Rogue Commander. Leo J. Maloney

promise, this will all be explained eventually. Even to Bloch. And you’ll understand why I had to keep it a secret. But right now, I just need you to trust me.”

      “Already do,” Shepard reported absently since his fingers were already flying over the keyboard and track pad. The search was a little more difficult than Shepard had anticipated, which is to say that it took longer than a minute. “Here. Is this her?”

      “You got it?”

      Shepard scoffed. “Do I got it? Who do you think you’re talking to here?” Shepard had something to prove. Lily’s comment that her boy toy was better than him still smarted. He sent the document to the printer. “This is her home address in D.C. Family connections, known friends and associates, stats, and details on her training.” He picked up the packet from the tray and held it out for Morgan. “Will that do?” he inquired innocently.

      “That will be just fine.” Morgan stuffed the documents into his messenger bag. “And remember—”

      “Not a word. Don’t worry. It’s my ass as much as yours now.”

      Chapter Ten

      Alex pulled her black Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle into her parents’ driveway. It was little wonder she had been so good on the Honda back in Prague. She had taken to motorcycles ever since the seat of her jeans had touched the leather of motorbikes’ seats years ago. It was early morning, so birds were singing, and the suburban cul-de-sac was all but deserted. Everyone was either at work or indoors, hiding away from the slowly intensifying cold.

      She was hoping to catch her father still at home. Something was up. She could tell from his voice when she’d talked to him the day before. They grew up with great love, but now that they were in the fire of espionage together as well, he let his guard down with her. But, for whatever reason, she had a kind of sixth sense when it came to him.

      She opened the front door and did catch him—red-handed at that—with a travel bag in his hand. It was the one he kept packed, in his office, ready to go at any time. The one he took when he was going on a mission, which he wasn’t, or she’d know. At least not an official one.

      “Where are you going?”

      “Don’t ask me. You never saw me. You were never here. Capisce?”

      “Sorry,” Alex replied, standing her ground. “You can’t talk to me like that anymore. In case you hadn’t noticed I’m not just your child. Now I’m Zeta’s child too.”

      Morgan appreciated the meaning in her message. But the love they had for each other went both ways. “Well, I’m still your father. That doesn’t change no matter how old you are or what job you have.”

      Alex nodded, allowing him to score the point. “But that doesn’t mean you can boss me around,” she reminded him. But as he was opening his mouth for a quick reply, she put up her hands in a surrendering position. “Oh, let’s just cut to the chase, shall we? You’re going to help Collins, right?” He didn’t respond, but his determined expression was all she needed. “Okay. Why go alone?”

      Morgan exhaled sharply. “Zeta’s not letting me follow where this is leading. Someone’s playing them—someone behind the scenes. And while they go after the wrong guy, the missiles are going to slip right through their fingers. I’m not going to let that happen.”

      “Then let me go with you.”

      “No. You’ll...” She saw him struggling to find the right words. “You’ll get in the way.”

      Anger burned on her cheeks. “I won’t accept that. How many times have I saved you already? I’m an operative now, Dad. Just like you.”

      “Just like me?” Morgan echoed, leaning in. “Do you have twenty years’ experience in the field? You’re barely twenty years old! Tell me, Alex. How many times have you had to stare death in the face?”

      “Plenty.”

      “Not enough. Not by a long shot. This is not going to be a careful operation with backup and surveillance. This is going to be me, solo, off the grid, with the US government on my ass.”

      Alex couldn’t argue with that, so she retreated to her original position. “It doesn’t have to be solo. Let me help you!”

      “You can’t. Not this time. Stay here and do what Bloch tells you. Nothing good will come of you getting involved in this.”

      “Dad, I’ve proved myself—again and again. Whenever I got caught up in one of your missions, I went beyond all expectations. And now I’m holding my own with seasoned pros. Honestly, don’t you even see me? Do you really give me that little credit?”

      “Goddamn it!” Morgan seethed, nearly dropping his bag. “Don’t you get it? When I’m with the others, my full attention is on the mission. No distractions, no fears. But when you’re there...when you’re there...”

      His expression softened, seeing that tears were playing on the corner of his daughter’s eyes. “You really are a remarkable young woman. I don’t think I tell you that enough.”

      “I am, Dad,” Alex replied yet finally with a full understanding of his situation. “But as much as you want to think of me as your little girl, as much as I know you want to protect me, you have to let me grow up. You have to let me make my own mistakes.”

      “But in this business,” he answered quietly, “mistakes can get you killed.”

      She shrugged. They both knew that risk was part of the job they had chosen. “You have to see me as I am,” she said simply.

      “I do, Alex. Sometimes I forget how much you’ve grown.”

      She crossed the distance to him and hugged him, squeezing him tight. She released, looking up into his eyes.

      “I love you, honey,” he said.

      Click.

      She felt a tightness on her right wrist as her father moved away from her.

      “Dad?” She tried to raise her right hand, but something jerked it back.

      “I’m sorry, honey.” Her right wrist was in handcuffs, which were affixed to a wrought-iron bar from the heavy side table. “I can’t have you coming with me. Not this time.”

      “Dad? You can’t leave me like this.” She yanked at the cuffs, trying to twist herself loose. “Dad!”

      “Careful. You’ll hurt yourself.”

      Tears streamed down her face. She was rubbing her wrists raw by tugging against the cuffs, but she didn’t care. “You can’t do this!”

      “I’m sorry, sweetheart. You left me no choice. This is going to be too dangerous for you. If I have to worry about you, I’m going to put both of us at risk.”

      “Dad, let me go.”

      He drew the keys from his pocket and tossed them into the kitchen. “Your mother will free you when she gets home.”

      “Let me go!” Alex screeched.

      “Stay safe. I love you.” He turned around. “Neika, come on!” He walked out, shutting the front door behind him.

      “Dad!” she hollered. “Don’t do this, Dad!”

      But he didn’t respond.

      Alex pulled at the side table, trying to drag it across the floor toward the kitchen. But it was too heavy. It hardly budged.

      “Dad! Come back!” As she screamed at him, she heard the sound of his car engine as he drove away.

      Chapter Eleven

      Lily woke in Scott’s arms. Early-morning light peeked through the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the bay. Scott didn’t care about decoration—it was like he hardly even noticed