CHAPTER FIVE

"Conor, what the fuck?" muttered Dom.

"He's your stubborn-ass son," frowned Leightyn. "He woke up and heard that Sydney was here and demanded that we bring him down."

"How are you walking?" asked Sydney.

"I went for a swim," he said, casually walking toward her. Standing in front of her, she realized just how big he really was. His eyes looked down at hers, staring into her face. "Your eyes aren't dark."

"N-no," she stammered, looking around the room at the faces of curiosity and mirth. She didn't understand how any of this was happening.

"In the truck, I thought they were dark," he said casually.

"Right," said Sydney, shaking her head. "How are you out of bed and standing? What the hell is going on here? Is this let's play a joke on the spook day? You shouldn't be walking. Hell, you shouldn't be moving."

"I'll explain later," said Conor. "You're right about the jet, but I don't think it was Shatnick either. My team and I were sent there for a different reason, then suddenly, that reason was scrapped, and we had to get the hell out of there. Except they knew where we were and how to find us."

"I think one of your teammates was working with them," she said quietly. All eyes turned to her, shooting daggers her way. To accuse a SEAL of being a traitor was a pretty hefty claim.

"William." Now, they were all looking at Conor. She nodded.

"You knew?"

"I suspected. He's a good SEAL, but he's had some issues lately with money and women. Then, suddenly, it was all gone, and he was more than willing to go anywhere we asked him to go. It wasn't by coincidence those North Korean soldiers found us, and it wasn't by coincidence that he eagerly left with the others."

"Why?" asked his father.

"I'm not sure yet. All I know is that I was actually working with Shatnick to find the leak. No one knew that. Not even his aide."

"So, he wasn't selling information to the North Koreans?" asked Sydney.

"Oh, he was," smiled Conor. "But it was bogus bullshit. I made sure of it. He was falsifying documents and photos to send them on wild goose chases."

"Were you working with the agency?" Sydney was so confused she could barely speak.

"No. Not directly. We were supposed to meet up with an agency contact in Pyongyang, but he never showed. And I do know it was a male, so you're off the hook," he winked.

Sydney felt a fluttering in her stomach, staring at the incredibly handsome, incredibly virile man.

"I knew I had counterparts in the country, but most were of Korean descent. I had no way of knowing who was who. It was too dangerous. So, the reason the jet doesn't look exactly right is because the wrong information was being fed to the North Koreans?"

"Exactly," said Conor. "I knew a good bit about that jet, and Shatnick knew that it was my family that helped to build it. I met with my team and explained some of the details, twisting the information a bit. I even drew it out on a napkin. Needless to say, that napkin somehow disappeared from my pack, and the next thing we knew, those modifications were being made to the jet that the North Koreans were building."

"Your team is still on the Yosemite," said Hiro. "But they're anchored in Oakland right now for repairs."

"I know. I need to get on that ship and speak with my team."

"That might be hard to explain, Conor. If William is really the threat on the team, he knew what had been done to you and might think you're dead. If you walk onto that ship looking like, well, you, he's going to clam up," said Luke.

"We could go," said Christopher. "Patrick and me. We could go. We're former SEALs and could come in as temporary commanders if we can get someone to make the assignment. No one knows Conor better than us."

Conor grinned at his old friends, giving them a nod.

"Yeah, the bastard still owes me for that girl in Tokyo," laughed Patrick. Conor stiffened, shaking his head. "Ooops. Sorry."

Sydney said nothing but was shocked by the pit in her stomach. Looking away from Conor, she shifted back and forth, then stepped back from him.

"It's not what you all think," blushed Conor. "He paid the girl to leave me alone. I was on a mission, and she was interfering." Pigsty cleared his throat, standing to move in front of the entire team.

"Sydney? I just received a coded message from the POTUS."

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"No. It's not. Your apartment was set on fire. Arson, for sure. He sent in a team himself, but they couldn't recover anything. I'm sorry, honey." She nodded with a pain-filled smile.

"I guess I have to get to the mall, don't I," she laughed nervously, swallowing back the tears. "I mean, I have nothing other than what I'm wearing, and I'll need to get some clothes and then, I guess, find a place to live."

"Sydney? You can stay here," said Cam. "I'll have the wives help you find some clothes. We can take care of all of that."

"Someone wants me dead," she said, staring at the group. "I'm a CIA operative. It's not like that's a shock, but why now? I didn't get to the bottom of anything. Yet."

"No, but they knew you would eventually. You know something, Sydney. Something they don't want you to know," said Conor. Sydney took a seat, holding her stomach.

"Are you alright?" asked Wilson from the front row.

"I think I'm just hungry," she said, smiling at the handsome man. In fact, she suddenly noticed that all the men were handsome, and the women were stunningly beautiful. "Whatever you're all eating, I'd like double, please. You're the most attractive group of people I've ever been around."

"That's saying a lot," smirked Hex, "since you modeled your way through college."

"H-how," she started, then shook her head. "Never mind. Yes. I modeled my way through college but with my clothes on."

"I know, honey. I wasn't implying anything other than you're beautiful as well. Right, Conor?"

"What? Yeah. Yeah, of course, she's beautiful." His father nudged his grandfather, then gave him a smile. Shit.

"Come on. Breakfast is ready, and we've got a lot to discuss," said Luke. "Sydney, you're our guest for the time being, but as long as you want. Remember the rules."

"I remember," she smiled. The room emptied, and Conor stood in front of her, waiting for her to move.

"You said you were hungry."

"Yes. Yes, I am," she said, taking a step forward. Conor gripped her upper arm, gently holding her in place.

"Thank you, Sydney. Thank you for coming back for me, even though I was already gone. You risked your life to do that." She wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't sure how to explain the voices in her head that screamed at her to return for him.

He's important. Find him!

Don't let him die. You need him!

Bring him home.

Maybe she was going mad, and this was the first symptom.

"My pleasure."