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Paige fiddled with the corner of her laptop. “Copy that.”
Except she had no taste for revenge. At some point, Mr. Rule Follower Cody had gone to the dark side, joining the shadowy Consortium, but in college, he’d been a straight arrow. Hardworking and sincere, if a bit cocky. Reporting her for the hacking had hurt, badly, but she’d always believed he did it because he was trying to do the right thing.
The person she really wanted to make life difficult for was the jerk who framed her in the first place.
As for Cody, she’d prefer never to deal with him again, but they needed to save Jason. Interrogating a Consortium operative would be a huge step forward.
Fenn studied her. “Whatever the reason, Lassiter reached out. Let’s give him some extra incentive. If we’re gonna set a trap, let’s make the bait irresistible.”
Tai rubbed his chin. “You mean kick it up a notch?”
“Exactamundo.” Fenn cocked a finger at him like a gun. “You so get me.”
“Great.” Tai rolled his eyes, but a grin softened the words. “What’re you thinking?”
“Whatever his goal, this dude wants to work with someone he knows,” Fenn said. “Or thinks he knows, after all these years. And what does he think he knows?”
Paige swallowed hard, unsure where her teammate was going. “That I messed up. Badly.”
Fenn shook his head. “Not messed up. Got caught. He thinks you have sketchy morals. Or at least you did years ago.If he believes you wiped out all those financial accounts in college, he’ll be willing to believe you’re interested in joining the Consortium.”
Paige’s stomach flip flopped. She could see where this was going …
But the rest of the team had that gleam in their eyes. They loved the idea.
But she couldn’t do it. She never had been the person Cody thought she was. And she was no actor.
“It’s a win-win,” Bridger concluded, his tone brooking no argument.
More of a lose-lose for her. Having to face Cody again: lose. Confronting the fact that the guy she’d admired, maybe even loved, had gone to the dark side? Major lose.
Her hands fell from the keyboard, her shoulders slumping. “I can’t do this,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not a field agent.”
The van fell silent, all eyes turning to her. Her skin prickling with discomfort.
“You guys are former military,” she continued, gesturing at her teammates. “You’ve got training. Field experience. Me? I’m just ... I’m the tech geek. The one who stays behind the screens.”
Bridger leaned forward, his expression softening. “You’re selling yourself short. You’ve got skills none of us have.”
“Computer skills. Hacking skills. Not ... not whatever this is. Espionage? Undercover work? I can’t lie to Cody’s face. I can’t pretend to be something I’m not.”
Fenn’s voice cut through her spiral of doubt. “You won’t be pretending. You’ll be you. A you that’s grown, changed. A you Lassiter doesn’t know anymore.”
Paige looked around at her team, seeing the confidence in their eyes that she couldn’t feel herself. Her stomach churned. But beneath it all, a tiny spark of determination flickered to life.
She threw her hands up in mock surrender. “Fine. I’ll do it. But when this all goes horribly wrong, and I end up in some Consortium black site wearing a fashion disaster of a jumpsuit, I expect you all to stage a dramatic rescue. And bring me a decent cup of coffee. Prison brew is probably worse than the sludge Fenn makes.”
Fenn’s indignant “Hey!” was drowned out by the team’s chuckles.
Paige turned back to her screens, muttering under her breath. “Cyber geek turned super spy. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, right. Everything.”
As the van continued towards their destination, she cracked her knuckles and dove back into her work. When she failed spectacularly, it would make for a great story.
Assuming she lived to tell it.
The van hummed with renewed energy as they sped towards the airfield, leaving behind the ghosts of the past and hurtling towards an uncertain future. Paige turned back to her screens. It was time to prepare for a reunion she’d never expected—or wanted.
“How do we get in touch with Lassiter? Maybe leave a hidden note beneath the doodle at the mansion?” Tai’s suggestion cut through her thoughts.