Body of Evidence (Evidence Series) Read Free Page B

relationship with Evan. Yet she shouldn’t be surprised. “We broke up almost a year ago. When it ended, we remained friends.” Not really, but that was no one’s business but her own. She faced him and crossed her arms over her chest. “We worked together in remote places. We had to get along.”
    “I’m not interested in either the start or end of your relationship, or your justification for or against said relationship. I merely wish to establish that you and Mr. Beck were not mere coworkers. Your interactions were clouded by emotion.”
    She plucked the box from his hand and tore off the lid. “Thanks—for the crackers and the douse of cold water. Nice to know where I stand.”
    “You are standing inside a private jet loaned to the US government for your extraction from North Korea. I have spent eighteen of the last twenty-two hours on this jet during a week in which I do not have an hour—let alone twenty-two—to spare, so I could save you from a situation I have every reason to believe you caused. That is where you stand.”
    She narrowed her gaze. “If you ever decide to run for public office, don’t give interviews. Your appeal drops every time you open your mouth.”
    He laughed. “Thanks for the tip.”
    She crossed the aisle and set the box on the table, glad he couldn’t see her answering smile.
    “You argued with Beck,” he prompted.
    Her smile faded. “As forensic archaeologist, I was in charge of the excavation.” She’d worked so damn hard for that title. Her job had given her purpose when circumstances conspired to make her nothing more than a trophy. Not many people knew she was former Vice President Andrew Stevens’s niece, but after learning of her connection to power—and later her connection to infamy—they usually wanted to exploit it. JPAC wasn’t just a job, it was her calling, but odds were she’d never work for them again. “But when it comes to bombs uncovered during excavation, the ordnance disposal technician has final say, so we had to evacuate.”
    Turbulence bounced the jet, pitching her toward Curt. He grabbed her shoulders and steadied her. He was a brick wall and just as warm. It was a sad testament to her mental state that she didn’t care. He’d saved her life, and hero was now stamped on his forehead in indelible ink.
    “We should sit down and buckle up. Turbulence can be rough.”
    She glanced at the seat, aware his hands remained on her shoulders. “I’ve been trapped for so long—”
    He released her, but his touch lingered on her cold skin. “You said the site was evacuated.”
    “Yes. I was angry and hiked up the dirt track to the vehicles first. Roddy Brogan, our team linguist, was right behind me. He took the driver’s seat and started the engine.”
    “You’re saying Roddy Brogan drove?”
    “Yes. I was surprised too. We never drove ourselves anywhere.” She paused and bit her lip. “North Korea is…different. In other countries, our military escort surrounds us with guns either down or facing out—protecting us. In North Korea, the guns were trained on us. We weren’t treated like guests invited by the government in a show of goodwill; we were treated like the enemy. Our KPA—Korean People’s Army—escort didn’t trust us. We followed protocol at all times, because failure to do so could mean getting shot.” She glanced down at her boots. “Or arrested. So when Roddy took the driver’s seat and said he’d been instructed to drive the third Nissan because the regular driver had to stay behind to guard Evan, it was not standard protocol.”
    “But you believed him.”
    “He speaks Korean. I don’t. And he was in the driver’s seat, and we were headed for the barracks, so I didn’t have much choice. I thought we were fine, until Roddy passed the turn to the barracks.” The moment returned with full clarity. The jolt of fear. The immediate instinct to leap from the fast-moving vehicle, quashed by the knowledge she wouldn’t