by Regan Black
“Early. I have to go to the Pentagon for a meeting. You and your mom are staying here.”
“Where is she? What happened?”
Matt smiled a little. “She fell asleep in the recliner last night. Let her sleep, but when she wakes up on her own, let her know I’ll call as soon as I can.”
Yawning, Caleb sat up. “You’re leaving us?”
“No. I have a meeting. And you’ll be safe. Uncle Alex has a protection team in place.”
“All right.” The tension faded from his young face. “Cool.”
“Let her sleep,” Matt repeated, scrubbing a hand over his son’s messy locks. “I’m counting on you. If there’s any trouble, you follow the orders from Uncle Alex’s team.”
“Yes, sir.”
Matt checked his watch and decided he had just enough time to down a meal bar and a second cup of coffee. He heard Caleb head into the bathroom, and when he came out, he casually grabbed a soda from the refrigerator.
Matt only cocked an eyebrow, not wanting to risk waking Bethany. With a roll of his eyes, Caleb put back the soda in favor of orange juice. Matt handed him a glass.
“Thanks,” he mouthed. He took his juice over to the family room and sat on one of the couches, propping his feet on the coffee table, his attention on his phone.
It might have been the most perfect morning in Matt’s recent memory. One way or another, he intended to have more mornings with his family around.
At the door, he checked the peephole for Alex. He opened the door before his friend could knock. “Bye,” he whispered to Caleb and started out.
“Matt!” Caleb hissed. Scrambling up, he raced over, skidding across the tile in the foyer like a hockey player. He caught Matt at the waist in a hard hug, and then bounced back. “Hi, Uncle Alex.”
“Nephew Caleb.” Alex smiled, glancing past Matt into the condo behind them. “You’re in charge, huh?”
Caleb nodded. “Tell your team thanks for helping us.”
Alex’s golden eyebrows climbed his forehead, dropped back into place. “I will. We need to get going.”
“Here.” Caleb shoved a small square packet at Matt. It had his name in intricate lettering on the front. “Mom must have made this last night.”
Matt turned over the cover and saw Caleb’s first baby picture from the hospital. Alex leaned in. “Afraid he’ll forget what you look like? Probably a good idea.”
Caleb snorted. “He’s never carried my picture to work before,” he told Alex. “Now he can.”
“Thanks.” Moved more than he could say, he tucked the small album into the inner pocket of his coat so Caleb would know it was close to his heart. Giving his son one more hug, he headed out for the meeting.
As soon as they were out of Caleb’s sight, Alex snapped back into his stoic, working-warrior mode. Matt was almost disappointed when they took the elevator down, rather than up to the roof to meet a hovering helicopter.
“What happened?”
“The general wants to tell you all at once. Your parents are en route, as well.”
Matt swore, knowing he wouldn’t get anything more out of Alex now. The streets were as close to empty as they got in DC and the drive to the Pentagon took half the normal time.
Every minute away from Bethany and Caleb, every mile of distance, made him increasingly twitchy. Didn’t matter that they were under the watch of the Army’s best team—they were out of his sight and they were ultimately his responsibility.
They cleared security and walked swiftly toward General Knudson’s office suite.
“You need a live feed?” Alex asked under his breath. “My team can make it happen.”
“No,” Matt answered in kind. “I need the situation resolved.”
“Working on it, brother.”
Neither of them spoke again on the long walk through the eerily quiet halls. The only sounds came from their breathing and soft footfalls. It was all Matt could do not to break into a run as nerves clamped his shoulders. Finally, they turned into the corridor and Alex pulled open the door to the general’s suite of offices and motioned for Matt to go first.
To Matt’s surprise, General Knudson wasn’t alone. His parents were already waiting. “How did you get here first?” he asked after greeting his boss.
Ben smiled easily as Patricia wrapped Matt into a warm hug. “It’s good to have friends in high places,” he said. “Wish the reason for our visit was better.”
Matt wasn’t fooled. His father could win tournaments with his poker face if he was so inclined. His gaze moved from Alex to Knudson and back. “What’s going on?”
Knudson extended a hand to the coffee service just inside the door. “Help yourselves and have a seat. Major Gadsden will have us ready to go in just a minute.”
“Caleb and Bethany aren’t with you?” Patricia kept one eye on the door even as she hugged Matt again.
“No.” Bewildered, he aimed a look at his father. “I promise you’ll meet him.” It wouldn’t be here, on government property, if he could help it. They’d spent enough time here lately.
His mom leaned back and studied him, her shrewd, X-ray gaze going right through him. “Oh, my sweet boy,” she murmured. “I was furious with you for holding out on me.”
“So you said.” Uncomfortable, Matt glanced over her shoulder and saw the others were giving them some time and space. He straightened his shoulders and braced for another lecture on his failings.
“I’m so, so sorry.” She hugged him close once more, and then held him at arm’s length. “I shouldn’t have jumped down your throat when we found out. Once I had some time, it dawned on me. Oh, just look at you.”
“Mom?” She didn’t get flustered. It was so out of character, it worried him. “Do you need a coffee?”
“In a minute. Matt, you’ve paid such a steep price all these years.” She moved toward the coffee service now, pouring a cup and pressing it gently into his hands. “I can see it now all over your face. You’ve wanted to be his father all this time.”
All Matt could do was nod and wait for the world to right itself.
“Is he wonderful?” she asked. “Do you have a picture?”
“I, um.” Matt floundered for the right response. Then he remembered what Caleb had given him only a few minutes ago. “I brought you a set of pictures. Bethany put it together.” He still wasn’t sure how she’d managed to put together something so nice with the limited supplies in his condo.
Tears welled in Patricia’s eyes. “Gimme, gimme,” she said on a watery laugh.
Matt reached inside his coat and pulled out the square, accordion-folded album of Caleb’s pictures. “A highlight reel,” he explained, handing it over reluctantly.
She opened the cover and, seeing the first picture from the hospital, she pressed her fingers to her lips, just staring. In fanciful lettering, Bethany had written all the stats, including his full name: Caleb Matthew Trent.
At her small gasp, Ben was instantly at her side, his arm around her shoulders. “Look, Benny. Our first grandson.”
“He’s a dead ringer for you, Matt,” Ben observed, his voice rough with suppressed emotion.
Patricia turned the page to the next picture and chewed on her lip the way she did when she wanted to prevent a flood of tears. She leaned into her husband while Matt tracked down a tissue. Together they admired each of Caleb’s pictures, murmuring when they found something that reminded them of Matt or one of his siblings.
“Pardon me, General, Mrs. Riley,” Alex said from the inner office. “We’re ready when you are.”
Patricia closed the little scrapbook and tucked it over her heart. “Thank you, Matt.” Still tucked up close to Ben, they moved to the office to address the real reason they were all here.
Knudson closed the door for privacy and they all sat down in guest chairs, which were a
rranged so they could see the display screen Alex had set up on the corner of the general’s desk.
“I’ll let General Riley start us off,” Alex said.
Matt’s gut churned, but he held his questions.
Ben curled his hand around Patricia’s and something deep and serious passed between them. “After your recent rash of trouble and what happened to Grace Ann last night, General Knudson, Major Gadsden and I decided it was time I got involved.”
“Grace Ann?” A chill trickled down Matt’s spine. The older of his two younger sisters had followed in their mom’s footsteps and joined the Army as a nurse. She was currently stationed in Maryland, at Walter Reed Hospital, and had a good reputation helping soldiers recover from serious, often career-ending injuries.
“She received her official notice of the security breach earlier in the week, just like you did,” Ben continued. “Last night her car was vandalized in the parking garage.”
“How?” Matt feared he already knew.
“Someone tagged it with the words ‘you will pay,’” Patricia said. She nodded toward the display where Alex had brought up the image from the parking garage.
“Currently, we have zero evidence from the security footage,” Alex explained. “We’re just getting started.”
“So this is bigger than Bethany, Caleb and me?” His mind was already ticking through how that altered the situation.
“Seems to be.” Ben nodded. “I believe whoever is behind this is trying to get to me, by hurting my children. Whoever it is started with you and is implying Grace Ann will be targeted next.”
“That theory supports the witness video and heavy media coverage of the drive-by in New Jersey,” Alex said. “Along with the other disconcerting pictures sent to General Riley.”
Matt’s stomach had settled a fraction when he realized his parents weren’t frantic with worry over his sister. Now it felt caught in a vise as his worry shifted to his dad. It made sense, in a sick, vengeful way. “Why?”
Knudson spoke up. “Career officers make hard choices, decisions that other men carry out. Some of those men become enemies.”
Matt knew all of that from watching his father, his other superiors and through his own experiences leading soldiers. “Yes, sir.” It was all he could do to sit still. “But it has to be a short list of people with a grudge worthy of the resources that have been demonstrated. Just sending the threat to Bethany on official letterhead took significant planning or bribes.”
“Your father and I will be working with investigators throughout the day to compile a suspect pool,” Knudson said.
Matt’s gaze snapped to Alex. “I need more information.”
With a restrained acknowledgement of what Matt wanted to know, Alex took over the briefing. “My team has found evidence that you were tailed,” he explained. “In New Jersey and prior to that trip.” Various images filled the display. “General Knudson gave us your itinerary for the last two weeks, and we reviewed every accessible security camera system along your normal route.”
Matt swallowed an oath, out of respect for his mother’s presence, and started to apologize to all of them for being complacent. His lack of vigilance had nearly gotten his son killed. Afraid he might vomit, he fisted his hands and breathed carefully through his nose until the sensation passed.
“Matt,” Patricia murmured. “This isn’t a war zone and your post here is hardly a combat assignment.”
To his surprise, Alex and the general added their voices, backing her up.
“On top of that,” Alex continued, “it’s a small team. Two, possibly three, men. They’re well-trained and epitomize nondescript. Picking them out of the background required experts who knew where to start looking. Two of the men were near the park during the laser sight incident as well, though I can’t give you any proof that those particular men were actually behind the sights aimed at you and your family.”
“Three lasers,” Matt muttered. That meant three nests. Hard enough to get one such spot in a city like Washington. Processing all of this would take time. His priority would be figuring out how to get this threat under wraps so Bethany and Caleb could return to their normal routine.
That routine most likely wouldn’t include him, if last night was any indication.
“Yes.” Alex continued. “Facial recognition has yet to give us anything. General Riley doesn’t recognize our targets, but we remain hopeful.”
“How hopeful?” Knudson asked.
“Well, until Grace Ann’s car was trashed, very hopeful,” Alex said. “The investigative team will be working around the clock to tie any one of the men who trailed Matt to her area.”
That caught Matt’s attention. “You’re suggesting we didn’t find them yesterday, didn’t have any further trouble because they moved in on Grace Ann?”
“I’m suggesting the possibility,” Alex clarified.
Enduring his friend’s hard look, Matt knew Alex was thinking about him standing on the balcony last night, daring anyone to light him up.
“It wouldn’t take much to know when and where to find her, either,” Patricia said. “You’re both in quite visible positions right now.”
Ben squeezed her hand. “And we’re working to shore up any vulnerable spots, sweetheart.”
The understated confidence in the exchange, the way his mother visibly relaxed under his dad’s touch and words made Matt ache all over. That was what he’d always wanted. Trust, affection, connection and security. It was what he had been willing to work for and build with Bethany when she’d told him she was pregnant.
The shock of her news had been short-lived, suffused so quickly by the sheer wonder and joy of it. And she’d taken that dream right out of his hands, claiming she didn’t need him.
Or to be more accurate, claiming he and the Army were the more appropriate team. He’d tried, in every way he knew, to convince her both of them could have it all. Family, love and satisfying careers.
Since Caleb’s birth, Matt had found it almost painful to be around his parents, to know he hadn’t been enough for Bethany the way his father had always been enough for Patricia. What would it take to show her that relying on him, letting him in, wouldn’t impair her precious independence?
“I’m not going to sit around waiting for the next attempt,” Matt said. “Let’s make a plan.”
* * *
He had them on the ropes. It was a beautiful thing, watching Major Riley rush to the Pentagon with his friend, worry stamped on the rugged soldier’s face. Riley the younger held himself like his father, walked with the same arrogance, a fresher, stronger version of the man who had asked too much of him and tossed him aside.
His spotters had informed him of General Riley’s arrival at the Pentagon and, even without any actionable options within the building, he felt giddy as a child on Christmas Eve. Only one reason to bring in the retired general: they were going to investigate the bastard at last, searching for motives and suspects.
Good.
Let them search, he thought gleefully. Pick apart the general as he had picked apart the many good men and women under his command. Dig up all his secrets, pull back the veil on all the risky orders and shine a spotlight of truth into the murky shadows.
They would find his name, eventually. They might even find his compound here in the desert. It changed nothing.
He’d learned a great deal about planning, contingencies and deniability under General Riley’s command. The plans were set and every possible iteration of events for the days and weeks ahead had been accounted for. The teams, organized into compartments for everyone’s protection, could operate autonomously if needed.
His timeline and his endgame remained intact. Each day gave him more momentum. He estimated that within the next sixty days the plan would be as unstoppable as a runaway train.
“Whatever you do, wherever you g
o, you’re at my mercy now,” he said to the darkened window.
The desk phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. Smiling, he picked up the receiver. It could only be good news. “Yes?”
“The location is ready,” the man on the other end of the line reported.
He turned to the wall-mounted display and selected the appropriate image from the various options shown. Indeed, the location was ready and the live feed was coming through clearly.
“Well done,” he said. “Make sure our guests arrive safely and, by all means, make them comfortable.” He replaced the receiver and poured himself a drink.
The real show was about to start.
* * *
Bethany had been awakened by the sound of Caleb munching on cereal at the kitchen island. To her great relief, he hadn’t asked any difficult questions, merely explained that Uncle Alex had taken Matt out for an early meeting and would call when they were back.
Embarrassed and relieved, she hurried to the bathroom for a shower to clear away the fog in her head. With luck, by the time Matt returned, she’d feel steady enough to look him in the eye. She had no confidence that she would know what to say or how to rectify last night’s blunder.
Dressed in jeans and a loose sweater, she paced the condo, unable to settle, her mind wandering through the minefield of possible explanations for the meeting.
At last a phone rang. Caleb’s phone.
“It’s Matt,” he announced, answering the call. “Hey, Matt. You’re on speaker.”
“Your mom is there?”
“Yes.” Caleb turned his face away from her. “She woke up on her own an hour ago.”
“Good job.”
She could hear a whisper of a smile in Matt’s reply. “Everything okay?” she asked tentatively.
“Getting there,” he answered. “Go ahead and pack up,” he said. “We’re going to the beach for fall break.”
Caleb let out an unholy whoop of delight and punched a fist into the air, but Bethany wasn’t as excited. He’d called on Caleb’s phone. Did he mean to include her or cut her out for some overdue father-son bonding? “Matt?”
