Rebecca Zanetti: Blind Faith

His bushy gray eyebrows rose to meet his gray hairline. “Do you think I need one?”

Probably. “No, I’m sure you’re fine.”

The senator shrugged a fit shoulder. “You can take the cowboy out of Wyoming, but—”

“The boots and hat go with him,” Audrey finished with a smile. There were very few people in politics she actually liked, and the senator topped the list. A rancher, he’d been widowed a decade previous and had run for office to keep living, having been left with no family. Now he’d found his own mission.

One she shared. “I think I’m being followed.”

The senator leaned forward. “Do you think the commander knows our agenda?”

“No.” Audrey trusted her boss but wouldn’t expose Nathan. “I’m sure that now my medical treatments are finally finished, they’re worried I’ll run for the hills.”

Ernie coughed. “What if they find out the senator is actually playing them? Do you really think they’re a threat to a United States senator?”

Oh, these men had no idea. “Yes. I don’t think the commander would think twice at taking out either one of you.” Audrey rubbed her thigh.

“Unbelievable,” Ernie muttered. “Maybe we should close him down now.”

“How and why?” the senator asked. “We don’t have any proof that he’s done anything wrong, and it’s not like he’ll just hand evidence to us.”

Ernie frowned and focused back on Audrey. “I saw you dancing last night. How is your leg?” he asked, smoothing back his graying hair.

“Much better, but I’ll always have the limp.” More importantly, all of the internal damage had been repaired, and she might even be normal someday. In the distant future, when she ran far away from her mother and the commander.

But first, she had a job to do. “How close are we to shutting them down?”

“Soon.” The senator rested muscular forearms on his legs. “I’ve gained the commander’s trust, or what there is of it, and as soon as we get the information on the newest studies, we’ll go public and end their reign.”

Audrey swallowed. “Are you sure the commander has continued his experiments?”

“Yes. I’m fairly certain there’s a brand-new crop of soldiers he’s created that are training right now. We need to find out where before we shut him down.” The senator’s blue eyes sizzled with passion.

Audrey nodded, tempted to tell her friends about Nate. But only Nate could take that risk, and she wouldn’t take it for him, although she trusted the senator and Ernie. The senator was no dummy. When the commander had begun buttering him up in order to get funding, Nash had hired investigators, who’d uncovered a little bit of the truth.

Not much, though.

However, they had discovered the commander’s maneuvering to get Audrey the job with the senator.

Instead of turning her in or trying to manipulate her, the senator had approached her with his suspicions about the covert military group.

Just like an honorable man would.

He treated her with dignity and respect… and most important, trust. She couldn’t envision any other angle he might have but honestly trying to destroy the covert group, and she wanted to help. “I’m glad you trusted me enough to tell me your real agenda,” she said.

The senator nodded. “I’m thankful you agreed to help us after the commander sent you here undercover. Without your knowledge of the group, we wouldn’t be so close to fixing everything.” His clean-shaven jaw clenched. “I’ve insisted upon seeing the commander’s training facility before I push for a vote for more funding. He’ll have to show me.”

Audrey’s heart thumped. Hard. “You’re sure there’s a secondary facility besides the one right outside of DC?”

“Positive.” The senator stretched his neck. “I’ve been to the Virginia compound, and while the security, computer, and medical facilities are impressive, after seeing the last budget report, I know there’s another training compound. Somewhere.”

Dread forced Audrey to sit up straighter. “I’d hoped the experiments had stopped.”

“No.” The senator shook his head.

An aide appeared around the doorway. “The group from the technology corporation is waiting in the conference room.”

The senator stood. “Here we go.”

Ernie stood as well, his head barely reaching the senator’s chin. “I have to bow out of this one—meeting with Darian Hannah, the lobbyist for Red Force.”

Audrey lifted an eyebrow. “I have a meeting with him coming up.”

Ernie sighed. “I know. He’s coming at us from every angle to gain funding. He works hard, and he’s a good guy. Not sure about the group he represents.”

“They’re not as bad as the commander’s organization,” the senator muttered.

“Perhaps.” Ernie shrugged a slim shoulder. “But how do we know for sure? Maybe his group is conducting the same asinine experiments as the commander.”

“I hope not,” the senator said on a strong exhale.

Ernie turned on a shiny Italian loafer and headed out.

The senator groaned. “Are you ready for this meeting, Audrey?”

“Of course.” Audrey pushed to her feet and retrieved several manila folders. “TechnoZyn represents the biggest technology firm in the United States, and it wants military funding.” She walked around the desk to follow the senator through the office and into the large conference room.

The senator paused before entering and turned toward her to speak quietly. “Computer companies now want military funding. Crazy. But they are willing to build factories in Wyoming, which will help my economy.”

Brokering deals like this made her stomach hurt. It was so wrong on so many levels. Unfortunately, she needed the leverage to take down the commander. She comforted herself with the thought that the commander and her mother would never actually see the money, because the senator would shut them down first.

The senator popped his knuckles. “I hate this crap.” Forcing on a down-home smile, he turned and headed into the conference room.

Audrey stifled a chuckle and followed him, smiling for the two men and one woman already seated at the table. They all stood as she and the senator entered the room. Her gait faltered as she took in the second man. Nathan .

Once again he wore the colored contacts and facial hair.

Recovering quickly, she nodded as introductions were made, a roar filling her ears. Was he crazy? How had he infiltrated the technology group? The fact that it was in competition with the commander was way too close to home for him.

He stood and leaned to take her hand in his much larger one. “I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Madison at the ball last night.”

She tugged her hand free. “Yes, but I thought Mr. McGovern worked as a lobbyist for the Neoland Corporation?”

The other man, George Fairbanks, a top executive at TechnoZyn, smirked. “He did. We acquired the Neoland Corporation three days ago but haven’t gone public with the information yet.”

Audrey lifted her chin. So Nate had somehow chosen a cover in a company a mere week ago, and then it had been bought out by TechnoZyn? Impressive contacts and information he had developed. How had he known about a secret industry takeover before it had happened? That was the only way he could’ve put himself into place so perfectly.

She glanced at him, and he had the gall to grin. That smile. Her body reacted as if the last five years of separation hadn’t occurred. Heat flared between them and zinged through her body to settle between her legs.

How did he do that?

Digging deep, she yanked her gaze from him and focused on the senator.

The senator frowned at Fairbanks. “While I appreciate the plan to invest and make a fortune before going public, it’s risky for you.”