Page 16 of Blake

Alex’s demand sobered Blake and he was unsure for a second on how to answer him, torn between his loyalties to Pax and Eidolon. He figured Eidolon deserved his loyalty first, so he told Alex everything he knew but left out the bit about seeing two sides to her.

“Why did she wipe the cameras at Zenobi?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I think she feels embarrassed that she let them get the drop on her.”

Alex nodded as if he agreed. “Evelyn said she’s been different since Monaco but not in any specific way. I guess this would be why. I tried to stop her coming over, but I don’t think Evelyn knowing is a bad thing. Pax needs to see how much Zenobi values her and maybe that can start with her opening up to Evelyn.”

“Maybe.” He heard a laugh come from inside and knew it belonged to Evelyn. Blake took that as a good sign.

Alex studied Blake across the coffee table. “Jack told you then?”

Blake knew what he meant. “Yeah, what a complete clusterfuck. Do you have any thoughts on it that would help?”

Alex sat forward and leaned his arms on his legs that were encased in cargo shorts. “I keep thinking I do and then something happens, and I change my mind. I’ve been absolutely sure it was all of them at one time or another. Which is shit because they’re all good men, or I thought they were…”

“Has Will looked into their backgrounds?” Blake knew as he asked the answer was probably yes.

“Yeah, he ran all that. They all came up exactly as we expected with nothing of any consequence to be found.”

“What about family or close friends? None of these three would betray Eidolon without good reason and I don’t believe it’s simply for money. We make a fuck load more than most men in our position. Have him look into their families along with friends from way back. I think the link is there, and we need surveillance on all three of them.”

“Backgrounds we can do,” Alex shot off a text most likely to Will, “but surveillance is going to be almost impossible without A them knowing and B who the fuck would we ask? We can’t ask our guys because we don’t want that kind of poison leaking through the team. We can’t ask Fortis as they have enough of their own shit going on.”

“What about Zenobi?”

“No. Jack won’t hear of it. If he can’t trust his own men, there’s no way he’ll trust outsiders.”

Blake sat back and thought for a minute, there had to be a way to figure this out. “What about we give each of them intel that nobody else knows except us? If it gets out, we have our answer.”

“We could do that.” Alex swiped a hand over his chin. “Give me three scenarios and I’ll see if we have enough to make it believable.”

“Fine, give me tonight to put something together.” Blake was relieved that at least he was getting somewhere. “I have to go to the US at the end of the week with Pax to try and sort this shit with her father out. There’s more to that than I think she realises.”

“No problem. Keep in touch daily though. With things as they are and targets on our backs, we don’t want anyone off the grid. The men know to keep their trackers on at all times. Jack put that in place after the last mission went south.”

Blake had been there when Jack had made the announcement that all time off was cancelled and trackers were to be left on until he knew they all had their heads in the game.

He had been pissed at the time. He’d felt Jack was blaming them for things that weren’t their fault but now he understood. Jack was trying to keep a close eye on the three suspects.

“The trackers are on watches though, so aren’t foolproof.”

“Jack had some planted in their vehicles too and on the new weapons holsters they wear. They may take the watch off and maybe even find the trackers, but the holsters usually stay on them and can’t be detected on a usual scanner unless they go through an airport scanner. As no leave has been granted, it shouldn’t happen.”

Blake looked at the door as it slid open and Pax and Evelyn walked outside. Blake felt his eyes move over Pax as she walked towards them behind Evelyn. Her gait was slightly lopsided, and he knew she was in pain. He waited until she got to him and sat down, her body leaning into his slightly but not touching.

“Pax told me everything. Thank you for taking care of her when we should have been doing so.” Evelyn’s tone conveyed her upset and anger. He instinctively knew most of it was aimed inwardly. “I have agreed with not saying anything to Roz, but Pax has also agreed that when this is over, she’ll tell Roz herself.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Evelyn.” Blake dropped an arm behind Pax and pulled her into his side kissing her head. He felt her tense and then she seemed to relax into him as she let whatever misgivings she had, go.

“No, I see that,” Evelyn said with a smirk, “but you have them anyway.”

“Will you lot please stop treating me like I’m a sick child?”

Blake chuckled at her pout. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, feeling her shiver. “Want some more pain killers, honey?”

“Yes. Please,” she said waspishly as if the manners that were natural to her forced themselves past her pain.

“Sure thing.” He chuckled again before kissing her hair and standing.