“Be careful. Call me again?”

“Will do.”

Grangeland returned with the bags. Harv walked over and locked the front door behind her.

“Make Ms. Dalton as comfortable as possible,” Nathan said. “Don’t ask any questions until I’m present. If she offers anything, write it down. We’ll give you a few minutes. We’re in a time sensitive situation.”

She picked up the trauma bag.

“Hang on.” He unzipped the bag and grabbed a handful of sterile pads and a roll of two-inch micro-pore tape. “Okay, you’re good to go.”

She hesitated. “She’s pretty freaked and wants to get outta here.”

“It could be an act. She could be a spook, a trained operations officer.”

“With two young daughters?”

“I’ll admit it’s unlikely, but we can’t rule it out yet.”

“Nate,” Harv said, “if she’s a spook, she won’t tell us anything.”

“Let me try,” Grangeland offered.

“She’ll be a lot more comfortable with Grangeland present,” Harv said. “But if she is a spook, it won’t make any difference.”

Nathan looked at Grangeland. “Okay, but don’t ask her any questions until we’re present. Bandage her torso, get her on O-two, and take her blood pressure. You know the routine. Let her know you’re going to take care of her and that we’re going to find her daughters.” He nodded toward the office. “We’ll be right there.”

She looked like she wanted to object, but didn’t.

Nathan dug through Harv’s overnight bag, found a T-shirt, and pulled it on. “We need to control our guests’ bleeding with pressure bandages.”

“Wouldn’t break my heart to watch them bleed out.”

“Me either, but we need pee-pee boy alive. He’s been to the safe house.”

“Pee-pee boy?”

He shrugged.

Harv squinted in thought.

“What?”

“Why San Diego?”

“I don’t follow.”

“The safe house. Why San Diego and not Chicago or Baltimore, or any other city?”

“That’s a good question.”

“There’s got to be a reason.”

“No doubt there is.” He pointed toward the mercenaries. “They might know.”

“Think the safe house confession was bogus?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so. You?”

“Unless he’s the best actor I’ve ever seen, I’d say no, but he may not know why it’s in San Diego. Ms. Dalton might.”

“We really need to talk to her.” He looked toward the offices.

“Nate, I feel I need to voice something. Are we being fair to Ms. Dalton? Keeping her here like this?”