Page 9 of Chinook Winds

Collins smiled to himself. He leaned back in his seat and watched the sky lighten. He could almost imagine Kincaid’s look when he realized he’d been played. The traitor would try to weasel his way out of it. Claim he was only doing what was best for the cause. Collins made a derisive snicker. The only cause Kincaid was thinking about was his own. He’d pay for his treason. Collins steepled his fingers. Kincaid would pay big.

???

“There’s been no sign of Kincaid in hours,” Victor announced once he ended his call. “That was my former chief of staff. He’s friends with Kincaid’s chief of staff. He said no one’s seen Kincaid or his wife since yesterday evening.”

Tension filled the war room. Kinsley hurried to Victor’s side. “Do you think something has happened to him?”

Victor’s troubled gaze met hers. “I don’t know.” He turned to FBI Director Nick Doyle, who had traveled to Canada with them. “Do you have someone you trust who can discreetly check on his whereabouts?”

Nick nodded. “Most of my people have never fallen for Legion’s lies. I’ve spoken to many personally. I have people I trust. I’ll reach out to them.”

They were minutes away from leaving Canada when this news came in.

“Does this change our departure?” Kinsley asked. All she could think about was Victor and keeping him safe. Letting him go to the country that needed him wouldn’t be easy, but at some point in the future, she would be called upon to do just that. This trip felt like more than just Victor reclaiming the presidency. It felt like the end of them even before they had the chance to explore their feelings together.

“Nothing will stop this trip.” His answer wasn’t a surprise. He’d been determined to return to the country he loved since being forced to leave D.C.

This moment was a long time coming for everyone on Strike Force. They’d been preparing for it since the beginning. It seemed only fitting that Sidney and Kaid, those originally involved in Legion’s deadly game, were the first to volunteer to accompany the president back to the states. They’d given up so much.

With the current chaos in D.C., it was too risky for them to fly into the capital. Instead, they’d be heading to the location where Tom had taken Duncan and his wife.

“I have my people on it now,” Nick told the room. “What do you want to do, Mr. President?”

“We’re going back to the United States. We’re ending this once and for all.”

His convictions were clear, and yet Kinsley worried. There were men and women in the secret service who had betrayed him. Others out there would be only too happy to take him and the rest of the team down. The risks were enormous.

He’d asked Kinsley to oversee the revamping of the secret service once he was back as president. While she’d been one of the senior agents assigned to his protection, there were others high up the command who had betrayed the man they’d sworn to protect with their lives. She would be going into her own type of war zone by fighting to bring down the guilty agents.

As Kinsley stared into Victor’s eyes, she wished she could understand what that searching look meant.

Someone else grabbed his attention. She turned in time to see James standing beside her.

“Mr. President.”

Victor frowned at James’s solemn tone. “Is something wrong?”

James shook his head. “No sir, but I want to come with you on this trip.” As the leader of their communications team, James was a vital part of keeping Strike Force undetected.

“You were there with Sidney and Kaid in Anana Harbor when Legion attacked, weren’t you?” Victor asked quietly.

“That’s correct, but I was targeted by Legion long before I ended up in Anana Harbor. They took out most of my team. I want to see this through to the end. For them.”

Victor slowly smiled and shook James’s hand. “Welcome aboard, soldier.”

It was one of the reasons Kinsley admired him so much. Victor had the ability to make everyone feel important.

“Thank you, Mr. President.” With a smile on his face, James returned to his post near the console to give final instructions to the team remaining in Canada.

“He’s a good man,” Kinsley said. “Everyone wants to be there for this. . .” She hesitated. “Are you sure it’s the right move?” She didn’t have to look at him to know his mind was made up.

He placed his hands on her shoulders. “I know you have doubts, but this is important. It’s time to take our country back. And when we do, the rest of the world will fall into place.” Something shifted in his eyes. “And when it does—” He didn’t finish, but the smile on his face filled her with a glint of hope.

Kinsley stepped back and cleared her throat. “I’ve some packing to finish. I’ll see you back here for the final briefing before the flight.” She started away, but Victor reached for her hand and kept her there.

She slowly turned. Looked into his eyes and wanted more than anything to be free of this nightmare. For the world. For them.

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