“Drop your weapons—all of you—if you want to live,” Kyle commanded.
Abby whirled on Kyle, gun drawn. One of the men close tried to disarm her but she swung the weapon hard, knocking him out cold. Then Abby aimed the weapon at Kyle. She was going to kill him. With all his strength, Jase shoved his elbow into the gut of one of the men holding him and he released Jase and dropped to his knees. Before the second man could react, Jase slugged him hard in the chest and then he was free.
He charged for Abby. With one carefully placed swift kick, the weapon flew from her hand.
With a look bordering on admiration Abby faced him and squared off ready to do battle. He knew she was a formidable opponent. The former CIA operative had excelled in martial arts. She bounced lithely on her feet waiting to strike. Jase positioned his fists in front of him anticipating her next move. She grinned at his defensive move and charged him. She tried a roundhouse kick; he’d seen her use it many times to disable an enemy. Expecting it, he dodged to the right and caught her foot inches from his face. She lost her balance and fell backward onto the ground. Before Abby had time to regroup, Jase was on her and forced her arms behind her back. With Abby immobilized, he leaned over, retrieved her weapon and pointed it at her head. “Tell your men to drop their weapons. Now, Abby.”
“Don’t listen to him. Shoot them all,” Abby screamed at her men.
A handful of tension-filled seconds ticked by as the standoff continued around them. And then slowly, one by one, the men dropped their weapons and raised their hands.
“Cuff them,” Kyle ordered as his soldiers rushed the men and kicked their weapons away.
Jase hauled Abby to her feet and Reyna—now free—ran to his side. He pulled her close while keeping the gun trained on Abby.
“How could you betray me like this?” Abby shouted to her colleagues. “He’ll kill us all.”
None of her men answered. While her soldiers were being cuffed and led away, Abby turned the full weight of her anger Jase’s way. “You’ll never stop what’s happening. You have no idea who you’re dealing with. You think I’ll lead you to the Fox? I won’t. I’d be signing my death warrant. Without my help, you’ll never figure out his identity. He’s too good at staying hidden,” she spit the words out.
Jase never flinched. “Sorry to disappoint you, but one of the surveillance photos Eddie took before he died is of you with a man. I’m guessing he’s the Fox. With it, we can not only tie you to his organization but also identify the Fox. Thanks to you, we have our first real look at him. I’d say his days are numbered, and you, well, you’re going away for a very long time.”
Abby blanched and her eyes widened in terror. “Jase, he’ll kill me. You’ve seen what he’s capable of. You have to help me,” she said in a meek tone.
Jase couldn’t believe she was actually trying to play on his past feelings for her.
Ignoring her, he drew Reyna closer and Abby lashed out, “He’ll kill me and it’ll be on your head.”
“If you want my help, tell me where the Fox is hiding.” It was a long shot but one he had to take. They didn’t know yet what the Fox’s plans were for the weapons he’d stolen or if an attack on one or all of the embassies was imminent.
Abby appeared terrified. “I can’t. I’d be a dead woman.”
Advancing on Abby, Kyle wasn’t moved by her impassioned plea. “You did this to yourself. You caused so much harm. Took the lives of men who trusted you to have their backs. You tried to kill Reyna and Jase and you thought you could blackmail me by threatening to harm my sister.”
Jase couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Kyle look so furious. “Did you really think I’d betray my country because of your threats? That text you just heard was my men letting me know Emily is safe. And for the record, my sister is perfectly healthy. I was warning Jase of the plan.” Kyle waited while his words sank in.
For a second, Abby was incapable of speaking. Her sins were catching up with her at last. “You’re foolish if you think you can stop the Fox, Kyle. Even if you take me and the rest of my men out of play, there’ll be others to take our place. I’ll never make it to Langley. I’ll be dead before the chopper reaches the ground. He has that much reach.”
Kyle motioned to one of the men standing close by. “Agent Booth, cuff her and get her out of my sight.”
“It would be my pleasure, sir.” The younger man grabbed Abby’s arm and led her away.
“Do you think she’ll give him up?” Kyle asked as Abby was led away. “Maybe save herself from facing a more severe punishment?”
Jase shook his head. “I doubt it. She’s terrified of him.”
Kyle nodded. “You’re right. I’m just glad you and Reyna are okay. I’m sorry about keeping you in the dark, but once Abby thought she had me on the hook, I had to see how this played out. Too much was at stake.”
Jase grinned at his friend as they watched the activity around them. “I get that now. What happened after Eddie died?” he asked curiously.
“For a while, I thought the mission was scrubbed until Abby came after me a few days ago. Then things started happening quickly. Once I received the message from your friend Aaron, I knew we had to move fast,” he said with a sigh.
Jase thought about those tense moments at Aaron’s house and the doubts he’d once had over Kyle’s safety. “I’m just happy that you’re still alive, my friend.”
Kyle smiled. “Me, too. I had my second in command, Elizabeth Ramirez, loop Aaron in on what was happening. Elizabeth helped him coordinate the red tape to get the rescue mission in place so quickly. I had to make Abby believe I was cooperating by giving up the location of the meet.”
Jase still couldn’t fully grasp what had happened. “Unbelievable. I can’t believe she was brazen enough to come after you.”
“That’s not the worst part. Two days ago, she had her CIA mole murdered. She was tying up loose ends. I believe once she got the laptop, she planned to disappear and we’d never bring her or the Fox to justice.”
Jase couldn’t believe the things Abby was capable of. He truly had no idea what was in her heart. “Who was the mole?” he asked because he wanted to know who had helped Abby betray them.
“Sam Yarbrough, the assistant director of the science and technology division,” Kyle told him, and nodded at Jase’s obvious shock. “Yeah I know. It’s unbelievable, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.” Jase and Reyna had been certain there was someone within the CIA aiding with the files and now they knew the name. He couldn’t believe someone with the AD’s power would fall prey to Abby’s threats.
“What Abby didn’t realize was Sam left detailed records of all the information he’d provided her for the Fox. Sam knew all about the Fox’s organization. She’s going away for a very long time. She may not talk, but I’m hoping one of her men will sell her out to save themselves.”
“I still can’t believe she betrayed her entire team for someone like the Fox,” Reyna muttered in disgust.
“It’s unimaginable. It was all about the fame and the power to her. She’s a sociopath,” Kyle said. “I’m truly sorry about Eddie. He came to me with his suspicions shortly after Jase was injured. He’d been working undercover for me since that time.”
“I can’t believe it. I had no idea,” she managed. “Thank you for telling me.”
“We had to keep it secret. I helped him get stationed in the right area to get the evidence.” Sighing, Kyle glanced back over at Jase. “He knew you were still alive, brother. I told him. A few weeks before he died, Eddie reached out to me about the laptop. He said he’d put it in a safe place. He knew he couldn’t give it to me because they’d be watching for any possible contact between us.”
“I wish I’d known what he was going through,” Reyna whispered brokenly. “Maybe I could have helped him in some way.”
Jase tried to reassure her. “You did everything you could. You helped bring Eddie’s killers to justice.”
Kyle nodded. “That’s right. Your husband worked so hard to protect the information on the laptop. Thanks to his efforts, we have Abby and her team, and hopefully we’ll be able to bring down the Fox’s organization once and for all. Oh, and where is the laptop, by the way?”
Jase turned to Reyna who said, “It’s at the house where you left me. I put it in the fireplace for safekeeping.”
She never ceased to amaze him. “Smart.”
Over the treetops a chopper emerged, kicking up dust and debris as it landed. “That’s your friend Aaron and his team. He’s been waiting for our cue to haul Abby and her goons away.” Kyle hesitated and then said, “Jase, I’d like to take Abby to Defiance, to your place for the interrogation. As far as I can tell, no one beyond the men who followed Reyna knew about Defiance, and they’re in custody. It might just keep her alive long enough for us to convince her to cooperate.”
Kyle’s request stunned him. Before he could answer, he saw Aaron disembark from the chopper followed by a tall, slender woman dressed in fatigues, her black hair pulled away from her face.
“Brother, I’m glad to see you two alive.” Aaron’s smile lit up his face and he clasped Jase’s hand, then said to Reyna, “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, ma’am.”
Reyna laughed and gave him a hug. “It’s very nice to meet you, too. And it’s even nicer to know that this is almost over.”
“Amen to that,” Aaron said with enthusiasm.
The woman beside Aaron introduced herself. “Elizabeth Ramirez. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Agent Bradford. I’m glad you and Ms. Peterson made it here safely.”
Jase shook the woman’s hand. “Thanks, Agent Ramirez. I understand you helped coordinate this along with Aaron. We owe you both our lives.”
Elizabeth humbly bowed her head. “It was a joint effort with Special Ops. We couldn’t have done any of it without Aaron’s help.”
One of Aaron’s men came over to where he stood. “We’re ready to transport the prisoners, sir. The weather’s deteriorating quickly. We’ll need to be airborne soon.”
Aaron nodded and turned back to Jase. “As much as I love a good adventure, I have to say I could use a little calm. I’m going to head out now. I’ll talk to you when you arrive back in Defiance.”
Aaron briefly clasped Jase’s hand and gave Reyna another hug, then he and Elizabeth followed his men to the chopper.
Jase’s head swam. In the course of just a few minutes, he’d discovered the woman he’d once loved was not only still alive but also the mastermind behind killing many of his friends. It was hard to wrap his head around it all. “I’d like to be part of the interrogation, if I may,” he told Kyle.
His friend nodded. “Absolutely.”
Reyna rubbed her hands over her arms. She was shivering from shock and from the cold but apparently unaware of it.
“You’re freezing,” Jase said, noticing the chill in the air. “Let’s get you someplace warm.”
Kyle turned to the younger man next to him. “Agent Dalton, escort Jase and Reyna to the office and have the medic meet them there to examine their injuries. I’ll be there shortly. I just want to see this part of the mission through. I’ve waited a long time for it.”
“I can understand. We’ll see you when you’re done.” Jase was happy to let Kyle finish the job. He needed time to think clearly. Now that the threat was over, he felt like a robot going through the motions.
Reyna couldn’t stop shaking. Partly from fear at what she and Jase had just gone through. They’d come so close to dying. But mostly she was just so angry at Sara’s treachery.
She had trusted Sara with her secrets and with her life. She believed Sara was a friend she could trust and all along she was just using her to locate the laptop and get to Jase.
“How could she do that to Eddie?” she asked, looking up at Jase with angry tears in her eyes. “How could she do that to her own team?”
Jase appeared to be as shell-shocked as she was. “I don’t know. I guess she loved the power and the money more than she loved us. Me.”
Reyna could hear the pain in his voice. Learning the truth about the woman he’d once loved had to be devastating.
“I know it’s wrong, but I wanted to hurt her the way she hurt Eddie. You. Me. I wanted her to feel some of our pain.” Her voice broke over the words.
Jase stopped walking, grasped her firmly by the shoulders and frowned down at her. “No, Reyna, don’t go there. You’re not that person. You’re not Abby.” Of course he was right. Revenge was a wasted emotion and she wanted to put Sara’s betrayal firmly behind her. With God’s help she would.
A few moments later, they followed the younger agent into the office. Once inside, Jase flipped on the lights. “I can take it from here, Dalton,” he told him.
“Yes, sir.” Yet the young man hesitated.
“Is something wrong?” Jase asked.
“No, sir. I just wanted to say what a pleasure it is to work with you. Agent Jennings speaks very highly of you. You’re a true hero.”
Jase lowered his head. “Thank you, Dalton. That’s nice of you to say, but Eddie Peterson’s the true hero here. None of this would be possible without his efforts.”
“Yes, sir.” Dalton hesitated only a second longer before he left them alone.
Everything felt surreal to Reyna. She dropped down to a dusty sofa close by as if in a daze. Jase pointed to the woodstove in the corner of the office. “I’ll get the fire going to take the chill from the air.”
“I still can’t believe it,” she said without acknowledging what he’d said. “I told her all about Eddie and how tragically he’d died and she was so sympathetic when all along she was the one responsible for his death.”
“She’s very good at fooling people, Reyna. I believed she loved me.” There was a winter chill in his voice he couldn’t hide.
“I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you,” she said, and waited for him to say something.
The length of time it took for him to respond scared her. He stared into the fire, a hard expression on his face. “I loved her. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her and now I realize everything between us was nothing more than a lie. It makes me think that maybe we really don’t know the people we’re close to after all. I mean, Eddie was still working for the CIA and you had no idea.” He clenched his hands at his sides. “I can’t help but think if I’d seen who the real Abby was long ago, Eddie and who knows how many others might still be alive.”
“No, Jase, how could you even think that? You said yourself she was good at fooling people.”
She could see he didn’t believe her. With nothing left to say, a tense silence suddenly settled between them. Thankfully, the medic arrived to examine their injuries and she was spared trying to think of something to say to fill the void.
When the door opened some time later and Kyle came in, the medic was just wrapping up his examination.
“How are they holding up?” Kyle asked the man who had examined them.
“Remarkably well, considering. Thanks to Dr. Peterson’s triage ability.”
She managed a smile. “Thanks, but it was mostly Jase.”
“Speaking of, can I steal him for a moment?” Kyle asked her.
“Of course.” Reyna watched as Jase headed to the door.
“I’ll only be a minute,” he said without emotion. “This is almost over. Soon you’ll be able to get back to your life again.”
Jase stepped outside with Kyle and they walked in silence until they were a little ways from the office.
“How are you really holding up?” Kyle asked quietly.
“Honestly? Not so great.” He swallowed hard. “After what just went down with Abby, I don’t think I can trust anything or anyone anymore.”
Kyle watched him for a long time before he spoke. “She had us all fooled. That was her intention all along. She used us to gain access to the Fox. You can’t let what she did ruin what could be a very good thing for you.”
Jase knew his friend was talking about Reyna, and yet his world had been turned upside down. As much as he loved her, he wasn’t sure he was ready to open his heart up to that kind of hurt again. “I care about Reyna—no, I love her—but how do you trust another person after such a betrayal?”
“Jase, you should be angry, furious at what Abby did, but don’t turn your back on love.” Kyle clasped his shoulder. “You’re blessed enough to have been given a second chance.” He could see the hurt in Kyle’s eyes. Was his friend thinking about the tragic way he’d lost his wife, Lena?
“I see how you look at Reyna,” Kyle said. “She has that same look on her face when she looks at you. Don’t let Abby destroy your chance at finding happiness again. She doesn’t deserve that much power.”
Jase knew his buddy was right and yet he’d need time to regroup. He was so mixed up inside right now.
“You know this is just the tip of the iceberg. It will take months if not longer to figure it all out,” Kyle said in an effort to change the subject.
Jase nodded grimly. “I know.”
“Which is exactly why I need you. Jase, I’m resurrecting the Scorpions and I want you to head them up once more.”
For the longest time, Jase couldn’t be sure he’d heard his friend correctly.
“I know it’s a lot to process, but I want the Scorpions’ main goal to be to dismantle the Fox’s organization completely and I need honest men and women to do that. We can’t afford another Abby. I want people who can’t be bribed. People of integrity like you.”
Jase turned back toward the office. He hadn’t realized how much he missed the adrenaline rush of a mission. Bringing the bad guys down. Saving lives. He had grown weary of hiding out in his cabin alone, but would going back into the field mean he’d be letting go of any chance he had for a future with Reyna? The very thought of leaving her hurt like crazy. That had to mean something. Maybe he was capable of trusting again?
“I can’t, Kyle. I can’t go back.”
“Is this because of your leg...or her?” Kyle nodded toward the office.
Jase shook his head. “I’m not fit to go back in the field. My leg would be a handicap to everyone around me.”
Kyle didn’t waver. “I thought you would say that, and I have a proposition for you...”
Reyna watched the door close behind him. This is almost over. Soon you’ll be able to get back to your life again. Those words hurt so much to hear. She could feel him withdrawing from her emotionally. Almost as if seeing the woman he had once loved had changed things in his heart. Did he still love Abby in spite of everything she’d done to him? Or had her betrayal destroyed his ability to trust? Jase had told her he loved her. Had that changed?
Reyna and Jase had been so intent on figuring out who was behind the threat that she hadn’t let herself think beyond the danger. Now that it had passed, where did that leave her? Where did it leave them?
In her heart, she knew she didn’t want to let Jase go. He’d come to mean so much to her in just a short period of time. She...loved him. Was it possible to fall in love so soon? She still ached for Eddie.
All she knew was she couldn’t go back to her life in Texas. Couldn’t give up on a second chance at love.
She glanced up and saw Jase standing in the doorway, looking so strong and determined and handsome. He was so close and yet emotionally he appeared miles away. She could see something weighed heavy on him.
“Are you okay?” Her voice came out a breathless whisper.
Jase stepped inside and closed the door. He still had that distant look in his eyes. “Yes.”
“Is something wrong?” she asked, wishing he would just say whatever it was.
He glanced away. “We’re heading out now before the weather grounds us. We’ll be flying back to Defiance tonight.”
Somehow she managed to get the word out. “Okay.” What did that mean? Was she going with him? Would she be returning home? She so desperately wanted to ask what had changed between them, but before she could work up the courage, Kyle walked in.
“Ready?” he asked both of them.
Reyna managed to nod while Jase still didn’t look at her.
“Good. We need to get out of here now,” Kyle said.
They followed Kyle outside. He headed for one of the choppers that was waiting to lift off and they did the same. Reyna climbed inside along with Jase and then Kyle who shut the door.
She stared out the window as the chopper struggled to lift against the roaring wind and then they were airborne. She had never felt so torn before. She still loved Eddie so much. Part of her would always love him, but Reyna had known she couldn’t live in the past forever. It was time to let Eddie go and start living again.
She thought she and Jase might one day have a future together, yet the stone-silent man sitting next to her was like a stranger.
“As a precaution, I’ll have my men install some extra security measures around your place including the CIA’s top signal-blocking system,” Kyle told Jase. “It has the capability of blocking cell signals and tracking devices for miles around. The last thing we need is to have the Fox track us to your place.”
Jase nodded. “That’s a good idea. I just want this to be over. We’ve all paid enough for the Fox’s crimes.”