The Vigilante's Lover: A Romantic Suspense Thriller (The Vigilantes Book 1) by Annie Winters, Tony West

wonder. The data screens clearly showed they lost track of me after my escape from Ridley. Do they know the car is mine? Or is this man simply trying to throw me off guard?
    I give him a grunt of acknowledgment. “So who are you, then?”
    “Alan Carter, head of this syndicate.”
    “A contemporary of mine, then,” I say, keeping my voice pleasant. “Can’t say I ever made the trip out here before.”
    “Indeed.” Carter’s tone is haughty, tinged with suspicion. “It’s been my experience that those on the coasts only talk to us when they want something.”
    “My needs are quite simple, I assure you.”
    He stops and studies my face for a moment. I give him a small yet warm smile.
    “Are they now.” It’s a statement, not a question. His eyes are cold.
    Carter moves on, and the guard gives me a firm push to keep moving, as if I’m a common criminal. This does not bode well for how quickly I might be cleared of my charges.
    We walk the hall in silence until we reach an actual silo that once housed a nuclear missile. A few vintage posters are framed and hang on the wall. “Ready to launch at a moment’s notice!” reads one, sporting a rocket with a smiling face. Another shows a soldier holding a missile and says, “Defend our freedom from the Reds!”
    I’ve been in similar silos in the old Soviet Union. It’s amusing to see almost identical posters there, pointing to America as the bad guys.
    Now the silo holds multiple floors with a central open atrium. On each floor are desks and glass screens displaying a dizzying array of information. I spot one collection of screens all tuned to different news broadcasts from the national outlets. Pop-ups appear frequently, pointing out locations and threat analyses of the information. Additional information scrolls along the bottom.
    This is the nerve center, where the syndicate collates all the information coming in the countless feeds, sifting through it and parceling it out for later analysis. What I wouldn’t give for a few minutes at one of the terminals to try to locate Klaus. Sam and Colette found nothing on their own, but they were limited by the necessity of avoiding any association with me. There would be so much more information here.
    Carter has other ideas, though. He leads me down several levels and along another hallway before stopping at a door. A scanner runs a beam over Carter and the door opens. The three of us enter a spartan room with only a white table and two chairs. The plain walls enhance the harsh lighting. In the middle of the table is a small black dome. It is the only thing in the room that is not white.
    Carter motions for me to sit in the chair on the far side of the table. He settles opposite me. A guard stands near the door, staring impassively. Occasionally his eyes flit between me and Carter.
    I’ve been in interrogation rooms before, but not on this side of the table. I fold my hands on the cool surface and say nothing. Eventually Carter pulls out a tablet and scrolls through information. He frowns several times, then puts it down with a sigh. The screen winks out before I can see what it says.
    “Trespassing, unauthorized access of syndicate systems, attempted bribery, assault and battery of a civilian police officer, and murder of a fellow Vigilante,” he says. “Not to mention escape from an authorized penitentiary. How again were you thinking to prove your innocence when none of this is in dispute? Of which of these crimes do you claim innocence, Mr. De Luca?”
    “None of them.” I spread my hands. “They’re all true.” I hesitate. “Except the bribery. I was just paying a hooker.”
    Carter’s eyes narrow. “This is not amusing. You don’t seem to understand your position.”
    I put my hands on the desk and lean forward, staring hard at Carter. “I need to speak with Sutherland.” Sutherland is the head of the American syndicate. He presides over all the regions, a position I was once in line to