“I’m sure you’ve lost people before,” Ramon said. “Or did your time as a soldier make you calloused to the loss of life?”
Lief said, “People come, and people go.”
The question was, did he have no family and care about no one, or did he just want them to believe it? If the goal was to not show any weakness in any way, Ramon would also argue he cared about nothing. That way, it couldn’t be used as leverage in a…negotiation.
Did he think he was going to be tortured?
Ramon looked down at the man’s hands and saw the tips of his fingers resembled those of the janitor. Fingerprints burned off for security, leaving only scars and one less way for an investigator to discern his identity. But they’d found him perfectly easily using his DNA. Not even any other indicator. The people who lived in Vinterdal were just entirely too exposed to the world, given that a simple test told them where the janitor had come from.
A simple trip—simple give or take—yielded them this guy. The accountant.
“It was too easy.”
Bear looked at Ramon, incredulity in his expression. “You wanted us to lose more than just one guy? Maybe get into a deadly firefight? It was a snatch and grab. We got what we came for.” Bear motioned at Holmberg with a flick of his fingers.
“That’s the problem,” Ramon said. “I thinkDominatusalso got what they wanted.”
The skin around Holmberg’s eyes contracted slightly.
Bear shifted in his chair. “Maybe you’re the kind of guy who’s never satisfied. You’ve been through a lot, and you got your life back. But maybe you don’t think you deserve it.”
Ramon nearly laughed. “You think an overblown sense of guilt is causing me to self-sabotage every mission I go on?”
“You thought you had Schnell,” Bear said. “Turns out it was one of their clones.” Another flick of the hand toward Holmberg. As if this guy was the representative for the whole ofDominatus. And maybe he was, at least right now. “You’re scrambling for a win. Trying to get on my team because you can’t settle enough to accept that you have good things in your life. That it’s okay to accept the blessing, even though you don’t deserve it.”
“Are you going to preach at me? Because I get enough of it from Kenna.” And the truth was that Ramon had been starting to seriously consider spiritual things. Not just because their enemy seemed so powerful they might need some divine intervention to win againstDominatus. But also because his life had been blessed.
All of them had shown him what grace meant by bringing him into their family. Accepting him as one of them. A brother. Treating him as if he wasn’t the man he had been for so long.
If that wasn’t an example of redemption, he didn’t know what was.
But Bear shoving it at him this way? No. Ramon wasn’t going to be converted because Bear argued him into believing.
Ramon had to make his own way.
“This is all quite fascinating.”
Ramon looked at Holmberg. “SoDominatusjust wanted a closer look at what they’re up against. Is that it? You volunteered to be taken so you could see who we are and learn what you can before they get you back.” Ramon leaned forward in his seat.
“Not happening,” Bear said. “You’re going to tell us everything you know aboutDominatusand give us access to all their financials.”
“That will take a while,” Holmberg said, his expression placid. “Telling you everything I know.”
“I have a better idea.” Bear reached across the aisle. One of his guys slapped a phone into his hand, then a newspaper.
Bear set the paper on Holmberg’s lap with the headline—and the date—visible, along with the fact that his hands were tied together. He took a photo of the guy. “Time to see if they care about you at all.”
Their captive snorted under his breath.
While Bear typed on the phone, Ramon said, “You don’t think they care? That’s a shame. Being expendable.” He paused. “I’ve been in a lot of situations where I feared for my life, and knowing someone was coming to rescue me made it a whole lot more manageable.”
“As I said”—Holmberg sneered now, but it looked brittle—“Americans are so sentimental.”
“This isn’t just about you being Norwegian. It’s about right and wrong. Maybe you lived with this your whole life. You grew up knowingDominatusas your lord and master, and there was nothing you could do to escape. You had to toe the line, do what you were told, or else. Right?”
Ramon tried to gauge Holmberg’s response to that before he continued. “You don’t know any other way.”
He’d suspected for a long time that it functioned like a cult.
