Page 57 of Edge of Danger

“California. Theme Park. Three guesses which one and the first two don’t count.”

She groaned while Ian leaned forward and asked, “Los Angeles basin is the target of the biological attack, then?”

“Unknown, but possible.”

Piper’s mind raced. The one thing they didn’t know about Abahdi’s test tubes of killer virus was whether he would pass them on to someone else or if he would use them himself. Her instinct was that the man would want personal revenge for his wife’s death.

The general continued, “I’ve called Andrews Air Force Base. A flight crew sitting alert has already been launched to fly you two to Orange County. They’ll be ready to go in under an hour. Find Abahdi, verify his identity, apprehend him, and make the bastard sing.”

Piper glanced over at Ian in time to see the infinitesimal nod at his boss. Message received and understood. No holds barred on this one. At all costs, all extremes, find out where those coolers of biological samples had gone.

“Do I have time to swing by my place and grab my kit, sir?” Ian bit out.

“We’ll pull generic go-bags for you and a kit for you.”

“I need one, too,” she added sharply. No way was she going to Idaho unarmed while Ian had a full compliment of weapons and gear.

The general briefly looked startled. “Of course,” he replied, continuing with, “Marines are scrambling a helicopter to the roof to pick you up. In fact, we need to head upstairs, now. We’ll talk as we walk.”

Piper was a little shell-shocked at the speed with which events were moving. She’d never even been close to an operation with this kind of push behind it. Her surveillance missions had been sleepy affairs where she set up shop somewhere obscure in the guise of doing humanitarian aid work and watched someone equally obscure from a safe distance. Like the Patrick Henry Patriots.

What in thehellhad those guys gotten themselves involved in? Worry vibrated through her body unpleasantly as an elevatorwhisked them to the roof. The all-too-familiar faces passed through her mind’s eye. None of them were hardcore terrorists. She would bet her life savings on it.

She followed the men outside onto a rooftop terrace and a terrific view of downtown Washington, D.C.

“I’ll have the techies send you an updated briefing en route,” the general told Ian.

God, even her temporary boss acted like she was hardly part of this op. “And why aren’t we sending in the entire west coast FBI contingent to grab this guy?” she asked.

“The virus. Can’t spook him into turning it loose in the middle of a frigging theme park. We don’t know for sure if this is our guy, either. We need a solid ID on Abahdi, and a very quiet grab. Followed, of course by a fast and complete confession.”

A growing thwocking noise made her look over her shoulder. A white-topped helicopter with a dark green body was coming into sight. “Holy cow. Is that Marine One?” she blurted. Surely, they hadn’t scrambled the president’s own chopper for her and Ian.

“Same unit. Same birds. Not tasked to POTUS today, however.”

POTUS—President of the United States. Whoa. A short set of steps folded down just behind the cockpit and she and Ian jogged over to them. Intellectually, she understood that she didn’t have to duck under the rotors well over her head, but she did, anyway. A Marine with practically no hair and more bulging muscles than ought to be legal gave them a fast safety briefing she didn’t hear a word of. The bird lifted off and swooped away to the south toward Andrews Air Force Base.

She leaned back in the comfortable leather seat. Finally. A second to breathe. All of this was moving so fast.

“So. Care to tell me why you bailed out on me this morning?” Ian asked without warning.

She glanced forward in alarm at the Marine sitting just behind the cockpit.

“Oh, please. Those guys hear all kinds of classified dirt. Nothing we talk about is going to shock them or leave this aircraft. They’re professionals.”

He might be right, but she still didn’t want to talk about it. “I already told you. We can’t do that on the job.”

“We damned well can, now. It’s part of our cover to be married. Hell, it’s practically required for this job.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “The general already treats me like a glorified receptionist and coffee fetcher. I can’t afford to do anything to ruin what little credibility I’ve got with him and the other brass.”

Ian frowned. “He doesn’t know you. You’re an outsider. If he’s standoffish, it has nothing to do with your gender. He’s just cautious with people he doesn’t know well.”

“Still. This is the first high-profile op I’ve worked. I have to make a good impression.”

“The general sent you out with me. You already made a good impression or you’d have been sidelined. You brought in the evidence from Abahdi’s lab, after all. I made sure you got full credit for that.”

She heard the words, but she didn’t believe them. Ian was blowing sunshine up her butt because he wanted her to sleep with him. Her expression hardened.

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