“Just now. Melissa is with him,” Diggssaid.
Silence.
Tension spread heavy and thick across the room. Diggs solid thighs tightened beneath her, his worry obvious.Why did they all look so solemn?If her friend had awoken from a coma, she’d beecstatic.
“Is he-” Hicks hesitated, the large man leaning forward on his elbows, all hint of teasing gone from his expression, “normal?”
Diggs shook his head. “He didn’t recognizeme.”
The entire team looked like he’d just said Quantum had died. Audra shifted, trying to get comfortable, but that was as likely as her suddenly gaining the ability tofly.
“At all?” Reaper threaded his hands together in front of his chin, dipping his dark head. His tone had an air of certainty, like he’d expected badnews.
“No,” Diggssaid.
“I need to see him.” Juarez pushed back his chair, but Diggs held up ahand.
“You can’t. Melissa asked me to leave, she doesn’t want him to have any visitors rightnow.”
“Diggs,” Audra breathed in response to the pain in hisvoice.
He covered her knee with his hand and gave her a squeeze. She closed her mouth, heeding his silent urge to keepquiet.
Juarez sank back into his chair, tilted his head back and scrubbed a hand over his jaw. So far King hadn’t said a word, he’d just sat there in stonysilence.
“Does Melissa think his memory loss is permanent?” Reaper asked in a hushedvoice.
“She didn’t say, but I think she needs more time. He may need more time to come around,” Diggs echoed Audra’s words from before. “But he’s awake – and that’s what’simportant.”
She relaxed into him, showing him her support. She knew how hard this was for him, and now the rest of the team would have to deal with the same shock he had just minutesago.
“True, he’s been out for so long, it would be normal for him to be a little confused, right?” Juarez sat up straighter in hischair.
“We’ve all been knocked out at one point or another in our careers. It takes a little while to get your bearings,” Hicks joinedin.
So why was Reaper looking at Diggs like none of that was true? What was going on that they weren’t saying? The whole team seemed to be saying one thing and thinking something totally different. Diggs had been so ready to give up on Quantum.What had happened tohim?
The question was on the very tip of her tongue, but before she could get the nerve to ask Reaper held up a hand, immediately commanding the attention of everyone in the room. “I’ll talk to Melissa. When she gives the okay, we will visit him, but not until she gives the allclear.”
Reaper looked at each man, who nodded in agreement and then continued, “I believe that wasn’t the only reason you’ve brought her downhere.”
“I’ll let her tellyou.”
Audra pushed past the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach and pulled out her phone. Diggs had promised her these men would help and she believed him. "Diggs said you could help with my problem. I think someone's trying to killme.”
"You’re talking about the men who attacked you?" Reapersaid.
"Yes, my brother got put in a bad situation. He sent me a message before…" Her throat closed off. Talking about Jeremy's death was still sohard.
Diggs gave her a comforting squeeze. "Before he died on deployment. She's got a video I think we all need tosee."
Audra handed Diggs her phone, grateful he'd stepped in and taken charge of the conversation. "And you think it has something to do with the military?" Reapersaid.
She nodded, wrapping her hands over Diggs’ arm for support. "I think his commander had him killed. I don't know why, but maybe you can help me findout."
"Juarez,” Diggs said, "slide me that laptop. I want to put this up on the mainscreen."
Juarez pushed a small black laptop to Diggs who quickly plugged her phone in and pulled up the video. “Here we go." Diggs pushed a button and suddenly the large wall of monitors turned into one big screen with Jeremy's face smack dab in the center. Audra's chest squeezed and she dug her nails into Diggsarm.
