Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 146417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 732(@200wpm)___ 586(@250wpm)___ 488(@300wpm)
Stephanie Carter was a pretty woman with shoulder-length brown hair and big, kind eyes. She was a physician, one who still worked as a GP. The Garden had a plethora of medical professionals. “Well, you’re an epidemiologist, not a general practitioner. I brought my kit. Ezra, looks like you got hit.”
He’d been grazed. She’d checked it out in the car when they’d felt safe enough to sit up. While she’d been laid out on the back seat, Beck’s big body covering hers, she’d felt safe. She’d felt like he still loved her.
It was time to wake up and face the truth.
Beck took off his shirt. “It’s already stopped bleeding. I don’t think it needs stitches. Burned like hell though. Did Brody and Nick make it back all right?”
Steph opened the bag she’d been carrying and pulled out a first aid kit. “They’re both good, and I think this was exactly what they needed. They’ve been feeling so dad-like these days. It’s good to get the old adrenaline up over something that isn’t baby related.”
Her gut knotted. She hadn’t thought about the fact that Brody and Nick had kids. “I’m sorry I dragged them into this.”
“They wouldn’t have come along if they hadn’t wanted to.” Beck hopped on the stool that sat by the table. Damon had completely replenished this way station since they’d used it all those weeks before. He’d replaced the water and food and weapons they’d taken with them while they’d hid from British intelligence.
Now she would hide from her own agency.
“Well, please let them know how much I appreciate it.” She didn’t know when she would be able to repay them. Likely never. In fact, she might not be able to pay for anything. She hadn’t even thought about it. “I need a computer. I need to figure out if he froze my accounts.”
Walt nodded. “There’s an encrypted laptop on the table. I thought you might need it. It’s set to ping around the globe a couple of times to mask its location. Feel free to use it. You can take it with you, and I’ve also included several burner phones. Expect a call from Big Tag at some point. He’s in a crabby mood, by the way. But then he usually is.”
Steph flashed a smile as she dabbed at the burn mark on Beck’s left arm. “He’s quite charming when he wants to be. Though it’s super early back in the States, so I don’t think he’s going to turn the charm on. Maybe he’ll take a nap or something.”
She seriously doubted it. The good news was she would thank him, ask him for any updates he had, and then let him off the hook. It wasn’t Big Tag’s job to save her. She’d actually burned the man a couple of times, though she hadn’t meant to. She’d done it because it was her job.
She didn’t have one of those anymore.
She stepped up to the laptop. She would be able to tell a lot about what was going on based on whether or not she could get into her accounts.
“Tell me you still keep money stashed across the globe.” Beck winced as Steph applied a topical to his burn.
“Of course.” She had accounts and then she had shadow accounts, money stored in business accounts that couldn’t be traced back to her easily. Then there was the cash she had in various safes. “I’m sure Levi knows where most of my safe houses are. I don’t suppose I could sneak back into my London flat.”
“No,” Beck said with a frown. “I assure you he has someone watching it. He probably has for a long time. I’m surprised you would suggest it.”
“My e-reader is there.” A lot of things were there, and she would have to leave them all behind. All her ID, her phone, everything in her handbag was still in Levi’s hands. God, she should have killed that fucker but she’d had to use her only bullet to scare away the driver. “I was enjoying my book. I bet that asshole will shut down my account for that, too.”
She tried her main account, the one she was sure the Agency knew about.
Beck moved in behind her. He hadn’t bothered to put a shirt on. His cut chest was on display. “What’s the verdict?”
She gritted her teeth as the message came up. “This one’s frozen. I can assume most of them are.” She wanted to throw the laptop across the garage, but that wouldn’t help her. “Levi might want to do this quietly, but at least someone at the Agency knows. He couldn’t have frozen my accounts without permission.”
“Can you call the president?” Beck asked. “He put you on this mission in the first place.”
She wished it was that easy. “Yes, he did, privately. Technically the Agency doesn’t know I was working for POTUS. Realistically everyone knew, but as it’s been pointed out to me so recently, Hayes is only going to be in office for a few more months. Whatever’s going on, he won’t be around long enough to fix it.”