Or possibly—”

“—A test?” she says.

I nod.

“How bad was it?”

“Three witnesses, all shell-shocked, but no casualties. Numerous vacation homes leveled. It was definitely a military-style strike, with a two-phase bomb.”

“That requires at least two people, right?”

“I think so.”

“Then why are we sitting on our thumbs?”

“I’m part of the system now. I can’t just sneak in and out. I have to wait for all the proper clearances.”

“That sucks. But I’m going too, right?”

“I’d like you to.”

“Then I’m going. Who else are we bringing?”

“Joe Penny.”

She smiles. “You trust Joe above the government experts?”

“Not necessarily. But I can understand his explanations.”

Forty minutes later we’re on a jet helicopter awaiting takeoff when my phone rings. I check the caller ID and glance at Callie.

“Kathleen?” she says.

“Dani Ripper.”

I notice a slight change in Callie’s facial expression. I wouldn’t call it a positive change.

She says, “What’s Dani up to?”

I shrug, take the call.

5.

Callie Carpenter.

ANOTHER NAME FOR the list. Dani Ripper.

Callie doubts there’s anything going on between Creed and Dani, but if something is, she wouldn’t be the first woman to trust a man more than he deserved.

She hears Creed say, “Dani, I pride myself on always being available for you, but I’m kind of busy right now, unless your life’s in danger.”

What? He’s always available for her? And prides himself on it?

Dani just made the endangered species list.

She hears him say, “I’ll know more when we get there…Willow Lake, Arkansas. An entire neighborhood has just been blown off the map…We don’t know. Are you in danger?”

He covers the phone and asks the pilots how long we have before takeoff. Then says, “I’m on the tarmac, waiting to taxi…”

He’s on the tarmac? Not he and Callie?

“Just tell me what you need,” Creed says. Dani says something, and Creed responds, “That’s bullshit. We’ve been doing it for years…Homeland Security. CIA. FBI. The Pentagon. It’s not that big a deal…No. these are classified programs…not if we erased them…Is that it?...No problem…You, too.”

He hangs up, looks at Callie, and explains, “Dani had a technical question about erasing photos from cell phones.”

“Photos of what?”

He shrugs. “I didn’t ask.”

The “You, too.” bothers her. That’s the last thing he said before hanging up. If someone on the other end of the phone ends a call by saying, “I love you,” you’d respond, “I love you, too.”

If you’re free to speak.

But if you’re unable to speak because your girlfriend is sitting next to you in a jet helicopter, you might respond, “You, too.”

No sense asking him about it. If he’s innocent it’ll raise a red flag about her jealousy issues. And if he’s guilty, she’ll just be forcing him to lie. There are easier ways to determine if he and Dani are having an affair.

Torture comes to mind.

6.

Donovan Creed.

WE’RE FLYING TO Willow Lake with two pilots.