by MC Lee
“There’s a new file on your tablet. You have thirty minutes to memorize the protocol.”
Jack flipped the cover on his tablet and logged in to his personal account, then glanced briefly at the assignment in the newly uploaded file. It looked like a pretty straightforward set of instructions for embedding a hidden link on a computer’s hard drive to connect it to the Center’s mainframe. He’d learned a couple of variations on this procedure before and didn’t think it would prove difficult to memorize. Which was just as well, because he was having a hard time getting his mind to focus.
He couldn’t get the image of his guardian’s face out of his mind—it was something deeper than displeasure at one of the Center’s rules being broken. Jack found himself shaking with anger at the careless destruction of the one thing he’d owned to remind him of his parents. He didn’t know how he would control himself when Sean read him the riot act this evening.
He tried to think of how Leo would handle the situation. He had a more developed sense of when he could challenge Martin and when he needed to defer to his foster father. But Leo and Martin had a close, tight bond that came from considering themselves family. Jack was aware of the irony—Leo and Martin operated as a family unit, though there was no blood tie between them. Jack could scarcely bring himself to speak to his guardian, even though they were actually related.
“Time’s up.”
Jack’s head jerked up at the sound of Instructor Wallace’s voice. He looked at the clock on the wall, shocked to find thirty minutes had passed. He’d been so sidetracked by his thoughts that he’d barely even glanced at the instructions he was supposed to be memorizing. He gulped at the purposeful look on Instructor Wallace’s face, certain he was about to get caught out in a big way.
He heaved a huge sigh of relief when the door to the classroom opened and Sean walked in, but his blood turned to ice when Sean said, “Come with me, Jack. Leo’s in trouble.”
Chapter Six
IT WAS only the obvious threat in Sean’s implacable gaze that kept Jack in his seat when Martin walked into the boardroom ten minutes later. Jack’s guardian gave a curt nod, and Martin took a chair, sparing a brief glance for Jack as he sat down.
He got straight to the point. “Leo suspects he’s being investigated.”
Jack shuffled in his seat, and Sean’s threatening look intensified.
“What makes him think that?” Sean asked.
Martin shrugged. “He’s being followed, and he’s certain he’s being watched at school. Most obviously, somebody used the school computer to look up his name.” He paused for a second before adding ominously. “His real name, not the identity we created for him.”
There was a moment of shocked silence as the implication sunk in.
“So it looks as though somebody knows who he is,” Sean said slowly. “Are you sure Leo researched this assignment as thoroughly as he should have?”
Jack bristled, but a warning look from Martin kept his mouth shut.
“Leo’s research was impeccable,” Martin said firmly. “He misjudged the last assignment. You know he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.”
Sean gave an abrupt nod. “Tell us about the mission.”
Since Sean and his guardian already knew the details of Martin’s assignment, Jack suspected this was only for his benefit. He leaned forward, listening intently as Martin spoke.
“Leo was tasked with befriending Freya Moore and distracting her while I arranged for her father, Dominic, to be extracted and sent to the facility in Vermont. I’ve spent the past week organizing the extraction team and preparing the details. Everything seemed to be going according to plan until Leo realized he was being investigated.”
“He’s sure the interest isn’t coincidental?”
Martin shook his head. “Per protocol, Leo installed a keylogger on the computers in the school library. Two of them recorded specific searches for Leo McCormack on separate occasions.”
Jack stiffened, although he did his best to hide his reaction. He had always suspected that the Center spiked the computers at the schools he attended while undercover. It meant that each time he had used a school computer to research illicit information, the Center had most likely tracked his every move. He became aware Sean was watching him, his knowing look all but confirming what Jack had surmised. Still, this wasn’t the time to worry about his own compromised situation.
“Maybe somebody at the school is interested in track?” he suggested.
Martin gave a tight smile. “We ran a report on the search history of the school computers for six months prior to our arrival.” He stopped abruptly and sent a questioning look in Sean’s direction. At a nod from Sean, Martin continued, “We also ran a keyword search on the personal computers and devices of every student who attends Bayfield Heights School. There was nothing to suggest such an interest.”
“You can do that?” Jack gasped, amazed at the sheer scope of what Martin was implying.
“When we have to,” Martin replied. “There’s something else. Whoever performed the searches tried to cover their tracks with a full hard drive wipe. This wasn’t random.”
Jack didn’t miss the significant look Sean exchanged with his guardian.
“It’s too much of a coincidence that somebody should suddenly develop an interest in Leo McCormack at the exact time he turns up at the school,” Sean said.
“Do you have any idea what they’re after?” Jack’s guardian asked the obvious question.
Martin shook his head. “Not a clue. That’s why I’m here.”
“I think we can assume the assignment has been compromised,” Sean said.
Jack looked at each of the men in the room. “But you’re not going to shut down the mission.” It was a statement rather than a question; Jack was too used to the Center’s twisted logic not to recognize the determined looks for what they were.
“Negative,” his guardian confirmed. “We’re going to find out who’s investigating Leo and what they want with him.”
Sean stood suddenly. “You need to start prepping, Jack. We’re sending you in.”
“IF YOU don’t settle down and listen, you won’t be going anywhere.”
Jack swore under his breath and scowled at Sean’s threat. “I don’t know why you’re making me learn this crap,” he snapped. “Leo is out there by himself. He needs backup.”
He jumped when Sean banged his fist onto the table. “Leo doesn’t need you barging in and going off half-cocked,” Sean thundered. “Now you either put your ass back down in that seat and listen to what Instructor Colson says or you resign yourself to sitting this one out.”
Despite resentment boiling up inside, Jack reluctantly dragged himself back to the table and sat down.
Martin reached out and patted him on the back. “I know this is hard on you, Jack,” he said. “But Sean is right. We have to approach this methodically.”
“Leo’s out there by himself,” Jack repeated stonily.
“Nobody knows that better than me.”
Martin’s voice carried no judgment, but his words immediately sobered Jack. “I’m sorry, Martin,” he mumbled. “I didn’t mean to be a dick.”
Martin waved him off. “You don’t have to apologize for worrying about Leo. But I promise he’s safe. I have an operative watching his back, and I’m returning tonight. As soon as we finish here, I’m gone.”
“So the sooner you learn this, the sooner Martin can leave,” Sean said sternly.
It was all the encouragement Jack needed. He closed his mouth with a snap and looked expectantly at Instructor Colson, who was sitting at the head of the boardroom table waiting for Jack to settle down and listen.
“We’re sending you in as Jack Corrigan. You’re a transfer from Washington who will be finishing out his senior year at Bayfield Heights High School. Your instructions are to find out who is investigating Leo while he continues his assignment.”
“What’s my relationship with Leo?” Jack as
ked.
“You’ll have to coordinate that with him,” Instructor Colson said.
“Leo was tasked with getting as close as possible to Freya Moore,” Martin said. Jack didn’t miss the unmistakable evasiveness.
“Getting close,” he echoed. “You mean dating her?” He tried to keep his tone neutral, but he wasn’t sure he’d managed it.
“He was still working out the details when he became suspicious,” Martin said. “That’s why you need to confer with him before you make a move. Leo will set the pace. You need to fall in line with whatever he’s planning.”
“I can do that,” Jack said resolutely.
“Good,” Instructor Colson said. “We don’t have time to workshop this in the prep suite. Do you think you can hit the ground running if we send Evan in to back you up? He’ll be playing the part of your older brother.”
Jack nodded enthusiastically. He and Evan worked well together, and he liked the guy unreservedly. He knew they’d make a good team. A sudden thought occurred.
“You think this will get dangerous?”
As Jack’s trainer and martial arts instructor, Evan was skilled in several disciplines, including the techniques used by most of the world’s covert military units. It had to say something about the nature of the operation if he had been chosen as backup.
“There’s always the potential for danger. You know that,” Instructor Colson said. “But don’t read too much into it. We chose Evan because you two already have a tight bond, and he’s a useful man to have at your back. He’s also young enough to pass as your brother without raising too many eyebrows.”
Sean tapped the table sharply, and Jack returned his attention to his handler. “You’ll work out the details of the assignment with Martin and Leo, but you report to Evan. You obey his instructions unconditionally. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Jack murmured. When Sean looked this serious, it paid not to argue.
“That’s good, Jack,” Martin said. “I’m going to leave you to work through the rest. I’ll see you in a few days.”
Jack felt his heart sink. “I can’t come with you now?” Given the seriousness of the situation, he’d hoped to be deployed immediately.
“Absolutely not,” Sean said, cutting off Martin’s reply. “You still have a lot to learn before I sign off on your participation.”
“Don’t worry,” Martin said, standing up. “I’ll look after him until you get there.”
He walked out before Jack could speak again, not waiting for any message he might want to send. After a moment of disappointment, Jack pulled himself together. Leo didn’t need to hear the words to know what was in Jack’s heart.
“Okay,” Sean said. “Let’s get down to work.”
“YOU’RE GOING to stay at my place for the next couple of days,” Evan said. “We need to work on our brotherly bond.”
“Yes, sir––Evan,” Jack quickly amended.
“Let’s keep it consistent,” Evan said. “Always call me by my name. Even in the house.” As he spoke he opened the door to one of the fourth-floor apartments.
Jack glanced around and whistled through his teeth. “Nice place.”
He’d never really stopped to wonder what Evan’s apartment looked like, though he knew his trainer kept a place at the Center. Somewhere in the back of his mind he’d dismissed it as a temporary stopover, but what he saw now was much more like a well-planned, permanent home. It looked nothing like the Spartan cell Jack had lived in for thirteen years, nor like the messy, comfortable space Leo and Martin used when they were at the Center.
Evan’s apartment was chic and modern, filled with electronics and gadgets, with bookshelves recessed into the walls and beautiful artwork making the place look like an elegant gallery. It seemed at odds with Evan’s position as a hard-driving trainer and ruthless fighting machine.
“The spare room’s the second door on the right,” Evan said. “I had some of your things brought up. Go check it out and let me know if you need anything else.”
Jack walked down the softly lit hallway and opened the door to his room. His eyes widened when he saw the luxurious bedroom, complete with a balcony that overlooked the wooded area beyond the Center’s high steel fence. It was almost embarrassing to see two neat piles of his own ordinary clothes on the overstuffed armchair beside a huge closet. Jack opened the door to the bathroom, not surprised to find a sleek chrome and steel designer suite that looked like something off the cover of a ritzy magazine.
His computer was already set up on the desk at the far end of the room, and Jack noticed a pile of his textbooks beside it.
“Everything okay?”
Jack turned at the sound of Evan’s voice.
“Fine. I mean, really good.”
“I think our apartment on location will be pretty standard, but you’ll be able to take most of your own things with you. Instructor Colson will help you make some decisions over the next day or two.”
“Thanks, Evan,” Jack said.
Evan clapped him on the back. “Sean’s coming up in twenty to have dinner with us. You want to help me in the kitchen?”
Jack nodded and followed Evan out of the bedroom. The apartment was open concept, with a breakfast bar separating the living area from the spacious kitchen. Evan pressed a button on a panel in the wall, and a door in the console on the far side of the living space slid back noiselessly to reveal a huge flat-screen TV. At the flick of another button, a baseball game filled the screen, the familiar sound and movement weirdly comforting.
“We’re Nationals fans,” Evan said, nodding toward the TV. “Our parents, Richard and Gwen Corrigan, work for a Washington-based charity. They took an overseas posting for a year.” He pulled open the fridge and took out several ingredients, then put them on the counter along with a knife and a bowl. “You want to throw together a salad?”
“Sure,” Jack said. He began to slice vegetables while Evan turned on the oven. “Our folks wanted you to finish high school in the States before joining them in Burkina Faso. You’ll need to research a charity called Better Tomorrow.” He pulled a tray out of the fridge and peeled back the foil covering. “You’ll have to give it an hour or two before you start. The team is putting together the website and all the background history right now.”
Evan opened the oven door and slid a tray of lasagna inside. He shrugged as Jack raised an eyebrow. “The kitchen sent it up. I’m not much of a cook, I’m afraid.”
“I can handle the cooking,” Jack said. At Evan’s curious look he added, “One of my team members taught me on a previous assignment.”
He finished putting together the salad, and at a nod from Evan, he put the bowl onto the dining room table.
As Evan pulled out cutlery and plates and handed them to Jack so he could set the table, he continued to provide information. “Our parents enrolled you in Bayfield Heights so you could live with me while you finish your senior year. I’m a computer programmer with Informa Tech Limited. I’ve worked there for two years. Get the door, Jack.”
Jack cocked his head, sure he hadn’t heard anybody knocking. But as he glanced in the direction Evan was looking, he noticed a small monitor on the wall that showed Sean standing outside in the hallway. Jack crossed the room, opened the door, and stood aside to let Sean enter.
“Evan is bringing you up to speed on your backstory?” Sean asked.
“Yes, sir,” Jack confirmed.
“Any questions so far?”
Jack turned back to Evan. “Informa Tech Limited? Is that a real company?”
Evan nodded. “We don’t have time to create a false front. Informa Tech will provide the right profile and support my story.”
Jack frowned. “How do you know that?”
Evan exchanged a look with Sean.
“Not an appropriate question,” Sean said briskly. “Informa Tech will do what’s needed.”
The timer on the oven sounded, and Evan returned to the kitchen. Jack tried to mask
his frustration, but Sean must have read something he didn’t like.
“Out with it,” he demanded.
Jack threw up his hands. “You get pissed at me if I don’t cover all the angles, and just as pissed if I ask something you don’t like. I’m not going into the field when Leo’s safety is at stake without learning everything that’s relevant.”
“Some things are need to know,” Sean said sharply.
“This is part of my cover story,” Jack sputtered. “How is that not something I need to know?”
Sean’s face set into hard lines. “I decide what can be disclosed. What’s important is that your brother has worked as a computer programmer for Informa Tech for the past two years. Now move on.”
The order was clear, as was the implied warning.
“Dinner’s ready.”
Evan’s voice broke the tension, and Jack was glad to turn away from his handler and try to get his irritation under control. There was no point bitching. Sean wasn’t about to share anything he didn’t think was relevant.
Jack sat down, consciously choosing to sit beside Evan on the opposite side of the table to Sean. He was aware of the glances the two men traded and the silent communication between them. When Evan spoke, Jack was unable to hide his surprise.
“Informa Tech is owned by the Center. Its real purpose is to identify potential recruits.”
Jack kept his expression carefully neutral as he nodded his understanding.
Sean was watching him closely, and whatever he saw seemed to loosen his tongue. “We have highly placed contacts in most government departments. On occasion they identify somebody with extraordinary talents. Dominic Moore was referred to us by one of our contacts. We’ve followed his progress for several weeks.”
“What role does Informa Tech play?” Jack asked.
“It’s a way for us to assess the real value of a potential asset,” Sean said. He cut Jack off just as he opened his mouth to ask another question. “I think that’s enough for tonight. Focus on your own role. Nothing is more important.”
