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“The government wants its property back. I’m authorized to use any means necessary to get it.”
“Including holding my family hostage?”
“Protective custody.”
“Semantics.”
“You put me in this position. You did this to them. You’re the only one who can fix it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Turning myself in won’t do that. That only makes me the hostage.” Frustrated that his options were limited, he hoped he’d find a way to end this cleanly, but the only one that came to mind meant sacrificing himself.
He wasn’t quite ready to accept that as the only alternative.
He’d done the right thing. He deserved to be rewarded for that, not to have his life taken away.
But it looked like he’d saved the world and ended his.
“Kyle, your family is a target. Anyone who wants to get to you will use them. Look what’s already happened.”
His heart thrashed in his chest. “A man died. I nearly lost my sister. I understand the situation and the consequences. I just... want to find another way, so I don’t have to give up my family.”
“You know your options.”
Yeah. Jail. Protective custody.
“We could make you disappear. That way they won’t know where you are. And if they don’t know, then they can’t be forced to tell.”
And that one. Witness Protection. The only one that really protected everyone. Except he was still at the government’s mercy.
But he had them by the balls. The government couldn’t afford for him to fall into someone else’s hands. They couldn’t let someone force Kyle to re-create the program and use it against the U.S. and the world.
Kyle hit Enter on his computer and heard a ping on the agent’s phone. “Can I get that in writing?”
The agent swore. “You already had a drop link ready?”
He smiled, though he didn’t really feel it. “Just covering my bases.”
“Then why not just ask for what you wanted?”
“Because I hoped you’d have a better idea,” he snapped, the pressure and strain getting to him.
“If you haven’t thought of one, there isn’t one.” The agent gave him credit for finally thinking things through.
Kyle wished it didn’t have to be this way.
Agent Gunn sighed. “Tell me where you are. We’ll pick you up.”
“No. Not until I take care of a few things. And just so we’re clear, the agreement you send is specifically for me to disappear without handing over the program. I know what you’re going to say, you know I’m going to counter that you can’t risk me giving it to someone else, so my only option is your only option. Follow through with my demands and send it to me in writing to the link I sent you.”
“We need the director. If he blabs about the program, sends someone else for you, your family, someone who hears about the program comes after you all, too,it could make it that much harder to protect you. This needs to happen now.”
“It happens when I say it happens. And it needs to be foolproof. I’m still thinking about how we do it.”
“Stop stalling,” Agent Gunn ordered.
“Maybe I can find another way.” He hoped some brilliant idea would come to him.
“Kyle.” Agent Gunn sounded exasperated. “There isn’t one. Accept that, and let’s get it done before someone else gets hurt.”
