going on? You two have something else to say?”
“Ah, Boss, sorry,” David stuttered. “I should have mentioned sooner. ICE is already involved. We ran into Agent Mei Xing when we checked on Chai Yenn yesterday. She’s assigned to the case.”
“Good. Work with her. Let me know what you find out. Anything else?”
“Not right now,” David replied.
“One last thing.” Alex stood. “I’m putting Todd Chandler full-time on the case with you. Put him to work. In the meantime, I’ll contact Interpol and see what they know about Huang.” With that final command given, he was out the door with Mother on his heels.
David didn’t move an inch. Neither did Zack. Working with Todd was a good thing. The kid had skills, some of them computer related. He was a good fit for the rapidly expanding operation. It was the other assignment that stuck in Zack’s throat. Work with Cruella de Vil? Just thinking of another confrontation with the snarky woman gave him a chill.
“You want to call her?” He turned to David. “I mean you are senior agent and all.”
Before he had a chance to answer, Mother peered back into the room. “Excuse me, David, but you have a visitor.”
And there she was, the ICE queen herself.
Zack jumped to his feet, a product of all the politeness trained into him from childhood and the Corps more than anything else. Agent Xing actually smiled when she entered the room. Okay, so it wasn’t a very happy smile, but it did crack her face a little bit. She politely shook hands although she still kept the contact brief, limp, and insincere.
He scanned her once from head to toe. She wore no wedding band, and why he noticed bugged him. He didn’t care about the uppity woman. Hell. She wasn’t even what he considered attractive. Her cheeks were gaunt, and her hair was pulled back tight enough to pull even the hint of a smile off her face. This chick’s wearing the same clothes as yesterday. What? Did she work all night?
“How’s the investigation going?” She placed her laptop on the table while she accepted the chair he’d offered.
“What investigation would that be?” Zack asked as he and David resumed their seats.
“Why, Agent Lennox, the investigation on Chai Yenn, of course.” She smiled again, which irked him more than when she was rude.
She wants something.
“Like I said, what investigation? The last time we met, you said you worked alone. Isn’t that what you heard, Agent Tao?”
David nodded, his index finger tapping his chin like he was thinking.
“You gentlemen must think I have a lot of nerve.” She didn’t appear fazed in the least.
“You think?” Zack pushed away from the table.
“I’m sorry. I acted badly at the hospital, but I’m here to offer the assistance and total cooperation of the entire Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.”
He caught the first tell. Federal agents used acronyms. They assumed everyone spoke their language. This woman was not who she pretended to be. He leaned back and looked closer. She’d also spoken her apology too quickly, as if they tasted bad on her tongue and she had to spit them out before she changed her mind. At least she had the good grace to lower her eyes. Long eyelashes fluttered against creamy cheeks. David might be right. She might be someone’s daughter after all. She’d almost bordered on feminine for a second there and, damn it anyway. Why’d he notice?
“I apologize.” She lifted her chin to look directly at him. Intelligent dark eyes caught him off balance, like she’d reached across the short distance between them and landed a good, hard sucker punch. She blinked once, and he had to think why he was angry with her. Oh yeah. This woman’s heartless. She’s trouble. Besides, the hag’s not good looking. Much.
Zack stood to leave. He had CIs to chat with. David could deal with her.
“I think it’s important we focus on who we’re really working for.” David spoke very quietly. “Both of our
“Ah, Boss, sorry,” David stuttered. “I should have mentioned sooner. ICE is already involved. We ran into Agent Mei Xing when we checked on Chai Yenn yesterday. She’s assigned to the case.”
“Good. Work with her. Let me know what you find out. Anything else?”
“Not right now,” David replied.
“One last thing.” Alex stood. “I’m putting Todd Chandler full-time on the case with you. Put him to work. In the meantime, I’ll contact Interpol and see what they know about Huang.” With that final command given, he was out the door with Mother on his heels.
David didn’t move an inch. Neither did Zack. Working with Todd was a good thing. The kid had skills, some of them computer related. He was a good fit for the rapidly expanding operation. It was the other assignment that stuck in Zack’s throat. Work with Cruella de Vil? Just thinking of another confrontation with the snarky woman gave him a chill.
“You want to call her?” He turned to David. “I mean you are senior agent and all.”
Before he had a chance to answer, Mother peered back into the room. “Excuse me, David, but you have a visitor.”
And there she was, the ICE queen herself.
Zack jumped to his feet, a product of all the politeness trained into him from childhood and the Corps more than anything else. Agent Xing actually smiled when she entered the room. Okay, so it wasn’t a very happy smile, but it did crack her face a little bit. She politely shook hands although she still kept the contact brief, limp, and insincere.
He scanned her once from head to toe. She wore no wedding band, and why he noticed bugged him. He didn’t care about the uppity woman. Hell. She wasn’t even what he considered attractive. Her cheeks were gaunt, and her hair was pulled back tight enough to pull even the hint of a smile off her face. This chick’s wearing the same clothes as yesterday. What? Did she work all night?
“How’s the investigation going?” She placed her laptop on the table while she accepted the chair he’d offered.
“What investigation would that be?” Zack asked as he and David resumed their seats.
“Why, Agent Lennox, the investigation on Chai Yenn, of course.” She smiled again, which irked him more than when she was rude.
She wants something.
“Like I said, what investigation? The last time we met, you said you worked alone. Isn’t that what you heard, Agent Tao?”
David nodded, his index finger tapping his chin like he was thinking.
“You gentlemen must think I have a lot of nerve.” She didn’t appear fazed in the least.
“You think?” Zack pushed away from the table.
“I’m sorry. I acted badly at the hospital, but I’m here to offer the assistance and total cooperation of the entire Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.”
He caught the first tell. Federal agents used acronyms. They assumed everyone spoke their language. This woman was not who she pretended to be. He leaned back and looked closer. She’d also spoken her apology too quickly, as if they tasted bad on her tongue and she had to spit them out before she changed her mind. At least she had the good grace to lower her eyes. Long eyelashes fluttered against creamy cheeks. David might be right. She might be someone’s daughter after all. She’d almost bordered on feminine for a second there and, damn it anyway. Why’d he notice?
“I apologize.” She lifted her chin to look directly at him. Intelligent dark eyes caught him off balance, like she’d reached across the short distance between them and landed a good, hard sucker punch. She blinked once, and he had to think why he was angry with her. Oh yeah. This woman’s heartless. She’s trouble. Besides, the hag’s not good looking. Much.
Zack stood to leave. He had CIs to chat with. David could deal with her.
“I think it’s important we focus on who we’re really working for.” David spoke very quietly. “Both of our
Similar Books
