Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
She tried a casual shrug and looked around for the water bottle. She’d set it on the side table, and it was too much of a stretch to reach it. “Sometimes I get strong feelings. I call them vibrations because I feel them that way. I’ve learned that I can trust my intuition. In this case, the feelings I get point to someone you talked to associating with the three men who attacked you, rather than their boss. I have no idea what you’re into, so I can’t help you any further than that.”
Zale’s dark, enigmatic gaze drifted over her face. She had the feeling he could look right into her and see every hidden secret she had in her soul. “You already hold our lives in your hands, Vienna. You know we’re here undercover. You know we were attacked outside the hotel. You allowed us into your suite. If I didn’t get all the cameras, and someone managed to get footage of us, and somehow security saw us at your door, you could be compromised.”
She waited while he weighed the risks of telling her more. At first, she hadn’t wanted to know, because that would only tie them together further. But now, when she was contemplating gambling her heart all over again because yes, she was that big of a risk-taker, she wanted to know how much trouble he was in and what she could do to help.
“In a nutshell, we’ve had two agents disappear. The owner of the hotel, Daniel Wallin, contacted our employer over a year ago and reported there had been two attempts on his life. He wanted to know who was behind them and he wanted a personal protector from our agency. He had his own security, but he wanted one of our men added. Our agent disappeared. No one was supposed to know who he was or where he came from. He would never have talked to any of the other security guards around Wallin.”
Vienna’s stomach knotted. She didn’t like the sound of what Zale was telling her. “How did Wallin communicate his request for help, do you know? Was it through a secretary? Was it private?”
“All communication was private. Wallin to our boss. No one else was privy to his request other than Wallin’s friend, who is a personal friend of our boss and was able to get Wallin an introduction. A second agent was sent to look for the first and to cover Wallin. He disappeared within two weeks of his arrival. He was experienced, Vienna. Not years of experience, but he knew what he was doing.”
Icy fingers of dread crept down her spine. That same boss had sent Zale to investigate. She needed her bottle of water, and this time she stretched to get to it. Her throat felt dry. There was a lump almost too big to swallow.
“Our boss told Wallin he was going to launch a full-scale investigation. He was furious over losing two men, but he wasn’t including Wallin in his reports. He cut off contact. He didn’t agree to send more protection to Wallin. Rainier and I came to the hotel as guests, Rainier pretending to be a wealthy man who likes to gamble and has quite the hefty bank account. If he’s investigated, his background will hold up.”
Vienna cleared her throat. “He needs to learn to walk with a cane correctly. I spotted he had a fake injury immediately, but I can help him with that.”
“It’s not his usual assignment,” Zale said. “He practiced by watching tapes, although he is good at gambling and wins most of the time. That helps shore up our cover story.”
Vienna took a slow sip of water while she digested what he’d told her. “You were never part of Wallin’s security, and you never got close to him like the other two agents who disappeared did,” she mused aloud, the way she did when she had to think things over. “Your boss cut off contact with him—” She broke off and looked over at him, pressing her finger to the strange birthmark she had on her wrist—a perfect heart. “How did he get in touch with your boss? Computer? Phone? How would he even know about your boss? I wouldn’t. If it weren’t for Sam, I wouldn’t even know you existed.”
“I believe Wallin and his friend go way back. His friend and my boss were old friends. The mutual friend knew how to reach out to my boss using a code indicating trouble. From there, my boss was in touch with him, and that would have been on a line that would be fully secure.”
“The breakdown would have had to occur after the agent came to the hotel and joined the protection unit guarding Wallin,” she surmised.
Zale agreed with her. “I’m certain whoever is responsible for the disappearance of both agents is in Wallin’s personal security force. When our agent joined, he had to be vetted and allowed to be hired. Wallin vouched for him, so that would red-flag him to anyone that wanted Wallin dead.”