photo. Brynn gasped. He held his emotions in check, nodding as he scoured the gruesome shot. It was Jayda, and she was dead. Yes, the photographs could have been doctored. Sure, the autopsy could have been staged.
It really didn’t matter.
Jayda was gone—if not from this world, then definitely from his heart.
He slid the pictures back into the folder.
“It’s her,” he said.
Brynn squeezed tighter.
“This information that Jayda had,” he said, turning to Brynn. “Is it important to national security?”
“Whose?” Macy asked wryly.
“I only give a damn about the US,” Sean replied.
“Having it would likely give the United States some sort of tactical advantage over the North Koreans, which, at this juncture of international relations, could come in handy.”
Sean pushed away from the table, nearly trampling Brynn in the process. As if she could feel the heightened tension in the room, Abby started to cry.
“I don’t give a damn about tactical advantages. Will this information save American lives?”
Macy shushed and bounced her baby then said, “I don’t know.”
“Then I don’t give a damn.”
He stalked out of the control room, slamming the door behind him. His body remained unaware of the bracing cold until he kicked an old wine barrel and the pain shot up his leg, followed by a cruel and bitter cold.
He’d dodged a bullet when Jayda had left. Yeah, he was sorry she was dead, but he wasn’t sorry she was gone. He’d never been big on trust before her, and now…now, he’d probably never trust anyone ever again.
“Sean.”
When he looked up, he expected to see Brynn, but it was Macy who’d followed him into the cold. She zipped her parka up high and shoved her hands deep into the pockets.
“I’m sorry I had to be the bearer of all this bad news,” she said.
“You didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know,” he shot back. “The only thing different is the timeline.”
“There’s more to it than that,” Macy pressed.
“I don’t care,” Sean said. “So Jayda had some sort of fail-safe that the government wants now. Good for them. They can hire T-45 or tap some hotshots in the Arm to retrieve it, if it still exists. Sooner or later, the North Koreans will realize I don’t know anything about it.”
“And until then, what? They attacked my home, Sean. They killed my men. And—”
“And nothing,” Sean snapped. Guilt tugged at his insides. Macy was his best friend’s wife, and Abby was as close to a niece as he was ever going to get. With Dante out of communication, responsibility for their safety fell to him. “We’ll find you a safe location until the heat wears off.”
But before he finished speaking, she was already shaking her head. “I’m taking Abby to Istanbul. There’s a T-45 operation center there manned by members of my old team. I should be able to contact Dante from there, if he doesn’t already know what’s happened.”
“Then what do you need me for?”
“I don’t need you,” Macy said, sliding her hand onto his arm. “But your daughter does.”
Thirteen
“My—?” Sean choked out.
Brynn opened the door from the control room. A loud, infant wail echoed through the cavern.
“Macy? I think the baby is hungry.”
Macy shifted in her parka. “It’s time for me to feed her. I’ll be right there,” she called then turned back to Sean. “Jayda made a lot of mistakes. The biggest was getting pregnant and not telling you. But you have a child out there. The North Koreans might accept that you don’t know anything, but that doesn’t mean they’ll leave your daughter alone. They’ll go after her for information, or they’ll go after her for revenge. Either way, that child needs you.”
Sean heard Macy speaking, but he couldn’t process much beyond the information that she’d dropped like a nuclear bomb.
Somewhere in the world, he had a child.
A daughter?
A daughter.
Someone shoved a parka over his shoulders then
It really didn’t matter.
Jayda was gone—if not from this world, then definitely from his heart.
He slid the pictures back into the folder.
“It’s her,” he said.
Brynn squeezed tighter.
“This information that Jayda had,” he said, turning to Brynn. “Is it important to national security?”
“Whose?” Macy asked wryly.
“I only give a damn about the US,” Sean replied.
“Having it would likely give the United States some sort of tactical advantage over the North Koreans, which, at this juncture of international relations, could come in handy.”
Sean pushed away from the table, nearly trampling Brynn in the process. As if she could feel the heightened tension in the room, Abby started to cry.
“I don’t give a damn about tactical advantages. Will this information save American lives?”
Macy shushed and bounced her baby then said, “I don’t know.”
“Then I don’t give a damn.”
He stalked out of the control room, slamming the door behind him. His body remained unaware of the bracing cold until he kicked an old wine barrel and the pain shot up his leg, followed by a cruel and bitter cold.
He’d dodged a bullet when Jayda had left. Yeah, he was sorry she was dead, but he wasn’t sorry she was gone. He’d never been big on trust before her, and now…now, he’d probably never trust anyone ever again.
“Sean.”
When he looked up, he expected to see Brynn, but it was Macy who’d followed him into the cold. She zipped her parka up high and shoved her hands deep into the pockets.
“I’m sorry I had to be the bearer of all this bad news,” she said.
“You didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know,” he shot back. “The only thing different is the timeline.”
“There’s more to it than that,” Macy pressed.
“I don’t care,” Sean said. “So Jayda had some sort of fail-safe that the government wants now. Good for them. They can hire T-45 or tap some hotshots in the Arm to retrieve it, if it still exists. Sooner or later, the North Koreans will realize I don’t know anything about it.”
“And until then, what? They attacked my home, Sean. They killed my men. And—”
“And nothing,” Sean snapped. Guilt tugged at his insides. Macy was his best friend’s wife, and Abby was as close to a niece as he was ever going to get. With Dante out of communication, responsibility for their safety fell to him. “We’ll find you a safe location until the heat wears off.”
But before he finished speaking, she was already shaking her head. “I’m taking Abby to Istanbul. There’s a T-45 operation center there manned by members of my old team. I should be able to contact Dante from there, if he doesn’t already know what’s happened.”
“Then what do you need me for?”
“I don’t need you,” Macy said, sliding her hand onto his arm. “But your daughter does.”
Thirteen
“My—?” Sean choked out.
Brynn opened the door from the control room. A loud, infant wail echoed through the cavern.
“Macy? I think the baby is hungry.”
Macy shifted in her parka. “It’s time for me to feed her. I’ll be right there,” she called then turned back to Sean. “Jayda made a lot of mistakes. The biggest was getting pregnant and not telling you. But you have a child out there. The North Koreans might accept that you don’t know anything, but that doesn’t mean they’ll leave your daughter alone. They’ll go after her for information, or they’ll go after her for revenge. Either way, that child needs you.”
Sean heard Macy speaking, but he couldn’t process much beyond the information that she’d dropped like a nuclear bomb.
Somewhere in the world, he had a child.
A daughter?
A daughter.
Someone shoved a parka over his shoulders then
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