Page 8 of Dagger’s Shield

“Geneva?” Lyra gasped. “This man is based an hour’s drive from the headquarters Vasiliev destroyed?”

No one spoke, but the ramifications hit all of us equally hard. Thirteen of our colleagues had died when three bombs leveled that building. Beacon, Blackjack, and I had almost joined them.

“What’s his background?” Beacon asked.

I read the rest of the brief aloud. “Everything they have is legitimate. There were no arrests, no lawsuits, no investigations, and no mention of him in any allied file.”

“That can’t be it,” Blackjack said.

“That’s all the DGSE has,” I added. “They’re the only agency we’ve received a response from thus far.”

When the briefing ended, we all returned to our work.

MI6 answered at ten hundred. The CIA replied two hours later. Both matched the DGSE’s brief.

By thirteen hundred, my irritation had turned into anger.

Dagger pushed away from the table. “I’m starving, and I need to move. Let’s take a break, get some air, and grab something to eat.”

We walked up to the main camp that stood at the tip of Sandy Point, with the whole of Canada Lake spread out in front of it. I’d spent every night since we arrived at Onteora in one of two downstairs bedrooms, since that would be easiest for me to navigate with my injuries. I hadn’t been upstairs, but from what I understood, there were seven additional sleeping quarters on that level.

Anna Hyde, Lyra’s mother and Horatio’s widow, was in the kitchen when we came inside.

“You walked down to the lake on your own.” It wasn’t a question. I wasn’t surprised she’d noticed. Very little got past Anna.

It had recently come to light that she had been an MI6 operative in her twenties. It was how she’d met Horatio, who, at the time, was with the CIA. Anna was the one who first discovered Vasiliev’s lake approach, thus saving all of our lives.

“I did.”

“Then, I would imagine it’s time for you to move into your own quarters. I’ve asked Henry to ready a camp for you.”

My eyes met Dagger’s, and we both smiled. Of course she had.

“I’d like that very much,” I said. “Thank you.”

“Did I hear my name?” Lyra’s husband asked, joining us in the kitchen.

“Is Ahnósta ready?” Anna asked.

“It is,” Henry said to Anna as he handed me a key. “It’s a short walk, and the fire has been laid, and the heat turned up if you want to stay there tonight.” He looked between Dagger and me. “It’s next door to Kárha,” he added.

While I didn’t know for sure, I assumed that was Dagger’s assigned camp.

“I can help you move things over if you’d like,” Dagger offered when we’d finished eating the meal Anna had prepared for us.

“I’ve only the one bag.” While I thought to say I could handle it myself, overdoing it on my leg wasn’t a good idea. “Thank you, and I would appreciate it.”

“Shall we do it now, then?”

“Please.”

“I’m there,” he said, pointing to the camp next door after he’d grabbed my things.

We went inside, and he took them into the bedroom.

“It’s your call whether we return to the command center or call it a day and start fresh in the morning,” he said after he had.

I stretched the stiffness out of my spine and shook my head. “I’d like to put in a few more hours.”