Page 69 of Enemy of My Enemy

“They know we have to clear these mines.” Jack frowned at his staff. “They know we’re going to stop them.”

“They are wanting us to engage,” Sergey growled. “They want to play at war, but they will run when the real shooting starts.”

Jack reached for Ethan’s hand under the conference table as the two ships, American and Russian, closed in on the mines.

The speedboats started toward both.

There was a live feed of the American and Russian destroyers’ bridges piped to the Situation Room. The orders given to each ship had been clear: get rid of the mines; capture or kill the terrorists who placed them.

Alarms sounded on both vessels. Russian cursing flew through over the comms channel. TheForest Shermancommander’s cool voice rose through the cacophony.“Ops, status.”

“Two ships coming right for us, Captain.”

Sergey’s Russian captain was decidedly less politic with his reaction. He swore in Russian, and the automatic translator typed out on the bottom “go fuck yourselves.”

TheForest Shermantransmitted over the radio, addressing the Islamic fighters.“Enemy vessels. Disengage from your course immediately or we will open fire.”

Jack breathed in deep, and Ethan gripped his hand beneath the table. They both leaned forward, their hands beneath the tabletop. Instead of watching the monitors, Ethan watched Jack.

TheForest Sherman’scommander spoke again.“Ops. Maintain course and heading, bow-on to target.”

Jack’s eyes pinched, but Sergey leaned into his side and whispered, “Bow-on presents the smallest possible target.”

On-screen, the Russian ship stayed abreast of theForest Sherman, also bow-on to the speedboats.

Fighters on the speedboats squaring off with the two Navy destroyers hefted heavy RPGs on their shoulders.

TheForest Shermancommander barked out her orders, lightning fast.“Light them up. Get me radar on that ship and prepare to fire.”

Jack turned his hand and laced his fingers through Ethan’s. His eyes flicked away from the screens, and he held Ethan’s gaze. The air seemed to suck from the room, a great vacuum of anticipation and held breaths.

“Both vessels have fired, Captain! Three RPGs coming in hot. Damage control teams to port side!”

More cursing in Russian and shouted orders from theBezboyaznennyy.

Forest Sherman’scommander broke over everything.“Fire with guns. Destroy them.”

The Americans fired first, a long series of rattling bullets that chewed through the speedboats. The Russians joined in, and in moments, both boats were smoking hulks sinking beneath the surface.

“Cease fire.” TheForest Sherman’sorder was repeated in Russian on theBezboyaznennyy.“Resume course to clear mines.”

Jack stared at Ethan as the Situation Room broke into clapping and muted cheers. He kept their hands laced beneath the table as his eyes slowly closed.

* * *

Soft Russian floateddown the hall in the Residence, Sergey’s rolling voice mixed with Sasha’s deep timbre. Jack and Ethan had left the two close to midnight sitting on the couches in the East Sitting Hall between their bedrooms.

“Did we stop something or start something today?” Jack was half in and half out of his suit, hesitating as he unbuttoned his shirt. “Was that the Caliphate? Rogue terrorists? Or Madigan?”

Naked and lying on top of the bedsheets, Ethan shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Jack slumped on the edge of the bed. “I wanted,” he finally began, “to make the world a safer place. To make America, and the world,better. Work toward… unity.” He exhaled as he tipped his head back. “I think I’ve failed on just about every one of my goals.”

“I’m sorry. I know I—”

“No, it’s not you. It’s me.” Sighing, Jack ripped his shirt off and balled it up, chucking it to the floor like a basketball. “All of this madness would have happened whether or not we got together.” He crawled into the bed, still in his suit pants, and straddled Ethan’s lap.

Ethan rested his hands on Jack’s thighs. When Ethan looked up, the naked pain, the uncertainty in his gaze, speared Jack through the heart.