LITMIR.BIZ

      Joe held up his hands. “What do you mean ‘training’ me?” He replayed every discussion he could remember with Beverly from the past six weeks. “You came to the church after service one day and told me you were having a crisis of faith. You said you thought your classes would be useful to my ministry because—”

      “Ever since Kendra shut down the network, the Pirate has become a little neurotic with trust issues,” Beverly said.

      “You call it trust issues. I call it fear of being arrested,” Kendra said.

      Joe shook his head. “She’s trying to say I’ve been the middle man for her reports to the director of the NCS. I’ve delivered some flash drives to a dead drop at the hospital when I’m making my visiting rounds. It’s why she read me in about her undercover work with NCS.” But he never thought she was trying to train him for anything. She did offer him a lot of extra tutelage in her behavior analysis classes, but he thought she was simply passionate about the field of study.

      Beverly shook her head. “That’s not why I read you in, Joe. I told you about Kendra and Audrey because you were useful as an asset, not because I was having a crisis of faith.”

      The way Beverly said the last three words made him wonder if she’d ever believed or if she’d used his faith as a way to manipulate him into doing what she wanted.

      “I was aware of your analyst background and that you already knew Kendra,” she continued. “It was a long shot that Kendra would secure Audrey’s research without a mandate, although I hoped. I was preparing you as an asset to go help her. My class curriculum was geared toward what you’d need to know to stand up against Masked.”

      She’d only wanted to train him for a mission? Was that the real reason she’d wanted him in her classes? “And what if I say no?” He wasn’t a puppet.

      She crossed her arms and leaned back, a sure sign Beverly knew she had the upper hand. “Do I have to remind you who shot that man today? You have the freedom to say no, but you’d be putting your own life, that of your congregants, Kendra and I, and anyone else who gets near you, in danger if the Pirate isn’t stopped.”

      Joe’s stomach flipped. He hated the thought of taking a life, but he’d only done so to spare Kendra. Beverly knew as much. She was, after all, the expert in behavior analysis. She knew he wouldn’t stand for putting anyone in danger if he could help it.

      Beverly nodded, as if she saw the agreement on his face before he’d felt it. “Don’t trust anyone else in the FBI or any of the other law-enforcement agencies. There are ears everywhere. I have to disappear now. Please, do what I ask. If you fail, we’ll never get to finish this conversation.”

      “Because we’ll all be dead. Yes, we get the picture,” Joe stated.

      A beeping sounded from across the room. Beverly spun and walked to the computer against the wall and clicked on the monitor. “I apparently didn’t remove the gunman’s phone battery fast enough. They’ve already tracked it to here.” She groaned. “I’m getting too old for this.”

      “Are you sure they haven’t been tracking your phone?” Kendra asked.

      Beverly’s smile could only be described as condescending. She reached underneath the desk and pulled out a stuffed backpack. A hat and glasses were tossed Kendra’s way. “Put those on and get out of here. I’m assuming you have some covers prepared. Use them. Do you your best to keep your identity hidden.” She handed Joe a hat, along with a pack of three driver’s licenses, all with his photograph and fake names on them and a stack of Visa gift cards.

      He stared at his image. “You really have been preparing to send me.”

      “Keep her safe, Joe.”

      “I’ll do my best.” Despite the gnawing feeling that he’d been handled, he knew the right thing to do was help Kendra.

      “With all due respect, I’m the special agent. I’m pretty sure I’ll be keeping him safe,” Kendra snapped. Her cheeks flushed as if she’d just realized she’d spoken aloud.

      “I’ll let you two recount who saved who,” Beverly said. The monitor beeped again. Two cars on two different camera angles appeared on the screen. “Take the back exit now.”

      “What about you?” Kendra asked, her voice rising.

      “Worry about yourself. They’re coming. Go!”