Page 21 of Her Loving Hero

Two hourslater Dex was one pissed off SEAL. “This is a serious problem. Not even Lydia Archer’s twisted brain can come up with a way to figure it out, and she thinks like a hacker.”

Wyatt and Dex were sitting on his deck watching as four kids fought over the see-saw. Lydia had been just as pissed and frustrated as her husband Clint when they’d hung up the phone. She had a mouth on her. It was kind of cute with that melodic Spanish accent.

“According to Emily, these guys are nothing more than former students of the American school, and maybe some expats. They shouldn’t be using this kind of uber-sophisticated protection,” Wyatt said.

“Either this is one programming idiot savant we’re dealing with, or we’ve got another government faction or a terrorist cell.”

“I don’t think someone who is a foreign national would have used the middle finger, do you?” Wyatt asked calmly as he used his thumbnail to scrape the label of his beer bottle.

“Nope,” Dex said dejectedly. “But it could just mean that we have English speakers working with a larger foreign group.”

Wyatt looked sideways at his mentor. He’d never seen him stymied like this. But he could definitely see the wheels turning, which gave him hope. Dex got up and leaned on the rail of the deck, studying the kids.

Wyatt watched as one child walked up to the group. He started directing and pointing, and soon four children were on the seesaw, two on each end equally balanced. All it took was someone from the outside.

Wyatt sat up in his chair. “Kane,” Wyatt said.

Dex turned around and leaned back against the rail and stared at Wyatt. “I’m in awe. The student has now become the master,” Dex grinned and pulled out his phone and put it on speaker commanding it to dial Kane McNamara. When it went to voicemail, Dex swore then left a voicemail telling the man to call him back immediately.

“You know, you could have asked Kane to call back, instead of just demanding,” Wyatt said.

“Why would I have done that? Kane wouldn’t have,” Dex said as he put his phone back in his pocket.

He had a point.

Dex’s phone rang.

“That was fast,” Wyatt said.

Dex turned pale. “It’s Kenna’s ringtone,” he said as he answered. “Baby? You okay?”

Wyatt followed Dex as he listened and headed into Wyatt’s house and headed for the front door. He was murmuring as he flung open the door and started to run toward his vehicle. Wyatt yelled after him.

“Which hospital?”

“Balboa.”

Wyatt went in to lock up, then he hauled ass.

* * *

Emily finally calledher mom at nine o’clock Tuesday night, knowing it would be eight in the morning. It had been two days since her conversation with Carly, and despite three calls and five e-mails, she couldn’t get her sister to call back. Emily was definitely getting freaked out.

“Hi Honey, this is a wonderful surprise,” her mother’s voice wasn’t able to soothe her like it once had.

“Hi Mom, I was just calling to check in.”

“We just talked on Sunday, not much has changed,” she laughed. “Wait, is something wrong? Do you need to talk? I can fly to California in ten days after the Emir of Qatar’s visit. The secretary of state will be here too. There’s a lot to get ready, but after that I’m all yours.”

Emily pushed past the hurt. She’d been out from out of her parents influence long enough to know that how they operated wasn’t how all diplomatic couples worked. Ambassadors didn’t always require their wives to coordinate every function.

“Would you like me to arrange a trip?” Lilliana Hoag asked.

“I’m fine. I’m trying to get ahold of Carly.”

Her mother laughed. “She’s in the middle of the hustle and bustle of her senior year. I swear it’s even busier than when you were going to TAISM. I haven’t seen her in two days, she’s with the Lancaster’s. Do you remember them? Oh wait, you wouldn’t. Harry arrived after you started tutoring. He’s a rising star at Schlumberger. He and his wife are going to be at the dinner.”

“Mom,” Emily interrupted. “Why is she at the Lancaster’s?”