Nebulous 2.0 chose Indianapolis because he’d planned to incriminate Carson—who often traveled there to handle issues with his mother’s care—and frame him if his plans went south. He’d also threatened to harm the zip-line employee’s teenage daughter if he didn’t cooperate by sabotaging the zip line to end the undercover federal agent’s life. Maci’s son’s life had also been threatened. But Nebulous 2.0 had met his match in Mackenzie. Once she deployed countermeasures, he’d had to resort to plan B to take out the servers.

The woman was a genius. Alex had known that before this incident.

Stunningly beautiful. Compassionate. He wanted to catch her up in his arms and kiss her. Hold her and never let her go. But he was allowing his emotions, his desperation to get the best of him. He didn’t want her to climb into her vehicle and drive home to Michigan without telling her how he felt. What he thought. Would she actually do that? He hoped she would stick around to support her sister through the chaos. But he simply couldn’t know.

The biggest problem—he had been called back to DC without delay. SSA Lynch wanted him on the red-eye tonight. That was news he didn’t want to deliver to Mackenzie in a text or even on a call. He had to see her face and make her understand.

Where was she?

Detective West sidled up to Alex. “I know this is probably not the right time, but I have something you might want to see.”

“It’s fine. They’re done with me.” My career could be over too. He followed Detective West down the hall. “Do you happen to know where they’re questioning Mackenzie?”

West pulled Alex into his cubicle and sat down, offering him a chair as well. Then West gave him a warning look. “You know this could go either way for her. She was digging around where she shouldn’t have been.” He shrugged. “Or she could be seen as a hero, routing this guy out. They’ve wanted him for years, I hear, though I’m not sure I was supposed to.”

“It could go either way for me too. I’m heading to DC tonight.” God, I don’t want to go. He had unfinished business with Mackenzie. He’d had to rush away from her all those years ago, and he didn’t want that to happen again.

He’d been inexplicably drawn to her that first moment he saw her three years ago. And now, they’d had another chance, but the chaos of this world seemed bent on keeping them apart. If either of them was seen as anything other than a hero, then William would have taken even more from her—her future.

“Earth to Alex.”

Detective West’s words pulled Alex to the moment and the detective’s arched brow.

West blew out a breath. “This is what I wanted to show you.” He turned on his monitor. “This security footage is from a gas station at the corner of a state highway and forest road near Stone Wolf Mountain.”