“DOES MARTIN still check your phone every day?”
Leo paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. “He’s never checked up on me like that,” he said softly.
Jack saw the sudden tightness in Leo’s expression. It had become a noticeable reaction every time Leo discovered another way in which their lives were different. Jack was so used to it, he had stopped discussing the comparisons, though this time he followed through.
“You must have thought it was pretty fucked-up when we worked the Forbes Academy assignment?”
Leo had performed the checks on Jack’s phone and his wallet on the first mission they had worked together when Matt, the senior agent, had been absent overnight. He had never given any indication that it wasn’t a totally routine part of the job.
“I thought it was weird. But everything about working with you was different.”
Jack sighed quietly. The more he learned about the Center, the more he realized how truly strange his own life was. He glanced around the diner, ensuring their conversation couldn’t be overheard by Ronnie and Matt or the three lone customers. He and Leo had taken advantage of the early afternoon lull to grab some food and take a half-hour break. Jack would have preferred to slip out of the diner and find a more private location for this conversation, but he didn’t want to arouse Matt’s suspicions. Besides, with the potential that his meeting with Amanda had tipped off the people gunning for Alex Sutherland, there was no way Matt was going to let Jack out of his sights for the next couple of days.
“You want to use my phone to contact JD?” Leo asked, his voice low.
Jack raised his head and looked into Leo’s eyes. “You think I’m wrong.”
It wasn’t in Leo’s expression; it wasn’t even in the tone of his voice. But Jack had seen the way Leo’s relaxed stance briefly tensed and the way he shifted on his seat. He wondered how much his own body language gave him away, especially to a trained observer like Leo.
“I just think you need to be careful,” Leo said. “You don’t know his motives, and you have no idea what he’ll ask you in return.”
“And?” Jack prompted. It was obvious Leo hadn’t finished.
“And you have to figure the Center will eventually find out what you’re doing. When your guardian hears you’ve been poking around—”
“It’s my life. I have a right to know.”
“I’m not arguing that.” Leo’s sharp tone was suddenly very readable. He pulled in a breath, and his voice softened. “Look, Jack, I think it’s totally fucked-up, but maybe there’s a reason your guardian hasn’t told you anything about your parents.”
Jack felt an icy chill crawl down his spine.
“I’m not saying he’s right,” Leo said hurriedly. “I’m just saying… you have no idea what you’ll find out.”
Jack tried not to let his disappointment show. He had expected Leo’s wholehearted support, not this measured caution.
“So you think I should leave it alone? That’s what you’re saying?”
“Here’s what I’m saying,” Leo whispered fiercely. “I’d do anything to give you what you want. I’m just asking you to be careful. You could end up in a lot worse place than you are now. JD Dawson is not your friend. I don’t want to see you get hurt.
The warmth that flushed through Jack chased away the previous iciness.
“Thanks, Leo,” he said, meaning it sincerely.
His fingers tangled in his leather wristband. They had promised each other no more lies, and Jack fully intended to keep Leo in the loop. But he wasn’t about to drag his friend into this mess, not when he had made his position clear. It wasn’t fair to force Leo to split his loyalties; to ask him to do something that clearly made him uneasy. Besides, when the Center found out what Jack had been up to—which it inevitably would—he didn’t want Leo to take a hit.
When they finished their lunch, Jack watched and waited, and when he saw the right moment, he walked up to Ronnie and asked, “Could I borrow your phone for a quick call?”
JACK DUCKED into the bathroom, took a swift look around to ensure he was alone, and then dialed the number on JD’s business card.
A woman’s voice answered, “Gold Standard Security.”
“JD Dawson, please,” Jack said.
“Could I tell him who’s calling?”
“Just tell him it’s Jack.”
Jack sweated it out for the thirty seconds it took to connect the call, relieved when JD picked up.
“Rhonda Chase, I presume?” he said dryly.
“I had to borrow a phone,” Jack said. “Mine is monitored.”
“Christ, that’s screwed-up,” JD said. “So what can I do for you, Jack?”
“I want to meet,” Jack said before his courage failed.
“Okay by me,” JD said. “Where and when?”
“That’s the problem,” Jack said. “It’s almost impossible for me to get away.”
“I’m sure two smart guys like us can figure something out,” JD said. “What’s our most likely option?”
Jack considered it for a moment. “I usually walk to work by myself. But this morning Sean insisted he drive me. He’s worried my meeting with Amanda tipped off the people who are after Alex. He says it’s too dangerous to be out alone now.”
“That’s the thing, kid,” JD said. “They’ll only make their move if they have a clear shot. Pardon my wording. Leave it to me. I’ll contact Sean and persuade him the only chance we have is to make you a more visible target.”
“And what if Sean is right and it’s dangerous?” Jack said.
He didn’t think he imagined the moment of hesitation before JD said, “Let me handle that.”
JACK WAS immediately wary when he and Leo walked into the house later that day to find JD sitting at the kitchen counter, with Sean and Clare beside him looking serious.
“Sit down, Jack. We need to talk,” Sean said. “You too, Leo. This concerns you.”
“What’s up?” Leo asked.
“We need to change things up. I want you both to be sure you know what I’m asking of you. Especially you, Jack.”
Jack swallowed hard. Beside him, Leo tensed and turned his head, his gaze flickering between Sean and JD.
“JD reminded me that our point here is to lure out the people who have targeted the Sutherland family. Unfortunately we’re not going to do that by skulking in the shadows.”
“What does that mean? Exactly.”
Though Leo had asked the question, Sean kept his eyes on Jack when he answered. “It means we’re going to have to put ourselves out there a little more. I gave you a ride into work this morning. That was wrong. Nobody is going to make a move against a guarded target. We’re going back to the regular routine.”
“But you can’t let Jack walk around without any protection!”
“I don’t intend to, Leo. You know better than that,” Sean said caustically. “I’ve asked JD to shadow Jack on his way into work and back. He’ll keep watch when one of us can’t be with him.”
Leo’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as they focused on Jack.
“It’s SOP in these cases,” JD said, sounding totally reasonable. “The rest of you have him covered most of the time. I’ll just be there when you aren’t.”
“That’s settled, then,” Sean said. “Starting tomorrow we implement the new routine. I’ll give you the full details when I’ve worked everything out with JD. Boys, you’re dismissed. Go find something to do until dinner.”
Jack tried to avoid Leo’s eyes as he stood up, but there was no point pretending. Leo knew damned well what was going on. And clearly he didn’t like it. He barely waited until they were upstairs in Jack’s bedroom with the door safely closed before he let Jack have it.
“You know, it’s not your little side deal with JD I object to. You were pretty up-front about what you planned to do. What pisses me off is that five fucking minutes after we talked, you were already shutting me out.”
“That’s bullshit,” Jack said, trying to maintain his calm.
“So you didn’t use somebody else’s phone to contact JD?” Leo railed. “I would have given you mine. Christ! Don’t you know that?”
“Of course I know it,” Jack said, his own temper kindling. “I wanted to protect you. You said it yourself—the Center is going to find out sooner or later. I don’t want you implicated—”
“You don’t think they’ll suspect me anyway? If nothing else, Martin will know I’m involved. He knows what you mean to me.” He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled a loud breath, and a minute later he was sitting on the bed beside Jack, his expression softer.
“Let me explain this one more time. We’re in this together. I’m with you, whatever you choose to do. If this thing crashes and burns, we’re going down together.”
“I don’t want you to get into trouble on my account,” Jack said stubbornly. “Especially not with Martin.”
Leo barked out a short laugh. “Half the time Martin knows what I’m going to do before I know it myself. I trust him, Jack. He might bawl me out if he thinks my choices are risky, but he’ll stand by me.”
“Even against the Center?” Jack asked, hating that he felt he had to.
“He’s my father,” Leo said. “Or the closest thing I’ve got. He’s on my side. Our side.”
Jack heaved out a great sigh and felt some of the tension ease. He had never intended to keep this from Leo, but he felt a whole lot better now that it was all on the table. Especially since he had Leo’s unequivocal support.
“Will you tell Martin?” He didn’t want to ask Leo to lie to his foster father, but he couldn’t see any other way of protecting his plan.
The question obviously troubled Leo, but in the end he shook his head. “It’s up to you to decide who knows. Can I tell you one more time to be careful? I’m with you, but it doesn’t mean I’ll agree with everything you want to do. Clear?”
Jack nodded.
“And if I disagree, it doesn’t mean I’ve stopped supporting you. But you need to know, if I think you’re doing something stupid or dangerous, you’re damned well going to hear about it.”
Jack grinned. “Got it. Loud and clear. I’m just going to ask if JD can find anything out about my parents. Nothing more.”
“Okay,” Leo said. “Let me know what he says. I guess it can’t hurt to hear him out.”
THE NEXT morning Jack was barely ten feet away from his front door when JD suddenly appeared at his back. Jack hadn’t missed the man shadowing him, so he didn’t startle.
JD nodded approvingly as he fell into step beside Jack. “You saw me coming?”
“You were in the parked car two blocks down from the house,” Jack replied. “It’s a residential area. No real reason for anybody to be sitting in a parked vehicle unless they’re waiting for somebody. Or lying in wait for somebody,” he added significantly.
JD chuckled. “I’ve always appreciated the Center’s thorough training program. Even if its methods are questionable.”
Jack slid a sidelong glance. “Do you know much about the Center?” he asked.
“Nobody knows much about the Center,” JD said. “I know more than most.”
“Such as?” Jack prompted.
JD turned his head and studied Jack’s profile. “How old are you?” he asked suddenly.
Jack frowned. “I’m sixteen. Why?”
JD nodded. “Figures. The Center keeps its secrets. Even from its own operatives. But it never shares its purpose with anybody under the age of eighteen. I’m guessing you know why?”
“I’ve come across one or two good reasons,” Jack replied cautiously. “Was that a guess, or did Sean tell you?”
JD laughed out loud. “You’re a smart one. Sean filled me in, so I know you ran into some trouble on your last assignment. They put you through the wringer, but you couldn’t tell them much, could you?”
“Even if I’d wanted to,” Jack agreed. “I don’t know shit.”
JD shrugged. “And we’re going to keep it that way. I don’t want to be responsible for putting that kind of pressure on you. Not until you choose it for yourself. Right now it’s best we stick with the basics. The Center is a covert black ops unit, it’s government sanctioned at the very highest level, and it outranks most every other agency with the exception of Homeland Security. But I reckon you already worked that out for yourself.”
Jack grunted his agreement. He hadn’t expected JD to give him anything new about the Center and its inner workings. He was only interested in one thing.
“Have you seen my file? Did it tell you anything about my parents?” His heart began to hammer against his rib cage, and he could feel a trickle of sweat slide down his back.
“Your file didn’t tell me shit,” JD said mildly. “It’s been classified top secret and almost all the information is blocked. It’s way above my clearance level.”
Jack’s step faltered, and he felt his stomach plummet. JD reached out a hand and steadied him.
“But we don’t have to worry about that,” he said, smiling broadly. “I didn’t get to be head of security for Witness Relocation without having a few tricks up my sleeve. Give me a couple of days. I’ll slip past their firewalls, and nobody will be any the wiser. I’ll get you what you want.”
“Thanks,” Jack stammered. He had to stop for a moment until his light-headedness passed.
“Just remember,” JD said, his hand tightening on Jack’s arm. “You’ll owe me.”
Jack nodded silently, trying not to read too much into the tension that suddenly transformed JD’s face.