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Maybeshemeant something to Rhett.
Even if Rhett didn’t completely know it yet.
The revelation sent a tingle through Benson, and he took a slow breath, his mind racing as he tried to use this new insight and launch a fresh attack.
Slowly Benson’s cool confidence oozed back into him. He smiled lazily, gazed dreamily into Rhett’s eyes. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she? Your daughter?”
Rhett blinked twice.
Enough of a tell that Benson knew it was still game-on.
“Fuck you,” Rhett whispered, flashing that borderline manic smile again, reminding Benson of the mood-swings that sometimes accompanied high-dose testosterone injections. “You had no right.”
Benson sensed Kaiser shift on his feet, noted Jack’s hand moving to his own weapon, felt himself regaining control of the room’s energy.
“You gave up your right to be a father, Rhett.” Benson smiled coolly, slowing his speech to a taunting drawl. “Just like Scarlet gave up her right to be a mother. You two deserve each other. Back then and now.” He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m sure she’s waiting for you in hell.”
Rhett licked his lower lip again, flashing that wild grin for the third time, his eyes burning with what Benson hoped was the explosion that would end this game.
Silence fell across the room.
Somewhere a bathroom faucet leaked a single drop.
A floorboard creaked beneath their feet.
A vent above them hissed out a breath of forced air.
Then suddenly Rhett’s shoulders relaxed.
And Benson’s heart sank.
Rhett grinned, letting out a sharp exhale, clearly relieved that he’d caught himself in time, regained control before Benson pushed him over the edge. “Nice try, but it’s not going to work, John. You want to take me down, you’re going to have to do it in cold blood. And make the CIA Director an accessory to murder and a liar on the record.” He grunted in Kaiser’s direction. “Not that Martin would mind. He’s compromised himself enough for his old buddy Benson.” Rhett shrugged coolly, then flicked his gaze towards Jack. “But what about you, kid? You going to put your name on a cover-up too? Perjure yourself on the stand? Swear under oath that Rhett Rodgers drew his weapon first and the honorable John Benson had no option but to defend himself, defend his country, defend the entire world?”
Jack had the discipline to hold his frame and stare blankly at Rhett, not saying a damn word but not looking away either. Kaiser’s face was a dark cloud, though Benson was certain most of that anger was self-directed for allowing himself to get dragged into another Darkwater mission, one that looked very likely to be the last.
“Thought so,” said Rhett, barely masking his contempt. “Well, then we’re done here. You guys are played out.” He sighed in Kaiser’s direction, then glanced at Benson with that sneering smile. “Hey, I get it. We’re all CIA. Baiting someone into overreacting is a tried-and-true method of generating just cause to take somebody out—hell, we’ve used it to takecountriesout. Provocation. Reaction. Execution. Textbook CIA. But you only get one shot at it before your target wises up. You miss that shot and it’s over. We all know that.” He straightened his jacket, huffed out a breath. “You can still go directly to Robinson with that video, I guess. Roll the dice that it hurts my reputation more than it does Kaiser’s.” He chuckled dryly. “That might very well be the case, but nobody comes out looking clean if all this gets exposed. Babies and blackmail isn’t going to sit well with a family man like Marcus Robinson and his baby-producing machine Princess Delilah. Fuck, I don’t remember the last time that womanwasn’tpregnant.”
Benson stiffened as Rhett checked his watch, glanced casually towards the open door leading to the corridor and the stairs. Once Rhett walked out of this house Benson would never get another chance.
Benson shot a glance out the bedroom window. The street was empty. Nothing but his silent car sitting between the traffic cones.
It was all on Benson now.
But Rhett was right that Benson would rather not make Kaiser an accessory to murder, wasn’t going to force Jack Wagner to bear false witness.
It was time for Benson to exit the game.
Alone.
No more favors from fate.
No more deliverance from destiny.
Benson drew his gun.
“I’ll walk you out, Rhett.” Benson pointed the weapon at Rhett’s head. “Downstairs. Now.” He flicked his gaze towards Kaiser and Jack. “You two stay here. You’ll know when it’s safe to come down.”
Rhett stared in half-amused disbelief tinged with a flash of fear. “You’re crazier than I thought.”