Jack and Sadie exchanged a look but didn’t argue. Cara pushed off the wall and grimaced.

  “Okay. Let’s do this.”

  38

  Bear sat in the waiting area of the emergency room. He sat perfectly still, but his nerves were wired, and his brain was working overtime. It was more than just feeling trapped. It was like there was a spotlight shining down on him. His body wanted to be on the move, but his brain was forcing him to stay put.

  A few hours ago, Jack and Sadie had dropped Bear and Cara off at the entrance to the hospital. They’d driven away to do what they could to take the next step while Bear took Cara under one arm and led her inside. It must’ve been a quiet day in D.C. because as soon as they walked through the door, two nurses were already there to take Cara away.

  They asked Bear what had happened. He didn’t know what to say. It was a complicated question and every answer might have implications. The nurses had turned to Cara, who simply said someone had beaten her up.

  Then she had looked up at Bear and said, “He saved me.”

  That was good enough for the nurses. They took her through a heavy door, and when Bear tried to follow, they had told him to stay put. When he tried to ignore them, a burly nurse half his height had poked him in the chest and told him they’d call security if he didn’t fall in line.

  He backed away after that.

  The last thing Cara needed was another complication, and there was no way he was letting himself get kicked out by security.

  So instead Bear sat in the same chair for the next few hours. He fell into an easy routine. He looked at his phone, checking for a message from Jack. When he saw there was none, he’d go get a cup of water and bring it back to his seat. He’d check the phone again, and then go get a cup of coffee. When he finished that, he started all over again.

  It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep him occupied.

  The same burly nurse fetched him as they were creeping up on hour four. The sun was rising and Bear was starting to feel the effects of no sleep despite consuming enough coffee to power a truck. As soon as he saw that nurse, he was awake again. She gave him a look that said, loud and clear, Don’t cause any trouble, buster, and then led him into the back.

  Cara was in a room down the hall and to the right. Her injuries were severe compared to most of the other patients back there, but Bear had passed a room where one guy was getting his face stitched back on. At least Cara didn’t have to endure that.

  The nurse gestured Bear into the room and then walked away. He paused in the doorway, unsure that she even wanted to see him after everything they’d been through, but he knocked lightly and entered anyway. If nothing else, he wanted to make sure she knew he hadn’t abandoned her.

  Cara was in bed with one arm in a sling and a swath of gauze across her forehead. She was hooked up to bag of what Bear assumed was saline solution. Other than the bruises on her face, she looked better. Her skin was flush and her eyes were bright.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Hey.”

  “How’re you feeling?”

  “Better.” She sat up a little and winced. “Sore. My arm is killing me. But otherwise I’m okay.”

  Bear gestured vaguely at her. “What’s the damage?”

  “Mild concussion, separated shoulder, broken arm, cracked rib, and a lot of bruising. Believe it or not, they managed not to break my nose, so I’ll still have my good looks after this.”

  “Looks are overrated,” Bear said. “Just look at me.”

  She laughed and immediately winced.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “No, it’s good to laugh. Even if it hurts. I’ve been scared out of my mind for days on end. Laughter is exactly what I need right now.”

  “Sorry about that.” When Cara raised her eyebrow at him, Bear continued. “About everything that’s happened. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep you safe.”

  Cara rolled her eyes. “Are you kidding? I’d be dead without you, Bear. Literally. You saved my life so many times. I’d rather be scared than dead.”

  Bear couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s a good attitude to have.”

  “Seriously, thank you.”

  “You don’t have to thank me.”

  “Actually, I do. And I did.”

  “You’re welcome.” Bear didn’t want to ruin the moment, but he’d always been honest with her. “But we’re not out of the woods yet.”

  “Have you heard from the others yet?”

  He shook his head. “They’re not going to call until they have something solid.”

  “Do you think there’s even a possibility that we catch him?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Bear infused his voice with more confidence than he felt. “He’s scared now. We’ve got him on the run.”

  Cara lowered her voice to a whisper. “Where does the Vice President of the United States run to?”

  “U.S. Naval Observatory, maybe. Back to his office in the White House, probably. Wherever he feels safest.” Bear took a seat at the end of her bed. “He knows we can’t touch him there. He’s surrounded by people who are either on his side or who he can manipulate to see things his way.”

  “And we’re just sitting here in a hospital a stone’s throw away from him.”

  Bear shrugged. “It’s been a few days since our pictures have circulated. Sadie’s done the best she can to shut it down as much as possible. Brandon is keeping an eye out for us. Besides, not taking you to a hospital wasn’t really an option.”

  “I appreciate it.” Cara shifted, winced, and settled back into her pillows. “I just want all of this to be over with.”

  “It will be soon.” Bear held himself back from saying one way or another. “What’s in the cards for you after this?”

  Cara laughed. “I don’t know. A book deal?”

  Bear chuckled. “You’re not wrong.”

  “I kind of just want to go back to my life. But if we take down the VP, I don’t think that’s a possibility.”

  “Probably not.”

  Cara’s eyes steeled with resolution. “Then I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. And I’ll use my platform to keep holding people accountable for their actions.”

  It was a noble mission. Bear was enough of a cynic that if he heard most people say that, he wouldn’t believe them. But there was something about Cara. Something pure and driven. If anyone could save the world one word at a time, he was sure it would be her.

  Cara looked over at him. “I’m not going to see you again after this, am I?”

  “Never say never.” Bear refused to break eye contact. “But it’s probably better if that’s the case.”

  “I figured.” Cara looked up at the ceiling. “Believe it or not, I think I’m kind of going to miss you.”

  Bear wasn’t sure what to say, so he let her words hang in the air.

  “What about you?” she asked. “What are you going to do after all this?”

  “Probably disappear for a while. Let things calm down. Maybe go overseas where my picture hasn’t been on every television screen for the last few days.”

  “That sounds smart.”

  Bear shrugged. It was necessary. But part of him didn’t want to think that far ahead. This situation with Adams was too big. Once it was resolved, then he could think of the future. Then he could worry about what was next. A vacation wasn’t really in the cards for him, but he did relish the idea of finding another island and drinking beer until he got antsy once more. He wondered if Jack would join him this time or if he’d find somewhere else to go again.

  “Speak of the devil,” Bear said, fishing his buzzing phone out of his pocket. “Looks like we finally have some news.”

  39

  “I don’t like it.”

  “It doesn’t matter how many times you say it, Big Man. Doesn’t change what’s happening.”

  Bear crossed his arms over his chest but didn’t argue with Jack. They were in a cheap motel room outside of the city. Jack occupied the chair next to the window while Bear leaned up against the headboard, one foot on the ground like he was ready to move at a moment’s notice.

  They were watching the news, which had been running regular stories all morning up until about twenty minutes ago. Now they were live. The Vice President had called for a press conference, gathering the White House correspondence reporters together for a briefing in the press room. The official story was that he would be making comments about the attacks in London and Germany.

  Brandon and Sadie’s contacts had figured out he intended to be in front of the cameras right when the tankers blew up.

  The whole thing was a PR stunt. If he was calm in the face of chaos, it would go a long way for his own presidential bid down the line. Bear wished he had been shocked by this information but knowing that the government had always employed subtle manipulation to make the general public feel safe or outraged or fearful, depending on what they needed from them, it was nothing new to him.

  The plan he and the others had devised was simple. Sadie had used her extensive contacts to go as far up the chain of command as possible. She eventually got five minutes with the President of the United States himself. Those five minutes turned into three hours of discussion and, eventually, a SEAL team headed to the Gulf.

  While Vice President Eli Adams expected to be heralded a hero in front of the entire country—the entire world—Jack, Bear, Sadie, and Cara were ready to expose him for the terrorist that he was.

  Bear shifted on the bed. Cara was their linchpin in all of this. Sadie had gotten Cara credentials to attend the briefing. She was using a different name, but once Adams saw who it was, Bear bet the shock of seeing her would have its intended effect.

  Bear kept reminding himself that she was safe there, surrounded by men that the President had deemed loyal to him alone. But it didn’t make Bear feel any better. It had only been a few days since he’d met her, but Cara Bishop had left an impression. After everything she had gone through, she still wanted to be the one to stand face-to-face with Adams and bring him to his knees.

  Sadie had volunteered. Out of the four of them, she was the best candidate to get into the White House without raising suspicion, stand up to the Vice President, and announce his wrongdoings on national television.

  But Cara had been insistent. It had to come from her.

  Bear didn’t argue—much. It was the right call. Her still being alive, her being there at the White House, it would unnerve him. If they could throw him off by just a few degrees, it would be enough to get under his skin. And once that seed was planted, it would grow quickly.

  Jack cleared his throat. “It’s starting soon.”

  Bear snapped back to focus. It was hard being this far away from the action, his hands completely tied, but both he and Jack had decided it was for the best. Jack was one of the most wanted men in America right now, and Bear had been no slouch over the last couple weeks. It was better if they didn’t try to walk through the front door of the White House.

  “I still can’t believe he’s letting us do this,” Bear said.

  “Who, the President?” Jack shrugged. “This is going to be a PR disaster either way. He knew he couldn’t cover it up. The next best scenario is controlling the narrative as much as possible. But we really have to nail Adams to the wall.”

  “She’ll come through,” Bear said. Of that, he was certain.

  Jack turned his attention to Bear. “Did you talk to her?”

  “About what?”

  “About how much her life is going to change after this?”

  Bear laughed. “She knows. She joked about getting a book deal.”

  Jack shook his head but there was a smile on his face. “She’ll never be able to work as an undercover reporter after this.”

  “I think she’s had enough action for one lifetime.” Bear turned back to the TV, searching the crowd of reporters for the back of Cara’s head. He got a glimpse of her in the back row before the camera panned away. “Any word from Sadie?”

  “She said everything’s in place. She and Cara had no problem getting in and getting settled. The team is likely making their move right now. As soon as its over and the tankers are secured, they’ll call it in. Sadie said she’s got a ringer.”

  “Did she say what it was?”

  Jack rolled his eyes. “No. She said it’d ruin the surprise.”

  “I’ve had enough surprises in the last week to last me a lifetime.”

  “Try telling her that.”

  “No, thank you.”

  “Exactly.”

  Bear turned up the volume on the cheap tv that sat on the dresser across the room. There were only two minutes left now. This was going to be a mess no matter how it played out. The President would have to do some major damage control after this, but he had ensured Sadie that both Jack and Bear would be cleared of all crimes. The files bearing the incidents in Costa Rica, Korea, London, Germany, and here at home would be buried.

  There was no such thing as a clean slate, but the President of the United States was offering them what he could. Bear hoped it was enough.

  “Ladies and gentleman, the Vice President of the United States.”

  The reporter’s voice corresponded with Adams’ entry before the sound from the press room faded in and took over. Adams walked in like he didn’t have a care in the world. The smug smile on his face was enough to boil Bear’s blood.

  But he felt himself calm almost immediately. In a few minutes, nothing else would matter but watching Cara Bishop dismantle this man’s entire world brick by brick until he had nothing left to claim as his own except the inside of a jail cell.

  40

  “Good morning, everyone.”

  Adams stood at the podium, a handful of cue cards in front of him. Bear watched him through the television screen, wishing he could be in the room with everyone else when it all came crashing down. Normally he liked his final stands to be on high ground and with an arsenal at his back, but Bear thought the anticipation of watching Adams fall from grace was just as euphoric, even if it was from a distance.

  “Thank you for joining me here today,” Adams continued. “I have called this press conference because I wanted to talk to you about recent global events. If you have been watching the news, you are aware that the United States and her allies are under attack.”

  Adams sobered at this point, and Bear couldn’t help but wonder how difficult it was for him to keep his glee in check. All eyes were on him. It was exactly what he wanted.

  “Unfortunately, I cannot share too much information at this time, as several of our intelligence agencies are carrying out active investigations into recent events. Many of you may not know about the London bombing because it didn’t happen. Due to the efforts of a combined taskforce of American and British operatives, we were able to successfully stop an attack on the underground beneath the city’s streets.

  “Due to the nature of that operation, I cannot thank those operatives by name, but I hope they are watching this briefing and know how much their efforts are appreciated. They are the unsung heroes of our country, and they will forever be remembered for what they have done in service to both the United States and the United Kingdom.”

  Bear let out a snort. There was nothing like watching the man who had set the attack in motion thanking those who had put their lives on the line to stop it.

  Adams moved one of his cards to the bottom of the pile before he continued. “Just under a week ago, we were unable to prevent a similar terrorist attack that took place during Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Several Americans were injured or killed in the explosion in addition to many others from around the globe.”

  The Vice President shifted from one foot to the other. It had the added effect of displaying his anger and disappointment at his following words. “I regretfully admit we had no information about this attack prior to its being carried out. However, the United States is not in the habit of admitting defeat, and we will not do so here. Since the attack in Germany, we have been more vigilant than ever. In fact, as many of you are probably wondering, that is why I am here delivering this press briefing to you today instead of the Secretary of Defense or the Director of National Intelligence or the President, who is currently acting to ensure the safety of our country and her allies.

  “Most of the information I have is, unfortunately, classified. I will not be able to answer specific questions regarding the nature of our investigation, as we do not want to compromise the efforts of all the people who are working around the clock to ensure nobody else dies at the hands of these terrorists.

  “Now, I understand that you all want more information and that many people are worried about the safety of their families, both here at home and overseas. Regardless, I will attempt to answer any questions to the best of—”

  “Mr. Vice President, how is the Director of National Intelligence?”

  Bear’s stomach clenched when he heard Cara’s voice ring out. There was a murmur in the room. Some of the reporters looked confused, while others seemed annoyed that she had not followed protocol by waiting to be called on.

  “I’m sorry.” Adams’ voice was a mixture of confusion and annoyance. Bear watched as he tried to stay composed while searching for the source of the voice. “Who’s speaking?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. The bruises on my face probably make it difficult for you to recognize me.”

  The cameras all turned to Cara. Her face was a splash of yellows, greens, and purples, and her right arm was in a sling. But despite her outward appearance, Bear could feel her power through the television. She had insisted on being the one to confront her captor, and though Bear had voiced his opposition to this plan in the beginning, he had to admit it had the intended effect.

  “My name is Cara Bishop. Yes, I’m the reporter who was falsely accused of the murder of billionaire Thomas Mateo. I am also the reporter who wrote the op-ed for the Tribune discussing a grand conspiracy within the ranks of our government.”