“You don’t know this shit?” Jack asked in disbelief.
“I was on perimeter duty,” Nathan explained. “I was not told about the others—just about a security detail. I’m not responsible for intel on the inside.”
“Is that so?” Jack asked, feeling doubtful. “Who the hell do you work for anyhow? It seems like they’re keeping secrets from you.”
“I…can’t tell you.”
“If you truly want to help us, then I need to know what the hell is going on here. I am pretty damned certain that whatever you think you’re doing here is wrong.”
Nathan shifted uncomfortably. Jack could see him deliberating with his expression. Whatever he was mixed up in, it was bad.
“I’ll tell you because Logan trusts you,” he finally said. “I suppose that will have to be good enough for now.”
“Good,” Jack said. “Now stop dicking around and tell me who the hell you work for.”
“I don’t suppose you’ve ever heard of the Conglomerate?”
“Motherfucking shit!” Jack cursed.
This mission was getting more and more bizarre. He couldn’t fucking believe that Nathan was involved with the group that had killed Bryant’s daughter, the same damned group who was at least partially involved in almost killing Logan.
This was unreal. Did Nathan know how fucked up the Conglomerate really was? And if so, what the hell was Jack going to do about that.
“I’m not sure what that exclamation means,” Nathan said. “But I’m assuming you’ve heard of it, which is rare. Gray Tower must be more connected than I realized.”
“Well, I’m just trying to determine whether you are so out of the loop that you have no idea who you actually work for, or if you’re just as fucking evil as everyone else in the Conglomerate.”
Nathan frowned, looking confused.
“What do you mean? They’re a lot like Gray Tower, just a bit more secretive. We take out bad guys just like you do.”
Jack sighed and said, “I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt, seeing as you haven’t killed us or turned us in, although we’re going to have to talk about you shooting me at some point. But seriously, Nathan, you’re mixed up with one of the evilest organizations ever.
“They killed my boss’s daughter, and one of the Conglomerate’s known associates almost killed your brother last year. You better open your eyes to what’s actually going on.”
“I know that Logan got shot last year, but I didn’t know the details,” Nathan said softly.
“That’s great that you’re keeping an eye on all of us,” Jack said, annoyed. “Gray Tower thanks you for your due diligence, but you haven’t really given me much except that you claim you didn’t know about the civilians here.”
Nathan shifted. Jack could see the conflict in his face. The guy didn’t act like a Conglomerate agent.
“You are sure there are civilians here?” Nathan asked softly.
“Yes,” Jack said firmly. “As I told you before, Kat is one of them.”
There was a pause before Nathan said, “Alright. What can I do to help?”
✽ ✽ ✽
A wide range of emotions plagued Nate’s thoughts as he tried to come to grips with this new information about his employer. In a way, he had always known. Sure, the Conglomerate had given him another chance on life. However, he was still hopped up on drugs constantly. He never knew exactly why he was going on a mission, except for a reassurance from the Commander that the people they were taking out were “bad guys.”
This whole mission had felt off as soon as he had cleared the perimeter of the mansion. The inside team was being particularly secretive, and then Jack and his girlfriend had showed up and turned Nate’s world upside down.
He knew what he had to do now, but that didn’t make it any easier.
“They will come after me if I help you,” Nate told them.
“Doesn’t sound like the type of ‘friends’ I’d want to have around, anyhow,” Jack replied. “Besides, Gray Tower will protect you.”
Nate sighed.
“I’m not sure if that will be enough. Once I go against the Conglomerate, I’ll be a dead man.”
“I won’t let that happen, and Logan surely won’t let that happen, either.”
The mention of Logan made Nate cringe. He had been a fuck-up for so long that he didn’t want to face his family, let alone the guy he respected the most. Nate supposed that Logan would find out real quick that he was involved in this whole clusterfuck.
“So, let’s begin with the object of your mission,” Jack said. “What are you here for?”
“Orson Carr,” Nate replied. “I was told that he was mixed up with some bad shit and needed to be interrogated and possibly eliminated.”
“Do you know why?”
“No.”
“And that didn’t sound fishy as hell to you?”
“They don’t tell us much.”
Jack shook his head and said, “Either you’re an idiot or really ignorant.”
“You served, didn’t you? How much shit did they tell you there?”
Nate could see Jack hesitate. He must have struck a nerve.
“Okay. I get it,” Jack finally said.
“Look, the Conglomerate took me in when I was a worthless drug addict. They gave me a purpose, gave me family. I never questioned their ethics until now.”
“Fine,” Jack said, shifting his body and wincing.
“How are you doing?” Nate asked, feeling guilty.
“Just fucking lovely.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for shooting you. I’m just glad that I aimed for your shoulder instead of your heart.”
Jack nodded, then paused. He reached down and picked up what was probably a sat phone.
“Hey,” he answered. “There is a shitload that I need to update you on…Okay.”
He listened for a moment. Then, his eyes flicked up to Nate.
“Hold on,” Jack said, his attention going back to Nate. “Where the hell did you get that armor from?”
“It’s standard for special ops Conglomerate soldiers.”
“Shit. I need to get everyone updated right now.”
✽ ✽ ✽
Logan gripped the railing of Luke’s borrowed boat, the Wind Dancer. It was a tourist boat, but it would work for getting twelve men plus Luke to Faraway Cay.
They had gotten the call about the combat armor. It reminded Logan of some kind of super soldier suit—at least, that was what Miles had been going for when it was designed. The drug angle was a bit disturbing. Nothing like going into a situation where the enemy was hopped up on drugs.
Their plans had changed only slightly as there wasn’t much they could do. However, they were going with the highest caliber bullets they could with the guns they brought and would work with grenades and strategically placed explosives. It wasn’t ideal, but at least they knew what they were dealing with.
Mercer Cade walked up to him and grabbed the railing as the boat bounded toward the island. The man could look a bit intimidating as he had scarring down one side of his face from his time in the military. He was also a bit prickly if you didn’t know him, but he was the guy who you wanted at your back.
“Mercado says an hour and a half to an hour and forty-five minutes until we get to the island,” Cade said, nodding out toward the horizon.
The sun was already well on its way up, and it reflected on the blue Caribbean water in a glassy cascade of oranges, yellows, and reds. It had been a long time since Logan had been down to this part of the world. It wouldn’t be too much longer until he and Keira visited St. Lucia for their honeymoon. That is, if he made it to his honeymoon.
Logan’s phone buzzed, and he immediately picked up. Every time he received a phone call, more intel came in.
“Slade,” he answered.
“Slade, it’s Bryant. I have some—uh—information for you. I guess I’ll start with the easy part to digest.”
&nb
sp; What the hell did he mean by that? Logan wondered.
“Let me hear it,” he said.
“We know who we’re dealing with,” Bryant told him. “You’re not going to like it, but I’m glad we know. Those soldiers on the island are Conglomerate mercenaries, using my prototype armor to make them some sort of super soldier.”
“Holy shit,” Logan mumbled.
Cade’s eyebrows raised slightly, and Logan murmured what Bryant had just told him.
This was now even more serious than Logan had realized. They had only found out about the Conglomerate last year, and everything that they had learned since then demonstrated how ruthless they could be. This mission suddenly felt harder than even Logan had initially thought.
“Well, that sucks,” Logan said. “However, I suppose that it will be an excellent opportunity to get under the Conglomerate’s skin a bit, especially if they are utilizing armor that you designed.”
“It makes me suspicious of the timing with when I was designing the armor and Jasmine’s death,” Bryant continued. “I was the one who was supposed to be on that plane. What would have happened to that armor if I had been on that plane?”
“That’s a good question,” Logan said, pondering the implications. “Wait, you said there was something else, right?”
“Yeah…” Bryant said, trailing off. “I don’t know how to tell you this, Logan. Maybe it’s best if I just pull off the band-aid?”
Logan gripped the railing tightly, a pit in his stomach forming. What the hell was Bryant talking about? For all the time that he had known Miles, the guy had never treated him with kid gloves. What could be more important than knowing the Conglomerate was behind this attack?
“Just tell me already,” Logan said.
“You know the soldier who shot Jack but also let them go?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, he knew Jack by name and knew he was connected to Gray Tower. You remember all that intel, right?”
“Sure. What are you saying?”
There was a long pause.
“The soldier showed up at Jack and Kat’s location.”
Logan shook his head and exclaimed, “What the hell!”
“It’s not as bad as you think,” Miles reassured. “He turned out to be a friendly.”
“Who is he?” Logan asked.
“He’s your brother, Nathan.”
Logan heard the words, but he couldn’t quite process them. He thought that maybe he had misheard what Bryant had said.
“Wait. What?”
“Your brother is the Conglomerate mercenary.”
Logan could feel his ears beginning to ring. The hand that held the phone began to shake to the point that Mercer grabbed it.
Holy fuck.
Nathan was working for the Conglomerate? How could this have happened?
Chapter 20
Kat sat nervously, glancing back and forth between Jack and Nathan. She didn’t think this trip could get more bizarre, but apparently it could. Who would have thought that Logan’s long-lost brother would show up in the middle of this craziness?
Jack was still sitting against the rocks while Nathan stood near, listening and standing guard. She could tell his was struggling and not just with his wound. It was a lot to process. Logan was Jack’s best friend and finding out that Nathan was not only alive but working for the Conglomerate was a lot to deal with.
She had to admit that he looked a lot like Logan. Sure, he wore his hair differently, but she could see the resemblance. He certainly was just as attractive as Logan.
Meanwhile, Kat was super anxious, and she wished that she had Mr. Snuggles with her for comfort.
She sighed.
Kat supposed Mr. Snuggles was gone for good as he was still sitting in her bedroom back at the mansion.
“Your assault looks…okay,” Nathan said. “I’m just not sure how effective it’s going to be with those guys and the armor.”
“Well, do you have any suggestions?” Jack asked, looking a bit annoyed.
Nathan hesitated.
“I was thinking that when the rescue team comes to get you guys, we leave Kat with them, and I’ll take you with me as a “hostage.” That way, we’re both in the building when your team comes in. We can try to get a jump on the Commander. He’s the leader of the whole operation.”
Kat tensed at Nathan’s suggestion. It was plausible, but she didn’t like that Jack would be back in danger. He had already been through enough already, and she also didn’t want to be separated from him.
“That is, if you think you’d be up to it,” he added.
Jack shifted uneasily.
“I can do it, though I can only shoot left-handed. I’m not the greatest shot with my non-dominant side.”
“Jack,” Kat whispered. “I don’t want you to go.”
“I know, beautiful, but sometimes we have to do shit that we don’t want to.”
Jack gently stroked her arm with his left hand. A chill ran up her spine. Even though they had gotten physical many times, she still wasn’t quite used to his touch.
“Hold on,” Jack continued, looking down at his sat phone.
He answered it and listened for a moment. Then, he looked up at Nathan.
“Just FYI, your brother knows you’re here. He took it…about as well as can be expected, considering.”
Nathan nodded solemnly.
Kat listened to Jack give an update to whoever was on the other end of the line about Nathan’s plan.
When he was done, he looked up and said, “Gray Tower is cool with it if I am. I’m just hoping that you won’t stab me in the back.”
“No,” Nathan said firmly. “Never.”
There was a long pause before Kat spoke up.
“What can I do to help?” She offered.
“Get on the damned boat when Gray Tower comes to rescue you,” Jack said firmly.
Feeling a bit annoyed, Kat told him, “I can help! Look, I’ve got skills that you can use. I’ve already gotten into their HVAC, lighting, and security system.”
“Wait. What?” Nathan piped in. “Jack, I thought she was your girlfriend, not a Gray Tower agent.”
Jack glared at her and said, “I was hoping that wouldn’t come up. She’s not trained in the field, but she’s a damned good hacker.”
“You know, this is only going to work if you stop keeping secrets from me,” Nathan said, shaking his head.
Jack shrugged.
“You’re on a need to know basis, and I felt like you didn’t need to know that.”
“Did anyone tell you that you’re kind of an asshole?” Nathan asked.
“All the time,” Kat cut-in and smiled.
She couldn’t help herself on that one. Glancing over at Jack, she noticed that he was grinning too.
“So, what can you do, Kat?” Nathan asked.
“Well, I can play with the HVAC—make it super hot or cold. I can mess with some of the lights, mostly the outside and security lights as well as the security system itself. Carr had it attached to his network, and it was easy to get in.
“For a guy who owns a software company, he really sucks at his own stuff. But then again, a lot of these head honchos don’t know much about technology, even if it has to do with their own company.”
“That’s fucking awesome, Kat,” Nathan told her. “But that’s not going to work as well as you think, except as a quick distraction. These suits are temp-controlled, and they have automatic night-vision that turns off and on, making flash-bang grenades ineffective. Although, I will say that it could make an interesting distraction if used correctly.”
Kat sat there and thought for a moment. Something about what Nathan had just said made her pause.
“I’m assuming there’s a computer and programing that allows all of that to work?” She asked Nathan.
“Yeah, though don’t ask me how it works.”
“Come here. Let me see your helmet and armor,” she told him.
Nathan m
oved forward and handed her the helmet. It was heavier than she expected. She studied the inside and smiled when she found what she was looking for.
“There’s a USB connector up here,” she said pointing to a small port to the back of it. “Freaking awesome!”
“USB?” Jack said, his eyebrow raised. “Like those storage sticks we use?”
“Yeah,” Kat said, laughing. “Depending when this armor was developed will determine what speed the USB connection is.”
“About a decade ago,” Jack noted.
“Hmm. Okay, then. Maybe USB 3.0,” she said, not that either of them probably cared, but she loved that kind of stuff.
Kat pulled a cable out of her laptop bag as well as the laptop itself. Her computer had a satellite connection, so she could do anything with it anywhere. Then, she plugged into the helmet.
She spent some time looking around. It was a Unix-based operating system and didn’t have a ton of processing power in comparison with what was out now. However, for what it needed to do, that was fine.
Kat had a few work-arounds that she knew and ran a few scripts that would get her to where she needed to be. Then, she did more digging. Then, she frowned.
She looked again.
Holy shit! She thought. This couldn’t be possible.
She checked again.
It was the same damned security measure that Kat had worked on when she had won the Cypherus contest eleven years ago. The more she looked at it, the more she realized that they hadn’t implemented any fixes to it! Why the hell would they run a contest like that, get a fix to the security measure, and then not fix the issue?
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked, concern showing on his face.
“If this is the armor Miles created, what happened to it when he sold his company?” She asked.
“The design supposedly got sold off with the rest of the company,” he replied.
“So, Cypherus stopped working on it?”
“As far as I know.”
Kat clapped her hands together and let out a cry of joy.
“What’s wrong?” Jack and Nathan said in unison.
“This is so ironic!” She exclaimed.
Troubled Paradise (Gray Tower Book 2) Page 17