Sacrifice the Wicked Read Online Free PDF Page B

occasions when the notoriously secretive sector came out to play, anyway.
    “Right to the point, aren’t you?” Kayleigh murmured. Her mouth twisted, rueful. “I can’t blame you. Director, you know from previous debriefings that Mrs. Parrish is no longer with us.”
    “I wonder, are you referencing the spiritual sense or professionally speaking?”
    The remorseful line to Kayleigh’s mouth deepened. “I understand that she was an obstacle, but I’ve spent the past two months going over her projects. It’s my hope that we can work together on future matters.”
    That wasn’t an answer, either. Although Parker didn’t need one. Through Simon’s post-op report, she already knew Mrs. Parrish had met an unfortunate end in the lower streets. According to official channels, however, the woman had simply retired.
    Well, according to the top-secret official channels that Parker had access to. As far as most were aware, the woman had never existed. Much like Sector Three.
    Translated? None of her business, and Parker didn’t have a choice.
    Her eyes shifted to the wide glass window separating her office from the information hub beyond it, but the vertical blinds remained closed.
    She liked to keep an eye on her operatives. That this woman had closed the blinds regardless told Parker everything she needed to know about the nature of this relationship.
    “Cut to the chase,” Parker ordered evenly, flicking away the doctor’s worthless olive branch with a gesture. “What do you want? What does Sector Three want?”
    The doctor’s eyes cooled. Ice and diamonds. Like father, like daughter. Only her father was eighty if he was a day. Parker placed his daughter at somewhere just under thirty. Close to her own age.
    “Very well, Director Adams.” Kayleigh sat back in her chair, crossing long legs in classic fuck you . “I understand you’re working on an operation you’ve called Domino.”
    Parker resisted the urge to rub at her forehead. It thumped in muted echo of her heartbeat; a twitch of temper she wrestled into place. “So you’ve been keeping tabs on our lab requests.”
    “Of course.”
    “Why?”
    The woman rested an elbow on the chair arm, one hand splayed over the reader in her lap. “Because the Mission’s interests are Sector Three’s interests, believe it or not.”
    “Oh, I believe it,” Parker replied, acid in the dry words. “What’s your point?”
    “We’d like to arrange a joint task force.”
    Over Parker’s dead body. “All evidence points to witchcraft. This places jurisdiction squarely with the Mission.” And she’d had enough of Sector Three’s spy witches to last her a lifetime.
    The question was, did Kayleigh know? She had to.
    “It sounds like you can use the help,” the woman pointed out.
    Not from her. Not when it came with strings, like Simon so obviously did. Parker shrugged. “Sector Three won’t take over this investigation, Dr. Lauderdale. It’s useless to ask.”
    Kayleigh tilted her head, eyes wide and earnest. “ This investigation, Director?”
    Parker’s gaze narrowed. “You must think I’m stupid.”
    “Not stupid.” Lauderdale straightened, leaning forward, broadcasting a sincerity Parker didn’t believe. “Cautious, yes. And that’s understandable.”
    She’d just bet it was.
    Politics. Mrs. Parrish had failed in her demands, Simon failed in his retrieval, so they sent the sweet-faced cheerleader to make friends.
    Not today.
    “We have it well—”
    “An exchange, Director.” Kayleigh raised her hand as she cut Parker’s denial off. “We’re willing to offer something for the information.”
    An eyebrow climbed. How serious was she?
    One way to find out.
    Parker met her gaze, mouth curving into a faint smile. “I want Operation Wayward Rose declassified.”
    The doctor hesitated.
    “And in exchange for having access to my missionaries, you will tell me why two of your men were stamped with a bar code. I’ll even give you Agent Wells to