Jed’s expression remained blank. “It’s just a pin. We’ll talk soon. Any messages for Admiral Madison, Hawk?”
“Please let him know that I’m standing by and ready for the team.”
Jed nodded. “Talk to you soon. Amber, consider yourvezasettled.”
A favor. So, therewasthe history between them. But she still didn’t like the smile the beautiful Amber was now giving Jed.
“No more free rides for you, Jed McNeil,” Amber told him.
“Don’t be too sure, Ambrosia,” Jed said, then cut off transmission. He put down the remote and walked to Helen’s small table. “How’s the headache?”
He had been asking that several times a day now. “It hasn’t gone away.”
She could start another argument with him but it took too much effort. Besides, it was hard to argue when a headache was interfering with one’s thoughts, so she’d taken to jotting down notes so she wouldn’t forget to bring up relevant points when they did argue. She knew that her pulling out her papers to recite her complaints and reasons had become a source of private amusement for the watching Heath. It was a war of wills—hers versus Jed’s—and those in the know around them were watching with interest.
“You’re still upset with me.”
Helen looked down at the keyboard. “Youwould use the serum,” she said, in a low voice.
“Not as a painkiller.”
Okay, he was in the mood for another argument. “You’re thinking of Armando,” she said. “I’ll have you know, I’m supposed to be taking SYMBIOS 2 anywayso I can perform.”
She emphasized the last few words to make her point. She didn’t need to bring up the fact that the last two days, she hadn’t been able to work efficiently, especially in her own assignments. Jed or Heath had covered for her whenever her headache started to worsen.
“The serum was meant to mitigate your RV downtime, Elena.”
“So I could do my job. Hello?” Helen waved her notes. “Do you think I can look for decoys with me being all crossed-eye double-checking my notes? Lying down hasn’t made it go away, Jed. You and I know this isn’t a normal headache and we don’t have much time left as the summit highlight event is coming up.”
He had to know she was right. They had been looking through the package he’d gotten at Lake Matka, trying to decipher certain notes.She read her notes again, looking for more fodder to back her argument.
She cracked her stiff neck tentatively, trying to ignore the tightening band that signaled worsening pain. Hoping to distract him, she put on her best Jed imitation, with a little bit of her humor thrown in. “First, this is no longer a two-day summit operation. We know that something’s about to happen, but now it could be just a decoy. Point B, according to Hawk McMillan, that explosive trigger meant that there’s another target in seven days. We have to look at the schedule of events. You know there’s a good chance of me going into remote-viewing mode to try to find our target because Skopje is a busy area right now. Number three—”
Jed silenced her by laying a finger on her lips. His silver eyes glittered with suppressed emotion. She couldn’t tell whether it was anger or something else.
“Heath,” he said in that quiet way which made everyone pay attention, “check the schedules for the next seven days. Your headache’s worsening, Hell. Go get some rest.”
Without another word, he turned and walked away. Helen scowled until he left the room. She snapped her laptop shut in disgust.
“I’ve never seen him so...agitated,” Heath murmured. “Is it possible that you’re actually troubling our Number Nine’s usually iron rule to finish a job?”
“That cold and uncaring man wouldn’t know agitation if it smashed into the side of his oversized head,” Helen declared. “He’s just being obstinate.”
“Look at it from his perspective, Hell. The only other person who used the serum for ‘headaches’ is our Armando. That isn’t a vote of confidence about the serum’s stability, is it?”
Helen thought about it for a few seconds. Okay, so the guy cared, even if he showed it in the most chauvinistic manner possible.No.That was all he said, each time. Like his saying “no” was everything that mattered.
“Inflexible,” she muttered. “Implacable. Moronic. Mutton-headed.” She looked up to find Heath studying her strangely. “What?”
“Those were the words he read out loud this morning while thumbing through that dictionary of his.”
Helen frowned. She rubbed the sides of her head. “What are you talking about?”
Heath smiled. “Get Dr. Kirkland to talk to him again, Hell. Or, just get the serum into you without Number Nine’s permission.” His dark eyes taunted her as he reached inside his pocket and took out a small vial. He set it on the table. “He’s at a meeting. How’s he to know if you have the serum in you before you see himtonight?”
Helen picked up the vial and studied it for a while after Heath left the room. She wasn’t at all surprised he happened to have it on him. Nothing the commandos did surprised her much. She pocketed the vial.
“CHANGE OF PLANS, STEVENS. It seems our Greta isn’t going to get to the trigger in time. So the order’s changed. We’re heading to Skopje.”
