Page 73 of Final Sins

Munsinger probably intended to intimidate Jason, but all Jason felt was sadness. The man had locked away every emotion, every connection, until there was nothing left but duty and secrets. The cost was written in the deep furrows of his brow and the gray pallor of his skin.

Jason squared his shoulders. He’d chosen a different path—embracing the messiness of emotions, the complications of relationships, the strength found in faith and family. Looking at the human husk before him, it was obvious he’d made the right choice.

“General,” he called out, his voice steady despite the tension thrumming through his body. “Welcome to our little circus. Shall we get this show on the road?”

A blur of motion came from his left. Gravy darted forward, arms outstretched. Tai moved to intercept Gravy, but Jason shot out his arm, stopping Tai.

“Let him go,” he murmured, heart clenching as Gravy threw his arms around his father.

“Dad! Good to see you, man!” Gravy’s voice cracked with emotion.

The general stood stiffly, his arms at his sides, clearly just enduring his son’s hug. “Robert? You shouldn’t be here.”

Gravy’s smile faltered, but he pressed on. “I’m doing great, Dad. Really great. I?—”

“That’s enough,” his father shook him off, stepping back. “I’ve got business with these people.”

Gravy’s shoulders slumped. Jason shared a look with Alex, her eyes mirroring his own mix of anger and sympathy.

“Right,” Alex said, her voice cool and professional. “How about we talk state-of-the-art holographic tech?”

Munsinger seemed nervous, his fingers tapping an erratic rhythm against his thigh. “Yes, let’s get this over with. I don’t have much time.”

“In a rush, General?” Jason asked. “Hot date waiting?”

“This isn’t a joke, Reilly,” the man snapped. “Just show me what you’ve got so I can make the Joint Chiefs happy and get out of here.”

Or Seven-Five. Jason itched to call the man out. Whether willingly or not, they all knew he was there to negotiate on behalf of Seven-Five, not the US government.

While Alex launched into her prepared spiel about the holographic technology, Jason watched the general closely, ready to move the instant he got the signal.

Cody came over the comlink from his position in the basement. “Okay, folks. I’m calling the ball. Three. Two. One. Go!”

Four soft pops echoed through the night as Kate and Fenn’s tranquilizer darts found their marks. The security team crumpled to the ground. Jason and Alex moved in perfect tandem, securing the shocked general.

Alex trained her handgun on him while Jason zip tied his hands behind his back.

“Let go!” the man ordered, struggling against Jason’s hold.

Jason tightened his grip on the man’s shoulder. “Sorry, sir. Orders.”

That earned him a reptilian glare. “You’re dead, Reilly. All of you. Dead.”

“Dad!” Gravy protested. “These are my friends. They’re here to help. Chill out.”

His father turned away, disgust warring with fury.

Jason didn’t bother responding. Either the bluster was a show for any possible Seven-Five operatives listening in, or Munsinger was one of them. He was seriously starting to bet on the latter.

The rest of the team emerged from hiding, sweeping Munsinger and his unconscious bodyguards for bugs before securing the four men and pulling them into the shadows, out of sight of any enemy drones that might get through Tai’s defenses.

Jason pressed his hand into the older man’s back, urging him toward the heart of the abandoned park. The crunch of gravel underfoot gave way to the hollow echo of their footsteps on weathered wooden planks as they approached a nondescript maintenance door.

“Watch your step, sir,” Jason said, his voice tight with suppressed tension. “It’s a maze down here.”

He didn’t expect the general to cave quickly, but the man’s stony silence, and his cold-hearted treatment of his only child, surprised him.

Definitely Seven-Five.

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