Page 123 of Crossover
My brothers exchanged a look.
“Setting up mass casualty events is part of his MO to drain emergency resources of law enforcement,” I explained. “As for askingmefor the protocols, I can only assume the test serves two purposes. First, to see if I comply. If I were to bring him anything, the only way he’d know if I was actually working withhim rather than against him is if he can cross-reference the information to validate it.”
A log popped in the fireplace.
“And the second?” Jace pressed.
This second part was speculation, a theory strung together based on Vosch’s past and the CIA’s intel.
“They think he’s planning something big,” I admitted. “A large shipment of mass weapons into our city, and in order to do that without interference from law enforcement, he’ll create a distraction.”
A distraction. That’s what innocent lives were to him.
“Jesus.”
“And if I don’t comply and give him that intel,” I continued—intel that could cost who knew how many lives—“he’ll kill you all.”
“But you think he alreadyhasthis intelligence?” Hunter clarified.
“I think he has at least part of it. How else would he be able to corroborate whether or not I’m cooperating?”
“And if you provide it to him…” Jace started.
“Innocent civilians will be in danger. Kids ride the “L” train, too,” I said. “That would just be the beginning.”
“You can’t give it to him,” Hunter said, as if I needed that to be clarified.
“I’m aware,” I said, harsher than I meant to. But, goddammit, my nerves were absolutely frayed.
“We can beef up security,” Hunter assured.
“They could be breached again. You would have to get lucky twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Vosch’s men would just have to get lucky once to get to you.”
My brothers stared at me with a mixture of disbelief and despair. I thought back to when we were kids, playing cops and robbers, good guys and bad guys on the front lawn, pretendingto shoot or arrest each other. To think those little boys were about to go on a journey of trauma and grief, each one branching out into their own path of coping with it. I joined the CIA to make the world a better place.
I never intended for the dangers that I signed up for to come back to my family.
“It can’t end like this,” I snapped. “After everything we’ve gone through, it cannot fucking end like this.” I threw my glass into the fireplace, watching the flames consume it like the rage engulfing my heart.
“Maybe the CIA will pick up Vosch before…” Bryson’s words trailed off, so I wasn’t sure what he was about to say.
Before I commit treason against my country to save my family? Before I become the very monster I’ve spent my life trying to fight? Or Before I refuse to help him and he kills everyone I love?
Maybe I could understand now why Daniel ended everything. The part of him that was still good, that cared about his family, saw the cancer he had brought into their lives.
Daniel’s family…
My spine stiffened, my eyes darting around the room as my mind assembled vital pieces of a puzzle. And as it came together, my heart droned in my ears with the melody of hope.
“Vosch didn’t do anything to Daniel’s family,” I realized.
This had occurred to me when I’d confronted Daniel, but in the midst of everything else going on, the fact had receded to the back burner of my brain. A seemingly insignificant fact since its purpose was to understand why Daniel had been willing to die. But now…
Now, that fact jumped front and center with a spotlight on it.
“Because he complied,” Jace said.
“No, I mean after Daniel died. I just talked to Seth on my way over here, and Daniel’s family is alive and well.”