Page 52 of Knight Watch

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sydney neededplenty of deep breaths and Kingsley’s tight grip to finally find her inner calmness. She wasn’t completely steady, but at least she could think more clearly.

Once they were back at Alliance with reassurances given all around, Sydney gratefully accepted Cleo’s cup of coffee and plate of pastries as they sat in the conference room for a detailed summary of what had happened.

Sydney couldn’t believe Frida’s brilliant idea. Her heart dropped a little knowing that even if it was official on paper, it wasn’t real. As she twirled the gold ring on her finger, she had to admit it was a nice fantasy, imagining Kingsley as her forever man. Far for delusional, she knew they weren’t at that point yet, even if her heart yearned to say yes. Kingsley had said he was serious, but everything had happened so quickly between them, she had to remain sensible, and the best thing she could do now was focus on the task at hand. Only when the threat from her uncle was removed could the real discussion between her and Kingsley start.

“Our best bet is to follow the money. That list of terrorists on US soil is proof that Rutherford had a major role to play in them being here. I doubt it was directly hands-on, but he had to know what was going on. Whoever paid for it was in direct contact with Rutherford.”

Alex slicked a couple of keys on his computer, and at least a dozen faces appeared on the main screen.

Frida leaned back in her chair. “If you have details, I can send what you have to my contact and start searching for them.”

Alex shook his head. “If we do that, they’ll disappear underground. And that will include Rutherford.”

Kingsley moved forward in his chair, a frown on his forehead. “What do you mean, include Rutherford?”

“He may be the only one who knows everything, as well as where they all are, but we don’t have solid proof. If they go down, the money man will go after him and put him down if we’re lucky. If we’re not, he will vanish.”

Shane nodded at Alex. “At this point, the mission becomes complicated. Our first goal is to protect Sydney, and that happens by taking down her uncle. To do so, our only lead is the terrorists. We need to find where the money is coming from. Once we have that bit of information, we can cut off the head, and everything will fall apart. That will ensure Rutherford and his men are sent to prison for a long, long time, and terrorists are taken care of.”

Malco was the next one to come forward. “We’ve been trying to trace the money, and we’ve come to a consensus. We’ve confirmed that none of his official and unofficial accounts, those we could find, had a major intake of money. Same with his men, though I doubt he would trust anyone else to handle it. So we believe he may have gone another route. Alex, who has the most experience in counter-terrorism, pointed it out. These groups tend to transfer money using family members.”

All eyes turned to Sydney, and her heart leaped in her throat. “You think I wouldn’t have told you about something like that?”

Mercy snorted, and Cain laughed. “No, honey. What we’re saying is that it’s possible he hid the money under your name somewhere.”

She frowned. “I haven’t noticed anything strange in my bank account. Sorry, guys.”

Emme smiled softly. “I doubt he would be that obvious, Sydney. And maybe we’re wrong, but it’s something we’ve gotta search. It may not be recent. We ought to go back a couple of years in our search. It could even be linked to your parents. We won’t leave any stone unturned.”

Her brain raced, sifting through various possibilities. “Maybe there’s something in my parent’s papers. Some are still at my dad’s. The rest, the important ones, are in a safety deposit box. I have the address somewhere. And if I remember correctly, my uncle wanted me to retrieve something from it but I gave him the wrong bank. That’s where I met Kingsley.”

Before she could react, the team was already being divided into three groups, one continuing the web search, another heading to the storage unit, and the third going to her dad’s.

Stunned, she heard Kingsley chuckle beside her. “That means I’m staying here, doesn’t it?”

Kingsley took her hand and kissed it. “No way are we putting you in danger again. We’re gonna stay here, and you’re going to rest until the teams come back.”

She looked around the room, at the operatives with their heads already down, typing furiously on their computers. Deep down she knew in her current state she wouldn’t be able to sleep. After her stint at the police station, she felt slightly claustrophobic.

Leaving the room, Sydney stopped in her tracks, her mind blank. For the last few days, her adrenaline had been pumping, on a hunt for clues or on the run to survive. Now having to stop and wait, it was as if her body didn’t know what to do.

Kingsley came behind her and circled her waist, engulfing her body with his heat. “You look so lost. Tell me what’s wrong, love.”

“I wish it was safe to go outside and walk on the beach. I feel cooped up.”

Kingsley kissed the top of her head, staying silent for a moment. “I think I have an idea.”

Letting go of her, he grabbed her hand and led her to a door behind the reception area. Sydney frowned as Cleo smiled at her as she carried a fresh pot of coffee toward the conference room.

Behind the door was a small staircase leading up. When Kingsley unlocked the trap door at the end, fresh air came rushing in. The door led to the rooftop, and to one of the most beautiful sunsets she had seen. It was as if the sky had exploded in every hue of crimson and gold possible. To see the sky, to be outside, to have the smell of the ocean tickling her nose was precisely what she needed. Standing there, she closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply. It felt better than a hot shower or ten hours straight of sleep, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the smile of the most gorgeous and considerate man she had ever known.

“Thank you. I didn’t know how much I needed this. To see the sky, to be still, just for a minute.”

His smile reached his eyes. “It doesn’t have to be a minute, we can stay as long as you want, although we may need blankets at some point.”

Relaxing more and more, she admired the horizon, trying to empty her mind of all the anger, fear, and doubt, just to be in the moment. Aware of Kingsley, she focused on the wind blowing her hair and the last rays of sunlight warming her cheeks. She heard him coming closer, stopping short of touching her, merely acting as her protector, as he’d done so many times since she’d first met him when he’d burst through that emergency exit door.