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Cole wished Edwin had been able to keep Kelsey out of it entirely, but his daughter and grandson had been dragged into this mess and their lives put at risk.
As he drove, father and daughter talked in the language of tech geeks. Cole tuned them out, along with his personal thoughts about his place in the family, and focused on their surroundings, looking for any sign of danger. He knew Edwin would be doing the same, even while he talked. Cole saw nothing to worry him, and they were soon back at the safe house.
Edwin took the baby from Raymond as soon as he was through the door. “Look how much you’ve grown since Pops had to go away,” he said to the child. Eddy kicked his legs in excitement at the sound of his grandfather’s voice. “You haven’t forgotten me.” Edwin hugged the infant to him, obviously delighted to see him.
“We’ll take off,” Raymond said, speaking for himself and David. “Good to see you back, sir.”
Edwin thanked them for their help before turning his attention back to Eddy. Cole walked his fellow SEALs to the door.
“Enjoy the family reunion,” David said before leaving, shooting a look back into the living room.
“Thanks.” His friends probably guessed that this was awkward for him. They were right about that. Cole didn’t know his place in this family dynamic, but he planned to work that out.
“We’ll be around if you need us,” Raymond said. “We’ve both taken a week’s leave, so don’t hesitate to call.”
“Appreciate it.” Cole returned to the living room where Edwin still held onto his namesake as if he would never let him go.
“Just can’t believe how big he is,” Edwin said to no one in particular.
“Dad, where have you been?” Kelsey repeated the question she’d asked earlier.
“Here and there.” Edwin’s answer was evasive, and Cole was having none of that.
“Let’s get to what matters. Why’d you go into hiding?” Cole managed not to addleaving your daughter and grandchild vulnerable.He had no right to say it, because he’d abandoned them himself for what now appeared to be entirely selfish reasons.
Edwin sat down with Eddy on his lap. “Because I knew the tides were turning against me, and it was only a matter of time before I was in the hotseat. The leaks have been going on for a while. Probably longer than you both realize. The early ones were comparatively inconsequential. A supply caravan was hit and ransacked. No casualties. And then a target wasn’t where it was supposed to be, making the mission a wash. I started getting suspicious, digging into things, looking for common links. And all the while, the incidents continued. But I noticed a new trend in the ones that happened after I began my investigation. They all pointed back to me.”
“Someone did this to you intentionally, Dad. We thought so, but why?” Kelsey asked.
“I’m still not sure of the answer to that. It could be someone with a score to settle, or I could just be convenient since I did have access to the intel on those first incidents. None of them required top security clearance. But then, the big one happened. I wish I could have done something to prevent that team from being wiped out. Good men were lost. Friends, guys I helped train. It turned my stomach to think that someone was going to put the blame for that on me. When I felt the net tightening around me, I made the decision to run while I still could.”
“And in doing so, you put a big target on your back,” Cole commented. He wanted to put his arm around Kelsey and give her some comfort. She had her father back, but this was far from over, and she was realizing that. He settled for sitting next to her and taking her hand in his. She immediately squeezed it.
“Yeah, but it bought me some time to devote all my resources to my own investigation.”
“What’s your theory on who’s behind this?” Cole asked, since Edwin had hinted that he had one.
“I’m getting there,” Edwin addressed Cole, “but I need to smoke him out, and I can’t do it alone.”
Cole had the sudden sense that they were headed into very dark waters.
TWENTY-THREE
“Dad, is that wise?” Kelsey stiffened next to Cole. “Why not just turn over what you know? There must be someone you trust. What about Commander Dobson? You’ve always respected him, and he’s tried to…” Her voice trailed off when her father’s expression darkened. “Oh! You think it’s him.”
“About ninety percent sure.” Cole knew that Edwin was a cautious man. He wouldn’t be saying anything if he wasn’t already certain.
Cole no longer regretted having concealed information from the commander when he lied about having heard from Edwin. His instincts had told him to keep that to himself, and now he understood why.
“Look at the facts,” Edwin continued. “It has to be someone in a high position with access to the information and the ability to manipulate data. Dobson has enough authority to drive the investigation in any direction he wanted to—including framing Gomez when he needed a new scapegoat.”
“But why would he have leaked that information in the first place?” Kelsey asked, her face confused and worried. “What’s his motivation?”
“I assume greed, but it might be something else. I can’t be sure yet, so I need a plan that will reveal everything, and that’s where Cole comes in,” Edwin said.
“You want me to help you draw him out.” Cole saw where this was going. Edwin intended to use himself as bait.
“That’s right. You’re going to turn me in to Dobson. Then we’ll see what his next move is.”
