But that being said, he wasn’t sure how coming forward would work. Who did he talk to? Who could he trust? And while he could see himself going all-info on Matthias and that second in command, he was not going to give up the identities of the other soldiers he’d worked with or knew about. XOps had gotten out of control under Matthias’s rule and that man had to be stopped—but the organization wasn’t entirely evil and did perform a necessary and significant service to the country. Besides, he had a feeling that if that boss of theirs was put away, most of the hard-cores like Isaac would dissolve into the ether like smoke on a cold night, never again to do what they had done or speak of it: There were many like him, those who wanted out but were trapped by Matthias one way or another—and he knew this because there had been so much comment on Jim Heron’s release.

Speaking of which . . .

He needed to get to Heron. If there was a way to do this, he needed to talk it over with the guy.

And Grier’s father as well.

“Call your dad,” he said to Grier. “Call him and get him back here. Right now.” When she opened her mouth, he cut her off. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but if there’s another solution here, I’m damn sure he has better contacts than I do—because I’ve got nada. And as for your brother—shit, that’s rat awful and I’m so very sorry. But what happened to him was the fault of someone else—it was not your father’s doing. That’s the thing. When you’re being recruited, they don’t tell you everything, and by the time you work out the reality for yourself, it’s too late. Your father is way more innocent in this than I am, and he’s had to lose a son over it. You’re angry and you’re devastated and I get that. So is he, though—and you saw it for yourself.”

Even though her face went hard, her eyes welled up, so he knew she was listening.

Isaac grabbed the phone on the bedside table and held it out to her. “I’m not asking you to forgive him. Just please don’t hate him. You do that and he’s lost both his children.”

“He already has, though.” Grier swept a quick hand over her tears, wiping them clean. “My family’s gone now. My brother and mother dead. My father . . . I can’t bear the sight of him. I’m all alone.”

“No, you’re not.” He jogged the receiver at her. “He’s just a call away—and he’s all you’ve got left. If I can man up . . . so can you.”