As far as Garrett was concerned, Haley could complain all she wanted. He was getting her away from here, whether she liked it or not. He couldn’t take a chance on something happening to her. Not again.

“You can stay with Kate Stone, Brodie’s wife. She’s CIA. You’ll be safe and I won’t have to worry about you,” Garrett put his hands on her shoulders. “Honey, you’re a distraction and it’s too hard for me to do my job knowing you insist on putting yourself in harm’s way.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “I want you to understand that this is not up for debate. I refuse to let you get dragged into this mess. You been through enough.”

“Let me decide that,” Haley insisted. “I’ve been okay up to now. The only time I was in danger was when you weren’t around. That’s when they kidnapped me. Perhaps, if you’d been there, they wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

“I’m not going to argue with you.” Garrett turned as Brody walked into the room. He glanced over his shoulder at Haley. “This is settled.”

Frank stepped forward and grabbed Brody by the hand. “Good to see you again. I miss having your ugly mug around the office.”

Brody grinned. “I bet you do.” He looked around. “I wonder who’s solving all your cases now that your best agent is gone.”

“Hey now,” Tony gibed. “Since when did you become the best agent? I’m sure plenty of people disagree with that. I can think of a few right offhand.”

Frank pulled Brody closer and clapped him on the back. “Zoe misses you the most. It took her days to stop crying. She hated seeing you and Kate move away. You know you guys are like family to her.”

Brody shook his head. “Man, do I know that. I’m in the process of hiring my own assistant and am finding it nearly impossible. Takes a special kind of woman to do what Zoe does.”

Garrett, Tony, and Frank said in unison, “Here, here.”

Archuleta laughed. “Good luck.”

Brody sat on the edge of the couch and looked up at Frank. “So, what do we have so far?”

“Not much. We have no clue what El Hashem was planning,” Garrett said.

“I heard about the bombing at the airport in Baltimore. That was kind of a botched job.”

Garrett nodded, “Which is exactly why we think it was a distraction.”

Brody’s eyebrows shot up. “That makes sense. So what do we suspect the real target is?”

Tony stood in front of him and crossed his arms. “Maybe the president...it could even be Capitol Hill or the Pentagon.”

Brody stood. “But you’re pretty sure when it happens, it’ll be in this area?”

“And don’t forget,” Garrett added. “Nagi is a part of all of this. He’s back on American soil. We all know how dangerous he is.”

Frank rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I have a feeling this is going to get really ugly.”

Jim was thrilled beyond words when he saw the fancy car pull into his parking lot followed by a two-ton truck. They were finally here to get the guns and pay him one million dollars. What was better than that?

After he got the phone call, Jim had been working hard. So hard he was now dripping with sweat. After all, he’d had four bodies to hide, five if you counted the kid. He stashed them all in the back shed where he kept old parts from guns he could not repair. Then he had to clean up all the blood. Who knew murder could be so messy?

He still felt really bad about having to kill Clyde. They’d been friends for a long time, but he couldn’t chance the man screwing up this deal. At one time, he’d hoped his friend might go with him to Florida where they could deep-sea fish and look at pretty women to their hearts’ content.

Since getting rid of the Albanian, this deal meant one cool million dollars’ profit. Maybe he could ask Mindy, the girl at the bar. She could help him spend his million dollars. Lord, they could have a lot of fun. He was a practical man and knew he’d wind up in Florida all by himself. Once his money was gone, she’d take off to find her next sugar daddy.

He waved as the vehicle drew closer. He couldn’t wait to get all the illegal weapons off his property. If ATF had raided his business, he’d be spending most of the rest of his life behind bars. No one was legally allowed to have that much firepower, but a man had to do whatever it took to make a living, and that’s exactly what he was going to do.

The frickin’ raghead got out of the vehicle first. The one that had shown up at his apartment. That didn’t make him happy. He preferred to do business with Americans, but he’d take anybody’s money. A tall, well-dressed man stepped out of the other side of the vehicle. While Jim had talked to him on the phone several times he had never met the buyer.

Today was his lucky day.

Just to make sure, Jim patted his hip where he had his Colt forty-five. Any funny business and he’d add another two bodies to the heap, didn’t make no nevermind to him. This was live or die, and Jim planned on living the good life in Florida.

“Morning gents,” Jim said. “Glad to see you all out and about this morning.”

The American step forward. “Do you have everything we asked for?”

“Course I do. Everything you requested, from the AK-47s and ammo to the grenades and the launcher.” Jim rubbed the back of his neck. “Sure as hell wasn’t easy, but I have my ways.”

“I’d like to inspect the merchandise.”

Jim didn’t have a problem with that, he just didn’t want the guy to think that he could get away without paying him. “Sure, sure,” Jim motioned with his hand. “Right this way, gentlemen. The vault’s in my office.”

“You have an vault in your office big enough to hold everything I requested?” The American asked with a surprised expression.

“Sure do. Built it myself. Didn’t want anyone to go snooping around.”

They stepped into Jim’s office, and for the first time a weird feeling came over him. He was kind of embarrassed at the mess. No doubt, the clutter had to be a far cry from the American’s fancy office. Jim had stuff scattered all over. Guns, bullets, grease rags, cans of cleaning oil. It all lay around like discarded toys.

Jim turned around to face the two men. Up to this point, the Middle Eastern man had been quiet, too quiet to suit him. Jim pointed to his safe. It was huge. Several years ago, he’d done a complete remodel of his store, office, and storage. From the range, no one could tell exactly how big his office was. No one but him knew how big that vault really was, damned thing looked like a standard walk-in gun safe. Now, when the ATF came snooping around, they didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“You got the money? The whole million dollars?”

The well-dressed American nodded his head. “We made a deal, you can count on me.”

Jim was no fool, he been at this game too long, knew too many tricks, and didn’t believe a single living soul. “I’m going to need to see that cash.”

“And I want to see what I’m paying for.”

Jim stood his ground. “I ain’t opening that safe until I see the money.” Jim shook his head and wagged a finger at the men. “And before you go getting any ideas, I’m the only one who knows the combination.”

The Americans smiled slyly. “I can assure you, Mr. Douglas, we don’t plan to double cross you. I’m a businessman, I don’t welch on my deals.”

“I’m still going to need to see the money. And I’m going to count every last dime, because I’m no sucker. Old Jim Douglas been around a long time, and knows what we’re doing here is dangerous stuff. I ain’t about to be cheated. Now, you got the money?”

The businessman nodded to Nagi, who turned and walked toward the parked vehicle. Once Jim and the businessman were alone he looked over at him. “I like you, but I don’t trust them damn sand monkeys. And I sure as shit hope you’re not planning to blow anything up. I know a million dollars is a lot of money, but I don’t like to see people hurt.”

“Then why are you an arms dealer? People buying weapons on the black market use them to kill people. You can’t be holier-than-thou and run guns. It doesn’t work that way.”

Jim waved his hand. “Did I ask your opinion? Don’t tell me my business. All I want is my money so I can retire to Florida and put all this shit behind me.”

“You will get your money.”

Jim shook his head. “I have to be honest with you. If I’d known you had a bunch of ragheads involved in all this, I wouldn’t have gone for it. The simple truth is I don’t like ‘em and I don’t trust ‘em.”

Jim noticed the red creep up Mr. Fancypants’ neck to his face.

“Most people don’t. Others like you look at them with suspicion and doubts. You’re afraid of them, but they are flesh and blood. Nothing more.”

The other man returned, carrying a brown leather briefcase. He handed it to the American who, after wiping everything off the corner of Jim’s desk, placed it down and rolled the gold-tone combination lock. The hooks flipped up and the American opened the lid allowing Jim to see inside.

He’d never seen that much money in his whole life. And probably wouldn’t ever again. “I thought a million dollars would look bigger.” Jim glanced from the money to the businessman. “You sure it’s all there?”

The American nodded and stepped aside so that Jim could inspect the money more closely. Jim’s mouth watered as he ran his fingers lightly over the neatly stacked bills and inhaled the familiar scent of money.

He laughed, turned, and spun the dial on the vault. “There you are. Don’t ever say Jim Douglas doesn’t deliver.”

Then everything went black.

Janice called her boss, when he answered she said, “I think something big is going down tonight.”

“Yeah?” He asked. “Like what?”

“I don’t know. Preston didn’t talk to me today and he’s been gone since coming in and getting his briefcase. We both know it’s full of money. The question is where did he take it.”

“Illegal cash. Have you come any closer to finding out where it all came from?”

“Not even a hint. I’ve scoured everything. After he left this morning, I went into his office again and turned over every piece of paper. Whatever the man is hiding, it’s in his head. He doesn’t write anything down.”

“Okay, keep digging. Hopefully, we’ll come up with something soon. He still coming on to you like a horny dog?”

“Not this morning,” she muttered, confused and uncertain. “He was too preoccupied and that makes me worry. In the months I’ve been here, he’s never come through the door and not walked directly to my desk.”

“Could he be on to us?”

She shivered. God, she hoped not. She didn’t want to think what a man like Preston would do to her if he found out she was spying on him. “I can’t say for sure. He’s not himself this morning. I’ll know more when he returns.”

“Keep me posted.”

Janice looked across the room at Derek Stiles and decided to try a new tactic. She stood and moved slowly to his desk. He was Preston’s right-hand man. If anybody knew anything it was Derek. Now, the challenge would be to get him to open his mouth and tell her all his secrets.

As she approached, she studied the medium built man with his large square glasses and an obscene amount of freckles. The man would fade into the woodwork were it not for his bright red hair. He rarely spoke and never socialized. While some of the staff had gone for drinks after work, Derek never once joined them. He went home. At least that’s what he claimed. She tapped her finger to her bottom lip and wondered if he was gay.

Time to find out.

At the White House, the men had been going over strategy, tossing ideas around and hoping to shake something loose, when suddenly Garrett’s phone rang. He answered and heard Harrington’s voice on the other end. “What’s going on?” Garrett asked.

“All kinds a shit.”

Garrett waved his hand getting everyone’s attention. “I’m at the White House right now with the president, Frank, Tony, Brody and the head of the FBI. I’m putting you on speaker. Go.”

“The local police called and a couple of kids playing around a gun range came across something you’ll find pretty interesting.”

Frank stepped closer and leaned toward the phone. “Like what?”

“Hey, Frank,” Harrington greeted. “By the time we got here the place was crawling with everyone from the DEA to ATF. They got an anonymous call that the owner of the gun range, a Jim Douglas, had bought a large cache of weapons.”

“We’re listening.” Garrett held out the phone. “Go on.”

“It appears this Jim guy has a vault in his office that you could back a truck up into, and it appears that’s exactly what happened.”

Brody looked at Tony. “So far I’m not liking the sound of this. Harrington, does the ATF have any idea how many weapons we’re talking about?”

“They don’t have an exact number, but it’s considerable. I heard one agent say you could start a small war with what was in that safe.”

“Where is this Jim guy at,” Frank asked. “He able to be questioned?”

“That’s the other problem,” Harrington answered. “We found a pile of dead bodies.”

Garrett watched Haley’s eyes grow in size. “How many bodies are we talking about? Anyone we know?”

“We’re still trying to ID everyone. Jesus, there’s even a young kid with no ID. I’m guessing he may have been a clerk or someone who helped Jim out around the shop. Then there were about three Albanians. ATF says that’s who Douglas got the guns from. Do you remember an all-around bad guy named Clyde Stupas?”

“Yeah,” Garrett nodded. “I thought he was operating out of Pennsylvania. I know he’s wanted for murder in Buffalo.”

“Well someone saved the courts a lot of money because he’s dead. And we found Jim slumped over his desk with half his scull blown away.”

“Is there a connection between any of these people?”

“I don’t know,” Harrington said. “I’ve got Zoe running the dead through facial recognition. I will say the alphabet soup been pretty cooperative. Looks to me like Jim bought some guns on the black market. With this kind of set up, he had to have a pretty good buyer. I think the person who purchased the weapons showed up with the truck, found Jim alone, and killed him. Then they kept the money and took off with the guns”

No good could come from a bunch of yahoos driving around with a veritable arsenal. Also, he didn’t think Jim Douglas was even on the ATF’s radar. So, how did some no one contract a major arms deal? Who did he know? And who the hell drove off with a truckload of guns and god only knew what else, and what did they plan to do with them? He figured the Albanians supplied Douglas with the merchandise and probably came to collect their payment. Somewhere along the lines it all went south and people wound up dead.

“Still a lot of questions.”

Tony took the phone from Garrett’s hand. “Do you have an ID on the Albanians yet? Was one of them Sergio Malakoff?”

“Hold on, let me check my notes.”

Tony covered the speaker on the phone, and looked at Garrett. “I know a lot of those Albanians. There’s a serious faction of them in Baltimore. I know that guy. He runs the whole outfit. If he isn’t one of the bodies, he may have some information for us.”

Harrington came back on the line. He rattled off the names of the three Albanians and Sergio wasn’t one of them.

“Okay, Harrington,” Garrett said. “Keep us posted. And find out as much as you can about the truck that may be hauling those weapons.”

“I already have a man on it. One of the kids snooping around said it was a two-ton truck. White with no markings.”

“They identify anyone? Did they see anyone get killed?”

“No, thank God. They’re no more than fifteen years old, they don’t need to see something like that.”

“I agree.”

“They said they saw two men driving the truck and two more in a silver Lexus. This all happened about forty minutes ago.”

“And they couldn’t identify any of the men in the vehicles?” Frank asked.

“No. I managed to get them alone, so I could ask them myself. They didn’t see the people inside the vehicles because all the windows were tinted. I’ll continue working the scene and keep you updated. Out for now.”

Tony looked at Brody and slapped him on the arm. “Come on, let’s take a little trip to Baltimore and knock a few Albanian heads together.”

Brody laughed. “You going to the Damarcus Restaurant?”

“Yeah, Sergio’s going to be happy to see his old friend.”

Brody stopped. “Hey, didn’t you shoot off his little finger?”

“I did, but only after he stabbed me.” Tony tightened his jaw. “I should have killed him.”

“Maybe you’ll still get the chance.”

Tony chuckled. “I bet Sergio was hoping he’d live out the rest of his days and never lay eyes on me again.” He chuckled. “Surprise, surprise.”

Frank stepped up. “Now listen, you two. Get the information we need and report back as soon as you can. This is no time for fun and games. Understood?”

Tony tossed him a mock salute. “Yes, sir.”

Haley had taken all the machismo she could stand and she was going to scream if they kept bossing her around. She had no intention of being pawned off and hidden away in some damned CIA safehouse, wondering what the hell was going on. She didn’t care about the CIA or the Capitol police, or anyone else for that matter. She intended to be attached to Garrett’s hip.

“Listen Garrett, and listen good. I’m not leaving, and you can’t make me. If the president is safe, then I am too. Stop with the BS and let’s get on with what we have to do.”

“You don’t understand how dangerous this is. These men are here to probably kill the president. I wouldn’t say he was safe, yet. If you’re with Kate Stone, you’ll be safe. And that’s what I want; it’s what I need. I have a bad feeling that whatever they’re planning, it will all go down here. I don’t want you in the thick of things.”

“He’s right,” Frank’s expression was grim. “This is no place for you. No place for anyone unwilling to put their life on the line.”

She turned to Frank, her shoulders stiff. “I just want to be near him.” She pointed at Garrett. “I feel safer than running off to hide with somebody else.” She looked around. “This place is huge. There’s bound to be a hundred places I could hide.”

Garrett ran his hand through his hair, his frustration obvious. “That’s not the point. It’s very likely this could all go to hell. What if they do hit the White house and they kill the president? I don’t want to chance them taking you again or killing you outright. The best way I can protect you is to get you away from the White House. You have no other choice.”

She balled her fists and stamped her foot. “I’m not leaving. You can’t make me.”

“I can have you arrested,” he quipped with a teasing glint in his eyes. “You can cool your heels in a cell for a few hours. How would you like that?”

Stunned, she turned to Frank. “Can he do that?”

“I think he can.” Frank’s poker face was marred by a quirk of his lips. “Of course, once you’re released, you can file a formal complaint against him,” Frank looked at the president and smiled, “but I don’t think it’ll go very far.”

She had the distinct feeling Frank was verbally manhandling her. She understood they didn’t want anything to happen to her. Hell, she didn’t either, but she felt safest with Garrett. The thought of not being by his side petrified her and she was worried sick he’d be hurt or killed.

His well-being was just as important to her as her own. If possible, she’d like for them to both walk out of this alive. She sat on the sofa, folded her legs Indian style, and crossed her arms. “This is where I’m going to make my stand. If you want me to leave, you’re going to have to physically pick me up and carry me out of the room.”

“That might be fun,” Garrett chuckled. “I can throw you over my shoulder, caveman style.”

“You do that and it might be a very long time before you’re invited back into my bed.”