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“Let’s hope so,” Bridger muttered, willing his phone to vibrate with an incoming message.
Finally, as the others settled in the living room, hot chocolates in hand, his phone buzzed to life.
“Got something,” he announced. He quickly scanned the words, his stomach twisting into knots as the message coalesced in his brain.
Tai gave him a funny look. “Can he help or what?”
Stomach churning, Bridger shook his head. “Romero didn’t answer my question. He sent a copy of an FBI incident report. It’s time stamped an hour ago.” He caught Jane’s eye. “Pete is dead. Killed while resisting arrest by Agent Palmero.”
The room fell silent.
“Dead?” Jane’s voice wavered.
Mason squinted at him. “You think it’s a legit report?”
Bridger shrugged, rubbing his fingers around the edges of the phone. “It sure looks official. And I can’t believe a pro like Romero wouldn’t have vetted the info before sending it.”
“No way anyone Pegasus trusts would send faulty intel. Not about something this serious,” Tai added.
Bridger couldn’t disagree. His gut told him the same thing. “Copy that.”
Face pale, Jane stared at the floor. “How... how am I going to tell Kellen?”
“Maybe we should wait until we know more,” Mason suggested, his eyes filled with sympathy. “The report’s probably legit, but let Paige do her magic and confirm. Besides, nothing’s gonna change tonight, and the kid could use a peaceful sleep.”
Fighting a fog of disbelief and grief for both Kellen and Jane, Bridger forced himself to think. What Mason said made sense. The boy was asleep. No need to wake him with the awful news.
“I agree,” Bridger said. “I vote we wait until morning to tell Kellen. We’ll have more details… But it’s your call,” he said to Jane. “One hundred percent.”
Clearly fighting back tears, Jane nodded sharply. “I agree. That’ll give me time to…” She shook her head and dashed away tears. “I have no idea why I’m crying.”
“For Kellen,” Kate said gently.
Jane bit her lip. “Exactly.”
Tai, Mason and Fenn eyed each other quietly. Bronski and his goons had just upped the stakes. Big time.
Bridger hadn’t been expecting Jane’s ex to be of any help, but the rogue agents had eliminated even the remote possibility that the guy might confess and dig Jane out of the mess he’d made.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We need to keep moving forward.” He picked up his phone. “I still think Romero is our best bet.”
When the rest of the group nodded their assent, he texted the former spy again.
Message received. We still want to proceed with a meeting with legit law enforcement. Do you have any reliable contacts?
He stared at the dark hallway where an innocent boy slept, unaware that his father was dead.
Mason rose from the couch and stretched. “I’m gonna take a lap around the property.”
Tai knocked back the last of his cocoa and hefted himself up. “I’ll join you. Nothing else we can do until Romero responds.”
Fenn pulled out a well-worn deck of cards. “Anybody for five card stud?”
Kate wrinkled her nose. “Not when you always win.”
Fenn opened his mouth to respond, but Bridger held up a hand. “Listen, I know this is tough, but we’ve got each other’s backs. That’s what makes us unstoppable.”
Fenn raised his mug. “Here’s to the found family.”
