Panic

by Jeff Abbott

  ‘You could take over the Deeps,’ Bricklayer said. ‘There’s no one alive on Jargo’s team who knew about you to contradict you.’ Evan glanced at him, but Bricklayer’s smile was neutral. ‘The rest of the network wouldn’t question you were the heir apparent if you told them your parents and Jargo trained you for the role should they die. Your knowledge of the network and its finances will be very convincing. And we can feed their clients – at least the unfriendly ones – whatever information we want.’

  ‘Or blackmail them into doing your bidding,’ Evan said. ‘I’m not the right guy for the job.’

  ‘But you are.’ The new Bricklayer lacked Bedford’s charm; he spoke, instead, with a quiet arrogance. ‘Evan. We’ve made a sizable investment in you.’ Because he was a bureaucrat, he started naming the favors of the Agency: ‘Set you up here in Fiji, gave you new names. Provided funerals for your mom and dad. Paid a large sum of money to your friend Shadey for the help he gave you in bringing Jargo down. We’ve given you your life back.’

  The life Evan had had was gone, but he said, ‘I appreciate all you’ve done.’ He didn’t want to talk to this Bricklayer – this thin shadow of the decent man Bedford had been – anymore. But he was curious. ‘The other Deeps. You’ve located them all.’

  ‘They’re being watched.’ Watched. Not arrested. Because they might still be useful in their ignorance if Evan said yes to Bricklayer’s proposal. Bricklayer gave him a lazy smile. ‘Their next orders could come from you.’

  Evan drew a line in the sand with his toe. ‘They have lives like my folks did? Kids?’

  ‘Yes. Lots of kids. And if we leave that network in place… well, none of their kids have to suffer.’ Bricklayer smiled at Evan, pretending that he wasn’t using guilt to shame him into stepping back into the world of shadows.

  Evan stared out at the water. He counted to ten. ‘Let me think about it. Let me talk to Carrie.’

  ‘There’s really only one answer to give, Evan.’ Bricklayer cleared his throat.

  Evan turned away from Bricklayer and walked back to the porch. His head and his heart filled with grief for his parents, for a mother bravely defying a dangerous secret world to save him, for a fearless father who sacrificed himself for his son. He needed them more than ever right now, but all he had left of them was their love and courage.

  He hoped it was courage enough to do what must be done. So they didn’t die in vain.

  Bricklayer still stood on the beach, glancing out at the white of the waves, turning his gaze back to them. Waiting for an answer.

  ‘What does he want?’ Carrie asked in a whisper.

  He told her and her face fell. She put a hand over her eyes.

  ‘But I’m making a different choice than my mom made,’ Evan said, ‘when she had to choose how to use the files. She used them as a shield. I’m using them as a battering ram.’

  ‘How? They’ll never leave us alone. They’ll force us to help them.’

  ‘It ends today.’ He paused. ‘I still have a copy of the list Razur hid for me.’

  She took her hand down from her face.

  He turned his back to Bricklayer, leaned against the porch railing. ‘We’ll release the files to every major media organization in the world.’ It was what his mother should have done. What Gabriel should have done. What the CIA should have done. ‘Running didn’t work for my parents. We’re going to have the lives they wanted for us. We’re not looking over our shoulders anymore. Are you with me?’ He tried to smile. ‘You want to buy a ticket?’

  Evan saw all the pain and loss Carrie had suffered cross her face. ‘It’s a risk, Evan.’

  ‘No. It’s a choice.’ He took her in his arms and she hugged him with all her strength. ‘And I choose you.’

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