Free Undercover Texas by Robin Perini Page B

break it.”
    “You may have cost him his life.” Kent’s jaw pulsed with barely controlled fury. “He’s been compromised. And somehow we have to fix it.”
    He drummed his fingers over his forearm. Leona recognized the look. “You have a plan.”
    “Maybe. I need more intel before I commit. Interview Mahew. Find out who his contact is. We have to identify the leak, Leona. Hunter is too valuable an asset. I won’t lose him.”
    “Or his family,” Leona added.
    Miller nodded. “I want to know everything Mahew knows—and what he doesn’t realize he knows.”
    “And after?”
    “He’s murdered at least two innocent people. Do what you think is best.”
    With a swallow, Leona gave him a small nod and walked to the door leading from Kent’s office to the situation room. She turned back to her longtime colleague. They’d known each other since their training days. “Kent, I don’t like how this is going down. In fact, I don’t like much of anything that’s happened over the past month or so.”
    The general sank into his chair, for the first time showing a fatigue she’d never seen. They’d been through hell together. They’d lost too many men over the years. Was she getting too old for the business? Maybe after this thing with Hunter worked itself out, she’d retire with Chuck and move to the Bahamas. Sea, sand, surf, frosty beverages, no thinking and no terrorists chasing after the people she cared about.
    “We’ll fix this, Leona. We can plug the holes on this Titanic. ”
    “It may not stop the ship from sinking, Kent. You know that as well as I do.” She walked through the door, and the lock snicked closed behind her.
    A wall’s worth of monitors greeted her with a flurry of activity. Videos played from all around the globe. She made her way over to a Florida map and the newest addition to the team. Zane Westin had come in on Hunter’s recommendation. He stared at the screen and punched the keyboard in front of him. She’d find out soon enough how good he was. “What’s Mahew’s location?”
    A small red dot blinked in front of her. “Burn unit.”
    “Any other information?”
    “We’ve lost track of Graham. He landed at Eglin yesterday. An unidentified boat exploded off the Florida coast. It matches Hunter’s M.O.”
    Leona didn’t comment. She knew all of this. “What about the chatter? Any new indications popping up?”
    Zane frowned. “I don’t know why intel wasn’t picking up the signs before. Seems obvious to me. A bigwig scientist, Erin Jamison, was mentioned weeks ago.”
    Zane rattled off Erin’s impressive bio.
    “Current status?”
    The computer jockey’s expression grew grim. “She hasn’t been seen since leaving her office yesterday afternoon. Two bodies were recovered from her burned-up residence. The cops believe she and her one-year-old son died in an accidental gas explosion. It hasn’t hit the news yet.”
    Leona stared at Zane. “What do you think?”
    “I don’t buy it,” he said softly.
    Leona nodded. Hunter had been right. This guy was intuitive and smart. Or he was a fantastic plant.
    “Okay, Westin. Not bad. See if you can pinpoint the origin of the chatter.” Leona leaned down, her lips near the man’s ear. “And Westin” she whispered, “don’t give the information to anyone but me. Understood?”
    Zane’s gaze met hers. “Yes, ma’am. I understand.”
    Leona straightened. “I hope you do.”
    * * *
    E RIN PRESSED HER FINGERTIPS near the deepest wound on Clay’s back. She’d seen enough movies and television to know a bullet hole when she saw it. The projectile had torn through his flesh.
    This would have laid most people out. And yet he still functioned. His color had even improved.
    He shifted and tried to roll over.
    “Can’t you follow orders? Just this once?” The humidity clawed at her like a wet wool blanket, oppressive and stifling, not to mention that the dampness was a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. She pressed