“And the quarter of a billion dollars?”
“Lost. Only Jason knew where it was. If his body wasn’t at the bottom of the cliff, I don’t know what happened to him. I swear.”
He tried to reach for her again, but she eluded him. “I’m sorry, Agent Palmer. We didn’t mean to hurt him. We just were blinded by all that money. I’ve never seen so much. We only took a fraction of it.”
“Was it worth it?” she asked, rising.
He bowed his head and choked out, his voice breaking. “No. It wasn’t.” When she headed for the door, he said, “Wait! There’s more.” She turned back to him. “They did bad things to Joe. He told them everything.”
“Everything?”
“Yes, they know about Jason, and if he’s alive, they’re going to be hunting him.”
Back at the conference room, she filled out her report, then filed it. Her life was going to change. Had already changed. She picked up her cell phone and pressed Rebecca’s auto dial. She answered on the first ring.
“Shea. What happened?”
“I just sent you the report. But I’ll give you the cliff notes.” She told Rebecca everything, shrewdly leaving out her whole plan to take her revenge on Bates.
“You have been busy. But I could have read the report. Why the call?”
“I don’t want to work undercover anymore.”
There was quiet on the other end of the line. Was she disappointed? “That is excellent timing. Kai Talbot has been promoted to Supervisory Special Agent in Charge of the Pendleton Office. We have an opening for an agent with your background. Interested?”
Shea grinned. “You wily bitch. You expected this.”
“Mak and Griff aren’t the only ones who saw how attached you were to that cute, hunky SEAL. I was hoping you would be that smart.”
“I guess I am.”
Rebecca took a heavy breath. “I’m sorry about your sister, Bate’s role in murdering her, and about your brother. But if he survived the fall, why hasn’t he come forward? He thwarted a robbery of a cartel, talk about integrity. A quarter of a billion dollars split four ways…”
“Jason was dedicated to the Marines, his principles as strong as Semper Fi.”
“I’ll put someone on the case, if you like.”
“I appreciate it, Rebecca, but I want to find him. Is that okay with the agency?”
“I’ll make it so, just…don’t get your hopes up too high.”
“My gut says he’s alive, but it’s odd that he’s still missing.”
“If anyone can get to the bottom of it, you can.”
Max stood next to the kid. “It’s pricey, but I think it’s her,” he offered. Finally, Shea had come to her senses, and he couldn’t be happier for Hemingway. It also made him feel a bit hollow inside. Here the kid was just barely wet behind the ears and he was taking the plunge just like a fearless SEAL. Max wondered again if his limitless life was so limitless.
The saleswoman who was helping them still looked shellshocked as the eight of them filed into the store, taking up almost all the available space. She just kept looking from one face to the next in a kind of daze. Max smiled at her and she sighed.
Hemingway turned the ring right and left, the brilliant diamond caught the light and shimmered, glittering facets with tiny rainbows.
“I don’t know,” 2-Stroke said. “I think a square cut would be a better choice.”
“No,” Fast Lane said, “that can snag on stuff. My mom had a square cut, and she said it was a pain.”
“It’s sparkly though,” 2-Stroke said.
The saleswoman smiled and said breathlessly, “Princess is the…formal name.” He grinned, and she leaned forward. “Do you have a sweetheart?”
“Nope.” He grinned again. “I’ve got a love though.”
She looked crestfallen.
“My motorcycle. It’s very sweet.”
She laughed, looking hopeful again.
“I’m telling you. I know a bloke—”
“Shut up, Dodger. This is Hemingway’s decision. And, you couldn’t possibly know a guy in Paraguay,” Pitbull growled.
“I bloody well do, you knob,” he said as they squared off.
The woman looked like she was going to faint.
“Really, this is Hemingway’s decision?” Saint said skeptically, leaning against the case with his arms folded, looking all scruffy and tough. “There is plenty of barking from this SEAL peanut gallery.” He nudged Hemingway. “Just go with your gut.”
“He’s not picking out a weapon, for fuck’s sake,” The six of them got into a circle.
“We’re just trying to help out the FNG.”
“We want Shea to be happy. She’s an honorary SEAL.”
Max watched Hemingway choose a beautiful pear shape from the assortment of rings. He nodded and handed it to her. As his teammates argued, she rung him up, and he gave her his credit card.
Max chuckled as Hemingway walked out with the ring box.
“Are you hens done? He just left.”
They looked around. “Aw, we missed it. What did he get?”
“A pear shape.”
“That’s a good choice.”
Dodger followed, his face sullen. “I do know a bloke.”
An hour later, after a run with Jugs, Max showered once the Malinois was cooled down, fed and watered. He kenneled him and walked out onto the runway, watching the planes land and take off. Pitbull sidled up next to him. “What’s the word, big man?”
“Waiting for an op is the worst.”
Pitbull nodded. “Yeah, especially one that’s black and covert.”
“Protection wasn’t our only reason for being in Paraguay.”
Pitbull grinned. “The Navy is efficient, and we’re just a bunch of door kickers. What do we know?”
“Not much.” They looked at each other and laughed. “What do you think of the kid?”
“Solid, smart, going places.”
“Yeah?”
“That kid is destined for either an admiralty, political service, or ambassador.”
“He is something. But don’t tell him any of that. It’ll go to his head.”
Pitbull grinned. “Actually, I don’t think it would.”
Max nodded. “He help bridge the gap? Lessen your loss?”
Pitbull smiled. “He plugged a hole ten times over, but Speed is gone, and I’ve come to terms with that.”
They watched the planes for a few minutes. “How’s marriage?”
Pitbull grinned. “Why? You getting wedding fever?”
He grabbed Pitbull into a headlock. “Just answer the question,” he said as Pitbull wrestled free with a laugh.
“It’s great. Someone to come home to, regular, spectacular sex. You need a strong woman to handle what we do. Mak is as strong as they come. I love that woman.”
Max could hear the emotion in Pitbull’s voice. “You’re a lucky bastard,” Max said.
Their phones started to chime.
“Show time,” Max said as they headed for the command center.