Irished (The Invincibles Book 7) by Heather Slade (the top 100 crime novels of all time txt) 📕

that’s too much for Saint to consider,” I said as I watched Saint and the doctor get into a vehicle.

“I know you’ve never cared for him, but I feel I must defend him.”

I tried to remember a time in the past when Emme may have seen Saint and I interact, but I couldn’t recall an occasion when we did.

“It’s more in the way you talked about him,” she said, nudging me.

“Or it’s that you read minds.”

“If I could, I never would’ve doubted you,” she repeated what she’d said yesterday.

“You could look at it this way; I was better at my job than you thought.”

She laughed, and so did I. It was a nice reminder of how much I’d enjoyed working with her when I first went undercover at MIT.

“Back to Saint. He’s a good man, Paxon. I doubt Lynx and I would be together if it weren’t for his interference.”

“Interesting word choice.”

She laughed again.

“Look, I appreciate what you’re saying. However, from my perspective, maybe even Lynx’s too, the man should probably consider a different career.”

“Are you saying you don’t believe he’s effective in his role as an MI6 agent?”

“I doubt you’d find many who disagree with me.”

“Perhaps not.” When she walked away, Decker approached.

“Ready to get back to work?”

“In a minute.” I went outside and Decker followed. “What I said earlier about not knowing the end game on this, I really don’t. I suppose the only way we’ll know how much deeper this goes is to get Harris and/or Fisk to talk.”

“Fisk we have; Harris we don’t.”

“Do we go in and get him or negotiate his release?”

“Fuck negotiation. We go in and get him the same way we went in and got Saint and Benjamin.”

“Any idea where he’s being kept?”

“This idea that the Chinese can hide where prisoners are being detained is nothing but a big crock of fucking propaganda. Name one, give me fifteen minutes, and I’ll tell you where they’re being held.”

“Do you think they consider him a prisoner?”

“With everything he knows, they’re keeping him alive for the sole purpose of making a deal. Once Jinyan dies, or someone else they want bad enough to trade him for, Xander dies too.”

“That’s no secret to Xander, then.”

“Sure as shit isn’t.”

“Fisk knows it too.”

“You got that right, Irish. He wasn’t afraid of Kerr; it’s China that terrifies him.”

When I walked back inside, I saw Decker rub his hands together. “You aren’t going,” I said over my shoulder.

“I know,” he grumbled. “I’ll sure as hell be watching from home, though.”

I approached Money first, who by the time I got to him had already started packing up his computer. “About time. I thought I was going to be forced to suggest leaving myself. Better that I don’t know the details than if I have to run this up the chain of command.”

“I’m going to ask Dr. Charles, err, Edgemon to step out as well.”

“Understood.”

Money put his hand on my shoulder. “Godspeed, Irish.”

At the same time I walked Money and Emme out, Saint drove up.

“Where’s Dr. Benjamin?” I asked when he got out of the SUV.

“Making contact with Jinyan.”

“You should go with them,” I said, pointing to the vehicle Money had just unlocked.

“Why?”

“Because what’s about to happen in there is need-to-know.”

“You’re going in.”

I had no reaction.

“I need to go with you.”

Interesting word choice. “Need?”

“Yes, Irish. Need.”

“I can’t help you, Saint.” I turned to go inside.

“Wait.”

I sighed. “What?”

“I will agree to any role you choose.”

“What’s this all about, Saint?”

“I’ve left MI6.”

“And?”

“This is what I do, Irish. I am presently a man with no purpose.”

“Maybe you should take a moment to reflect on how you got in this situation.”

“I left MI6 of my own accord. I was not asked to leave.”

“Why?”

“For the same reason many of the men inside that room left the CIA or Lynx left MI6 as I did. I was tired of my hands being perpetually tied. Tired of the bureaucracy that came along with the job. Do you realize I have been Benjamin’s bloody caretaker for the past three years?”

“I don’t know…”

“There was a time in your life when people believed you were someone you’re not. I was there when the men and women in that room showed you their support. I saw the look on your face. Allow me this one chance to prove I am not the man you believe I am.”

“Fuck,” I said under my breath.

“What?”

“It isn’t hard to see how you were able to seduce those millions of women you’ve bedded.”

“As I said, you know how it feels to have people believe you’re someone you’re not.”

“Let me ask you something.”

“Go on.”

“At one point, Lynx said you were with Emme. Is that true?”

“To me, she was Charlie, and to her, I was Tommy. As far as being with her, tell me, Irish, didn’t you fall a little bit in love with her yourself?”

“Hard not to.”

“Precisely.” He looked out at the ranch and then at me. “As hard as this was for me to accept at one point in time, Lynx is the man she was always meant to be with. And before you ask, our dear, sweet Dr. Charles was as clueless of my affections as she is brilliant in so many other ways.”

When we went inside, it was evident Decker had made the announcement that we were going to extract Harris.

Like I saw Deck do earlier, Gunner was rubbing his hands together like a child waiting to open a Christmas present.

Doc motioned me over. “I’ll be honest, it isn’t easy for any of us not to take charge and plan this extraction. However, we’re following your lead. I will, however, offer the use of any of the K19 fleet of planes.”

“Fleet, what a crock of shit,” mumbled Decker, joining us.

“I’d appreciate it if we could walk through this before announcing it to the entire group.”

“Roger that,” said Doc, motioning for Razor and Gunner to take a hike.

He, Deck, and I sat down.

“I’m going to be equally honest. I’ve never run an extraction mission. Correction. I’ve never been