SEAN LED them into the kitchen and pointed to the stools beside the breakfast bar, and Jack sat down, trying to control the knot that was building in his stomach. As Leo explained what had happened, Jack watched Sean’s face, feeling more and more anxious as his expression darkened.
“Why didn’t you know a school you had raced against was situated so close to the assignment area?” he thundered.
“I don’t think that’s fair,” Leo said quietly. “I was running for years. I can’t remember every high school I competed against.”
“That’s the whole point of research, Mr. McCormack,” Sean snapped. He turned toward Jack. “Were you recognized?”
“No, sir. I don’t think so,” Jack said. “Cheryl doesn’t know my name. All the photographs of me were taken down from the Internet after the operation, so she can’t find me that way.”
“My God, I can’t believe this,” Sean fumed. “Weeks of planning could be compromised because of your poor work habits.” He wagged a finger at Leo. “I’m reporting this to Martin. He can deal with you. For now I need you to keep a low profile. At least until we assess how this will impact the assignment.”
“It isn’t Leo’s fault—” Jack started.
“I am not asking your opinion,” Sean cut in, turning a hard look on Jack.
Jack opened his mouth to continue his protest, but Leo laid a hand on his arm and shook his head.
“Take his advice, Jack,” Sean warned.
Jack bit his lip and subsided with a curt nod.
Clare had walked into the kitchen a few minutes after Jack and Leo and was standing by the door, listening attentively. She stepped forward and placed her hand lightly on Jack’s shoulder.
“I think it’s best if we all take a time-out for a while. Leo, why don’t you come watch some TV with us?”
Leo turned his head and tried a smile, though it didn’t quite land. “Thanks, but I need to get home.”
He stood, and Jack slid off his stool and followed him out of the kitchen as far as the front door.
“Jesus, Sean is such an asshole,” Jack spat. “This isn’t on you—”
“Isn’t it?” Leo said. “I fucked up, Jack. Sean is right, I didn’t do the proper research. I should have known every goddamned inch within a fifty-mile radius. You know that as well as I do.”
“But a high school track team—”
“Especially a high school track team!”
Anger seemed to spark off Leo, and Jack unconsciously stepped back a pace.
Leo’s eyes widened, and then he grabbed Jack and pulled him in. He tightened his embrace and bowed his head until his forehead was pressed into Jack’s shoulder.
“I can’t believe I could have been so careless. I was fucking with your safety,” he mumbled.
Jack reached to cup the back of Leo’s head. “We’ll figure this out,” he said. “Sean’s pissed, but he’ll come around.”
Leo straightened and looked into Jack’s eyes. “Whatever he decides, I’m still going to have your back. I might have to keep my head down for a while, but I’m not leaving.”
“Okay. Skype me later?”
“If Martin hasn’t locked me up and thrown away the key.”
Jack winced. “He’ll be mad at you?”
“He won’t be patting me on the back for a job well done,” Leo said. “I’d better go face the music. I’ll see if I can talk to you later. Try to stay out of Sean’s way for the rest of the evening.”
Jack nodded. He gave Leo a final hug and pressed a kiss against his lips, then watched as he opened the front door and walked down the path. He had just reached his car when Sean came up behind Jack and called Leo’s name.
As Leo stopped, Sean brushed past Jack, turning his head briefly to say, “Go on inside, Jack.”
Almost unconsciously, Jack reached out and snagged Sean’s sleeve. “You can’t blame Leo,” he pleaded. “I did the same research. I didn’t catch the potential for compromise either.”
Sean looked down and frowned, and Jack dropped his hand.
“Believe me, you’re going to answer for it,” Sean said. “Now, scram!”
Jack turned reluctantly and walked back into the house. He hurried into the living room and looked out the window, trying to read the body language as Sean and Leo talked. They were too well trained to give much away, but several times Leo hung his head or ran a hand through his hair. Sean seemed to be doing most of the talking, and it wasn’t hard to imagine he was berating Leo for his screwup. Jack felt his gut churn, anger warring with concern.
When Sean finally stopped talking, Leo shrugged, shook his head, and turned back to his car. He climbed in and started the engine, but he didn’t move off; he just rolled down the window and looked up at Sean, who had walked around the car to continue the conversation.
“Just leave it the fuck alone,” Jack murmured.
Finally Sean stepped back from the car and let Leo pull away. Jack turned as Clare walked into the room, a bowl of popcorn and two cans of soda balanced in her hands.
“Here,” she said, sitting on the couch. “Let’s find a movie.”
She patted the seat beside her, and Jack sat down, his mind only half tuned to the TV as Clare flicked through the channels until she stopped at The Princess Bride.
They had been watching in silence for about ten minutes when Clare said, “I know he’s hard on you boys. But it’s only because he worries about you.”
Jack turned his head. “We’re human. We’re going to make mistakes.”
Clare nodded. “But Sean has to train you to minimize those mistakes. When you screw up, it isn’t a date that might go wrong or a trend you miss out on. It can be the difference between the success or failure of an operation.” She tapped his hand. “It can mean something even more serious. Your last assignment showed you that. It’s what keeps Sean up at night.”
Jack hung his head, accepting the rebuke. When Sean walked in five minutes later, he stood to attention, waiting for his handler to pass judgment.
“You need to go back through all your research, Jack,” Sean said. “This time I want you to cross-reference everything. I don’t want anything left out, down to the smallest detail.”
“Yes, sir,” Jack said. He was expecting something further, but Sean just jerked his chin.
“I want your report first thing in the morning. Move it.”
Jack nodded and walked out of the room. He closed his bedroom door and booted up his computer, then pulled up his files and set to work. An hour later, Leo skyped through.
“You okay?” Jack asked.
“Just peachy,” Leo said, sounding tired. “Sean has you slogging through this shit too?”
“Uh-huh,” Jack said. “Did you catch it from Martin? Sean must have reported you straight away—”
“Sean didn’t tell Martin,” Leo cut in.
“He didn’t?” Jack knew his surprise was obvious.
Leo shook his head. “Nah. That’s what he came out to tell me. He said he expected me to redo my research, but he wasn’t going to tell Martin about my fuckup.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?” Jack asked.
Leo smiled weakly. “Sure it is.”
Jack looked at Leo, frowning when the penny dropped. “But you told Martin anyway.”
Leo shrugged. “I couldn’t lie to him—”
“Keeping your mouth shut isn’t lying!”
Leo sighed. “Come on, Jack. You were in the same position a couple of days ago. You could have ridden it out, but you came clean. You understand exactly why I had to tell him.”
“Was he pissed?”
“I got an earful, that’s for sure,” Leo said ruefully. “I’m not expecting to be out on the town anytime soon.”
“So we’re in the same boat,” Jack said. “Bread and water? Solitary? Firing squad at dawn?”
“Something like that,” Leo agreed, laughing. He sobered as he looked up at Jack. “Sorry I got you put back to square one. I don’t think Sean will be letting you off the leash until we figure out the next step.”
“Not your fault,” Jack said firmly. “My research wasn’t any better than yours.”
“It wasn’t your responsibility,” Leo put in. “Anyway, let’s make this right with our people and then regroup. Sean has called a meeting at your place first thing tomorrow. I’ll see you then.”
They said their good nights and signed off. Jack rose and walked down the hallway, stopped outside Sean’s door, and knocked softly.
“Come in.”
He opened the door to find Sean sitting at his desk in front of his own computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard. He stood in the doorway, waiting until Sean finished what he was doing and turned his head, beckoning him closer.
“I’m sorry about tonight,” Jack said, lowering his eyes to avoid Sean’s stern look.
Sean sighed. “You can’t make those rookie mistakes, Jack. Your sloppy research put the assignment in danger. What’s worse, it put you in danger. I won’t allow that.”
“I know,” Jack mumbled. “It won’t happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t.”
Jack risked a glance at Sean’s face. “Thanks for not getting Leo into trouble with Martin.”
Sean snorted. “Leo was always going to tell Martin himself. I knew that.”
“But you told him you weren’t going to report him. You didn’t want to make things difficult for him.” It was a guess, but as soon as Jack said the words, he was certain they were true.
“Believe it or not, I’m not here to make your lives miserable,” Sean said. “Leo screwed up. He compromised your assignment, and he knows it. Nobody is going to be harder on him than he is on himself.”
“Are you going to send him away?” Jack asked.
His hands were linked behind his back, and he realized he was twisting them anxiously. He pulled in a deep breath and stilled, even though Sean’s prolonged silence made his skin crawl.
“I’m still evaluating that,” Sean eventually said. He threw up his hand when Jack opened his mouth. “I don’t want to hear anything from you on the subject,” he warned. “I know what you want. But I have to think of what’s best for the assignment. So whatever I decide, you’re going to live with. No complaints. I expect to get your full cooperation on this.”
He didn’t give voice to the threat, but Jack heard it anyway. Sean hadn’t reported Leo to the Center—yet.
“We’re meeting here at 0600 tomorrow. Make sure your research report is updated. I don’t want any more surprises. Are we clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Go fetch me a cup of coffee before you get back to it. It’s going to be a long night.”
Jack nodded and walked downstairs, finding Clare already brewing a fresh pot.
“Looks like we’ll be pulling an all-nighter,” she said.
“Yeah. Sorry about that.”
She waved him off and then pulled two cups out of the cupboard. “Is Leo okay?”
Jack shrugged. “Martin’s pissed—I mean, Martin is angry with him,” he amended quickly. “He’s going back over his research. We both are.”
“Do you need any help?” She poured two full cups of coffee and pushed them across the table toward Jack.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Jack said. “I think I’d better do the work myself.”
“Otherwise Sean will be pissed at you?” she said, arching an eyebrow.
Jack smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay. I’ll keep the coffeepot full. Just let me know if you need anything else.”
Jack nodded. “Thanks, Clare. I appreciate the offer.”
“I’m here to help, Jack,” she said. “We all are.”
As Jack made his way back upstairs, balancing two cups of coffee, he realized that for the first time since he’d started working adult assignments, he actually believed it might be true.