“I’ll have the chili, side order of fries, and apple pie with ice cream.”
“Sure, right away.” Susie took a notepad from her pocket and jotted down the order, picked up the coffee pot, and wiggled back toward the kitchen.
Wolfe lifted his gray gaze and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “Now let’s cut the chit-chat and tell me why the hell I’m here.”
Mind reeling, Kane adopted a nonchalant pose and piled sugar into his coffee. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know, ninety-eight H.” Wolfe glanced casually around the room then brought his cold gaze back to Kane. “You must recognize my voice. I’ve been your handler at HQ for the last three years.”
Only three people on Earth knew Kane’s identity and location. Sure, his handler at HQ was one of them, but why the hell would HQ risk his cover by sending Wolfe to Black Rock Falls? Not easily drawn into a trap, Kane shrugged. “You are talking a load of crap, man. You on some crazy meds or something?”
“Nope.” Wolfe rubbed both large hands over his face. “I worked as a round-the-clock handler for you and three other agents during the time I cared for my wife until she died. The moment the funeral was over, three black SUVs rolled up and insisted I accompany them. Two agents drove off with my kids and another escorted me at gunpoint to a chopper. They secreted me in a military base. I underwent intensive training on police procedure, including Montana criminal and misdemeanor law. I have a degree in forensic science but I had to do a refresher course and apply for a license to practice here.” He rubbed his temples in slow circles. “I thought I’d kept fit until they put me through intensive physical and arms training. I had an idea they wanted to send me back into service but not to this flea on a dog’s back.” His attention shifted over Kane’s shoulder, and he cleared his throat. “The food is coming.”
Kane glanced behind him. Susie Hartwig was heading toward them, carrying a laden tray. Heart thumping against his ribs, he smiled at Wolfe in an attempt to keep the atmosphere casual. “I see, but what has all this got to do with me?”
“I’ll be straight back with a pot of coffee.” Suzie unloaded the tray and strolled back to the kitchen.
“I have no idea why I’m being forced to take a job as a deputy in a backwoods town, unless you put in a request to HQ for backup and I’m it. Although, I don’t know why the hell they picked me. I’m not an agent and I’ve been behind a desk for years. I don’t have your training.” Wolfe’s glare spoke volumes.
Not willing to give an inch, Kane let the man’s words percolate through his mind and waited for Susie to deliver the coffee pot. He ate a spoonful of chili and sighed in contentment then lifted his attention to Wolfe. “As a deputy, you will watch my back. It’s normal procedure.”
“Cut the crap, Dave.” Wolfe spit out the words. “I can give you information on the last three calls you made to me. The name of the man you suspected set the bomb that killed your wife. I won’t go into details. I know you sent a request to attend your own funeral. The next call was a background check on Sheriff Alton. Don’t worry, your cover isn’t compromised.”
“Really?”
Wolfe sipped his coffee, and his ice-gray eyes observed Kane over the rim of his cup. “You know damn well the line is secure. How else would I know?”
“Maybe you tortured some poor bastard to death for information.” Kane snorted. “There’s been a lot of that going around here lately.”
“That’s not my style.” Wolfe attacked his meal. “And before you ask, intel on Alton was way above even your security clearance. What I can tell you is the Department of Homeland Security has her file locked up like Fort Knox. I could hack it but the information wouldn’t be worth spending the rest of my life in federal prison.”
Not willing to trust anyone claiming to know him, Kane placed a plate over his bowl of chili to keep it warm and stood. “I’ll be back in five.” He walked out of Aunt Betty’s and strolled two doors down to the cellphone store.
After purchasing a burner phone, he punched in the number of his contact. When a stranger’s voice greeted him, he gave his code name and asked to speak to the chief of operations, code name Purple Sky. A familiar voice came down the line. He sighed in relief. “I’ll keep it short. Did you send a man by the name of Shane Wolfe to my location?”
“Affirmative.”
“Why?”
“I was informed Alton was recruiting more skilled deputies and we couldn’t risk an unknown quantity working alongside you. Wolfe is solid. You can trust him.”
Relief flooded over him and he relaxed. “I don’t trust too easy.”
“Does the name ‘Terabyte’ ring a bell?”
Oh yeah, he recognized the code name of his handler. The mysterious man at the end of the phone who had saved his life many times. “Yeah.”
“Same person. He is the only one in the loop we could trust. The rest of the world believes he is a desk jockey and retired to care for his wife. He has been unofficially retired for years. It’s not as if you are in witness protection or working undercover. Being off the grid makes you vulnerable and without the resources you used to rely on if compromised. We don’t intend for that to happen. Sheriff Alton needed boots on the ground and he’ll slide in under his own name without question.”
“Before I arrived here, you should have given me the heads-up on Alton. I recognized her as an agent the moment I dragged her out of a car wreck. Up until now, I wasn’t sure whose side she was on but had an idea she was in witness protection. I guess you don’t have plans to bring me up to speed?”
“Not exactly. I can tell you she has clearance and you can trust her. We didn’t give her a handler because it’s not necessary. Some years back, she brought down a major player, and she has enough information in her head to bring down a country. We need her safely tucked away where no one can find her. She was perfect for the job—no family ties.”
“Why send us all to the same location?”
“Black Rock Falls isn’t the most popular of towns. It’s hardly noticeable on the map but big enough to swallow you. Only two people know where you are now: the president and me.”
“Off the grid, huh? Really? HQ acted like I was finished, retired, and sent out to pasture. Does