Game of Dust and Ashes (Book Two in the Covert Operations series)

Eleven

The Roosevelt Hotel, Manhattan, New York. January 28, 2021, 11:22 p.m.

The others were waiting for me when we reconvened back at the hotel. The drive back gave me the time I needed to compose my thoughts and decide just what I was going to tell them. Carmichael's words continued to echo in my ears and the thought that one of my friends – people I trusted more than anyone else in the entire world – had turned on me felt ludicrous.

Still...the seeds of doubt had been planted.

Perhaps that had been his goal. Maybe he'd just been playing me, feeding me false information hoping to catch me off guard so that they could take their shot. But if Scorpion's goal was to take me out, I didn't understand why he hadn't tried to do it just now. Which meant that he must be telling the truth or there was more at play here, something I didn't quite understand yet.

So, if Carmichael was telling the truth and there was a double agent within my small trusted group, one question remained. Who was it?

I'd had limited contact with them all which didn't help matters. I made a mental list in my head – everything I'd witnessed and picked up on since I'd first met Lia and Max in Geneva.

Max – on edge (more than usual); quick temper and a flare to over-react; but he was protective and concerned about me. Panicked when I was attacked. He'd always been closer to a brother than a friend. Those reactions could be easily explained away because of that.

Lia – harder to read. She was always calm, cool, and collected. It was her eyes and carefully turned phrases that could make her a suspect. But...it was Lia. She was my best friend and had been for years. Even considering the time we'd spent apart, it was hard to think that she'd do anything like this. Still there had been a moment between her and Tasha when the latter had just arrived. An expression that had crossed her face quickly – as if Tasha knew a secret Lia didn't want to get out.

Tasha – had been distant and had rejoined us later...But she'd only arrived that morning. Jet lag could easily explain the spaciness – not to mention that she'd been thrown into an Op and a situation she hadn't been expecting in the slightly. It was difficult to get a read on a case like that. She'd been helpful in organizing this meeting before Carmichael went and changed it all up.

Cedric – there was distance between us here which made him an unlikely suspect unless Carmichael knew more than what was going on in New York. And Cedric had had plenty of chances to take me out if he'd really wanted to. We'd been living together for a while now.

And then there were those just outside of the circle. My brother, Daniel's parents, and Lia's, my father – Jack – and any of his affiliates I'd come into contact with. Helena or my other coworkers – Dai or Stefan. Anyone could be the leak; any one of them could be trying to kill me.

It was enough paranoia to drive a woman mad.

It was just nearing twelve-thirty in the morning when I pulled back into the hotel. I saw the other car already in the parking lot and did a quick scan of my surroundings before striding inside. Up on the eleventh floor in the suite we were sharing, they had gathered. When I entered the room, Max stood up, eyes scanning me from head to toe as if to check for injuries. Lia and Tasha were seated on the couch bent over a laptop. I locked the door and slid the deadbolt into place before making my way over.

"What happened?"

I slumped into a chair. "Carmichael showed up. We talked. He didn't try anything and neither did I."