Page 64 of Code Name: Phoenix

“Not so talkative now, are you?” Maxwell’s words are for Jessa, but she doesn’t respond.

Logan glares at me, and I know that look. He’s telling me to get my shit together or leave, and I won’t be excluded from this.

I tear myself out of her hell. It happened years ago, I remind myself. Jessa is safe in the common room.

I look for her on the security feed.

Her strength and poise are astounding, and I draw from her example as I school my features, then step back into view.

“Now, where was I? Ah, yes. You will have Jessa contact Zane, and you’ll release her back to him. I require their assistance, and they are kind of a package deal.” Maxwell continues on as though nothing happened.

Logan huffs at the screen. “And why would we do that? From where I sit, you have nothing to bargain with. Showing us a video from years ago doesn’t change anything.”

Maxwell goes silent.

He knows he has nothing we want, and we have everything he wants.

As he opens his mouth to speak, an alarm goes off on his end, and he reaches down to punch a button in front of him. Then he continues, “This isn’t a negotiation. Release Jessa back to Zane. There will be consequences if you refuse.” Then, shifting his glance to another spot on the screen, he continues, “And, Jessa? I can deliver a repeat performance if you defy me. I’ll be in touch with further instructions.”

Maxwell disconnects, leaving me in a maelstrom of emotions.

Instinct kicks in, and I’m heading to the door before I register Logan’s hand on my arm, trying to stop me.

“I need to find Jessa.” I point to the security feed on the wall as I see her turn and run out of the common room.

“Jack, give me a minute. Something’s wrong. Maxwell wouldn’t contact us without a specific motive. He knows he has nothing to bargain with and his demands won’t be met. What just happened here? He didn’t just call us up to play that video. We need to figure this out first.”

My only thoughts are of Jessa, and before I realize it, my own questions are pouring out of me. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t she use her safe word? Why didn’t she try?”

When I meet Logan’s eyes, his expression tells me he’s figured out something I haven’t.

“Jack, I think she did use her safe word.…” Silence lingers as he waits for me to realize it.

The unthinkable enters my head, and my soul fractures as her screams haunt me once again.

“Jack.” I say my own name, and Logan nods once in confirmation. “Her safe word was Jack. She knew he wasn’t going to stop. He wanted her to call for me to show her I wasn’t going to save her.”

And I didn’t.

He took everything from her, and I didn’t protect her.

“I’m so sorry, Jack. While this isn’t beyond what we are capable of, this isn’t something we would ever choose to inflict on someone.”

Logan is right. We could never come close to what Maxwell has allowed himself to become.

“I just don’t get it. His whole purpose for the call was to show us the video. He wanted to show me what he did to Jessa. That was all he accomplished.”

He had an audience, and he violated her all over again, and for what?

“Was it? What did he say at the end?”

“He told her not to defy him, then he told us he’d be in touch with further instructions.” I memorized every second of that video.

“Did he? Or was he tellingherhe’d be in touch with further instructions?” Logan’s words stop me still.

How could he reach her with further instructions? He’d have to go through us.

Then, like a slap in the face, everything connects, and it all makes sense. “The mole. Shit. I need to find Jessa.”

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