"I fell on my shoulder."

  "Sorry. I have to say I'm getting damn tired of being thrown into the air and landing hard on the ground, not to mention my ears are still ringing."

  "I feel the same way."

  She drew a breath and let it out, thinking about David's last words. "David really loved his wife and child."

  "Doesn't excuse what he did."

  "I know. He wanted to hurt other people in exactly the same way his family was killed, and the way he ended up being killed. It's a terribly sad irony."

  "I'm more concerned with what's coming next," Max said. "David mentioned Costa was his first lead. Costa is dead, so he can't help us. Alex Novik was the one who got David onto the site where he connected with Caleb. We need to find him."

  "He hasn't been at the club in days."

  "Where does he live?"

  "Midtown. We alerted the team there to notify us when he came back to his apartment, but that hasn't happened."

  "Maybe he's dead, too," Max said grimly.

  "I hope not." She paused as her phone buzzed. "This is Tyler." She punched a button and said, "Hello?"

  "Just heard what happened," Tyler said. "How are you and Malone?"

  "We're fine. What's up?"

  "I think Alex Novik may be at the Bayside Marina. His ex-girlfriend has a boat called the Isabelle. I'd go there myself, but I'm in Newark. If you're closer…"

  "We are. We can check it out. What are you doing in Newark?"

  "I had a meeting with a guy who worked on Sergei Novik's security team a few years back. He told me Sergei is clean, that his brother is the bad seed, as Sergei put it. He only invested in the Crimson Club to get his brother into a more legitimate business, although it hasn't turned out that way. My friend got in touch with Sergei and told him that Alex was in trouble and it would be better if the FBI found him before anyone else. He suggested we check the boat."

  "We're on our way," she said as Max typed the marina into the navigation screen. "We should be there in about thirty minutes. Good work, Tyler."

  "Let me know what happens."

  She ended the call and glanced at Max. "I hope Alex Novik is still alive. It would be nice to get some good luck for a change."

  "I agree."

  "So, Tyler was helpful," she added.

  "Yeah, we'll see."

  "You're great at holding a grudge, aren't you?"

  "I have a long memory," he admitted. "But I'm willing to give Tyler the benefit of the doubt. As you pointed out earlier, I really don't know what happened back in the day. And it also doesn't matter anymore, although it involves some of the same people."

  "I would imagine that there are hundreds, maybe thousands of people whose lives have been irrevocably changed by Ali Qadir. You're not the only one, Max."

  "I never thought I was. But most people don't have the power to stop him. If I can find him, I will stop him."

  His vow sent a shiver down her spine, and she didn't want to ask any more questions because she wasn't sure she wanted to hear his answers.

  The Bayside Marina sat on a protected inlet in the Bronx, a mid-sized facility that catered to weekend boaters and fishing enthusiasts rather than luxury yacht owners. As they pulled into the gravel parking lot, Kara could see maybe fifty boats of various sizes tied up along a series of floating docks—cabin cruisers, fishing boats, a few sailboats with their masts reaching toward the darkening sky.

  At seven o'clock on a Sunday evening in January, the place was nearly deserted. Most recreational boaters had already pulled their vessels in for the winter, and those that remained were battened down for the night. The marina office was dark, and only a few boats showed lights on in their cabins.

  They got out of the car and walked carefully down to the floating docks, their footsteps muffled by the gentle lapping of waves against the hulls.

  "There," Max said, pointing toward the furthest dock where a sleek white cabin cruiser sat at the end of the pier with the name Isabelle painted on the side. It was bigger than most of the other boats, maybe forty feet long. As they approached the boat, they could see a light on inside the main salon.

  They paused for a moment as Novik came into view, a phone pressed to his ear, gesturing wildly as he spoke.

  "Wonder if he's alone," she whispered.

  "Let's get closer," Max said, casting a look around as they crept down the dock. And suddenly Novik's voice ran through the air.

  "I told you, I don't have a boat that can make it to the Bahamas," he said. "I need a plane and a private airfield."

  He was looking to run, and they needed to stop him. Max stepped aboard first, and she followed. They both drew their weapons. Novik was a big man, broad-shouldered and thick around the middle.

  "I need to get out of the country," Novik continued. "Tonight, if possible. Yes, my brother will pay anything. He owes—" Novik stopped mid-sentence when he saw them enter the cabin. He threw down his phone and started to reach for a gun on the table.

  "FBI," she shouted. "Don't do it, Novik. We just saw Hartford die. You don't want to be next."

  He froze, turning his head at her words, his eyes cold but also scared. "Hartford is dead?"

  "Yeah. His house was blown up," Max said as he moved across the room and grabbed Novik's gun before he could reach for it again. "Costa was killed last night. I'm guessing you're next, unless you make a deal."

  "What kind of deal?" he asked warily.

  "You tell us where to find Caleb Azrani and Ali Qadir."

  "I don't know where Caleb is, or his brother, or anyone else. I had nothing to do with any of this. All I did was tell Hartford about an internet site."

  "Where he could hire someone to build bombs, blow up buildings and kill people," she said, still pointing her gun at his face. "Start talking."

  "I can't help you. They didn't tell me anything. And when I heard about Elias, I got scared, so I went into hiding. I'm trying to get out of town."

  "Where does Caleb live?"

  "He's always changing his address. I only know how to reach him through the site."

  "You're not in charge?" she asked.

  "God, no! Caleb is in charge. Well, actually, I don't think he's on top anymore either. His brother is in town with a lot of other bad people."

  "What are they here to do?" Max asked.

  "I don't know, but Cal's brother hates America. That's why I was shocked when I heard he was in town. I didn't think he could get into the country."

  "You need to come with us," she told him. "We'll protect you as long as you tell us the truth."

  "You'll put me in jail," he said, but the resignation in his gaze told her he knew he had no other option.

  "At least you'll be alive."

  Before he could respond, they heard approaching engines. Fast boats, more than one.

  Max moved to the window and swore under his breath. "We've got company. Two speedboats coming in fast."

  "Back exit?" Kara asked.

  "Engine compartment leads to the stern deck," Novik said, already moving.

  The first shots came through the cabin windows before they could reach the rear of the boat. Kara dove to the floor, pulling Novik with her, while Max returned fire through the broken glass.

  They squeezed through the narrow opening into the engine room, the sound of automatic weapons fire echoing behind them.

  They emerged onto the stern deck just as one speedboat pulled alongside, its occupants spraying bullets at the cabin where they'd been hiding moments before.

  "Jump!" Max shouted.

  They went over the side together, hitting the cold water of the bay with a shock that drove the air from her lungs. Behind them, the cabin cruiser erupted in flames as someone threw an incendiary device through the broken windows.

  They swam underwater as long as they could, surfacing near another dock as the speedboats circled back, searching. But in the confusion and smoke from the burning boat, they slipped away unseen. For a moment, she thought they might have lost Novik, but then he came to the surface, looking even more terrified.

  Sirens rang through the air. She could hear yelling as people came out of their boats, and within seconds, the two speedboats were out of the harbor. They paddled to the dock. Max helped her out as Novik climbed onto the boat, and then Max followed. She was afraid Novik might try to run, but the sight of the burning boat seemed to make him realize they were his only hope of staying alive.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  After dropping Novik off at her office, where Tyler was waiting to interrogate him and get him into protective custody, she and Max went down to the parking garage. "I think we should leave your car here," she said. "Why don't you grab your bag from your Jeep?"

  He nodded and walked over to his Jeep and got his overnight bag. As they got into the SUV, she started the engine and then said, "I don't want to go to my place, and I don't think you should go to yours. Our addresses are probably known, and I really don't want to deal with any more explosions."

  "I agree. Do you have another safe house?"

  "No. We'll have to go to a hotel. Maybe one with room service," she added. "Something medium-sized, clean, safe. Hopefully, it's just for a night, and we can find Qadir tomorrow."

  "Hopefully. But there is no way we are doing that kind of hotel," he said. "Let's go to the Castleton."

  "Excuse me? That's a new five-star luxury hotel by the park."

  "And you don't think we deserve it?"

  "It's way out of my range. How much does Dominic pay you?"

  He laughed. "Enough. And I have an ID and credit cards we can use that won't be traced back to us. If we're going to hide out, let's do it in style."

  "Is that the way they do it in the CIA?"

  "No, but it's the way I'd like to do it now. It's been a long day."

  "We look pretty bad," she said, her clothes still damp from jumping into the water, her hair still wet and tangled. "Or at least I do."

  He shot her a quick look. "You do look a little ragged. I'll check us in. You can go into one of the shops and buy whatever you need for the night."

  The thrifty, responsible part of her wanted to tell him there was no need to waste money at an expensive hotel, but the thought of gourmet room service, a thick robe, and maybe even a Jacuzzi tub was too enticing to resist. So, she kept her mouth shut and drove to the Castleton.

  They left the car with the valet. Max gave his last name as Anderson, and then they headed into the hotel. The lobby was spectacularly beautiful: shiny marble floors, glittering chandeliers, wood-paneled walls with incredible art, and the furniture looked like it had come straight from a showroom.

  "There's a boutique," Max said, handing her a credit card. "Use this. And for God's sake, buy some nice things. You deserve that, too."

  "I'm not ordinarily a big spender."

  "Neither am I. You've seen my apartment."

  "That's true," she said, thinking about that. "You don't live like a rich person."

  "Tonight, I'm going to live exactly like that, and so are you. If you come out empty-handed, I'm going to go into that store after we get a room and buy some things for you myself."

  She smiled. "That's quite a threat. If you don't do what I say, I'm going to shower you with gifts."

  He grinned back at her. "You know what I mean. I'll come find you after I get the keys."

  "They're going to look at me like I'm a drowned rat. I wish I could say it was raining outside."

  "Tell them a pipe burst in your apartment. You got soaked, and so did your clothes, and you had to move out for a night."

  "That's not bad. I'm impressed with the quick lie. Also, a little scared."

  He gave her a gentle push toward the store. "Go crazy."

  It felt a little strange to walk even a few feet away from him, but she felt pretty safe even in the lobby. She'd been careful on the way over, keeping an eye out for any tails. She thought they were good, at least for a while.

  The boutique actually had an excellent selection of clothes, including silky pajamas, undies, jeans, and T-shirts. She didn't go crazy as Max had suggested, but she bought enough to make her feel like she could hit the ground running tomorrow. When she was done, Max was waiting just outside the door.

  "Looks like the shopping was a success," he said. "Did you buy something sexy to sleep in?"

  "Maybe," she said, not willing to admit she had thought about him when she was picking out sleepwear. "Did you get us a nice room?"

  "I did. Let's check it out."

  They had to show their key to a security man at a podium by the elevator bank and had to use the key again to access the thirty-fifth floor. She couldn't help noticing discreetly placed cameras everywhere they went, which actually made her feel even safer. But she stopped worrying about safety when Max threw open the door to an incredibly luxurious suite that was unlike any place she had ever stayed before.

  The suite looked like something from a magazine—easily twice the size of her entire apartment, with soaring ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a breathtaking panoramic view of Manhattan. In the living area, plush cream-colored sofas were arranged around a marble coffee table, original artwork on the walls, and a dining area that could easily seat eight people.

  "Wow," she said, moving toward the windows. "This is amazing."

  The view was as incredible as their suite, with Central Park stretched out directly below them, a dark rectangle of trees bordered by the glittering lights of the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side. Beyond the park, the city extended in every direction, millions of lights twinkling in the gathering dusk. She could see the spire of the Empire State Building to the south, and the George Washington Bridge spanning the Hudson River to the north.

  "It's beautiful," she murmured as Max stood next to her. "This city is everything and more."

  "This is a magnificent view."

  She turned to look at him. "We have to protect it, protect all the hopes and dreams out there."

  He met her gaze. "That's what we're going to do. Tomorrow."

  "I hope tomorrow won't be too late." At his frown, she added, "Sorry. I'm not trying to be a downer."

  "I get it. But we have another day before the summit on Tuesday, and I think we need a break so we can regroup and re-energize."

  "Well, this is the perfect place to do that. Do you want to take a shower and change, or order room service?"

  "Let's start with room service. I'm starving." She moved over to the dining room table, where an elegant menu was encased in a thick leather folder. "This looks good, too. I could get used to living like this. What shall we get?"

  He smiled at her enthusiasm. "Order whatever you want. I'm going to take a few minutes to try to reach Dominic."

  "I thought we were taking a break."

  "I'm just surprised he hasn't returned my calls, so I'm going to give it one more shot. See if they have a good fillet on that menu. I wouldn't mind getting a steak."

  "They do. I'll put in an order." As he walked into the bedroom, she wondered a little at his need for privacy, but she wasn't going to let doubts creep in. She knew the man she was with. She'd already trusted him with her life; she could trust him with a phone call to his boss.

  While he was gone, she ordered steak for him, salmon for her, and an array of side dishes and dessert; and for good measure, she threw in some beers and a really expensive bottle of wine. Her stomach was rumbling, and she was thrilled to hear the room service operator tell her the food would be there within twenty minutes.

  She'd just put down the phone when Max returned to the living room. She gave him a questioning look. "Well?"

  "He finally picked up. He just left the hospital. They took Samantha off the ventilator. She's breathing on her own but apparently still heavily sedated, so he wasn't able to talk to her."

  "Still, that sounds like good news. Why don't you look happier?"

  "I got a bad feeling from Dominic. The Samantha news was good, but I felt like he used it to change the subject."

  "And the subject was…"

  "I told him what happened to us at the lake. I asked him why he hadn't called me back. He made some excuse about having locked his phone away during his meetings. He uttered the appropriate amount of surprise and concerned words and all that, but it felt hollow. Like there's something else going on."

  She frowned. "You don't really think he was meeting with Qadir, do you? I mean, Dominic is a billionaire. He's a global leader, a philanthropist. Why would he risk meeting with a renowned terrorist?"

  "The obvious answer is that he wouldn't. But Dominic has run into a lot of issues with his project in Tajikistan. He lost two men in an ambush, and he's received a lot of threats. If Qadir had the power to pave his way, I'm sure he'd pay to make that happen."

  "He'd make a deal with the devil."

  "I'm sure he wouldn't see it that way. He always tells me to look at the bigger picture. Look at the end, not at the means. He was that way when we were in boarding school together. He will use people to get what he wants. I'm not sure that he knows how to live any other way."

  "Did you tell him about David Hartford?"

  "I just said that he'd been killed in an explosion; I didn't get into details. He asked me if that meant everything was over. I told him I wished it did, but it appeared that David's targeted revenge bombings had been taken over by someone else who decided to use his massive bank account to launch their own attacks. I told him again that he should cancel the summit. He said he would consider it after talking to other people tomorrow."

  "He's a stubborn man."

  "He is. And I shouldn't judge him for using people since I have been using him."

  "Well, I assume you are actually trying to protect him on his next trip, so maybe you're using him for resources and access, but you're still doing your job. How do you manage all that? Do you have a team?"

  "I have a woman who helps me. Her name is Kai. She used to be at the agency. She came out of retirement for me."

  "Does she know about your hidden agenda?"