“What’s wrong?”
“We’re going to move Shultzon’s body.” She placed her finger to her lips and pointed up toward the ceiling. Was someone listening in? Fuck, had they somehow managed to breach the facility? Were they being listened to?
Sloane moved the armchair in the room next to Dex’s bed. Not an hour had passed before Sparks returned.
“The situation has been contained. The squares Dex noticed were listening devices. The source of the transmission is being located, though I doubt whoever planted these will actually be there.”
“Are you saying there was a security breach? Here?”
“It was Wolf. He knows of this facility. The devices were planted undoubtedly the moment he’d received payment for his contract.”
“Why would you use a facility Wolf knew about? That makes absolutely no—” Realization dawned on him. There was only one reason they would take such a risk. “You wanted to draw him out.”
“TIN can’t have a former operative running loose. He needs to be brought in.”
The speaker system came to life, and a voice with a throaty English accent spoke up.
“We both know that’s never going to happen, Sonya.”
Sloane frowned at Sparks. Was that who he thought it was? She folded her arms over her chest, confirming Sloane’s suspicions.
“Wolf.”
Wait. Dex had never mentioned the accent. Sloane glared up at the ceiling. “You son of a bitch! When I get my hands on you, I’m going to make you suffer for what you did to Dex.”
“Of course you are, Sloane,” Wolf replied, sounding amused. “How is our darling Dex? Quite the scare he gave us. Almost dying and all. Again. Such a resilient little bugger.”
“Why don’t you come in, and we’ll talk about it,” Sparks stated evenly.
Wolf let out a husky laugh. “Oh, hon. Please. By the way, you’re welcome.”
“For what?” Sparks asked, removing something from her pocket. It looked like a cell phone. She typed away at it.
“Why, for taking care of those pesky mercenaries coming for Shultzon. They were coming for him.”
Sparks paused, looking up at no one in particular. “Is that so?
“You have a traitor in your midst. The surveillance on your ceiling wasn’t mine, darling. I’m not that sloppy, but you knew that, didn’t you?”
Sparks continued to type as if nothing out of the ordinary were going on. Had she not heard what Wolf said? Did she not believe him? The guy was a certifiable asshole. Maybe he was lying.
“You see, Sloane. If there’s one thing TIN excels at it’s taking care of TIN. It was more concerned with bringing me in than it was with taking care of its asset. After all, they had everything they wanted from Shultzon. They believed I’d come for Dex, and they knew my ex-employers would come for me, thanks to the mole they planted. Two birds with one stone and all that. They thought they’d get me, and as a bonus capture the men who might provide information on my former employer.”
“Why did you kill Shultzon?” Sparks returned her phone to her pocket.
“Because they took me for a fool. You know how much I detest arrogance and incompetence. They betrayed my trust, so I took their precious scientist from them. They were planning a rescue mission. As if they had a bloody chance. Either way, why give them the opportunity? Think of it as a final ‘fuck you’ to my former employers. One of these days, Sonya, I do hope you get that rat infestation taken care of. I’d hate to see you end up like Tucker.”
“I will find you,” Sparks said calmly, her expression giving away nothing.
“Perhaps. Sloane, we’ll see each other again soon. Take care of your man. Oh, and you were right. TIN allowed me to take Dex. Ask Sonya. She was there.”
The room plunged into silence, and all at once, Sloane was across the room, slamming Sparks into the wall. “I fucking knew it!”
“Sloane, calm down.”
“Shut up! You let them torture him.” His Felid half roared, and Sparks’s pupils dilated. She lowered her head, her gaze never leaving his.
“Step. Away. Now.”