He wasn’t allowed to leave the van because apparently he was a puppy who liked to lose his leash, and Big Tag wanted a disciplined pack today.
His future father-in-law was weird.
He kind of loved him.
Ben, it wasn’t your fault what Huisman did. It certainly wasn’t your fault that he targeted your parents, and your father’s reaction was something he needs to examine himself. But how you react is yours. You talk like Manny forces you to do things, but you have choices. It’s time to accept that and find a way out, and you’re not going to do that by ignoring the situation.
Therapy. Big Tag wanted him in therapy, and Ben was starting to think that he wasn’t wrong. He would do it for Kenzie because she mattered. Because she was where his loyalty lay now. Kenzie and her family. If he wanted to fit in, he could sit in a room and talk about his feelings for a couple of weeks. He could do it.
Or he could do it because he didn’t want to live this way anymore. He could do it because he wanted to be better for her and himself and the people around him.
Big Tag turned his way. “I’m waiting for shift change. If it’s anything like his Nepal operation, it should be in fifteen. That’s why I had you change into tactical gear.”
The van was borrowed from a man Tag worked with from time to time. He was State Intelligence Agency, and he’d opened a lot of doors for them. SIA was on the ground, though further back, and they would provide logistics and backup if they needed it, but only after they’d extracted Kenzie and Lou.
It was tight but built for remote work. He was in the first van, the one that had the satellite connection. He’d been studying Kenzie’s work. She’d actually pointed to this property as one for them to research.
“But I want the go-ahead from TJ and Cooper first,” Big Tag continued.
Charlotte moved in behind him, putting a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “I know how scared you are. I am, too, but we have to do this right and we have to be clear on our mission priorities.”
“She means she wants everyone to know who’s doing what.” Kala had been a peach. Well, if a peach felt like a walking grenade and someone had pulled her pin.
He knew what she was saying, but it might help to say it again. “I only care about Kenzie and Lou. I’m only going to interact with Manny if it means sparing her more pain. If I can trade myself for either one, I will.”
“And that’s why I want to bench you,” Tag admitted.
“Ian, we talked about this. If you bench him, he’ll do something even more dangerous,” Charlotte said.
“Or I can tranq him and ship his ass back to Canada,” Kala offered.
“Don’t start again.” Tasha had helped him work through all of Kenzie’s research, which pointed to this castle being an excellent place for him to launch his plans. She’d been at the airport with her mother and Sami and Lucy when they’d been ready to go.
He’d found out Oliver was pissed to be left behind, but his sister had told him those were the breaks and she’d brief him later.
Sami and Lucy were in a Jeep on the other side of the castle, andTris, Cooper, and TJ were in a third vehicle, so they had a triangulated outlook on the eerie-looking castle.
“I’m not going to freak out, and I’m not going to martyr myself.” He stood, closing the lid to the laptop. “But according to Kenzie’s own research, there were several shipments that match the chemicals we believe are in both the drugs and support the bombs he’s building. Obviously we can’t track the anthrax, but he has everything else he needs. He’s got the drugs he used to damn near kill Kala. He’s had her for hours.”
“Yes, but Tris already found a way to cut into their feed,” Kala replied. “Besides, we know she was talking shit only a couple of hours ago. He says Huisman didn’t show up until right before we received that video of her. I think it’s safe to say he hasn’t figured out he has the wrong twin yet. He sent it to hurt Kenzie, not realizing Kenzie was talking about herself, and we’re going to have a chat, my sister and I.”
“It could be AI like the video of me and Deanna.” Who he’d discovered was absolutely dead. Another of Manny’s tricks. He’d talked to his handler, and Tim had done some work from his hospital bed at The Garden. After they’d been stabilized, both Tim and Sosa had been quietly brought back to The Garden via a set of tunnels Knight used from time to time. Tim had verified that Deanna’s body was in a grave.
Ben didn’t like to think how they’d done that, and so quickly.
Kala’s head shook. “Nope, that was my sister and that was Lou, and at the end Lou knew it was Kenzie so she’ll hold up on making those bombs. Hell, if I know my bestie, she’s planning some shit. And TJ had to see her with her face all fucked up and he stayed calm. His only focus is killing everyone who stands between him and Lou. I want to believe that’s yours as well.”
The things Kenzie said about herself. “She doesn’t believe it, right? She knows everyone loves her.”
“Well, some of us say it. Others say they don’t. I think she knows exactly who loves her and who thinks she’s good in bed,” Kala replied.
Charlotte sighed. “It’s more complex than that, and you know it.”
But was it? “I have a hard time with that word, but you should know I’m going to say it because I’m not going to be afraid anymore. I’m going to put in the work I need to in order to give Kenzie everything she needs. I’m not going to freak out and go off scriptunless I absolutely have to.”
“Our versions of necessity are two different things,” Kala countered.
“Hey, I’m not the only one who needs to handle how I feel about Kenzie. If that tape wasn’t fake, then I worry that’s what she believes everyone else thinks about her. She’s not overly dramatic. She feels things more sharply than the rest of us,” Ben argued.
