Grief pulled
at him, but Mercer pushed the memories away. “You’ve been briefed on the situation with Dr. Jamison?”
He couldn’t bring in a full force of agents on this case. The more people who knew, the more potential for word to spread about his “daughter”—and that couldn’t happen.
He’d already sent a message to Cale Lane, his real daughter’s husband. The agent was on high alert, and he had strict orders to keep Cassidy out of the U.S. until this nightmare was over. Cale also had orders not to tell Cassidy what was happening. If she thought that someone else was being risked in her place...
Cassidy would be back here in an instant.
He didn’t want her in that kind of danger. He’d begun the whole ruse with Rachel Mancini to protect Cassidy.
The plan had been for Rachel to draw out his enemies—in particular, Devast. The agents would have taken Devast down, and Mercer’s “daughter” would have died in the cross fire. They’d arranged to stage Rachel’s death so perfectly.
With that fake death, the hunt for his daughter would have ended. Cassidy would have been safe to live a normal life. A life she’d never had before.
But now that perfect plan was in ashes.
“I have been briefed, sir,” Cooper replied.
Mercer’s gaze slid to him. “Dr. Jamison has volunteered to assist in the rest of the investigation. She wants to help us catch the man behind her abduction.”
“Anton Devast,” Cooper said. His blue stare drifted to the grave—and to the name on the headstone.
Jonathan Devast.
“Devast is a very dangerous, unpredictable man.” Mercer cocked his head as he studied Cooper. “You’re rather unpredictable, too.” A point that had almost kept the man out of the EOD.
Cooper Marshall was an ex-U.S. Air Force Pararescueman. He jumped into danger any chance he could get. Literally.
A faint smile lifted Cooper’s lips. “Yes, sir, I’ve been told that I am.”
They were alone in the graveyard. No eyes. No ears. “You’ve been on a mission in Afghanistan for the past seven months.” Mercer exhaled a slow breath. “And I have someone who has been in my agency, someone who has been selling secrets, straight to Devast. Since I personally sent the plane to pick you up on your mission—”
“You think I’m not the traitor.”
“I know you’re not.” He knew every single secret that Cooper Marshall possessed. He should. The man was family.
Some secrets, Cooper didn’t even know.
“So you want me to go in and join the others who are already on point,” Cooper began.
Mercer shook his head. “No, I don’t want you making any contact with the other agents.”
Cooper’s blond brows rose. The sunlight glinted off his hair. Not as golden as my Cassidy’s. Much darker.
Cooper cleared his throat. “Sorry. I’m a little confused. If I’m not to join the team, then just what is my assignment?”
“To make sure you’re not seen. To follow Tina Jamison. To keep your eyes on her and to report to me anything or anyone that threatens her.”
“And the agents with her— What, you don’t trust them? You think one of them could be the traitor?”
He wanted to trust them. On paper, Drew Lancaster, Rachel Mancini and Dylan Foxx were all good agents.
But somewhere in the EOD, there was an agent who was selling him out.
So, yes, he wanted to trust them, but he’d learned long ago that he didn’t always get what he wanted. And he wouldn’t put Tina’s life in jeopardy. “Money can tempt a man to do just about anything in this world.” The right offer, to the right man... “This isn’t the first time that one of the EOD’s own has turned.” Not the first time and, unfortunately, not the last. When you moved in the circles that he did, betrayal was a fact of life.
It was a fact that had killed his wife.