could not have made it through this without you.”
She nodded, hugging him, then turned as she opened the door. “What are you going to do?”
He looked at her. “Do?”
“You know what I mean, Ricky. About them, your brother, this whole situation?”
Eric exhaled. “Take care of them. Give ’em a place to live. Until I find out what’s going on or they can get by on their own. I didn’t ask for this but—” He found her eyes. “About Ralph. I’m not sure. It’s still a work in progress. Has been since we were kids.”
Louise shot him a hard look. “I’ve never known you to sit back and let the world pass you by. Was that what all those calls were about?”
He shrugged again. “I don’t know any more than you do. Right now, this is a game I’ve gotta play fast, loose, and alone. When I figure it out, you’ll be first on the list.”
She studied him. “Good. You may not understand this. I’m not sure I do.” She shook her head slowly. “It’s hard to see someone else in my daughter’s home. And you know I’m no mystic. Never been into fate, the cosmos, or karma but—” She touched his cheek gently. “In a way I can’t explain, I think Ashley and Kylie are here for a reason.”
“Yeah. Ashley told me they came here to…”
“No.” Louise stopped him, holding her hand up. “I don’t mean that kind of reason. I mean something bigger.”
“Like a conspiracy?”
“No.” She laughed softly. “I think they’re here for a higher purpose.” She fixed his eyes with hers and arched her eyebrows. “To help you live again, Eric.”
While Ashley helped Kylie with her bath, Eric went into the living room and turned on the Red Sox as he replayed Lu’s words.
A higher purpose . To help him live again. Eric shook his head. Sure. He believed. Or he had. After seeing innocent ten-year-old street kids split in two by a Kalashnikov, even after three of his team were so badly scattered by an IED there wasn’t enough left to bury. Eric stopped believing the night the woman he worshipped and their baby lay broken and dying by the side of the road.
Chapter Thirteen
“Please tell me something I want to hear, Major.” The Director sat behind the massive desk speaking quietly to the man facing him. His tone had the authoritative ring of command.
The major—a veteran Marine officer—stared back, hands grasping the arms of the antique chair positioned strategically in front of the desk. The Director led a super-secret cell. He had crafted its covert operation delicately, with the precision and loving care of a finely honed work of art. But his exquisite design was in jeopardy. Not from the FBI, NSA, CIA, or another high-level intelligence group. The person who possessed the knowledge to destroy seven years of his work was a young woman—a girl. Who could have guessed she was a world-class hacker? Someone with skills sufficient to breach their network and download highly guarded secrets. No small feat. The Director was impressed.
The major watched him cautiously as the Director tented his manicured fingertips thoughtfully. A scornful smile crept across the man’s face as he studied the officer facing him. No one who had seen the Director in this special, secretive role had ever lived to tell the tale. Did the major suspect that?
“The operatives who failed to capture her in Norfolk have been dealt with. I saw to it personally,” he informed the man.
The Marine nodded compliantly. The room stood quiet for a long minute, a brooding silence interrupted by the perfect rhythm of the priceless grandfather clock that stood next to the door.
“You let this happen?” He addressed the major casually, his words devoid of emotion. Like the operatives who failed him in Norfolk this officer had come highly recommended. His résumé assured that mistakes in judgment never happened. It was the second time the Director had been misinformed. There would not be a third.
“I have no idea how she got
She nodded, hugging him, then turned as she opened the door. “What are you going to do?”
He looked at her. “Do?”
“You know what I mean, Ricky. About them, your brother, this whole situation?”
Eric exhaled. “Take care of them. Give ’em a place to live. Until I find out what’s going on or they can get by on their own. I didn’t ask for this but—” He found her eyes. “About Ralph. I’m not sure. It’s still a work in progress. Has been since we were kids.”
Louise shot him a hard look. “I’ve never known you to sit back and let the world pass you by. Was that what all those calls were about?”
He shrugged again. “I don’t know any more than you do. Right now, this is a game I’ve gotta play fast, loose, and alone. When I figure it out, you’ll be first on the list.”
She studied him. “Good. You may not understand this. I’m not sure I do.” She shook her head slowly. “It’s hard to see someone else in my daughter’s home. And you know I’m no mystic. Never been into fate, the cosmos, or karma but—” She touched his cheek gently. “In a way I can’t explain, I think Ashley and Kylie are here for a reason.”
“Yeah. Ashley told me they came here to…”
“No.” Louise stopped him, holding her hand up. “I don’t mean that kind of reason. I mean something bigger.”
“Like a conspiracy?”
“No.” She laughed softly. “I think they’re here for a higher purpose.” She fixed his eyes with hers and arched her eyebrows. “To help you live again, Eric.”
While Ashley helped Kylie with her bath, Eric went into the living room and turned on the Red Sox as he replayed Lu’s words.
A higher purpose . To help him live again. Eric shook his head. Sure. He believed. Or he had. After seeing innocent ten-year-old street kids split in two by a Kalashnikov, even after three of his team were so badly scattered by an IED there wasn’t enough left to bury. Eric stopped believing the night the woman he worshipped and their baby lay broken and dying by the side of the road.
Chapter Thirteen
“Please tell me something I want to hear, Major.” The Director sat behind the massive desk speaking quietly to the man facing him. His tone had the authoritative ring of command.
The major—a veteran Marine officer—stared back, hands grasping the arms of the antique chair positioned strategically in front of the desk. The Director led a super-secret cell. He had crafted its covert operation delicately, with the precision and loving care of a finely honed work of art. But his exquisite design was in jeopardy. Not from the FBI, NSA, CIA, or another high-level intelligence group. The person who possessed the knowledge to destroy seven years of his work was a young woman—a girl. Who could have guessed she was a world-class hacker? Someone with skills sufficient to breach their network and download highly guarded secrets. No small feat. The Director was impressed.
The major watched him cautiously as the Director tented his manicured fingertips thoughtfully. A scornful smile crept across the man’s face as he studied the officer facing him. No one who had seen the Director in this special, secretive role had ever lived to tell the tale. Did the major suspect that?
“The operatives who failed to capture her in Norfolk have been dealt with. I saw to it personally,” he informed the man.
The Marine nodded compliantly. The room stood quiet for a long minute, a brooding silence interrupted by the perfect rhythm of the priceless grandfather clock that stood next to the door.
“You let this happen?” He addressed the major casually, his words devoid of emotion. Like the operatives who failed him in Norfolk this officer had come highly recommended. His résumé assured that mistakes in judgment never happened. It was the second time the Director had been misinformed. There would not be a third.
“I have no idea how she got
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