The Double

“We need to stop it happening! We need to clear Konstantin’s name! The only way to do that is to find out who’s really behind it and that means….” I hesitated. “We’re going to need Konstantin’s help.”

Calahan’s face fell as he realized what I was suggesting. He grabbed my shoulders. “Are you fucking insane? Helping a prisoner escape: that’s not just your career over, that’s federal prison for the rest of your life!” He shook his head. “You can’t even be sure you’re right. What if he is guilty?”

He glared down at me, determined to make me change my mind. His hands were unconsciously squeezing my shoulders and I could feel that protective need rolling off him in waves, like all he wanted to do was pull me to his chest and wrap his arms around me.

I looked up into his eyes. “Sam,” I said, my voice shaky. “I love him. And I know that means I’m compromised. But it also means I know him. And he wouldn’t do this.”

He glared. This was about more than just wanting to protect a friend. There was jealousy in his eyes, too. I was asking him to put his career, even his freedom on the line, to help the other man. My stomach knotted. I hated asking him to do it, but there was no other way.

“Please,” I whispered. “I can’t do this without you.”

Calahan scowled and looked away, cursing. I held my breath….

“Fuck it,” said Calahan at last. “Carrie’s been trying to fire me for years. Might as well go out with a bang.” He sighed and met my eyes. “What’s the plan?”

60

Konstantin

TWO AGENTS were interrogating me—or trying to. They were playing good cop, bad cop while I stared at them, silent and impassive. In another few hours, it would all be over. A shot would be fired from a rifle and they’d put me in jail for a murder I had nothing to do with...but at least Hailey would be spared. She’d be able to continue at the FBI, a good person doing good work.

I didn’t hate her. I’d tried to but I couldn’t. She’d done what she thought was right and I could see how much it had hurt her.

At that moment, the door flew open. Hailey?! Even in her shapeless gray suit, she was so beautiful it hurt. She had a man with her, a big guy with stubble who looked like he’d slept at his desk. “Change of plan,” she announced to the two agents. “We’re taking the prisoner upstairs. Going to question him somewhere more civilized.”

“What?” Both agents stood up and the one who’d been playing bad cop got in her face. “That isn’t procedure! Does Carrie know about—”?

“It was her idea,” said Hailey coolly. “If you want to argue with her….”

The good cop agent backed down, but the bad cop one squared his shoulders. “I will,” he muttered. He marched out and the other agent hurried after him.

Hailey ran over to me. “Get up,” she told me. “We’re getting you out of here.”

I stood, blinking at her. It was only when the stubbled guy produced a handcuff key and my chains fell to the floor that I realized what was happening. Then I grabbed Hailey, lifted her into the air, and crushed her against my chest. “Golub,” I breathed.

“I’m sorry!” she said into my chest. “I’m sorry, I was wrong—”

“Sweet,” interrupted the stubbled guy, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “But we’ve got about three minutes until those guys get up to our boss’s office and discover they’ve been played. So unless you want us all to spend the rest of our lives in jail, move!”

I saw the anger in his eyes. He hates me. So why is he helping? Then I saw his gaze drop to my hands, where they stroked Hailey’s back. He glared at them as if he was trying to burn them off.

That’s why he was helping her. And that’s why he hated me. I felt jealousy stirring in my own chest, hot and possessive.

Hailey pushed back from me a little and saw what was going on. “Two minutes,” she said, her cheeks flushing red.

The guy gave me a curt nod and I nodded back. Later.

We ran. Out into the hallway. Up the stairs to the first floor. We slowed as we reached the crowded lobby: the alarm might be raised at any second, but if we walked too fast, it would arouse suspicion. I could glimpse daylight and freedom through the glass doors of the building, only thirty feet away.

“Isn’t that—Wait, is that Konstantin?!” a guard asked as we passed.

“Yep. Lawyers got him off on a technicality. Go figure,” Hailey told him, not slowing her pace. We were twenty feet from the doors. Fifteen—

A klaxon started to blare. All around us, the guards’ radios came to life. I heard lockdown and Konstantin and Hailey Akers and Agent Calahan