Page 46 of Shadow Burn

She shook her head. “It will just hang over my head until I do.”

“You don’t know what he’s going to say.”

She sucked in a lungful of air. “That won’t change if I delay speaking to him.”

“But you can be more prepared,” Reid countered.

Would she, though? Her mind whirled.

“Put him on speaker,” Jasper said. He grabbed her notebook and pen, opening it to her Agency notification protocol page. “I’ll be here to coach you.”

Her first instinct was to refuse. This was an Agency call on an Agency phone. She had a lifetime of training where compartmentalization and need-to-know weren’t preferences but reflexes.

Then she looked at the monitor showing the dark sedan, at the paused image of the man whose lips she recognized. She looked at Jasper, who’d cleaned blood from her cheek, brought her breakfast, and asked for a voice instead of a veto.

She answered and tapped the speaker icon. “Katherine Townsend.”

“Ms. Townsend,” Upton said. His voice was exactly as she remembered it from the few internal briefings where he’d spoken from the front of a room full of analysts, historians, and staffers. Soft, composed, and precise. He didn’t introduce himself. Men like Upton rarely needed to.

“Sir,” she said, and was relieved to hear that her voice sounded steady.

“I’m calling about your temporary assignment in Blackridge.”

Jasper’s eyes held hers. Sebastian shifted closer to the conference table, moving silently, while Mack set down a piece of his weapon he’d been cleaning.

“Yes, sir,” Katherine said. “What about it?”

“Priorities have shifted here. I need you to return to Langley.”

The sentence landed with the quiet force of a hand closing around her neck. He didn’t mention the break-in. He didn’t mention the attempted murder, the police report, the gun, the fact that someone had known her name and tried to force his way into her bedroom.

Either he didn’t know, or he knew but wasn’t going to give it away. Both possibilities made the skin between her shoulder blades tighten.

Don’t agree, Jasper wrote in large letters. Say you need more time.

“I see,” she said, because that was safer than the dozen other responses that tried to climb up her throat. “Is there a problem?”

“The Vance materials are being pulled for internal review,” Upton said. “Bring all processed and unprocessed papers with you. Your work in Montana has been appreciated, but the remainder can be handled in-house.”

Upton’s wording was smooth. Routine. Administrative. That was the worst part. He made it sound as if he were recalling office supplies.

“Has Dr. Helms been notified?” she asked.

A faint pause followed. “She’ll be looped in later today.”

Not had been. Would be. Her direct supervisor hadn’t been told.

Katherine kept her eyes on Jasper. “I’m surprised the reassignment is coming directly from your office.”

“As I said, the situation has changed. Unexpected information has come to light. Given the potential for classification issues, I’d prefer to expedite the transition.”

Given the potential for classification issues. That was a phrase designed to cover almost any problematic issues. It could mean the Vance papers contained sensitive operational history. It could mean Cinder. It could mean nothing at all except that Upton knew the right words to make a request sound inevitable.

“I understand,” she said. “When do you expect me?”

“Today.”

Jasper’s jaw tightened. He shook his head, tapped the words he’d written.