Avery paused, nothing but an odd silence filling the space before she laughed. “Well, I’ll be damned. You’ve finally admitted it.”
Sloane groaned inwardly. Avery had a bad habit of looking for subtext where there wasn’t any, and she’d obviously played right into Avery’s hand. “I think you’ve been awake too long. You’re rambling.”
“Please. How long have we been best friends?”
“With how this conversation’s going? About five minutes too long.”
“The correct answer is forever and a day. And I recognize that dreamy tone in your voice when you talk about him. You’re hopelessly in love with the guy. Have been for months, but I’m glad you’re finally acknowledging it.” She drew a breath as if she needed the extra oxygen. “Admitting you have a problem is the first step.”
“Shut up. And the only tone is fear because another thirty minutes, and he would have died.”
“But he didn’t, because Nick Colter’s impossible to kill.”
“He’d like to think so.”
Another pause, then a creak. What sounded like Avery leaning back in her chair. “You know you’re more than my best friend, right?”
Sloane smiled. “Sisters ‘til the end.”
“So, believe me when I say, I don’t have an issue with Nick. In fact, meeting him on that joint case with Rowan, I can see why you’re hung up on the guy. He’s got this roguish, old-world charm, when he’s not being a complete ass.”
“Then why the eye roll? And you did. I heard it.”
“Let’s just say you two were never going to find a way to be lovers and CIA agents. But now that he’s part of Bodie’s squad…”
“Assuming Bodie doesn’t turf Nick’s ass. From what Nick’s told me, Raven’s Security is Bodie’s legacy. What kept the man sane after that IED nearly killed him. While I know he enjoys working part time for Greer at the sheriff’s station, this place…” Sloane sighed. “It’s his sanctuary and his motivation all in one. If this is connected to the CIA the way I think it is…”
It could taint everything Bodie had worked so hard to achieve. Put Nick’s teammates at risk.
Avery went silent for a few moments. “Speaking of the CIA…”
“Damn, you found something, didn’t you.”
It wasn’t a question, and Avery merely blew out a rough breath. “As much as I love talking about how lovesick you are over Nick, I’ve been rooting through the DHS system, and I found something. A national security letter draft that was created, then deleted just before the burn notice went live. I’m sending you a copy.”
Sloane’s computer dinged, the message popping up a second later.
Avery yawned, then continued. “As you can see, the letter targeted Raven’s Security for potential links to domestic paramilitary activity.”
Sloane nodded as she followed along. “It’s a classic ‘poison-the-well’ activity designed to isolate them from any federal help. Start stripping away their resources. What should have been sent as a prelude to the notice and would explain how that group got a jump on everyone today. Deleting it doesn’t make sense.” She paused, frowned. “I don’t see any indication of who sent it.”
“That’s because it was buried.”
Sloane waited, clearing her throat when Avery remained quiet. “And?”
“It was your boss, Sloane.”
Sloane pulled the phone away, looked at it as if she’d imagined the word, then placed it against her ear, again. “I’m sorry, who?”
“You heard me right — Deputy Director Cyrus Hill.”
“I…” She swallowed, nearly puked. Her boss had been behind the burn notice?
“I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Ask me again after I find something to crucify the bastard with. And I’ll start by scrubbing every damn mission Nick and I were on over the past few years because if Hill’s behind this, the reason’s in one of those files.”
“Won’t he know you’re poking around?”