The Safe Bet (Hidden Truths #1)(83)

But perhaps they had, only to find her gone. She’d crashed at Becca’s hotel in Baltimore last night.

“Ava Daniels?”

She squinted at the middle-aged man, wondering if something was wrong with her eyesight. “You aren’t Frank Harris.”

He ran a hand over his smooth jaw before extending it in her direction. “I’m Alex Jeffrey. Frank Harris is no longer working here.”

She blinked a few times before examining his outstretched hand. She stood up and clasped his as she inhaled a deep breath. “Who are you?”

“His replacement. The director of this division of Homeland.”

She pressed her lips together in a straight line. Can you be trusted?

“We need to talk.”

“I gathered as much.” He motioned for her to follow him.

After completing her security check, she followed the stranger to the elevators and forced down the lump in her throat. “What happened to Frank?” she asked as they waited for the elevator doors to open.

“He was promoted about the time you switched positions.”

“So, you know who I am?” Ava asked while stepping into the elevator. “Why was my security clearance to this facility revoked?” She pulled the black hoodie through the loose fist of her left hand, and then switched and pulled it through the right.

“It wasn’t revoked. Just changed.”

“To what?”

Alex Jeffrey held his arm out after the elevator doors chimed open, offering her the exit. “We’ll talk about everything in a moment.”

Just breathe, Ava reminded herself. She followed him through a maze of hallways, passing closed doors and a few men in uniform. Although Ava had worked in the building before, she had spent most of her time in the lab. The only time she remembered coming to this floor was during the interview process. It had been a very long and exhaustive process, even though they had recruited her.

“Would you like some water, Miss Daniels?”

Her throat was parched, but for some reason, she answered, “No.” She watched as Alex sat behind a massive desk, and then she took a seat in the leather chair across from him.

“Please, tell me what brings you here today.”

His voice was a bit too casual. But was that because he knew what had happened in the lab, or because he didn’t have a clue?

There should have been an alarm.

Unless the lab hadn’t been attacked at all.

Ava’s brain sizzled. She needed answers. But how much was she allowed to divulge?

“Miss Daniels?”

His deep southern voice pulled her up for air, and she wet her lips before gulping. “What do you know about me? About my project?”

He leaned forward in his chair and cocked his head before clasping his hands on the desk. “You’re working on a classified assignment that is so classified no personnel even knows the location of your lab.”

He raised his eyebrows at her, and she saw something in his dark green eyes . . . akin to curiosity, perhaps.

“You’re working under the leadership of Henry Davidson. And, because you are technically not working for the CSAC anymore, your clearance to this facility,” he gestured both hands, palms up, “is on hold.”

CSAC—the Chemical Security Analysis Center. “Of course I’m working for the CSAC. Who else would I be working for?”

She stared at Alex Jeffrey, who stared right back at her with his lips parted.

“Ava?”

She realized she hadn’t spoken—her voice wouldn’t work.

She stood up and walked toward the only window in his room. She looked out at the base down below, following a pair of soldiers as they walked to another building nearby. Why didn’t I just take the job at Revlon?

“What’s wrong?” His voice was laced with a seriousness that wasn’t there earlier.

She turned around to face him, and her eyes flashed to meet his. “I signed a document six months ago that directly states I’m not allowed to divulge anything about what I do at the lab.” She had rehearsed the statement, never believing that she’d need it. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. “But my boss is missing. And the lab—the lab is empty. Like Clorox bleach empty.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I think something happened to Henry. And the other lab assistants. I can’t get ahold of anyone.”

Alex rubbed the back of his neck before standing. “We should go to the lab.”

“I can’t show you where it is. I—I signed that document.” The orders had come from the White House, surely a higher power than Alex Jeffrey.

“That’s inconsequential at this point, don’t you think? This is a matter of national security.”

She forced a nod. Of course he was right. Who else did she have to go to? The president? She almost laughed at the thought. Of course it wasn’t funny. Not really.

Before she could respond, her shoulders jerked upright at the sound of banging on the door. But Director Jeffrey didn’t get a chance to answer. The knob turned, and two men with cropped hair and black matching suits strode through. Their attention laser-focused on Ava. “We have orders to escort Miss Ava Daniels,” one of them said once he reached her side.

She could smell the minty freshness of the man’s breath. “Who are you?”