Wired (Buchanan-Renard #13)(20)

Alec was telling the story of their first meeting. “For a while there I thought Liam was a criminal,” he said.

“For a while there I was,” Liam countered.

“You don’t mind bending the law?” Allison asked. She sounded thrilled.

“Depends,” he answered.

Once again Liam didn’t explain his meaning, yet his response gave Allison a tiny grain of hope. If he didn’t mind bending the law, maybe he would be more understanding about her collection of bugs and the number of sites she had visited illegally.

Maybe . . .





SEVEN



Allison was too nervous to eat much at dinner. After she’d taken a couple of bites of steamed vegetables, her stomach turned queasy, and she didn’t dare eat any more. The tension inside her had eased up slightly while the conversation remained light, but now it was returning in full force, and she worried she was about to have a full-blown panic attack. She’d only had a couple of those in the past five years. They’d been unforgettable. And horrific. She remembered she’d felt frozen. She couldn’t talk, couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. It was as if an iron fist had wrapped around her and was slowly squeezing the life out of her.

Liam was watching her and could see what was happening. The color had drained from her face, and she looked as though she was about to pass out. What was she hiding that she was so afraid he would discover? He was sure he could get her to tell him—eventually—but it would take time, and he had precious little of that.

He decided to once again put her at ease. “Allison, what did you think of Agent Phillips?”

“What . . . Oh, he’s very sweet.”

Both Alec and Liam laughed.

“Sweet? That’s a new one,” Liam said.

She realized she’d given her answer without thinking and rushed to correct it. “I mean, he’s pretty hard-nosed. Has he always been like that?” she asked.

“For as long as I’ve known him, which is five, six years now,” Alec said.

“Once you’re on his team or working with him, he’ll back you a hundred percent,” Liam added.

She wasn’t sure what he meant by that remark. “I’m not going to be on his team.”

“You might change your mind,” Liam said. “You never know.”

She decided not to argue with him. If he wanted to be optimistic, it was okay with her.

Jordan began to gather up the food cartons. “Allison, if you’re finished, why don’t you and Liam go into the living room and talk? I know you’re anxious to find out what this meeting is about.”

Anxious didn’t quite describe how she was feeling. She took her plate into the kitchen, got another bottle of water out of the refrigerator, and followed Liam into the living room. He waited until she had taken a seat on the sofa, then pulled up a chair to face her. There was nothing to separate her from the intimidating man who sat in front of her. He focused his attention entirely on her as though he was studying her, getting ready to pounce.

Alec surprised her by joining them. He moved the other chair over next to Liam’s. Allison could feel her heart beating in her chest. If the two men intended to unnerve her, they were doing a fine job of it.

Liam leaned forward. “Whatever is said here is confidential. I would appreciate it if you didn’t discuss what we’re about to tell you with anyone. Okay?”

He expected a quick agreement before he continued and was totally unprepared for her refusal. “I’m sorry. No, I can’t do that.”

“No?” Alec said, nonplussed.

“I can’t promise you that I’ll keep this conversation confidential,” she explained.

“Why not?” Alec asked.

“I’ll tell Jordan.” Before they could respond, she continued. “I know this must be an important matter. I’ll still tell her, though. She’s my friend, and if she asks . . . which she will . . . I’ll tell her.”

“At least she’s honest,” Alec said to Liam.

“Yes, she is,” Liam agreed. He looked very serious, yet he sounded as though he was about to smile.

Clearly exasperated, Alec asked, “Is there anyone else you know you’ll tell besides my sister?”

“No, just Jordan,” she said. She thought she should probably offer some sort of explanation, so she added, “I’m assuming whatever you have to say involves my work with computers, and Jordan’s an expert. I value her opinion.”

“Talking to her won’t be a problem,” Alec assured her. Liam agreed with a nod.

Allison looked first at Alec and then at Liam, examining each of their faces to see if there was the slightest cause for suspicion. They definitely were intense, and yet they seemed sincere. Her anxiety lessened slightly. Maybe they hadn’t brought her here to interrogate her or to accuse her of a crime after all. Maybe they had other intentions. She mulled over her situation for several more seconds. “Okay,” she said finally. “What is it you want?”

“We believe someone is leaking information on sensitive case files. We’re hoping you can help us find out who it is.”

“FBI files?” she asked.

“Yes,” Alec answered. “At first, there were minor details of cases getting out, but then some crucial information was released. Recently there was a major leak that all but destroyed a case and an agent’s credibility. We believe whoever is doing this has access to our system, but we haven’t been able to find the leak.”