A Beautiful Lie (Playing with Fire #1)(105)

As Garrett headed towards the lobby to question people there, his phone rang. He glanced at caller ID and saw it was his boss.

“Tell me you’ve heard from someone on my team within the last hour,” Garrett answered, skipping over a greeting and getting right to the point.

“Actually, that’s why I was calling you,” Captain Risner replied. “I’ve tried calling everyone and no one has answered. What the f*ck is going on there? Did SEAL team four arrive?”

Garrett got to the lobby and stalked across the floor to the front desk, glancing around to make sure one of the guys wasn't there.

“According to Brady, they landed fine a few hours ago; he briefed them on the situation and put them in place surrounding the perimeter of the resort,” Garrett told him.

He spent the next few minutes explaining as quickly as he could about Milo showing up and feeding them some bullshit story about being a double agent.

“Parker decided to believe every f*cking word that came out of Milo’s mouth and is probably at the moment, letting him f*ck everything up,” Garrett said with a growl as he got to the front desk and rang the bell for assistance.

“Whoa, hold on a minute. What do you mean Agent Parker believed what he said? She sent me a text asking me to find out as much as I could about the possibility that Milo was a double agent. Her message said, and I quote, 'I don’t believe a word that comes out of this *’s mouth. I need proof.' She said she would go along with him just to keep him occupied while I looked into it. I’ve been trying to call her and let her know I couldn’t find anything to support what Milo told her, but she’s not answering her phone either.” Risner explained.

Garrett shook his head in an effort to clear his thoughts.

“Wait, Parker sent you a text? When, just now?”

Garrett wondered if Parker had finally come to her senses after an hour with Milo. It pissed him off again to think that it had taken her so long.

“No, the first text I got from her was at twenty-two-forty-five,” Risner replied.

Garrett glanced at his watch. That would have been at ten-forty-five. He would have still been standing there with Parker and Milo when she sent that text. She hadn’t trusted Milo. Not one bit. And he’d overreacted and acted like a complete jealous ass and walked away from her.

“Shit! Mother f*ck!” Garrett cursed into the phone as he ran his hand down his face.

“Tell me what you need,” Risner told him.

“I don’t know. I don’t f*cking know!” Garrett muttered angrily. “Get somebody over to Hospiten Santo Domingo ASAP. I want Joe Parker under twenty-four-hour surveillance. No one gets into his room without my approval. I think he came here to warn us about Milo and someone knew it. They aren’t going to stop until he’s dead.”

“Done. What else?” Risner asked.

“I need to find Brady. He’ll be able to put a trace on Parker’s phone. In the meantime, try to get a hold of Parker’s boss, Agent Richmond. She’s been trying to reach him all day and he hasn’t been returning her calls.”

There was too much silence on the other end of the line for Garrett’s liking.

“What’s going on? Do you know something about Richmond?” Garrett asked.

Captain Risner cleared his throat before answering.

“Agent Brad Richmond was found this morning by a friend in his apartment. His throat was slashed.”

Garrett sagged against the counter.

“Jesus Christ. Parker told him everything. He knew all about the things we’d uncovered and what we’d learned. Her dad knew everything too. He must have and that’s why they took a shot at him. Fuck! They’re going to take out everyone who knows about them,” Garrett surmised.

“I already have someone en route to the hospital and they’ve made contact with security there. Mr. Parker is already being heavily guarded by the CIA, so that’s one less person to worry about,” Risner told him. Garrett could hear the rapid clacking of his fingers on the computer through the phone. He tried to block out the guilt he felt knowing he had let Parker down. She’d trusted him, loved him, given everything to him, and he’d turned right around and threw it back in her face. For one moment, he actually believed she would go back to Milo. He’d forgotten everything between them and let his mistrust of Milo trickle over onto her. Just like everyone else in her life, he’d let her down. She’d never forgive him for this. And he didn’t blame her one bit.

“McCarthy!”

He turned in the direction of his name being shouted and some of the worry seeped out of him.

Garrett ended the call with his captain, making him promise he’d stay in his office on base where he was surrounded by guard towers and electric wire fences.

“Brady, Jesus f*cking Christ! Where the hell is everyone?” Garrett asked as he moved across the lobby and met Brady in the middle.

“I was keeping an eye on Parker and Milo like you asked. I got a call from Austin saying there was a breach in security and he couldn’t get a hold of anyone else. He needed my help subduing someone behind one of the villas. When I got to him, he was unconscious. Gunshot wound to the right shoulder,” Brady explained quickly.

“Fuck,” Garrett muttered, looking at the front of Brady’s shirt for the first time and noticing the splatters of blood.