Page 73 of Power
Flashes of scenes from five years ago sped through her mind like a living nightmare. A blinding bright light, a monumentalexplosion. Five dead, one survivor. The images still so fresh, it was as if no time had passed at all.
“We want you to stay with us for a few days,” Slash said.
Simone stared at Slash for the longest time. Slash ran a comforting hand down her arm, clasped her hand. “We got you.”
Tears pricked Simone’s eyes. She hated showing weakness, but she couldn’t stop them. They flowed down her cheeks, and she wiped them away.
Grief constricted her throat. She didn’t want her new boss to see her this way. It was unprofessional. Forcing herself up, she excused herself to the powder room. There, she blew her nose, forced down the mountain of sorrow that threatened to burst from the depths of her soul. She would cry later, when she was alone.
Knock-knock.
She cleared her throat, wiped her wet eyes and tear-streaked cheeks, then opened the door. Slash pulled her in for a hug. “You aren’t going through this alone.”
The warmth from Slash’s embrace triggered an overwhelming tightness in her heart, like her soul had been shattered into a million pieces. She hugged Slash, grateful for her friendship.
“Carrera’s gonna take off and give us a little time,” Slash said. “I can drive your SUV over to our house after you pack.”
“I can’t intrude,” Simone pushed back. “I’m fine here.”
Slash led her into the kitchen. Simone eyed the box of cakes—the ones she was going to devour with Frederica that evening.
Ohmygod, no. No, this can’t be happening. She’s going to walk through that door and everything’s going to be okay.
Despair was destroying her as she chugged in a shaky breath.
Carrera gave her a hug. “I’ll see you back at the house later.” Then, he dropped a light kiss on Slash’s lips. “I’m heading to ALPHA.”
“Wait,” Simone said to him. “What are you going to do about this?”
“We’re going to annihilate him,” Carrera bit out before he let himself out.
After the front door closed, Simone asked, “What more can you tell me?”
Though still numb, and in shock, she needed to hear everything. Sitting next to Slash at the kitchen table, she steeled her spine. “Frederica confided that she was wearing a body cam. Did you see what happened?”
“No,” Slash replied. “I was sleeping, but Carrera watched. He said there were decoys in the beds. They looked like mannequins, but Frederica reported in that they were blowup dolls. She realized it was a trap, but too late.”
Simone choked back a sob while her heart squeezed so hard, she rubbed her chest. “Ohgod. It must’ve been so terrifying for them. “Where’s Frederica? Where are the other Ops?”
“Providence is handling everything.”
Simone couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She needed to wake up from this horrific nightmare. More tears clouded her eyes, the loss impossible to comprehend.
“I need to confide in you,” Slash began. “There might be a mole in ALPHA. How else would the bomber know the team was coming to his house?”
“Frederica said someone had been providing explosives to terror cells. Do you know which group?”
“No,” Slash replied. “ALPHA got a hit when shipments of raw materials were tracked to a house in Silver Spring.”
“If it’s the Haqazzii terror cell, it’s The Bomb Maker.” A fury long buried burbled to the surface. “He’s in tight with that group, but he would have had to turn someone at ALPHA in order to learn about the mission.” Simone shook her head. “I’m having a hard time believing someone at ALPHAcouldbe turned…”
“Come back to ALPHA,” Slash said.
“What?”
“You can’t help if you’re a watcher,” Slash insisted. “You won’t get access to the case.”
“I don’t know…”
