definitively, still glowering at Téya. Then looked at Annie. “It’s not your concern.”
“Wrong,” Téya countered. “You were placed under arrest trying to stop that woman from giving up our names.”
Trace shifted, his shoulders lifting. Arms out to the side, he was about to detonate.
Annie couldn’t move. Her mind galloped through their words as the duel played out.
Trace’s face went like stone. “Leave us,” he barked.
It took a second for Annie and the others to register that he wanted them to leave. But this—there was no way she’d walk out now. Something big was happening. Trace was hiding something. “No.”
He aimed all the ferocity that was the combat soldier and colonel at Annie “
Leave
us. I need—”
“We need openness and transparency,” Annie said, tasting the bitterness of the words, knowing she hadn’t given him that. Not about. . .everything. Seeing this anger, seeing his fury—she could only imagine how he’d react if he found out the whole truth about their past. But that was different. This was now. They were in a mess that had to be sorted. “We’ve been operating with half-full files. Put it all on the table, Trace. Enough with the secrets.”
Annie couldn’t help but notice the way Rusty lowered his head, bouncing his leg. It went against every bit of training they had to question and challenge Trace like this.
Wide-eyed, mouth open, Houston watched.
Trace pinned Annie with a fierce gaze, one that probed down. . .down. . .down. . .into the recesses of her soul. Someday, she’d have to tell him. Just not yet.
“Fine,” Trace huffed, then touched the table again. “General Marlowe encouraged a committee to re-open the investigation against me regarding Misrata. They are aware of the deaths of Herring, Reyna, and now Shay. Someone—”
“Tell them,” Rusty said, and when Trace about punched the guy, he raised his hands. “They should know it all.”
“General Solomon’s daughter somehow obtained files on your identities.”
Annie felt the dagger of those words right between her ribs and straight to the heart.
“She was going to reveal them in the hearing. I. . .intervened.” He seared Téya with one of the angriest expressions Annie had seen. “Though I’m not sure how Téya is aware of that.”
Dear God, help us.
“Is it over?” Annie asked, folding her arms as she took her seat again. “Do they know our names?”
“No,” Trace snapped. “I won’t let that happen.”
Something in his expression bothered Annie. Something about the dark fury in his face. “Wh–what do you mean? What are you going to do?”
Fingertips on the cold surface of the table, Trace tempered his frustration. “Can we get back to the mission? There’s a—”
He was going to do something. Anything. Whatever it took to stop someone from exposing them. Annie could see it all over him. “We want to be there,” Annie said.
“Not happening.” Trace swallowed—hard. “The hearing is closed. I can’t get you in without credentials, and that’s not possible.”
“You get us into other countries but can’t get us into a hearing?” Téya once again worked against him.
“It’s a case of
can’t
, not
won’t
, right Trace?” Annie said.
“
Commander
,” Nuala said, clearing her throat.
“Listen!” Trace barked. “You’re not going. It’s hard enough to keep you safe here. But out in the open”—he shook his head—“impossible. Forget it.”
Annie sat forward. “But—”
“
Enough
! It’s not happening. End of story,” Trace roared. He snatched up his files then stomped out of the room. “Reconvene at fifteen hundred.” And he was gone.
Stunned, Annie sat there, working through what had just happened. Téya left the room almost immediately. Nuala and Houston departed together. But Annie stayed, thinking. Trying to separate the angry, yelling Trace from the man she knew.
On the other side of the table, Rusty sat there, his chair
“Wrong,” Téya countered. “You were placed under arrest trying to stop that woman from giving up our names.”
Trace shifted, his shoulders lifting. Arms out to the side, he was about to detonate.
Annie couldn’t move. Her mind galloped through their words as the duel played out.
Trace’s face went like stone. “Leave us,” he barked.
It took a second for Annie and the others to register that he wanted them to leave. But this—there was no way she’d walk out now. Something big was happening. Trace was hiding something. “No.”
He aimed all the ferocity that was the combat soldier and colonel at Annie “
Leave
us. I need—”
“We need openness and transparency,” Annie said, tasting the bitterness of the words, knowing she hadn’t given him that. Not about. . .everything. Seeing this anger, seeing his fury—she could only imagine how he’d react if he found out the whole truth about their past. But that was different. This was now. They were in a mess that had to be sorted. “We’ve been operating with half-full files. Put it all on the table, Trace. Enough with the secrets.”
Annie couldn’t help but notice the way Rusty lowered his head, bouncing his leg. It went against every bit of training they had to question and challenge Trace like this.
Wide-eyed, mouth open, Houston watched.
Trace pinned Annie with a fierce gaze, one that probed down. . .down. . .down. . .into the recesses of her soul. Someday, she’d have to tell him. Just not yet.
“Fine,” Trace huffed, then touched the table again. “General Marlowe encouraged a committee to re-open the investigation against me regarding Misrata. They are aware of the deaths of Herring, Reyna, and now Shay. Someone—”
“Tell them,” Rusty said, and when Trace about punched the guy, he raised his hands. “They should know it all.”
“General Solomon’s daughter somehow obtained files on your identities.”
Annie felt the dagger of those words right between her ribs and straight to the heart.
“She was going to reveal them in the hearing. I. . .intervened.” He seared Téya with one of the angriest expressions Annie had seen. “Though I’m not sure how Téya is aware of that.”
Dear God, help us.
“Is it over?” Annie asked, folding her arms as she took her seat again. “Do they know our names?”
“No,” Trace snapped. “I won’t let that happen.”
Something in his expression bothered Annie. Something about the dark fury in his face. “Wh–what do you mean? What are you going to do?”
Fingertips on the cold surface of the table, Trace tempered his frustration. “Can we get back to the mission? There’s a—”
He was going to do something. Anything. Whatever it took to stop someone from exposing them. Annie could see it all over him. “We want to be there,” Annie said.
“Not happening.” Trace swallowed—hard. “The hearing is closed. I can’t get you in without credentials, and that’s not possible.”
“You get us into other countries but can’t get us into a hearing?” Téya once again worked against him.
“It’s a case of
can’t
, not
won’t
, right Trace?” Annie said.
“
Commander
,” Nuala said, clearing her throat.
“Listen!” Trace barked. “You’re not going. It’s hard enough to keep you safe here. But out in the open”—he shook his head—“impossible. Forget it.”
Annie sat forward. “But—”
“
Enough
! It’s not happening. End of story,” Trace roared. He snatched up his files then stomped out of the room. “Reconvene at fifteen hundred.” And he was gone.
Stunned, Annie sat there, working through what had just happened. Téya left the room almost immediately. Nuala and Houston departed together. But Annie stayed, thinking. Trying to separate the angry, yelling Trace from the man she knew.
On the other side of the table, Rusty sat there, his chair
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