Beyond Limits by Laura Griffin Read Free Book Online Page B

said. “What would your boss think?”
    “It’s not about my boss. This is a high-priority investigation that’s vital to national security. I want to contribute.”
    “I know. I also know you’re competitive as hell, and you’ll use every resource at your disposal, including me. So let’s get this done.”
    He got out. She sat there stewing for another moment, and then she got out, too, grabbing her jacket from the backseat. He watched her slip into it and put on her agent face.
    The evening air was oven-hot, like Afghanistan in July, only instead of smelling like rotting garbage, it smelled like fresh-cut Bermuda grass. The condo was sand-colored adobe with a tile roof and a two-story entranceway.
    “I’ll do the talking,” Elizabeth whispered beside him.
    Derek rapped on the carved wooden door. They waited a few beats. The door swung back, and Hailey looked up at him.
    “Evening, ma’am. I’m Lieutenant—”
    “I know who you are.” She stepped out and threw her arms around his neck. She squeezed him tightly and held on so long he started to get embarrassed. Finally, she pulled back.
    He cleared his throat. “Ma’am, this is Special Agent Elizabeth LeBlanc, with the FBI.”
    She eyed Elizabeth warily. “Any interview requests are supposed to go through my attorney.”
    “We’ll keep this brief. We don’t want to bother you.”
    She glanced at Derek, then back at Elizabeth.
    “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important,” Elizabeth added.
    Hailey stepped back to let them in. The house was a good thirty degrees cooler than outside, and Derek glanced around as she led them into a living room. A blanket was balled up at the end of the sofa. On the other end was a pillow with a flowered pillowcase that probably matched a bedspread somewhere upstairs. Mugs littered the coffee table, and a TV remote sat beside a pile of newspapers.
    “You want anything to drink?” She looked at Derek, then Elizabeth. “I’ve got water, Gatorade . . .” She glanced toward the kitchen. “Chamomile tea.”
    “I’m fine, thanks.” Elizabeth smiled. “We won’t stay long.”
    “Okay, then . . . have a seat, I guess.” She lowered herself onto the sofa. Elizabeth picked a leather ottoman, and Derek sat down in a striped armchair. Hailey was staring at him. He’d worn a T-shirt, jeans, and boots, thinking civilian clothes would make her more comfortable. But she seemed the opposite of comfortable as she pulled a pillow into her lap.
    “How’s the wrist?” He nodded at her cast.
    “All right.” She looked at Elizabeth. “What questions did you have? I’m not sure what I can tell you that you don’t already know.”
    “Hailey, the SEALs who came to get you discovered some important information in the house where Dr. Lindh was being held.”
    She didn’t move, didn’t speak.
    “That information’s been analyzed,” Elizabeth continued, “and it leads us to believe this group may be planning an attack. Something stateside.”
    Hailey flinched. “You mean here?”
    “Somewhere in America, yes. We’re not sure where, exactly. That’s something we need to find out.” Elizabeth paused. “Can you recall hearing anything during your captivity?”
    She glanced at Derek and shook her head.
    “Maybe a place name?” Elizabeth asked.
    Hailey cleared her throat. “My Pashto’s pretty minimal. I mean, it sucks, if you want to know the truth.” She looked at Derek. “I really only know a few greetings and some medical terms.”
    “Mine’s bad, too.” Derek leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “But you know, a lot of the place names—American place names—aren’t all that different. Can you think of any words that sounded like something familiar? Maybe similar to English?”
    She shook her head.
    “Hailey, besides Khalid Rana,” Elizabeth said, “you identified another one of your captors, Omar Rasheed.”
    Her shoulders tensed.
    “You also recognized photos of two of the