“Yes, do that,” Roberts said. “In addition, Captain, given that the lieutenant has expressed a personal interest, you might be able to observe her in less guarded circumstances.”

“What?” Evyn stood before she could stop herself. She looked from Roberts to Wes and then back to Roberts. “The captain isn’t trained for undercover work, which is essentially what you’re asking her to do. Whatever information she might gain isn’t worth the risk to her or the operation—”

“I think I’m perfectly capable of making expert observations,” Wes said calmly, “and would probably recognize conditions or circumstances conducive to exchanging and transporting a biologic agent more readily than anyone else. If it’s a question of asking her out to dinner or spending an evening with her or more, I’m perfectly willing.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Evyn squared her body to Roberts. “You can’t really expect her to do this.”

“Evyn—” Wes said.

“It’s up to the captain, of course,” Roberts said, “but we expect an attack to be imminent, and we need to take advantage of every avenue of information we possibly can. I admit it’s a long shot, but even the remote possibility of picking up information that would help us pinpoint and intercept the individuals involved is worth pursuing.”

Stark asked, “How strong is the connection between the lieutenant and Angela Jones?”

“Loose,” Roberts admitted. “But more than we have been able to find anywhere else. I want Agents Daniels and Block to work together on surveillance. The lieutenant is familiar with PPD, so Agent Daniels’s presence will likely be unnoticed. And Pattee doesn’t know Blair’s agents at all, so Block can take the lead outside official functions. That will allow us to stagger the coverage without putting a larger detail in place. Unfortunately, we’re not sure how deeply we’re compromised.”

Evyn was no longer a suspect, but that knowledge didn’t make her feel better. All she could think about was Wes suddenly in the middle of some crazy extremist conspiracy, without backup.

“Is Wes going to wear a wire?”

“Yes.”

Evyn closed her fist by her side, struggling to keep her voice even. “That’ll help us monitor her. But if she’s discovered with it on, she’ll be an immediate target.”

“You forget, Agent,” Wes said softly, “I earned my rank. I can take care of myself.”

“This isn’t some field hospital, Wes—”

Roberts cut in. “You can leave Captain Masters’s security to me, Agent Daniels. Your job is to keep the lieutenant in your sights whenever she’s in proximity to the president.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Evyn said tightly. As much as she trusted the director—Roberts had proved more than once she was the best—she didn’t plan on leaving Wes’s safety in anyone else’s hands. She kept her mouth shut though—she’d already revealed too much about her personal feelings. “Why isn’t Tom here?”

“Need-to-know,” Cam said quietly.

“I’ll get to work on adjusting the schedule,” Wes said.

“Good. We’ll communicate by phone and text. Stay off the comm channels. Block, your contact is Stark. Agent Daniels, I’m yours.” Cam glanced at Wes. “And yours.”

“Understood,” Wes said.

Cam stood. “Good. Let’s go.”

Evyn held back while others pushed back from the table. “Wes—Captain Masters—a word, please.”

“Of course,” Wes said as the others filed out.

The door closed, leaving them alone, and Evyn stalked around the table. “This is crazy. You know that, right? Jesus Christ, Wes.”

“Evyn, we have jobs to do. There’s no time for this.”

Evyn gripped Wes’s forearm. “Just be sure you observe and nothing else.”

Wes shook her head. “Do you really think I’m in need of protection?”

The metallic taste of fear, foreign and paralyzing, blurred Evyn’s focus. She took a deep breath, then another. “I know you don’t. It’s just—if something happens to you…I can’t go there, okay?”

“Then don’t. Just trust me.” Wes skimmed a fingertip along Evyn’s jaw. “It’s okay. I like that you worry, but you don’t have to. I’ll be fine.”

Evyn wanted to grab Wes’s hand and hold it to her, wanted the warm certainty of her touch. She went very still as Wes’s eyes turned that deep green they got when they were alone with nothing between them—no pretense, no fear, no excuses. Deep calm—solid and clear—centered Evyn like no amount of self-imposed control ever had. Last night she’d thought she was losing herself in Wes’s eyes. Now she realized she was finding her true strength. “I’m sorry. I know you can handle this. It’s just—last night. Wes, I thought—”

Wes shook her head. “Evyn, don’t. You don’t need to explain.”

“Yeah—I do. I need you to know—” Evyn shook her head. “We’ve got work—I know it’s not the time.”

“There’s always time if you need me—but I promise you don’t need to worry about this.”

“You’ll be careful?”

“Yes. You too.”

“Always.” Evyn gave her stock answer, only now it wasn’t just a piece of the armor she put on to compete every day in a world where she had to be the best. Now she knew she could feel and still win. “Last night isn’t over. It can’t be over.”

“I don’t want it to be either,” Wes said quietly, “but I don’t want to need what I can’t have.”

“I know I fucked up—”

“I didn’t say that.” Wes smiled wryly. “When this is over, we’ll talk.”

Not what Evyn wanted—not all of what she wanted. But she’d wait. She’d wait, but she wasn’t going to let Wes forget. Or slip away. She kissed her—swift, hard. “I’m not quitting.”

“Do you ever?” Wes asked.

“Never.”

*

Jennifer knocked on Wes’s office door. “Hi. I got your text. I’m fine with the schedule changes.”

“You’ll be short and then doubling up two days in a row.” Wes pulled a file folder over the report she’d been reading.

“Like I said, it’s no problem. This time of year, OT is always welcome.”

“Thanks. Sorry about the late notice. A couple of people have had personal matters come up—it’s the season for it, I guess.”

Jennifer stepped a little farther into the room, her shoulder nudging the door almost closed. “I’m glad for the excuse to spend time with you. It should be pretty quiet.”

“I hear the Christmas buffet for staff is a big event.” Wes thought ahead to the president’s schedule—no trips planned until after New Year’s. No State events during the holidays either. The largest gathering of staff and press would be in two days.

“Shouldn’t be a problem.” Jennifer smiled.

“Well, I’m sorry you’ll be working part of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day too.”

“You’re in the same situation, right?”

“I’m new in town, remember? I didn’t have any plans, so working isn’t that much of a hardship.” Wes wasn’t really sure how convincing she’d be suggesting a personal interest. She didn’t have a hell of a lot of practice—make that no practice—getting up close and personal with colleagues or anyone else. Except with Evyn—being close to Evyn hadn’t taken any effort at all. Last night isn’t over.

“Well,” Jennifer said quickly, “like I said, my plans fell through too. Maybe that’s a sign.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

Apparently, her skills weren’t as bad as she thought. Jennifer’s eyes sparked, and color rose above the vee of her pale-blue cashmere sweater to her throat. “How about we catch a late dinner when our shift is over tonight. Unwind before the last-minute Christmas Eve duty.”

“If you don’t have any plans—”

“I don’t, but even if I did,” Jennifer said, her smile slow and seductive, “I’d change them. I’ve been hoping we’d have a chance to spend some time together.”

“Then I’d like that. Tonight, then?”

“Yes, perfect.”

“Shall I meet you somewhere?”

“Why don’t you come over to my place for a drink after work, and we can leave from there.”

“All right. That sounds perfect.”

Jennifer smiled that suggestive smile again. “It does, doesn’t it? See you later.”

“Yes. Definitely.”

Jennifer left and Wes sagged back in her chair. When she was sure Jennifer wasn’t returning, she called Cameron Roberts and reported the conversation.

“Report to the briefing room before your shift ends,” Cam said. “We’ll wire you up.”

“There’s something else,” Wes said.

“Go ahead.”

Wes slid Len O’Shaughnessy’s toxicology report out from under the file folder. Nothing had jumped out at her until she’d looked at the tissue analysis. “Colonel O’Shaughnessy had unusually high levels of potassium in his cardiac muscle. Enough to cause cardiac arrest.”

“Enough for us to investigate his death as a homicide?”

“Postmortem levels might vary depending on when they were drawn—and he was given a lot of drugs during the resuscitation. This isn’t hard evidence, I’m afraid.”

“Your opinion, then,” Cam said.

“If someone had wanted him out of the way,” Wes said, “I’d say they succeeded.”

Chapter Twenty-nine

Blair set her book aside when the door opened and Cam walked into the apartment. Cam looked tired, and she never looked tired. She always seemed to have endless energy and incredible stamina. The only signs of fatigue were a crease between her dark brows and a tightness around the corners of her mouth. Blair saw the stress, even though to anyone else Cam would appear as calm and centered as always. “Did you catch any sleep?”

“I grabbed a couple of hours in the ready room. I’m okay.” Cam leaned over the sofa and kissed her. “Morning.”

“What’s going on?” Blair grasped Cam’s hand and pulled her down beside her. Draping her legs over the arm of the sofa, she shifted until her head rested in Cam’s lap. Blair tugged Cam’s shirt from her trousers and kissed her bare abdomen. “Have you eaten?”

“Coffee and half a chocolate doughnut.”

“That’s not food.” Blair settled back, and Cam stroked her arm beneath the edge of the threadbare USSS T-shirt of Cam’s she wore to bed. The light touch was gentle and reassuring and exciting all at the same time. She never realized how much she missed Cam until she walked back in the door. The scent of her, just looking up and seeing her nearby, filled her with comfort and a peace she’d never known she wanted. “You’re not supposed to deal with everything alone any longer.”

Cam sifted Blair’s hair through her fingers, soothed by the silky softness. “I’m not. I promise.”

“But?”

“I can’t help wanting to protect you.”

“I know that. I love you for that. But it’s a two-way street, right?”

“Yes, it is.” Cam sighed. “I think we may be honing in on our leak.”

“Who is it?” Blair kept a tight rein on the anger blazing in the very core of her. Disbelief and outrage stoked the flames. She wanted to strike back—and not being able to focus her rage only fueled her fury.

Cam gave her a capsule summary of what she’d reported to Lucinda. “If I’m right, there may be an attempted assault soon.”

Fear licked around the edges of Blair’s consciousness, but she pushed it away. “How? When?”

“I don’t know. Guesses are all I have.”

“Your guesses have always been good.” Blair sat up and faced Cam, her knee sliding over Cam’s thigh. She kissed her. “I know you’re doing everything that can be done. It’s not all on you.”

Cam nodded. “I know. I’m just...things are starting to move and I’m preoccupied. Sorry.”

“You’re also not giving me much in the way of details.”

Cam smiled softly. “Noticed that, did you?”

“Really, Cam.” Blair shook her head. “Who told you to keep me out of the loop? Lucinda?”

A spark of humor lit Cam’s dark eyes. “I’m not at liberty to say.”

“Uh-huh. Okay. And exactly why aren’t you following Lucinda’s orders?”

The humor disappeared but the darkness remained in Cam’s gaze. “Because I want you to be safe, and you can’t be safe if you don’t know what’s going on. I think Lucinda’s wrong in thinking you’ll be safer if you’re away from the action. We don’t know what’s coming, or where it’s coming from, and the only way to be prepared is to hone our defenses while we work out an offensive plan.”

“Meaning?”

“If your father’s the target, and I believe he is, you should limit your time with him.”

“That’s not going to happen. If my father’s the target, then I want to be with him. That means more agents, more surveillance, more protection for him.”

“That’s exactly what Lucinda wanted to avoid—both of you in the line of fire.” Cam stroked Blair’s jaw. “She loves you, you know.”

“I know. So why are you telling me anything at all?”

Cam circled the back of Blair’s neck, feathering her fingertips through her hair. “I’m telling you because I don’t think anywhere is safer than any other place, right now. And since you won’t abandon your father, you need to know what the potential threats are, to best protect yourself.”