Way of the Shadows (Shadow Agents 8)

“No one has seen Paula Quill in over twenty-four hours,” Mercer said.

“No one but Patrick,” Thomas said. “The time stamp on that image is six hours ago.”

Six hours. Time to live. Time to die.

Her gaze slid toward the holding-room door.

“He told Aaron that he’d lead us to Paula.” Mercer paused. “No, he said he’d lead you to her, Agent Evers.”

“That’s not happening!” Thomas snapped. “No way is Noelle going out in the wilderness with that guy!”

“Yes, well, I figured you’d say that, Anthony.” Mercer started to pace. “If the woman is out there, we need the search dogs. We need to patrol the area and find—”

“The area is too big. He left her out there to die.” Noelle’s voice was certain. She turned back to face Mercer. “He knew we were closing in. He wanted leverage.” No wonder he’d been so willing to sacrifice the other women. He’d had a backup plan all along. His ace in case he was captured. “Paula Quill is that leverage. If we don’t agree to go after her, then Paula is dead.”

Mercer shook his head. “The EOD—”

Noelle’s hand lifted. “Doesn’t negotiate. Right. I’ve heard the spiel before.” She pulled in a deep breath. “But I’m not EOD, not any longer. I got fired, remember? Now I’m ba

ck to being plain old FBI.”

Mercer studied her, his eyes narrowed.

“I’m not letting a woman die on my watch.”

Thomas surged toward her. “He sets traps. You know his game. And you’re just going to walk out with him—”

She laughed. “No, we are.” Because if Patrick had said he’d only take her to find Paula, then she knew exactly what he intended to do. “Patrick Porter wants me dead. I was the first victim who got away. He wants me out there, where he’s in control. He wants to kill me because I’m the one who came back and destroyed everything for him.”

A muscle flexed in Thomas’s jaw. “I’m not letting that happen.”

Right. She nodded. “I knew I could count on you.”

His brows shot up.

“You come with us. You watch my back. I’ll watch yours. We’ll get Paula out—”

“How do you know the guy will even lead you to her?” Mercer demanded as his words cut through hers.

Noelle had to shrug. “He wants me to see what he can do. It’s all a game to him.”

But he wasn’t going to win the game. She was. No matter what she had to do, she’d beat him.

She headed toward the holding room. Mercer caught her arm. “He said that Paula Quill was working with the senator. That she helped gather intel and plan hits on the senator’s targets.”

Her eyes widened. Paula isn’t just an innocent victim. “And you think she was tied to the attack on the EOD.”

“She’s a person of interest.” His lips tightened into a thin line. “I need her brought in alive.”

Because Mercer still wanted to know why the EOD had been set up for the attack in the first place.

“You’ve both got current tracking devices?” Mercer asked, frowning at them.

At the EOD, all agents had small devices implanted just beneath the skin. If his agents were taken by the enemy, Mercer wanted to be able to make certain they were rescued, no matter where they went.

Thomas nodded. So did Noelle. She’d gotten her chip right after she’d started in her liaison role.

Mercer’s attention shifted to Thomas. “Never let her out of your sight.”