and copied the names from her Task list to the top sheet of a square notepad. “Ella should show up at one of these spots in the next twenty-four hours. I wouldn’t put surveillance on them though. Donovan will spot it and then there’s no telling where he might dump her on his way out of town.”
Through the whole interaction, Stone stayed quiet. Was he embarrassed to have been caught with Torrison? If so, he didn’t show it. His body language and facial expressions never wavered. He was one hundred percent focused on Ella again. “Can we catch Donovan at the dedication?”
Betrayal burned inside her. Not the guilt kind like she’d experienced with the president a few hours ago. This was betrayal of another animal. An intimate one, which shocked and surprised her. How had Michael Stone gotten under her skin so fast?
But she knew the answer to that without hesitation. He’s such a family man.
Whether Torrison had been hiding out to prevent their affair from being discovered or because Stone wanted her to eavesdrop on his conversation with Brigit, she didn’t know. Bottom line, it didn’t matter. The sting of the betrayal was sharp with mean-spirited candor.
Forcing it away, she reminded herself a little girl’s well-being depended on her. The only real thing to worry about after that was the possibility Agent Torrison had told Director Stone about her rendezvous at the construction site with Tory.
If he did know, he seemed not to care enough to bring it up. Brigit decided to proceed likewise. “Donovan is probably the only person who knows where Ella is. You capture him and you’ll seal Ella’s fate.”
“He’ll use the information to cut a deal,” Torrison said.
Peter’s ability to compartmentalize his emotions and his actions as well as perpetuate the survival of an empty political formula spoke volumes about his personality.
A memory of their mother crying over returned books flashed through Brigit’s mind. “Peter Donovan doesn’t make deals,” she said with quiet authority. “If you capture him, Ella’s odds of dying will increase dramatically.”
The focused but still calm energy emanating from the deputy director changed in a heartbeat. His body tensed under his jacket, and rage, raw and powerful, glinted in his eyes. “You said he wouldn’t hurt her.”
Before Brigit could answer, a deep male voice spoke from behind her. “Guess my invitation to the party got lost in the mail.”
Torrison flinched. Stone shifted his rage back under an icy coolness. “Flynn,” he said. “We have a situation.”
Brigit studied the dark and dangerous-looking man in the doorway. Every hair on the back of her neck stood up. There was absolutely nothing neutral about this man. Anger radiated from his very pores. Controlled anger, but Brigit sensed he was struggling to keep it that way at the moment as he stared down Torrison. “I can see that.”
“Dr. Kent.” Torrison slid around the corner of the desk and motioned to the man. “This is my husband, Conrad Flynn. He’s CIA Director of Operations.”
Flynn ignored Brigit, venom pouring from his gaze as he switched it from Torrison to Stone. Her worst fear confirmed, Brigit took a step back, reining in the urge to flee the office. Julia’s husband was about to lose it, and she didn’t blame him one bit if her assumption about their affair was accurate.
Stone sat unfazed by Flynn’s nonverbal death threat, and Brigit instinctively relaxed. His body language told her she had nothing to fear as he spoke to Flynn. “Dr. Kent has brought some important information to me this morning about a small-time terrorist named Peter Donovan. He may be the person behind Ella’s kidnapping, and he may be planning to set off a bomb at today’s Cormac O’Bern ceremony.”
Flynn’s death glare lessened at the mention of Ella. In the next minute, it completely evaporated as Stone laid out the nuts and bolts of Donovan’s plans.
He glanced at Brigit with
Through the whole interaction, Stone stayed quiet. Was he embarrassed to have been caught with Torrison? If so, he didn’t show it. His body language and facial expressions never wavered. He was one hundred percent focused on Ella again. “Can we catch Donovan at the dedication?”
Betrayal burned inside her. Not the guilt kind like she’d experienced with the president a few hours ago. This was betrayal of another animal. An intimate one, which shocked and surprised her. How had Michael Stone gotten under her skin so fast?
But she knew the answer to that without hesitation. He’s such a family man.
Whether Torrison had been hiding out to prevent their affair from being discovered or because Stone wanted her to eavesdrop on his conversation with Brigit, she didn’t know. Bottom line, it didn’t matter. The sting of the betrayal was sharp with mean-spirited candor.
Forcing it away, she reminded herself a little girl’s well-being depended on her. The only real thing to worry about after that was the possibility Agent Torrison had told Director Stone about her rendezvous at the construction site with Tory.
If he did know, he seemed not to care enough to bring it up. Brigit decided to proceed likewise. “Donovan is probably the only person who knows where Ella is. You capture him and you’ll seal Ella’s fate.”
“He’ll use the information to cut a deal,” Torrison said.
Peter’s ability to compartmentalize his emotions and his actions as well as perpetuate the survival of an empty political formula spoke volumes about his personality.
A memory of their mother crying over returned books flashed through Brigit’s mind. “Peter Donovan doesn’t make deals,” she said with quiet authority. “If you capture him, Ella’s odds of dying will increase dramatically.”
The focused but still calm energy emanating from the deputy director changed in a heartbeat. His body tensed under his jacket, and rage, raw and powerful, glinted in his eyes. “You said he wouldn’t hurt her.”
Before Brigit could answer, a deep male voice spoke from behind her. “Guess my invitation to the party got lost in the mail.”
Torrison flinched. Stone shifted his rage back under an icy coolness. “Flynn,” he said. “We have a situation.”
Brigit studied the dark and dangerous-looking man in the doorway. Every hair on the back of her neck stood up. There was absolutely nothing neutral about this man. Anger radiated from his very pores. Controlled anger, but Brigit sensed he was struggling to keep it that way at the moment as he stared down Torrison. “I can see that.”
“Dr. Kent.” Torrison slid around the corner of the desk and motioned to the man. “This is my husband, Conrad Flynn. He’s CIA Director of Operations.”
Flynn ignored Brigit, venom pouring from his gaze as he switched it from Torrison to Stone. Her worst fear confirmed, Brigit took a step back, reining in the urge to flee the office. Julia’s husband was about to lose it, and she didn’t blame him one bit if her assumption about their affair was accurate.
Stone sat unfazed by Flynn’s nonverbal death threat, and Brigit instinctively relaxed. His body language told her she had nothing to fear as he spoke to Flynn. “Dr. Kent has brought some important information to me this morning about a small-time terrorist named Peter Donovan. He may be the person behind Ella’s kidnapping, and he may be planning to set off a bomb at today’s Cormac O’Bern ceremony.”
Flynn’s death glare lessened at the mention of Ella. In the next minute, it completely evaporated as Stone laid out the nuts and bolts of Donovan’s plans.
He glanced at Brigit with
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