They drove in silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. “Nick also suggested that someone outside the Agency could be behind all of this.”

Hunter nodded. “The cartel has eyes and ears everywhere.”

“I guess it’s possible, but it seems like an elaborate ruse for the cartel to orchestrate. Why not just kill me?”

“True.” He looked in his rearview mirror. “Hey, let’s put that on pause for a second. I think we may have a tail.”

She turned and looked. “I see them. Black Chevy SUV. The question is whether it’s the Agency keeping tabs or someone else.”

“Let’s see. Hold on.” He slammed on the brakes and took a sharp left. Then he floored it before taking a hard right.

“Where did you learn to drive like that?” she asked.

“You’re not the only one who has had training. Mine has just been a bit more informal. Call it on-the-job training.” He gritted his teeth as he watched the rearview mirror.

“I think you lost them.” She let out a sigh.

He wasn’t taking any chances. He accelerated down the road and then headed toward the highway.

“The Agency is probably trying to keep track of my whereabouts. As if the safe house isn’t enough.”

He actually hoped it was the CIA following them. If it was someone from the cartel, they were in grave danger. “The Agency we can handle. What we don’t want is more cartel hit men on our trail. I feel like a sitting duck out here.”

“Yeah. I agree with you.”

There was only a moment for him to regroup before, out of the corner of his eye, he saw another black SUV barreling toward them. It was a different vehicle than before. Without even thinking, he spun the wheel at full speed, and they did a one-eighty. He peeled out the other direction.

“Nice move,” she said. “I don’t think that was the Agency. We shouldn’t go to your place or the safe house. Let’s just keep driving for a while and make sure we’re in the clear.”

“I’m on it.” He glanced at her and saw that she’d pulled her Glock out of her jacket and had it sitting in her lap.

They rode in silence for a few tense minutes as he replayed the sequence of events in his head.

She looked over at him. “That wasn’t a coincidence. It could’ve been a two-man team trying to box us in.”

“Which is why your idea about continuing to evade and escape is a good one.”

She smirked. “They teach us a few things about evasive maneuvers at the CIA.”

“I bet they do.” He paused, wondering if he should broach this topic. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” she said.

“Why are you so against fieldwork? You’re obviously talented at it.”