Dockery feinted, but Leah realized by his stance that he wasn’t putting any commitment into the effort. She closed her hands and let his next blow hit her. Flush with success, Dockery swung again, stepping forward and powering the punch this time.
Bending her knees, Leah dropped below the vicious punch. Dockery’s big fist smashed into the locker and punched through the flimsy door. He struggled to get his hand free of the torn metal. Before he got loose, Leah slid out beside him, then whirled in a downward axe kick behind her opponent’s knee.
Dockery’s leg crumpled and he went down. The angle further trapped his fist, which was an unexpected bonus. Leah grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his face around to look at her.
“Don’t you come at me again,” Leah told him calmly. “Not ever again.”
The big man cursed and tried to get up. Leah slapped her palm against the back of Dockery’s neck and unleashed the fifty thousand volts stored in her suit’s capacitors. Dockery jerked wildly for a moment, every muscle in his body taut with stress, then he slumped into unconsciousness.
“You’re going to pay for that,” one of Dockery’s fellow Royal Marines threatened.
Leah dropped back into a defensive posture. The room remained divided, but Dockery and the military contingent formed a tight little group. She doubted anyone would step forward to her defense.
“That’ll be just about enough of the roughhousing,” a crisp voice announced. “The next one of you to throw a punch will be joining Sergeant Dockery in lockup.”
The crowd parted as Lyra Darius walked among them. Four heavily armed security staff trailed in her wake. She stopped at Leah’s side and stared at the gathered crowd.
“Riordan and Jacobs,” Lyra said. “You claim to be friends of the sergeant. Get him to medical and have him checked over. Once the physician declares him fit, escort him to lockup. I’ll be along to make sure that happens. If it doesn’t, you’ll be joining him. Are we clear here?”
“Crystal, ma’am,” one of the two men replied grudgingly.
Lyra glanced at Leah. “You’re coming with me.”
Leah quelled the immediate impulse to fight against being treated as if she were guilty of anything. “Yes, ma’am.”
When they entered Lyra Darius’s private office, Leah stood at attention in front of the desk. Her gaze roved around the room. Nothing personal existed in there, nothing to hint at who Lyra Darius had ever been before or after joining the intelligence agency.
“Don’t be silly. You’re not in any kind of trouble. It’s just better if Dockery and his lackeys think I’m reading you the riot act. Have a seat.”
Feeling a little relieved, Leah sat in one of the two nondescript chairs in front of the metal desk. Lyra sat across from her.
“Things must be difficult for you,” Lyra said.
“I’m doing fine, ma’am.” Leah kept her face neutral.
“Yes, I can see that. Brawling in one of the common rooms with your teammates is a perfect indication of how fine you’re doing.”
“That fight was not my fault.”
“Of course it was.” Lyra leaned back in her chair.
Leah barely managed to remain seated. “Begging your pardon, ma’am, but I didn’t start that.”
“You did. The minute you stepped outside Agency lines and got involved with Simon Cross four years ago.”
Not with the Templar. With Simon Cross. Leah took note of the distinction.
“Are you upset with me, ma’am?” Leah asked.
“Not with you. With the situation.” Lyra shook her head. “And more upset for you than with you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You’ve placed yourself in an untenable position.”
“I don’t see how.”
“Because you’re getting special dispensation from the Templar. The rest of the people here are not.”
“They don’t want it.”
“Of course they don’t. This lot is too prideful and mired in their elitist thinking. They believe they’re better than the Templar, so they are.”
“Not hardly.”
“They see themselves as taking the war to the demons. That’s what they’ve always trained to do. Make the other side lose as heavily as we do. Unfortunately, none of the people these soldiers and agents have been up against in the past have ever been so willing to expend troops. Nor were they ever as well equipped. Not even the Middle Eastern terrorists in the early years of this century.”
Leah remained silent.
“One way or another, this will sort itself out,” Lyra said. “It would have been better if so many people here didn’t focus on you as being part of the problem.” She looked at Leah with concern. “I am loath to send you back out into the field.”
“Why? Because you don’t trust me?”
“I trust you. I just don’t trust all of those people out there to stand with you if it comes to that.”
“I can take care of myself.”
Lyra smiled sadly. “The days of us taking care of ourselves are over.”
“I still have a few friends,” Leah said.
“Yes. I know that you do. And when they are shunned by men like Dockery? What do you do then? How far will this division go before our center no longer holds?”
Leah thought about that. “Are you suggesting that I leave?”
Lyra regarded her calmly. “Not yet. At the moment, I don’t think it’s come to that. But it might. When it does, I’ll let you know.”
Leah gave a tight nod.
“And if it does, do you think you could take safe harbor with the Templar?”
With practiced ease, Leah lied. “Yes, ma’am.”
Lyra frowned. “A pretty deceit if I’ve ever seen one. Even as good-natured as Simon Cross is purported to be, I daresay he may have had enough after this last meeting with you.”
“Possibly.”
“Before I turn you out of here, I’ll find another place for you. You have my word on that.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you. Will there be anything else?”
“Yes.” Lyra leaned onto the desk and spoke kindly. “Step easily while you’re out there, Leah. Animosity like this isn’t always given the time it needs to work through. The friend you think you have
