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Because he didn’t have a choice, he stood, stooped to touch a kiss to her forehead, and followed Arrow out of the room and further down the hall to where Eagle had somehow managed to procure a room for them to use.
“How is Ms. Angeletti?” Eagle asked the second he entered the room.
It eased a little of his anxiety about leaving Lila to know that his boss’ first priority was her wellbeing. Add in the fact that the man had left behind his pregnant wife and little daughter to come over here to support them, and Surf knew he was lucky to work for a company that wasn’t just the best at what they did but also a big family.
“She’s stable and sleeping,” he replied, dropping into a chair and massaging his temples. He needed sleep too, but he wasn’t going to be able to rest until he knew Zara was in custody.
“We’ll get you back by her side as quickly as we can,” Eagle promised.
“It just sucks that we know she’s still out there. The woman is loaded, she could hide out anywhere in the world she wants to, and she won’t stop coming after us.” Surf rested his hands on the bed, which they were using as a makeshift table, and curled them into fists. He hated being helpless like this. Brought back memories of his childhood, the ordeal in Somalia, and all the times in the last week when he hadn’t known where Lila was or whether she was okay.
“We cut the head off the snake when we eliminated Kristoff,” Eagle reminded him, casting a glance at Domino whose face remained an impassive mask at the reminder of the brother he had killed.
“Lot of good it did,” Surf muttered. If anything, it had made things worse for him and his team.
“It did do a lot of good,” Eagle contradicted. “It sent Zara Duffy into a tailspin. She’s not acting rationally right now. She’s making mistakes and being sloppy.”
“Sloppiest thing she did was leave her husband alive and behind,” Bear said.
“She thought she could set it all up so we’d think it was him,” Mouse continued. “She took Lila to Ross’ mansion. She rented the other house where she took you two in his name and knew that the fact that Lila and Ross shared a dark history would make him look guilty of not just her death but ours as well. She was going to make it look like we were collateral damage in his quest to get back a woman he was obsessed with.”
“That’s what I mean,” Eagle said. “Finding out Lila had a link to Alpha Team made her act in haste. She concocted this scheme spur of the moment, took advantage of what she thought was an opening to get all of you, and pin this on her husband. But that’s not what happened.”
“She tipped her hand too early,” Bear agreed.
“Ross Duffy is singing like a canary,” Brick said. “Telling everything he knows. I think the guy honestly believes he is in love with Lila because as soon as he knew that Zara was out to get her, he turned on her.”
As much as he hated thinking about Lila’s rapist believing he was in love with her, at least that meant Ross was willing to tell them everything he knew.
Exhaustion weighed heavily on him, but he shoved it aside. Lila needed to know that she was safe. It was the only way she could even begin to process and work through everything that had happened to her. “What’s he saying?”
“Elaborated on what he already told us at the house, that the plan was for Zara to use Lila as bait to get the rest of us, but that he was supposed to get Lila for himself once we were dead,” Brick said. “I focused on getting details out of him about what Zara’s changed plans were.”
“And?” he prompted.
“And Ross said that she was ranting about being the puppet master, gaining control of the most powerful country in the world,” Brick continued.
Surf huffed out a frustrated breath. “We already knew that from Kristoff.”
Brick shot him a reassuring smile. “I wasn’t going to let you down, man. I may be the only one who doesn’t have a family to care about, but you guys are my family, and I love your women and kids as though they were my own. I didn’t stop until I got something we could use.”
Of all of them, Brick was a master of interrogation.
The man might be quiet, keep to himself, a closed book, but he had their backs and always did whatever it took to get them the intel they needed. Surf had seen the man do everything from seducing information out of women to inflicting the kind of pain no man could endure and keep his mouth shut.
When he nodded at his friend, Brick nodded back then continued. “Ross said Zara was carrying on about being the next First Lady.”
Eagle’s eyes grew round. “She’s targeting a presidential candidate.”
“Likely already has,” Brick agreed.
“Kristoff would have the money to fund a campaign,” Domino said thoughtfully.
“And I think it’s safe to say your brother wouldn’t have had any qualms about blackmailing someone into working with him,” Arrow added.
Domino nodded his agreement. “Kristoff would definitely get off on that.”
“He gathers information on a politician, then blackmails them into agreeing to his terms. Says he’ll keep quiet and fund their campaign, but they have to answer to him,” Mouse said.
