Alex’s fury knew no boundaries as he paced the hospital corridor with a phone to his ear. Parker remained steadfast by Angie’s side, at one point telling the attending physician to fuck off when they asked him to step outside so they could examine his wife.

He’d hated calling his dad to tell him what happened. Cristián Marquez might seem like a nice guy, but he had a darker side that came to life after hearing that his precious Angie had been exposed to life-threatening danger.

“You’re going to take care of this, right, son?” He’d growled in a low and menacing voice.

“Yes, but I need your help. Can you start moving everyone to the Villa? Our resources are stretched thin. Putting the family in one location will make it easier to secure their safety.”

“Consider it done. How’s Domineau?”

“Well”—he sighed heavily—“she got her butt kicked and looks like hell, but the doctors say she’ll be okay. Rafe isn’t going to like what he sees.”

His father grunted. “He’s a good man, and they make a powerhouse couple. He’ll do the right thing.”

“I gotta go, Dad. Parker is coming. I’ll call back when I know more.”

He ended the call and walked hurriedly toward Parker.

“She’s good. The doctor says the baby is fine. They want to monitor her vitals for a few hours. They’ll let me take her home if she remains stable without further incident. I heard about Domineau. Jesus effing Christ, Alex. What the hell?”

Good question with no easy answer. He let it go without comment and diverted Parker’s attention. “I called Dad. Told him what was up. I’m afraid the Valleja-Marquez bloodlust has been untombed. Angelina is his baby. He wants recompense with extreme prejudice.”

“Is that his way of saying kill the bastards?”

“What do you think?”

They crossed their arms and stared at each other. He saw the deadly fire glowing in his friend’s eyes.

“Alex,” Parker began in a careful tone. “When this goes down, I’m in till the end. Don’t even think about leaving me on the sidelines. If this was what we’re both thinking it was, I have the right to avenge my wife.”

“Dude,” he grated. “This is more than being vengeful. I think this is one of those moments when the bigger picture is so fucked up that we’re looking at something big. Like defending democracy big. This fucker messed with the wrong patriots. I didn’t almost die in a war to have some power-hungry fucknut and his evil empire play fast and loose with my family or my country. I don’t even care anymore what insanity triggered this guy. Fuck him. He’s going down, and don’t you worry, man. I know you have a dog in this fight. Two dogs if you count the baby.”

He wrapped his hand around Parker’s bicep. “Plus, I need you, buddy.”

Parker grunted. There wasn’t anything more to say.

Rafe was certain he’d entered an alternate universe when the call came in that Domineau had been attacked in the safety of her own home. He could barely contain his rage as Duke broke it down for him.

Angie Sullivan and what appeared to be an attempted abduction. The little spitfire didn’t make it easy. She managed to fire off a few rounds that definitely hit its target.

Agent Fuller was dead, and after what happened, they didn’t have to wonder any longer who the Judas in their midst was.

And then the news about Domineau. She was home alone following a trip to the desert with the Aussies. From what Smoke was able to tell Duke, she had showered and ordered a pizza. When the delivery guy came, she opened the door and was instantly attacked. Pywakett shredded the attacker’s pants. Domineau, caught off guard and vulnerable, fought back. Becca came home in the nick of time and scared off the assailant. There were more details, like why a security presence wasn’t on guard. The coordination between Angie’s attack and Domineau’s was plain to see.

After arranging for a babysitter to watch Molly, he arrived at the hospital without consciously driving. All he could think about was Domineau.

They tried to pull next of kin bullshit at the nurses’ station until he rather furiously informed them that he was Ms. Rivera’s fiancé, and then creatively threatened them. He was shown to her room right away.

Becca jumped to her feet when he rushed through the door.

“She’s in and out. I’m glad you’re here, Rafe. She was asking for you.”

He swallowed the emotion clogging his throat and thanked Becca for everything she did. Without another word, the woman offered a tremulous smile and then left him alone with Domineau.

She looked like fucking hell. Her face was a mess. Both eyes were swollen, and she had marks and bruises forming on her cheeks and jaw. A nasty scratch marred her neck. The hands resting atop the hospital linens showed evidence of a fight. Most of her nails were gone, and her fingers looked like they’d clawed an animal.

His eyes moved to the flashing monitors next to her bed. The clip-on device attached to her finger sent vital measurements to the fancy machine. Wires attached to body sensors were visible where they threaded through the linens. Some part of him wanted to cry.

He leaned over her, swept the hair back from her battered face, and softly kissed her lips. “I’m here, baby. You’re gonna be fine.”

A few seconds later, her lids fluttered. He didn’t discount the effort required on her part to open both eyes. Through swollen lips, she murmured his name.

“Rafael?”

Hearing her cry his full name broke him. He controlled the sob that tore from his throat and tried to calm down. Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, he found the ring and unceremoniously pushed it onto her finger.

“There,” he grated with heavy emotion in his shaking voice. “No more bullshit.”

Her lips moved into a small smile until a pained groan left her mouth. And then she started to cry. He’d never seen her cry—ever. His heart thumped wildly as he tried the best he could to cuddle her close. It was an awkward situation due to her injuries, the equipment, and him standing—but he did what he could.

The crying continued for a long time, and each sob tore at his emotions. He thought about her as a little girl waking up in the hospital to learn her parents were dead and she’d taken a bullet in her chest. Her will to survive and inner strength saved her back then. He had to wonder if her reaction now was a delayed explosion—something decades in the making.

“Don’t leave me,” she whimpered.

Every loss she’d suffered hurt his heart. “I will never leave you, Domineau. It’s okay. You can rest easy. I’m going to take care of you. Forever.”

After she was cried out and he gave her a sip of water, she clung to his hand and told him an incredible story. Every suspicion she had was outed. They’d been trying to connect dots on a bigger picture that was drawn with disappearing ink.

Sawyer, she informed him, was checking out some things. She told him to call the guy and have him report to Alex.

The mood in the Justice conference room as they waited for Alex and Duke was just short of murderous.

Drae couldn’t do anything except scowl. Whenever he thought about Angie, all he saw in his mind’s eye was the teenage girl he met a very long time ago. She didn’t deserve any of what happened tonight. Neither did Domineau. She’d already given more than her share in the eternal battle between the power of good against the forces of evil.

The Aussies were huddling in a corner of the room. He’d put them on bringing in the Wolf Pack—the elite, handpicked team of Justice loyal badasses who knew what to do when a line was crossed.

It was Cam who worried him. The news that one of the security team tasked with guarding the family had gone rogue and turned hit him personally. In the guy’s mind, he was solely responsible for letting two assholes sneak through. The Major was going to need to deal with Cam later—once they’d neutralized the threats.

Neutralized. He snorted derisively. The word was puny and insignificant when held against what Justice was capable of.

Brody dashed through the door. Like the rest of them, his expression bordered on crazy—as in crazy dangerous. Drae waved him over and had him sit.

“Jesus, Drae. Do we know what the fuck this is about yet?”

“I don’t think the particulars matter anymore.” He meant what he said. The why no longer had any weight.

Rafe was the next to arrive. Oliver and Ethan looked up when the bald, menacing giant marched into the room and announced in a voice Drae had never heard before, “Smoke had her hands on his balls. She was squeezing. Sawyer might have more. He’s on his way. Where’s Alex?”

“He was with Parker at the hospital. Didn’t you see him?”

“Nah,” he growled in Drae’s face. “All I saw was red and Domineau.”

“Well, he and Duke are on their way. After we decide what to do, Cristián is going to corral the family and move everyone to the Villa. When’s the Wolf Pack due?” he called out to the Aussies.

Oliver answered in a no-nonsense bark. “Two by daybreak. The other three by tomorrow nightfall. Five is enough.”

Drae did some fast math. Their team would number more than a dozen after all involved parties suited up.

On an impulse born from years of being by Alex’s side, he asked for everyone’s attention.

“Look,” he began, “when the Major gets here, don’t pepper him with questions or comments. I know him. He’s in the zone. Facts, not emotion. Got it?”

There was a lot of snarling and murmured words he wasn’t meant to pick up.

“And mind your manners,” he added gravely. “It won’t be a happy-go-lucky Alex walking through that door.” He gave Brody an arched brow and pointedly continued. “Anyone who didn’t serve with him doesn’t know. Be prepared is all I’m saying.”

Cam pulled him aside. “I checked at the airport. Sawyer just landed.”

“As usual, impeccable timing. I hope he’s coming in hot. This thing is a fast-moving train.”

“Word,” Cam muttered.

The six of them paced. The Aussies fielded incoming from the assembling pack. Drae checked his phone to locate Duke. He was on-site and headed their way.

“Buckle up, lads. Shit’s about to get real.”

They moved into place around the conference table. Drae, as always, took the seat to Alex’s right. The placement was symbolic, and everyone knew it. They got comfortable and waited. There wasn’t any chatter. They were beyond idle chitchat.

Standing the second he heard the sound of approaching feet, Drae swept his eyes around the table to make sure the others had snapped to attention.

Duke appeared first. The expression on his face was fierce and set in stone. He held the door open. A few seconds later, the Major strode into the room and took his place at the head of the table without acknowledging any of them.

Duke went to an empty chair. When Alex sat, they all cautiously took their seats. The big man’s face was a mask of fury, and Drae had the good sense to cower. He said nothing, taking his cues from his leader.

Alex pointed at Duke. That was it. One finger.

Duke stood and cleared his throat. “At approximately 7:38 this evening, a request for assistance was received from Mrs. Sullivan. She was driving between the Villa and her home. At the time of her departure from the property, an escort was in place; however, tracking detected an anomaly. Neither the follow car nor Mrs. Sullivan’s was pinging. A secondary sensor on the Sullivan vehicle was partially operational. Roughly four minutes following initial contact, the Sullivan vehicle became stationary.”

Drae quickly processed every word. What he was hearing didn’t sound good.

“At the time we received the initial alert, Mr. Sullivan was in a position to overhear the distress call.” Duke glanced nervously at Alex. “Needless to say, Mr. Sullivan then proceeded to the armory where he was intercepted by myself and Major Marquez. At the first sign of trouble, the surveillance teams nearest to Mrs. Sullivan’s location were called in to form a perimeter and lock down the area of the stopped car.”

Rafe growled. Drae winced at the harsh sound. It was this scramble of resources that led to the attack on Domineau.

Duke’s face reflected his feelings. “We were played. No other way to put it.”

For the first time, Drae experienced true fear. Alex was making a low, menacing feral noise. All of a sudden, Rafe stood and let out a howl that reverberated off the walls. Gone was the gentle giant jokester. This version of the former Justice enforcer was someone they’d never seen. His size made him formidable on his worst day but add in a bucket of rage and sprinkle a bit of payback on top, and this version of Rafael D’Alessandro was fully capable of almost anything.

He growled and made eye contact with each of them. His slammed a fist into his palm, and Drae swore fire shot from his nostrils.

Cam’s eyes, wide with alarm, met Drae’s. If Dallas were to go nuts, there was little chance they’d be able to stop him.

Alex didn’t need to react. He was communicating by vibe. Drae noticed the hand on top of the table clenched into a fist. Within seconds, his knuckles were white. It was a long time since he’d witnessed his friend, mentor, and leader in a murderous rage, and seeing it now wasn’t very comforting.

He pounded the fist on the table. Just once. Everyone froze. There were few things that got his heart thumping with fear more than a Major snarl. The man’s lip curled just before the ominous rumble. Rafe kicked the leg of the solid table, and the whole damn thing shifted, but he sat down and seemed to go inside. Drae knew a shutdown mechanism when he saw one.

Knowing his place and function, he calmly interjected, “Wrap it up, Chief.”

Duke solemnly nodded and appeared to gird himself mentally and physically before continuing.

“With Justice securing the incident zone, Mrs. Sullivan’s car was located. Here’s what she told her husband.” He cleared his throat and glanced at Alex, but the big man wasn’t saying anything.

“While proceeding along the backroad, an unknown vehicle approached from the rear at a high rate of speed. This vehicle rammed Mrs. Sullivan’s car. A short chase and follow with additional ramming occurred. Mrs. Sullivan attempted to outrun the other vehicle when a second vehicle appeared farther along the road. This vehicle hit her car on the left rear, and the vehicle began to spin. The spin connected with the first vehicle, sending it careening off the road at a high rate of speed. It hit an embankment and rolled several times.”

“Where was her security team?” Brody barked. “What the fuck, Duke?”

Drae almost groaned and dropped his face into his hand. What didn’t the guy understand about keeping his mouth shut?

Duke somberly responded. “All will be made clear, Mr. Jensen. Let me continue.”

“Fine,” Brody huffed as he sat back heavily and fumed.

“As you know, the women all received extensive defensive training. Mrs. Sullivan’s competent handling of her vehicle deserves noting. In the seconds she had between spinning to a stop and when the occupants of car number two approached her vehicle, she retrieved her 9mm Luger. There’s a story behind how that happened, but that’s best left for another time. The important part is that she had the wherewithal to grab a weapon. Her assailants tried unsuccessfully to remove her from the car. Mrs. Sullivan fired off four rounds. Without knowing how many people were in the second car, all we can report at this time is that she hit at least one. Shortly thereafter, the attackers wisely took off.”

“Jesus Christ,” Oliver muttered. “I have to meet this badass lady.”

All around the table, heads nodded. Angie Marquez Sullivan was going to need a special spot on the Justice wall of honor where they hung pictures of their fiercest operatives.

“What happens next,” Duke muttered through a choking emotion, “is incredible. Heavily pregnant, traumatized, in danger, and totally alone except for her little dog, Mrs. Sullivan stumbled into the desert to assess the overturned car. Detecting gasoline, she somehow managed to drag the occupant away from the car. To her credit, she then took cover several yards away. That’s where we found her.”

“And the occupant of the first car? The one that started the attack?” Drae questioned.

“Agent Fuller,” Duke gravely replied, “and she’s dead.”

Silence descended upon the room. The second traitor in their midst was revealed.

“Shit,” Ethan murmured. “Is that how they knew Smoke’s detail would get pulled? Who the fuck are these people?”

Oliver raised his hand to talk. “Not yet,” Duke growled. “There’s more. Mr. Sullivan took control of his wife. Our perimeter assets moved in to start the cleanup. Dead bodies are above the Justice paygrade, so a standard sweep and a replacement scenario were initiated. Mrs. Sullivan is uninjured. Her presence at the hospital is due to a minor accident. The official story is that Agent Fuller, while driving at an accelerated rate of speed on a backroad, lost control of her car and left the roadway. Her body so far from the vehicle is explained this way—when she didn’t arrive at her destination, she was located through the GPS on her phone. People were dispatched. She was located and moved due to the potential of the badly damaged car exploding. End of story.”

There was so much to unpack in what Duke was saying that Drae needed a moment to process the information.

Without warning, Alex exploded. Drae happened to glance at him right before he went off, and the guy was looking at a picture of Angie from her wedding. In the blink of an eye, he stood, grabbed his big executive swivel chair, and slammed it against the wall with so much force it broke apart. With his bare hands, he ripped the security panel off the wall and triggered an alarm. Then he roared like a territorial animal preparing to attack. The sound made every hair on Drae’s body prickle.

Alex’s wolf howl triggered Rafe’s. The two men let loose while red lights flashed and a shrill alarm made Drae mental. He looked at Cam and motioned with a jerk of his head. The guy jumped up and left the room to intercept the approaching security team responding to the warning signal.

Olie and Ethan joined in the primal roar. Drae thought about the bat signal of comic book fame. This ferocious feral growl-howl was calling their Wolf Pack to assemble forthwith.

Yes, he just used the word forthwith in his head. There was nothing ordinary about the Justice Wolf Pack, and ordinary words could not do it justice. The convoluted wording actually made sense.

Brody and Duke looked a little stunned. Actually, they looked a lot stunned. The grating cacophony of uncomfortable sound from the alarm and the animal conference growing louder every second shot adrenaline into Drae’s system.

They were so fucking over this bullshit. When the realization set in of what could have happened to Angie coupled with what did happen to Domineau, a rage so powerful and fearsome was released that it should make the whole planet tremble with dread.

Alex wasn’t going to play nice.

The primal howl that exploded in his system and roared from his gut made Alex clench his fists and spread both arms. Every muscle in his body tightened. A rush of endorphins mixed with adrenaline shot from the base of his spine into every particle of his system.

He felt the tendons in his neck tighten. His chest expanded with every angry breath. Every exhale became a menacing snarl.

Powerful, primitive, gut-felt forces took over. Every experience he’d ever had led to this moment. He was born to this and despite personal peril would meet the enemy head-on.

When he thought about Angie and the terror she must have felt, he abandoned any lingering pretense. Was annihilation roiling in his gut? You fucking bet.

A sensory darkness descended in Alex’s brain. The outer edges and corners melted into the shadows. Going inward, the mental gradation lightened by degree until a piercing spotlight illuminated the center. That was where he had to focus. As that focus made other things clearer, he’d know how to proceed.

Sweating, with a heaving chest and an angry scowl, he throttled back. The other men followed his lead. The atmosphere wasn’t calmer, but it was under control—barely.

Oliver and Ethan prowled. Rafe was a statue of anger. Everyone was looking at him.

The alarm was finally silenced. In the silence, all he heard was everyone’s heavy breathing.

Drae moved to Alex’s side and put a hand on his shoulder. Pressed to sit, he found himself on a rolling chair much smaller than the one he’d just destroyed. A bottle of water was put in his hands. Alex tore the cap off and sucked down half in one continuous gulp.

Cam came back into the room. His expression got Alex’s attention. While he considered what it signaled, his question was answered five seconds later when Bentley Sawyer marched into the room.

Actually, he thought, marched was a wimpy euphemism for the guy’s determined stomp. He noted Sawyer’s body language and demeanor. The guy was lit.

“I’ve got it,” he declared. “All of it. Every goddamn demented bit.” Sawyer looked around the room. “Where’s Domineau?”

The words ignited Rafe’s short fuse. He went off like a grenade in a bucket. Sawyer jumped back, alarm evident on his face. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he mumbled. “What did I say?”

Alex made eye contact with Drae. His consigliere waved at Duke to stand down.

In a clear, clipped voice, Drae told Sawyer the score. “She’s in the hospital. They tried to take her down, but Smoke isn’t that easy to restrain.”

The shrewd pilot reacted with surprise followed by anger. He blinked a couple of times and then addressed Alex directly.

“Did you know what she asked me to check into?”

He considered his response and let it go with half a nod. Did he know she gave Sawyer a mission? Absolutely—but for now, he said nothing and let the pieces fall as they were meant to.

Drae interceded. “Okay, everyone sit. Drink some water. Breathe a little and try to reel it in. Sawyer, you sit over there,” he directed the angrily distraught man.

Alex nodded at Drae and let him manage the room. Satisfied that things were under control, he projected the full picture in his mental viewfinder. Maybe, at last, he’d get some fucking answers.

Drae jolted and murmured to Duke. “You getting this, Chief?”

Duke assured him he was on it. Then the spotlight swung to Sawyer.

“No joke. This thing is convoluted and fucked up. There’s really nowhere to start that won’t unleash a thousand questions, so I suggest you just listen and hold your comments for the end.”

The guy looked around, noting everyone in the room. “Where’s the lawyer? He should be here. This involves him too.”

By reflex, Alex pounded his fist on the table. Drae touched his arm—a silent reminder to stand down.

“Parker is with his wife at the hospital. She was targeted along with Domineau.”

“Is she okay?” Sawyer anxiously barked.

“She’s a Marquez,” Drae drawled. “And the lady drew first blood.”

Sawyer leaned his elbows on the table and held his head in both hands. “Oh god,” he groaned. “I’m too late.”

“Everyone is fine, Sawyer. Banged up but fine. And as always, you’re fucking timing is on target. They’ve shown their hand. What we need now is information.”

Alex straightened. Drae could see Sawyer reach inside and find some resolve.

“It’s Bracken the whole way. Let me start at the end and roll back to the beginning. When Domineau came to me with what she suspected, the dots started to connect. We were looking for a single progression when the broader picture was more like the branches of a tree.”

He looked at Brody and gestured. “Jensen’s unlikely involvement didn’t make sense. Cutting to the chase. Here’s how it started piecing together. After the Major left the service, and completely apart from Team Justice, Brody is brought back in by some heavy hitters to whom one does not say no. Only the thing is, the mission he’s given is not sanctioned. It’s a rogue undertaking initiated by someone with a whole lot of power.”

“Are you serious?” Brody growled.

“Yes. Sorry.” Then Sawyer looked at Rafe. “Also unrelated to Alex or Justice, Rafe is part of a team sent separately to essentially be bait. They would draw fire so the sniper team could do its thing without notice.”

Drae expected a furious reaction from Rafe, but his calm demeanor suggested he already knew this or wasn’t exactly surprised to learn the military had no problem sacrificing their own for corrupt reasons.

“Enter Domineau. She rides to the rescue after Rafe is captured—unsanctioned and off radar—to secure the team’s safety. In the resulting melee, Smoke takes out some mullah’s family member. Obviously,” Sawyer said with a nod of emphasis at Rafe, “the rescue was successful. And that would seem to be the end of the story, but it isn’t. Domineau’s rogue endeavor drew the senator’s anger, and you all know how that goes. They threatened, she struck back. A détente was reached due in no small part to the State Department getting involved. Next up was the DOJ and …”

“That’s how Parker gets his face in a bull’s-eye,” Cam muttered.

“Bingo,” Sawyer quipped with one finger touching his nose and another pointing at Cam.

Alex was nodding. Drae thought about Roman interrogating Parker. The Major must have known most of this.

“So, on the one hand, we have Brody unwittingly and unknowingly involved. His target, by the way, was the mullah, so no mullah, no blowback for the guy Smoke killed.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Ethan growled. “Doesn’t matter which country or what government,” he grated with his distinctly Australian accent. “All the motherfuckers are dirty. Every one.” He threw up his middle finger for emphasis.

“Continuing on,” Sawyer said with a dry smirk. “Brody, Domineau, Rafe, and Parker are connected by this one incident.”

“So the fuck what?” Brody bellowed. “It was years ago.”

“This is true,” Sawyer agreed, “but here’s the thing. In the year before our last election, powerful people approached the then ex-senator to step into the race. He didn’t and earned an ambassadorship out of it, but behind the scenes, he started cleaning house in expectation of a future run.”

“Aw, god,” Duke muttered. “There it is. That’s why they dug up the cemetery, isn’t it? To tidy up the inconvenient skeletons.”

“Yep. This rewriting of history to cleanse the ambassador’s involvement put them on the radar. Parker stands out because he got closest to uncovering the guy’s power base. His DOJ investigation was mysteriously curtailed, and one can surmise the cover-up was expensive. Oh, and the ambassador also managed to derail a Senate investigation into Obsidian.”

Drae assessed Sawyer’s information, knowing it made sense. A warped sense but considering the source, he shouldn’t be surprised. But there was still the man’s visceral hatred for Alex. That part was either vanity run amuck or a mystery.

Oliver asked the question before Drae had a chance. “All makes sense, mate, except for the Major. What did he ever do to this fucker to warrant such a boldly suicidal move?”

Chuckling at Olie’s frank statement of fact, he gave some consideration to the suicidal angle. The guy wasn’t exaggerating. The ambassador had to know what he was unleashing. There had to be more.

Sawyer looked at Alex and didn’t say anything for a long time. As each second ticked by, Drae’s anxiety ratcheted higher.

“This one took serious digging. Like excavation-style digging so deep I needed a passport. And I gotta tell you, this was where peeling the onion comes in handy. Let me take you back in time when the ambassador-to-be was a privileged frat boy at an Ivy League college. Long story short, he gets a girl pregnant, and since she’s from the wrong side of the tracks, his old man pays her off and arranges for her to marry some random dude. It was the late 50s when money alone still had power. Fast forward to Afghanistan.”

The words caused a distinct chill to move around the room.

“During his rise to power, Bracken kept a close eye on the kid. After his father died, nobody else knew about the kid. Not even his wife. He watched this secret spawn of his rise through the military. The guy distinguishes himself during Desert Storm.”

He glanced at Alex, whose face registered both shock and suspicion. Drae’s hackles went up.

“The Gulf War leads to a command position. Everything was going great for his illegitimate fuckfruit until an upstart stole a presumed promotion.”

“What the fuck?” Cam and Rafe exploded at the same time using the same words.

“The official investigation report of the blast that almost killed the Major concluded that a lone attacker, armed with an explosive vest, was solely responsible.”

“Nobody ever believed that,” Drae interjected. “The perpetrator didn’t fit the profile. There was a kid involved, for Christ’s sake. What are you saying, Sawyer?”

The pilot looked long and hard at Alex. “What is it you say, Major? That there’s always a little man who wants a bigger dick? Well, guess what? Gordon Roberts was that little man. My sources tell me he was behind the whole thing. And not only that but when they investigated, the senator also intervened.”

“Wait,” Drae blurted out. “What happened to Roberts? I thought he died in the blast.”

Everyone looked at Alex. It was apparent he was searching his memory. When the moment came for him to speak, everyone held their breath.

“I was the commanding officer. I wrote every condolence letter during my time at the hospital in Germany. I can recite every name. Gordon Roberts was not on that list.”

All eyes swung back to Sawyer.

“The captain wasn’t very smart. The blast happened before it was supposed to, and he got caught in the middle. Traumatic injuries but alive. Needed round-the-clock care from then on. Until eighteen months ago when he dies of a massive heart attack. Bracken’s guilt and misplaced anger over the death of a kid he never acknowledged crashed headlong into his presidential plans. While cleaning up his messy past, why not also take down the man he blames for Gordon’s fall from grace and eventual incapacitation?”

“Holy fuck,” Brody murmured.

In a blinding flash, it all made perfect sense.

Alex pinned Sawyer with a fierce look. “A man with that kind of power has help. And backing. What are we up against?”

“He’s a fucking criminal,” Sawyer spat. “They all are. Every single one of ’em is dirty in some way. And I would know,” he sneered. “Power corrupts, and the longing for a big dick can lead a man to do desperate things. Bracken’s power grab starts in the 60s. He finances his little schemes and feathers his nest with drug money. Some committee he sat on in the Senate? That access gave him inside information on the government’s anti-smuggling and drug enforcement activities. That’s like handing the pirate a treasure map with every threat circled in red.”

Oliver snorted angrily. “When we played with Zimmerman, he gave up several people.”

Sawyer murmured, “Give me their names.”

Drae leaned to Alex as the other men conferred. Before he said his piece, what Alex said surprised him.

“I had my father-in-law do some digging. Didn’t want Justice sniffing around the U.N. or the State Department. Paddy’s a detective with decades of experience, so I knew he’d be able to break down Bracken’s old-school mindset. The drone with the bought off eBay label was a tip-off. He’s a cheap criminal.”

“What did he find?”

“The guy flies private and likes to leave the country. Heads south. I did some research. First, I looked at paramilitary stuff. Guns, cross border activity. That’s a goddamn slippery slope. The deeper you dig, the farther along you go into Latin America. My guess is that Sawyer banged the gong when he mentioned drug smuggling. That’s a much bigger deal than anything I imagined.”

“What are we gonna do?”

“Let me handle Sawyer. I’ll give him twenty-four hours to locate the son of a bitch. That buys us time to muster the resources. Then?” Alex’s snort was menacing. “Then we take the fight to his doorstep.”