Chapter 44

44

Even ten minutes later, Jason’s ears still rang in the aftermath of the gunshot, the acrid smell of gunpowder mingling with the weird, musty scent of the abandoned amusement park. His heart pounded, adrenaline still surging through his veins as he surveyed the chaos around him. Unconscious Seven-Five operatives lay scattered like discarded action figures, while his team moved with practiced efficiency.

Kate and Fenn wrestled with a sun-faded tarp, reverently covering the general’s body, then bowing their heads in prayer. Liv and Mac stepped around the unconscious agents, zip tying wrists and ankles while Paige and Cody and Tai did what they could to resecure the perimeter, patching together the battered fleet of drones.

Jason’s gaze landed on Gravy. The younger man stood motionless, staring at the tarp. The usual mischievous glint in his eyes was replaced by a haunted look that made Jason’s chest tighten.

He waved to get Gravy’s attention. “I could use your help securing the area.”

Gravy threw back his shoulders, standing stiffly at attention. He raised a hand. “I’ll handle the explosives, Major. Make sure they’re all accounted for and disabled.”

Jason nodded, a mix of pride and concern washing over him. “Affirmative, Soldier. Look, about your father?—”

“Baggage for another time, sir,” Gravy cut him off. “We’re not done here.”

Across the fairground, Alex huddled with her team. Jason caught snatches of their conversation, his pulse quickening as he heard Mac confirm the integrity of Alex’s recording.

“We’ve got them,” Liv’s excited whisper carried on the night air. “Seven-Five’s entire operation, laid bare.”

Jason lifted a quick prayer of gratitude.

Alex shot him a stunning smile. Whatever came next, they’d changed the course of history tonight.

His boots crunched over broken glass as he joined the huddle of operatives. The air crackled with excitement.

“We can’t just waltz into FBI headquarters and hand this over,” Cody argued, his fingers drumming an anxious rhythm on his thigh.

Liv shook her head, her ponytail swishing. “CIA’s out too. You gotta know they’re compromised.”

Fair points. Who could they trust with information this explosive?

Tai’s voice cut through the debate, steady and sure. “Pegasus.”

Absolutely. Jason held out a closed hand for a fist bump. “Spot on, brother.”

“Bridger’s old mentor?” Alex asked, her eyebrow arched.

Tai nodded. “She’s been out of the game for years. If anyone’s clean, it’s her.”

A ripple of agreement passed through the group. The knot in Jason’s chest loosened. They had a plan.

As the team dispersed to make preparations, Jason found himself alone with Alex. The distant hum of generators filled the silence between them.

“Some night, huh?” he said, aiming for levity but landing somewhere near exhaustion.

Alex’s laugh was soft, tinged with disbelief. “That’s one way to put it.”

Their eyes met, and Jason felt a surge of emotions he couldn’t quite name. There was so much to say. So much to figure out.

Alex seemed to read his mind. “We should probably?—”

“Yeah,” he agreed quickly. “Mission first.”

They shared a nod, an unspoken promise to revisit this moment when the dust settled. For now, there was work to be done.

Tai rejoined the group, sat phone in hand. “Bridger’s on board with our plan. Pegasus is on her way to Redemption Creek. ETA around seven a.m. tomorrow. And she’s sending a local cleanup crew out here to relieve us. They’ll finish deactivating any ordinance and make sure Munsinger’s crew gets where they need to go.”

A collective sigh of relief rippled through the team. Jason nodded, processing the information.

“Oh, and Jane’s doing fine,” Tai added, a smile tugging at his lips. “Doc’s scheduled a C-section for the day after tomorrow.”

Jason’s eyebrows shot up. “Twins wait for no mission, huh?”

With the area secured and Pegasus’s team en route, Jason finally allowed himself a moment of reflection. He leaned against a graffitied wall, the warm night air a balm on his skin.

His gaze drifted to Alex, who was deep in conversation with Mac. Even disheveled and exhausted, she was breathtaking. The events of the night flashed through his mind—the danger, the revelations, the victory. And through it all, Alex had been there, a steady presence at his side.

What did the future hold for them? He couldn’t begin to guess, but he knew one thing—whatever came next, he wanted to face it with her.

The distant whir of helicopter blades pulled him from his reverie. He straightened, squaring his shoulders. Time for the next phase of their mission. Whatever debriefings and decisions lay ahead, he was ready.

With a final glance at Alex, Jason strode forward to meet the incoming chopper. The night wasn’t over yet.