Dan took another dangerous step toward him, causing Donovan to stumble back. Go ahead, asshole. Try to run. Dare me. Donovan's hands came out farther. "Honest to God, Dan!"
Dan ignored his pleas. He motioned for Snyder to take over monitoring JT inside the compound. Snyder nodded and took his position, though the look on his face as he darted his eyes back and forth between Donovan and Dan asked a thousand questions.
Reaching up and watching Donovan almost collapse as he flinched, Dan patted him down.
"Let's take a walk," Dan said, keeping his voice even and calm. If he did have to kill Donovan, he didn't want to do it in front of Snyder. Hell, he didn't want to do it. Period.
Donovan's shoulders visibly sank. His face paled. Nodding, he turned as Dan placed his hand on his shoulder and led him away.
He called him by his first name. Donovan never used his first name. That bugged him. Jesus. Why did he have to go and do something like that? As if this wasn't already hard enough. Donovan had to go and personalize it.
Before he did anything, Dan wanted to hear him out. Donovan at least deserved that much. Dan led them over to a nearby covering where they would be hidden from any prying eyes.
They settled and he turned to Donovan. "Was it worth it?"
Donovan shook his head. "I'm not the mole. I swear."
He started to shake. No, not shake. Sob. He then lowered his head and buried his face in his hands, sank to the ground. "I didn't know what to do. I couldn't tell anyone. You're the only one I can trust enough to help me."
Whoa. The last time he saw a grown man cry was at Broadway's funeral. Hell, they all cried. Did someone else die? Who was left? Dan knelt down and waited for Donovan to collect himself enough to explain.
Finally, Donovan drew in a deep breath and raised his head, his lazy eyes bloodshot and swollen. His entire face now covered with tears and snot, the man really was an ugly crier. "I'm such an idiot. I've been feeding information to the enemy this whole time and never even knew it. I actually thought she was genuinely interested in my work. I had no idea."
A shockwave of disbelief coursed through Dan as he realized who Donovan was talking about. "Your wife. She's the mole?"
"I thought she was just playing the role of the supportive wife."
"Was it her idea to get me back in? Am I the common factor in all this?"
Donovan nodded. "When LEON disappeared, I racked my brain trying to figure out how to get it back without bringing you in. In a moment of weakness, I broke down and told her about LEON , asked for her opinion. It made sense to bring you back in. She made the suggestion. I made the call."
Dan cursed. "She's the brunette. That's why you were hell bent to pin this on JT."
"I didn't want to accept the fact my wife could betray me like that. Deep down, I knew. But yesterday confirmed it. After Cole called, Lexi took off, said she had to meet a friend for coffee or something. She came back late last night. While she was sleeping, I started looking through her purse. God, I felt like such a jerk. I found a cell phone. I didn't even know she had a cell phone."
"The point, Donovan?" Dan urged. As much as he found Donovan's ramblings about his wife simply fascinating, they really didn't have the luxury of time to talk about this. Dan wanted the facts. How did Donovan figure out his wife was the mole? That's what Dan wanted to know.
"I started scrolling through the numbers. I found Aims'. Cummings'. Johnson's. And one I didn't recognize. So I called it." Donovan looked at Dan. "It was Jason Peck."
Dan made that connection as soon as Donovan told him about his wife. Of course she was in with Peck. The dickhead didn't deviate. He liked women for partners. Killer brunettes. Dan ignored the throb as it shot through his scar. "Did you confront her about it?"
"I needed time to think. I went for a drive to clear my head. When I came home about an hour later, she was gone. All of her clothes were gone. Her jewelry. Gone. Except this." He pulled a diamond solitaire ring out of his shirt pocket. "This she left on my pillow."
"She knows you know. Any idea where she went?"
"No."
So now they had yet another player in the game. Dan had a pretty good idea they'd find her as soon as they found Peck. He slapped Donovan lightly on the back, squeezed his shoulder. With the news about Donovan's wife, the weight on Dan's chest lifted. He felt for Donovan's loss, having been there. But damn it felt good knowing his friend didn't betray him after all, at least not intentionally.
"I'm sorry I ever doubted you, my friend," Dan started. "Are you going to make it?"
Donovan nodded. "I'll recover. It's just such a kick in the head, you know? Loving a woman one minute, only to have her rip your heart out the next. I figured you would understand."
Yes, Dan understood. All too well.
Donovan studied Dan's eye. "You look like shit."
Dan grinned and winced as the smile reached his eye. Damn, that hurt. "You don't look any better."
"What happened? You get jumped or something?"
"Yeah. By Turner."
"Did she not get off a good shot?"
That comment reminded Dan of what Donovan ordered JT to do. Instead of demanding answers—they'd have it out during the debrief—Dan accepted the fact now was not the time.
"I take it your wife knows we are in Cartagena, and knows why."
Miserably, Donovan nodded.
Goddamn him and his loose lips. "But does she know JT is inside?"
Donovan looked at him, his expression still and serious. "She is? I didn't know that."
Dan thought it odd on how quick Donovan recovered. His suspicious nature started to creep back to the surface. "What does your wife look like?"
"I've got a picture of her." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, flipped it open. "She's blonde in the picture. She changes the color to fit her mood." He laughed at himself as he sifted through his wallet. "Or, I guess, to fit the op she's on."
"Can't you find the picture?"
"Of course." He stopped frozen and stared down at his wallet.
"What is it?"
"It's gone."
Figures. It would have been too easy for Dan to actually know what the mole looked like before he added her to his shit list. And if she didn't arrive with Peck, then Dan wouldn't have a clue as to who she was. He needed Donovan to identify her.
Swell. As if his hands weren't already full enough. He had a rookie on the inside to watch over, a technical gadget expert he didn't trust, the guy's brother he'd never met, and now a broken-hearted ex-field agent with a gimpy leg.
Wait. Snyder. He'd made a pass at Donovan's wife. He'd know what she looked like. "Come on," Dan ordered. He led them back to the foxhole. Snyder nodded once as a greeting. "Anything?"
"Nope. Your lady got up, paced for a bit, mentioned a few places she wanted to send Mercado. She now sleeps. She has the cutest little snort thing she does. And she makes these little whimper noises." Snyder wiggled his brow.
Dan glared at him with his one good eye. He didn't like Snyder taking that much of an interest in the way JT slept. "Good. So it sounds like Mercado will be spending the night with his new guest. Good. That's good." He ignored the skip in his chest.
Donovan and Snyder both eyed Dan. It was Donovan who commented. "Your lady?"
Damn it. "She's not my lady."
"What are you doing? Have you completely lost it?"
"Not now, Donovan." Dan hit Snyder's legs for him to move over. He sat and shoved the piece into his ear. As soon as he could hear JT breathing deeply, his nerves calmed.
Donovan shook his head, mumbled something about history repeating itself. Dan didn't appreciate the comment, but said nothing.
"Glad to see he didn't kill you," Snyder commented, always the brown-noser.
"Me, too," Donovan replied.
"The night is young, boys." Dan checked his weapons, keeping his hands busy and his eyes down.
"Care to brief me on what in the hell went on between y
ou two?"
"He's not the mole," Dan offered, never looking up.
"Then who is?" Snyder's tone grew edgy.
Dan looked up at Donovan. "His wife."
"No shit."
"No shit," Donovan repeated, the defeat clear in his voice.
Dan finished checking his weapons. With nothing else to keep his attention off Donovan and grilling him for more information, he picked up the first gun and started checking them all over again. "Here's the deal. Peck may have company with him. They are on their way down to Colombia with LEON . They may already be here. Mercado has the means and they have the merchandise, which leaves us a very small window of opportunity. Snyder, you take Donovan back to the hotel."
They both started to protest.
"He's no good to us now," Dan said, cutting them off. "Snyder, you've seen his wife. Can you identify her again if you had to?"
Snyder nodded. "You bet your ass. And hers."
Donovan narrowed his eyes at him.
"Good. In the meantime, I have to find a way in there."
"What?" Snyder argued. "No way. Not without me."
"We've got to plant a bug on Mercado. We need to hear this deal, know where in the hell it is."
"What about the earrings?" Snyder looked at Dan.
No way. If JT planted the earrings on Mercado, Dan would lose any verbal communication with her, as well as tracking ability. He would lose her. "There's got to be something else."
"It's the best choice and you know it," Donovan cut in. "This is why you should have kept your dick in your pants. It's too personal now. And you of all people should know when you're too close, you make mistakes."
Dan's eyes rested on Donovan. "I'm in charge of this mission. I say we find something else."
Donovan didn't back down. "And I'm your goddamn superior, Weber. I say we use her."
"You are not my superior on this, not anymore. You gave me the green light to do this my way. You are on the sidelines. This is my op and I say we find another way."
"Listen to yourself! You're obsessed. Take a step back, Weber. If it were anyone else, you'd agree."
He growled in frustration. Damn, damn, damn. He was right and Dan knew it. Pushing his personal feelings for JT aside wouldn't be easy, but he had no choice. "Fine. You two stay here." He stood and started stuffing guns into his belt.
"Where are you going?" Snyder asked. He eyed him and shook his head. "Dude, you're not going in there alone."
"Take Donovan back to the hotel." Dan ordered and took a step toward the compound.
"Hell, no." Snyder stood and copied Dan by shoving guns into his pants. "I'm going in with you."
"Snyder, I gave you a direct order."
"Fuck your order. Tombstone courage will get you killed."
Dan heard his own words used against him. He said the same thing to Opie the first time he met him. He'd been right then, and knew Snyder was right now. Still, he couldn't risk anyone else on this. He didn't want anyone else's death on his conscience.
Snyder continued to press. "You did not drag me all the way out into the jungle to sit on my ass while you risk yours. Why should you get to have all the fun? Let's get in and get out. Donovan can stay here and listen in. If things get hairy, he knows what to do."
"I do?" Donovan looked up at them, his eyes wide.
Dan closed his eyes and allowed a few of his favorite curses to roll off his tongue. He rubbed his neck, having suddenly come down with a pounding headache. It stemmed from where Snyder hit him on the back of his head.
"Headache?" Snyder asked.
"Yes," Dan hissed, keeping his eyes closed.
"Why?" Donovan asked.
Dan opened his eyes and rested them on Donovan. "Snyder knocked me out yesterday."
"In my defense, I did it to save your ass. Lest we forget. Besides, you did pay me back by nearly breaking my neck."
Donovan sat there, looking at Dan and Snyder, following whoever was talking. He finally rested his eyes on Dan. "So Turner gave you the makeup job on your eye. Snyder knocked you out. And you have a habit of choking the members of your team. Huh. Interesting way to run a mission."
Weber gave Donovan the finger and stepped out of the hole. "The signal is three tongue clicks. Any other noises and you shoot first, ask questions later."
Donovan nodded, swallowed. He grabbed one of the many guns and pulled it to his chest. His face paled as he sank down and darted his eyes back and forth. Dan rolled his eyes and walked away, pulling Snyder with him.
"Donovan isn't quite the man I remember."
"Tell me about it," Dan answered. He pulled out his knife and started hacking away at the thick brush in front of them.
"And you thought he was the mole?"
Dan slowed, turned to look at him. "How did you know that?"
"Why else would you want to take a guy using a cane for a walk in the middle of the jungle if not to get information out of him? Did you have to make the guy cry?"
Dan turned back around and kept hacking away. "He's not the mole. I told you. His wife is."
"No wonder he cried."
"Yeah, having the woman you love betray you..." Dan didn't want to finish.
"That's not what I'm talking about. The mere thought of settling down with one woman brings a tear to my eyes. You will never see a ring on this man's finger."
Just wait , Dan said to himself. When you meet her, you won't even know what happened. And the mere thought of not settling down with her will bring a tear to your eyes.
Dan had to stop thinking about JT. If not for the sake of the mission, then for the sake of his own sanity. "Donovan not only lost his wife on this deal, but there's a good chance he'll go to prison. His career in NASSD is over even if they don't fire him. No one wants to work with someone they can't trust."
"But you said it was his wife."
"He talks too much, especially when it comes to something as top secret at the LEON project."
"Hey, don't you think it's time you let me in on what we're really dealing with? Who is Leon anyway?"
Dan sliced through a vine and pulled it aside. " LEON isn't a person. It's a weapon of targeted destruction. A science experiment gone horribly wrong. It eats flesh. Human flesh, to be exact."
"How? Like a bacteria?"
"No. Worse. Nanobots."
"What the hell is a nanobot?"
"A sophisticated little robot, on a molecular scale. We were told they were being used to discover new ways to rebuild DNA strings. Cure diseases, build new molecules. That sort of thing."
"But that wasn't what they were doing. They were building a weapon, using the nanobots to target DNA . Only they couldn't hone it in, couldn't control the nanobots once they got into the blood stream. They'd spread through the body, eating everything that had blood running through it. And very efficiently. They eat the body, leave the bones. If you don't come in to contact with the carrier, then once he's been eaten, the nanobots are done. They are programmed to shut down if they have nothing to eat. But if you come into contact with the carrier, you're done."
Snyder blew out a breath. "Sounds like a science fiction movie. Do you know how to stop them?"
"There is an antidote, but it only works if the nanobots haven't made it into the bloodstream."
"What happens then?"
"Then you bury the poor bastard. The antidote can't catch them. They are both being carried through the body at the same speed. Think of it like a roller coaster. The guy in the back will never be able to catch the guy in the front. They are both at the same constant motion."
Snyder put his hand on Dan's shoulder, stopping him. When Dan turned, he noticed how pasty white Snyder had turned. "That weapon is on its way down here?"
"It may already be here."
Snyder shook his head. "Holy shit, Weber. If Mercado gets his hands on something that destructive—" He didn't finish. They both knew the rest of the equation. "How could something like this get out?"
Dan turned
around and kept going. "Our mole."
They fell silent as they approached the compound. Dan signaled for Snyder to stand watch while he snuck around to the side of the house.
Again, no guards. The way JT described how many men were at that first dinner, the place had to be crawling with them. So where were they? He looked at his watch. It was late, but midnight was hardly late enough for everyone to be in bed already. Besides, Mercado ordered twenty-four hour surveillance on the compound.
Dan searched the area of the house for the best way to break in undetected. With locked windows and doors, he still counted over a dozen ways in. Mercado really needed to work on his security.
Dan decided the roof would be the least obvious. Looking around one last time, he pulled himself up a trellis attached to the side of the house and rounded over the top. Keeping low, he made his way over to the other side of the house, where he spotted an attic window. Without hesitation, he swung over and penetrated the opening feet first. At least the shatters fell onto the insulation. He only hoped the guards didn't pick up the slight noise.
The attic was a mess, dusty, and smelled musty. Dan stifled a cough and stepped lightly between the clutter, careful to remain on the framing. A sliver of light at the other end of the room caught his attention. Stepping softly, he made his way over to the light.
It was a door. Slowly, he turned the handle and cracked the door open. A long, skinny set of steep stairs descended into a dimly lit hallway. He pushed on his earpiece, listening for JT. Still sleeping.
Amazing. Chaos all around her and she sleeps. Another rookie mistake. He'd have to have a word with her about that. He knew better than to simply walk down the stairs. That would be too easy. Maybe a few steps down. He stopped and listened. Nothing. A few more steps down. Still silent.
There were only a few steps left. Dan crouched down and scanned the hall. It was empty. He stepped down and deftly crept into the shadows against one side of the hall, stopped and listened. JT's breathing distracted him. He turned off his earpiece.
Muffled voices came from behind a set of double doors Dan stopped in front of. Holding his breath, he leaned against the door and listened. He couldn't make out what they were saying, only that one voice was male, and the other distinctively female.
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