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“Come on.” Trace’s voice rose. “You can’t be serious. You know undercover ops are pressure cookers. Our safety will be precarious at best. One mistake means a death sentence for both of us.”
“Hugo would be suspicious of another operative. Bridget might raise an eyebrow, but not his suspicions. She’s obviously not a trained fighter and less likely to be a threat.” His lips curved. “You’re dangerous enough for both of you.”
His hands fisted. “If something happens to me, Shadow won’t reach her in time. I can’t take that chance.”
Brent eyed Bridget a moment. “Are you willing to undergo training during the waiting period?”
“Yes.”
“No,” Trace protested. “It’s not enough time, Brent. You and I both know Hugo will jump at the bait when I throw my name out there for the job. We might have 48 hours, max, before Hugo brings me in for assessment. Bridget needs more time than we have to prepare.”
“Make the hours count.” Brent glanced at the rest of Shadow. “Give me a few minutes with Trace and Bridget. Restock your supplies and be ready to roll at a moment’s notice. You’ll have to move fast to be in position to protect Trace and Bridget when Hugo sets up the interview.”
Nico, Joe, Sam, and Ben left the room. Zane zipped around the conference table. “Stop by the comm center when you’re finished,” he told Trace before he left, shutting the door behind him.
“How can you authorize this?” Trace snapped, his gaze locked on his boss. “You wouldn’t put Rowan in this position. Why expect an employee who’s worked for you less than an hour to take this on?”
Brent’s eyes appeared more icy than normal. “You’re questioning my judgment?”
Trace scowled. “I’m questioning your sanity. This is a terrible plan.”
“I’ve been known to have a few bad plans in my time. This isn’t one of them. Bridget’s right. We need Ruth’s cooperation to free her. Hugo is the priority, Trace. Capture him if possible. If not, your job is to neutralize him, no matter the consequences. We’ll lose her if we have to take him down before we know where he hid her.”
“Why do you say that?” Bridget asked.
“Hugo’s men don’t have any reason to keep her alive. They’ll be more inclined to kill her and hide the body than set her free.”
“Isn’t there anything we can do to keep her alive?”
Trace kissed the back of her hand. “Find her before I’m forced to act against Hugo.” He turned to Brent. “You wanted to talk to us?”
“You questioned my judgment in using Bridget on this op.”
“Sorry.”
A snort. “No, you aren’t. The reason I chose to go along with her plan is she’s not on anyone’s radar. She doesn’t have a record or a social media profile that Zane has to erase to create a new background. Once the mission’s complete, he’ll eliminate her fake identity. We have bots tracking hits on her real name. So far, nothing. Hugo and his buddies aren’t interested in Bridget.”
Trace still didn’t like having Bridget in the middle of a dangerous operation. “Hugo must have seen a picture of her. He was in Bridget’s house. Pictures of the sisters and family decorated the walls.”
“As far as I know, Hugo had never been to the house before the day he kidnapped her,” Bridget said. “Ruth didn’t mention Hugo was in town. I wonder if she knew before he arrived on our doorstep.”
“We still don’t know if one of the men who saw you in Chile is now working for Hugo,” Trace pointed out.
“Fast change of employment and loyalty,” Brent said, his tone mild. “Especially considering Hugo is ridding himself of the old guard and forming his own ranks.”
“Shadow may have solved the problem of my recognition,” Bridget added. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the same men who attacked me were part of the team of thugs who chased you.”
Brent folded his arms across his chest. “Ask Veronica to work with Bridget. If Hugo noticed the family pictures, he wouldn’t have spent much time looking at them. A good disguise for Bridget should solve the problem.”
“Great. We’ll take care of how she looks. What about keeping her alive? How will we train her for that?”
Bridget cupped his cheek. “I trust you, Trace.”
And she thought that helped? What if her trust was misplaced? He couldn’t live with himself if he allowed her to do this and he lost her to one of Hugo’s thugs or bullets. Although he refused to admit as much to his boss or teammates, Bridget was special. Smart, funny, brave, everything he wanted in a woman. “I can’t guarantee your safety. A stray bullet could end your life as quickly as a deliberate one.”
“I’ll take that risk for you and Ruth.”
Stunned, he stared at her. “I can take care of myself.”
