that from here.” Jason shrugged.
“May not be as easy as you think,” Avery said. “I’m going to need you on site as part of the team. Emmett and Lara are heading out to Russia in the morning. We’ve agreed to help neutralize a recently discovered stockpile of chemical weapons. And I’m not certain that Drake is ready for a new mission.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Drake said, his fingers tightening on the edge of the table. “I’ve been through the requisite debrief.” He glanced over at Lara forconfirmation. “And I’ve been cleared for duty. Besides, I’m the best you’ve got when it comes to extraction.”
“Yes, but you’ve had a lot to deal with in the last few weeks. I just don’t want you out there too soon.” Avery paused, eyes narrowed. “Before you’re ready.”
“I could go,” Emmett offered. “Drake can go with Lara.”
“No dice.” Avery shook his head. “Drake doesn’t speak the language and your Russian is flawless.”
“I’m perfectly capable of going into Colombia,” Drake said, trying to contain his irritation. “For God’s sake, it’s not like I had an attachment to the woman.” He hadn’t meant to add the last bit; the words came of their own volition. Everyone stopped talking, eyes riveted on the table. “Jesus”—he blew out a long breath—“you’d think I was the first one to have to deal with a traitor. I’m telling you, I’m fine. I can handle this.”
Avery studied him for a moment, and then nodded. “All right. But I want Jason to go anyway. He can fill in for Emmett handling communications. That going to be a problem?” The question was rhetorical but Jason answered anyway.
“Not from my end. Hannah’s perfectly capable of dealing with things here, and if she runs into a problem, I’ll just advise long distance.”
“Okay,” Emmett said, staring up at the photo, “so it sounds like we’ve got everything arranged. But I’m still not seeing why Langley would go to all the trouble to bring us in to retrieve her. She’s just the guy’s mistress—how much do you think she really knows? I’m thinking there’s got to be something more to this.”
“There is.” Avery crossed his arms, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.
“Do tell,” Nash prompted.
“As I mentioned earlier,” Avery said, “di Silva’s been suspected of dealing arms for quite some time now. But there’s never been any tangible proof. There have been all kinds of rumors. Everything from a warehouse in Bogotá to a terrorist hideout in the mountains of Chaco.”
“But nothing has ever been substantiated,” Hannah added.
“Until now.” Avery’s expression turned grim. “According to the original source, Madeline Reynard knows the location of di Silva’s weapons cache. And it’s somewhere in the vicinity of his compound. So if she’s telling the truth—”
“Then we’ll be able to nail di Silva,” Nash said.
“Exactly.” Avery nodded. “Our task is to find the cache, document the site, and then blow it to kingdom come.”
“After we extract Madeline Reynard and get her back to D.C.,” Jason prompted.
“Not possible,” Avery shook his head. “The only way to be sure she’s on the level is to make her show us the site. If everything pans out, then Tyler blows the pop stand and we escort Ms. Reynard straight to Langley.”
“And if she’s lying?” Drake asked.
“Then,” Avery shrugged, “we leave her to di Silva.”
CHAPTER 3
Casa de Orquídea, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
M adeline Reynard paced back and forth in the confines of her bedroom. It seemed whatever decision she made it was the wrong one. She’d killed a man to save her sister. Confessed to keep Jenny out of the picture. And then she’d agreed to Ortiz’s conditions—this time to buy her sister’s freedom. But Jenny was dead. Which meant that everything she’d done had been for nothing.
Madeline had promised her mother, and now she’d
“May not be as easy as you think,” Avery said. “I’m going to need you on site as part of the team. Emmett and Lara are heading out to Russia in the morning. We’ve agreed to help neutralize a recently discovered stockpile of chemical weapons. And I’m not certain that Drake is ready for a new mission.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Drake said, his fingers tightening on the edge of the table. “I’ve been through the requisite debrief.” He glanced over at Lara forconfirmation. “And I’ve been cleared for duty. Besides, I’m the best you’ve got when it comes to extraction.”
“Yes, but you’ve had a lot to deal with in the last few weeks. I just don’t want you out there too soon.” Avery paused, eyes narrowed. “Before you’re ready.”
“I could go,” Emmett offered. “Drake can go with Lara.”
“No dice.” Avery shook his head. “Drake doesn’t speak the language and your Russian is flawless.”
“I’m perfectly capable of going into Colombia,” Drake said, trying to contain his irritation. “For God’s sake, it’s not like I had an attachment to the woman.” He hadn’t meant to add the last bit; the words came of their own volition. Everyone stopped talking, eyes riveted on the table. “Jesus”—he blew out a long breath—“you’d think I was the first one to have to deal with a traitor. I’m telling you, I’m fine. I can handle this.”
Avery studied him for a moment, and then nodded. “All right. But I want Jason to go anyway. He can fill in for Emmett handling communications. That going to be a problem?” The question was rhetorical but Jason answered anyway.
“Not from my end. Hannah’s perfectly capable of dealing with things here, and if she runs into a problem, I’ll just advise long distance.”
“Okay,” Emmett said, staring up at the photo, “so it sounds like we’ve got everything arranged. But I’m still not seeing why Langley would go to all the trouble to bring us in to retrieve her. She’s just the guy’s mistress—how much do you think she really knows? I’m thinking there’s got to be something more to this.”
“There is.” Avery crossed his arms, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.
“Do tell,” Nash prompted.
“As I mentioned earlier,” Avery said, “di Silva’s been suspected of dealing arms for quite some time now. But there’s never been any tangible proof. There have been all kinds of rumors. Everything from a warehouse in Bogotá to a terrorist hideout in the mountains of Chaco.”
“But nothing has ever been substantiated,” Hannah added.
“Until now.” Avery’s expression turned grim. “According to the original source, Madeline Reynard knows the location of di Silva’s weapons cache. And it’s somewhere in the vicinity of his compound. So if she’s telling the truth—”
“Then we’ll be able to nail di Silva,” Nash said.
“Exactly.” Avery nodded. “Our task is to find the cache, document the site, and then blow it to kingdom come.”
“After we extract Madeline Reynard and get her back to D.C.,” Jason prompted.
“Not possible,” Avery shook his head. “The only way to be sure she’s on the level is to make her show us the site. If everything pans out, then Tyler blows the pop stand and we escort Ms. Reynard straight to Langley.”
“And if she’s lying?” Drake asked.
“Then,” Avery shrugged, “we leave her to di Silva.”
CHAPTER 3
Casa de Orquídea, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
M adeline Reynard paced back and forth in the confines of her bedroom. It seemed whatever decision she made it was the wrong one. She’d killed a man to save her sister. Confessed to keep Jenny out of the picture. And then she’d agreed to Ortiz’s conditions—this time to buy her sister’s freedom. But Jenny was dead. Which meant that everything she’d done had been for nothing.
Madeline had promised her mother, and now she’d
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