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, a
nd 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.”
SIXTEEN
Reyna hadn’t spoken to Jase since they’d arrived at his house the day before and the place had virtually erupted with activity. Jase, along with Kyle and a dozen more agents, had disappeared into the garage behind the house and she was left alone to face her uncertain future.
She had no idea what was going on. She’d spent the time on her own, exploring the house and surrounding property.
When evening came on the second day and no one emerged with word of what was happening, Reyna went into the kitchen and made a sandwich, which she had little appetite for.
She took her plate over to the table facing the mountains. Night settled quickly in these parts. A dozen stars appeared in the sky. It was beautiful up here and peaceful, but her thoughts were in chaos.
“Lord, I need Your help. I don’t know what to do. I love him, but I don’t know if there’s a chance for us. After all the terrible things Jase has endured, is it too much to overcome?” Tears welled up inside and spilled over and she couldn’t stop then. She had wanted to believe that once they’d figured out who killed Eddie she would have some sense of peace, but nothing could be further from the truth. She hadn’t expected to fall in love with Jase.
* * *
“Let’s take a break,” Kyle told him. Jase and Kyle stepped out of the barn. It was dark out. They’d been at it nonstop for well over twenty-four hours. Jase glanced at his watch. It was almost three in the morning.
“Why don’t you go check on her,” Kyle urged when he spotted him staring up at the house. “I’ll keep going with Abby.”
During the endless hours of trying to break Abby, one thing had become crystal clear. What he’d once felt for Abby wasn’t love. He loved Reyna. He wanted the chance to have a future with her. Was he too late? Had he lost his one chance at true happiness because he’d had a moment of uncertainty?
Please, God, no.
Jase left Kyle to the interrogation and strode quickly to the house. He had to know how Reyna felt about him. He found her slumped against the kitchen table sleeping. She had to be exhausted. She’d been through so much. Did he have the right to ask for her heart? He was a mess and she deserved so much better.
Doubts made him turn to leave but he must have made some noise, because she awoke.
“Jase?”
He turned back to her. She was so beautiful, still half-asleep.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said quietly.
“It’s okay. Have you found out anything yet?” she asked, covering a yawn.
When he looked at her his heart felt as if it might burst inside of him.
She stared into his eyes and suddenly she looked afraid. “But something has happened,” she concluded.
He wanted to jump right in, tell her he was sorry that he’d been such a jerk, but before he could, he needed to tell her everything.
“Yes. Kyle offered me a job with the CIA.” He watched her reaction closely. “He wants to resurrect the Scorpion team. Make it better. Go after the Fox full force and bring him down once and for all. He wants to honor those who lost their lives because of Abby’s treason.”
“That’s...great. So you’ll be going back on active duty. Will you be moving to Langley or overseas?” Her words came out in a rush and she started to get to her feet. He reached out and gently encircled her wrist with one hand.
“Wait. Listen to me, Reyna.” She dropped back down beside him.
“I told Kyle I couldn’t go back into the field again. That part of the job is over for me. Kyle was persistent and he came up with a workable alternative. He wants me to train the next group of Scorpions for duty and set up a command post where I can oversee each mission.” He took a breath, exhaled slowly. “I’ll be working right here in Defiance. At least until we iron all the details out. There’s plenty of places on the property to set up a training facility for now. The conditions, coupled with the rugged terrain, will help with their training. I told him yes.” He stopped and looked at her but she seemed incapable of responding.
“It’s a chance to make the Scorpions what they started out to be. An exemplary team of agents tasked with protecting our country from outside threats. Men and women of integrity. It’s a tremendous opportunity to bring something positive out of the horrendous things that happened.”
“That’s...wonderful.” She kept her focus somewhere above his left shoulder, her hands knit together in her lap. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Reyna, look at me,” he said softly, and she finally did.
Rocky Mountain Secrets: Rocky Mountain Sabotage ; Rocky Mountain Pursuit Page 35
