Nemesis (FBI Thriller 19)

Then, “Talk to me. Did Nasim tell you everything he knew? Don’t leave anything out, Sherlock.”

“Nasim gave me a couple names, including someone with a moniker, the Strategist. He confirmed contacts with the imam Ali Hädi ibn Mirza in London, but nothing definite yet that connects the imam to the attempted blowing up of Saint Pat’s.” She told him exactly what Nasim said, and exactly what happened, except that she’d almost died. Dillon was quiet when she finished. “You did well. It’s a good start. I’m sorry about Conklin. So how did they find the safe house?”

She could hear his brain working, sifting through what she’d told him, and she kept going, fast. She told him about the GPS she believed the ME would find in his body. She told him about the shooter who was in surgery. “Kelly—Agent Giusti—is waiting on a call identifying him.”

“You said Cal was shot because he was standing too close to Nasim. So where were you?”

Distraction time. “Close by, but really, I’m fine. Tell me, Dillon, what happened with Brakey Alcott and Dr. Hicks?”

The distraction worked. “It was as I thought, Dalco front and center. As you can imagine, Brakey Alcott is a mess. We’ve put a monitor on his ankle and Griffin took him home. He’s going to speak to the family, see what he can learn. It’s about all we can do, short of protective custody. I’m going to have to lay the facts out to our lawyers soon, see what they say. After they stop rolling their eyes.

“It sounds like they don’t need you anymore. When are you coming home?”

Sherlock realized she was crying. She didn’t make a sound, wiped the tears off her cheeks. “Oh, Dillon, the whole deal at JFK—Nasim was supposed to sacrifice himself for his family and he was fully prepared to. He was brave, Dillon, he let himself be killed. I promised him I’d find his family. I have to do my best to keep that promise. We’ve got a lead, the name of a man who may be able to lead us to the family. And Kelly wants me here, wants both Cal and me involved.”

Savich tried to keep his voice emotionless, but he didn’t manage it. “Agent Giusti shouldn’t be using you. She knows very well the terrorists would be happy to see you as dead as Nasim. It wouldn’t be simple revenge for wrecking their plan at JFK, but a lot more than that. Killing you now would be a powerful message that they can eliminate anybody they choose, even you.”

She felt a slick of fear in her belly, tried to quash it, to keep it from making its way into her voice. What would he say if she told him everything? “They may want that, but Cal and I won’t let it happen. I don’t have a GPS embedded under my skin. They won’t get close. All I want now is to find Nasim’s family alive. Give Sean a big kiss for me, okay?”

She knew he didn’t like it, knew he wanted to argue. She wouldn’t like it either if he were the one sitting in the hospital in Colby, Long Island. After a long silence, he said, “Yes, you know I will.”

Her good-bye came flying out of her mouth. “You be careful, too, Dillon. Promise me you’ll be careful. I love you.”

“I love you more.” A pause, then, “Don’t ever forget, you’re my mate. Keep Cal upright, okay? Otherwise he won’t be any use to you.”

He’d called her his mate. His mate. She liked the sound of that. She wondered if he’d fly up here, but she knew he couldn’t, not yet. She had to remember to threaten Cal with mayhem if he dared mention that bullet.

As Sherlock walked back into the waiting room, Kelly’s cell buzzed. It was the point agent in Boston. Kelly’s heart speeded up. Please, please. She listened, felt her hope die, and punched off.

“What?” Cal asked her.

“The Boston Field Office followed up on a Hosni Rahal who lives in Plover, Massachusetts, and has a Syrian brother on the no-fly list. Agents scoured the house for evidence Nasim’s family might have been kept there, or any connection at all, but nada, zilch. The family appears to know nothing about any of this. In fact, Rahal claims he hadn’t spoken to his brother for two years.” She sighed. “At least that’s what he said. They looked at his passport. He hasn’t been out of the country in over five years. But that doesn’t mean much of anything. They’re going to keep him under surveillance.”

“Sit down before you fall over,” Cal said.

Kelly shook her head, leaned back against the pale green wall, not wanting to show any weakness, Cal thought. She stretched, trying, he knew, to keep herself upright and together.