by MC Lee
Jack’s answer came in the form of a snort of derision.
“What do you think they want with him?”
Jack shook his head. “Doesn’t really matter. There’s no way he’ll leave the Center. I’m just sorry I dragged you into this mess—”
Leo grabbed his wrist and stilled his hand. “Don’t,” he said quietly. “I made my own choice. The only place I want to be is wherever you are.”
He released Jack’s hand, and Jack used the excuse of returning to his ministrations to cover the rush of emotion. The blood had stopped welling from the shallow cut. Jack rummaged through the bathroom cabinet until he found a box of Band-Aids and pulled one out that looked about the right length. Leo tipped his head, and Jack carefully covered the cut, gently smoothing the Band-Aid into place.
“Good as new,” he said. He bent, and this time he pressed a kiss to Leo’s upturned lips. Leo slid his arms around Jack’s waist and buried his face against his chest.
“I guess we should chill for a while,” Leo mumbled. “There’s not much else we can do.”
He released his hold and stood up. Then he slung an arm around Jack’s shoulders and guided him into the adjacent room. After pulling Jack down with him onto the couch, he picked up the remote and switched on the TV, then began flicking aimlessly through the channels.
“There,” Jack said.
Leo glanced sideways and laughed. “You know, there are other films than Jurassic Park.”
Jack smiled. “But I like Jurassic Park.”
Leo tossed the remote onto the coffee table and pulled Jack up against his side. “Guess we’d better settle in for the long haul. It might be a while before we see daylight again.”
Jack leaned gratefully against Leo, feeling the warmth of his skin seeping through his shirt and grateful for his solid, reassuring presence. He breathed in deeply, savoring Leo’s unique scent of apple and citrus and something just him. It was with a start that he realized that this was home. It had nothing to do with where he was and everything to do with the boy whose arms were wrapped loosely around him.
He didn’t know what Donovan would do when he found out Michael Palmer wasn’t going to take the bait. He had to think it would end badly. But as long as Leo was with him, he knew he could face the coming storm with his head held high.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
JACK HAD dozed off, but he bolted upright when the door slid open and Mark Donovan walked in, Ryan Anderson following him like a shadow. One of the guards took up position beside the entrance, looking deceptively casual when Jack knew he was acutely tuned in to every nuance in the room.
Donovan had a cell phone in his hand, and he waved it in Jack’s direction. “You need to reconnect with your handler. He’ll give you your instructions.”
Jack’s stomach plummeted. He had thought he and Leo would have more time than this. He reached for the phone, frantically trying to figure out how he was going to persuade Donovan to release Leo while the rest of the plan played out. He knew he would have to suffer the consequences of his guardian’s refusal to agree to Donovan’s demands, but he desperately hoped he could get Leo clear first.
He carefully dialed Sean’s number, more glad than he wanted to admit when he heard his handler’s calm voice, although that feeling quickly disintegrated when he processed what Sean said.
“Listen very carefully, Jack. We’re finalizing arrangements for the exchange. It’s imperative that you do exactly what I tell you.”
“What exchange?” Jack said.
“You and Leo for Michael Palmer,” Sean replied, as though it was the most reasonable answer in the world instead of the most astonishing.
“He’s giving himself up?” Jack didn’t even try to disguise his utter shock.
“Of course he is,” Sean said, sounding exasperated. “We have to do this according to plan. I want you to put Leo on.”
“Leo?” Jack repeated blankly.
“Martin needs to speak to him. Now, Jack!”
He held out the phone, automatically responding to Sean’s order, and watched as Leo put the phone to his ear and listened intently. The conversation was almost entirely one-sided, with Leo occasionally adding a word of assent. He kept his emotions tightly in check, but Jack could tell when something Martin said hit hard. Finally, Leo said, “I understand, sir,” and handed the phone back to Jack.
“I want you to listen without comment.” It was Sean’s voice, flat and emotionless. “Do you understand the instruction?”
“Yes, sir,” Jack said. Leo had turned his head, but not before Jack caught some flash of emotion he couldn’t read. He felt the air chill around him and shivered when Sean continued to speak.
“Here’s how it’s going down. Ryan Anderson will drive you to a location that we’ll provide. Your uncle will rendezvous at a location Donovan chooses. When both sides are satisfied the prearranged conditions have been met, the exchange will take place. When your uncle reaches the destination at which you’re being held, he’ll verify that Leo is released. Each leg of the journey is going to be filmed and live streamed to both parties.”
It took Jack a moment to realize Sean had stopped talking. “You expect me to leave Leo behind?” he said, his voice cracking.
“I expect it. Leo has agreed to it.”
“No way,” Jack breathed. He turned his back on Donovan’s frowning face and huddled over the phone. “Leo should be released first. He has nothing to do with this mess. I can’t leave him here, Sean. Don’t ask me.”
“I’m not asking,” Sean said stonily. “There is absolutely no other way this can work. If you refuse, the whole deal is off. Make a choice, Jack. Follow my orders and ensure your safety or disobey and guarantee you’ll both come to harm.”
He didn’t know how it happened, but Jack suddenly found himself standing right in front of Leo, their eyes locked in an intense gaze. Everything Leo was feeling was written on his face and shining from his deep blue eyes. His whole being was a silent plea, and Jack opened his heart and let himself really listen.
“Okay,” he said, as much to Leo as to Sean. “I’ll do this your way.”
He was sure he didn’t misread the moment of startled silence on the other end of the phone.
“Good boy,” Sean said softly. “This will work out, Jack. I promise.”
Before Jack could choke up a reply, Donovan took the phone out of his hand and disconnected the call. He looked between Jack and Leo and nodded. “It shouldn’t take much more than an hour to put the necessary protocols in place. I’ll leave you two to say your good-byes.”
He turned and walked out of the room, followed by his silent entourage. The door slid shut behind their retreating backs, but Jack felt rooted to the spot. It took enormous effort to step forward and tip his head to look up into Leo’s face. A weight seemed to be pressing down on Jack’s chest, making it hard to breathe. He felt Leo’s hand slide into his, and he squeezed hard, needing to feel connected.
“I don’t know why you can’t leave first,” he said.
Leo inclined his head. “Think it through, Jack. They guarantee your good behavior by holding on to me. And they ensure your guardian follows through with his instructions by keeping me here until he arrives. You’re the high-value asset here. I’m just the window dressing.”
A chilling thought tore through Jack’s mind, and he could practically feel the blood drain from his face.
Leo laughed shakily. “I know exactly what you just thought. You’re wondering what’s to stop your guardian reneging on the deal as soon as you’re free.”
It was exactly what he’d been thinking. As long as Leo was in harm’s way, Jack would do nothing to jeopardize his safety, but he couldn’t be certain Michael Palmer thought the same way.
“Don’t worry,” Leo chided. “I’m pretty sure Martin would have something to say about it. And Donovan will have your guardian totally locked down. Even if he wanted to skip out on the deal, there would be no way he could.”
>
Leo’s optimism did nothing to reassure Jack.
“Hey.” Jack looked into Leo’s eyes. “Things are looking pretty grim for Dr. Grant,” he murmured, jerking his head toward the TV. He tugged gently, and Jack followed him back down to the couch. Leo shuffled around until Jack was once again tucked up against his side, with Leo’s arms holding him close.
Jack’s eyes were trained on the television screen, but he wasn’t seeing anything. His heart was racing wildly, and his thoughts kept skipping from the horror of what he’d just agreed to, to the inescapable fact that by the time the film ended, he would have to stand up and walk out on Leo, leaving him alone in the enemy camp.
“It was the right decision. The only decision.” Leo’s whispered words caressed the shell of his ear. He lifted one of Leo’s hands and brought it to his lips, brushing a kiss against his palm. With a lithe twist, Jack ended up kneeling on the couch, his hands combing through Leo’s short hair and then cupping his face. Their lips met, softly at first, and then more insistently as Leo surged up and hooked a hand around the back of Jack’s neck, tugging him nearer.
Before he could get totally lost in it, Jack pulled back and looked into Leo’s deep blue eyes. He flinched when he saw the strain Leo couldn’t hide. He tried to withdraw, but Leo held him tightly. “We can’t change anything,” he said solemnly. “Let’s make the best of the time we have left.”
It sounded so ominous, so final, but Jack didn’t resist when Leo urged him forward and their mouths met again. There was a faintly frantic edge to their closeness that wasn’t lust. Jack couldn’t imagine engaging in anything carnal, and from the soft, slack lines of the body underneath his, Leo felt the same way. But their need to touch, to map each other and chart every curve and contour, drove them on.
Finally Leo broke contact and sighed. He held Jack at arm’s length and looked back into his eyes. “We should talk,” he said, sounding almost rueful.
Jack nodded mutely.
Leo sighed again and released his hold, and Jack sat back down on the couch, keeping a hand on Leo’s thigh.
“So, what’s our play?” Jack asked, choking down fear and dread when Leo turned a sweet smile on him and advised him to stop fighting the inevitable and just accept the plan.
IT SEEMED impossible that an hour had passed, but Jack was prepared when the door slid open and Donovan walked back in. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Jack and Leo calmly sitting on the couch, watching the end of the movie in silence. They had said all the words they wanted and finally exhausted the pleas and cautions. They sat side by side, close but not touching, outwardly relaxed and calm.
“Everything’s in place,” Donovan said. “Jack, are you ready?”
Jack looked over and nodded.
“I expect you’d like Leo to come and see you off?” Donovan said.
“No.”
Donovan hid his surprise well. “If Leo wants to follow your progress, he can tune the TV to channel two. If you’re ready?”
Jack stood, and Leo rose too. The guard standing in the doorway shifted his weight marginally, readying himself in case of attack. Jack just turned his back and smiled at Leo, doing his best to put some warmth into it, even though a chill was working its way down his spine.
“See you on the other side,” he said.
Leo’s smile was more genuine. “Tell Martin to put a cold one out for me.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. That’s likely,” he said.
Leo shrugged. “It’s worth a try.”
Jack reached out and slid his hand into Leo’s, feeling the calluses raised by years of weapons training. They shook hands, holding for a few long seconds. The smile was back in Leo’s eyes, masking but not eradicating the earlier tension.
“Take care,” he murmured.
“Isn’t that my line?” Jack asked.
“I’ll see you real soon.” It was said resolutely, as though there was no room for any other outcome. Jack fervently hoped Leo’s confidence in the Center wasn’t misplaced.
He dropped Leo’s hand and turned away, the simple movement one of the most difficult things he had ever done. He didn’t turn his head when he reached the door, even though every molecule yearned toward Leo. When he stepped across the threshold and the door slid shut, locking Leo into this place, he thought his pounding heart would burst through his chest.
Anderson was waiting outside, and he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and cocked his head. Beside him, Donovan gave a brief nod, and Anderson pointed the camera phone at Jack and smirked.
“Smile, you’re on the air,” he said.
Jack threw him a withering look and braced himself, and then he forced his feet to move forward, one leaden step at a time, until Leo was far behind him.
“WHERE ARE we going?”
Anderson glanced sideways and shrugged Jack’s question off. “I won’t know until your people tell me. Just as they won’t know where Michael Palmer is going.”
It took no skill to figure out why the relay exchange had been chosen. Anderson wouldn’t know where he was going until the very last minute, which meant there was no chance his people could stage an ambush. But the same was true in the opposite direction. Nobody at the Center would know where Michael Palmer was going, not until it would be too late to set a trap.
Anderson’s phone was mounted on the dashboard of his car and pointed at Jack. It was weird to think his image was being beamed to two rival groups, neither of whom had any real control over the outcome of this journey. When Jack thought of being watched by Leo and Sean as well as Mark Donovan, he had to resist the urge to squirm in his seat.
His hands were once again tied behind his back, making the trip physically as well as mentally uncomfortable. Jack glanced into the backseat at the guard who had been sent along, his weapons carefully concealed under an oversized jacket. He looked unconcerned and relaxed, though Jack knew better.
He was startled when the phone rang shrilly. Anderson reached out and pushed a button to connect to an incoming call. Jack was happy to hear Sean’s voice.
“Are you okay, Jack?”
“I’m fine,” he replied.
“Hey, no chitchat,” Anderson cut in. “You can see for yourself he’s doing all right. So where do you want me to go?”
“How long will it take you to get to Washington Square?”
“Ten minutes, tops.”
“That’s where you’ll get your next instruction.”
The phone went dead, and Anderson shook his head. “They’re making this more complicated than it needs to be.”
Jack cocked an eyebrow. “I guess kidnapping is never straightforward.”
“I’d hardly call it kidnapping,” Anderson scoffed.
“Believe me, I didn’t choose to be here,” Jack said darkly.
“But you accept the risks when you take on the job.” He stopped and cast another look sideways. “Right. I forgot. You didn’t choose this life, did you? Your uncle chose it for you.”
“Why does Donovan want Michael Palmer?” Jack asked.
Anderson shrugged. “Some ancient history shit between them. Who knows? Who cares?”
Right at this moment, Jack was surprised to find he cared very much. Somewhere in the city, Michael Palmer was receiving his own set of instructions and driving toward a perilous, unknown fate. Jack hadn’t let himself think about it while he was with Leo, but now the seriousness of the situation was starting to hit. Mark Donovan so patently had nothing but hostility toward Michael Palmer, it was impossible to believe his guardian would come out of this unharmed. Although it was confusing to admit, Jack found himself inexplicably concerned about the outcome of this exchange.
When they arrived at Washington Square, Anderson’s phone rang again, and he connected to the call.
“Take a right on South Street.”
Anderson sighed gustily but complied.
“Right again on Brown, then slow down.”
Ryan did as he was instruct
ed. The goon in the backseat shifted and adjusted the weapon under his jacket.
“Stop outside the building with the blue door.” Sean’s disembodied voice was clipped as he barked out instructions. Ryan pulled a face, but he did as he was told and parked the car.
“Tell your friend in the backseat to put his hands on his head.”
Though Jack didn’t spot anybody around the building, he knew there were snipers situated strategically all around. There were also three cameras within several hundred yards of the entrance, all pointed at their parked car.
“Roll down the driver’s side window. Jack, I want you out first.”
Jack glanced at Anderson, who nodded silently and flicked a switch to lower his window. He leaned over and tugged at the ropes binding Jack’s hands, and Jack slowly opened the door and climbed out. As soon as he’d cleared the vehicle, the blue door inched open and Sean stepped out. He didn’t bother to sweep the area, confirming Jack’s suspicions that the building was under surveillance.
Jack felt an unexpected rush of warmth when Sean’s mouth twitched at the corners, even though the movement didn’t quite turn into a smile.
“It’s good to see you, Jack,” Sean said. He jerked his chin, and Jack raised his arms and stood still while Sean frisked him thoroughly, following protocol by searching for any tracking devices. Jack turned his head when he heard a noise behind him and watched as one of Sean’s men appeared out of nowhere and moved toward the car with what looked like a cattle prod in his hands. He quickly swept the vehicle for any sign of electronic surveillance equipment.
“It’s clean,” Anderson said.
Sean didn’t acknowledge the statement. He nodded, and Jack lowered his arms.
“Step out of the car, Mr. Anderson. Nice and slow.”
Anderson pushed open the door and climbed out, seemingly unperturbed when two other grim-faced guards walked up beside him. One of them frisked him quickly before nodding toward Sean.
“Okay. Just like we planned,” Sean said. “Everything is set up inside.”
