“Tell me everything.”
I leaned back, trying to think. What did I know about them? Dad didn’t talk about his job much, since a lot of his work was highly secretive.
“Dad had been traveling a lot lately, something about a power plant needing to be refurbished,” I said.
Emory paused. “Which plant?”
I shook my head. “I can’t remember. It was a guy’s name, though.”
Emory looked down at his phone and began tapping on it. I stood up and walked over to him, looking over his shoulder. It was a list of nuclear power plants and their locations.
“Donald Cook Power Station,” he read and looked at me. “It’s in Michigan.”
“Yeah. That has to be it,” I said. “Dad was traveling to Michigan a lot.”
“Fuck,” Emory said. “The picture. It’s not a mitten. It’s fucking Michigan.”
I stepped back as it all clicked into place. “They’re attacking that power plant, aren’t they?”
He nodded slowly. “And they’re using your father’s credentials to get in.”
“Oh my god,” I said. “We have to tell someone, Emory.”
“No,” he said forcefully. “I’ll call my commanding officer and we’ll go from there.”
I nodded slowly. “Okay. Okay.”
“Sit down, relax, do whatever. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He turned and left the room.
I watched him go, the door clicking shut behind him.
We’d figured it out. We’d gotten some help along the way, but we knew what was happening. For the first time since this all started, we knew where they were going and where they’d be.
For the first time since this all began, an end was in sight. For the first time, I believed we might actually make it out alive.
Mason was safe, and Emory was going to save everyone else.
Emory could do it. All I had to do was trust him, and I did.
28
Emory
“Sir, I think I know what’s happening.”
Blackfire was silent for a second as I looked out over the balcony at the drab motel parking lot. The events of the last day poured through my mind, and I picked it over, choosing only the necessary moments.
“And what’s that, soldier?” he asked.
“Sir, we found a business card on the person of one of the men who attacked us. Tara recognized the company. Apparently they work with her father, who has business dealings with nuclear power plants.”
“Interesting,” Blackfire said. “We haven’t gotten any intel about any imminent attacks.”
“No, because I think this one is happening fast. They’re using covert American agents to do their dirty work.”
“What other evidence do you have?”
“Cooper is dead,” I said, “and Tara’s parents are gone.”
“Shit,” Blackfire said. “Coop was a good soldier.”
“He was, sir.”
“I’ll take care of his family, and a cleanup crew will be dispatched to the Bright house.”
“But sir, he left a small drawing in his own blood. It looks like a mitten, but we believe it’s of Michigan. There’s a power plant in Michigan that Tara’s father was working with only a few weeks ago.”
“Why didn’t we know this already?”
“I think because we were too busy focusing on the revenge aspect of all this. That may have been Omar’s intention all along, to distract us from his real intentions.”
“Damn,” Blackfire said. “Damn that fucking bastard. That clever fucking bastard.”
“What do you think, sir?”
“We have no other good leads,” he said. “I’ll send some backup, and consider any resources we have at your disposal.”
“Roger that, sir.”
“Emory, you must pursue and destroy these bastards. You can’t let them get away with Coop’s death, much less with an attack on American soil.”
“My thoughts exactly, sir.”
“Good luck, soldier.” He hung up the phone.
I felt Travis appear next to me. “We on for this?” he asked.
“We sure as fuck are,” I said. “I’ve got one more call to make. Then we’re heading to Michigan. Get the car ready.”
“Roger that, cap.”
Travis headed off while I dialed another number. It rang, and finally she picked up.
“Navy Intelligence,” Lucy said.
“Lucy, it’s Emory,” I said quickly. “I need some help.”
“You called the right place. What can I do for you?”
“I need surveillance data for the Donald Cook nuclear power plant and all the surrounding hotels. Any suspicious activity, anything needs to come to me immediately.”
“What are we looking for?”
“Omar Hooth and several American associates. Also keep an eye out for Roger and Celine Bright.”
“Okay, Emory. You got it.”
“Thanks, Lucy. Send all updates to this number.” I hung up the phone.
Tara came out of the room, dressed and frowning slightly. “Is everything okay?” she asked me.
“We’re heading to Michigan,” I said. “Navy is looking into surveillance data, trying to pinpoint your parents.”
“Actually, about that. I found something weird.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What?”
She held up one of my phones. “I borrowed this. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Better than using your own.”
She smiled and tapped something. “Here. Take a look. This is my dad’s bank account.”
I looked over her shoulder. “One transaction from today. Is that a gas station?”
“Yeah, it is. I Googled it, and apparently it’s in Michigan.”
“Fuck,” I said. “This can’t be for real.”
“I think they used his card, Emory.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Do you have an address?”
“Yeah, I do.”
I grinned hugely and grabbed her, pulling her against me. I hugged her hard. “Great fucking job.”
“Why would they use his card though?”
“Somebody in Omar’s group royally fucked up. I’m guessing one of the less experienced Americans.” I kissed her hard then, letting my joy overflow against her.
She kissed me back and then slowly pulled away. “So you’re impressed then?” she asked.
“Very impressed.”
“Glad I’m here?”
“Very glad.”
“I knew you would be.”
I grabbed her ass, hard, and grinned. “I thought I was going to be happy you were here for other reasons, but this works out just fine.”
She rolled her eyes. “Come on. Let’s get moving. Travis is making lewd gestures at us.”
I looked down and saw Travis making a blowjob face. I flipped him off.
“Let’s go kill some terrorist scumbags.”
“Sounds good to me.”
The sun was dipping in the sky by the time we finally got to the gas station.