“But . . . but I saw . . .” she faltered. “He was—”
“Sorry if I scared you,” Zade said. “Believe me, I’m harmless. To you, at least.”
“Why were you following me?” she demanded. “You were tailing me even before I even got the call from Noah’s sister! What the hell is going on?”
Zade’s eyes flicked to Noah in silent question. Noah shook his head slightly.
“I’ll explain,” Zade said. “Let’s see that footage, first.”
“Hell, no.” Caro looked wildly from one man to the other. “Not until I understand what’s going on.”
“Later,” Noah said.
“I need an explanation right now. Why the fuck was that guy following me?”
“We’ll get to that.” Noah kept his voice carefully even. “Calm down, Caro.”
“Noah, do you have to be such a colossal dickhead all the time? Seriously, don’t let him get away with it.” An amused feminine voice sounded from behind them.
Noah looked around, dismayed to see Hannah in jeans and a sweatshirt, her curly red hair twisted in a thick braid. She held a big white pastry box.
“Shit,” he muttered. “Who told you about this?”
“Sisko was at my place when he got Zade’s call.” She set the pastry box down. “Have a cruller,” she said to Noah. “Emergency fuel. And there’s a sandwich platter on the coffee table if you want protein.”
Noah ran his eyes over the pile of sandwiches and the pastry box. He’d been running AVP off and on the whole day, and the combat program beast was screaming to be fueled. But he just couldn’t do it. Not while contemplating what could be on that flash drive. “Thanks,” he muttered. “Maybe later. You weren’t invited, Hannah.”
“I so totally do not give a fuck,” Hannah said. “You need to start including me. Especially if it’s something I’m interested in. Or working on. Or would just like to know about, goddamnit.”
“Excuse me. Why would my personal business be of any interest to you?” Caro demanded.
Hannah smiled at her. “What I mean is, no way would I miss a chance to check out my brother’s new girlfriend,” she said, gesturing toward the pastry box. “Care for a sugar hit?”
Caro shook her head. “No thanks.”
“Take off your coat, at least.” Hannah lifted Caro’s coat off and draped it over the back of a chair before sliding her arm through Caro’s and towing her gently across the room. “Come sit by me,” she urged. “All this testosterone creates static interference. Makes it hard to think.”
Sisko wandered over, grabbed a cinnamon pecan roll out of the box and ate it in a few purposeful bites, watching Hannah guide Caro to a couch and sit down next to her. His sister’s cheerful friendliness got a wan smile or two from Caro, but the smiles faded quickly.
While Caro was occupied with talking, Zade sidled over towards Noah.
“Dude,” he hissed under his breath. “What the fuck is she doing here? We can’t watch this thing with her. It’ll scare the living shit out of her. At best.”
Noah shrugged. “We have to,” he said simply. “She was the one who found it.”
“What are you planning to tell her about us?” Sisko said.
“Don’t know yet,” Noah said. “Hadn’t really thought about it.”
Sisko and Zade exchanged a startled glance.
Zade gulped the last of his coffee and wiped his mouth. “So play the goddamned thing already,” he said roughly. “I can’t stand waiting any more.”
Noah plugged the flash drive into a laptop connected to the flatscreen TV. A download box appeared on the blue screen. Noah selected it, and hesitated, looking at Caro.
Hannah had pressed a coffee cup into her hands, but when Caro met his eyes, she set the cup down on the lamp table and clasped her hands.
“Don’t look at me for permission,” she said. “You’ll do whatever the fuck you want anyway.”
He picked up a remote and hit Play.
*
Caro regretted the sweet, strong coffee that she’d sipped at Hannah’s insistence. It was making her stomach churn.
This scene felt wrong. Everyone in the room exuded a buzz of controlled excitement that made no sense. There was no reason for them to be here, or to care about this. If they were here only as a favor to Noah, their vibe would be more flat.
The video had begun. She’d worry about Noah’s people, as he called them, and their hidden agenda afterwards.
The video began. The concealed camera that took it had a fisheye lens which distorted the features of the man who peered into it. But it was clear that he was handsome. Buzzed dark hair, a strong nose and jaw, and keen eyes that looked intently into the lens as he adjusted the angle. She recognized him from the pictures that Tim had dug up of Luke Ryan. Behind him, another man, fortyish, talked loudly on a cell phone. He was heavyset and bearded.
A knock sounded. Luke’s hand reached back to touch a gun in a holster inside his coat. The bearded guy yelled, “Who is it?”
A muffled voice answered. Caro couldn’t make out the words.