CHAPTER NINETEEN

“Way to go, Evie,” said Sebastian.

“Thank you. I like to learn new skills, and Miller has been very generous in sharing his knowledge with me. On the serious side, that was a lot of weaponry in there. If he was selling them to someone, he was about to create a well-armed army.”

“Yeah, he’s dirty all the way, and we need to figure out what he gets out of this beyond money,” said Sebastian.

“I’m not sure it’s about anything other than money,” said Garr. “By the looks of his home, he likes nice things. Top-of-the-line leather furniture, thirty-year-old Scotch, Cuban cigars, a couple of rare paintings in there as well.”

“Well, if he’s not married and doesn’t have children, he could argue that he manages his money well. What do we have on his background?” asked Leif.

“Raised outside of Reading, Pennsylvania,” said U-Jin. “Attended Penn State for two years, then joined the Army, finishing his degree while there. Selected for officer’s candidate school, finished in the middle of the pack. Nothing special or outstanding about him. Two commands overseas, moved up to his current rank, and now working at the Pentagon as we know.”

“He’s trying to work his way into the Joint Chiefs,” said Garr. “If he’s head of the defense committee, he can manipulate his way in.”

“We stopped those weapons from moving, but what if he has more?” asked Sebastian. “What if he has another stockpile somewhere? We need to find out where those weapons were headed and why.”

“Where was his plane headed?” asked Garr.

“Ramstad, Germany,” said Evie from the cockpit. “I found the flight plan. But we both know that was just the first stop. I couldn’t find anything else after that.”

“From Germany, he could have flown anywhere,” said U-Jin. “He could have boarded private jets and gone all over Europe and Asia.”

“His flight plan just canceled,” said Evie.

“What?” came the chorus.

“It’s in the system. It was just canceled. Looks like our fireworks show ruined the trip for him. Someone will be disappointed. I’ll get the tech boys to monitor the chatter and see what they come up with. In the meantime, you boys get some rest. We’ll be home soon.”

By the time they set foot on their own front porches, the men were exhausted and ready for their own beds. When they heard rustling in the gardens, they all raised their brows, slowly walking toward the noise. Peeking over the edge of the hedges, they smiled at one another as George, Sven, Gaspar, Miller, and Matthew pulled huge wagons filled with gifts.

“It’s like watching Santa and his elves,” smirked Leif in a whisper.

“It’s enchanting,” said U-Jin. “We didn’t have this when I was a child. I read about it but never saw it. It’s magical.”

Sebastian, Garr, and Leif looked at him, smiling. It was like seeing a child as he saw Santa for the first time. They all remembered that feeling as well. As the men and the wagons disappeared toward the Sugar Lodge, they turned and went home.

Garr only wanted to crawl in beside his beautiful girl. Stripping and taking a quick shower, he slid between the sheets, pulling her close to his naked body. She instinctively rolled over, hugging him as she buried her face into the crook of his neck.

“Love you,” she said groggily.

“Love you, babe. Sleep,” he said, kissing her forehead. He remembered nothing else after that, just waking as sunlight filtered into their bedroom. He smelled coffee and knew that she was already moving around the cottage. She’d obviously lit every candle in the house because all he could smell was the coffee, evergreen, peppermint, and orange.

“Morning,” he said, shuffling into the kitchen. She handed him the coffee, kissing him sweetly.

“Good morning,” she smiled. “How was the trip?”

“It served a purpose, but we didn’t settle anything. We need to find out what he’s doing and why.”

“Well, I have an idea,” she smirked.

“Really? About this?”

“Yes. I mean, if it’s weapons he wants, then why not let me, the new guy on the team, defect.” Garr’s face turned dark, staring at her. She almost wanted to run but knew that he wouldn’t hurt her. “Garr, I’m not suggesting actually selling weapons to him.”

“I don’t give a fuck if we sell him everything we have. It will not involve you,” he said, setting the coffee down on the counter. She put a hand on her hip, tilting it in defiance, and he realized he needed to think of something fast.

“Listen to me,” he said calmly. “You are a brilliant, capable woman. No question about that. But you’re my brilliant, capable woman, and I will not place your life in danger. To make this look real, he would want to meet with you one-on-one. That’s just not something I can allow to happen. Tack onto that, he would look into your background and know who your father is. We’re not hidden any longer, Mace. The world is different than when our fathers and grandfathers were doing this work. Hell, look at the seniors on an island out there by themselves to protect all of us.”

“They like their island,” she said in a whisper. She wasn’t sure she actually believed that, but it felt like she needed to point it out.

“Honey,” he said, moving closer, placing his hands on her waist, “I love the idea, and maybe we can find a way to make it work. But I’m begging you. Don’t put yourself in the middle of it all. He wouldn’t hesitate to use you to get to us.”

“He’s killing innocent people, Garr. Women, children, for no reason at all.”

“I know. I know, and we’re going to stop him, but we have to do this with a lot of thought and care. Even if we stop him, it doesn’t guarantee that we’ll stop whoever is buying these weapons. He’s not doing this alone.”

She was quiet for a moment, staring up at him. Finally, she nodded, kissing his chin.

“Okay. I understand,” she said softly. “Get dressed. We’re wanted for breakfast.”

“Is it something special?” he asked.

“It’s Christmas week. It’s always special.”