Page 89 of Critical Doubt

What were they now?Three more of them were either dead or ghosts, and Mason was still a question mark.

As the discussion continued, he could see that the team was starting to buy into the idea that all the men had become ghosts to carry out some plan that Paul had finally realized was a lie. They were putting a lot of stock into the pain-addled comment that had come out of his mouth. With that assumption came the idea that these men were planning to do something so bad that they'd had to leave their families, their friends, their homes and become ghosts in order to do it. Since they were all very well-trained soldiers, that plan could be horrifically bad. Unfortunately, while there were a lot of wild theories, they really had no idea what the men might be thinking, and it bothered him that he couldn't figure it out. Because he knew them the best. He should be able to get inside their heads and see the plan.

But he was still at a loss. Maybe it was good there were more people involved now, people who would not be swayed by emotion and personal history. He had to admit he was impressed with the speed and dedication at which Savannah's team had jumped in. They were covering all the angles, throwing out possible scenarios and then examining those possibilities with sharp precision. Jared was even texting back and forth with a CIA source who was trying to get information on the ambush. And then there was Jax.

Jax had taken a secondary role in the meeting, but he had the sharp, watchful gaze of a man who didn't miss a thing. In fact, Jax had given him quite an assessing look, as if he wasn't quite sure he was a victim or if he had some hidden agenda. He didn't know if he looked suspicious or if Jax was being protective toward Savannah. Savannah seemed to share a closer bond with Jax than the other two. He wondered if they'd ever been more than friends and partners. Not that it was his business. Savannah had a history that didn't include him. He had a history that didn't include her.

But they also had history together. Even more importantly, they had a present. He could hardly believe how fast things had changed since they'd made love on the boat. They should have had more than two hours together. They should have had at least the night or a few more days, several more weeks, maybe longer…

He sucked in a breath as he realized there might not be another moment. And if that were the case, he should have taken more time. He should have memorized her face. He should have breathed in her scent. He should have made her laugh or cry out with pleasure more times than he had. There should have been more of everything.

But he couldn't go back in time.

He'd told himself the same thing the last time he'd woken up alone.

They were still together now, but the distance was already growing between them, and he didn't know how to bridge it, or even if he should bridge it. He'd almost gotten her killed a couple of times. She was safer now that there were others involved.

"Jared and I will go back to DC now," Parisa said, drawing his attention back to their conversation. "Jax will hang here with you until you can leave."

"We don't need a bodyguard," he said sharply.

Jax flung him a short look. "Considering you both almost died, I'd say you need someone watching your backs."

Jax might be right, but he didn't want this man taking the job of watching Savannah's back. Since he couldn't say that, he decided to take a minute. "I'm going to get some coffee," he said, getting to his feet. He didn't really need coffee, but he did need some space. It wasn't just that he needed to wrap his head around the information Jared had provided, it was also that he needed to find a way to tamp down the unexpected jealous anger brewing inside him.

"What's his problem?" Jax asked as Ryker left the room.

Savannah was surprised by Ryker's abrupt exit, and the anger she'd seen in his eyes. "He has a lot to deal with," she murmured. "There's a good chance one of his best friends just tried to kill him."

"And you," Jax put in.

"Ryker saved my life. And not just tonight, earlier, too. His instincts are good."

"But he is the odd man out," Parisa said. "If there's a plan, he's not in on it, which is odd, since he was the leader of the team."

"Ryker would never do anything illegal or anything that would betray his country, so if that's the plan, it makes sense that they left him out. Todd told him right before he allegedly died that they didn't speak the same language anymore, that they weren't on the same page. In retrospect, I think he took that one last opportunity at the funeral to make sure that Ryker should be left out. Todd ranted about the army, about how they deserved more than they'd gotten, how they were shadows of their former selves. He wanted more than a thank-you for your service. But Ryker told him that that's not why any of them joined. It was never about a reward. It was always about fighting for their country."

"So, now they want to kill him?" Jax asked, a doubtful gleam in his eyes.

"Paul didn't want to kill him. As I told you, he tried to save us, but they took him out instead. He thought there was just a plan to scare Ryker away, probably because we were going around town asking a lot of questions."

"They have to be worried now about what Paul will say when he wakes up," Jared interjected.

"That's why we have to keep him safe."

"We will," Parisa promised. "Jared and I will head back. With any luck, we can find the bagel shop and wherever these guys have been hiding out. Although, it's doubtful we'll get to speak to anyone tonight. But first thing in the morning, we're on it."

"And since you don't need a babysitter," Jax said with a smile, "I'll head down to Dobbs later tonight. Tomorrow, I'll talk to the chief there, go by the morgue and the mortuary and see how this fake death might have occurred."

"Chief Tanner won't crack easily," she said.

"I'm not worried," Jax said with complete confidence.

"I really appreciate the help," she said, her gaze encompassing all of them. "But I don't want any of you to jeopardize your own work for me. Parisa, if there's a conflict with your office—"

"Don't worry," Parisa said, cutting her off. "I already spoke to my boss. He's agreed to let me help. Apparently, Flynn's reputation has once again preceded him. I made it sound like this was for Flynn's unit, which it actually is now, so it's all good."

"And I'm happy to help off book," Jared added, giving her a smile. "Parisa misses working with you guys, and since that's because I'm holding her hostage in DC, it's the least I can do."

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