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“And that, right there, ladies and gentlemen, is the head of the snake that we’ve talked about destroying,” Ash said grimly.
“‘Most of the decisions’?” Eve said. “Why not all of the decisions?”
“There’s a sixth person. Ever heard the name Lazarus?”
“Yes,” Ash answered. “Serena found out about his existence a few months back. But we still don’t know who or where he is.”
Moving his leg aside and trying not to wince, Sean said, “Lazarus is a title, not the name of a person. Apparently, there have been a half-dozen or so of them throughout the years. It’s the most prestigious and influential position within WREN. Lazarus makes the final judgment calls for the biggest issues.”
“Any idea who the current one is or where he lives?”
“No. If Kingsley knows, he didn’t share.” He paused a moment, knowing the next bit of news would be hard for everyone. “OZ still working with Kate?”
A cool look entered Ash’s eyes. “Not as much as we once did. Had a dispute a few months back. Why?”
“You might want to give her a call so she can hear this next part.”
“Why?”
“Because Lars, Kate’s late husband, was the first Lazarus.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The memories were gut-wrenching. Everywhere Sean looked, he saw Serena. Her gentle smile, her husky laugh, the way her forehead would furrow when she was concentrating on a task, the way she would narrow her eyes and raise one eyebrow when she was questioning something. All those little quirks and eccentricities, and a million more, made Serena so unique and special. She had fascinated and enchanted him from the moment they met, and he would go to his grave loving her.
The OZ meeting had ended abruptly. When Sean had given the stunning news that Kate Walker’s late husband had been the first Lazarus, there had been stunned silence, followed by bursts of denials and outrage. Ash had called a halt to it all. He was now in the process of calling Kate, and Sean came out to the side porch of the OZ house, looking for a peace he knew he’d never find until Serena returned home safely.
Here, Sean lost himself in the memories. The oak tree a few yards away was where one of the happiest moments of his life had taken place. The team had been in the middle of planning an important op, and they’d taken a break for some fresh air. He and Serena had been sitting on the bench nestled under the tree. She had been telling him something about her family. He actually hadn’t been listening because his heart had been beating so fast, he could barely hear anything other than its rapid thud. By then, they’d been dating for almost two years. He had known he loved her, but making another commitment had been one of the scariest moments of his life. He’d faced down a man pointing an Uzi at his face with a lot less trepidation than he had felt that day. In the end, he’d just dropped to his knees, taken her hand in his, and proposed.
The look in her eyes was one he’d never forget. The depth of love in them had seemed so miraculous. That this brilliant, beautiful, selfless angel could love him like that had humbled him beyond imagination.
He could still hear the cheers from the team, as they’d been covertly watching close by. Everyone had been so happy for them, and in that moment, he had known he was the luckiest man in the world.
And then he’d screwed it up beyond all recognition.
“How’re you feeling?”
Turning, he faced Hawke. This was someone else he’d wronged. Instead of being happy that his friend was alive, he’d acted like a selfish prick. He’d put his pride above everything else and had stomped out of the room like a five-year-old having a temper tantrum. He was ashamed of a lot of things he’d done over the last couple years, and how he’d treated this man was close to the top.
“Better than I deserve. I’m sorry I was such an ass to you, Hawke.”
Settling down beside him, Hawke gave a laughing huff. “Like I said before, brother. All water under the bridge. I did some stupid things, too.”
“You and Olivia have a baby now?”
His face went bright as if the sun blazed down on him. “Yeah, a little girl. Her name’s Nikki.”
“Congratulations. I’m happy for you and Liv. And she’s still with Last Chance Rescue?”
“Yeah. Mostly on the research side so she can be with Nikki. And we’re expecting another one in about five months.”
“That’s great, man. You and Olivia deserve every happiness.”
Sean still didn’t know the whole story of what had gone on with Hawke and why he’d faked his death. A mission had gone wrong, and the man had suffered greatly for it. When he’d returned, everyone had been relieved, as well as angry. Other than him, everyone had gotten over their anger. Sean had chosen the stupid path.
“You and Serena deserve to be happy, too. And I am so sorry about your daughter, Sean. If something like that happened to Nikki, they’d have to lock me up and throw away the key. I’d be a crazed lunatic.”
Sean shrugged and shook his head. “Things might’ve been better if I’d gone berserk. Instead, I buried the pain and memories as deep as I could and tried to pretend it never happened.”
