Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
“And the FBI?” Aiden asked. “Are they asking about the content?” Aiden sat upright in bed.
“I assume so, but I don’t know yet,” John said. “The agent I spoke with wants to talk to us both. Can you come to the magazine’s office for a meeting?”
“Sure thing. I’ll see you soon.” He glanced at Brooke.
“You need to go meet with John?” she asked.
“Actually, John and the FBI.”
Her eyes opened wide. “The FBI? Why?”
Sensing her anxiety, he grasped her hand. “That’s what I need to find out. Wait here and I’ll come back. By then, Remy will have us set up with somewhere to lay low for a while.”
Swallowing hard, she nodded. “Okay. That’s fine.”
Aware the brave attitude was a façade, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Everything will be okay. While I’m gone, go ahead and pack your things.”
She treated him to a forced smile. “I can do that.”
He showered, then dressed and headed to the magazine’s office, checking for a tail along the way. Since his work was mostly on the road, Aiden hadn’t been here often over the years, but he knew where he was going. He parked in the garage and met up with John in the lobby, breathing a sigh of relief that his trip had ended without incident.
He shook his mentor’s hand.
“They’re waiting in the conference room,” John said, leading him to an elevator and once inside, he pressed the button for the eleventh floor.
They walked to the conference room where a man in a black suit was waiting, a serious expression on his face.
“Mr. Sterling, thank you for joining us,” he said, rising and holding out his hand. “I’m Agent Jessop.”
Aiden shook his hand, then he and John took a seat across the table. Clasping his hands, Aiden waited for the man to speak.
“I think you both know why we’re here,” Agent Jessop said. “We need to discuss the article you released this morning.”
Aiden wasn’t surprised but he would let his boss take the lead.
“Does the FBI usually respond this swiftly to accusations of corruption in a foreign country?” John asked. “The article has only been out for a few hours.”
The agent shook his head. “No. You’re right in assuming the wheels of government move slowly. But in this case, you’ve stumbled upon information that is relevant to an already ongoing investigation.”
Aiden leaned forward, his interest piqued. “What investigation would that be?”
Agent Jessop hesitated. “Before I say more, I need your guarantee that this is all off the record. The only reason I’m sharing any information with you is because it’s relevant to your safety, and measures will have to be taken to protect you.”
Aiden stiffened at the implications, but he nodded. “You have my word.” Safety took precedence over reporting, something Aiden had almost learned the hard way.
“Mine as well,” John said.
Jessop inclined his head. “The ongoing investigation comprises international cooperation between the FBI and Interpol. We’ve been trying to take down an organized crime family based in London for the past eight months.”
“What does that have to do with my article?” Aiden asked. He’d been digging into foreign corruption in a small European country. Not the United Kingdom.
Tapping a pen against the table, Agent Jessop met his gaze. “Organized crime is often a vast, complex beast. They usually have their fingers in everyone’s pie, so to speak. The corruption is based in London but it spreads throughout several countries, including the U.S. and the country where you were investigating.”
Aiden blinked in surprise. He’d assumed the people behind the corruption, and those after him, were based solely in the country where he’d uncovered the misuse of reserve funds. As they were seated deep within the government, his perception had made sense. But it looked like this whole thing was bigger than he thought.
“It’s a massive operation,” Agent Jessop continued. “We’ve been trying to pin something concrete on these people for a long time, but any witness we’ve uncovered has met an unfortunate end.”
“Like Ingrid,” Aiden muttered, before looking at the agent across the table. “I already know I’m in danger and I planned to leave town today.”
Something John already knew, as Aiden had called him after walking out on his family last night.
“Yes, I’m aware,” the agent said. “I’ve been informed of the two recent attempts on your life that have been reported to the police. I need to hear the entire story from you. Start to finish.”
Aiden laid it all out for him, from the research during his time abroad, Ingrid’s death, to his return to the U.S. and the ongoing threats, surveillance, and pictures. He detailed the visits he received from the stranger with the shaved head as well as the theft of his briefcase, and Agent Jessop took notes on an iPad as Aiden spoke.
“It sounds like the group has taken out a hit on you,” he said, his tone grave. “It’s their M.O. against anyone who speaks out or looks into them.”