Tucker flicked a glance up at one of the security cameras in the matchbook-size, all-white room. The NSA agents hadn’t restrained him when bringing him to what they’d called a waiting room. With an armed guard inside, two outside and two security cameras—which seemed like overkill—he wasn’t going anywhere. Even if he did overpower his guards, which was a possibility given his training, he wouldn’t escape this building. Too many of the doors and elevators had biometric scanners for entry or exit.
He might be good, but he wasn’t that good.
They’d gone through so many layers of various security before arriving on one of the top floors. No one would tell him anything, other than he was just going to have to wait. But clearly Burkhart didn’t think he was going to go on a rampage or he’d have been locked down tighter.
He tried to think of anything but Karen. But that was impossible. The guys who’d picked them up had seemed concerned about her, but he still worried she might be in trouble for helping him. He also hadn’t liked how friendly Ortiz had seemed with Karen. Stupid, but there it was. She made him feel possessive and protective and that wasn’t changing any time soon.
Tucker straightened when the armed guard standing next to the door tilted his head to the side. It was slight, but he knew the guy had an earpiece in and was listening to someone, probably wasn’t even aware of the small movement he’d made. The man’s back suddenly went ramrod straight, his posture perfect.
Yep, Burkhart was on his way.
Less than two minutes later Wesley Burkhart strode into the room wearing a suit and looking every bit as powerful as Tucker had seen in pictures. With dark hair graying a bit at the temples, he had sharp green eyes and was clearly fit under his black suit. He moved like a true military man as he dismissed the guard. Considering his job, his former military service was public knowledge, so Tucker would have known the guy had been in the Navy even if he hadn’t known of his connection to Max. Both Max and Burkhart had been in together, been friends for over three decades.
His guard didn’t even pause, just left the room, shutting the door behind him as Burkhart sat across from him. He had a thin manila file that he set on the table as he watched Tucker.
“Where are your teammates?” he asked, his gaze never wavering.
Tucker had expected the question, just not so soon. “That’s not important now.”
“You and your men kidnapped one of my best analysts, so I’d say it’s very important.”
He didn’t respond, not wanting to flat-out admit he’d taken Karen. He would later if necessary. He’d committed a crime and would cop to it, but they had more important things to worry about.
Burkhart continued watching him with that laserlike focus. The guy was intimidating, but Tucker had been through too many training schools to count, including SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) school, to let it affect him. After Tucker’s having been in war zones and undercover in some of the shittiest places on the planet, Burkhart would need to torture him if he wanted more out of him.
There was a sudden gleam in Burkhart’s eyes, as if he’d read Tucker’s damn mind. Tucker frowned, wondering what the man was thinking.
“Cameras off,” Burkhart said suddenly. Then he nodded, as if talking to someone. “Stop recording audio. . . . Affirmative.”
Tucker figured it was a bullshit way to make him feel as if it were just the two of them, that no one was listening or watching. He didn’t buy it.
“You know what I find interesting? Karen had the opportunity to leave you. First at the coffee shop, then after you two were attacked. She didn’t either time. And I know that you two were recently intimate.”
Tucker felt his blood chill at the man’s neutral tone, not liking where this conversation was going.
“Either you forced her, which I doubt, or she’s been working with you long before yesterday. It makes me think she wasn’t kidnapped at all. I have no video of her being taken or—”
“What the hell are you trying to say?” Tucker demanded, a simmer of rage beginning to surface. He didn’t like the thinly veiled accusations Burkhart was making.
“I’m saying that unless you cooperate, I’m going to make Karen’s life very difficult. She doesn’t look like a victim. No, she looks like a woman who helped to aid and abet a fugitive from the law. A fugitive accused of being a terrorist, of treason. She’s going to end up in a hole—”
Tucker slammed his fist on the hard metal table. It was bolted to the floor and didn’t move, but the sound echoed throughout the room. He couldn’t know if Burkhart was bluffing him or not. His gut told him this was complete bullshit, but if he was wrong and it wasn’t—he couldn’t afford to let Karen suffer because of him. “My men and I took Karen and you know it. I didn’t force her, but I clearly coerced her. Anything she did while with me was under duress. She’s innocent of any wrongdoing. So why don’t you tell me what the hell you’re playing at?” His fingers curled against his palm.
“Tell me where your men are and she won’t be locked up.” The man’s voice was icy, unforgiving.
If the man was acting he was damn good at it. From everything Tucker knew about Burkhart, he couldn’t believe the guy would do that to one of his own. But he couldn’t take the chance. The bastard might as well have dangled him over a cliff and given him a choice. He didn’t want to betray his men, but the four of them had dragged Karen into this. He couldn’t let her pay for their decisions. If she’d been different from what he’d expected after they took her, he might have actually considered hanging her out to dry, but he couldn’t do that to Karen. Not only did he care for her way more than he’d expected, but she was a patriot just like him. She loved her country and wanted to help the people in it. He wouldn’t let her hang for him. “Fine.”
Burkhart blinked once, surprise flickering in his gaze and vanishing so quickly Tucker might have imagined it. “What?”
“Let me contact my guys. I’ll get them to come in.” He couldn’t force them, but if he laid out the details, they’d turn themselves in. They wouldn’t want her in trouble any more than he did.
“People don’t often surprise me, Mr. Pankov.” His mouth curved up, though it didn’t exactly look like a smile. It was more a predator-like grin.
“You were baiting me.” He didn’t bother phrasing it as a question and was glad his gut instinct had been right about the man.
“Yes . . . Turn audio and video back on,” Burkhart ordered.
“You’re an asshole.” Nonetheless, relief flooded Tucker that Burkhart wasn’t going to hold Karen responsible for anything.
Burkhart grunted. “I’ve been called worse. Now, there’s a lot we need to discuss. The men who came after your team, then you and Karen, are all from the same Army platoon. They’ve been out a decade and done contract work for various companies since, but that’s the original link.” He opened his folder and slid a piece of paper over.
It had pictures of six men, along with their names and standard info like DOB listed underneath them. Tucker recognized three of them; one from his house, one who attacked him and Karen at the intersection, and the guy who was still alive. He pointed to the picture of the man who’d broken into his home. “This is the guy who came after me originally. What’s up with him?” he asked, pointing to the last picture. “He talked yet?”
Burkhart shook his head. “Letting him stew while we gather more intel.”
Tucker nodded, understanding. It was pointless to go at someone unless you had an idea of what you were looking for. “Why are you helping me?” he asked even though he suspected. Sure, Burkhart owed Tucker from the Tasev op, but Burkhart wasn’t a man to do anything he didn’t absolutely want to. He wouldn’t be where he was otherwise.