“You agreed to help, and before you knew what hit you, you were in the middle of an illegal and unsanctioned operation.” Lynch groaned. “And I jumped in with you and told you to stay in it. Listen, Alex, I can see how this all happened. I don’t know how the higher-ups will see it. I won’t lie. Both our jobs are on the line now. But what you’ve learned so far could keep us out of trouble.”

“Sir, that was exactly my thinking.”

“I’m glad to hear it. We need to debrief. I need more details. In the meantime, and this sounds strange considering you’re not currently working and your observation wasn’t technically sanctioned, but I need you to stand down.”

“Stand down, sir?”

“No further activity. No communication or involvement. We’ll be seen as stepping into another agency’s operations.”

“The fact is that my friend and her sister are in danger and someone needs to—”

“Agent Knight, let me clarify, officially, you are to stand down and back off.”

“And unofficially?”

“You know what’s at stake.”

Alex barely released his relief. Lynch didn’t say more and instead ended the call.

What was at stake? His career? Military secrets? Mackenzie’s life? He’d made the call and so what? He was still in a precarious position. He wanted to do the right thing—every time.

Serve his country. Respect his superiors. Answer to a higher calling. But what happened when the directives handed down were in conflict with that higher calling?

God, what should I do? What is the right thing for me at this moment?

What would he even say to Mackenzie? That he was headed back to DC and would leave her to finish this alone? Alex fisted his hands.

He stepped onto the porch, only to see Terra marching toward him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, a new concern building in his chest. “Where’s Mackenzie?”

“Check your messages much? She left with Carson and Nora.”

His heart might have stopped. He struggled to breathe. “What? Why didn’t you keep her here?”

“What was I going to do, tie her up? I told her you wouldn’t be happy if she left, but Nora’s fiancé arrived back from a trip. He flew in just for her because of last night. Nora wanted to go with him, and Mackenzie left too. She said she couldn’t leave Nora alone.”

He stared at the trees and shook his head. Scratched his temple.

“I don’t know everything that’s going on, and maybe your new girlfriend is just strange. But she was working on her laptop while she was at the house and asked to borrow mine. She started up a game on it! So she was working on hers and playing a game on mine.”

He stood taller. “Did she say anything about the game?”