Page 45 of Wired Courage

“Maybe he just couldn’t get through.” Sophie frowned. “I’ve been frantic with worry. And what about Hamilton?”

“Yes, Hamilton.” The CIA man cleared his throat. “Hamilton wasn’t so lucky. He’s still in the compound. But he’s still better off than the other poor sons of bitches that were on your team. Dead, all of them, killed by your mother. I’m sorry . . .”

Sophie stared down into the garden at a bound and gagged Pim Wat, lying on the padded chaise lounge, still making indignant noises at her sister as Malee lectured her—a weirdly charming scene of sisterly togetherness. “Mother killed them all?”

“Yes. Gutted and beheaded them with a samurai sword.” McDonald blew out a breath. Sophie could almost see the florid-faced man pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m surprised to have to be the one to tell you this. I really thought Jake was going to call you yesterday.”

“Where is Jake now?”

“Not sure. He’s not a prisoner. We’re staying in the Grand Palace Bangkok Hotel. He has his own room.”

Jake was less than fifteen minutes away!

“Do you know why Jake was set free?” Sophie’s belly roiled—why hadn’t he called her?Armita came in, and, seeing Sophie’s expression, lifted the baby out of the sling and walked away with the infant, giving Sophie space to deal with the situation.

“Jake claims not to know why they cut him loose. He thought maybe you got in touch with the leader, the man they call the Master, and made a deal.”

“No, I have not. I’ve been too busy rescuing my daughter to do anything but call you and ask for help,” Sophie said. “The good news is, I have my daughter back. And now I have a trade to propose to you. I’ve got someone to trade to you, in return for helping me get Hamilton out.”

“What do you mean?” McDonald’s voice had gone cool and cautious.

“I want help getting Hamilton back. If he is the only prisoner they have left.” She swallowed bile at the back of her throat as she thought of Pim Wat cutting down the brave men who had set off on the mission.Thom Tang. . . her eyes teared up.

“We’ve had a clear directive from Washington not to get involved with any kind of direct confrontation. What is this deal you want to make?”

“I’ve got a prisoner. A woman with all the information you’ll ever want about the Yam Khûmk?n. A woman who’s also a mass murderer. My mother, Pim Wat.”

“Whoa.” A long silence as McDonald digested this. “You’ve captured her?”

“Indeed, I have.”

“That’s quite a bargaining chip.” McDonald was stalling.

“Well. If you don’t want this deal, I’m sure the Master will be interested in making an exchange for Hamilton.”

“Not until we debrief her,” McDonald said quickly.

“I’ll allow that. And, when you do, I hope you will be using your most invasive interviewing techniques.”

McDonald gave a bark of laughter. “I wouldn’t want to get on your bad side, Sophie. Let me run this up the chain, but I am pretty confident my superiors will just about wet themselves for a chance to get their hands on your mother. I take it she hasn’t endeared herself to you?”

“Killing my friends and stealing my child has cooled my affection, yes.”

“And you haven’t even heard Jake’s harrowing tale of being tortured to death by her yet.”

“What?” Sophie’s voice went shrill.

“Yep. They managed to resuscitate him, but he spent longer than any of us want to on the Other Side. I’ll let him tell you the story.” The man harrumphed. “We definitely will want a crack at interviewing Pim Wat about the Yam Khûmk?n, but I can’t promise we can make an exchange.”

“Then the Master will be getting her. Or, I can dispose of her myself.”And it was absolutely the truth. Sophie would have no problem sticking a blade into her mother and burying her somewhere deep and dark where she would never be found. But in fairness, she should let Armita do the honors . . .

“As I said, I’ll get back to you right away,” McDonald said.

“What’s the number for the satellite phone you gave Jake? I need to reach him.” Sophie was proud of how well she controlled the wobble in her voice.

McDonald’s rattled off the digits, and Sophie recorded them mentally.

When she got off the phone with McDonald, Sophie’s hands were shaking—and it wasn’t at the idea of killing her mother.

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