No more excuses, she thought as she stood from the apparatus for pure torment that was masquerading as a love seat. She had things she needed to say—set the record straight, so to speak—or she’d never forgive herself.
Heading for the door, she stopped in her tracks when she heard Agent Fazzle’s voice join in the hallway conversation. It was lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. Which, of course, had her leaning against the doorjamb so she could eavesdrop.
* * *
1:45 p.m.
“Rory Gellman escaped. We lost his trail in the Bahamas.”
“Fuck!” Mason hissed, then winced when the big-haired nurse at the nurses’ station gave him a disapproving scowl.
Sorry, he mouthed to her, before turning back to Fazzle. “Shoulda killed the rat bastard when I had the chance.”
Doc, who was huddled up close with them, snorted. “And left Wolf to bleed out? Right.”
Ignoring Doc, Mason demanded of Fazzle, “How the hell did Gellman find out we were part of the op that killed the commodore’s sons? Can you at least tell me that?”
A look of disgust passed over the FBI agent’s face. “Unfortunately, yes. Turns out one of Gellman’s former Army Ranger buddies now works for the Pentagon. When Gellman approached him about your old op, he didn’t think twice before using his security clearance to dig into the classified files in the naval archives. He confessed the whole thing when we questioned him. Said Gellman paid him ten grand for the file.”
“Sold his soul to the devil for a measly ten G’s?” Doc shook his head. “Pathetic.”
“Apparently those Pentagon jobs don’t pay much.” Fazzle shrugged. “And this joker has a gambling problem to boot.”
“Fuck,” Mason said again. Only this time he was careful to keep his voice low so that Nurse Ratched didn’t try to murder him with her eye daggers.
“I’d say that about sums up this entire case.” Fazzle nodded. “It’s the damnedest thing I’ve come across in my twenty years with the Bureau. I mean, an Iranian commodore. Here. In the good old U. S. of A.”
“Speaking of Bagheri,” Doc said, “you federal boys are playing your cards close to your vests, aren’t you? Not a word of what happened on Wayfarer Island has come across my CNN News feed. Uncle John said a bunch of Men in Black came by, loaded up the bodies, and flew away without so much as a by your leave.”
“Keeping things quiet was an order from on high.” Fazzle made a face. “Seems the president doesn’t want the bad press this would generate. Especially during an election year. And especially since she’s claiming she used her first term in office to tighten up our borders and make it impossible for our enemies to breach our shores.”
“Damn politicians,” Doc cursed and then looked chagrined when the nurse glowered his way. A wink and a flash of that big Montana grin and Nurse Ratched’s stone-cold heart melted. She blushed and glanced demurely back to her computer screen.
“Works out for you guys, though,” Fazzle said. “You won’t have the press crawling up your ass looking for interviews. It’ll be like it never happened.”
“Ya-huh.” Mason nodded. “And I’d stomach that just fine if Gellman wasn’t walking around a free man. If Madam President is trying to sweep this whole thing under the rug, how’s that gonna affect the search for the fuckface?”
Fazzle’s irritated expression said it all.
“She’s not gonna put a task force on this, is she?” Mason’s tone was laced with disgust.
Reluctantly, Fazzle shook his head.
Mason felt a hard jolt of anger, but it was quickly replaced by certainty. He knew what he had to do. It was the only thing to do to make sure everyone on Wayfarer Island could sleep securely in their beds at night.
“And what would Madam President say if one of us were to go after him? ’Cause I gotta feeling if Gellman’s not stopped, he’s gonna find a way to fuck us over again. It’s personal now. I saw that in his face.”
“Gellman isn’t in the States. And what happens outside our borders?” A wily grin played with the corners of Fazzle’s lips. “Well, she doesn’t have any say over that, now does she?” Then he sobered. “If you catch him alive, call me. I’ll make sure he’s held accountable. If you don’t catch him alive…” Fazzle let the sentence dangle and pinned a look on Mason. “Then I don’t want to know about it.”
Mason nodded his understanding and then took the hand Fazzle offered him. “Stay out of trouble,” the fed said.
“We try.” Doc shook Fazzle’s hand as well. “But the damn stuff follows us.”
“So it would seem.” The FBI agent spun on his heel and started up the hallway toward the bank of elevators.
After Fazzle disappeared behind the sliding silver doors, Doc said, “I’m coming with you, of course.”
“You don’t hafta.”
“But see?” Doc gently cupped Mason’s cheek. “I do. Because you complete me.”
“Fuck off.” Mason shook Doc’s hand away.
Doc laughed and then his eyes landed on something beyond Mason’s shoulder. “Baby Bear.”
Mason stiffened, not wanting to turn but unable to help himself.
Alex headed toward them, her short legs eating up the distance, her eyes firmly—and frightfully—fixed on his. He looked around for an escape route. She’d been trying to corner him all day. And he knew damned well why.
She wanted to pick up the conversation they’d been having in his bedroom before the shit went down. Which was the dead last thing in the world he wanted to do.
He already hated himself for who he was, the sort of man who’d never be what she needed or deserved. But if he saw that hurt look in her eyes one more time, he might just be tempted to eat his own M4 for dinner.
“Doc, if he tries to run,” Alex called, having accurately read Mason’s expression, “tackle him to the ground.”
Doc obediently placed a restraining hand on Mason’s shoulder and leaned over to whisper close to his ear, “Despite your willful pursuit of ignorance on the matter, I think you know, deep down, that the pain we suffer for love is always worth it.”
Bitter cold washed down Mason’s length.
Doc knew.
Well, of course Doc knew. Because they’d been friends and teammates and partners for the better part of a decade. And because they’d been through countless battles together, which had a tendency to suck all the gray out of anyone’s personality and leave only the black and white behind.