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“Not as much time since Veronica and her husband were tortured down there,” Sam said. “Adam wants to minimize the risk of Veronica being recognized.”
Joe curled his hand around Sam’s. “They only work at night with Veronica in disguise. She’s so good her mother wouldn’t recognize her much less Veronica’s enemies.”
“Her husband isn’t worried he’ll be recognized?” Bridget asked.
Ben snorted. “Adam is a big, dangerous opponent with enough scars to scare little kids on the street. Only someone with a death wish would come after him.”
“He’d kill anyone who threatened his wife,” Nico added. “He’s a good man to have at your back.”
“Glad you think so.” Brent turned to Nico. “Walker’s team is on standby as your backup. They just returned from deployment.”
“Excellent. I’ll set up a meeting with Adam and Veronica. Maybe they have insights or resources we can tap to help track down Hugo.”
“Good.” Brent glanced at Zane. “On screen, Z.”
A moment later, the manuscript of an online conversation filled the large screen.
Trace frowned as he scanned the contents. Tango Man sought the services of a hitman, a long-term employment contract worth big bucks. A few people had responded. All but two had been rejected.
“This is a conversation between Hugo and several hit men for hire. Most of the respondents have been turned down.” Brent’s lip curled. “Their references didn’t check out.”
Trace eyed their boss. “Why are you showing us this?”
“You want to find Ruth fast?”
Ice water flowed through his veins. “Yes, sir.” He knew where this was going and didn’t like it one iota. He hated undercover assignments and had no idea how long the job would last. What about Bridget? Who would watch over her while he was gone?
“Apply with one of your aliases. Tell Zane which one you plan to use. He’ll beef up your background to better fit Hugo’s parameters.”
“Hugo is still looking for a hitman?” he hedged, praying the answer was no. He should have known better. Brent never wasted words.
“He rejected his last applicant fifteen minutes ago,” Zane said. “This is the perfect time to apply, Trace.”
Bridget’s hand covered Trace’s. He glanced at her, dreading the likely look of disgust in her eyes. What woman wanted a man going undercover as a hired killer? He’d pulled the trigger many times, but never for profit. Each time, he protected a teammate or completed a government-sanctioned mission with the end goal to save innocent lives. Going undercover as a hitman meant a high probability of being forced to kill at the command of a man determined to become a powerhouse in the world of weapons.
To his surprise, instead of censure, Bridget’s eyes were filled with fury. His heart sank. He’d known this was coming, no matter how perfect she seemed. Didn’t negate the hurt and disappointment that the only woman who fascinated him in the past five years was like the others.
“You’re going undercover?”
“That’s the only way this will work. Hugo has to believe I’m a ruthless killer for hire, eager to pull the trigger and end lives for a paycheck.”
“You’re going alone?”
“I always work alone.” His teammates would back him up, but he couldn’t take them undercover with him. Snipers generally worked alone.
Her grip on his arm tightened. Bridget turned to Brent. “Isn’t there another way?”
“How much do you love your sister?”
She scowled. “That’s not fair. You know I love Ruth or I wouldn’t have trekked to Chile to find her. I’m not willing to sacrifice Trace to get her back.”
Trace stared at her profile. What did that mean? Bridget’s words sounded as though she considered him more than an acquaintance.
“This is the most expedient method to find her,” Brent said. “Ruth is Hugo’s new toy. She’ll be close.”
“There’s no guarantee Hugo will meet with Trace. Wouldn’t he contact Trace by email about which person to target next?”
“Doesn’t work that way. Hugo will want a face-to-face meeting to gauge his interest, professionalism, and skill.”
