Gabe (In the Company of Snipers, #8)(102)

A shiver wiggled up her spine. That actually made sense, and it fit with Becker’s demeanor last night on Kelsey’s back step. He might not be the most honest guy, but he hadn’t struck Shelby as mean enough to hurt a defenseless woman.

“Protect her from who?” Landon had an annoying habit, as if he always needed to top whatever the last person said, and it was really starting to bug Shelby. “Give us a break, girl. Becker stalked her so his buddy, Fallon, could kill her. That’s all. You need to sit down and be quiet. Let us do our job.”

Shelby bit her lip. Girl? Who does he think he is? Landon was a jerk, but he was right, too. She had spoken up when she probably shouldn’t have.

“That just takes us back to the same question. Why Kelsey?” Connor asked. “I think Shelby’s onto something. Let’s hear her out.”

All righty then.

Shelby elbowed Mark, her head spinning with what she thought she knew. “Think about it, Agent Houston. Mr. Becker was polite with Kelsey last night, like he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. You weren’t there yet, but I was, and I know what I saw. He didn’t get belligerent with her at all, and he wasn’t rude. At least, I didn’t think so. He kept calling her ma’am like you guys do.” Just like you guys.

An unsettling idea popped into her head. Becker wasn’t a bad guy. He was like Gabe and Zack. Ingrained with a deep respect for women.

Marks stood so close to her that it was like peering up a sheer rock wall just to look him in the eye. Shelby blinked, stabbed her glasses back to where they belonged and took a half-step away from him to shake off a sudden case of nerves. His size intimidated, darn it.

She found herself needing just a little more space to speak to this guy, despite the fact that she’d just overstepped her bounds and elbowed him like he wasn’t Gabe’s boss. She gulped at her audacity, but kept on going. “What if he’s on our, umm, I mean, your side? What if he’s been trying to protect Kelsey all along, like he said? Just like you’ve been trying to do?”

“Doubt it. He’s FBI.” Mark crossed his arms over his broad chest like that ended the argument. “You saw Benson. I’ve met very few FBI who can think outside their bureaucratic box.”

Okay, so Mark didn’t like the FBI. She couldn’t blame him, but still...

“I just know he was polite when he arrested me,” she said. A frisson of insight connected the dots of her last encounter with Becker like a lightning bolt. She turned to Gabe. “Oh, my gosh. You got out of those cuffs quickly. And why was the door to the police cruiser left unlatched? It’s almost as if—”

“He wanted us to escape,” Gabe finished her thought, his green eyes lit with approval. “I think you’re right. I don’t like the guy, but Shelby makes sense.”

Mark seemed to be listening. He glanced at Ember. “Where’s Winston now?”

“The last press release placed him at the National Security Counsel. White House,” Ember replied.

“And Becker?”

“Ah, Senior Agent Houston?” A timid blonde woman stood behind Mark, her hand lifted as if she needed permission to speak. “I’ve been watching him. He’s parked on Constitution Avenue.”


“You have? You’re sure it’s him?”

“Yes, sir,” she said quietly. “As you know, there are a lot of traffic cams in that area. Another man just joined him. They’re both inside the vehicle.”

“Same black sedan?”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Let me guess. This other guy have a black hood over his face?”

“Yes.”

Mark growled. “Figures.”

“Has to be Becker and his buddy. Let’s go get them,” Izza exclaimed eagerly.

Shelby liked her instantly, and not just for her gorgeous dark eyes. Izza eyed Landon as if she wanted to smack him, too.

“Not yet. We need all players on the board first.” Mark turned to the timid blonde. “The minute Becker or his friend move, I want to know, Lisa. You understand?”

“Yes, sir.” She went dutifully back to her desk.

Gabe and Shelby returned to his.

“Izza and Steven, check FBI and Metro PD activity in the area. See if they’re watching Becker, too,” Mark ordered.

“Got it.” Steven and Izza returned to their computers. He worked his keyboard for a minute before he answered. “No D.C. units in the vicinity. It’s quiet. Too quiet.”

“No FBI, either,” Izza added.

Maverick called out, “I’ve got Fallon.”

The excitement of the hunt spurred Shelby. So this was what Gabe did for a living. Scary, but exciting. She stuck close to his side, peering over his shoulder while Mark stepped in beside her at Maverick’s desk. A live satellite feed showed a black Escalade parking alongside the marina’s dry dock.

“Fallon’s got a boat?” Mark asked. “Can’t be. Zoom in. It’s not the right shape.”

Maverick took the satellite image in tight and close. No rocket or missile, like she half expected. Just some guy stripping a canvas cover off a white vehicle.

“Zoom in closer,” Shelby ordered, nearly elbowing Mark out of her way. Again. She caught herself just in time. Graciously, he made room for her.