Chapter 21
Snap out of it!
Sophie sat at a window seat toward the back, staring out at the clouds, probably not seeing them.
I needed to go talk to her, make sure she was all right.
Well, as all right as she could be under the circumstances.
Code sat across from me, laptop open, his attention locked on the screen.
Lines of code scrolled past—actual code, not the Hollywood version.
Simon paced the aisle with his phone pressed to his ear, his voice low and controlled as he coordinated something I couldn't quite hear.
I was just getting up to talk to Sophie when Code’s phone buzzed. I sat back down.
"Thompson, what do you have?”
He paused.
“No, that’s not it. I need updated tracking on Viktor's plane," Code said, clearly frustrated. "The second he crosses into Tennessee airspace, I need to know."
Simon's plane had every technological advantage money could buy—satellite internet, encrypted communications, the works.
When I'd asked if we were allowed to use phones on a private jet, Simon had actually smiled.
"My plane, my rules. Plus, Onyx Security pays for military-grade secure comms. We're not interfering with navigation systems, and these calls are encrypted. FAA's got no issues with it."
Made sense for a security company that handled sensitive clients. Still felt surreal to be hurtling through the sky at 600 miles per hour while planning a defense against Russian operatives.
"Did Thompson find out Viktor’s flight plan?" Simon asked, dropping into the seat beside Code.
Code’s phone buzzed, and he looked down and grinned. “Viktor took his plane, left LAX two hours after we did. He’s flying into Knoxville, same as us.”
Two hours to prepare for eight Russian operatives and their psychopathic boss.
Two hours to save a town that had protected me without question.
"So we have two hours. Time to loop in the team." He hit speaker and dialed.
Jase answered on the first ring. "Tell me you're close."
"Two hours out from Knoxville. Viktor's another two hours behind us." Simon's voice shifted into commander mode. "Got Nolan with you?"
"Right here." Nolan's voice came through. "Cut the honeymoon short. Mary is not happy with me right now. You owe us another vacation."
"Put it on my tab." Simon's attempt at levity fell flat. "Roan and Hart?"
"Still in DC," Jase said. "Won't make it back in time."
"Then it's what we've got." Simon exhaled slowly.
"Viktor Sokolov is inbound with eight Russian operatives.
Military-trained, probably FSB or ex-Spetsnaz.
They know Kit was in Jasper Creek. They're coming for her, hoping that if they grab her, they can use her as bait to draw out Russell Dunlap and get the deepfake technology. "
The silence on the other end stretched too long.
"Jase?" Code leaned forward.
"Yeah, I'm here." But something in his voice had changed; contained, but I still heard it. Fear. These men who'd faced down terrorists and survived impossible odds—they were scared.
"We need to talk about contingencies," Jase said carefully.
"Such as?" Simon asked.
"Should we evacuate families?" The question came out rough. "My twins are nine years old, same as your Bella, Simon. Then there’s your son Drake, and Nolan, you have Iris.”
My chest tightened. I'd heard about Simon's daughter Bella and his baby son Drake who'd just turned one. Nolan's daughter Iris was only four. Children who had no idea their fathers had spent years walking into danger, who thought daddy just worked at a normal office now.
"If it comes to town," Jase continued, his voice strained.
"Bonnie could take the twins to the orchard," he continued. "Mary could take Iris there too, same with Trenda with your kids, Simon.”
"No." Simon's voice cut through sharp and clear. "We don't get everybody riled up. We don't scatter. We treat this like any other mission: focus on defeating the Russians and keeping them away from town entirely."
"How?" Nolan asked. "If they come in asking questions, threatening people—"
“Think about it,” Code interrupted. “They won’t do that. They’re going to come in soft, trying to finesse information.”
"They won't make it into town." Simon stood, resuming his pacing. "We direct them somewhere else. Somewhere isolated. Somewhere we control."
"Where?" Jase asked.
Simon stopped pacing. "My old cabin. Up the mountain."
"You still have that place?" Jase sounded surprised. "I thought you sold it years ago."
"Kept it. Good investment.” He paused. "Renzo and I had to defend it once. It's isolated, single access road, elevation advantage. It's defensible."
"But how do we get Viktor to go there?" Nolan asked.
“He’ll do some reconnaissance,” Code answered. “He won’t just be knocking on doors in town, looking for Katherine.”
The strategic part of my brain—the part that had spent fifteen years studying how people operated, learning motivations for roles—suddenly kicked into gear.
"Exactly," I said, leaning forward. "How would any operator get information in a new town they don't know? He’ll do the same thing the PI did. He’ll go to restaurants.
Coffee shops. Places where locals gather and talk.
Where you can have casual conversations and gather intel.
" I thought about Little Grandma's sharp eyes, how she'd known exactly who I was the second Angelica introduced me as "Kathy.
" How she and Lettie had fed that PI complete nonsense about Hulk Hogan.
"So we get Pearl, Little Grandma, and Lettie in on this. Ruby from Java Jolt.”
Simon snorted out a laugh.
“What?” Jase asked.
“We get Florence into the mix,” Simon answered. “It would only make sense that she be the one to ultimately give them the information.”
“Can we trust her?” Nolan asked through the speaker phone.
I didn’t know who they were talking about.
I looked at Code and he shrugged too. At least we were both in the dark.
Simon must have seen our confusion. “Florence is the town gossip. Nothing goes on in Jasper Creek that she doesn’t know.
But she doesn’t have a malicious bone in her body.
She won’t share something if she thinks it will hurt someone. ”
“She’s one sharp tack,” Jase chimed in.
“So we get Pearl, Little Grandma, and Lettie from the Down Home Diner, Ruby from Java Jolt, and Florence together and tell them their roles, is that what you’re thinking?” I asked.
“Exactly,” Jase agreed. “Normally, I’d wait for Simon to explain it all, but we need to get the ball rolling now. Do y’all think it’s going to be Vincent asking the questions? Do we have a photo of him?”
“Yes and yes,” Code answered. “Most likely he’ll have one of his men with him, two would be overkill. I’ll get you the photo.”
“Where do you think they’ll be staying?” Nolan asked.
“I think they’ll want to handle this today if they can, but they’ll probably check into some place in Knoxville. Nine men checking into a hotel in Jasper Creek would be too suspicious.”
“Now that we know who’s going to do the talking, and who they’re talking to, what are they going to say?” Jase asked.
"Make it subtle," I said, working through it. "Don't point them directly at the cabin. That's too obvious. Make it sound like... oh, Angelica and Kit mentioned needing some time away from it all. Somewhere quiet. Make Viktor work to find out where. I don’t think it should all come from one person.”
I could see Simon’s eyes light up at my suggestion. Code put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze.
“So the first person is vague, saying something like wanting to stay secluded up in the mountains, maybe?” Nolan asked.
“That would be perfect,” I agreed. “Then when Viktor leaves with that information, he moves on, and the next person will tell him about the delightful little cabin. They won’t give the specific location, but enough of one that Viktor and his goons have an idea of where to head.
The women can call each other so they know who he’s talked to and what he knows. ”
“I like this, Kit.” Simon beamed. “Jase, can you pull the ladies together?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay, now we need the manpower for the cabin.” Code said.
“I can take care of that,” Nolan piped up. “I’ll pull in Kai and Beau. See if Michael's available."
“Who?” I asked.
"Kai Davies, he’s former Delta," Nolan said, and I heard the shift in his tone, confidence replacing fear. "Beau Beaumont, his twin brother former Marine Raider. I’ll also pull in Michael Rankin. He might not have been a Raider, but he served as a Marine for eight years—that’ll outdo any fucking Russian that comes our way.
Between them, the SEALs, and Code's intel capabilities. .."
"Seven Americans with home ground advantage versus eight Russians and Viktor who don't know the territory," Code finished. "Plus we have two hours to prepare defensive positions before they even land."
"I'll pull Renzo too," Jase said. "He knows the cabin, knows the terrain."
"Do it." Simon's commander voice was fully engaged now.
"What about me and Sophie?" I asked. “Where do we go?”
All four men on the call went quiet. Sophie was watching us from her seat, looking terrified.
“The orchard would be best,” Jase finally answered. “It’s the exact opposite way of the mountain.”
“I’d prefer it if we left them in Knoxville,” Code said slowly.
“So would I,” Simon said. “But with us still not knowing where Russell is, we still might need them to draw him out.”
Code’s body went tight. “That’s absolutely unacceptable.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Sophie spoke up.
Everyone turned to look at her. “I love my brother, but what he’s doing is wrong.
And maybe he can get to us first, before Viktor…
before he…” She blinked rapidly. “He’s better off in custody than dead.
I can leave a message and tell him I’m on my way to Knoxville with Kit Lord.
He’s not answering me and I don’t know if he’s checking his messages, but it’s worth a shot. ”
Simon nodded at her. “Thank you, Sophie. We’ll do our best not to hurt him, and if he comes in easy, we won’t have a reason to.”
“Can I call while we’re on the plane, or will I crash us?” Sophie asked as she pulled her phone out of her purse.
“It’s safe to call,” Simon told her.
She nodded, then punched in a number and put her phone to her ear.
“Russell? It’s me again. Look, you really need to call me back.
I’m on a plane with Kit Lord and we’re headed to Knoxville.
There’s Russians after us, Russ. They want—” her breath hitched.
“They want to use me to get to you. I’m safe for now, but who knows?
Please call me, Russ. If you don’t then…
then I’ll never forgive you. I’ll never speak to you again.
You’ll be dead to me.” She wiped away a tear. “So, please call me. I love you.”
She disconnected and closed her eyes.
“I’m sorry you had to do that, Sophie.” I’d never heard such tenderness in Simon’s voice.
Without opening her eyes, she nodded. “Thanks for giving him a chance to survive.”
Simon turned back to Code. “With everybody we have, they’ll be covered, Code. But we have to think strategically.”
Code nodded, and pulled me even closer.
"Two hours until we land," Simon said. "Then we have maybe ninety minutes to get into position before Viktor touches down. Let's make them count. Jase and Nolan, you know what you’ve got to do. We brief at the cabin in three hours.”
The call ended, and Simon got up and sat in a seat up front, as far away from Code and me as possible.
“I want to do more,” I whispered.
“I want you in Knoxville,” Code replied. I could see the pain in his eyes, and it wasn’t from his injured ribs.
“Do you think Russell will show up?”
“Yeah, I do. Everything is crashing down all around him. His easy mark, Eddie, refused to pay him, he has Russians out after him, and now after his sister. I think that he still hopes to get money from the others, but he loves Sophie, and he doesn’t want anything to happen to her. I think he’ll show.”
“But Sophie tried calling him and he didn’t answer.”
“Because he doesn’t want her involved.” He smiled ruefully. “Too late for that.”
I nodded.
“And,” Code continued. “He’s going to think that Jasper Creek is as good a safe spot as any. Remember, he’s trying to stay away from the Russians, and he’ll want to get to his sister before they do. He’ll have no idea that he’s running right toward the hornet’s nest.”
His hand found mine, warm and steady.
"I’ve defended worse positions with worse odds," he said quietly.
"Have you?" I asked. "Really?"
He was quiet for a moment. "No," he admitted. "But we've got good people. And we're fighting for them. That makes a difference."
Outside the window, clouds stretched endlessly white. Somewhere behind us, Viktor Sokolov's plane was closing the distance, bringing violence to a town that had shown me nothing but kindness.
But waiting in that town were men who'd spent their lives defending people who couldn't defend themselves. Delta Force. Raiders. SEALs. Men who'd just been told their children were potentially in danger.
The plane began its descent toward Knoxville.
Two hours until boots on the ground.
The war for Jasper Creek was about to begin.