Nameless Read Online Free PDF

headed south.
    More irony. His career had gone south and then he’d done the same. Had been doing it ever since. And the joke was on him.
    “It’s the logical process,” she said, trying a different angle. “You were named in the e-mail. You separated from the Bureau under less than desirable circumstances. We had to be sure. We haven’t been able to pinpoint anyone related to any of your old cases as a person of interest. That only leaves you.”
    The doors glided open and he burst out, stormed across the lobby and then out the door with the security guard calling after him—something about him signing out.
    He had the Marlboro in his mouth and lit before the door whooshed closed behind him.
    “McBride! Dammit! Think about that little girl.”
    He wheeled around and glared at Grace. “I am thinking about that little girl. You’re the one who’s not thinking. You set me up.” He had to keep moving. He was too damned mad to hold still. He walked all the way to the fence and was still steamed. But because he couldn’t go any farther, he stopped.
    “You’re right.” She joined him, stared out at the same nothing he did. “I promised to back you up knowing I’d kept this from you. I was wrong.” A pause allowed him to absorb the impact of those three words. “I know how that feels and I’m the last person who should’ve been caught doing it.”
    Yeah, right. She was too damned young to have a clue what he was feeling. “That’s a nice sentiment, Grace, but I doubt we’re talking about the same thing.”
    She stared at him a moment, her desperation building. He didn’t have to look. He could feel the tension radiating off her in waves of uncertainty and agitation. Wasn’t his problem. He wasn’t going through this again.
    They had people for finding the kid, they didn’t need him.
    “Someone I trusted a lot more than you could possibly trust me in the few hours we’ve known each other let me down.” She drew in a deep, shuddering breath, then let it go. “I made the mistake of letting him see my one weakness and he used it to send me here instead of the assignment I had earned. He set my career back at last two years. I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive him, but I’ve got a job to do. I figure showing him he made a mistake will be the best revenge. So can we please save the theatrics for after we find the kid?”
    The kid. All this bullshit and the kid was the one who was going to lose.
    There wasn’t a reason in the world he should believe Agent Vivian Grace. Not one. But she was right about the kid. And about the revenge. Getting the job done would be the best kind. He flung his cigarette to the pavement and ground it out with his shoe. “Is there anything else I haven’t been told?” He would stay, but he wouldn’t be letting his guard down again. Not to her or anyone else whose title was “agent.”
    “That’s everything.” She held up her right hand. “I swear.”
    Maybe he was an idiot for putting himself on the line like this, especially considering he knew for sure that the Bureau still had the same shitty attitude about him. But he wasn’t about to let that little girl die just because their attitude and his life sucked.
    The guard didn’t try to stop him or Grace as they reentered the building. McBride bypassed the elevator and headed for the stairs. He needed to work off some of this rage before he went back into that conference room. Otherwise, he would wipe the floor with Worth, which he was damned tempted to do anyway.
    Grace kept pace with him and entered the conference room at his side. He went directly to the timeline board without a word to anyone. No one dared to question him. Not even Worth.
    “There’s no indication that anyone in the family, in the network of friends or business associates, might be involved?” This, he asked—demanded—of Worth.
    “Not so far,” Worth said with a questioning look at Grace. “The Byrnes have a lot of friends and business