“I’ve got someone in mind.”

  Bear shook his head. “Who is it? Not another spook. We can’t trust anyone. There’s nothing indicating who Hughes has in his pocket.”

  “This guy’s got a good track record.” Sadie was interrupted by a double knock. Everyone in the room froze. Ten seconds later, there was another double knock. “And it seems like he’s arrived a little early.”

  Bear stood up and placed himself between Cara and the door. Sadie walked up to the sliding partition and grabbed the handle at the bottom. When she lifted it up, the room was flooded with fluorescent light. Bear had to blink a few times before he could see. He instinctively reached for the weapon tucked against the small of his back.

  The voice of the newcomer was immediately familiar. “Hey, big man. Miss me?”

  30

  Bear immediately felt relief wash over him. Jack entered the storage unit as Sadie lowered the door behind him. Bear shook his head at his old friend.

  “How did you get back into the States?”

  Jack hooked a thumb over his shoulder at Sadie. “A lot of coordination and a couple trips in the back of a very sketchy plane. It was touch-and-go a few times.”

  “It was never touch-and-go.” Sadie smacked Jack’s arm. “It was a smooth ride from start to finish. Stop being dramatic.”

  Jack grinned and shrugged. His eyes landed on Cara and he extended his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you face-to-face. I’m sorry you’re mixed up in all of this.

  Cara shook his hand, and Bear caught something akin to awe in her face before she reined it in. “It’s nice to finally meet you, too. Thank you—for everything.”

  “Don’t thank me yet.” Jack made his way over to the tables in the center of the room. “We have a lot to work out first.”

  Bear joined him. “What do you know so far?”

  “He’s up to speed, except for the O’Reilly brothers.” Sadie handed Jack the file Bear had been reading. “I was just filling Bear in on what we’re up against.”

  “I’ve heard of these guys,” Jack said, flipping through the pages. “They’re good.”

  “It’s been said once or twice.” Bear shot a look to Sadie. “But we’ll have to be better.”

  The four of them gathered around the table. Sadie took the lead. “The meeting is set up in Constitution Gardens. Noon. We don’t have an exact location yet, which is probably for the best. They won’t know where we’ll be headed.”

  “But that also means we won’t know where they’ll be pointing their guns in order to trace it back to their location,” Jack offered.

  “That’s where you’re gonna come in.” Sadie rolled out a map of the park. “They were smart when they set up the meeting. If they’re going to hole up in a building, it’ll be along Constitution Ave. Even if we come up from the south, where the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is located, we’ll have to circle north and put our backs to the street to get to the island in the middle of the pond.”

  “He never said meet at the pond,” Cara offered.

  Sadie’s smile was gentle. “No, but if I were setting up a hit, that’s where I would want it. One way in, one way out. Even if we’re forced into the water, it’ll give them time to circle around and meet us on the bank at the other side.”

  “We need to take out the snipers before you ever even get to the island,” Jack said.

  “The O’Reilly brothers will have Bear and Cara’s pictures, probably the ones from the news. They’ll spot us the second we get close to the Gardens. It’s gonna be up to you to take them out.”

  Jack rubbed the side of his face. There was some significant stubble there. “They’ll be covering as much ground as they can, which means they won’t be close together. I’ll be able to take one out no problem, but the other one is gonna be harder. Especially if they’re checking in periodically. If they get any indication something is going wrong, they’ll either bail or take the shot.”

  “We’re meeting at noon and tomorrow is going to be sunny. That’ll work in our favor.”

  Cara’s voice was small, like she wasn’t sure she should interrupt their conversation. “How?”

  “Higher chances of the sun reflecting off the scope of their weapon,” Bear said. “But knowing where the bullet is coming from won’t stop it.”

  “Isn’t that like looking for a needle in a haystack?” Cara asked.

  Jack grinned. “Yes, but we’re very good at finding needles in haystacks.”

  Sadie pointed at the island on the map. “Bear and I will be focused on whoever we’re meeting and keeping an eye out for anyone in the park who looks like they don’t belong. It’ll be up to you to watch our backs, Jack.”

  Bear didn’t like the setup. “Isn’t there anyone else we can bring in for this?”

  “Like who?” Jack sat down and kicked his feet up on the table. “Most of the people we can trust are in this room, and those who aren’t shouldn’t have to put their necks on the line for us.”

  “But it’s not just for us,” Bear countered. “We’re talking about stopping an act of global terrorism.”

  “With little proof and high chances for it to go sideways. Would you want to throw anyone into those odds?”

  Bear didn’t want to lose the argument, but he knew Jack was right. “Goldstone says hello, by the way.”

  Jack grinned. “How is the old man?”

  “Still old,” Bear said. “Still can kick your ass.”

  Sadie cleared her throat and waited for the two men to give her their full attention before continuing. “The goal here is speed and stealth. We have to be quiet and we have to be quick. If we’re not, there’s a good chance I’ll have a hole in my head by the end of the day.”

  That sobered up the room. Jack stood up again. “We won’t let that happen.”

  Sadie smiled. “I know you won’t. But either way, I’d like to go over some maneuvers before we get a good night’s rest.”

  Cara stepped forward. “I know I’m not, like, a super-secret spy like you guys, but is there anything I can do to help?”

  Sadie walked around the table and put a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but the best thing you can do is stay safe. We’ll put you up somewhere no one can find you, and then we’ll come get you when all this is over.”

  Cara opened her mouth to argue, but Bear put his hand up. “She’s right. We need you alive to blow this story wide open. We can’t do it without you.”

  “You’re just trying to flatter me, aren’t you?”

  Bear shrugged. “Maybe a little.”

  “I know you’re right. I just feel…useless.”

  It was Jack’s turn to step forward. “You helped get us this far. Don’t undersell yourself. Being a super-secret spy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

  “You get shot at a lot,” Bear said.

  Sadie groaned. “And put on desk duty.”

  Jack pointed a thumb at himself. “Or you’re accused of being a terrorist.”

  Cara laughed. “I think I’ll pass on at least two out of the three.”

  Sadie leaned forward, and in a loud whisper, she said, “Don’t let these guys fool you. Desk duty is the worst one.”

  Jack shrugged. “It’s true. Being accused of terrorism is actually pretty easy. You don’t even have to do anything.”

  Bear clapped his hands together. It echoed through the space. “Okay, time to nail this down. I want to find both these brothers, take them out, and see what Vice President Eli Adams has to say for himself.”

  31

  Bear and Sadie were standing in the shadows of the Lincoln memorial. Jack had just taken off toward Constitution Ave. They had half an hour before the meeting was meant to take place. Bear would’ve preferred to scope out the area ahead of time, but that ran the risk of alerting their adversaries to the idea that they knew something was going down.

  So, he had relented. Cara was safe and sound in a nice hotel several blocks away that Sadie had set up for her. She was close enough that if there was an emergency, it would be easy to scoop her up and hightail it out of there. But she was also far enough to keep her away from the mess this was bound to turn into.

  “I don’t like it,” Bear said.

  “You’ve said that already,” Sadie said.

  “Well, I’m saying it again.”

  “You can say it as many times as you want, but it’s not going to change anything.”

  “I know, but it makes me feel better.”

  Sadie rested a hand on his arm and smiled up at him. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  There was a crackle in Bear’s ear and Jack’s voice came over the line. “What am I, chopped liver?”

  Sadie scowled. “You’re supposed to be concentrating.”

  “Hard to when you’re getting all sentimental on us.”

  Sadie rolled her eyes and looked over at Bear, who grinned. The man sure knew how to ruin a moment, but Bear knew Sadie felt the same way he did. It wouldn’t be the same without Jack Noble by their side.

  Bear looked down at his watch. “How close are you, Jack?”

  “Cleared the first building. Working on the second. There’s a lot of goddamn stairs.”

  “You’re getting lazy in your old age.”

  “Don’t you worry about me, Big Man. I can still run circles around you.”

  Bear chuckled. “We’re going to take our time walking to the island. Keep us posted.”

  “Copy that.”

  Bear looked over at Sadie, who pulled up the hood on her sweater. She was about Cara’s size and had the same color hair. From a distance, and especially with Bear by her side, no one would suspect she was a body double. Up close, the two didn’t look anything alike. The hood would at least delay that recognition a few precious seconds if they needed it.

  But Bear hoped they wouldn’t need it.

  The two of them set off walking down the steps of the Memorial and beside the Reflecting Pool. The air was cold enough that Bear could see his breath on every exhale, but the direct sunlight worked to keep him warm, especially under the heavy winter jacket Sadie had picked up for him. She’d insisted on the pair of them wearing vests, and even though Bear hated how tight it fit him, he was thankful for the extra protection.

  Even if it wasn’t going to matter much.

  The O’Reilly brothers weren’t really the type to aim for the chest. They liked to put a bullet through the eye of their target every single time. That’s why it was paramount that Jack made it to them before they set their sights on Sadie.

  “How are you feeling?” Bear asked her.

  Sadie kept her head on a swivel, but could only do so much with her hood obstructing her peripheral vision. “Good. Lots of energy. Glad to be out in the field again.”

  “Even if it’s unsanctioned?”

  “Maybe especially so.” Sadie couldn’t hide the glee in her voice.

  On the record, Sadie had taken a well-deserved vacation. She’d kept her head down for so long that it was likely no one would grow suspicious, at least until it was too late. There was still a chance they had eyes on her and Bear, especially given the fact they were gearing up for a very public meeting with someone tied to the White House, but what other choice did they have?

  Bear refrained from repeating the same line he’d said all morning.

  “Building two is clear,” Jack said over their headset. “Heading over to building three.”

  “We’re coming to the end of the Pool. Starting toward the Gardens in about thirty seconds.”

  “Copy.”

  Jack had the hardest job of the three of them. There were only a handful of buildings where the O’Reilly brothers could set up their equipment. Sadie figured they’d have an all-access pass to everything on Constitution Ave since they were working for Hughes. Jack, on the other hand, would have to get creative.

  Knowledge of the buildings was their biggest asset, and Jack had spent hours studying the maps Sadie had provided. Confidence also went a long way. If he couldn’t pass through undetected, there was a good chance he’d be able to charm his way into any back staircases that might lead him to the rooftop of the building he was inspecting.

  If he was quick and quiet about it, he’d be able to find at least one of the snipers before Bear and Sadie even entered the park. They had already pinged the buildings that would be ideal for a sniper setup. Jack was halfway through them, which meant it was only a matter of time.

  For his part, Bear was keeping an eye out all around them. They entered the World War II Memorial at the end of the Pool and followed the outer wall until they hit a path that would lead them to their destination.

  “Entering the Gardens,” Bear whispered.

  His earpiece crackled, but Jack didn’t confirm.

  Sadie glanced up at him with her eyebrow raised.

  Bear shrugged but stayed attuned to whatever was happening on the other side of the line. If Jack didn’t confirm, it could mean he’d spotted his target. That could either be great news for them, or bad news for Jack, depending on how it played out.

  Sadie led them along the curved path toward the pond. They had already chosen to take the long way around so they could keep their eyes peeled for anyone who looked like they didn’t belong. It would give them more time to scope the area. It would also give a sniper more time to line up their shot.

  A grunt in his earpiece made Bear snap back to attention. He couldn’t tell if it came from Jack or not. It was followed by a scuffle and surprised cry that cut off into a gurgle. Neither Bear nor Sadie visibly reacted to the sound, but he could tell they were both hyper-focused on what was going to come next.

  It took about two heartbeats.

  “Clear.”

  Jack’s voiced was ragged, but solid. Bear could hear him breathing heavily and wondered if he was injured. It wouldn’t slow him down much, but even a few seconds could be the difference between life and death.

  Sadie was the first to speak. “What happened?”

  “One of the brothers was on top of the third building. Had my eye on him for a while. I don’t see a radio, so it looks like they weren’t on comms. Probably wanted to avoid linking one to the other if one of them got caught.”

  Bear nodded his head ever so slightly. “If someone believed there was only one gunman, they wouldn’t think to look for a second.”

  “But finding comms would change that,” Sadie finished. “You okay?”

  “I’m good. He landed one on me, but a knife through the throat will slow anyone down. I—”

  Jack’s voice faltered and Bear’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”

  “We got a problem.” There was a rustle of paper. “He’s got photos of his targets. Bear. Me. Sadie. Cara isn’t even here.”

  “How does that make sense?” Sadie asked. “You’d think she’d be the prime target.”

  “I don’t like it,” Bear said, the implications crystalizing in his head.

  Bear and Sadie were rounding the last curve of the lake. The path was just ahead of them now. There were several people crossing the bridge to the other side, and a few more milling about in the gardens. Any one of them could be their contact. Or the person sent there to kill them.

  Sadie shook her head. “The willow trees are obstructing our view. I don’t like the odds of walking onto that island without knowing exactly what’s there.”

  Bear looked down at his watch. “We’ve got two minutes until noon.”

  “What happens if we’re late?”

  “We lose our shot of getting into contact with the VP?”

  Sadie sighed and Bear knew she was thinking the same thing he was. They couldn’t take that chance. Vice President Adams would be able to corroborate the evidence they found. He’d be able to put some power behind their accusations. Hughes could find a way to bury them, but not if they had Adams standing by their side.

  They needed to make contact.

  “We’re got two minutes,” Sadie said. “Let’s hang back for a minute.”

  They stepped off the path and into the trees, circling slowly and keeping an eye on anyone coming from or going to the island. Most were tourists. A few were businessmen on lunch. No one looked especially out of the ordinary, but that didn’t mean they weren’t.

  One minute, Sadie was walking alongside Bear, and the next, she was shoving him out of the way. A bang and a grunt followed her movements. Bear stumbled but stayed on his feet. Sadie went down, grasping her chest. Bear was by her side in a matter of seconds.

  “Vest, vest,” she said, ripping open her jacket and showing him where the bullets had landed. “Get him.”

  That was enough for Bear. With Sadie safe and recovering from the impact of being shot, Bear only had to worry about keeping himself safe. People were screaming and running. Jack was yelling in his ear. But Bear tuned it all out.

  He had spotted the man with the gun. He had taken a few seconds too long to decide whether to keep shooting or to get out of there. When he saw Bear charging toward him, he raised his weapon, but Bear was already diving behind a tree.

  The man’s first mistake was shooting Sadie. The second was believing he could outrun Bear. At a dead sprint and over a short track, Bear was fast. By the time he hit top speed, he was already at the man’s ankles. It was definitely the other O’Reilly brother.

  Bear tackled him to the ground. The other man was smaller and quicker than Bear had expected. As soon as he hit the dirt, he was already pushing himself back up again. He swung the gun toward Bear’s head and looked down at him with a grin.

  One minute he was smiling, and the next, there were three bullets in his face.

  Bear rolled to the side and brought his own weapon out, pointing it at the source of the gunfire. He only lowered it once he recognized Sadie, who stood with both feet planted and her gun still aimed at the man on the ground.

  Bear waited for her to start moving toward him. “He’s dead.”

  Jack’s voice was loud in Bear’s ear. “Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?”