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“I’m not certain of anything other than you need to keep the vice president secure. There is a war going on inside Russia, which means a possible political shift.”
If he was surprised I was tuned into what was going on, he didn’t show it. “Yes, I’m aware. Members at the Pentagon are watching carefully. What is your plan of action?”
“Remaining stationary for now. Possible extraction needed.”
“That wasn’t part of the plan.”
“And neither was being used as a scapegoat.” My statement was harsh, the words flowing easily. I’d been selected for this job on purpose. I would need to discover the reason in order to unlock the puzzle.
“Be very careful with the accusations you make, Sergeant. This organization was planned for months, preparations held in the highest level of secrecy. You were chosen for your skills. Don’t make me question whether the people involved were wrong.”
As soon as I laughed, I could tell he was annoyed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Send me your coordinates. If an extraction is necessary, you know the code to send. However, keep in mind it will take a minimum of twelve hours to provide assistance.”
“Understood. In the meantime, you should find out why a white paper written by the mark was allowed to remain on the web. That was the basis for years of planning. The professor associated with this paper has deep ties to Russia. Maybe it’s time someone got off their asses and did their jobs.”
“Sergeant Stone. This is your final warning.”
“And this is yours, Director Broderick. If I find out that I was planted in this secret organization for purposes other than what was disclosed to me, I will retaliate. That is my promise to you.” I ended the communication before I continued down a path of no return. There was a chance I’d need his assistance, which pissed me off as much as the waiting.
After shoving the device in my pocket, I moved toward the bar, yanking the bottle of whiskey from the surface. As I poured a glass, I heard footsteps second before a flash of lightning off the shore brightened a small area of the room.
As Jeremy walked in, I could tell he had something on his mind. He headed to the bar, grabbing another glass. “You can’t sleep again.”
I exhaled, taking my glass and walking toward the set of French doors. “Too much on edge.”
“That’s the way you always were just before a mission. You were so wired by the time we got out there, I had no idea how you were able to withstand the brutal hours and violent bloodshed, but you never let us down.”
His words were more haunting now than they’d been during our dozens of conversations over booze years before. I still wasn’t in the mood to go down memory lane, but I had a feeling that he was. “Yeah, well, that was adrenaline and rage.”
“The combination worked, but you don’t give yourself enough credit,” he said from behind me. I heard movement but remained where I was. “How about a cigar?”
Same old Jeremy. He could hunt down a Cuban in the middle of any country. “Why the hell not?” I turned around, watching as he grabbed two from a humidor in the credenza. As he held one out, he studied me intensely, the glow of the single light I’d turned on creating a strange silhouette. I took it from him, placing my glass on the coffee table before accepting the cutter.
As he lit his cigar, I studied him. He seemed entirely different than the night I’d pulled him off the ledge, as if he’d accepted the guilt, finally able to move on.
“Do you find this work satisfying?” he asked me before taking a puff.
I took a few seconds to light the cigar, sucking on the tip until I was able to taste the smoke. “That remains to be seen.”
“Always the cautious one. Always the man who followed orders, at least to a point.” He laughed then moved to one of the chairs.
I shifted to the other, loathing the tenseness in my muscles. I’d been out of the game too long, the lack of mental and physical preparation taking a toll. “Not always.”
His smile faded after a few seconds. “Look, you did your best. You saved a hell of a lot of men that day. You can’t tell me otherwise.”
“Not enough.” I rubbed my forehead then concentrated on the cigar, my thoughts never far removed from Isabella. She’d been so damn distant the last two days, fighting the ugliness of possibilities as much as I was. We’d shared a night of passion, but we’d both been on edge, enough so the roughness I’d shown her had created a wall between us.
The quiet that settled between Jeremy and me was a clear indication neither one of us was really over the experience. “At least you were there, able to save a few lives, Jag.”
“You had no other choice but to leave, for God’s sake. You had to say goodbye.”
“Yeah, well, it still feels wrong, like karma refused to allow me to follow through with the loyalty I’d pledged. They called you honorable. I was shoved aside, forgotten as a member of the unit.”
“You weren’t forgotten.”
“You weren’t there, Jag.”
