Back Let Me Go
Chapters (54)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Notice
  4. Dedication
  5. Chapter 1
  6. Chapter 2
  7. Chapter 3
  8. Chapter 4
  9. Chapter 5
  10. Chapter 6
  11. Chapter 7
  12. Chapter 8
  13. Chapter 9
  14. Chapter 10
  15. Chapter 11
  16. Chapter 12
  17. Chapter 13
  18. Chapter 14
  19. Chapter 15
  20. Chapter 16
  21. Chapter 17
  22. Chapter 18
  23. Chapter 19
  24. Chapter 20
  25. Chapter 21
  26. Chapter 22
  27. Chapter 23
  28. Chapter 24
  29. Chapter 25
  30. Chapter 26
  31. Chapter 27
  32. Chapter 28
  33. Chapter 29
  34. Chapter 30
  35. Chapter 31
  36. Chapter 32
  37. Chapter 33
  38. Chapter 34
  39. Chapter 35
  40. Chapter 36
  41. Chapter 37
  42. Chapter 38
  43. Chapter 39
  44. Chapter 40
  45. Chapter 41
  46. Chapter 42
  47. Chapter 43
  48. Chapter 44
  49. Chapter 45
  50. Chapter 46
  51. Chapter 47
  52. Acknowledgments
  53. Also by Chelsea Cain
  54. About the Author

Archie lifted his finger and they waited as the jogger passed, although he couldn’t have overheard anything with the ruckus Ginger was making. He was wearing lightweight shorts and a “Life is Good” T-shirt with the sleeves cut off. Every inch of his bare flesh glowed bright pink from exertion. His face looked pained. He didn’t give them a second look as he went past. Ginger, disappointed, quieted and began snuffling in the grass.

When the jogger was thirty feet south of them, Archie asked, “How many people know Leo is the source?”

Sanchez scratched the back of his neck. “Besides me and you and”—he looked at Archie questioningly—“I’m guessing Henry? That’s it.”

“Henry’s my partner,” Archie said. “I don’t keep him in the dark.” That hadn’t always been true, but Archie didn’t mention that.

“Anyone else come to mind?” Sanchez asked.

In fact there was another person who knew Leo was DEA, a person Sanchez had not mentioned. Archie knew that Leo had told Susan his secret a few months ago. Protocol required Leo to report that to his superiors. Clearly, he hadn’t.

“I wouldn’t know,” Archie said.

A barge loaded with construction equipment cleared the Steel Bridge, nudged along by an old tugboat. Men with construction hats stood on board, gazing at the shore.

“This operation is new to me,” Sanchez said. “I was the safeguard. Carl briefed me years ago, so that if anything happened to him, I could step in and Leo wouldn’t get left in the wind.”

“You mean like if Carl got his head blown off in the john, for instance?” Archie said.

“That would fit the criteria,” Sanchez said. “In the meantime, I’m trying to coordinate the search for a dangerous escaped serial killer.”

“I think I read something about that,” Archie said.

Sanchez caught himself. “Sorry,” he said with a grimace. “I’ve just got a lot on my plate. I can’t get Leo out without revealing his identity. But if I reveal his identity it could get him killed before I can get him out.”

Archie wasn’t buying it. This had been an important operation for the feds. A lot was riding on it. It was a career-maker. “You don’t want him out until he has the names,” Archie said.

Sanchez rubbed the side of his nose. “Okay, no bullshit,” he said. “This operation has taken ten years. If Leo can get us the names of Jack Reynolds’s partners, then yeah, I think that’s worth not rushing into anything. I have bosses whose names are on that list. So do you. That’s why we have to keep this close.”

The Burnside Bridge yawned open to let the barge through.

“Someone else knows,” Archie said.

“The girlfriend,” Sanchez said with a heavy sigh.