Making it doubly important that she brought him back alive. Sadie considered the other woman at the table. The hope in her eyes was impossible to miss. Right now, Sadie could walk away and that decision would not adversely affect her career since this mission was off the record. She could stand up, walk out that door and never look back rather than risk her life for some informant whom she did not know and had no idea if he was actually credible.
Chances were, if she made that decision, the informant would die.
And though that decision would not prove unfavorable to her career, it would prove immensely unfavorable to her conscience.
“Let’s have a look at what I’m up against.”
Tanner went first. He explained that he had not encountered any trouble with members of this group—at least none of which he was aware. The members of the so-called Resurrection group were anonymous. Any who lived amid the community kept quiet about their involvement. Neighbors, friends, possibly even family had no idea about their participation. The tactic was actually fairly common and had been used for centuries by one secret group or another.
Brannigan spoke for the first time, agreeing with Tanner’s summation. The Winchester Police Department had not run into trouble with anyone who claimed to be or who was thought to be involved with this extremist group. The crime rate in the county was comparatively low. Rumors regarding the group known as Resurrection leaned toward the idea of extreme or doomsday-type preppers. Part of the problem was that there appeared to be an offshoot fringe group known only as the others who were far more dangerous. More primitive and violent.
Ross took over from there. “We’ve contacted a source within the ATF but we don’t have anything back from him just yet. He can only help us so much without crossing a line. Whatever else we do, we can’t keep waiting and risk losing Winters. Ultimately, the hope is that the Bureau and the ATF will initiate a joint task force, along with local law enforcement, to look more thoroughly into what this group is doing. As I said, for now, our immediate focus is on extracting Winters.”
Sadie understood perfectly. “If the Resurrection or this offshoot group has him, we need to get their attention. Obviously—” she scanned the faces at the table “—you don’t have the location where he’s being held.”
Tanner tapped the stacks of maps. “There are certain areas we feel are the more likely places but, no, we don’t have a damned clue.”
“And there’s no time to conduct the kind of search required to locate a needle in a haystack,” Sadie suggested. “Time is our enemy.” She set her gaze on Ross’s, knowing he would understand the goal. “We need their attention. I would recommend a news bulletin about a missing federal agent last seen in the Winchester area. Keep it ambiguous for obvious reasons. Give my description but not my name.” She shifted her attention to Tanner. “I’ll start with the most likely place and beat the bushes until they find me.”
“You want them to find you?” Tanner looked uneasy as he asked the question.
“We don’t have time to locate and infiltrate any other way. Prompting them to find me will be much faster and far more efficient.”
“Isn’t that far more dangerous, as well?” Brannigan asked.
“Yes.” Sadie saw no point in whitewashing the answer. “But it’s the only way to accomplish our goal in a timely manner.”
“Agent Buchanan is highly trained for exactly these sorts of situations,” Ross assured all present.
Judging by the expressions Tanner and Brannigan wore, his assurance did little to alleviate their reservations.
“You’re suggesting going in without backup,” Brannigan argued. “The only thing I see coming of that is two hostages needing extraction.”
Sadie acknowledged his assessment with a nod. “That is a possibility. But, Chief, you can trust me when I say, if I wasn’t experienced and completely confident about this situation, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I know what I’m doing. I understand the risk and, based on what I’ve heard so far, I am not overly concerned.”
“I may be able to help.”
All gathered around the table turned to the woman who had spoken. Cecelia Winters looked directly at Sadie even as the men in the room started to argue with her announcement.
“Not happening,” Ross stated unconditionally, tension in his voice, his posture and the set of his jaw.
“He’s right,” Tanner agreed with a firm shake of his head.
“This whole thing is far too risky as it is,” Brannigan added.
Sadie ignored them all. Instead, she focused on the woman who had made the statement. “How do you believe you can help?”
Cecelia blinked at Sadie’s question. “The people in this town know me. They know what happened to me—to my family. Nothing is secret anymore. If I spread the news, they’ll believe me. They will pass it along far more quickly than something reported in the news. Not everyone around here trusts the news.”
“Cece,” Ross argued, “your getting involved could only complicate matters.”
Sadie got the picture now. Ross and Cecelia were a couple. He didn’t want her anywhere near the line of fire. A personal connection more often than not spelled trouble when it came to an assignment like this one.
“Help from most any source can be useful, but Ross could be right,” Sadie said, not to change the woman’s mind but because it was true.
The hard look Ross sent her way shouted loud and clear that he wasn’t happy with how she had responded to the offer. Too bad. He wanted Sadie to do a job, an extraction—a very risky extraction. Why wouldn’t she use any available resources?
“Levi is my brother,” Cecelia said. “I want to help.” She glanced at Ross. “I need to help.”
“You understand that when this is over, there could be a backlash?” Sadie needed her to comprehend the long-term ramifications of any step she might opt to take. Sadie didn’t like getting civilians involved but it seemed as if this one was already eyeball deep in the situation.
“I do. The past decade of my life has been one long backlash. I think I can handle a little more.”
Ross obviously didn’t think so.
Sadie stared directly at him. “Is this going to be a problem for you?”
She didn’t like problems. Especially those that came from the people who were supposed to be on her side.
He held her gaze for a moment before saying, “I guess not.”
“Good.” Sadie turned back to Cecelia. “You tell whomever you believe will get the word out the fastest that the agent who was working with your brother showed up and was going around town asking questions.” She shrugged. “Trying to help, but now she’s suddenly gone missing and you’re worried about her.”
Cecelia nodded. “I can do that.”
“The most likely starting place?” Sadie asked, looking from one man to the next.
“The church,” Ross said. He glanced at Cecelia as he spoke. “We have reason to believe the Salvation Survivalists were working with the primary group in some capacity. They were housing weapons most likely intended for the Resurrection group, but we don’t have solid evidence of that conclusion. The ATF is looking at that aspect along with numerous others but, as we’ve established, they’re taking too damned long and they’re not sharing.”
“But you’re certain the two are or were connected.”
“We