Page 40 (1/2)

1

Beware of false prophets, which co wolves

—King James Bible, Matthew 7:15

“This guy is dangerous?” Rachel Jessop studied the glossy black-and-white photograph her er slid across the table

Nate Ferrentino’s leather chair squeaked as he leaned back and locked his hands behind his head “He doesn’t look dangerous to you?” One eyebrow arched, telling her he found her reaction auess why, and she’d worked with hih to knoouldn’t explain even if she asked With short dark hair and green, gold-flecked eyes, he had the face of a sensitive man who’d beco physical specihts

Rachel wished that was all she knew about her boss When she’d first started working at Departo, she’d been so convinced she’d met the one man she could love with all her heart, she’dmiscalculation The embarrassment of that incident still burned so intensely she could barely look at him

Ignoring the way his T-shirt stretched over his clearly defined pecs, she kept her focus on Ethan Wycliff, the ht, Ethan had polish to spare—high cheekbones, black hair, black eyes and a beguiling serous He could be on billboards,suits for Armani What’s he done?”

Except for possibly height, Nate was Ethan’s opposite Although he wasn’t overweight by any stretch of the iination, slender wasn’t an adjective that came to mind Pretty and polished didn’t fit, either He was handsome, but not in the classic sense of movie stars and models His forehead was a bit too wide, his jaw too square And he had toofor Department 6 after he’d left the military

“Depends on who you talk to,” he said “There’s a chance that none of it’s illegal, but the secrecy surrounding hi some important people nervous”

Rachel shoved the picture back in Nate’s direction, but he didn’t e re of the small conference room—one of several in the LA office Unlike other security contractors, Department 6 rarely handled enerally inside the US

“What’s he suspected of doing?” she asked “Launderingin the sex-slave trade?”

“He’s the leader of a religious cult about two hundred ”

That was the last thing she’d expected Nate to say Judging by Ethan’s elegant business suit, he had taste He wasn’t sporting a scraggly beard, wasn’t beggarly or odd-looking in any way Neither did he appear sraph, anyway “What kind of religious cult?”

“A Christian cult Sort of It seems to be a compilation of whatever Ethan wants it to be He and his followers call their organization the Church of the Covenant One thing they believe is that the world is co to an end very soon Only those who are properly branded—”

“You mean, tattooed?” she cut in