She nodded. Im about to tell you. But I want you to say yes first.

A long moment passed.

Yes.

*

Luke walked the manicured grounds of the Naval Observatory toward the parking lot. Next to him, Ed Newsam rolled his wheelchair along, his massive arms giving the wheels a spin every once in a while.

Are you ever going to get out of that thing? Luke said. I feel like youre slacking off. Cant you do physical therapy or something?

Stone, Ive only been in it since last night.

Luke shrugged. Well, I cant help the way that I feel. Its seems like youve been in it for a month already.

Lukes phone rang. He pulled it out and glanced at the number. For a split second, he had been hoping that…

He answered it. Trudy. What do you got for me? Whats going on with Dons computer?

Her voice was musical, upbeat. She probably hadnt slept in close to forty-eight hours. She probably hadnt even been home in all that time, and she was probably on her twentieth cup of black coffee. But there was something about winning, even winning ugly, that brought out the music in people.

Swann finally managed to break the encryption on Dons files. Luke, he knew about it all along. He was in on the plot from the beginning. In fact, he was in on it since before the beginning. There are emails between him and Bill Ryan about seizing power that date to before Thomas Hayes was even President.

You think you know a guy, Luke said.

I thought I knew him better than most, Trudy said.

Luke ignored that statement. He and Trudy had a complicated history. He didnt feel like dealing with that right now.

What else? he said.

Luke, Don talked. He gave the address of a CIA safe house. The people who run it are ghosts. Theyre not on the official payroll. Don thinks its where your wife and son might be.

Luke stopped walking. His heart began to pound in his chest.

What?

Instinctively, he felt for the gun strapped inside his jacket. He looked down at Ed Newsam. Ed stared up at him. He picked up on Lukes body language. Eds hand strayed to his own guns.

I have the address of a safe house. Were sending agents there. Theyre going to hit hard, and without warning. If your family is there, the agents are going to do everything they can to keep them safe.

Trudy, give me the address.

You cant go there, Luke. You have no objectivity. Youll be a liability to the operation. And youll put everyone in danger.

Trudy…

Luke…

Trudy, tell me the address.

There was a long pause over the line. His entire body was on fire with the searing pain of losing Becca and Gunner.

Tell me, he pleaded.

A long silence followed.

And then she did.

Coming in February!

Book #2 in the Luke Stone series

Jack Mars