Page 87 of No More Spies

“No, but you’ll lie to us,” she shot back. “You’ll keeppertinent information. If we knew, we would have been on guard.”

“And I think about that every single day and twice as muchat night. I know I broke trust, but she’s my mother.”

She was going to have to make a decision and soon. The truthwas she could probably take Joyce and force Zach to come with her. But shewasn’t sure that was the way to go. They needed to lower the temp, not raiseit. “You made your choice. I respect it. Are you going to respect mine?”

A chuckle came from his throat. “I’m glad it was you. Yeah,I’m going to respect it, but I need more time. You can force me to come withyou, but everything falls apart the second I’m in custody. Let me figure outwhere she is. I’m the only one who can get her out of hiding. Once she’s safe,I’ll come in. I promise, Kala. I just want her to be safe.”

“We can ensure that.” Well, the team could since she wouldlikely be on her own by then.

His head shook. “Somehow I think your father will ensure I’min prison. Which I’ll be willing to do after I finish what I have to.”

“This isn’t merely about finding your mother, is it?” He wasdefinitely hiding something.

His head shook. “It’s best that I leave you out of it.”

“Or you can bring me in and I can help you.”

His lips curled up slightly as he took another sip. “I knowyou would. But it’s too dangerous, and quite frankly, my brother would bepissed if I dragged you into it.”

She wasn’t going to let him bring Cooper into this. “Yourbrother made himself plain.”

“No, my brother had a hissy fit that he will be deeplyapologetic for later on, and you know it,” Zach pointed out.

She knew his brother better than he did. “In vinoveritasand all that. In this case the rage was the wine.”

“There’s no truth in rage and you know it.” Zach’s gazesoftened. “Kala, this isn’t about him. He was put in a terrible position andfreaked out. It wasn’t the best reaction, but it could happen to any of us.This is about you. He said the wrong thing and now you’re retreating. Don’t.”

She could turn this around on him. “Says the guy who ranaway and broke my cousin’s heart.”

He flushed. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

“Did you get close to Devi so you could stay close toCooper?” Their time was almost up, and her decision was pretty much made. Butthere was still intel to be had. “Since Tasha friend zoned you, and you’redefinitely not Kenzie’s type since she only likes douchebags.”

Zach leaned in, his eyes steady on her. “Abso-fucking-lutelynot. Kala, I’m crazy about Devi. I meant everything I said to her. I meant tocome back after the op and move in with Coop and start a damn life. I was readyto throw in the towel when it came to my mother. I figured saving her from TheJester could be my last act as her son, and walking away from all of it couldbe my first act as Devi’s man. That’s what I wanted.”

“You had a funny way of showing it.” Although now that shethought about it… “The bomb on Walsh’s car was a warning.”

“Of course it was. I had to get you guys to take thisseriously. I know you are, but you’ll get more backing if they think Dr. Walshis in real danger. Which she is,” Zach insisted. “They all are now that he’sout in the open.”

“He’s not exactly out in the open, is he? Do you know wherehe is?” The most important question she would ask all day.

Would it be easier to find him without the encumbrance of ateam? She could focus entirely on hunting Huisman down and then her familywould be safe. It might ease her conscious about leaving them, though she knewit was for the best.

His expression went dark. “If I knew where he was, I’d bethere. And then he wouldn’t be in this world any longer. I think if I presenthis head to Big Tag, I might have a better chance of coming out of this with myown still on my shoulders.”

“That chance gets better if you come in with me now,” Kalaoffered.

He seemed to think about it for a moment. “I can’t becausethe minute I come in, it’s not just up to your parents. If it was, I mightnever have left. If you think I wouldn’t love to shove this problem on yourdad, you’re so wrong. I hate this. I got too used to having a team. I fuckingmiss all of it. But you have to let me do what I need to do. I can find mymother and get the intel we need to take down Huisman, but I can’t do it if I’mstill working for the Agency. I didn’t plan for things to turn out this way,but here we are, and I have to find the silver lining.”

“Of being on the run? You have to know we’re not the onlyones looking for you.” The whole Agency wanted Zach brought in. “They sent ashrink out to talk to all of us so she can profile you. They’re serious aboutcatching you. So is the military.”

“Yeah, that career’s down the drain.” He finished off thebeer. “It’s all gone, Kala. My career, the family I wanted, Devi… Let me do onegood thing. Let me figure this out. I can’t do that from a prison cell. I’mclose. I’m meeting with an old friend of my mom’s in a couple of days, and Ithink he might have some actual intel for me. I swear I’ll find a way to shareit with you, but I have to be out in the field. I have to look like a rogue CIAagent.”

“You are. A rogue CIA agent, that is.” There was no wayaround that particular truth. “You built the bomb?”

He nodded. “From some of my mother’s notes. The Jester had abunch of her research, and that was one of the things he was planning onselling. Obviously I’m the one who took his laptop. I’ll send you what I haveif you let me go, and I’ll stay in contact with you. Only you.”

“Or you could play me and never see me again because I wasdumb enough to let you go.”

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