by Dee Davis
“I can’t pretend to understand his motivation,” Harrison said. “I can just tell you what I found. And to be honest, I was really disappointed. I like the guy. He’s really good with computers. But that’s kind of the point. I mean, the key loggers he used are really sophisticated. Almost impossible to detect. Like I said, I stumbled on the first one by accident. And to be honest, if I hadn’t known what I was looking at, I’d never have suspected it was anything worth worrying over. But I’ve had a lot of experience with this kind of thing.”
“On both ends, I’d imagine,” Avery said, his tone friendly.
“Pretty much.” He grinned, then sobered. “Anyway, there’s more.”
“It gets worse?” Tyler asked, crossing her arms over her chest, a sure sign she was fighting her emotions.
“Yeah.” Harrison nodded. “A lot worse. I found evidence that Jason tapped into the security footage of the area in front of your house.”
“From the night we found the suitcase?” Owen asked.
“Yes. He edited it so that a segment showing him with the suitcase, letting himself into Tyler’s front door, was cut.”
“But the time stamps matched.”
“He fixed that, too. It’s not that hard if you know what to do, and Hannah mentioned Jason walked her through the process when you guys were in Colombia. Anyway, I made a copy of the unedited version. He still had it on his computer. I guess he hasn’t had time to clean it up.”
“Or maybe he’s just secure in the fact that no one is on to him.” Owen sat back, watching Avery and Tyler. For them, Harrison’s revelations were personal.
“This all just seems so unreal,” Tyler said, her face showing her frustration. “Jason is my friend. It seems crazy to think that he was the one who broke into my house.”
“Actually, he used the key in the flowerpot by the door,” Harrison corrected.
“Great,” Tyler’s voice was tight. “I helped him break in.”
“You had no reason to believe you couldn’t trust him, Tyler. We were all fooled.” Avery sighed, his expression resigned. “So you’re absolutely certain about all of this?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Harrison nodded. “I’m positive. And there’s one more thing. Jason planted a bug in Tyler’s bedroom.” He paused, looking decidedly uncomfortable. “Video and audio.”
“In my bedroom,” she repeated, her gaze shooting over to Owen, who was suddenly seeing red.
Harrison nodded again, clearly embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I had to look at some of it. To be certain it was what I thought it was. I mean, Jason intruding, not the—” He broke off, looking down at his computer.
“It’s okay,” Tyler said, releasing a slow breath, putting her hands on the table. “There’s nothing there I’m ashamed of.”
“I swear I didn’t watch but a couple of seconds. Long enough to verify the angle and probable location of the bug. I promise.” Harrison held up his hands to underscore his words. “And I’m sure there’s no need for anyone else to see it?” He shot a questioning look in Avery’s direction.
“No,” the big man said. “Not as long as we’ve got other proof. I assume you left it all in place.”
“Of course,” Harrison was quick to assure. “I didn’t want to tip my hand. As far as I can tell, Jason had no idea I’d hacked into his computer. But he’s smart. Which means it’s possible he’ll figure it out. I did my best to cover my tracks. But you never know. Anyway, I thought it would be safer if I left everything the way I found it.”
“Including the bug?” Tyler asked, looking as if she’d like to crawl into the floor. Unable to stop himself, Owen reached across the table and covered her hand with his, surprised when she didn’t pull away.
“I verified it was there.” Again Harrison looked embarrassed. “It’s in the ceiling. A small hole, drilled just to the right of the light fixture.”
“Over the bed,” she whispered, then lifted her head, pulling her hand free from Owen’s. “The truth is that Jason’s invading my privacy is the least of our problems. Were there other bugs?”
“I didn’t search for them. I figured you guys could do that. I felt weird about being in your house in the first place. I just wanted to be certain I’d documented my findings before I presented them. So I took pictures of the bug.” He hit a key and the device filled the screen above their heads.
“It’s one of ours,” Avery observed, his jaw tightening with anger. “And of course it would be easy enough for Jason to get his hands on it.”
“Wait a minute,” Owen interrupted, frowning at Harrison as a new thought moved front and center. “If Jason’s bug was recording video, won’t he know you figured it out? I mean, won’t you be on tape?”
“If he was watching when I went in, then maybe. But I was monitoring the whole time and I’m almost a hundred percent certain that he wasn’t on the computer while I was in there. And then, after the fact, I went back in and did some editing of my own.”
“A little taste of his own medicine,” Owen said, still seething that Jason had recorded Tyler’s intimate moments.
“Yeah.” Harrison tilted his head with a crooked smile. “Figured what was good for the goose and all that. Anyway, he won’t be able to tell that anyone was there.”
“What about Lara?” Avery asked. “Is there any sign that she was in on it?”
“They’re together?” Owen asked, frowning. The dossier hadn’t mentioned that they were a couple.
“Yes.” Avery nodded. “They live together. Have for quite a while now.”
“But I thought there were rules against that kind of thing.”
“We tend to turn a blind eye. It hasn’t affected their work.”
“Which could be a problem,” Tyler said. “Do you think Lara knows what Jason’s been up to?”
“There’s nothing I’ve seen to indicate she’s complicit,” Harrison said. “But if there’s a relationship…”
“I don’t know.” Tyler shook her head. “I can’t imagine Jason involving Lara in anything that would put her in danger. He loves her too much.”
“Maybe that’s all been a lie, too,” Avery said.
“Well, either way Lara wouldn’t be involved.”
“But we can’t know that for certain,” Owen said.
“So we’ll have to tread carefully.” Tyler shrugged. “But it doesn’t change the fact that we’ve got to confront Jason. I mean, otherwise we’ll just be sitting ducks for whatever he decides to do next. Not to mention the fact that I’m not going to feel safe in my own home.”
“I suppose there is an argument for trailing him and letting him lead us to whoever he’s working for.” Owen didn’t like the idea, but the option had to be considered.
“Was there anything on his computer that might help us figure out who’s calling the shots?” Avery asked.
“No.” Harrison shook his head. “And I had a pretty thorough look around. The truth is, for all we know, his part in this is purely reactionary.”
“So we could plant a false lead and see what happens,” Owen suggested.
“Or we could just ask him what the hell is going on.” Tyler’s fists were clenched, her earlier embarrassment turning to rage. “Actually,” she said, pulling her phone from her pocket, “he texted me. Just before our meeting. He said something about needing to see me. Maybe he was going to come clean.”
“Seems pretty unlikely. But it’s at least worth finding out what he wanted,” Avery said. “Did he say where he was?”
She consulted the phone. “Yeah. He’s at home.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Avery asked.
“Yes. I’m fine. If my talking to him can help us nail his ass to the wall, then it’s no problem.”
“Well, she can’t go alone.” Owen worked to quash his own fury. He’d learned the hard way that actions taken in anger seldom paid off in the long run.
“I agree,” Avery said, his expression speculative as he watched the two of them. �
�Owen, you go with her. Jason won’t be surprised, since the two of you have been working together.”
Tyler’s gaze was steady as she squared her shoulders and pushed away from the table. “No time like the present, I guess.”
“He may not give anything away,” Avery warned. “And if he doesn’t, don’t push. Just try to pull whatever you can out of him. And see if you can gauge his mood. Confident, worried—you know the drill. And then, based on what you get, coupled with Harrison’s evidence, we’ll figure out what our next move should be.”
“We’ll be careful.” Owen stood up, his gaze meeting Tyler’s. “But I think we’ve got to push at least a little. We haven’t got the luxury of time. And there’s the small matter of what he’s done to Tyler.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “He hasn’t done anything to me. At least not the way you mean it. Avery’s right, we have to be careful. There’ll be time for confrontation. It just might not be now.”
“You ready?” Owen asked as they walked up the steps that led to Jason’s front door. She hadn’t said much of anything on their way over, and he hadn’t wanted to push, but he knew this couldn’t be easy for her.
“Yeah.” Tyler nodded, her eyes dark with emotion. “He asked to talk to me. I can’t imagine that he’s going to confess, but he’s clearly got something on his mind. Maybe it’s something we can use.”
“Or maybe he just wants to try to figure out how much you know.”
“The thought crossed my mind. But if he’s trying to play mind games, I’ve got the upper hand. And there’s no way he can possibly know that.” She lifted her hand to ring the doorbell, but the door opened before she had the chance.
“Tyler,” Lara said, a broad smile creasing her face. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I heard it was a really close call out there.”
“We’re fine. But I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Owen.” Tyler’s voice was a little too bright, but Lara didn’t seem to notice. Instead, she turned her smile to him.
“Then we owe you a debt of gratitude. We’re all really fond of Tyler.”
“I can understand why.” Owen nodded, his smile for Tyler.
“So what can I do for you?” Lara asked.
“Actually, I got a text from Jason. He wanted to see me. Only I’ve been stuck in a meeting. Is he here?”
“As far as I know. I’ve only just walked in myself. I had a late class. But when I left, he was in his study. You know the way.” She moved aside, motioning them into the hallway. “I really am glad you’re okay,” Lara said, squeezing Tyler’s arm as she walked by. She certainly sounded genuine. But then what the hell did he know?
“Thanks.” Tyler smiled. “We’ll catch up later? Maybe grab coffee or something when everything dies down.”
“That’d be nice,” Lara said. “I was really sorry to hear about your father.”
Tyler nodded. “I just want to figure out who did it.”
“I know,” Lara said, her smile fading. “Which is my cue to leave you to it. I know Jason’s been working hard trying to find out who’s behind all of this. Maybe that’s why he wanted to see you.” The hallway split and Lara headed for the kitchen as they moved the opposite direction toward Jason’s study.
“You’re right. She doesn’t seem the type to betray her country,” Owen said as they walked down the hall.
“It just seems impossible to me that she would be in on this. But then it seems just as impossible that the traitor is Jason. So what do I know? Anyway, the important thing is that she didn’t seem suspicious.”
“One step at a time, eh?” He reached out to squeeze her hand as they slowed in front of a closed door. “Is this it?”
Tyler nodded and reached for the door, turning the knob and pushing it open. At first Owen thought the room was empty. It was only when they walked all the way inside that they saw him—swinging from a rope looped through the rafters.
Clearly, there’d be no confrontation.
Jason Lawton was dead.
CHAPTER 21
I thought you’d still be up,” Owen said, standing in the doorway to Tyler’s bedroom holding a tray. “I know it’s just me being English, but I thought maybe some toast and tea would help.”
Tyler sighed, leaning back against the wing chair. Nothing was going to help. Her father was dead. Della and Smitty, too. And now Jason.
Jason.
She still couldn’t wrap her head around the idea that he’d been a traitor. But there really wasn’t any other choice. Between Harrison’s evidence and the note Jason had left it was all pretty clear. He’d said he wanted something more. Something bigger and better than A-Tac, and that the group behind all of this had offered that. Or at least they seemed to. Jason had written that he’d lost faith. That their goals and his no longer were the same. That too many people had died.
He’d apologized. To Tyler. To A-Tac. And to Lara. Then he’d written that dying was the only noble way out.
In truth, it seemed a cowardly excuse. But she hadn’t been in his shoes. So who the hell was she to judge? Nothing was what it seemed. And suddenly, sitting here, staring up at Owen, she knew one thing for certain. Life was short. And there weren’t that many chances to get it right.
“I think it’s a lovely idea,” she said, pushing aside the afghan she’d been huddled under. “Besides, I could use the company. I just keep going over everything in my head. Trying to make it come out differently.”
It was late, dawn not that far away. Tyler had spent the better part of the night at Jason’s, first supporting Lara, and then, after she’d finally fallen asleep, thanks to heavy sedation, Tyler had stayed to help the forensics team. Nash had been there, too. And Emmett. The three of them pulling together, along with Avery and Hannah. But then there had been nothing left to do. The body gone. The study cordoned off. Yellow tape like a beacon announcing something horrible had happened there.
So she’d come home, relieved to find that Owen and Harrison had cleared the house of bugs, Jason’s death removing the need to play along. So with mumbled excuses she’d gone to bed. But sleep had eluded her. And so she sat, her mind spinning as she tried to find answers where there were none.
“There’s nothing more you can do,” Owen said. “At least not tonight.”
“Somewhere inside, I know that,” she replied, accepting the steaming cup of tea. “But I can’t turn it off. I just keep seeing Jason hanging there. And Lara’s screams are echoing in my ears. And then it’s my father. Oh, God, Owen, it’s like everything’s been turned inside out. Like I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole and lost my way.”
“I understand,” he said, putting the tray on the table and then sitting on the edge of the bed across from the chair. “Honestly, I do. Too much happening, too fast. It’s impossible to process. We’re simply not built that way. But I promise we will find answers. It’s just going to take time.”
“And what if we don’t have time? What if there is a bomb? And they’re already setting the plan in motion to use it? Owen, we don’t even know who they are. Jason said a group. And he implied they had big plans. Smitty thought they were going to build his bomb. But that’s not enough for us to find them—to stop them.” Her voice rose with every sentence, until she knew she was teetering on the brink of hysteria.
She took a sip of tea, closing her eyes, letting the liquid warmth soothe her.
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head, her gaze lifting to meet his. “I’m all right. I promise. It’s just harder than I would have thought.”
“You’ve lost a friend.” He reached over to cover her hand with his. “And not only that, he betrayed you. That’s a lot to deal with. And I haven’t been helping matters.”
“What do you mean? You saved my life. You were there with me when I found my father. You stayed with me at the hospital. And you were there tonight when we found Jason. All you’ve been doing is helping me.”
“But I lied to you.”
“Yes, you did. And I won’t p
retend that it didn’t hurt. But Nash reminded me that there were two sides to every story. And I didn’t give you the chance to tell yours. I was too angry to listen. And I said some horrible things.” She shook her head, tears pricking the back of her eyes. “Anyway, if it matters at all, I’m ready to listen now.”
He bent his head, and silence stretched between them, Tyler holding her breath, wondering if she’d waited too long. Pushed things too far.
“I had a wife,” he said finally, his eyes dark with pain. “Angela. We met at university. I really did study nuclear physics. That much at least was true. And I was recruited by MI-5. Angela thought it was exotic. She urged me to take the offer. And so I did. A year later we were married.”
Tyler hadn’t thought she could hurt any more than she already did. But the idea that Owen had loved someone, someone besides her, was as painful as it was irrational.
“We were happy, Tyler. I won’t pretend otherwise. I loved her with every part of me. And when she told me she was pregnant, I thought the world couldn’t possibly get any better.”
He paused, and she waited, not trusting herself with words. She’d been so wrapped up in her own problems she hadn’t even stopped to think about Owen. About the story she’d heard from Emmett. If Owen had truly betrayed MI-5, then that meant that he’d acted counter to everything she knew about him. Which meant there had to be something more to the story.
Something awful. She could see it in his eyes.
“Jacob was the light of my life. He was so full of energy and curiosity and joy.” He smiled, memories clearly playing in his head. “Everything was perfect. Except of course that there is no such thing. Or if there is then the fates will see to it that it doesn’t last.” There was a trace of bitterness in his voice, but also a wistfulness that made Tyler want to cry.
“I was working an operation to stop an alleged attack by a terrorist cell centered in London.” His voice became softer as he faded back into his past. “It was fairly routine. Or so we thought. We needed to infiltrate the cell, and to do it we used a friend of mine. From university. Bashir Hadad. He fit the profile. And he’d had experience with MI-5 working on a couple of special projects with me. So he agreed to help, and in short order had worked his way up the ranks.”
