Page 28 of Beachcomber Danger

“I’m going into your backgrounds now, checking some sites on the dark web. Shouldn’t take more than another minute or two.”

Dane straightened and watched Shana pace in a circle, staring at the stained cement floor. His mind buzzed with the underhanded manipulation they’d uncovered and what to do about it, but he still noticed how the dress swirled around her hips, fell across her ass, left her golden tanned back bare. Then when she turned toward him, the luscious outline of her breasts under the slinky black material nearly made him go to her. He met her eyes instead.

It wasn’t worry, but maybe concern he saw under the hardened resolve.

“Shit,” Acer said and rolled his office chair back from the table.

Dane snapped his attention back to business, not forgetting that concern he’d seen—hell, he’d felt it too—but pushing it down deep.

Shana joined him and Acer to look at the two giant monitors at the work station.

“I found your pictures planted with fake identities and backgrounds on the dark web site that’s known for hits for hire,” Acer said. “Shit. I’m sorry.” He banged a fist on the thick board that served as his desk.

“Never mind that,” Dane said.

“I don’t know how the Secret Service fooled with your website. I designed it to be virtually hack-proof. But they’ve altered it and put it up on the dark web.”

“They’re working with the NSA, pal. They had a whole team of people to outmaneuver you.”

Dane stared at grainy distant pictures of a man and woman who were likely him and Shana. Not too precise to be identifiable, but enough to give them up if someone was looking. Shana was over his shoulder seeing the same thing.

“What do we do about this?” Shana asked. “Besides tell the Governor?”

“We need to find out how high up this plan goes—see who knows about it. The Governor can help with that.”

“And in the meantime?” Shana asked

“We have no choice. It’s the President’s life at stake. We’ll need to go along. Acer, you get us photos of the assassins—do they have a code name?”

“I’ll find out. If it exists, I’ll get you some photo ID. I’ll get everything I can on their MO.”

“Good. We’ll need to make it a fair fight, though I don’t think they’ll off us without getting as much intel from us as they can first.”

“What about Zarate—Professor Doom?”

“We’ll leave it to DHS to watch him or bring him in. Looks like his role is money man and we’re too far along to worry about him now. But keep tabs in case.”

“Great,” Shana said. “We’re going to call Andrews and Goodley on this setup, right?”

Dane smirked, not hiding his delight. Neither the Secret Service, DHS or NSA would expect him to have discovered their set up, the altered website and identity on the dark web. “That’ll be the fun part. We’ll have a chat with them tonight since we’ll be going to the airport tomorrow morning as Mr. & Mrs. Assassin.”

“You’re enjoying this too much to not be part devil.” Shana eyed him.

Acer laughed. “Part devil?”