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“Ah. Rylan Cross, former SEAL turned trauma counselor,” Ethan said, his voice cool and assessing. “Your sister is unharmed. For now.”
Rylan’s jaw clenched at the implied threat. “She has nothing to do with this. Let her go.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Ethan replied. “Ms. Cross is our only means of communication with St. James. Until we get what we need from him, she stays with us.”
“What exactly do you need from him?” Zak asked, his tone carefully neutral.
There was a pause before Ethan answered. “That’s classified. What you need to know is that Pierce St. James possesses information vital to national security. We’re simply retrieving that information.”
“By kidnapping and interrogating him?” Rylan snapped.
“We’re having a conversation,” Ethan said evenly. “One that’s long overdue. They are both safe and will remain so. You have my word.”
“Then let me talk to her,” Rylan demanded. “I need to know she’s okay.”
There was a pause, then some muffled sounds of movement.
“Rylan?” Rhiannon’s voice came through, shaky but clear.
“Rhee!” Rylan exhaled in relief. “Are you all right? Have they hurt you?”
“I’m okay,” she said quickly. “They haven’t hurt us. They’ve been nothing but kind. Really. They actually?—”
Her voice cut off abruptly, replaced by Ethan’s. “That’s enough. As you can hear, your sister is fine, and we have no intention of hurting her.”
“We know about Project Iron Horizon,” Rylan said, deciding to lay their cards on the table. “And Tectra-X.”
Another pause, longer this time. When Ethan spoke again, there was an edge to his voice. “Then you understand the gravity of the situation. St. James possesses knowledge that could destabilize entire nations if it falls into the wrong hands. We can’t allow that to happen.”
Rylan’s jaw clenched. “And who decides what the wrong hands are? You?”
“We’re not the enemy here, Mr. Cross,” Ethan replied, his tone measured. “We’re trying to prevent a catastrophe.” He paused for a heartbeat. “Anothercatastrophe.”
Rylan’s mind raced, trying to find an angle. “Look, I get it. You’re trying to protect people. So are we. Let us help. We can work together to?—”
“This isn’t a negotiation, Mr. Cross,” Ethan cut him off. “We’re not looking for partners or consultants. We’re containing a threat.”
“Pierce isn’t a threat,” Zak said. “He’s been trying to keep that knowledge safe.”
“By going AWOL and joining a cult?” Ethan’s tone dripped with skepticism. “Forgive me if I don’t share your confidence in his judgment.”
“He didn’t join the cult,” Cal interjected. “He was only there to protect me and my fiancee.”
“Callum Holden,” Ethan said with a note of annoyance. “Defense attorney, engaged to podcaster Ellie Summers, who is the sister of Hope Summers.”
Cal stiffed. “You know a lot about us.”
“It’s my job to know. Your presence at the Hope’s Embrace compound put my operative at risk. He had to scrub the op after being undercover for two years.”
“You were looking for the weapon, weren’t you?” Rylan said, directing the conversation back to the matter at hand. “You thought the cult had it.”
Ethan didn’t confirm or deny.
“Did the weapon cause the earthquake?” Zak asked.
Ethan’s silence stretched for several tense seconds. Finally, he spoke, his voice tight with barely contained frustration. “This conversation has gone far beyond what I intended. You need to understand that this situation is far more complex and dangerous than you realize. For your own safety, I strongly advise you to step back and let us handle this.”
“Not a chance in hell,” Rylan growled. He wanted to reach through the phone and throttle the man. “That’s my sister you’ve got.”
