Page 72 of Fallout

She hadn’t known this many people would respond. A guy on the far end of the room, whose name she couldn’t remember, said, “Where are we at?”

Destiny said, “The camera we have in the surveillance van shows Simon was held at gunpoint and dragged out of the van. They wore masks and had weapons. One shot into the van, just a warning.”

“But it wasn’t the contract killer. He was being arrested at the time,” one of the Famous Ones said, her butt in a fancy office chair and her boots on the table stacked one on top of the other. “So, it was someone else. My guess? The kingpin y’all are looking for.”

“Why would he take Simon?” Destiny had to ask, even though it would make her look like she had no idea what she was doing. The Vanguard staff would realize quickly that she wasn’t qualified for this job. She might just have opened her mouth and dispelled all doubt about her abilities—and Clare’s choice of putting her in this position.

She could undermine Clare’s authority and fracture the team her boss had built in one night rather than in the weeks she was on maternity leave.

“We don’t know,” the Famous One said. “But given his expertise, you don’t kidnap a guy like Simon for leverage. You do it because you want him to hack something.”

Destiny blew out a breath. She turned to one of the guys from Cold Cases. Bob Davis was the FBI agent Stella’s father. But that wasn’t why she gave the older man this assignment. “Go by the PD. Make sure Peter has counsel. Make sure he’s not being railroaded by the cops. Find out what’s happening.”

“I’ll get the kid back.” Bob nodded. “You want him to know about his brother?”

Was he really asking her if she wanted him to lie to Peter? “Tell him what happened.” Peter would be able to pray for his twin. And if he could sense his brother’s emotional state like some twins could, then maybe he already was. “He needs to know.”

Bob’s expression shifted, and she spotted an edge of pride. He squeezed her shoulder and headed out.

Destiny blew out a breath. Fatigue was coming fast, but these people didn’t need to know. Simon needed them all working to find him. She couldn’t let them see that, in her mind, she was back in Africa at the mercy of?—

The Famous One in front of her put her feet on the floor and turned the chair to face her.

“We need to find him.” She had no other instructions to give them. “You know how to do your jobs. I know how to pray. Between those two things, I’m trusting we’ll get him back in one piece.”

She spotted Jasper’s smile out of the corner of her eye but didn’t look over. No one needed to know how tenuous her thread was.

“On it.”

“Sure thing.”

“You got it, boss.”

They filed out. A few patted her shoulder. Destiny’s hold on her sanity got thinner and thinner as more people passed her. She gripped the back of the nearest chair.

When the room was mostly empty, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to push out the memories. She tried to not think about what Simon might be going through at the hands of vicious kidnappers. If they wanted him to hack something, then they wouldn’t hurt him, right?

Another hand touched her shoulder.

Destiny flinched, spinning to face what came at her. Jasper lifted his hands.

“Give her a second.” The Famous One passed him and headed out the door, closing it behind her.

Tears rolled down Destiny’s face. She didn’t swipe them away.

“You’re breaking my heart.” He touched his chest, right where he’d been shot.

“I’m not responsible for that!” She gasped. “I don’t… I can’t…”

Her mind spun so that she couldn’t grasp a single thought. He would think she was weak. That she couldn’t handle this job or her own recovery. That she would have this baby and fall apart.

And he would be right.

She was weak. Too weak for this. Too weak for all of it. She needed to be alone, where he wasn’t watching. Expecting her to figure it out.

He took a step toward her.

Destiny held up both hands. “Don’t touch me.” She sobbed, trying to pray and finding no words, just a whole lot of fear and grief. She squeezed her eyes shut.

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