Best Laid Plans(107)

Sean was surprised and pleased at how smoothly Brad blended the truth and the lies.

“And why are you here instead of your boss?”

“Because I’m an SSA, just like Juan Casilla,” Brad snapped. “He’s here, I’m here.”

“We need to talk to Juan. This is all screwed up,” Barry said.

Sean let Brad walk off with Barry to discuss the new information with Juan, and he called Lucy. She finally answered, her voice soft. “Hello? Sean?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m outside Tia’s operating room. I needed to check on her.”

“Where?”

“Second floor.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Sean took the stairs down to the second floor. Lucy was pacing in front of the nurses’ station. Just seeing her made him breathe easier.

She saw him and her face showed everything he needed to see. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. She winced, but when he tried to let go she held him close.

“Dear God, Lucy. If you hadn’t put on that vest.”

“Don’t even think it.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. A big bruise. No cracked ribs. I had the wind knocked out of me, that’s it.”

Sean touched a bandage on her arm. “What’s this?”

“The bush I jumped into. Sharp branch. They sanitized it, gave me antibiotics, and glued the wound instead of putting in stitches.”

He kissed her wrist. “We need to talk.”

“Did Barry tell you?”

“He hasn’t told me shit, Lucy. Completely keeping me in the dark. Brad and I think that Tobias is behind the hit, and you were the target, not the girl.”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Yes,” he said emphatically. “I watched the video in slow motion. The first bullet hit you in the back. You were the target.”

It was clear she didn’t want to believe it. “I don’t know…”

“I do. Tobias is neck-deep in this entire mess. I haven’t put together all the pieces, but he’s involved. Brad agrees.” He couldn’t tell Lucy how he knew, and he hated lying to her. He had to find a way to give her all the information without her knowing how he obtained it.

“It’s Rob Garza,” she said.

“I know—I talked to Nate after Barry cut me out of the loop. If Garza’s involved with Harper Worthington’s murder, it has to be because Tobias ordered it.”

She frowned. “Why? It’s his wife, Adeline. Garza is her campaign manager.”

God help him, but he had to lie. “I got a cryptic message from Kane. I’m trying to reach him, but he’s not available. Nicole Rollins told Brad that there was someone else dirty at the DEA. It’s likely that someone in-house figured out that you were feeding Brad the information on Tobias, or one of the goons who escaped that night told Tobias you were there. Or hell, he could have been watching the entire time while Trejo’s compound burned. I don’t know how! All I know is that you’re in danger.”

“Garza’s dead, Sean.”

“What?”

“He collapsed at the Dallas airport. Had a ticket to New York City he bought today. Kenzie and a couple other agents were at Adeline’s campaign headquarters with an arrest warrant when the call came in. They’re now on their way to Dallas.”

“Murder?”

“Most likely, but we don’t have much to go on right now. Garza was seen shaking the hand of someone he appeared to know, the man walked away, and a few minutes later Garza collapsed and died. We’re getting the security feeds, we’ll find the guy. Airports have the best security in the country, his ID would have been checked, and we can compare his image to the security checkpoint. We’ll know who he is.”

Sean knew a half dozen ways to get around airport security, but he didn’t say that to Lucy.

“But Elise has given a statement,” Lucy continued, “and so far, everything she said is holding up. She was working in D.C. as a prostitute and met Garza first as a john. He offered her ten thousand dollars to come to San Antonio and take compromising pictures. She didn’t know who or why until he sent her a photo of Harper Worthington and a location, plus a syringe that he said was ketamine in case Harper couldn’t be seduced.”

“Do you believe her?” Sean asked.

Lucy hesitated. “She’s holding something back. I’ll figure it out, and if I don’t, I’ll push her again. While the shooting the other night didn’t seem to scare her much, today was another story. A lot spilled out right after, things I think she’d have rather kept to herself. She’s calculating, but she’s smart. I’ll get the truth out of her, but it’s going to take time.”

“I know you will.” He kissed her again. He wished he had asked Mona Hill more questions, specifically about this girl Elise Hansen. But it looked like Lucy and her people were learning what they needed to know.

“Barry was on his way down here—we’re going to push Adeline tonight. We’re waiting for approval from on high.”

“Rick?”

“Probably. From what Barry said, when Juan called Agent Dunbar about bringing Adeline in, he went ballistic. So Juan went over his head.”