“They’re using it as a medical lock-up for remote viewers there now?” Jed asked, his gaze catching Tess’s interested one. “Are they prisoners, then? If they aren’t, I’m sure they would be among the usual operatives on the other floors that don’t have bars in the windows.”
There was a short pause. Jed watched T as she sat down on the chair on the other side of his desk. She folded her hands primly on the edge of the desk, then rested her chin on them, effectively looking thoughtful and bored at the same time. It was also a good way to conceal her eyes from him, so he couldn’t read her.
“I’ll find out what I can and call you back,” Joe finally said.
“If it’s possible, I’d like to send in one of my own.” Jed caught the little flicker of T’s eyelashes, signaling that she was listening very closely. “As a political prisoner in need of healing time. Paperwork and a few calls. And privileged visiting hours, if that still exists there. That way, one of us can ‘interrogate’ him.”
“That kind of string I can pull. I’ll let you know the details ASAP.”
“Thank you. I must go now, but we’ll talk again soon, old friend.”
“I hear your accent disappearing. You must have company. This late, it couldn’t be for business. Wait a minute, I’m losing it. It’s Jed McNeil I’m talking to.” The mockery in Joe’s voice was unmistakable. “It’s always business. Goodnight, son. Don’t forget to check up on Trouble.”
“I won’t.” Jed hung up.
“Hope you’re not sending Hell in. She’d make a lousy political prisoner.”
Jed sat back comfortably, his arms relaxing on the armrests. “Is Alex allowing you up here alone?” he baited. “I’m surprised he isn’t frantically hunting you down.”
T. frowned, her lips pursing mulishly for a fraction of a second. It was enough to let him know that Alex hadn’t let down on his determined chase since T had relented and came back as part of the team when Helen was unexpectedly chosen as the winner of the Super Soldier Spy project. She couldn’t just let one of her GEM operatives flounder in COMCEN alone, so she’d signed transfer papers and returned, even though that had meant working side by side with Alex Diamond again. It was one of the few things Jed liked to rile T about, a weakness he enjoyed poking.
“Alex doesn’t care where I am as long as I’m at COMCEN, at his beck and call,” she said, a little too coolly, as she sat back up. She ran her forefinger over the smooth oak of his desk. “And you’re changing the subject. Hell mentioned a place named Stratter’s. And someone locked inside a crate.”
Jed rubbed his chin. Elena wasn’t going to let him off easy, was she. And how the hell did she know—of course, she caught that name off his thoughts, like he sometimes caught hers. He really didn’t want to talk much about Stratter’s. “Stratter’s I can explain later during the meeting. The crate I can try to explain, but whether I’ll make sense is another matter entirely. I might need some time to think it over.”
“Okay, I can wait. She was in danger this time and you were affected. Care to explain that instead?”
“She thought she couldn’t breathe when I suggested—thoughtlessly, I might add—she might be in a coffin. Which she wasn’t. But the idea, as you might suspect, induced normal fear and panic, enough so that it affected me because I was so immersed in her experience.”
“Immersed,” T repeated, her gaze questioning now. “How immersed are you two, exactly? I have a feeling both of you are keeping some things from me. When you see what she’s seeing, are you experiencing everything she is too? Because that’s not in the Remote Viewer Handbook, you know. Armando asked the correct question just now. Why was her choking affecting you?”
“We’re capturing glimpses of each other’s feelings and thoughts,” Jed told her off-handedly. “Bound to happen, with our brainwaves in sync and spending more and more time together. It’s called bonding.”
“And are you two...bonding?”
Jed studied T through half-closed eyes. GEM had secrets they didn’t share with anyone, even their relatively new partners. Hewondered whether Helen knew her operations chief wasn’t telling her everything.
“We’re learning to trust each other,” he said, “if that’s what you mean.”
“You know that’s not all I meant.”
“And you know by getting me involved as her monitor, what that entails.”
“I was hoping you’d be gentle. I would hate to see her feelings hurt.”
Jed arched his brows. “Sleeping with Alex is making you soft, darling,” he mocked. “Elena’s feelings have never been your number-one priority before. You, or rather your higher-ups, wanted to see the extent of her gifts and abilities, and wanted someone with whom she could get personally involved. Bonding, I believe you yourself called it. Care to cut the bullshit and tell me what’s at stake here? Besides the supersoldier-spy part, of course. I know that’s important, but there’s something more that you aren’t willing to tell.”
T’s eyes widened, a triumphant gleam entering the golden brown depths. “You have feelings for her,” she breathed. “I’m pleased.”
Jed didn’t deny it. No need to. He acknowledged a certain mix of possessiveness and yearning for Elena Rostova, feelings that he was willing to explore a bit more if only he had some time.
“I’ll give you that. Now your turn,” he said. There was a silent agreement between T and him. Give a little, take a little. That way they both could walk away winners.
T combed her hand through her blonde hair, a small satisfied smile settling on her perfectly shaped lips. “While working on the ring-alarm, I’ve come across something that confirmed something else I’ve been working on. There’ll come a time when Helen might need someone she can trust.” Her expression suddenly turned serious. “She could reject my friendship with her, thinking I’ve betrayed her. It’s good to know she’d have you by her side.”
“You’re making me more curious than ever,” Jed murmured. “Are you betraying her?”
“No. I’ve been having certain suspicions about certain GEM inner circle things and have some of them confirmed, but not enough to really say anything. I have no solid evidence. It’s big, Jed. When it blows, all GEM operatives will need to take cover. As for Helen—” Tess paused. She shook her head. “I’m not willing to bring it up before its time. There’s a list of dangerous weapons to take care of first. Like you love to say. Do the job. Everything else will take care of its own.”
