Page 165 of Enemy of My Enemy

Hours later,Scott emerged, looking like he’d lost it all. Stacy silently took Jack’s bloody clothes into the laundry room, and Scott brought down a pair of cargo pants that were a little too large. Jack explained the plan, and Scott nodded, though his lips were pressed in a thin line and all the blood had fled from his face.

When it was time, he pulled Ethan’s clean sweatshirt back on and then an old canvas jacket on top of that, borrowed from Scott. Scott wore the same cargo pants, a long-sleeve black shirt, and an old camo jacket. He shoved as many weapons and as much ammunition as he could into a duffel. Jack packed up Irwin’s information, tucking it into the inside pocket of his jacket, along with Ethan’s phone.

Scott and Stacy hugged for a long, long time.

When it was Liz’s turn, she started to cry, but Scott held her through it. He wiped the tears from her eyelashes and whispered into her hair, telling her how smart she was, how beautiful she was, and how he was coming back. “I have to walk my little girl down the aisle at her wedding,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ve been dreaming of that moment since you were born.”

Her watery smile wavered, but she wrapped him up in a hug.

A moment later, she hugged Jack. She whispered in his ear, “Give Uncle Ethan a hug for me when you find him.”

“I will.”

Stacy didn’t look at him.

They piled into Scott’s personal car, leaving behind the Secret Service SUV. Stacy and Liz watched from the windows until Stacy turned away.

En route to the Russian embassy, Jack had one last call to make. Even though it was close to midnight, he had a funny feeling someone would still answer.

It came with the job.

Elizabeth picked up on the first ring. “Good news never comes after the sun goes down.”

Jack tried to smile. “You’re a natural, Elizabeth. And this isn’t bad news. Well…” He ignored the harsh glare Scott sent his way. “I guess it depends on your perspective.”

“Jack…”

“We’ve got a plan. Or, the beginnings of a plan. We’ll be meeting up with a good friend of mine. Great conversationalist for you, too. Your pillory of pop culture over dinner was a sight to behold. Our friend has an idea on where to find Ethan. I’m going to stick with him while we search.”

“Jesus Christ,” Elizabeth breathed. “From the frying pan and into the firefight. You’re telling me this so that I’ll know where to expect news reports of your body being dragged through the streets?”

“It won’t come to that. You’ll know where we are and what we’re doing. And, for when you send us intel on Madigan.” His voice hardened. “We’re going to get him, Elizabeth.”

She was quiet. “I’ll be waiting to give you back this desk when you get back.”

It was his turn to say nothing.

He’d most likely never step foot in the Oval Office again.

“I sent Secret Service agents to your parents’ house in Texas. Agent Daniels handpicked them. We set up a secured video call, and I talked with them both this evening. They understand what’s going on. What they need to do.”

Jack exhaled, his cheeks puffing out.

“I do have something else to ask you,” Elizabeth said, clearing her throat. “The identity of the bomber at Langley. What do we say?”

What do they say to the world about Leslie? Jack let his head fall back against the headrest. “My wife died sixteen years ago. I loved her, Elizabeth. I did. And she will always be my hero. She will always be an American hero. She needs to be remembered that way. Honored for the life she truly lived. The amazing, incredible woman she really was. Not this. Not whatever Madigan tried to do.”

“You want to go public with what that thing was? What she did?”

The world would reel, but then again, wasn’t it already reeling? Was there some kind of terminal velocity of terrible things, a finite limit the world could take? Or was that just the human soul?

“Yeah. Yes, go public with everything. What she was. How we were duped. How a… covert intelligence operation discovered the truth and warned us just in time.”

“The world thinks you’re gone, Jack. It wasn’t just in time.”

“Just in time so that it was only thirty-one who died, not hundreds, or thousands. Who knows where she would have detonated if given the chance? I wasn’t the only target. She could have detonated anytime if it was just me.”

Elizabeth’s quiet exhale echoed over the line. “I’ll make the announcement tomorrow.This is going to be awful.”