Page 32 of Firestorm

Ben was the first to respond. “You’ve encrypted our IP address. No one’s been able to find our location through the website. I think we have to see what this Awakened wants.”

“That’s true.” But if this man were trying to trick them, he could have the full power of Pamphili’s intelligence team from around the world helping him locate them. They’d been careful. James had created his own software to keep their location protected, but there were a lot of people much savvier than he was.

Around the room the team reinforced Ben’s thoughts.

“So, we’re all in agreement. We’ll engage with Awakened?”

“We have to see what he wants,” Kinsley responded to James’ question. Others nodded their consent.

“All right, I’ll reach out to him. As soon as I hear anything, we’ll meet again.” James joined Mark and Garrett. “Let’s go back to the computer room and get started.” Blood hummed through his body as he returned to the computer room and sat down in front of his favorite laptop. He typed a brief response.

How do we know you aren’t part of the kingdom of darkness?

He waited for his response for the longest time, hoping for an immediate reply. But it could be hours before Awakened responded. The original message had come in the same day as the attack. Waiting had never been one of his best qualities. How much time did they have left before Pamphili’s next assault happened? He could almost hear the clock ticking off the seconds in his head.

???

After what happened in Idaho, he’d been certain he’d never hear from Strike Force again. But he had. . .How do we know you’re not part of the kingdom of darkness?The message popped up on the screen of the burner phone he’d used to contact them. His heart raced. At least some of Strike Force had survived the heinous attack instigated by Pamphili to wipe out the threat they posed.

Aiden’s fingers trembled over the phone’s keyboard. If he were found out, he’d be a dead man. But how could he stand being part of what was in the works? Every time he looked at Pamphili it was like looking into the face of pure evil.

Because I believe he is the antichrist. And I’m scared. He hit send. Waited, his heart keeping rhythm with the seconds ticking off on his phone.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aiden noticed someone approaching, and he tucked the phone into his jacket. He’d step outside to check for a response later after a break in the intelligence briefings.

“Hey, where’d you go?” Carl Simmons, his NSA coworker, had spotted him near the side of the castle. The phone inside his pocket buzzed with a response he couldn’t answer.

“I needed some fresh air. It was getting a little stale in there. What’s up?”

Carl was all in on Pamphili’s propaganda. He’d raved about the new leader of the free world for days—ever since they’d been selected by Pamphili to be part of the team. The NSA Director, Gary O’Boyle, had announced the news to them. It had been clear O’Boyle resented Pamphili, going behind his back to recruit members of the agency. Aiden believed it was more likely he was jealous that he wouldn’t be included in Pamphili’s intelligence team.

Carl lit a cigarette. “Yeah, it’s been grueling.” He puffed out a steam of white smoke Aiden’s way. “Still, it’s exciting, isn’t it? We’re part of a world-changing event.”

“Yeah, it’s exciting.” Aiden groaned on the inside.

Carl was deserving of his place on Pamphili’s intelligence team. At forty, he’d told Aiden the job had cost him two marriages, but he wouldn’t do anything differently. “Where do you think they’ll go?” Carl squinted through the smoke.

Aiden knew exactly who he was talking about. “I’ve no idea. I guess it’s our job to find out.”

Carl chuckled. “Yeah. We need to get rid of them quickly. There’s no room in our future for terrorists like that.”

Aiden scanned Carl’s smile. It amazed him how someone as intelligent as Carl could be so easily led astray. “So, you believe these people are a threat?”

Carl’s smile disappeared. “I sure do. Don’t you?”

Tension wound its way up Aiden’s spine. He didn’t trust anyone in Pamphili’s agency, including Carl. “I’m just saying, not too long ago they were all heroes,” Aiden said evading Carl’s question.

Carl scoffed. “Well, they had everyone fooled. They were obviously working with Martin Collins all along to create this chaos—use it to their advantage. The more I dig into the pasts of the members we know, the more dirt I find.”

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “Really? Like what?”

“Like the whole thing that happened in Afghanistan with Piper Morgan, AKA, Sidney Bennett. It appears what was originally believed is true. She was the one behind the attack that killed her team. And she wasn’t working alone. Reed Decklin, AKA Kaid Bennett, and Teddy Harper, or James Cooper, to name a few, were part of it.”

Aiden didn’t believe it for a minute. “How’d you find out?”

“It wasn’t easy,” Carl said, ready to pat himself on the back. “But I was able to uncover some CIA files that were supposed to be purged, only I read them.” Carl paused for a reaction.

Aiden forced down the sickness in his stomach. “Wow, that’s great. Good work.”

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