“Yeah?”

“Don’t waste your time trying to track me. I disabled the GPSs on all the vehicles earlier today.”

Jack hung up.

Thomas snapped the phone shut and glared at her. “Maybe you don’t mean as much to him as I thought.”

On one level Sophie understood national security was a priority, but this wasn’t just Jack rejecting her. She’d never say his name aloud, but this was Sam. Her Sam. And she wasn’t enough for him. A vise tightened and twisted around her heart, the screws puncturing so painfully it was all she could do to keep the vehicle straight. He might as well have reached into her chest and ripped her heart out with his bare hands. She meant nothing to Jack.

•   •   •

Jack slid his phone into his pocket with shaking hands. More than rage, raw fear snaked through his veins like liquid fire. Hanging up on Thomas Chadwick had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. It had been a huge risk and if Sophie hadn’t been part of the equation, he wouldn’t have second-guessed himself.

Chadwick needed Jack’s help, so Jack knew he wouldn’t kill Sophie. The only way to convince him of that had been to bargain. If Jack had given in too quickly, Chadwick would have realized just how important she was to him. Then he’d have had all the bargaining power and Sophie would be dead.

Jack exited the vehicle and pulled up the hangar door a few feet. The two other analysts still clacked away at their computer. Good. They didn’t know Chadwick was missing. Both glanced at him but just as quickly returned to what they were doing.

“Hey, I need Chadwick’s help. He’s over at Vargas’s hangar helping set up the interrogation room.” He casually dropped the information as he walked toward their table, trying to gauge their reactions.

The only female of the group frowned at him. “But Wesley said—”

“Change of plans. I’ve worked with Chadwick before and I requested him.”

“Fine.” The woman shrugged, then returned to her computer.

While they were busy, he made his way to one of the farthest stations set up in the corner of the building. He glanced over his shoulder as he grabbed a tracking device. Not that it technically mattered. He doubted they’d question him, but he needed to be above suspicion for the next ten minutes. Just enough time to get the hell out of there. To get to Sophie.

What he was planning was illegal and if he failed he’d probably get thrown in jail. Okay, there was no probably. Letting Sophie die wasn’t an option, though. He’d sell his soul for her without question.

Without wasting time worrying about the consequences, he headed back to the other hangar. Instead of parking in the front, he parked in the back where there weren’t any other vehicles. Inside the building, everyone still had their guard up, but things had broken down into routine. Round up the bad guys, question them, and get ready to head home. That was the way things always worked, and the routine was the only advantage he could count on.

Plastic sheets were draped over the fallen bodies, and Vargas’s other men had been restrained and were being guarded by a few agents.

As Jack crossed the open floor, he kept his eyes open for any sign of Vargas, but didn’t see him. Wesley nodded in his direction and motioned Jack over to him and an agent.

“I was just telling Johnson I want you to take point on the interrogation. He’ll be standing by, but you make the calls,” Wesley said.

Jack glanced between the two men. “Where is Vargas now?”

Wesley pointed toward the back. “We put him in an office in the back. Once we get everything squared away here, we’ll transfer him.”

“Where are we taking him?”

“One of our satellite offices,” Wesley answered.

Jack nodded. He was aware of at least one office in Miami, but for all he knew, there could be more. The NSA had nondescript offices all over the country. Half the people who worked for them couldn’t tell their families what they did every day. Even Jack wasn’t privy to all their locations. That was the kind of information people would kill for.

As they headed to the back, Johnson cleared his throat. “Listen, man, thanks for earlier.”

“No problem.” Jack guessed the guy was embarrassed that one of Vargas’s guys had managed to disarm him and put a gun to his head in front of everyone, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now. Shit happened.

Johnson was silent for a moment before continuing. “I can’t believe that guy got the drop on me.”

“Don’t let it get to you. It happens to the best of us.” Jack pushed down the foreign twinge of guilt. He could ruin this guy’s career by what he was about to do. “Stay here for a second, will ya?”

Johnson frowned but nodded. Jack made his way back toward his boss. Wesley was talking to one of the Delta Force agents. Perfect.

“Is there a problem?” Wesley asked.

“No problem, I just want someone more experienced with interrogation, especially after what happened earlier.” He nodded at the other agent. “You’re with Delta Force, right?”

The man nodded. “Max Schaeffer.”

Jack looked at his boss. “I want him.”

Wesley’s lips pursed into a thin line as he studied Jack, but he nodded. “Fine.”

As they headed back to where Johnson waited, Wesley stopped him. “How’s Sophie?”

Jack didn’t bother turning around. “Fine,” he threw over his shoulder. Wesley had an uncanny ability for weeding out bullshit. As they neared Johnson, Jack slapped him on the shoulder. “Wesley wants to see you, man.”

Johnson would be pissed at first, but later when he realized what Jack had done, he’d probably thank him. Of course Jack would likely be in jail by then, so it wouldn’t matter. In order to get Vargas out of the building, he was going to have to take out the Delta Force guy. If he’d done it to Johnson, the man would be demoted and probably fired for screwing up twice within the same day. And Jack couldn’t have that hanging on his conscience.

“How do you want to work this?” Schaeffer asked as they turned down the small hallway.

“You can take the lead.” Jack held open the door for the other man.

Jack quickly assessed the situation. Vargas sat at a small desk with his hands cuffed in front of him. One agent leaned against the wall standing guard. He straightened as they entered.

Jack didn’t have any time to waste. In one swift move, he landed a sharp blow to the agent’s right temporal lobe. Near the eye, but not hard enough to inflict any lasting damage. It was a move he’d used too many times to count. Never on one of his own guys, though. Before the agent’s body hit the floor, Jack struck out at Schaeffer.

The guy started to turn as Jack slammed his fist, then elbow across Schaeffer’s back and neck. If he’d reacted a second sooner, things might have turned out differently. Thank God for small miracles. Tension thrummed through Jack, but he kept his focus on the goal.

Get Vargas out of the holding room alive. Get him out of the direct hold of the NSA. Free Sophie.

After that, he would worry about consequences.

Jack stepped over the unconscious body and roughly yanked Vargas up by the collar. When he did, he slipped a tracking device under his shirt.

“What the hell are you doing?” Vargas’s voice held a trace of fear.

“Getting you out of here.” Jack snagged the handcuff keys from the first man he’d knocked out, but didn’t release Vargas.

Easing open the door, he glanced down the short hallway. No one was there, but the men he’d knocked out wouldn’t stay down for long.

“What are you—”

Jack shoved Vargas against the wall, wrapping his hand around his neck. “Keep your mouth shut and you might get out of this alive.”

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