“Hate to be the devil’s advocate, but what if that’s what Stanislav wants us to think and the real target is somewhere else?” Donovan asked.
Madison made a face. “They could be heading anywhere.”
“There’s a State Dinner planned next week for the United Kingdom,” Katie pointed out. “Every senator and congressman, not to mention lobbyist, billionaire, and everyone else who thinks they’re important enough to deserve a spot are going to be there. The invitations were sent out weeks ago and people have been talking about it all across their social media accounts. That’s a hard target to pass up.”
Nazari held up a hand to forestall their conversation. “Our intelligence division’s assessment is that the State Dinner is a possible target, but not the only target. However, chatter and evidence is limited. There hasn’t been a spike on the dark web about a coming attack as of yet.”
“Then let’s go to the source.” Jamie leaned back in his chair, shifting his attention away from the director to point at Jansen’s image in the holopic floating above the conference table. “That source.”
“We will be. The MDF is partnering with the EAMSG and UMG to locate Jansen. He seems to have gone to ground after we instructed Interpol and the FBI to put out a red flag on him. The warning is he’s armed, dangerous, and a metahuman.”
Sean blinked, turning his head to look at the director. “Will that information impact the Senate hearing we’ve been ordered to attend in any way?”
Nazari nodded. “I’m counting on it. The four of you will be briefed by Legal tomorrow. For now, be advised that Alpha Team is on alert for an upcoming mission and none of you are to leave Washington, D.C. That includes you, Callahan.”
“I’ll let my father know,” Jamie said.
“If he has a problem with my order, tell me and I will deal with him. I’ll make sure he understands he’s not calling the shots here.”
Jamie nodded, seemingly unruffled by the dig at his father. Over the past six months or so, Sean had become more aware of Jamie’s issues with his family. It reminded Sean a lot of the strain that used to exist between him and his own family. Now that his parents and brothers knew the truth about him, Sean’s relationship with them had become less rocky, though there were still a lot of issues to work through. Jamie might not be living a life of lies, but he was being pulled in too many different directions, and everyone demanding his attention had a valid reason for doing so.
The debrief went on for another thirty minutes. Until the MDF and other agencies had a solid lead on Jansen’s location, there wasn’t much Alpha Team could do at the moment. Eventually, the director dismissed them from his presence and the team filed out of the conference room.
“So what now?” Trevor asked on their walk back to the elevators.
“Now, we wait,” Jamie said.
The weight of the ring box in his pocket was impossible to ignore and Sean mentally sighed. For once, he didn’t want to wait, but finding time alone with Alexei in the near future looked to be impossible.
I’ll make the time,Sean promised himself as he glanced at Alexei. The taller man was speaking quietly in Russian with Kyle, oblivious to his perusal.
Even if it were in the middle of a mission, Sean would find a way to propose to the man he loved.
5
Bury the Damned
The United States Capitol Buildingwas an imposing, historic structure located at the eastern end of the National Mall. Its white pillared exterior and massive dome filled the sky as the small convoy of SUVs and Secret Service escort drove past it. Kyle caught a glimpse of the Capitol grounds through leafy trees, but his attention shifted moments later once it was behind them.
The closed session hearing this morning was happening in the Hart Senate Office Building, a structure that had been knocked down and rebuilt twice on the same lot over the past two hundred years or so to meet upgraded building-safety and security requirements. Each time, they rebuilt it bigger than the last, though zoning laws kept it at a low height of just twelve levels.
Taking up two city blocks now, and equipped with a scaled-down version of the energy shield that could surround MDF headquarters in an emergency, it was sleek and modern. Wide windows of bulletproof plas-glass let in sunlight and a rooftop garden was shaded by trees. The walkway up ahead leading to the main entrance was lined with statues of historical figures.
Kyle thought it was ugly.
“And the vultures are out,” Leah said with a disdainful sniff from her spot in the middle seat beside Katie.
Kyle stared out the front windshield at the large group of reporters waiting near the main entrance. “Didn’t they include secret underground tunnels the last time they rebuilt this place? Why couldn’t we have entered that way?”
“Not an option. It’s tradition to do a walk of shame in front of the cameras.”
“It’s what we expected,” Katie said.
After the pictures of Jamie and him chatting with Yulia Vitsina at the Empyrean brand party hit the media streams, the focus on Richard’s campaign had increased for all the wrong reasons. What the picture showed wasn’t technicallyillegal, it was just really fucking suspicious, and chatting up a foreign spy on company time didn’t look good in any light.
Kyle slouched a little in his seat. He, Alexei, and Sean were crammed together in the far back seat. Jamie, his parents, and their legal counsel were riding in the lead vehicle, with the Secret Service and the Callahans’ private security providing escort and protection through the heart of the nation’s capital.
The rest of the team was staying out of the spotlight, relegated to base on the director’s orders. Jamie had argued long and hard for Kyle’s inclusion in the closed session inquiry hearing. With Declan unaccounted for and Stanislav creating a future they couldn’t see, Jamie’s attention couldn’t be everywhere at once. He, Katie, Alexei, and Sean would be too focused on the questions being asked by senators. He’d wanted eyes on his family, and the only person from the team that could be present without more questions being asked was Kyle.
