Game of Dust and Ashes (Book Two in the Covert Operations series)

Seventeen

The Roosevelt Hotel, Manhattan, New York. January 30, 2021, 9:44 a.m.

It was clear that my friends were not happy with me.

After my declaration to end Scorpion no matter the cost, they had all gone silent. And that silence had only stretched as I had gone on to explain the intel I'd gathered from Daniel. None of them questioned if it had actually been him I'd spoken to them. It seemed that they were buying my story – for now – that Carmichael was my informant. By the time I'd finished, there was a hint of horror and dread in all of their faces.

Lia had looked at me like she understood. But then again, she and I had always seen eye-to-eye on almost everything. Out of them all, Lia would understand why I felt like this had to be over. It was why it was hard to fathom that she could be Scorpion.

But maybe she was. Maybe she and Max both were conspiring against me for it was hard to see them on opposite sides of anything. And Max had shaken his head like he was disappointed in me before he'd stalked away into the bedroom he and Lia shared. She'd given me an uncertain look and chased after him, the door slamming shut a moment later.

Tasha had said nothing at all. Just grown quiet and pale, moving off to sit in the corner of her room while she worked at hacking into traffic and security cameras near the Shadow Lawn Mansion in New Jersey.

Cedric was working near her. Not trying to help Tasha but to watch. He was concentrated on the video feed from the hotel, looking for any sign of movement from Daniel's team, but also keeping an eye on Tasha. Calculating in that easy way of his to determine if she was our leak.

I turned my back on them, striding into my own bedroom, shutting the door, and whipping out my phone. Helena's number was my second speed-dial. It was time to bring her up to speed.

True to form, she answered on the first ring. "How are things going?"

No introduction. No pleasantries.

It was so typically Helena.

But hearing that familiar cold voice didn't bring the reaction I thought it would. Maybe I should have felt relief at being able to talk freely with someone. Yet the only emotion I actually felt was irritation. And what came out wasn't asking her to ready the troops but –

"You didn't tell me about Cedric."

There was no pause on the other end of the line. Nothing to signifying that I'd thrown her. Perhaps that's why Scorpion truly had been afraid to move on me while I was under her protection. Nothing fazed that woman.

"He told you."

"After I pointed a gun at him." Not loaded but still. The sentiment had been there.

"Did you kill him?"

"No. We had a very interesting conversation though."

"Ah," Helena said. "I see you know about Dana and Gabriel. It's fortunate that Cedric fell so far from that tree."

Slowly, I sank down onto the corner of the bed. The door was shut but I still lowered my voice. "So then you definitely trust him? No reservations?"

There was a brief pause. Hardly more than a second. But long enough that I noticed. "You don't trust him?"

"I do," I said immediately. "And that's what terrifies me. My instincts haven't been credible lately."

Helena gave a humourless chuckle. "I'm going to give you a compliment now so don't let it go to your head, Ms. Briar. You have some of the finest instincts of any field agent I've ever met. You analyze situations faster than most, you're comfortable making the tough calls. It's a pity about your parentage and the price on your head. I haven't a doubt that without those, you'd be the best agent I've got."