Page 62 of Deep Cover

“We’ve got a method and most of the supply chain mapped. What we don’t have is a name for who’s running this,” Command said.

Cannon turned to Rorke, his face closed. “What about that Pentagon satellite footage you promised?”

Without even acknowledging that Cannon had spoken, Rorke gave his report in a flat tone. Bill’s truck had been picked up approaching the area around Echo, but the satellite trail ended before it reached the base. Blackout installations were deliberately excluded from surveillance, exactly as they were supposed to be.

Which left them with a truck headed toward Echo and no way to prove it ever arrived.

Rivers listened, turning over the exchange between Cannon and Rorke with the same unease he’d been carrying for weeks.

He caught Rome’s eye across the table and saw the same wariness there. Everyone was waiting for whatever was about to blow.

“It doesn’t mean Bill was involved,” Caryssa said, cutting through his thoughts. “We have no way of knowing whether Echo was actually his destination.”

“As usual”—Doyle raked his fingers through his thinning hair—“this would be a hell of a lot easier if he were alive to question.”

Caryssa nodded, lips pulled tight in sympathy for her boss’s frustration, which they all shared. But if things in the world were easy, Blackout wouldn’t exist.

In a perfect, peaceful world, he and Caryssa never would have been torn apart.

Then again, they never would have found their way back to each other either.

Cannon turned his attention back to their guests on screen. “What of the wife?”

Doyle answered. “She was questioned, along with several members of Bill’s family. We’re confident no one knew anything about his side business, but we’re keeping an eye out for any odd moves from her. Money transfers, property being sold off. That kind of thing.”

Cannon spread his hands on the table. “There’s got to be a warehouse on the West Coast too. You don’t run an operation moving that much stolen inventory without storage. O, any other properties tied to Bill’s company name?”

O was already hunched over his laptop. “Working on it. But it’s not gonna be under his name. I’ve been running property records against every shell company. I’ll do another deep dive now.”

Cannon gave a bob of his head. “How long?”

“Depends how careful they were about the paper trail. Give me a few hours.”

“Once you find the West Coast warehouse, I want your team moving on it fast. Full extraction, full recovery.” Blackout Command paused a beat. “Lane.”

Caryssa’s spine straightened.

“Yes, sir.”

“Once we’ve got a location, your involvement on the ground ends. Blackout will secure the site. You’ll take custody of any evidence recovered and turn it over to the Bureau. After that, your work with us is done.”

Caryssa’s fingers twitched against the table, the only sign the order affected her.

The words Rivers had wanted to say in the kitchen suddenly had a deadline.

Not if she left. When.

And now the whole damn room knew it was coming.

The call wrapped a few minutes later. The team scattered, everyone finding somewhere else to be, the way they always did when the air in a room got too heavy.

Caryssa didn’t move. Coffee forgotten, her expression drawn tight, she stared at the now-dark screen as though it might still have more to tell her.

Rivers pushed back from the table. Instead of walking to the door, he crossed to stand beside her.

She didn’t look up as she spoke. “You were saying something. In the kitchen.”

His pulse kicked. “Ryss—”