When she turned her attention back to their commander, Will was nodding solemnly. “I’ll alert the Grand Council.”
“You want me to take care of the arrangements for his funeral?” Jack asked.
Will shook his head. “No, I’ll handle it.”
Maddie was still learning the customs and traditions of the Alliance, but based on the look of surprise that passed between Luke and Jack, she gathered that it wasn’t typical for the commander to handle the arrangements for a fallen brother.
“Now,” Will continued, “you want to tell me what the hell else was worth keeping from me?”
Maddie turned in time to see Jack lift a brow and tilt his head to the side in the way she knew indicated now was not the time and place for whatever discussion the two men needed to have.
“Why don’t we wait until we return to the compound?” Jack suggested, glancing at her and Luke. Maddie wasn’t sure about Luke, but she sure as hell wanted to know the connection to the reporter and why it was such a delicate matter with their commander.
When Jack started to go around his commander to where a pair of black Hummer H2’s waited to take them home, Will smoothly stepped in front of him, crossing his arms over his chest. “Who’s the reporter? We’re not leaving this hangar until I get a name. Now quit dicking around, Jack.” His tone softened a little as he added, “I already know Antonovich is involved. What could possibly be worse than that?”
Jack heaved a sigh and sent another glance around the group. “It’s Claire Davenport.”
Will’s face went slack, his crossed arms slowly drifting down to hang loose at his sides. He was clearly shocked by the name. Then his expression morphed into what seemed to be a mixture of anger and concern. “Of all the hardheaded, stubborn, pains in the ass . . . She has no idea what she’s up against. She’ll end up getting herself killed! What the hell is shethinking?”
Maddie looked to Jack for an answer, not sure if Will’s question was rhetorical or if he thought maybe someone had the answer. To Maddie’s surprise, Jack actuallydidhave a theory.
“I imagine she thought it might lead her to you.”
Will shot a look Jack’s way that would’ve made anyone else under his command wither—Maddie included. But Maddie had learned long ago that Jack wasn’t the kind of man to shrink from anyone. And from what she’d heard, the two men had been through a lot together over the years. She didn’t know the details—just the references the other, longer-serving members of the team had alluded to as if she should know the story because of her association with Jack. Regardless, it was clear to her even as a newbie that Jack was a valued friend to a man who seemed to intentionally keep everyone at a distance.
“Where’s Claire now?” Will demanded.
Jack shrugged a shoulder casually. “I have no idea. Set Finn on her now that you have a name, and I’m certain you’ll discover she’s headed to Boston—if she’s not already there. Ralston told us Claire plans to confront Hale at his Fourth of July gala.”
Will gave a sharp nod, then jerked his chin at Luke. “We’re taking Ian back to the compound. Hope you got a little shut-eye on the plane because I want a full debrief on the mission in Mexico City when we get there.” When Luke returned to the plane to retrieve Ian’s body, Will nodded toward Jack and Maddie. “You two get back to the compound and grab some fresh gear. I want you on a plane to Boston ASAP.”
Maddie’s eyes went wide at the order. “Wait. What?” Will turned and took a few long strides toward the waiting H2’s, but Maddie hurried after him. “Will, I can’t go to Boston.”
He pivoted, giving her the same look he’d given Jack only moments before. “I’m sorry. What was that,initiate?”
This brought Maddie up short. True, she was the daughter of a U.S. senator who was one of the most powerful and influentialconfreresto the Alliance. Also true that she was a former FBI agent who’d proven herself over and over again in her training with her Alliance brethren. But all of her family ties and credentials meant preciselyshituntil she off icially took her vow to the Alliance and became a Templar.
She took a bracing breath and tried a different approach. “Commander Asher, could I please have a moment to speak with you about this mission? In fact, about my assignment to your commandery? I don’t think it’s a good idea to put me on another mission with Jack. I need—”
“Youneed?” he interrupted. “Ms. Blake, you understood what you were asking when you petitioned me to join the Alliance, correct? I broke centuries’ worth of rules by accepting a woman as an initiate—not just because I thought it was about damned time the Alliance allowed women to take the oath but because I also thought you would be one hell of an asset to this team. But you knew there would be sacrifices, that sometimes we would have to put our own personal needs and desires aside for a greater good. Am I right?”
She pursed her lips for a moment, knowing he was right and feeling like the most selfish, childish bitch on the planet. “Yes, sir.”
He jabbed an angry finger at Luke, who was coming down the steps from the plane, the body bag containing Ian’s corpse draped over his broad shoulders. “Because if that message is a little hazy, you can see the evidence of it right there in a fucking body bag! I guarantee you Ian knew that he might not make it out when he drew off those assholes trying to take out you and Jack. You want to talk to me about what you can and can’t do? What youneed?”
“No, sir,” she choked out. “Forgive me for even mentioning it.”
“I want that flash drive retrieved before Claire Davenport digs too deep and gets herself killed,” he ordered, addressing both her and Jack now. “I don’t need more deaths on our heads.”
Clearly, Will meant that to be the end of their conversation, but Maddie wasn’t quite ready to give up. If Will was going to keep her on this assignment, she wanted to go into it with her eyes wide open. “Commander,” she said, “why not just go ask this reporter for the flash drive? Pretend to be federal agents or something and confiscate it before she has a chance to look at the data?”
“Claire’s a smart woman,” Will informed her, his anger at her seeming to ebb slightly now that he saw she had accepted her mission. “She’ll make copies, have backups. And, if Ralston wasn’t bullshitting you, she’s going to show up at that gala in Boston in two days, prepared for a confrontation.”
“And how exactly does this involve me?” Maddie pressed. When his expression grew irritated she held up her hands. “I’m not being difficult. I just want to know what you see as my part in this mission.”
Will studied her for a moment; then, apparently realizing she was on the level, he explained, “You have connections in Boston that will make it easier for us to infiltrate the appropriate circles before Claire does.” He sent a meaningful glance Jack’s way. “And Jack will need to keep her busy while you deal with the congressman.”
When her jaw went slack in shock at his implication, Will’s expression hardened.
