“All right. There’s heat on Zane, but in my opinion that’s the wrong play here.”

Layla didn’t think there was any way Zane was guilty. “I agree.”

“The DEA isn’t convinced Keith Hammond was working with the cartel. There’s new chatter that the cartel took out one of the top CIA spies in Honduras.”

Layla’s worst fears were coming true. “I put a target on his back.” She paused, letting that thought sink in. “I hate to think that my phone call got him killed, but it seems like that’s precisely what happened.”

“I’m sorry for what happened, but you can’t take the blame. The cartel pulled the trigger. We have to find out who the real mole is and get them to flip and give us critical intel on Diego. That could be a game changer.”

Layla could only hope and pray that was possible. She didn’t know how long she could live like this. “If I’m being honest, it’s not just the cartel that’s bothering me, although obviously that’s a concern. This whole mess with the Agency has really torn me up. Feeling like I can’t trust anyone. Always looking over my shoulder. It’s exactly the reason I don’t want to be a field officer. I’m not cut out for such subterfuge. I love reading and analyzing and connecting the dots, but lying and presenting a false front and always being on the lookout for danger—that’s just not me.”

He took her hand. “You’re a fighter, Layla. Much stronger than most people I know. While you might never want to be a field agent, you’re more skilled than you want to believe. The Agency knows that. Think of all the testing you had to go through before they actually hired you. They know your strengths and weaknesses.”

“They know everything, but that’s what scares me. They know all of this, and yet they still keep pushing me down this other path. So what am I missing?”

“You underestimate yourself. While you might not want to do these things, you have the capacity to, and that’s all the CIA cares about.”