Kane had testified in a closed hearing, as had Brian, turning over evidence of Whitney’s breeding program to Sergeant Major Griffen, as per the chain of command, but the meeting had been top secret and no one knew the outcome. The men had rejoined Team Three under Colonel Wilford’s command and had gone on several missions. Griffen worked directly under the colonel and presumably had turned all evidence and reports over to him. Kane didn’t talk about his time with Whitney, but he hadn’t slept much since and he’d definitely been searching for someone. Mack was fairly certain it was one of the women he’d helped escape the breeding compound.
Mack still had trouble believing such a thing had existed.
“Tell me about pairing. What is that?”
Kane sighed. “Are you sure you want to know? Sometimes it’s better to keep your head in the sand.”
“Tell me about Whitney,” Mack insisted.
Mack did his job and took his men where the sergeant major directed them. They had a damn good record when it came to rescuing hostages from cities where no one knew who was the enemy and who was innocent. He enjoyed being enhanced with all the added things it allowed him to accomplish, but the rumors he was hearing about some of the experiments Whitney had conducted along with the genetic enhancements made him realize they were dealing with someone who might be brilliant but as mad as a hatter.
“He’s been allowed to do whatever he wanted without answering to anyone for so long that he believes himself above the law, above even the president. He considers himself a great patriot and defender of the country. He believes the end justifies the means.”
“So basically you’re telling me that everything Jaimie told me about him and his experiments is probably true and I should have listened to her.”
“Yeah. That’s what I’m saying. I said it back then too. She’s too damn smart to ignore.”
“I hear a reprimand in there.”
“I’m just saying, you hurt Jaimie again and I’m going to tear out your heart and feed it to you.”
Kane sounded casual enough, but he wasn’t kidding. Kane, like most of his team, was protective of women. Mack’s mother had been the one stable influence most of them had. All of them had developed what the psychs referred to as being overprotective. And maybe they all were, but when it came to women, they didn’t like anyone messing around with them.
Kane had risked his career, his life, everything he was, to do the honorable thing and help the women get out of the facility where they were being held. Orders or not, as far as Kane was concerned, what Whitney had demanded of them wasn’t honorable. He had done everything in his power to take the evidence to the commanders to get it stopped. Now Kane had a deep distrust of Whitney and the chain of command, which meant Mack did also. Ever since Kane had returned from that assignment, Mack had watched his best friend’s back even closer.
“I hear you.”
“And the next time she tells you something is a red flag, put your damned ego aside and listen to the woman.”
“I’m all about the listening.” Mack sounded as pious as possible.
Kane rolled over and groaned. “I’m getting back on the couch. I swear, if we’re staying here for any length of time, I’m buying a bed tomorrow.”
“We’re staying. And you’re getting soft. You’ve slept on the ground more than you’ve slept in a bed over the last few years. You’re also getting old.”
“Says the boss from his superior position on a nice soft bed.”
“It’s a single bed, Kane. It may be soft, but there isn’t much to it, and lying next to her is killing me.”
“Then move, you stubborn bastard.”
“Not a chance. I’m establishing my territory. She’s not going to let me back into her life so easily. She’s made up her mind to stay away from me.”
Kane tried to make himself smaller on the couch. He had a thick, heavily muscled chest and big arms. One kept flopping off the couch uncomfortably.
“You know, Mack, things aren’t always black and white. Sometimes, for whatever reasons, we have to do things that we can’t live with. They just sit in the gut and keep you up at night. We’re all wired differently. You have a gift, something inside you that lets you make a decision and live with the consequences. The rest of us aren’t so lucky. Jaimie had to do what she did to survive. After what I saw in that compound with Whitney, if I could get out, I would, but they aren’t going to let any of us go. Not now. It isn’t about the money and training anymore. We’re too dangerous to them.”
Mack was silent, turning the words over in his mind. Kane had come back troubled from his last assignment. Not only troubled, but suddenly very leery of every mission, questioning everything, as Jaimie had. Mack had known then that the questions in his mind, the doubt rising up with each new nugget of information about Whitney and his experiments, weren’t just because Jaimie had planted the seed and suspicion was growing.
Kane and Brian had come to him, careful of what they said, fearful that they were on a death list and not wanting Mack to be there with them. He had gone up the chain of command and set into motion a hearing. He hadn’t been allowed to go with his men.
“I’m sorry, Kane. You’re right. I should have listened to her. I should have investigated what Whitney was doing before I took us all down this path. Once we were on it, I just wanted us all to survive.” He had watched over them, trying to figure out what each of them had been gifted—or cursed—with and how best to cope with it.
“We’re all responsible, Mack. We all listened to the propaganda, took the tests, and thought we were lucky when we passed. I can’t even say I don’t like my abilities.
We were all lucky in that we can work alone. Most of the others can’t exactly survive on their own in the world. But something’s not right about any of this, and they know I went after Whitney and I’m not going to stop until he’s brought down. I think Jaimie knew it all along. She never trusted him. She kept asking us to slow down.”
“I thought it was the violence. She’s always been squeamish about violence.”