especially Sally .
Jack whistled through his teeth. “There. That’s my first clue that something’s not right. Sally was one of our Cyber instructors. A real bitch. This is A.J.’s way of letting me know they’re watching him.”
Jack stared at the computer screen as if he could will the world back to the way it once was. There was nothing Kate could say to make him feel better. She knew firsthand how it felt to think the world was one way only to find out it was the complete opposite. “I’m sorry,” she said.
His jaw clenched, his expression one of simmering rage. “Not as sorry as they’re going to be. Whoever’s responsible for setting me up is going to be very unhappy when they open their door and see me standing on the other side.” His expression became focused, determined. He typed, Tell everyone I’m okay. I’ll be in touch . He hit a few more buttons and the screen went blank. Jack leaned his head back into the seat. “Why would they set me up to take the fall? I have to talk to Harrison.”
Kate sighed. “Sheldon said that it was ‘Lou’ who set you up. Anyone you know?”
Jack shook his head.
“I figured he was talking nonsense,” Kate muttered. “You can’t trust anyone. It could be Harrison for all you know. Someone wants to stop the world from finding a cure for AIDS.”
“For the sake of debate,” Jack said, “let’s say there really is a conspiracy. What could they, whoever they are, possibly gain from letting millions of people die?”
“I don’t know. Not yet. But once you spotted me somebody at the agency obviously became more than a little worried. They certainly didn’t waste any time promoting you to Special Agent, did they?” Kate narrowed her eyes. “Did Harrison know you were going to see Dr. Forstin? Better yet, was it his idea that you pay Forstin a visit?”
Jack raked a hand through his hair, but remained silent.
“A little too convenient, don’t you think?” she asked. “Promoting you, sending you for a little visit with Dr. Forstin and then whisking you off to Haiti? They tied it all up in a nice little bow. They wanted everything to look official. After that, all they had left to do was send a couple of goons after you to take us both out. Nobody would be the wiser.”
A tic set in Jack’s jaw.
Her voice softened. “My father told me to stay hidden for a reason. He was a highly intelligent man. He would have told me to go to the FBI, the authorities, somebody, anybody, if he thought I’d be safe in their hands. He never would have told me to hide from the world if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.”
“Harrison sent a plane for us,” Jack said. “Why would he do that if he was involved? It doesn’t add up.”
Jack shut his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. After a few minutes of silence he said, “Back in Haiti, you mentioned some unfinished business you needed to take care of. Care to elaborate?”
Kate sensed Jack needed time to digest the possible betrayal by his own people. But she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to tell him about her plans. The less she told him, the better. Jack’s boss, Agent Harrison, could very well be the man she was looking for, and she wasn’t ready to test Jack’s loyalty to the agency. “It’s nothing,” she finally said.
“Your father?”
She shrugged noncommittally. “Yes, I want to go through my father’s things, see if he left anything behind.”
Jack nodded, his eyes still hazy with angry disillusionment.
Poor Jack. He had such confidence in the world and its people...an unspoken allegiance to justice that made him so very different from anyone she’d ever met before. Jack Coffey, computer whiz turned rookie FBI agent, risked his life to come for her. And yet he would have been just as willing to leave Haiti without her if it meant keeping her alive. He wore his commitment to fight the injustices of the world like a badge branded upon his chest. His decency and strong sense of
Jack whistled through his teeth. “There. That’s my first clue that something’s not right. Sally was one of our Cyber instructors. A real bitch. This is A.J.’s way of letting me know they’re watching him.”
Jack stared at the computer screen as if he could will the world back to the way it once was. There was nothing Kate could say to make him feel better. She knew firsthand how it felt to think the world was one way only to find out it was the complete opposite. “I’m sorry,” she said.
His jaw clenched, his expression one of simmering rage. “Not as sorry as they’re going to be. Whoever’s responsible for setting me up is going to be very unhappy when they open their door and see me standing on the other side.” His expression became focused, determined. He typed, Tell everyone I’m okay. I’ll be in touch . He hit a few more buttons and the screen went blank. Jack leaned his head back into the seat. “Why would they set me up to take the fall? I have to talk to Harrison.”
Kate sighed. “Sheldon said that it was ‘Lou’ who set you up. Anyone you know?”
Jack shook his head.
“I figured he was talking nonsense,” Kate muttered. “You can’t trust anyone. It could be Harrison for all you know. Someone wants to stop the world from finding a cure for AIDS.”
“For the sake of debate,” Jack said, “let’s say there really is a conspiracy. What could they, whoever they are, possibly gain from letting millions of people die?”
“I don’t know. Not yet. But once you spotted me somebody at the agency obviously became more than a little worried. They certainly didn’t waste any time promoting you to Special Agent, did they?” Kate narrowed her eyes. “Did Harrison know you were going to see Dr. Forstin? Better yet, was it his idea that you pay Forstin a visit?”
Jack raked a hand through his hair, but remained silent.
“A little too convenient, don’t you think?” she asked. “Promoting you, sending you for a little visit with Dr. Forstin and then whisking you off to Haiti? They tied it all up in a nice little bow. They wanted everything to look official. After that, all they had left to do was send a couple of goons after you to take us both out. Nobody would be the wiser.”
A tic set in Jack’s jaw.
Her voice softened. “My father told me to stay hidden for a reason. He was a highly intelligent man. He would have told me to go to the FBI, the authorities, somebody, anybody, if he thought I’d be safe in their hands. He never would have told me to hide from the world if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.”
“Harrison sent a plane for us,” Jack said. “Why would he do that if he was involved? It doesn’t add up.”
Jack shut his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. After a few minutes of silence he said, “Back in Haiti, you mentioned some unfinished business you needed to take care of. Care to elaborate?”
Kate sensed Jack needed time to digest the possible betrayal by his own people. But she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to tell him about her plans. The less she told him, the better. Jack’s boss, Agent Harrison, could very well be the man she was looking for, and she wasn’t ready to test Jack’s loyalty to the agency. “It’s nothing,” she finally said.
“Your father?”
She shrugged noncommittally. “Yes, I want to go through my father’s things, see if he left anything behind.”
Jack nodded, his eyes still hazy with angry disillusionment.
Poor Jack. He had such confidence in the world and its people...an unspoken allegiance to justice that made him so very different from anyone she’d ever met before. Jack Coffey, computer whiz turned rookie FBI agent, risked his life to come for her. And yet he would have been just as willing to leave Haiti without her if it meant keeping her alive. He wore his commitment to fight the injustices of the world like a badge branded upon his chest. His decency and strong sense of
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