Carter’s dark eyes thinned, his thoughts most likely spinning fast. He’d been a Delta operator like Griffin prior to the CIA, so he had a lot of skills to help out, for which Jesse was grateful. “We’ll figure it out. And we’ll hopefully learn more after we infil Aleksa’s compound.”
Jesse looked at his sister, nearly forgetting Rory was still in the room since she’d been strangely quiet during the back-and-forth discussion. “This plan of yours to go after Aleksa doesn’t include my sister, does it?” He was worried Rory might have volunteered herself, and like hell would he allow that. Rory’s history of infiltrating properties and compounds belonging to the likes of wildlife traffickers, among other unsavory criminals, without being detected was impressive. “Yes, Rory was apparently the best at getting in and out of criminals’ homes undetected in the past to track their smuggling operations, but she’s—”
“I’m not doing it,” Rory said, shutting down his fears, thank God. “I’m teaching Sydney what I did and how to get inside undetected and plant a few devices.”
Jesse held his chest at the news. He couldn’t handle anyone else being in the line of fire. Especially not his sister literally walking into the home of a bad guy. Hell no.
“Your sister is rather remarkable, I will say,” Sydney commented, nodding at Rory with a smile. “Too bad she’s training canines and not on our team.”
“Don’t give her any ideas.” Jesse was happy his sister was training canines not only for the military but to help veterans with post-traumatic stress. She was needed in that line of work. Too many veterans were struggling, and they needed people out there like Rory who could help, who cared.
“Chris is on your side on this, don’t worry,” Rory said as if maybe she’d already pitched the idea to assist Falcon on the operation.
“Good,” Jesse bit out, moving his gaze back to his team leader. “What do we do?”
“You’re going to have to skip the first night of your honeymoon. I’d like to take my jet and leave as soon as the party ends. We’ll stop by Tirana on our way to Paris. It’d be safer to keep Ella and Savanna on the jet at a secure terminal while we’re there though.”
“I doubt we have time to arrange help getting us in and out of the Albanian airport armed,” Jesse said.
“No, I don’t think I can swing that. We’re solid for our arrival in Paris though,” Carter confirmed. “But yeah, it’d take me too long to set up a contact at the Albanian terminal.” He paused. “I’ll have to pull some guys from my place in Macedonia.”
Since when do we have guys in Macedonia? Carter had more boots on the ground throughout the world at his beck and call than Jesse had realized.
“I’ll split the guys into a few teams. Sending some to Austria to keep an eye on Zoran’s brother. And a few of the guys can check out the property in Tirana ahead of time and then bring us weapons in case we need to go in and help Sydney.” Carter checked his watch. “Six-hour time difference. Direct flight since we’re taking my jet. We should arrive at about twenty-two or twenty-three hundred hours, Albanian time.”
“Infil the property around zero one or two hundred hours?” Sydney suggested, and Carter nodded. “And still be in Paris in time to catch the sunrise.”
“And you’re certain this plan to get Sydney in and out will work?” Jesse didn’t want to insult his sister, but had she really been that good at infils? Alive to tell the tales, he supposed.
“My plan will work,” Rory answered confidently. “The number of times I’ve done this is—”
“One too many,” Jesse interrupted, his stomach turning. “But if you trust the plan and feel comfortable going in,” he said to Sydney this time, “then okay.”
“Griffin will stay at the airport with Ella and Savanna. Or it can be you. Flip a coin,” Carter told him, and the idea of leaving Ella alone already made him nuts. But they’d be in a secure airport and on a jet. About as safe as can be, he hoped.
“We’re not just planting listening devices. We’re setting up security cameras around his property as well,” Sydney said. “We’ll have eyes and ears if Zoran shows up.”
“And I’m leaving two of my guys there as well in case Aleksa goes on the move,” Carter added.
Ella and Savanna taking a pit stop with them for an op in Tirana, and his sister was helping to prep for that mission . . . What in the hell is going on?
“We’ve got it covered. Don’t worry. At least we have a lead,” Sydney said with a small smile, sensing Jesse’s obvious hesitation. “But you have a wedding to prepare for, so I assume you should head to the ranch soon.”
Rory’s eyes connected with Jesse’s a moment later, and he tipped his head to the side, requesting a quick word.
“Give me a second.” Rory followed him from the kitchen and into the living room.
He set a hand on the mantel above the fireplace and bowed his head. “About last night.”
“You don’t need to say anything. I shouldn’t have pressed. And God knows the number of secrets I stacked up over the years, so I’m not one to talk.” Rory’s tone was a bit higher-pitched, like she was working hard to cover her real emotions. “And I know you’ve done your best to keep your interactions with Dad to a minimum since you joined the Army, and that doesn’t change the past, but Mom says he’s redeemed himself, so maybe you can . . .” She was struggling to get through this as much as he was to hear it.
“Then I can be redeemed too?” He slowly faced her, his body locked tight. “You do realize that if Dad had ever hit you or laid a hand on Mom like he did to me, I would have killed him. You know that, right? The first life I would have taken would have been his.” He set a hand to his chest when his heart squeezed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you from their arguing, but—”
“Jesse,” she whispered, tears springing in her eyes as she closed in on him and set both hands over his shoulders. “He owes you a lot more than an apology. Mom, too, I suppose, for not leaving him. But you don’t owe him your forgiveness even if Mom says he’s changed.” She released a shaky exhale. “I pressed Mom about the past after I recently remembered, and yes, she said Dad redeemed himself through therapy and work at the church, and she admitted he’s tried to talk to you over the years, but that doesn’t mean—”
“If you and Mom are okay, then I’m okay. It’s forgotten,” he said with a tense voice, doing his best not to have a fucking breakdown in front of his sister on his wedding day, no less.
Rory may have remembered her past, but there were parts of his past neither she nor their mom had ever witnessed. And like hell would Jesse tell them. He was also damn sure his old man hadn’t fessed up during his penance or whatever his dad wanted to call it.
“All I want to do is forget. Him. You crying. Their fighting. The people I watched die and couldn’t save in Iraq. The people who’ve died at home because of the war.” He tensed. “The men I’ve killed. The man I’ve become and quite possibly will always be.” He removed her hands from his shoulders and sidestepped her, needing air. “I just want to forget. Absolutely everything.”