Page 87 of False Flag

“Which is why nothing about this op is on the books. Are you prepared for the Navy to disavow you if you’re exposed?”

“Exposed for what? Returning to the island where my brother lived for the last months of his life?”

They were talking around his mission, not addressing what his focus was. Staci felt her gut clench, knowing she was the person they were keeping in the dark. And she had no clue what that meant.

“I won’t return to NSWC until I’m satisfied,” Jake said.

She’d grown up around the military and understood the risk Jake was taking. The potential insubordination. If they ordered him to return and he refused, he’d be AWOL.

He’d face court-martial. Possible jail. Dishonorable discharge.

It was Rand who responded. “As far as NSWC is concerned, you’re still on leave, Lieutenant. With your brother’s passing, we understand you have affairs to settle.”

Jake let out a breath and then sat up straighter. “Good. But I want it on the record—even if it’s off the books—I might not have a Fire Team to cover my six, but I’m not alone. Ms. Allen has been gathering intel on this operation for months and has access I can only dream of.”

She wanted to deny the last part, but wasn’t about to sabotage the leverage Jake was giving her.

“We have no control over Ms. Allen’s choices,” Captain Huang said. “Given that she sought and accepted her current position as a private citizen.” He stared into the conference room camera, which she felt as a direct gaze. “We presume you know the risks you’re facing, Ms. Allen?”

It was something of a relief to be addressed at last. She’d been feeling strangely invisible. “Want to see my scar from the Truther attack?”

Rand’s expression shifted. She knew he was holding back a smile. Beside her, Jake squeezed her hand. The action took place below the camera’s view. Private. But she knew it meant he had her back.

“I need authorization to read her in,” Jake said.

Rand responded. “We discussed this before the meeting. Ms. Allen has been vetted and approved. You may read her in offline.”

Relief flooded her. If Jake had been ordered to keep her in the dark, she would have lost it. But the fact that it was Rand who gave the authorization meant something too. He’d vouched for her. As well he should, but still, it hadn’t been a given.

“Good,” Jake said. “We’re returning to Letora Island today.”

She turned to him in surprise, but said nothing, not wanting to appear as if they weren’t in accord.

He squeezed her hand again.

Freya spoke next. “FMV has a boat arranged for you, so you can come and go from Letora Island without relying on Osborne’s ferry.”

Jake’s posture softened the smallest amount. “This the boat Flyte mentioned? He said it would take a few days.”

“The wait wasn’t for the boat, but for tech that had to be shipped from DC to the Olympic Peninsula. I received word an hour ago from our associate, Kalahwamish Tribal Chairman Bastian Ford, that the shipment arrived. The boat is fully stocked with everything you and Staci will need. Chairman Ford will contact you in the next hour to give you his ETA in Victoria Harbour.”

“Thank you, Ms. Lange,” Captain Huang said, “for arranging a boat and equipment the Navy can’t legally provide. A boat will make all the difference in enabling a way to bypass the signal blockers that Osborne uses to control all inflow and outflow of information to the island.”

Staci felt the knot in her belly release. She’d still be trapped, but not as trapped once they returned. And this time, she’d have Jake as a known ally.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jake paced the sidewalk in front of the harbor. His patience—one of his greatest skills as a special operator—was shot. But he didn’t feel like a special operator here. Here he was unmoored from everything. He needed to find his center. Remember who and what he was. Now.

He’d be no good to Staci without focus. Without patience. He needed to be the stone-cold SEAL he’d trained to be. Not the grieving brother. Not the lovesick fool. Not the furious operator.

His brother had been murdered. He knew that. But his job now was to protect Staci, uncover the scam Campbell and Osborne were attempting to pull, determine one way or another if oligarch Grigory Laskin and Vice President Daniels were part of the scheme, and find justice for Lloyd.

Lloyd was last, not first, in his priorities.

But before he could start checking off items on his list, the damn boat needed to arrive. It had been hung up in customs for over an hour. The wait had him on the verge of losing his fucking mind.

His phone buzzed. He read the text and let out a sigh of relief. The boat had finally cleared customs and would be at the dock shortly.