The Wedding Trap (Second Service #1)(19)
Author: Adrienne Bell

Not here.

Oh, dear God.

Beth looked up from the floor. Her gaze locked with Alex’s.

“I think I know what this is about."

She relayed the story of what had happened earlier that morning. Alex stiffened as she told the details of the threat she had seen in his eyes. Agent Ryman listened with less attention.

“I was so upset after finding your gun this morning that I guess I forgot all about it,” she said. "I haven’t thought about it all day."

"You found Alex’s gun?” Agent Ryman asked incredulously, cracking a trace of a grin at Alex.

Alex brushed him off. "This man who was with Salvatore Munoz, did you get a good look at him?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. He was as close to me as Salvatore was."

"Do you think that you would recognize him if you saw him again?” Alex asked.

Beth nodded. That moment was etched in her mind. She recalled every second and sound of it. If she ever ran into that man again, she’d know.

“Can you give me a description?” Agent Ryman asked.

"White guy. Tall…ish, maybe six feet. Brown hair, cut above his ears. Late thirties, early forties. Brown eyes. He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt."

Alex and John shared a look, not a particularly happy one. She’d just described about a third of the hotel’s guests.

"Was there anything distinguishing about him at all?” Ryman asked.

Beth shook her head. “Not that I can remember,” she said. "Is he important?"

The men glanced at each other before looking back at her. She knew what they were doing—they were figuring out how much to tell her, and she didn’t like it one bit. She had spilled everything she knew, even when all she had wanted to do was curl up into a ball and hide under the bed for the next ten years.

"Tell me who he is," she said. "If my life is in danger, I deserve to know."

"The man you saw is the reason why I’m at this hotel,” Alex said after a long moment had passed.

“I thought you were here for Salvatore Munoz.”

“That’s why he’s here.” Alex inclined his head toward Agent Ryman. “I’m here to capture a CIA leak.”

“So, who is this guy?” she asked.

"We don’t know," Agent Ryman said.

"What do you mean you don’t know?"

"Around the time that we found out that Munoz would be traveling to the United States, we discovered a breach of classified information concerning the strategic oil reserves. We have reason to believe that someone working inside the CIA is looking to sell that information to the Venezuelans.”

“That must have been what I interrupted.”

“It makes sense,” Alex said. “They would have to meet face to face. A digital transmission would be too easy for us trace. Whoever this guy is, he knows that. He’s good at covering his tracks.”

Beth rounded the chair and sat down. She wasn’t frightened anymore. She was just tired.

“So, I’m the only one who can identify him?” she asked, deflating as reality sunk in.

“It looks that way,” Agent Ryman said.

“This guy you’re after, he’s not just going to give up, is he? He’s going to come after me again.”

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” Alex said. And she wanted to believe him. Dear God, she did. But, as usual, what she wanted and reality were two different things.

“I don’t see how you can. You can’t fight off every hit man in the world.”

“Actually—“ Agent Ryman started.

“And even if you could,” she broke in before she could hear any more scary revelations about Agent Alex Tanner. “I would never put you in that position.”

Beth looked down at the floor. It was far easier to face the wavy patterns in the carpet under her feet than the pained expression on Alex’s face.

“It’s my job,” he said.

She laughed without humor. “Of course, it is. I think I liked it better when I thought you were going to hold us all for ransom.”

"You thought I was going to hold you hostage?” Alex asked.

Beth shook her head. "It was just one of many theories I had running in my head."

"You thought this, and you weren’t going to try and stop me?" he asked, amused.

"It was pretty far down on the list. Mostly I just thought that you were going to rob the place."

"Yeah, that’s a lot better."

Beth shrugged. Things had seemed a whole lot easier when she’d woken up this morning. Back then she’d only been plagued by nightmares and existential dread. Those were the days.

"How bad would it be if the people Munoz works for got their hands on this information?" she asked.

"Bad," Agent Ryman answered. "There are those who could profit a great deal if something were to happen to our oil supply."

Beth nodded. A silence filled the room.

"So what happens now?"

"Now, you leave the hotel with John,” Alex said. “He’ll show you some pictures, and you see if you can pick out the man you saw.”

"Leave?" Beth said, looking up. "For how long?"

"For how ever long it takes for us to ensure your safety," he said.

"I can’t go. Isobel’s wedding is in two days.”

"It’s just a wedding, Beth. It isn’t worth your life."

Beth shook her head. "I can’t just disappear. What am I supposed to tell Isobel?”

"It doesn’t matter. Tell her you’re sick," he said.

"She’s never going to believe that. Especially if you’re still hanging around," she said. "Why don’t you go grab Isobel’s uncle, confiscate all his stuff and ship him out of the country?"

Ryman shook his head. "There are diplomatic issues."

"Diplomatic issues? Coming here to buy government secrets doesn’t qualify as a diplomatic issue?"

“I can’t do anything without proof," Agent Ryman said.

“Sending a hit man after a witness doesn’t qualify as proof?”

Agent Ryman sat back in his seat. He rolled his eyes toward the ceiling and drew in a long breath. Beth had the distinct feeling that he was a man who wasn’t used to anyone talking back to him. He looked over at Alex.

“We need to talk,” he said. “Alone.”

***

“We can’t take her out of this hotel."

"It’s not negotiable, John. I’m not putting her in any more danger," Alex said.