Chapter 23
NICK
Worse, the fucking thing was built to stand on business.
I’d disarmed three different booby-traps, two of which could have taken out me and possibly the HEAT team in the next room.
Once I’d bypassed those tripwires, I’d been able to disassemble the weapon and get a good, long, look at the guts of it.
“Pasco was right,” I told the team through the speaker system, because they stood behind a steel wall fitted with a thick, triple-paned window. “It’s not Western technology.”
“Of course it’s not,” said Pasco, cocky as ever.
I held up the weapon so Lang and the others could see what I’d seen.
“A lot of this is just standard technology configured in a different way. What I don’t like about it is the potential payload.
” I turned it over and pointed to the exposed inner compartment.
“It’s built to withstand a lot of toxic materials for at least some period of time.
It could be used to disperse something chemical, biological, even radioactive.
” I shook my head. “And there’s one configuration of wiring I don’t understand, but I suspect it could be used to cause a super-aerosolization event. ”
A collective gasp came from the group watching me.
Yep, my reaction exactly. That, along with a whole pile of fuck me.
One of the great limiting factors in deploying toxins capable of mass destruction was a way to efficiently distribute them.
Any indication that our enemies were taking a step forward in that capability was cause for sounding multiple alarms. And for contacting multiple agencies whose top scientists were about to have their holiday vacations ruined.
Kat pressed her lips together and nodded. “I’ll send the bad news up the chain. Will you be ready to brief at 1400 hours?”
“Affirmative.”
“I’ll help set up the briefing slides,” Lang said. “Take a break, Roman, then meet me in the SCIF in fifteen,” he told me, referencing the area of the building set aside to do the highest level of classified work.
Hayes and Wheeler helped me out of my suit. Since they were the team members who spent the most time in the field running up against bad guys, they were as proficient at getting in and out of safety gear as I was.
When I was back in my civvies, Kat motioned for me to follow her. We took the elevator up to ground-level and went to her office, where she closed the door.
“Have a seat.” She sat in the chair beside me instead of moving behind the desk.
“It’s been a whirlwind since we got you here, so I wanted to say I’m sorry things went sideways yesterday.
You never should have been left finding your own way across the country.
HEAT should have transported you ourselves, but other agencies inserted themselves into our process.
X is taking it up with the leaders of the Senate subcommittee who provide oversight. ”
X was the big boss, the founder of HEAT, and a woman to be reckoned with. I didn’t envy the senators who would be at the receiving end of her outrage over yesterday’s shitshow.
“I’m also sorry about Cara,” she continued. “About what happened to her, and about the fact that it seems like you two have gone your separate ways.”
“Kat, I’ve always liked and respected you, which is why I’m going to warn you, you’re treading on dangerous ground.”
“Understood.” She leaned forward and propped her elbows on her knees. “But here’s the thing, Roman. We like working with you. You’re top-shelf. The real deal. HEAT material. And X wants you in our house full-time.”
They’d made this offer to me before. I’d turned them down cold, and they’d countered with a lucrative subcontract, all negotiated through my higher-ups. “You know I’m not interested.”
Kat smiled. “And you know when X wants something, I have to ask.”
I took a deep breath and blew it out. I’d spent the twenty-four hours—since Cara had told me that super-spy Nick couldn’t have future with her—thinking about my life.
I’d spent the sleepless hours in her arms last night weighing what did and didn’t still work for me.
Somewhere before I’d dosed off in the wee hours of the morning, I’d made a decision.
I’d had to bury it while I focused on the day’s dangerous work, but now that the hard part of this assignment was over, it was time for my next step.
“Kat, I want out.”
She sat back, her eyes wide. “Of HEAT? Please tell me that’s not what you mean.”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
“Nick, you know how important our work is. With your help, we’ve saved a lot of lives over the years.”
“Thanks for saying that,” I said, “but I think I’ve saved as many as I can here. Now it’s time to save myself.”
She whistled. “You’re that serious about her.”
“It’s not only about Cara.” It was also about recovering from my past and getting over my need to save the whole world, about having more priorities than being a hero to strangers, about falling in love with Christmas again.
Although, come to think of it, Cara was at the root of all those revelations.
“It’s time, Kat. I know there are outs buried somewhere in my contract. ”
“There are. But out is out. You’ve made peace with completely cutting ties with the agency?”
“I have.”
She studied my face for a long moment, then let out a long sigh. “Then consider it done.” She stood and held out her hand and we shook. “The next time I see you, I expect it to be because I’m on the West Coast and you and Cara invite me to dinner to meet your cat.”
“Who says I’m going to have a cat?”
She grinned. “The lady wants a cat. You want the lady. Trust me, Nick, you’re going to have a cat.”