Page 60 of Wired Courage

“And that is what you understand, that she does not,” Connor said. “It’s too hard to watch her with someone else. I need my own life.”

The Master inclined his head. “And you shall have it.” He turned on his heel.

Connor followed him—and with every step he took, he felt lighter.

Chapter Forty-Three

Day Thirty-Six

Sophie carried a fed and sleeping Momi back to the bassinet that Nam’s wife had procured for her. She lay the baby down, and notified Armita on the baby monitor that she was going to the computer lab for a few hours. “Let me know if she needs anything that you can’t figure out.”

Armita snorted, and then appeared in the doorway carrying a basket of peas as well as the monitor. She sat on the rocking chair beside the bassinet. “I will watch over her from here.”

“You don’t have to. The house is full of people ready to respond to her littlest cry.” Sophie was glad Alika’stutuand mother had at last been persuaded to go for a walk to pick up shells on the island’s deserted beaches.

“Momi will be watched over every minute of every day. We will not lose her again,” Armita said. “But after the peas are prepared, I might take a little nap, as well.”

“You do that.” Sophie’s gaze fell to the bedside table. Jake’s ring, and the envelope it was placed on, still rested there. She walked over and picked up both items, turning on her heel to leave the room without any explanation. Sophie loved that Armita never asked any questions that Sophie did not welcome. She simply accepted.

Sophie headed out of her bedroom, down the open hallway, and across the inner courtyard to Connor’s office.

Her mind was still whirling from the things he’d told her. How long would he be gone? What had the Master done to persuade him to stay? Could she send a team to extract him?

She already knew the answer to that one—the fortress was nearly impregnable, and the United States had no interest in poking that hornets’ nest. Even Security Solutions didn’t have enough men with a death wish to take it on.

The office’s cool, gray walls calmed her immediately with the familiar environment of a distraction-free computer lab. Sophie lowered the blinds that opened into the central courtyard and the trickling Quan Yin fountain.

Her muscles were knotted and her throat tight from the talk with Connor. Working out would help. Sophie walked over to his Bowflex set and sat down on the bench. She adjusted the settings, and began lat pulldowns—she needed to strengthen her upper body with all the baby carrying she was doing.

Of all the things she had braced herself for, Connor’s refusal to return was not one of them.

He must be brainwashed by the Master, or perhaps the man had found some leverage on him that Sophie didn’t know about. But Connor had not seemed under duress; she knew his body language, his every expression, the inflections of his voice. Though most of what he showed the world was a mask—she alone really knew him.

Sophie fought tears for the second time that day and coughed, her throat still tight. She looked around for water—now that she was breastfeeding, she was constantly thirsty. She filled a paper cup of water from the dispenser in the corner, sipping it and composing herself.

She was glad she had been able to see his very real pain at saying goodbye—and also the determination in his mouth, the hard line of his jaw.

Whatever was going on, Connor meant it. And he was quite motivated, if his shaved and tattooed head were anything to judge by.

It didn’t matter. She’d find a way to get him out.

But first, she needed to pull back. Retrench. Recover from all that had happened. Pick up the reins of the company, and keep it going. Notify the families of the men who’d died on the mission, and help bury the dead. And in the meantime, work with the CIA on all of this, including the situation with her mother.

Sophie went back to the workout area and completed a vigorous forty minutes of exercise, drank more water, and sat down in Connor’s ergonomic office chair. She woke up his computer and logged in with the access code he had texted her over their secure line.

The computer immediately opened up to a saved file, and Sophie recognized a copy of the letter Connor had written her when he and Jake first marooned her on the island.

She whisked the letter aside. She could not bear to read it again right now.

The signed will and power of attorney were all in order. She opened an email and sent them to Kendall Bix, President of Operations, along with a request for a video conference meeting with all the department heads of Security Solutions. They deserved to get this news through videoconferencing, at least.

He had asked her to run the company, so run it she would. She’d keep it going for him to come back to.

She opened another file. This one was filled with accounts and passwords; all of Connor’s secret money stashes around the world.

She could help herself to billions—but she couldn’t care less about that. Money had always been a given in her life, and the salary and stock options he’d set up for her were more than generous.

The small skull that represented the Ghost software, Connor’s vigilante justice program, pulsed at her. A tiny icon showed a number of situations that needed attention.

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