Page 28 of Under Fire in Big Sky

They’d been in the car for ninety minutes, but according to the GPS they were close.

“All of that sounds like trouble,” Eli said. “A lot of powerful people would be willing to go to great lengths to ensure that evidence doesn’t see the light of day. It’s dangerous. I don’t like it.”

“Some of those powerful people are clients of Aegis, like Chip Whitney. I’ve signed a nondisclosure agreement. I couldn’t legally leak evidence that would harm the clients.” No matter how much she wanted to, and she did want to see those greedy titans of industry held accountable. Right along with the members of New Dawn Revolution. “But to bait them, to do it effectively, I need to know for certain whether the report was falsified and who paid to have it done.”

“What’s the name of the FWP officer who wrote the report?”

“Reggie Purdom.”

“I can have someone at Ironside look into it,” he said, “if you really need the information.”

Better to have it and not need it. “I do.”

“We’re here.” Eli pulled into a driveway of a one-story house and parked behind a nondescript, American-made sedan.

A typical Bu-car.

Sure enough, the driver’s door opened, and an agent, who looked to be a decade older than them, stepped out wearing his FBI windbreaker. He was average height, on the lean side, with salt-and-pepper hair and a trim mustache. Squinting against the sun, he eyed them.

“We better not keep him waiting,” she said.

“Hey, are you Lane or Adani with this guy?”

“I never use my real name out in the field.” None of the field operatives at ASIG did. Their work was risky. Exposing their true identity could make them targets or vulnerable to being compromised.

“Isn’t it illegal to give a false name to a law enforcement officer?”

It depended on the specific circumstances of the interaction, the state where it took place, and the nature of the alias itself. At Aegis, they were acrobatic artists when it came to walking legal high-wires. “Generally, only when being lawfully detained or arrested. Not the case here.”

She was well trained in staying within legal boundaries while still protecting any operation. In dire straits, Lauren had the means and connections to get one of her operatives out of a sticky situation.

They climbed out of the truck. She smoothed down her blazer, glad she’d packed jeans, slacks, and her tactical boots, to be ready for any eventuality.

“Special Agent Ricky Trujillo.” He offered his hand, and they shook.

“Olivia Lane with Aegis.”

“Eli Easton. Ironside Protection Services.”

“Let’s be clear from the get-go,” Trujillo said. “This is my case and I’m allowing you to sit in on this interview as a courtesy. A courtesy that I don’t think I should have to extend, but your boss and my boss had a little chitchat, and in the spirit of cooperation among intelligence professionals, here we are. Don’t step on my toes in there, or this experiment in cooperation will quickly sour. Got it?”

Even though Olivia wanted to roll her eyes, she smiled instead and decided to handle this exactly the way she’d been taught. “You’re in charge. Got it.”

Eli slid her a questioning glance.

Trujillo looked Eli over from his boots to his Stetson. “Am I going to have any trouble out of you, cowboy?”

“From me?” Eli chuckled. “I won’t be the problem.”

“Good.” Trujillo turned around and marched up the walkway of the house.

They followed behind him.

Eli leaned close to her. “You’re going to be the problem, though, aren’t you?” he whispered.

She elbowed him in his side. There was a distinct possibility. “Depends on his definition of cooperation.”

“What was that?” Trujillo stopped at the front door.