Stolen by Allison Brennan Read Free Book Online

Thayer revealed that he’d been the subject of multiple investigations for hacking and high-end cybercrimes. Investigations that had been stalled because of lack of evidence.
    And he had gone to college with Sean Rogan.
    That’s when Noah took his suspicions about Senator Paxton to Assistant Director Rick Stockton. And Rick had decided to bring in Sean.
    Noah wasn’t 100 percent confident that Sean was even now squeaky clean. He feared Sean’s past not only was going to continue to resurface but also would taint the one thing Noah knew Sean cared more about than himself: Lucy.
    And for that reason alone, Noah was willing to do whatever it took to save Sean.

 
     
    CHAPTER FIVE
     
     
Sunday
     
    If Deanna weren’t so determined to put Sean Rogan in prison, she might have enjoyed Sunday afternoon in Central Park.
    She sat on the bench directly across from the museum and glanced around. She didn’t know what Juan Martinez looked like, but by the name she assumed he was Hispanic. He’d most likely be alone. She was ten minutes early, so she tried to relax and enjoy her surroundings while keeping an eye out for Martinez.
    The leaves in the park were starting to turn, just hints of gold and orange. Autumn happened so fast—it seemed that just yesterday the park had been green. Now it was multi-colored. When was she going to sit still again? When the park was dead in winter?
    Today was even more beautiful because she would have the information she needed to do her job.
    An attractive Hispanic man wearing Dockers and a crisp white polo shirt approached from the north. He sat next to her. Younger than she expected, in his early thirties.
    “Deanna,” he said in greeting.
    “Yes. Juan Martinez?”
    He assessed her, nodded. “Let’s walk.”
    They rose from the bench and started along one of the paths leading into Central Park. It was more crowded than Deanna liked, but what could she expect on a clear autumn day?
    “I almost didn’t come,” Juan said, “except I promised Meredith. And, ultimately, it’s the right thing to do.”
    Deanna had plenty of questions, but she started at the beginning.
    “Meredith told me that you sat with her last year on the D.C. hiring panel.”
    “Correct. From September until March. It was supposed to be a one-year assignment, but they disbanded our panel in March.”
    “Because of Lucy Kincaid.”
    “That wasn’t explicitly stated, but both Meredith and I felt that because we voiced our concerns over the process we were reassigned.”
    “And this was Kincaid’s second panel, correct?”
    Juan nodded. “The first rejected her application on a two-to-one vote; so did we. The third panel member, Nolan Cassidy, was originally from the Sacramento office, where Kincaid’s sister-in-law works as the SSA of Violent Crimes. I don’t believe he was impartial, and I felt he should have recused himself even though he said he’d never met Ms. Kincaid, nor had he worked directly with her sister-in-law.”
    “Still reeks of nepotism.” Deanna stepped aside when two teenage bikers came up the path.
    “I almost quit when Hans Vigo stepped in and over-ruled our decision.”
    “Assistant Director Hans Vigo?” Dr. Vigo was way up the ladder and currently served as liaison between national headquarters and Quantico. He was well known among field agents because of his longtime stint in the Behavorial Science Unit and the three years he taught at Quantico.
    “Dr. Vigo told us our decision was overruled and that we weren’t allowed to discuss the proceedings with each other, or anyone else. It was quite heavy-handed, and left a bad taste in my mouth.”
    “I’d feel the same.”
    “Then, nearly two months ago, an agent from the D.C. office came to both me and Meredith and asked if we’d told anyone about what happened, and then reiterated that we were forbidden from discussing it.”
    “And had you?”
    “I didn’t, but Meredith had. She didn’t admit it, but since I knew I