Street Game (GhostWalkers, #8)(110)

“We have to know where they are,” Mack said. “Unless our bugs have stopped working.”

“Oh, no,” Jaimie said, “they’re in place. They’re relaying the information just fine.” She rubbed her hand over her face. “They’re transmitting from under the American embassy in Beijing. The American embassy, Mack. If the kids are found there, the world is in trouble.”

“Shit,” Javier commented.

“Thank you for your contribution,” Griffen said. “As you can see, Mack, this requires a delicate hand. You have to get in unseen, scoop the kids back without anyone knowing you—or they—were ever there. That means no shots fired. Nothing that could possibly draw attention to this situation.”

“With no shots fired? Against a terrorist organization that thrives on as much violence and publicity as possible?” Mack looked at Kane. “When do we leave?”

“I’ll provide as much intel as I can from here,” Jaimie volunteered.

“You have to go with them,” Sergeant Major ordered. “I’m not asking.”

There was a shocked silence. The men looked at one another. Mack looked at Jaimie. She squeezed her eyes closed tightly, fists clenching until the knuckles turned white, until her fingernails bit deeply into her palm. “You know I can’t go with them, Sergeant Major,” she whispered softly, a thousand tears in her voice, her chest aching. “I would if I could, but it’s impossible. I nearly got Mack killed on our last mission together.”

“She can feed us intel from here,” Mack said.

Griffen shook his head. “I don’t need her feeding you intel. I need her to do whatever she does to get you all in and out quietly. If there was another way . . . But she’s what we have and we have to use her skills.”

“I don’t work for you anymore.” Her voice was stiff. She didn’t look at any of them.

“You never stopped. And I’m not asking,” Griffen retorted.

Jaimie stood up so fast her chair went over backward. “You’re not going to do this to me. Arrest me.”

“Don’t think I won’t. This is what you were trained for and, by God, you’re going to do your job.”

“Sergeant Major.” Mack’s voice was low. Ice-cold.

The room went dead silent. Kane moved. The action was subtle, but he put his body between Jaimie and the rest of the room.

Griffen rose, his eyes narrowing. He did a slow sweep of the room with speculative eyes. “Are you threatening me, soldier?”

The tension in the room rose significantly. Mack didn’t so much as blink, letting it stretch out almost to a breaking point. “I said nothing to give you that impression—sir.”

“I f*cking work for a living, so don’t you ever insult me like that again,” Griffen snapped. “And you’re supposed to be my friend. Have you forgotten that? We have a situation that could throw our country and all our allies into war. I want the best team I can put together to avoid this situation. All of you are aware of what Jaimie can do. Can any of you? Each of you has talents that are needed, but if we’re going to send you in with the best chance of success without detection, you need Jaimie. Mack, you know I wouldn’t ask if we didn’t need her.”

“But you didn’t ask,” Mack pointed out, his voice neutral. “I believe you ordered her.”

A small smile eased the tension on Griffen’s face. “I’m used to giving orders. I’ve been doing it my entire life. I’m sorry about that, Jaimie.” He switched his gaze to her pale face. “I wouldn’t be asking you if this wasn’t a desperate situation, and I think you know that. You have a talent no one else has, or at least that we know of, Jaimie. Maybe it’s not something we can put a name to, maybe it’s undefined, but you have it, and it saves lives,” Griffen said. He made every effort to keep his voice gentle, aware of the men watching him. He wasn’t used to choosing his words so carefully and his voice came out a little strained.

Her mouth trembled. “What happens if others are relying on me and I fail them and someone dies? I would never be able to forgive myself.” Like last time.

No one died last time, honey, Mack said gently.

You almost did.

You saved all of our lives. The entire team would have died in that ambush if it hadn’t been for you. You never think about that part of it. We’d all be dead.

“Think of the children, Jaimie,” Kane suggested. “You know the kidnappers have to kill them. With you, we have a better chance of going in without detection.”

“You and Mack and the boys, you go in and get those kids out yourself.” Jaimie was pleading now, clearly a last-ditch effort. She hadn’t honestly thought about what would have happened had she not warned the team of the ambush and found them the clearest route possible to escape. Maybe they did need her, but . . .

She swallowed hard, her eyes meeting Mack’s in desperation. He crossed to her side, his hand going to the nape of her neck, fingers easing the tension from her.

“If we needed cowboys to go in, guns blazing, we’d have any number of men, but we can’t do that, Jaimie,” Griffen said. “We have to get in and get out with no sound, like ghosts. The boy is the only son of the ambassador to D.P.R.K. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you the international implications.”