“This inner circle of Chinese leaders came up with a solution alright. Now here’s what you need to know. Why you’re here. There’s a fire on the horizon. Me and a few of my colleagues are trying to fight this fire. We’re either going to prevent it or have to put it out when it reaches us. Either way, you’re going to be part of a group that will contribute. I’m taking you to a place that you’ll be able to help us prepare our defense. We were going to use someone else but there was a conflict at the last minute. That complicated telling you ahead of time. Plus, there is a good chance I’m being watched. Had to jump through hoops to get on this plane. No one could know that you were going to be going on this trip. No one can know that this trip exists. Because of these reasons, I had to kidnap you tonight. To keep it secret. And that is about as simple as I can make it.”

David stared back at Tom, guarding his emotions. He didn’t know what to feel. Anger. Distrust. He tended to have trust issues after kidnappings. He tried to stay as calm as possible. His sense of duty was making its way into his mix of emotions. A million things ran through his head, but one was at the top.

David said, “What about my family, Tom?”

“I’ll talk to them. You’re going to be gone a little while. I’ll make sure they know you’re OK.”

“Christ, my wife is going to kill me, I didn’t....”

“Alright, hold on. Now you listen to me, David. Listen very carefully. The reason you are here is more important than getting put in the doghouse by your wife. Get that through your head up front. This is top-level, national security shit. I need you to understand that. I need you to put your country first, and to quit bitching about the way it had to start. I said I’m sorry. But honestly, I don’t really give a shit about the inconvenience it caused you or how you probably pissed your pants when they gagged you. To be quite honest, I’ve got bigger things to worry about. The bottom line is, we needed you and we had to do it this way.”

David fell silent as his face flushed. They sat, not speaking, for a moment. The only sound was the thrum of the engines. Brooke stared, interested in the drama, but trying not to appear so.

Finally, David asked, “Where are we headed? California?”

Tom smiled in a way that made David uneasy. “At first. Yes. After that, I wish I could tell you, pal.”

He studied Tom for a few seconds before saying, “How long will I be gone?”

“A couple weeks.”

David rolled his eyes.

“Don’t look so upset buddy—like I said, I’ll give your wife a call for you. I’ll make up an excuse. You won’t be able to call her yourself. I can tell you that we’re headed to a small airport on the west coast. From there, you’ll get on another jet with other members of your team. I won’t be going. Got other fish to fry. I don’t even know where that flight is headed. Due to the sensitive nature of this mission, we’ve kept a lot of info compartmentalized. But when you arrive they’ll give you a brief, which will help explain everything. Just know that this is a vital project that will immensely help our nation’s security. And there is a specific need for someone with your background.”