CHAPTER THREE

The entire compound was racing around to get to Conor. By the time he was taken into the clinic, Riley, Gabi, and the others were prepared for anything. As it turned out, other than a few broken bones, weight loss, and a lot of cuts and bruises, he was going to be okay. He was definitely in a lot of pain, but he was tough as shit and would survive.

As for answers from the Navy, and more specifically, his team, they were still waiting for responses.

Leightyn refused to leave her son's side, the entire time watching as Dom paced back and forth outside the room with his father, Titus. Olivia was seated beside her, both women calm and collected.

"Take a seat, or I'm going to glue your asses to the fucking chair," said Cruz. "You're scaring our other patients."

"You don't have any other patients," growled Titus.

"Please, both of you, take a seat," said Leightyn. Olivia nodded at her husband and son. They both pulled a chair into the room and sat down.

"Look, he's going to be fine. We're working on finding his team now. After that, we'll know more. For now, just let the poor kid rest," said Cruz.

"Hey, Cruz?" said Hiro, staring at the big nurse. "There's a woman at the café who says she knows Conor and wants to check on him. Said she heard he was beaten to shit but got home."

"Who the fuck would know that so quickly?" he frowned. "Titus, Dom? Stay here with him. Hiro, come with me."

Cruz, a former SEAL and registered nurse, was as badass as any of the men, and his charm usually made women fall at his feet. When he and Hiro walked into the back door of the café, they spotted a woman with a sweeping black ponytail and the greenest eyes he'd ever seen. She turned, staring directly at them. The color was startling. A mix between peridot and emerald.

"Hello," he said calmly. "I heard you're looking for someone. An injured man."

She smiled at him, shaking her head. He noticed that her hands were flat on the table, indicating that she knew they were going to ask her to show her hands.

"Listen, you don't have to play all stealth with me. I know who he is and who you are if he's still alive. Master Chief Conor Quinn, U.S. Navy SEAL."

"And why would you know that?" asked Hiro.

"Because I was there. I was in that room with him in North Korea when they beat the shit out of him the first few times. I had been sent to try and find him and his team. They let me go, but I knew they still had him."

"And why did they let you go?" growled Cruz. She laughed again, shaking her head.

"You guys really live up to your reputation. I had someone that called in a favor. The same someone that sent me in there. My name is Sydney Lowry, CIA."

"Fuuuuck," muttered Hiro, tapping something on his phone. "A fucking spook."

"Yep," she grinned. "And I'm a pretty good one. Look, I don't want anything from you. I just want to know if he's okay. I went back to find him, and the whole place was going fucking nuts. I couldn't get anywhere near the building."

"Why would you risk your skin for him? What would make you think they wouldn't take you again?" asked Cruz.

"Like I said, I'm good at what I do, and I was ordered to find him. I went in right under their noses. But then again, I suppose you did as well. Three North Korean soldiers dead. A prisoner missing. That's pretty amazing work." Cruz ignored her statement, continuing his questioning.

"How did you know where to find him?"

"Aide to the commander at the base, plus, as I said, I was there with him. They didn't beat me, but they wanted to. The aide has been my contact on-base for almost a year now. No one is getting good feels from the commander. He's not happy with you and your boys, but then again, he's a royal fucking asshole. We suspected he's sharing intel with the North Koreans, but we haven't been able to prove it. For what it's worth, I don't think he is. As I said, he's an asshole but not a traitor."

"What about his team? Where are they?" asked Hiro.

"They got out. They were able to meet at the extraction point. Apparently, they had to be sedated to get them on the ship. Wanted to chase after their master chief," she smiled. "I'd say that says a lot about him."

"She's cleared," said Hiro, looking at Cruz, then back at the woman.

"That didn't take long at all," she smiled.

"We have a few connections of our own," said Hiro. "You're on leave from duty. Why?"

"Something about getting my head on straight. They didn't like it that I went back for the SEAL without approval." That earned Sydney appreciative looks from the two men.

"Why did you?" asked Cruz. She shrugged, smiling at them.

"He was cute."

"Come with me," said Cruz. "Are you carrying a weapon? And don't fucking lie. The alarms will go off like the lighting of a fucking Christmas tree."

"No. They took my service weapon from me when they politely asked me to take a little rest." He nodded as the woman followed them. She looked at the strange gates and the extensive security system.

When they reached the clinic, they entered through the front doors and then passed through the big double doors with another security system that looked like Fort Knox. Sydney looked up at the doors, seeing the complicated camera and sensor formations. Stopping outside Conor's door, Cruz waved her inside.

Sydney stopped cold as two giant men stood, towering above her. They looked like twins to the one in the bed, although he was nearly unrecognizable.

"Who the fuck is she?" growled Titus.

"Titus! Give the woman a chance," said Olivia. She turned to the woman and smiled. "I'm Olivia Quinn, Conor's grandmother. Who are you?"

"Grandmother? Are you joking?" she asked. Olivia shook her head, laughing. "Sorry. I-I'm Sydney Lowry."

"CIA," finished Hiro.

"CIA? What the fuck does the CIA want with my son?" asked Dom.

"Wow, do you guys practice this tough guy, scare the little lady shit at home?" Leightyn and Olivia both gave a little giggle, smiling at the woman. Good for her. Take no shit from the big boys.

"I'm his father. I don't have to practice. It comes naturally," said Dom.

"Right. The CIA doesn't want anything to do with him. I was there for another reason, but when the POTUS found out where I was, he gave the order for me to find him. Apparently, he likes you guys. A lot. And he damn sure didn't want the death of one of your sons to happen on his watch. I was in the room while they were torturing him before they released me. I went back to try and get him out, but your team beat me to it."

"Why did you go back?" asked Titus.

"She said he was cute," smirked Cruz. Sydney shrugged.

"Well, he is. But that's not all. He said some things when he was barely conscious that I need to investigate further. Things that will help me figure out what the hell happened in Pyongyang. He was speaking French when he spoke. Are you all French?"

"No," said Dom. "This is Cajun country, and many people here speak French. Conor knows several languages. I don't know why he chose that one to speak."

"I don't know either, but it was good enough that the other two in the room didn't understand him. Listen, I raced to get here when I heard that he got out and was home.

"The CIA has put me on leave because I went back for him and because they think General Shatnick is feeding the North Korean's intel, and specifically, that he's feeding them intel about our SpecOps teams. But he thinks there is something else going on, but they don't want to listen."

"We've seen that act before," frowned Titus.

"Look, I'm happy to tell you whatever you want to know, but I need some sleep. Is there a hotel nearby?" she asked, casually looking down at the sleeping face of Conor. He looked better than the last time she saw him, but still not great. His mother smiled at the young woman. "Will he be okay?"

"Yes. A few broken bones, bruises, but he'll be fine."

"I'm glad," she said. "I was worried when he was gone. I've seen a lot of men take beatings in my life, but he acted like it was fun for him. Hotel?"

"We have space here," said Dom. "Come with me, and we'll get you settled."

Dom took the young woman to the main property, showing her to an empty cottage. It was nearly midnight. The surrounding cottages were dark, the night silent. He opened the door for her, handing her the key.

"The alarm system operates automatically if you're in the cottage. If you want out, just have the key in your hand, and it will sense that you want to leave."

"I have nowhere else to go right now. I just want a chance to speak with your son, then I'll go."

"And do what?" She stared at the older man, unsure of what to say. "Listen, Sydney. I appreciate what you were trying to do for Conor, but obviously, you've got a target on your back now. I think you need to meet with our team in the morning and talk about what you're looking for and what Conor might have heard or seen."

"Thank you," she nodded. "I'll see you in the morning."

"You're welcome. And Sydney? If you're fucking lying to us, I'll be the first one to gut you like a fish."