Mind Game (GhostWalkers, #2)(87)

“That wasn’t my job. I’m not the supply person,” Gator denied. “I found shelter for us, isn’t that enough?”

Dahlia glanced up at Nicolas. He reached out and took her hand. “Don’t mind them, they’ll find something to eat. Besides, Gator never goes anywhere without food.”

“If he didn’t this time, Gator’s going to be alligator hunting,” Sam said. “I’ve heard they’re good to eat.”

Dahlia shook her head. “I’m not eating an alligator. I was raised with them. It would be like eating the family dog.”

“They are the family dogs,” Gator said, glaring at Sam. “You keep your hands off my gators. They’ve been in the family for years. If you’re all that hungry, go pick a few shrubs. There’s edible weeds on this island, you’re just too lazy to find them.”

“Can you talk to the alligators?” Dahlia asked. It suddenly occurred to her how astonishing that would be.

“I don’t exactly talk to them,” Gator explained. “It’s more like directing them. It’s easier with dogs or cats, but I’ve tried it with reptiles. Alligators are fairly difficult, but I’ve gotten them to move away from an area they wanted to stay in. I don’t think it’s useful because it would take me too long to get them to obey me. If we were in a firefight, we’d be moving too fast.”

“A lot of what we can do is easier and faster if we’re all together,” Kaden explained. “We all have talents, but we seem to become stronger when we’re together, which is why, when we go on a mission, we generally go in small units.”

“I’ve always worked alone. If I had a partner and he or she became frightened, or excited or was injured, I wouldn’t be able to function properly,” Dahlia said and looked up at Nicolas to make certain he understood what she was saying.

He frowned at her. “You’re functioning with no problems right now,” he pointed out.

“True, I am,” Dahlia said, “but some of you are having trouble keeping emotions and thoughts in check. It isn’t natural to do it for long periods of time.”

“We do just fine together,” Nicolas said.

Dahlia rolled her eyes. This is exactly why I don’t have a partner. I’m the one who has to guard my emotions when people act idiotic. I can’t take it, Nicolas. It’s just plain silly to get all chest pounding on me.

I was stating a fact.

No, you weren’t, you were giving me one of your mini lectures.

“I don’t give lectures,” Nicolas said aloud.

“What about Jesse Calhoun,” Kaden interrupted quietly. “Did you do much work with him? Did he ever go out with you on a mission?”

It seemed a casual enough question, but Dahlia instantly felt the shift. Tension went up just a notch, and everyone was suddenly paying close attention, waiting for her answer. “We worked together. He was always the handler, sending me in. I only had contact with him when it came to my missions, but he never accompanied me, it didn’t work that way.” She chose her words carefully, searching the energy for a sign of where the sudden change of subject was heading.

“Nicolas mentioned that Jesse Calhoun is a GhostWalker. Is that true?”

Dahlia nodded her head slowly. “He’s definitely an anchor and a strong telepath. He’s an ex SEAL and a very good agent. He can track almost anything.”

“How does this whole thing work with you and the NCIS? Do you do investigative work for them?” Kaden continued.

Dahlia’s fingers curled around the amethyst spheres in her pocket. “No, I’m strictly recovery. Jesse does investigations.”

“Who else?”

She shrugged. “Todd Aikens. He’s a SEAL as well. He and Jesse are very close. Martin Howard, he works with both Todd and Jesse sometimes, and there’s Neil Campbell. They’re all friends. I’ve not met them, just heard Jesse talk about them. I’ve heard him mention a couple of other names as well.”

“How many others? Are they like Jesse?”

“I told you, I don’t know. I just know of them. I’ve never worked with them.” She was beginning to feel as if she were being interrogated.

“Would any of them know you were going into recover the data?” Kaden asked.

“Only Jesse as far as I know. Well, his boss would know, and maybe Louise, the secretary. I mean she’d guess. If Jesse’s called in and asked to do an investigation and then I’m called in it would be obvious they’re using me for something to do with the investigation, I’d think. And I only do recovery.”

“By boss, you’re referring to Frank Henderson?” Respect crept into Kaden’s voice. Henderson was a legend in the military.

“Yes, he heads up the NCIS. Nothing happens without his knowledge. He’s very hands-on with the investigations and he wants up-to-the-minute reports. He runs a tight ship.”

“How do you pass the data to Calhoun?” Kaden persisted.

“I recover, drop it in a safe zone, and tell him in person where it is. He goes and gets it and takes it back to the NCIS.”

“Have you checked in to the office at all?”

She shook her head. “I figure someone there has to be selling information. I walked into a trap. And they knew where I lived. And they knew about the safe house in the Quarter. That could only have come from the NCIS office. The computers are regularly gone over by the techs, so I doubt if someone could have found me through all the security that way.”