Chapter 56

fifty-six

DYLAN

I paced back and forth, glancing at the clock every few seconds. By the time I made it back to Alex’s house, the FBI had already flown him to Boulder. Ryan Bryant, my boss, met him there.

I found the notebook Alex mentioned. Thanks to his tracking code, we followed the EMP program to its American base and what appeared to be the Haqani Army’s main headquarters. Six hours later, a joint operation between the police, the FBI, and the CIA was underway. Two warehouses, one in Chicago and another in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, were about to be raided.

I leaned forward, staring at the live images on my computer screen. The same images were on computers in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Erbil.

“We have units moving into place,” the special agent in Chicago said.

“Erbil is good to go,” another voice repeated over the speakerphone.

On one side of the screen, FBI special agents took position around a large brick building on the outskirts of Chicago. On the other, images from a body camera showed CIA operatives moving toward a building in the center of Erbil.

It was two o’clock in the morning in Iraq, early enough, I hoped, to minimize any civilian casualties.

I still couldn’t believe Alex gave the EMP program to the terrorists. Even with the tracking device, he’d traded the threat to a few people’s lives for the well-being of millions. I couldn’t blame him for feeling personally responsible for the safety of his family and friends. But I was angry he didn’t talk to me before deciding to commit cyberterrorism. It didn’t matter how well-meaning his intentions were; a judge wouldn’t treat his case any differently from the people who’d threatened him.

Jeremy handed me a cup of coffee. “Drink this. I added extra sugar.”

I took a sip and winced at the sweetness. I was tired, but not tired enough to drink the thick, hot liquid Jeremy made. “Thanks.”

He frowned when I left the cup on the desk. “I spoke to Ryan a few minutes ago. Alex is able to come home. The FBI isn’t charging him with anything.”

I took a deep, shaky breath, releasing some of the tension I’d been holding onto. For most of the night, I’d deliberately focused on tracking the program and not what was happening in Boulder. “That’s great news.”

“Counting down. One minute,” the voice in Erbil said.

I crossed my fingers, hoping no one got hurt.

“Thirty seconds.”

I studied the images, looking for any sign that the agents were walking into a trap.

“Go. ”

Agents swarmed the buildings in both cities, searching for anyone connected to the terrorist organization.

Flashes of light filled the screen in Erbil. Gunfire. Loud, nonstop, and deadly. I held my breath as people yelled and screamed.

The agents in both cities moved with purpose, sweeping through the buildings like the worst storm imaginable.

For a brief moment, I closed my eyes. I’d seen a lot of field operations while I was in the Army. When military personnel got to this point, it was a combination of skill, gut instinct, and sheer luck that brought them home uninjured. And sometimes, that luck ran out.

Jeremy’s hand landed on my shoulder. “Have another sip of coffee.”

I looked into his dark brown eyes and sighed. That sounded like a really good idea.