Page 72 of Elusive Promise

"I don't know if she really believed it, or if it was just a story she told herself." He paused, gathering his thoughts for a moment. "I cared a lot about April, and I want to get justice for her. I also want to stop the Brothers of the Earth from blowing anyone else up. It's what she wanted more than anything, and the best thing I can do for her is to make that happen."

She nodded. "I get it, Jared. April sounds like an amazing person."

"She was tenacious. Sometimes she got tunnel vision—a little like you."

"I can be guilty of that."

"It's not the worst trait in the world," he said with a sad smile.

"You didn't let April down, Jared."

"I didn't say I did."

"But that's what you think." She could see the shadowy truth in his eyes. "You blame yourself for not getting to Paris sooner, for letting her get in too deep without backup. But clearly you had a target that you were working in London. And she was a skilled operative. Right?"

"She'd actually been at the agency two years longer than I had."

"There you go. She knew what she was doing. She knew the risks."

"She was good undercover. I don't know how Isaac figured out she was an agent. But I do know I'm going to bring him and his band of brothers down."

"Maybe a sister, too," she said lightly.

"Oh, yeah, Sara is also on my hit list, and if Ben belongs there, too…"

He didn't have to finish his statement. "Then he should also be punished," she agreed. "I know his father saved my life, and I let Elizabeth believe that I would let that debt guide my actions, but I have my priorities straight."

"Glad to hear it."

"Thanks for telling me about April. It must be incredibly difficult for you to have lost two people you loved in terrorist attacks."

"I have to admit that the explosion in Paris set off a lot of triggers for me. But all of it just makes me more determined to do what I can to prevent other people from having to live through those moments."

"Okay, but why does it feel like you're acting alone, Jared? Or is that just my impression? Does the agency want you to work me? Do they think I'm the one who will lead you to Isaac and Sara? Because of my ties to Bezikstan?"

"No. The agency put me on leave for ninety days. After Paris, I got a little heated with one of the deputy directors."

She raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"Slugged him. He had it coming. He prevented me from following a lead that might have gotten me to Isaac before he disappeared."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because unbeknownst to me and April, the agency had had an asset in Brothers of the Earth for months, and the company wanted to protect that asset."

"Who is the asset?"

"Apparently, I don't need to know. I was shut out of the investigation, told to take a mandatory leave and get my head together."

"But you're working with someone."

"A longtime friend here in New York. He's feeding me what information he can without completely jeopardizing his job. But after what happened today, it's possible the agency is going to find out what I've been doing."

"Could you lose your job?"

"Possibly. But if I can bring down the group, I'll take the win and leave."

"You're putting everything on the line."

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