Page 24 of Only the Hunter

Noah Bennett, the guy I’ve worked closest with since joining this small outfit, offers answers that are clipped and efficient. No wasted syllables. Military habit.

Alicia Morgan’s case—the official reason I’m in DC—runs quietly in the background. No new risk identified.

“Martin, do you agree with Bennett’s assessment?” Hudson asks.

“Yes, sir,” I answer.

I haven’t observed any questionable presence while monitoring Morgan & Company’s DC office or when accompanying her to her New York office.

“I’ve got a feeler out to the DC police on Ms. Thompson’s vehicle,” Hudson says.

I nod, knowing he can see me.

“Rhodes MacMillan has asked to be kept abreast of any developments,” he continues.

“I met with him on Saturday,” I say. “Evie Thompson and I both did. He’s assisted her on cases occasionally. As an update to the team, Evie Thompson is a childhood acquaintance of mine. She’s an assistant US attorney in the Human Trafficking division. Her brakes failed last week. She reached out to MacMillan as the case she was working was dropped by the DOJ.” I hesitate, then add, “But she hasn’t dropped it. She’s specifically searching for a missing witness. Shared the information with MacMillan.”

“Daisy briefed me on that,” Quinn says.

“Daisy Jonas,” I say. “MacMillan mentioned her at lunch.”

“MacMillan hands over projects like this to her.” Quinn confirms. “There’s also an FBI contact of Evie’s that’s MIA. SSA Daniel Price.”

“He hasn’t responded to Evie’s emails,” I amend. Missing is an overreach.

“No, he’s actually off the grid. Leave of absence,” Quinn says, clipped and matter-of-fact.

Huh. That would explain why he hasn’t responded to Evie.

“You might want to give Evie a heads up,” Quinn says. “When she emails him, there’s a good chance someone is reading those emails.”

Of course, Quinn’s right. The questions are: Where is he? And why the leave of absence? I picture her office wall. The names. The photos.

“Gabriel, what’s your read on the situation?” Hudson asks. “Is a protective detail needed for Evie Thompson?”

“If resources aren’t a constraint⁠—”

“They aren’t,” Hudson states. He doesn’t share the budget. He states facts and expects the rest of us to adjust.

“She’s a prosecutor, not a witness,” Quinn says. “Protection could complicate her cases.”

While Quinn is correct, I sidestep her point. “Protection is a reasonable step but she won’t allow it. She’d be an unwilling subject and based on what I know of her, she’d use the law to block a detail.”

It’s a truth that’s hard to swallow.

The stone is now warm between my fingers. Like so many times before, the smooth surface soothes something deep inside, even as my thoughts refuse to slow.

If someone cut her brake line once, they’ll try again. Next time, they might not fail.

Evie Thompson won’t consent to protection. That doesn’t mean she won’t have it.

Chapter 7

Evie

“Whoa. You’re leaving? It’s not even eight.”

Shonda’s close to my side, backpack slung over one shoulder, heels clicking in time to mine.