CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Pack fast,” Zale said. “Your flight leaves in two hours.”
“My 4Runner . . .” Stella protested.
“Will be driven back to your home. Sam’s got it covered. You can text him,” Rainier replied. “We’re not taking chances with any of you.”
“You think whoever shot Elsa was really trying to kill me,” Vienna said. “That’s why you were so fast to come after us.”
“I don’t know, Vienna,” Zale admitted. “But I’m not willing to take chances with your life. It’s best you’re back home, where this nutcase has to come onto your turf if he’s really after you.”
“Why would he be after Vienna?” Raine asked.
“Get packed,” Rainier interrupted. “We need everything out of here. For once, Raine, your people and my people agree. They want you gone and we’ll divide the cleaning work.”
Vienna had brought very little with her in the way of personal items, so it wasn’t that difficult to put everything into her pack when it came to clothes. Gear was another matter altogether. She’d brought hiking, climbing, kayaking, and biking gear. The women piled their packs near the front entrance in record time, going over their lists to ensure they didn’t leave anything behind.
Shabina and Harlow made them hot chocolate with whipped cream and they gathered in the living room together once they had everything ready to go.
“Have you heard how Elsa and the two brothers are doing?” Vienna asked Zale.
“Elsa is still in surgery. The brothers are both fine. The wounds were no more than superficial at best.”
Raine had her laptop out. She sat on the love seat seemingly caught up in what she was reading, but glanced up sharply when she heard the report. “That sounds deliberate to me. And as if the shooter is a marksman. He knew exactly what he was doing.”
Vienna’s heart sank. Raine’s assessment went along with what she’d been thinking. She looked to Zale, but he was wearing his stone face and didn’t comment.
“Raine, do you think Elsa was shot because I gave her my hat to wear? I put on a long-sleeved swim shirt and ball cap and she put on my wide-brimmed sun hat.” There was no way to keep her voice from trembling. She pressed her fingers over her lips. If Elsa died because she’d given her the hat, she would never be able to forgive herself.
“This isn’t your fault, Vienna. Even if the shooter was after you, it wouldn’t be your fault.” Raine frowned at the two men. “Do either of you have any thoughts on this?” Raine asked Rainier but looked at Zale.
When neither reacted, she sighed. “The problem with being an analyst is my brain won’t turn off. For instance, I couldn’t stop thinking about why two very experienced operatives would insist on remaining in roles that clearly had been blown. No operative would do that, not if they knew what they were doing, not unless they had a very good reason to want to remain in that hotel where anyone could be an enemy. Security had keys to the rooms. It just didn’t make sense.”
“You’re getting way off track, Raine,” Zale cautioned. “What we were doing at the hotel has nothing to do with what happened on the river.”
“Oh, but I think it does,” Raine contradicted.
Vienna wasn’t sure how the two were connected, but she had thought it odd that the two men had stayed at the hotel after their cover had been blown. It didn’t seem a reasonable thing for any experienced operative to do. She had let Zale convince her it was Rainier who was insisting on staying. Rainier, who was older and even more experienced. He wasn’t a man who lost his temper. He would pull out a gun and shoot someone but he would do it coldly. Why hadn’t the two men left?
“Vienna said she thought there was another agent in the hotel somewhere. One of yours.”
Vienna ducked her head. “I did. I’m sorry. I thought he might be a double agent trying to kill you both. I didn’t name him.” Now Zale would never trust her.
“How the hell would she know that?” Rainier demanded.
“Let’s not get off track here,” Raine said smoothly. “As much as I’m sure you both would prefer that. If another agent had the mission you claimed to have, what were you really doing there?”
Vienna froze, her breath catching in her throat. Where was Raine going with this?
“What we’re sent out on is not anyone’s business, and you more than anyone else know that, Raine,” Rainier cautioned. “You need to stop right there.”
Vienna moistened her lips. “Are you confirming that Raine was correct when she said you weren’t there to find out who was trying to kill Daniel Wallin? Or who had killed those agents?” She didn’t take her eyes from Zale. Pleading with him to deny what Raine was intimating.
“Are you certain you don’t want to do any talking?” Raine repeated to the two agents.
“I’m certain you shouldn’t divulge classified information.” Zale definitely sounded threatening.
“I have no intention of doing anything like that. I know better. I’ve discovered what the original bet between Daniel Wallin and Liam Gram was. I believe you both knew what that was all along.”
“Maybe you should talk to the two of us in private before you disclose any information that has the possibility of being classified to anyone else, Raine,” Rainier cautioned.
“Nothing I’ve uncovered involves secrets that have to do with the military,” Raine replied. “This has to do with Liam’s son. I’m certain you’re very aware of who he is and why Daniel Wallin wants him dead.” Raine lifted her gaze from her laptop screen and gave them both an accusatory glare. “You’ve had this information all along and could have disclosed it at any time. You simply chose not to.”
Neither man denied her statement. Vienna avoided Zale’s eyes when it was so obvious he wanted her to look at him. The women gathered around Raine and looked at her expectantly. She always came through for them. As tired as they were from the day on the river, as much packing as they had done, they wanted answers, especially Vienna. Vienna sat next to Raine when she scooted over to make room for her on the love seat.
“Liam Gram had one son, Elliot. Elliot never lived with Liam, and few people knew of him. He didn’t have Liam’s last name because Liam and his mother, Astrid Blom, had never married. The bet between Daniel Wallin and Liam Gram was for half of Wallin’s stock in the Northern Lights Hotel and Casino. That would give Liam thirty-seven-and-a-half percent, or equal the shares as Daniel. Daniel wouldn’t like that, nor would his grandfather. The entire point of allowing Daniel the seventy-five percent was to have a legal business the Bottaro family could still control. Angelo was a very shrewd man. No doubt he saw the handwriting on the wall and knew the Feds were going to be cracking down in Las Vegas. Daniel was making a fortune for them. The last thing they would want was for him to lose his shares to an outsider.”
“Wow, Daniel must have been very sure of himself to make a bet like that,” Harlow said.