Chapter 47

47

Paige pushed the food around her plate, appetite vanishing as she watched Cody from beneath lowered lashes. His shoulders were taut, movements jerky and uncharacteristically clumsy. Twice he'd knocked over his water glass. But it was his eyes that betrayed him, darting everywhere but in her direction, as if her gaze might turn him to stone.

She recognized that look. She'd worn it often enough herself.

It was the look of someone about to run.

Struggling to keep her face neutral, she let the conversation wash over her until Jason's voice cut through her thoughts.

"The Seven-Five group must have taken the virus drive."

Cody nodded, his fork clattering against his plate. "And eliminated the lab techs. I'd bet they hunted down anyone connected with that lab."

"If he was still alive, they'd be hunting my dad," Paige said, the words bitter on her tongue.

Cody's eyes finally met hers, filled with sympathy and something else. Regret? "Most likely."

"Like they'll hunt you," she whispered.

His silence was answer enough.

Paige leaned forward as Cody and Jason exchanged knowing glances. The tension in the room ratcheted up a notch.

Cody cleared his throat. "This Seven-Five group, they're not just part of the Consortium. They are the new Consortium."

Jason nodded, fork pausing midair. "The top brass. The real power players."

"And they're done playing games," Cody added grimly.

A chill ran down Paige's spine. She'd known the Consortium was dangerous, but this felt different. More personal.

Jason set down his fork with a soft clink. "A smaller group means tighter control, faster decisions."

"And fewer weak links," Cody finished.

The implications hung in the air like a gathering storm. A leaner, meaner version of their already formidable enemy.

Graham reached for more roast, his movements deliberate. "They'll be harder to hide from, too."

Paige glanced around the table, taking in her teammates' grim expressions. Fenn's usual smirk was absent. Tai's fingers drummed a nervous rhythm on the tablecloth. Even Kate looked unsettled.

Their enemy, far from being on the back foot, had evolved into something potentially more dangerous. More agile. More focused.

Paige's hand went to her locket, seeking comfort in its familiar shape. Her eyes found Cody's, and for a moment, she saw her own fear and determination mirrored there.

In the sudden quiet, she heard the soft hum of the air conditioning and the distant tick of a clock. Time stretched as they absorbed the gravity of their situation.

Finally, Bridger broke the silence. "So, we adapt. We've faced worse odds before."

His words were meant to rally, but Paige couldn't shake the feeling that this time, the game had changed entirely. And judging by the set of Cody's jaw and the haunted look in his eyes, she wasn't the only one who felt it.

A heavy silence blanketed the table as the implications settled like lead in their stomachs. Their enemy, far from vanquished, had morphed into something more lethal, more unpredictable.

Paige's gaze drifted to Cody's tattoo, her eyes tracing every line and shadow as if committing it to memory. A knot formed in her throat as she fought the nagging fear that this might be the last time she'd see it.

The sudden chime of her laptop sliced through the tension. Paige bolted from her chair, nearly upending her water glass in her haste to get to the desk where she'd left her laptop. The screen flickered to life, revealing an elegant silver-haired woman clad in tactical gear, framed by the high-tech backdrop of what could only be a command center.

"Hello, Paige. I'm Barbara Holbrook," the woman's warm yet authoritative voice filled the room. "I wanted to ensure you all made it out of that condo situation unscathed."

Cody leaned into view as the others left the table and crowded around them, his eyes narrowing with recognition. "You were at the Smithsonian. The Castle. Front desk."

A mischievous grin lit up Barbara's face. "Indeed. Monday through Friday, ten to three. It's remarkable how invisible us ‘women of a certain age' become. Makes observing—and destroying—so much easier."

"I like the cut of her jib," Mason muttered, his gruff voice uncharacteristically soft.

Barbara winked at him. "Yours too, soldier."

Paige blinked, astonished to see Mason's face flush a shade of red she'd never thought possible for the stoic ex-Marine.

"You sent in the SWAT team," Paige said, pieces of the puzzle falling into place.

Barbara nodded. "Best I could manage on short notice."

Questions erupted from the team, but Barbara held up a hand. "I'm afraid I can't linger for a Q&A. Just know there's another agency out there, working in the shadows against the Consortium."

Paige's hand flew to her locket as Barbara continued. "I fell for your father when he was upgrading the Smithsonian's security. When you joined BlackOut Squadron, he gave me that locket—a back door into the Consortium's web. I've used it to protect you, him, and Cody as best I could."

Barbara's eyes twinkled with a hint of mischief. "I've picked up a few tricks over the years. Hacking, schmoozing DC's elite. Creating the right kind of chaos at the right moment? Child's play."

Her father, distant as he'd been, had never truly abandoned her. He'd been her silent guardian all along.

"I'd like to meet you someday," Paige said, her voice thick with emotion.

Barbara's face softened, her smile warm and maternal. "I'd love that, dear. I feel like I've known you for years, but we have so much catching up to do."

Twenty-two years. That's how long it had been since Paige's mother passed. The realization that she might have just inherited a pseudo-stepmom hit her like a warm, unexpected embrace.

"Stay safe, all of you," Barbara cautioned, her gaze sweeping across the team before settling on Cody. Then, with a playful smile, she blew a kiss to Paige. "You too, sweetheart."

The screen went dark, leaving Paige staring at her own reflection in the black mirror of the laptop.

Her emotions swirled like a kaleidoscope—pride in her father's secret efforts, grief for the years of misunderstanding, fear of the looming battle with Seven-Five, and a spark of excitement at the prospect of meeting Barbara.

But overshadowing it all was the dull ache in her chest whenever she looked at Cody.

Paige's fingers found her locket once more, tracing its familiar contours. She'd be okay, eventually. The Lord would see to that. But the road ahead promised to be long and painful.

And lonely. But that, she was used to.