Page 239 of Scars of Fate

“You told me it was a threat against Wynn.”

“It was.”

“That makes no sense.”

“It wasn’t only a threat.”

Ghost took the tag.

“The message was a warning. The reverse side was insurance.”

I stared at the piece of metal I had carried for six years.

“Why give it to me?”

“Because the original Fate files required two physical encryption keys.”

“Who had the first?”

“Minser.”

“And the second?”

“I did.”

Wynn looked toward Ghost.

“You hid yours on Lucas’s tag.”

“Yes.”

“Without telling him.”

“The less he knew, the safer he was.”

Anger rose inside me.

“You used me.”

“I trusted you.”

“You turned me into a target.”

“You already were one.”

Ghost held the tag between us.

“Minser had compromised the observation post. Kane had compromised command. I had nowhere safe to take the key.”

“So you gave it to me?”

“You were the only man I knew who couldn’t be bought.”

“Then you threatened my wife and disappeared.”

“I gave you a reason to get her away from you.”

“You destroyed us!”