Chapter 33

FBI AGENT LAYTONSaunders glared at Sawyer and the rest of the Texas Team. “You should have waited for us to arrive on scene before you left. You used to be cops and know how law enforcement works. We have to interview witnesses and victims as soon as possible or they lose details.” He jabbed a finger at Sawyer. “You’re lucky I don’t arrest you for interfering with an investigation.”

“You’d have to arrest all of us,” Brody said. “We put Janie’s health and safety above everything else.”

“If you arrest my team, you’ll make an enemy of Fortress.” Brent’s eyes blazed with fury. “Do you really want that?”

Saunders’s partner, Heath Lowell, frowned at Saunders. “You’re wasting your breath, Layton. You know as well as I do Fortress is President Martin’s choice for off-the-books missions. If you want to go through all the channels to bring this to his attention, you’re on your own.”

“They broke the law,” Saunders fumed. “They’re cowboys.”

“Maybe. They also gave us Diego Hernandez wrapped in a bow along with his whole inner circle, and more information and proof is coming in every hour. We have enough to shut down the entire organization.”

“We don’t even know how they got their information.”

“Do you care? I don’t.” Lowell turned back to Sawyer. “Start from the top. Once we finish with you and your team, you’re free to go. We’ll interview Ms. Moran as soon as the doctor is finished with her.”

They thought they were going to dismiss him? Not happening. “I’m staying with Janie during her interview.”

“That’s not how we work,” Saunders shouted.

“Tough.” He wouldn’t back down. “It’s the only way you’ll talk to Janie. Keep pushing, and you’ll have not only me, but also one of our lawyers in the room as well.”

“Back off, Layton,” Lowell snapped. “That’s an order.”

Hands fisted, Saunders said through clenched teeth, “Yes, sir.”

“Start from the beginning, Sawyer.” Lowell flipped open a small notebook. “Once you finish, we’ll get information from the rest of your team.”

He drew in a deep breath and began. Sawyer censored details about the mission they’d finished before diverting to Mexico to free Janie. He clarified details when requested by Lowell. Otherwise, he shared the steps they’d taken to discover the identity of the missing passenger and the source of the threat to Janie.

When he related how Janie had been taken, Saunders snorted in disgust. Sawyer understood. He’d bear the blame for that failure for the rest of his life. Because of him, Janie had suffered needless injuries.

Once he finished, the interviewers turned to Brody and the rest of his teammates. While they talked, Sawyer frequently checked his phone. The doc should be finished with Janie soon. The only reason Sawyer had agreed to leave Janie in the clinic was because Teagan volunteered to stay with her every minute.

When Lowell finally began his interview with Jesse, Sawyer’s phone signaled an incoming text. He checked the screen and rose.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Saunders snapped. “We aren’t finished with you.”

Sawyer glanced at his boss. “The doc is finished with Janie.”

“Go,” Brent said.

“Wait a minute!” Saunders stood.

“Sit down, Layton,” Lowell ordered. “Sawyer will return with Ms. Moran.” He shifted his gaze to Sawyer. “Isn’t that right?” His eyes held a subtle threat.

Depended on Janie’s state of mind. If she was ready to talk, he’d return with her. Without a word, he left the conference room and went to the elevator. A minute later, he stepped out and turned left. Soon, he opened the clinic door and walked inside.

Teagan met him in the reception area. “She’s shaken up, but fine.”

“Something happen?”

“She had to tell the doctor everything that happened. Reliving the experience brought back the fear and trauma she endured.” Teagan folded her arms. “I like her, Sawyer. Don’t hurt her or screw this up. You hear me?” Left unsaid was the probability that Teagan would retaliate if Sawyer hurt her new friend.

He flinched. “Yes, ma’am. No worries. She’s everything to me.”

She punched him in the shoulder. “Make sure you treat her like she’s a priceless gift. Need me to stay?”

“I’ve got her. Thanks for the help.”

“Anytime, my friend. See you around.” Between one beat and the next, Teagan was gone.

Cherry, the doctor’s receptionist, stood. “This way, Sawyer. I think your girlfriend needs a hug.”

“She can have as many as she wants.”

“Chocolate cures everything, you know,” she whispered.

His eyebrows rose. “Is that right?”

Cherry nodded. “My husband learned the secret years ago.”

“Thanks for the tip.” Sawyer followed her down the hall to one of the exam rooms.

“She’s waiting in here.” The other woman patted his arm. “Take good care of her. She’s special.”

“Believe me, I know. Thanks, Cherry.”

Another pat, and she returned to her desk.

Sawyer knocked on the door and stepped inside.

Janie turned from staring out the window. “Sawyer.” She ran into his open arms.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her against him. For long minutes, he trailed one hand up and down her back in a soothing motion. With the other hand, he cradled the back of her head, hoping the hold would help her feel secure. When her trembling stopped, he murmured, “Ready for one more hurdle?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Not really, but what choice do I have?”

“If you need to wait, I’ll make sure you have time to regroup.” No doubt the delay would tick off both agents, but Janie’s wellbeing was more important than their interview.

Her lips curved. “I appreciate the potential save, but I don’t think the feds would be happy with us.”

“I don’t care. My goal is to protect you, no matter what that looks like.”

She kissed him lightly. “Thank you, Sawyer. I’d rather get the interview over with as soon as possible.”

“All right. If you need a break, we’ll take one together. The interview questions can wait a few minutes while you take a breather.”

Together, they returned to the sixth floor conference room. All the men in the room stood when Janie walked inside.

Sawyer escorted her to the empty seat next to his. Once she was settled, the men around the table returned to their seats.

The FBI agents introduced themselves to Janie. Lowell flipped to a clean page in his notebook. “Do you need anything, Ms. Moran? Water, tea, coffee? We’ll be here a while, and we want you to be as comfortable as possible.”

“Water, please.”

Jesse left the room and returned with two bottles of water. He placed them in front of Janie. “Staying hydrated will help,” he murmured.

“Ms. Moran stays,” Saunders said. “The rest of you, get out.”

No one moved.

Sawyer should have known his teammates would remain to protect him and Janie. “Give it up, Saunders, and get on with the questions. You have one hour. After that, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

“You aren’t in charge of this investigation,” he snapped.

His supervisor stared at Saunders. The junior agent turned a bright red and closed his mouth. When his colleague lapsed into silence, Lowell shifted his attention back to Janie. He smiled. “Ready, Ms. Moran?”

She nodded.

“May I call you Janie?”

“Please.”

“I’m Heath. My partner is Layton. We’re sorry to meet you under these circumstances, Janie, but we’re glad you’re safe. Tell us what happened from the beginning, all right? Start with the hijacking and go forward from there. We need every detail. Your boyfriend and his friends have given us a thorough picture of what happened based on their observations. To keep Hernandez in prison longer, we need your eyewitness testimony.”

“Will I have to testify against him?”

“I would plan on it.”

“We can protect you,” Saunders said. “We have safe houses. I guarantee Hernandez will never find you.”

Sawyer stiffened. “You’re talking about witness protection.” No way. Not without him. If he had to, he’d take a leave of absence and go with her, but he’d prefer Janie wasn’t dependent on the feds for safety.

Saunders scowled. “You’re willing to risk her life by letting her wander around town without protection?”

“If Janie needs witness protection, we’ll put her in our security protection program,” Brent said. “That’s nonnegotiable, gentlemen. She will not be hidden with the Marshals.”

Lowell held up his hand to quell the response from his partner. “Let’s get on with the interview. We’ll discuss security arrangements for Janie later. That all right with you, Janie?”

Under cover of the table, her hand wrapped around Sawyer’s. “Yes.” Her fingers were icy.

Sawyer sandwiched her hand between both of his, hoping to instill warmth. He looked at Lowell. “Go easy.”

A slight nod from the agent, then the questions. Janie told them everything, starting with her rocky relationship with her brother, and took them through her rescue outside the compound.

“Let’s go through it again,” Lowell said. “I’ll stop you when I need clarification on details.”

“Fifteen-minute break first,” Sawyer said and stood. He helped Janie to her feet. “We’ll be back.”

“Hey,” Saunders protested. “No one gave you permission to leave with our witness.”

He ignored the furious agent as he led Janie from the conference room. In the hall, he guided her toward the break room.

Once inside, he grabbed a chocolate bar and seated Janie on a comfortable leather sofa. “Rest here a minute. I’ll make you tea.”

Paper crinkled behind him, and Janie moaned. “Oh, Sawyer. This is perfect. How did you know I needed this?”

Score one for Cherry. He smiled. “Got a tip from a lady whose husband figured out the secret to helping her feel better. Now I know it works for you, too.” He planned to keep chocolate on hand for his woman from now on.

Sawyer removed the cup of tea from the microwave, secured a lid on top, and sat beside her after handing her the tea.

“Thanks, love.” After finishing the tea and her chocolate bar, Janie leaned her head against Sawyer’s shoulder. “How much time do we have before we have to go back?”

“Enough. Take the time you need, Janie. You’ll remember more details when you’re not so tense and have a little food on your stomach.”

He gave her as much time as he could without ticking off the agents waiting to finish the interview. When he couldn’t wait any longer, he said, “We need to return to the conference room unless you’re not up to answering more questions. If you’re not, I’ll stop the interview and we’ll resume tomorrow.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to drag out the interview. Let’s finish this.”

An hour later, the questions were answered, and the agents were gone. “You should rest, Janie,” Brent said. “Until we’re sure the threat to you is over, you can’t go home or stay by yourself.”

She groaned. “Come on, Brent. Texas Team needs to go back to their own lives.”

“No. The only other option is for you to stay at my home.”

Janie frowned. “Absolutely not. I won’t bring danger to your doorstep. Your family means too much to me to put a target on their backs.”

“Then you’ll return to the safe house. The guys will trade off keeping watch.”

“We’ll be fine,” Brody told her. “Trust me. Our wives and Jesse’s girlfriend don’t mind. One shift a night is much better than being gone for weeks at a time.”

“All right. Please, tell the ladies I appreciate your help and the sacrifice they’re making for my safety.”

Max rose when Sawyer helped Janie to her feet. “I’ll drive you to the safe house and take the first watch. Both of you need rest. You’ve been through an ordeal.”

“My head is pounding,” Sawyer admitted.

Janie turned. “Do you need to see the doctor before we leave?”

“He checked me out while the tech took X-rays of your ribs. I have a slight concussion and a pretty bruise on my chest. Otherwise, I’m fine. I’ll be cleared for duty in a few days.”

“What about you, Max? I thought you had a date with your wife.”

“We changed it to a dinner date. She said she’s looking forward to meeting you.”

Janie turned back to Sawyer. “I still need to check on David.”

“Simone hacked into the hospital records again,” Jesse said. “There’s been no change. Go to the safe house, rest, and use cold packs to help with the bruises and swelling.” He winked. “Doctor’s orders.”

She saluted and allowed Sawyer to lead her from the conference room.