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“You heard me mention Deckard Sloane,” Gabe said. “It turns out he’s the one who initiated the re-creation of the weapon. Kimball said he’s a descendent of the original scientist, and we all know that he’s very powerful in Washington. He’s not afraid to throw his weight around to get what he wants, but no one has the balls to come up against him. He’ll be president after the next election.”
“So you’re saying we’re going to what? Kill him?” Ethan asked. “What about Kimball?”
“Shut up, Ethan,” Jack said. “You’re in a public place. We’ve talked about this before. Keep your mouth shut and just listen.”
“I locked myself in the bathroom. I’m all alone.”
“This is perfect,” Jack said, dropping into a chair and running his hands across his scalp. “So we get to take out the Speaker of the House, whose security is as good as, if not better than, the president’s, inciting a national panic and getting ourselves in a whole heck of a lot of trouble.”
“One problem at a time,” Gabe said. “Kimball’s the bigger threat now.”
“Why?” Ethan asked. “He doesn’t have an auction if he doesn’t have a weapon. Seems pretty simple to me.”
“I don’t think Gabe’s idea of saving the world and ours are the same anymore,” Logan said.
He’d been the quietest up until now, listening and processing in his silent way, but his eyes spoke volumes. Logan was pissed. And he had every right to be.
“Kimball wants to trade Grace for the painting, and Gabe wants to accommodate him. It’s what he meant when he told Jack there was plenty of time. He wants to give him the weapon and then try to stop him once the auction location is determined.”
“Weren’t you the one who lectured me on the importance of the whole as opposed to the individual?” Ethan asked, the anger in his voice evident. “SOP says we have to leave her behind. We can’t turn over a portion of a weapon that could wipe out civilization for her.”
“Agreed,” Logan said. “You don’t have a choice here. You have to let her go.”
“Would you?” Gabe asked, speaking directly to Logan.
They never talked of Logan’s past or the horrors he’d been forced to live through. Of the wife who’d died screaming his name for help. The puckered scars of fire covered a good portion of Logan’s neck, back, and arms. He was the best explosives man Gabe had ever worked with, but no one was perfect. “If you had the chance to save her,” Gabe said softly, “Would you do it? Or would you walk away?” He wasn’t talking about Grace any longer, and he could tell by the shadows that came into Logan’s eyes that he knew it too.
Logan stared at him silently—defiantly—but Ethan wasn’t afraid to break into an awkward pause.
“Hell, no,” Ethan said. “This is crap, Gabe. You seriously think her life is worth everyone else’s? I know she’s your wife, and I’m sorry about that, but she knows the risks. I’m voting with Logan on this one. What about you, Jack?”
He looked at Jack and watched his friend close his eyes, knowing what was coming.
“Gabe,” Jack started to say.
“This mission is aborted,” Gabe interrupted. “ISF is disbanded. Thank you for your work, gentlemen. Go home.”
“I don’t understand,” Ethan said. “You’re telling me you’re going to throw all this away for her? You’re going to risk the safety of the world for one woman?”
“You can’t possibly understand, Ethan,” Gabe said. “It’s not aboutonewoman. It’s aboutthewoman. There’s a hell of a lot of difference. If you’re lucky, you might understand it one day.”
“This is pointless,” Ethan said. “You can’t get the painting without us.”
“Sure I can,” Gabe said, pulling the laptops in front of him. “Go home. All of you.”
Gabe caught Logan’s smile, and knew he understood. Jack groaned from across the table and muttered several inventive curses.
“Like hell I’m going home,” Jack said. “Someone has to watch your back. I’m in.”
“Me too,” Logan said. “But you’d better have one crazy plan.”
Ethan sputtered from the phone on the table. “You’ve all lost your minds. This is insanity.”
“Goodbye, Ethan,” Gabe said, moving his finger toward the phone to disconnect.
“Wait, wait,” Ethan said. “Can’t you even give a guy a chance to think?” He sighed heavily across the line. “I guess I’m in too. Though I want it noted that I reserve the right to say I told you so.”
“So noted,” Gabe said. “Now let’s go get that painting. We’ve got to be back in London by noon tomorrow.”
