“You’ve got what we call a ‘queen for a day’ letter,” she said, using the legal vernacular. “Your free pass will expire. Now’s the time to talk if you want any kind of immunity at all.”
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I would’ve killed her to get away.”
She allowed the revulsion simmering beneath the surface to flicker across her face for the briefest moment before slipping in the most important question, hoping to catch him off guard. “Who does the Colonel work for?” she asked. “And what reason did he give you for targeting Nathan Costner?”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Toro let out a humorless laugh. “I get paid not to ask questions when people hire me.”
“You just murder whoever they tell you to?”
“When we were coming here in the van, I overheard one of the other agents mention that you’d been in the military.” He studied her. “Is that true?”
“What’s your point?”
“Then you’re not so different from me, are you?” he said. “You took orders to kill people you didn’t know who had never done anything to you personally.”
“That was to defend my country,” she said, voice rising. “That was—”
“For money,” he cut in. “You got a military salary and benefits, didn’t you? That makes you a paid killer too.”
She jumped out of her chair and leaned over the table. “You don’t get to call me a mercenary,” she said, pointing first at him, then at herself. “We are not the same. I had every right to question any orders I thought were illegal. I still do as a federal agent.”
No one in the armed services or law enforcement was required to carry out an unlawful order. To the contrary, they were required to refuse.
Wu’s voice sounded in her ear. “Back down, Vega. He’s jerking your chain.”
The smile on Toro’s lips told her Wu was right. She sat down again and smoothed her slacks while her supervisor redirected her.
“We have to find out if Senator Sledge got the Colonel to do his dirty work,” Wu continued. “And we need solid evidence. Tell Toro he has to get an agent inside.”
“You get one of our agents into the group,” Dani said to Toro, “or the deal’s off.”
Toro dragged a hand through his dark, thick hair. “You don’t know what you’re asking.” When she made no response, he elaborated. “We all use code names. I go by Bull because my last name is Toro, and I’m not part of the herd. I’m alone, like a bull. Everyone I’ve worked with knows that about me. To say I’m suddenly partnering up would cause way too much suspicion. My supposed partner and I will both end up with some extra holes in our bodies by the time the first meeting’s over.” He paused. “Actually, they’d keep the guy alive a lot longer while they interrogated him to find out who he was, who sent him, and why. His death would be slow and painful. I’d go pretty quick.”
“It would be up to you to sell it,” she said. “We haven’t got a choice. No jury is going to believe anything that comes out of your mouth. Not that I blame them. An agent has to corroborate your testimony in court.”
“You’re not hearing me.” Toro was adamant. “I hardly know any of the others in the group, because I work alone. I’ve only accepted team assignments three times. Every other job has been solo.”
She started to speak, but Wu’s urgent transmission forestalled her next question. “Don’t waste time asking about other contracts right now,” he told her. “We’ll circle back to that when we have time. Stand by.”
A few seconds later, Wu entered the interrogation room and took the chair beside Dani. She had no idea why the SAC had come in unannounced but knew to pretend this was all part of the plan. Toro should think they were all on the same page.
“We need to come up with a reason why you would change how you operate,” Wu said to Toro. “And I have an idea.”
CHAPTER 15
Wu walked into the interview room and tried to project an air of calm when he scarcely believed what he was about to suggest. From the time the JTTF team began to suspect Toro had been hired by Senator Sledge, the problem had been collecting evidence against a public official with so much power and influence. Wu had gotten authorization for an undercover operation that did not involve infiltrating the senator’s office. Then Toro balked at the idea of partnering with an agent, and Wu could feel his plans imploding. When Toro mentioned a shot caller known as “the Colonel,” a new strategy immediately began to take shape.
While Vega had been in the interview room locking horns with Toro, Wu had been engaged in his own battle of wills, convincing a reluctant Assistant US Attorney and a downright skeptical assistant director to his way of thinking. In the absence of better options, they had both agreed in the end.
Now he had to get Toro on board, and he would do it personally rather than guide Vega through the process over her earpiece. This was his plan, and he had to be the one to make it work.
“You come in here thinking you got some big idea,” Toro said to him. “But nothing’s going to convince the others I woke up one day and suddenly changed how I do business.”
Wu hadn’t shared the underlying reason he thought his unconventional plan would work. If the ADIC and the AUSA knew that particular detail, they would never have given their consent. He regarded Toro for a long moment before he began, trying to determine the best way to broach the subject.
He decided on an indirect approach. “You’re not dating anyone right now, are you?” he asked, as if he didn’t already know.
“What the hell business is it of yours?” Toro asked.
“We haven’t found any evidence of a recent romantic relationship,” Wu went on. “But you’ve had several in the past.”
“The FBI is spying on me?” Toro shot to his feet. “You have no right to—”
“Once we ID’d you, we checked every place you might hide out,” Wu cut in. “Including friends, lovers, and known associates. It’s part of the job.”
Toro plopped back down in his chair and said nothing.
“Sir, I must be missing something,” Vega said. “What does Toro’s love life”—she gave him a quick glance—“or lack thereof, have to do with this investigation?”
Time to drop the bomb. “Toro gets you inside because the two of you are . . . involved.” He took advantage of their stunned silence to elaborate and turned back to Toro. “You met Vega at a bar recently when a man started aggressively hitting on her. You were about to intervene when she kicked the crap out of the guy, thoroughly impressing you, and you asked her out.” He shifted his gaze to Dani. “Once you two started dating, it didn’t take you long to figure out what kind of work he did. You told him you wanted to partner with him because—”
“Bullshit,” Toro broke in. “I’d never talk about my work, and I’d never partner with a woman.”
Dani showed no reaction, and Wu figured it was not the first sexist comment she’d heard over the years. She ignored Toro and focused an icy stare on him.
Oblivious to the growing tension between Wu and his subordinate, Toro continued his rant. “Do you seriously expect me to introduce her to the Colonel as my date on the next assignment?” He let out a derisive snort. “And even if I did, the Colonel has the resources to check her out. It would take him about ten seconds to find out she was a Fed.”
Their time constraint was forcing the words out badly. Wu held up a placating hand and started again, addressing both of them. “The identity we construct for Agent Vega will have a military background similar to the one she has in real life. The fact that she’s been in combat situations, knows how to handle weapons, and is well versed in tactics makes it more credible that a man like you would take her up on the offer.” He paused. “And it would make her more tempting for the Colonel to put her on his team—or at least try her out. With the background we’ll give her, he’ll see that she’s battle tested. You could also explain that having a woman on his team would create more options and be an asset.”
“The Colonel won’t just let a newcomer into the group,” Toro protested. “He personally recruited each of us.”
“How many members are there?” Wu asked.
“Including him,” Toro said. “Twelve.”
“Vega would make it a baker’s dozen then,” Wu said.
Toro studied Vega as if seeing her for the first time. Wu didn’t care for the hungry expression that settled into the lines of his face as he gave her a slow perusal. He allowed Toro a full minute to consider his options before he pressed the point.
“Or you could spend the rest of your natural life in a cell,” he said into the silence.
Toro swore. “This plan is probably going to get us both killed, but it might be the only way.”