A Cold Dark Promise (Cold Justice #8.5)(21)

The honesty was as shocking as it was refreshing.

Her mother’s fingers squeezed until it was almost painful. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t a better person. I’m sorry I wasn’t the sort of mother you deserved especially after you lost your sister. I failed you terribly. I should have been stronger for the ones left behind.”

Now Mallory was flat out crying as she pulled her mother into an embrace. “It was a terrible time. I can’t imagine what you went through. I love you, Mom. You and Dad. I love you both. I want you both to be happy.”

After a few minutes her mother pulled away and wiped a finger under each eye. “That’s all I want for you, too.”

Mallory coaxed her mother into the smaller eating area inside the kitchen, rather than the huge formal dining room. And as she started to eat she sent up a little prayer that Alex was safe. She understood her mom so much better nowadays, and life was too short to hang onto old grievances. This wedding was exactly what her parents needed to focus on the future and let go of the past. Alex was all that Mallory needed. He was all she’d ever need.





Chapter Twelve





As soon as it got dark the team set up a command center at the chateau while Alex pushed thoughts of Mallory and their upcoming wedding to the back of his mind. He needed to concentrate on the mission if he was going to retrieve Taylor safely.

He and Ashley Chen were in the process of hooking up computers to the listening devices Matt Lazlo had attached to each of the larger boats in the marina earlier that evening. They both wore headphones and suddenly Ashley gave a huge smile. It wasn’t that long ago neither one of them had trusted the other, now she was in the wedding party.

She unplugged the headset so everyone could hear. Everyone quieted down. This feed was from Masook’s boat.

Tinny, indistinct voices came over the speakers. Ashley enhanced the feed as much as she could, boosted the volume, and suddenly a female voice piped up something in English about going horse riding the next day.

Alex glanced to where Jane hovered uncertainly near the door, watching everyone with a mixture of hope and trepidation. At the girl’s voice Jane put her hand over her mouth and appeared to hold back a sob.

What would it feel like to hear your child’s voice after four long years of silence? Heart-wrenching, and not nearly enough.

Jane knew all these people wouldn’t all be here if it were a simple extraction, and yet, she’d said nothing. She wasn’t a stupid woman. She was a desperate mother. He exchanged a look with Reilly who acknowledged him almost imperceptibly.

They couldn’t afford for Jane to fuck up this op by being too emotionally invested in the outcome and doing something rash.

“Listen.” Ashley grabbed his sleeve and tugged him down beside her. She’d filtered and refined the audio further. It was even clearer now.

“It’s safe?” An unknown speaker asked. The voice was muffled.

“As long as no one opens the containers, it’s safe.”

Every person in the room froze and looked at one another. What the hell was in the containers?

“Is that Masook?” Alex asked Jane. Her eyes had gone huge with horror. She nodded.

“That’s the antidote?” asked the first man.

Something about the other voice in the room niggled at Alex’s memory, but he couldn’t place it.

“The vaccine. Yes.”

Well, shit. Vaccine suggested biological. He exchanged a look with Frazer.

“There doesn’t seem to be very much of it.” The voice held a trace of irony.

“Who is that?” Alex demanded. Sound quality was poor. “Anyone got an image or an ID?” They’d been photographing everyone going on and off the boat.

“My supplier is working on making more.”

“How do I know it’s real?”

There was a laugh. “Have I ever let you down in the past?”

There was a jumbled confusion of words as several different conversations were picked up at the same time. Ashley bent to try and zero in on Masook. Alex checked the camera feed and sure enough a group of well-dressed people were coming onboard the boat—presumably for drinks or dinner.

“Can you isolate Masook and the buyer?” he asked Ashley.

She pulled a face. “I’m not sure. This isn’t my expertise.”

Alex nodded. “Mine either. We can untangle it later.” Everything was being recorded. But they might miss something vital in the meantime.

“We could get Scarlett in here…” Ashley looked at Frazer. “She’d be better at this than any of us.”

Frazer said nothing for a moment. Matt and Scarlett weren’t supposed to get any more involved than they already were.

Masook’s voice suddenly came through, as clearly as if he were standing beside the listening device. “Tell the captain we set sail on the morning tide.”

“He’s leaving?” asked Jane in a panicked voice while taking a step forward.

Alex exchanged a glance with Frazer. “Can we get an ID on the buyer? Is he taking anything with him? Because if he is we need to grab him now, before he disappears with whatever the hell Masook is trying to sell.”

“Noah’s on it,” said Logan, talking into his cell. Noah and Lucas were back on Greenburg’s boat, Ascension, watching the live surveillance feed and keeping a close eye on their prey.