Page 115 of The Bodyguard

The door swung open, and Special Agent John Patterson joined them. “Angela, it’s great to see you again.”

She didn’t fake the same enthusiasm, but she kept her interaction with him professional. They shook hands, and then he introduced himself to Titan’s men. Titan remained where they were as John joined her at the table. His chair scraped on the floor as he made himself as comfortable as possible.

“I’m sorry about our conversation in Abu Dhabi,” he said.

She glanced over John’s shoulder. Sawyer’s face was unreadable. “I guess you had a job to do,” she said.

“Not all my jobs are fun and games all the time.” John frowned contritely. “But I am sorry. I know I didn’t put you in a great position.”

She didn’t want to rehash their meeting. “Do you really work on Pham? Or just my mother’s projects?”

“All Pham, all the time.”

“Except when dealing with me,” she pointed out.

He took a pen from the interior pocket of his suit jacket. “You are intrinsically connected to Pham.”

Angela wished that weren’t true.

“This is what we know.” John click-clicked his pen. “Mylene Hathaway called your mother’s office and demanded to speak with you. She called from an easily traceable phone number and hadn’t done anything to hide her tracks.”

“She wanted me to come to her?”

John shook his head. “Given her mental clarity, I don’t think that was at the forefront of her mind.”

“What is?”

A hint of frustration on John’s face was quickly hidden behind a controlled, closed-lipped expression. “I haven’t had much time with her. She will only speak to us after speaking to you.”

“Does she have a lawyer?”

John’s gaze shifted around the room before he crossed his arms. “She hasn’t been arrested. This isn’t a law enforcement facility.”

What type was it? Military? DNI? CIA? NSA? Mylene was here as a terrorist. They—whoever ran this facility—weren’t interested in the murder of her husband and sister. They wanted intelligence. “All right. She wants to talk to me about Pham.”

“As she indicated on the phone call to the Senator’s office.” John nodded. “She doesn’t want you to testify.”

Angela recalled the recording of the phone call. The chaotic voice had mentioned testifying against Pham, but the caller hadn’t made much sense.

“We have Mylene in a nearby room. She’s secured at a table. She cannot get up or move around. You’re safe. She’s not a threat.”

Angela hadn’t considered that Mylene would want to hurt her. “Will you be in there?”

“I will escort you in, but I don’t plan to stay.”

“You’ll be watching from another room?” she asked.

Again, he clicked his pen. “Yes. There will be two armed men immediately outside the door. There will be two men posted behind her.”

“I don’t think she wants to hurt me. She might not want me to testify, but I don’t think she’ll physically try to stop me.”

“Maybe not. But that’s protocol.”

“Protocol for a woman who was kept hostage by a terrorist?”

“Are you referring to yourself or Mylene Hathaway? Because we don’t understand her role yet.”

Angela hated John Patterson. “She’s a victim.”

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