” Viktor said coldly. “If I have to choose between protecting the privacy of one woman, who may or may not be a suspect, and saving the lives of thousands, make a guess who I would choose?”
“What made you look into her background?” Maia asked.
Viktor shrugged. “She mentioned a past stalker. I got curious.”
Derek stood up, planting his palm on the table and leaned forward. If he could leap across the room and break Viktor’s cold facade with his fists he would. “Well, I hope you’ve satisfied your curiosity because this is bullshit!”
“I’m disappointed in you, Lockwood. I was hoping with your ah…maturity, you wouldn’t think with your dick. You’ve been hanging around McCord too long.”