The Puppeteer

CHAPTER 25



“NO,” SPANKY SAID. “Absolutely not,” he added for emphasis.

Dani didn't move from her spot.

“Dani, you know I can't,” he tried a different tact. She raised her eyebrow at him. It was a lie and they both knew it.

“Well, I can't,” he tried again. “Not with them in the room,” he added with a gesture toward Sammy and Jason, who stood behind her in the little room that held some of the best audio equipment owned by the CIA.

“Drew authorized it,” Dani countered, holding out a printed copy of an email that was addressed to her. That it was sent from Drew's private computer, which anyone with any training could hack into, wasn't missed by Spanky who gave her a you-can't-be-serious look. But she was. Serious. Very serious.

She wanted to listen in on the mission that would bring Frey down. She wanted to know it was going as planned and, most of all, she wanted to know that Ty was okay. The email wasn't official, and they both knew it, but it would be enough to cover Spanky's butt if anyone ever questioned him about having the three of them in the room.

“Mack, it's not a good idea,” he pleaded again, this time more concerned than anything else.

“I know,” she conceded. “But still, I'm here. And still, I want to listen in.”

Spanky stared at her for a long time. Technically, he could throw them out. He could call security and they'd be out of there faster than they could say ‘goodbye,’ but she was banking on loyalty now. On their years of work together. She was asking him as a friend.

“Dani,” he sounded pained, but she wasn't going to change her mind.

“Shit,” he said, in final resignation. She almost smiled in triumph, but he turned his gaze on her and pinned her to the spot with the deadly seriousness in his eyes.

“I'll let you stay, Dani, but you know as well as I do that this mission could go any number of ways. We all want it to be easy in and easy out, but we both know things can go from sugar to shit in a heartbeat. Are you ready for that? Really ready?” he demanded.

He was asking her if she was ready to listen to Ty die. No one expected it to happen, no one expected anyone to die on this mission. But it was always a possibility.

Taking a deep breath and willing the panic the thought caused to subside, she nodded. For a moment, it didn't look like he believed her. With good reason, since she didn't believe it herself—how could anyone be ready to hear someone they loved die? But, it wasn't going to change her mind. She wanted—she needed—to be there.

Spanky threw up his arms and made a vague gesture to the empty chairs in the room. Dani sat, giving Spanky a wide berth, given that he wasn't too happy about her presence. Sammy sat next to her, with Jason behind them. Dani must have looked as nervous as she felt because Sammy grasped her hand and offered a reassuring squeeze. She squeezed back and they both held on.

They were still sitting like that, several minutes later, when the audio synced up. She could hear Drew orchestrating the mission from the Navy boat anchored off Frey's island. She heard Roddy and Fawkes and, after what seemed like an eon, she heard Ty.

Closing her eyes, she focused on his voice. On the little snippets of information he passed on, location, status, visuals—all standard operating procedure. And every time she heard him, she gave a little prayer of thanks, and one of pleading, pleading to bring them all home safe.

Her mind raced with every second that went by in silence and she sat still, so still, as they listened to the mission unfolding thousands of miles away in the dark of the night. The only movement was the occasional squeeze from Sammy when they heard Ty checking in.

And then they heard the shots.

Even though the sound was expected, Dani jumped. Her heart rate accelerated but, even knowing she was still recovering from a heart attack, she ignored the sensation and leaned forward, aching to hear Ty's voice through the now near-constant sound of weapons being discharged.

She gripped Sammy's hand and sensed Jason's hand on her shoulder as she listened to the sound of a gunfight that felt like it was never going to end. Voices shouted across the airwaves, but there were too many, there was too much chaos to pick out Ty's.

Once or twice Spanky cast her a concerned look, but she ignored that, too. Always focusing on the sounds and trying to sort through everything she was hearing. And then it was silent. The shots stopped, no one spoke. No one in their tiny room moved.

“The target's down. The area is secure,” came Ty's voice, loud and clear. Dani, who hadn't cried in years, felt the tears tracking down her cheeks.

“He pulled a knife on me,” Ty continued, sounding almost amused.

“He hit you?” Fawkes's voice carried through to the room.

“Yeah, in the arm, but I'm fine,” Ty answered.

Dani sat back and let out a choked breath.

“We're clear here,” Ty spoke again.

“We've got the backup, clean up team on the way. ETA ten minutes,” Drew answered. “Casualties?” he added.

“Everyone's accounted for here,” Ty answered. “I'll need a stitch-up when I'm back on board, but other than that, no one else was dumb enough to get in the way of a knife or bullet.”

“Glad to hear it, Fuller,” Drew responded. “And the target?”

“Down, out of commission. It was self-defense on my part,” Ty added and Dani could hear the smile in his voice. “There are two guards on the beach and six in the house.”

“Anything we need to worry about?” Drew asked.

“You'll need to do a sweep of the jungle behind the house when you get here. We've got people posted back there and they haven't seen a thing, but when the backup gets here, they should do a more comprehensive search.”

“Roger,” Drew answered. “Take your team and head back to the boat.”

“We're on our way,” Ty answered as the lines went silent. It was hard to believe the end of such a horrible mastermind came in less than ten minutes. But it was over.

Dani closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer out to whomever, thankful that the team was okay. That Ty was going to be home soon.

“Dani?” Spanky spoke. “You okay?”

She opened her eyes and smiled. “I'm fine. Better now. Thank you, Spanky.” He still didn't look convinced that he'd done the right thing, but he nodded and glanced at Sammy and Jason, who looked as relived as she felt.

“Better, baby?” her sister asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Dani nodded and squeezed her sister's hand. She'd gone through hell, but she had the love of her family and Ty, and things were going to be better. She knew it, she could feel it.

She opened her mouth to say just that when the audio crackled behind them. Startled by the sudden sound, Dani swung her gaze back to the console, only to find Spanky looking just as surprised.

“Shit, we've got incoming,” Fawkes's voice rang through the static. The tension in it was unmistakable.

“Get back to the boat, now!” Drew ordered.

“We're on our way,” Ty answered as the sound of an explosion rocked the room.

“Ty!” Fawkes shouted.

“Ty, Fawkes, what's going on out there?” Drew demanded, the panic in his voice carried straight into Dani.

“Shit, we've gotta swim. The boat's sinking,” Fawkes answered. “Ah, shit!”

And another sound of something exploding echoed.

“Ty!” Fawkes called, panic and fear clear in his voice.

“Get back to the boat, now!” Drew's demand was met with silence.

“Fawkes? Ty?” He called again.

“Can't…need to find Ty…” Fawkes's voice faded and then the audio went dead all together, muted by Spanky.

Dani stared at the console, at the speaker that Ty's voice, moments ago had come through. And refused to believe what she'd just heard.

“He's not dead,” she mumbled, shaking her head. “He's not,” she repeated.

“Honey,” Sammy's voice shook next to her.

Dani raised her eyes and looked at her sister. “He's not,” she insisted. “They'll find him. Fawkes wouldn't let anything happen to him. I'd know if he were dead. I'd just know,” her voice raised. “Spanky,” she demanded, turning to her colleague. “Turn the audio back on. Get on the phone to Drew and tell him to send the search boats out. They have a helicopter, use it dammit! It must have a spotlight. The damn Navy boat probably has one, too. Make them use it!” She pounded her fist on the desk.

“Dani, you know Drew is doing everything he can,” Spanky responded. But still, no one was moving, they just watched her, doing nothing.

“Do something!” she screamed at Spanky as Jason's arms came around her from behind. She struggled against him, fought him, refusing to believe what had happened. Even as she sank into darkness, she still refused to believe.