“Holy shit.” He scrolled down the screen in disbelief. “I expected one or two folders of information, but there are dozens.”
“What are the labels? Is it code?”
Terror glanced at the numbers and letters on each folder. “They’re the identifiers for ships in the fleet and bases on different planets we control.”
She made an irritated face. “If he jabbed that chip in my head and all it contains is personnel lists and other nonsense, I’m going to kick him in the ass when we find him.”
“If we find him,” Terror muttered, not at all sure that Devious wanted to be found, if he was even alive.
“Open one of the folders. Let’s see what they say.”
He frowned at her. “You’re terribly bossy today.”
Her mouth slanted with an impish smile. “Maybe I need my attitude adjusted, sir.”
“There’s no maybe to it,” he grumbled, already thinking of all the ways to adjust her attitude. He searched for the Valiant’s folder but hesitated before tapping the screen to open it. As well as he knew Devious, there was no way the man went to all this trouble to sneak out information that wasn’t highly dangerous. Whatever he was about to read was going to change his life and Maisie’s irrevocably.
When he finally did open the folder, he discovered a file listing the names of mid and upper-level officers. They were men he worked with regularly, often relying on them for help on his missions. They were men he trusted.
Dread pooled in his belly as he read the notes Devious had written under each name. The accusations Devious made in his notes were the most serious anyone could make. According to Devious, these men were more than Splinter sympathizers. They were spies hellbent on bringing down the Alliance from the inside.
His stomach dropped in a nauseating swoop as his gaze lingered on one name in particular. Terror shot to his feet and let the tablet fall as his entire body went cold. He ate the floor with long strides and stopped at the circular window looking out toward the vast darkness of space.
Was it possible? Could he have been so blind? Been so easily deceived?
Pierce.
One of his best Shadow Force operatives. One of a handful of men he trusted.
Pierce.
A Splinter? A double agent?
Terror didn’t want to believe it. It sickened him to think that his friend was a liar. It couldn’t possibly be true.
Could it?
Maisie approached him from his left side. She touched his arm to get his attention and gestured to the tablet she carried. The color had drained out of her face, and she seemed as shocked as he felt. “This is worse than a few spies in key positions, Terror.”
Grimly, Terror nodded. “The Splinters have infiltrated every single ship and base in the alliance. They’re working in logistics, weapons, cyber security, medical, research and development...” His voice trailed off as the full weight of the discovery settled upon him. “There may be ships or bases where they outnumber us.”
Maisie gulped, and her fingers shook slightly as she signed, “If that’s true, the war is lost. What if they’re waiting to strike from within? One coordinated attack, and they’ll end you.”
Terror gritted his teeth. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”
“Terror.” She gripped his wrist so tightly he actually winced. “You cannot be serious. You are one man. You cannot take this on by yourself.”
“I’m not taking it on by myself.” He shifted his hand until he captured hers and interlaced their fingers. “I’m not one man by himself. I’m one man with his mate, his partner, at his side.”
Her expression softened. “Terror, I’m not strong enough to help you take on the entire Splinter force.”
“Yes, you are.” He kissed her tenderly. “You can do anything, Maisie. I believe that with every fiber of my being.” Realizing how much he was asking of her, he said, “But the choice is yours. If it’s too much to ask, I’ll take you somewhere safe and you can—”
Maisie touched his mouth and shook her head. “I’m not leaving you again.”
“It will be dangerous, Maisie.”
“What’s new?” She shrugged. “Danger seems to be what we do best, Terror.”
He turned his face and kissed her palm. Knowing it was now or never, he confessed, “I love you.”
But he didn’t just say it. He signed it. That book Cotton had given him had come in handy, and he had used it to learn the three words he wanted to say most.
She seemed staggered by his admission. After the shock