Page 72 of Under Fire in Big Sky

“Who’s the final target?”

He grinned. “Someone whose death will make a statement.”

“You promised to answer any question.”

“I have. I didn’t promise you’d like the answer.”

She smothered a useless sigh. “How long will you keep me here?”

“Tuesday, you’ll be released.”

Trapped for three days.

“I hope by then,” he added, “I can get you to see reason. To join this cause.” His gaze raked over her. “To join me.”

That was never going to happen. “If I don’t, why would you let me live, since I take it I’m the only one who knows your real identity?”

“I trust you, Olivia. That faith is sacred. If you betray me, that’d mean our friendship and my love for you means nothing. What do you think I’d do?” Staring at her, he seemed to see straight down to her soul. “How do you imagine I would make you pay?”

She swallowed around the cold lump in her throat. “You’d hurt Eli.”

Sean chuckled, the sound so coarse it sent a shiver to her heart. “I’d do far worse. The memory of him and your child would be all you’d have left of him.”

After cooking enough food to feed ten people, Eli set platters of flatbread pizzas and cookies on the table. Working in the kitchen with his hands had been just what he needed to push out the chaos and focus on everything clearly.

Autumn took a slice of pizza as Chance and Takoda joined them at the table.

“Did anything click into place for you?” she asked.

“Maybe.” Eli leaned back against the kitchen counter, choosing to stand. “But my theory is a little out there and it has holes.”

Chance sat. “Let’s hear it.”

“I think Autumn was right that Olivia would’ve tried to give me a clue about the reasoning behind her choice. I’ve racked my brain about the last day we spent together when I visited her. The only thing that stands out is our trip to the Raptor Refuge.”

“What about it?” Takoda asked.

“Olivia’s code name at Aegis is Kestrel. A bird of prey. Like the raptors.”

Chance took a cookie. “Are all the code names for the clandestine operatives at Aegis birds of prey?”

“Yeah. So, that was the first clue that this is somehow tied to Aegis beyond Olivia’s involvement. Also, Shepherd left the note asking for the Aegis NOC list. It’s not a coincidence.”

“But how do you think it’s related?” Autumn asked.

Rubbing his jaw, Eli was reluctant to voice his thoughts. It sounded outlandish to him. They were probably going to think he had completely lost his grip on reality. “I told you guys that Olivia shouted something to me right before she got out of the harness.”

Autumn nodded. “Ree. Like free or three or something close to it.”

“What if it was osprey?”

“What’s osprey?” Takoda asked.

“A hawk,” Autumn said. “A bird of prey.”

“Osprey was also the code name for her former partner. Sean Gannon.”

“Isn’t he dead?” Chance asked.