killer trying to break into your Internet mail.”
“Which you do.”
She tried to hold on to her patience. “I don’t divulge FBI business. I don’t say anything personal that I would be uneasy about revealing. How was I to know that Santos would be monitoring—” She broke off. “But I suppose that clinches your argument. I didn’t know. I left myself exposed. I should cut off the e-mails.”
“No, I said we disagreed. I didn’t say that you should stop. Sometime, things that aren’t wise can be necessary for the soul. You have trouble reaching out, and this can be a healthy outlet for you. The chances of this happening again after we dispose of Santos is minimal.”
“Then I have your permission to continue?” she asked sarcastically. “How kind.” Then she added wearily, “But I believe I’d be afraid of reaching out again. I’ll have to think about it.” She changed the subject. “Is Erin there with you yet?”
“No, she’ll be arriving in about an hour.” He paused. “If the arrival was not so imminent, I would be tempted to come and join you in Virginia. I do not like the idea of the way matters are sorting themselves out. I thought you’d still be at your house in Louisville when I was finished here. You may need my brilliant and invaluable assistance.”
“We’ll struggle along.” She glanced at Sam and Luke in the rear seat. “I told you Sam is here, and so is Luke.” She added dryly, “And I’m sure Luke believes he can easily replace you. He informed me that you’d have no problem letting him go find Kelly.”
“Wise boy. You might have had a slight chance of getting him to not go with you if his friend had not been involved. But it was very slight. Do you have any idea where in the woods Kelly is hiking?”
“There’s a trail that goes by Jefferson Dam in the woods north of the school. Luke said she mentioned a dam that she passed on her hikes, and that one is a logical distance. Six miles. There’s another one to the south, but that’s over twenty miles from the campus. I called the special agent at the university who is searching for Kelly and told him to grab a couple more agents and get on the trail.” She paused. “But he talked to the girlfriend she spent the night with again, and she said that Kelly had left her camping gear in the garage and it was gone this morning. So she may be planning to camp out.”
“If she stops for the night, you might be able to find her more easily.”
“So will anyone else following her.”
“True.” He paused. “You’re truly concerned that she might be the next target?”
“I don’t know. Santos is clever, and he might have mentioned those e-mails to throw me off base or to torment me. It could be either one. And it certainly made me second-guess my list of possible targets. It could be anyone.”
“And therefore increase the torment. Still, I do not like your situation. Santos is feeling angry, and his nose is out of joint by the destruction of his helicopter and the removal of Nagoles. That could mean that he feels the need to outdo his former actions to regain self-respect. I may have to make adjustments to ensure that your safety is—”
“Do not come here,” she said flatly. “Take care of Erin.”
“You’ve not had any recent word from Cameron? He might be willing to take over for me here. After all, he considers Erin his responsibility.”
“I told you about my last contact with him. I wouldn’t have even known that he was alive and had taken down Nagoles if I hadn’t gotten that call from Santos.”
“You’re annoyed with Cameron.”
“Yes, he’s so used to working alone that he thinks it’s perfectly okay to leave me in the dark.”
“And the displeasure is mutual from what I gathered when he contacted me to find out what was happening with Erin and you. He also felt in the dark, and it did not go down well.”
“Too bad. I didn’t even know Erin was definitely in danger, and I had
“Which you do.”
She tried to hold on to her patience. “I don’t divulge FBI business. I don’t say anything personal that I would be uneasy about revealing. How was I to know that Santos would be monitoring—” She broke off. “But I suppose that clinches your argument. I didn’t know. I left myself exposed. I should cut off the e-mails.”
“No, I said we disagreed. I didn’t say that you should stop. Sometime, things that aren’t wise can be necessary for the soul. You have trouble reaching out, and this can be a healthy outlet for you. The chances of this happening again after we dispose of Santos is minimal.”
“Then I have your permission to continue?” she asked sarcastically. “How kind.” Then she added wearily, “But I believe I’d be afraid of reaching out again. I’ll have to think about it.” She changed the subject. “Is Erin there with you yet?”
“No, she’ll be arriving in about an hour.” He paused. “If the arrival was not so imminent, I would be tempted to come and join you in Virginia. I do not like the idea of the way matters are sorting themselves out. I thought you’d still be at your house in Louisville when I was finished here. You may need my brilliant and invaluable assistance.”
“We’ll struggle along.” She glanced at Sam and Luke in the rear seat. “I told you Sam is here, and so is Luke.” She added dryly, “And I’m sure Luke believes he can easily replace you. He informed me that you’d have no problem letting him go find Kelly.”
“Wise boy. You might have had a slight chance of getting him to not go with you if his friend had not been involved. But it was very slight. Do you have any idea where in the woods Kelly is hiking?”
“There’s a trail that goes by Jefferson Dam in the woods north of the school. Luke said she mentioned a dam that she passed on her hikes, and that one is a logical distance. Six miles. There’s another one to the south, but that’s over twenty miles from the campus. I called the special agent at the university who is searching for Kelly and told him to grab a couple more agents and get on the trail.” She paused. “But he talked to the girlfriend she spent the night with again, and she said that Kelly had left her camping gear in the garage and it was gone this morning. So she may be planning to camp out.”
“If she stops for the night, you might be able to find her more easily.”
“So will anyone else following her.”
“True.” He paused. “You’re truly concerned that she might be the next target?”
“I don’t know. Santos is clever, and he might have mentioned those e-mails to throw me off base or to torment me. It could be either one. And it certainly made me second-guess my list of possible targets. It could be anyone.”
“And therefore increase the torment. Still, I do not like your situation. Santos is feeling angry, and his nose is out of joint by the destruction of his helicopter and the removal of Nagoles. That could mean that he feels the need to outdo his former actions to regain self-respect. I may have to make adjustments to ensure that your safety is—”
“Do not come here,” she said flatly. “Take care of Erin.”
“You’ve not had any recent word from Cameron? He might be willing to take over for me here. After all, he considers Erin his responsibility.”
“I told you about my last contact with him. I wouldn’t have even known that he was alive and had taken down Nagoles if I hadn’t gotten that call from Santos.”
“You’re annoyed with Cameron.”
“Yes, he’s so used to working alone that he thinks it’s perfectly okay to leave me in the dark.”
“And the displeasure is mutual from what I gathered when he contacted me to find out what was happening with Erin and you. He also felt in the dark, and it did not go down well.”
“Too bad. I didn’t even know Erin was definitely in danger, and I had
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