Page 60 of SEAL's Promise
He frowned. “Reacquire, not kill?”
“Affirmative.”
“Why do they want her?”
“Unknown. You’ll know as soon as we do.”
“Next?” Eli asked.
“The State Department isn’t happy about the delay, but I pulled in a favor to get them to agree. Rachelle, you’re due in D.C. day after tomorrow at the Harry S. Truman Building at 2:00 p.m.”
She leaned her head against Cal’s shoulder, dreading the interview to come. “Yes, sir.”
Cal kissed her temple, then said, “I know that tone of voice, Brent. What else is going on?”
“Bridget is following the money.”
“Progress?”
A pause, then, “Will you go into another room for a few minutes, Rachelle?”
She narrowed her eyes. “If this concerns me, no.”
Fortress Security’s CEO snorted as the men around the table exchanged amused glances. “You remind me of my wife, Rowan.”
“That’s quite a compliment, sir.”
“Yeah, it is. Like you, she’s strong. All right. The money trail is bouncing all over the globe, but more and more rumors are surfacing that the origination is closer to home than we want.”
“What does that mean?” she demanded.
“The source of the money is coming from Washington, D.C.”
She froze. When she went for the interview at the State Department, she’d be walking into an avalanche of trouble.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Cal scowled. “D.C. is a snake pit of politicians and lackeys who’d sell their own mothers to get ahead. Can’t you narrow down the possibilities?”
“You think I haven’t tried?” Brent snapped. “Rachelle is as important to me as you and the rest of my people.”
“Then we have a problem because I’m not taking her into an unknown situation where I can’t control the risks.”
“No choice, Taylor. This interview isn’t an option. If she doesn’t show up, federal law enforcement will get involved. The president doesn’t want us on the wrong side of the law.”
He clenched his jaw. Aside from the unspoken warning from his boss that he was crossing a line, Cal didn’t want Rachelle on federal law enforcement radar. “Would you take Rowan into that kind of danger?”
Eli groaned. “Ignore that, boss.” He glared at Cal. “Wolf Pack will deliver Rachelle on time. No one will touch her on our watch.”
Cal refused to contemplate the fallout should they fail in their mission.
“Are you in agreement, Taylor, or do I send your replacement?” Brent asked.
His gut warned that trouble was coming and Rachelle would be caught in the crossfire. However, Wolf Pack was a new team. Cal trusted the men on his team. Anyone new brought the potential for discord and ineffectiveness. Cal would suck it up and deal if it meant staying with Rachelle until she was free from danger.
“Cal, please,” Rachelle whispered. “I can’t do this without you.”
“One way or another, I’m not leaving your side.” Heart warmed by her trust, he turned to Eli and gave a short nod. “We’ll make it work,” he told Brent. “However, my gut says trouble is coming.”