Red Awakening (Red Zone 2)

“No.” Her father shook his head. “Your sister doesn’t know, but…” He looked at his wife.

“Hana’s politics lean toward the same values that Freedom have,” her mother finished.

Keiko reared back. “I’m the black sheep? Of course I’m the black sheep. Hana’s an archeologist just like you, married to another archeologist, and will probably produce little baby archeologists.” She gave her head a little shake and took a deep breath. “None of that matters right now. We can argue about this later. You should have told me what you were doing. I would never have sold you out to CommTECH—I would have helped you keep this a secret. I know people, skilled people, who would have hidden the information these fools dug up.” She gestured to the team around her.

“Hey,” Hunter said. “Don’t lump me in with them. I’m the brains of this operation.”

Keiko gave her parents a look that was filled with love but tinged with disappointment. “I love you both. I would have protected you. And I will now.” She looked at Striker, a cold determination in her eyes. “Don’t underestimate me. If one hair on their heads is harmed, I will find you and destroy you.”

Mace couldn’t help the surge of admiration he felt as he watched her stand up to his team. If they’d met under different circumstances, in a different century…

“Be careful with them,” Striker told the men standing guard over the couple, and then the screen went blank.

“It’s clear I don’t have a choice about getting you into the press conference.” Keiko had morphed into a cold business professional who would have been more at home in the boardroom than on the dance floor with an ex-Army Ranger. “But I can’t in good conscience help you if you’re planning to hurt people while you’re there.”

Striker shook his head. “This is purely an information-gathering exercise.”

“So, you’re thieves.” Her disgust was clear. “This is all about stealing secrets and selling them.”

“You don’t need to know the details of our operation,” Striker said.

But Mace disagreed, and for the first time in his military career, he went against his commanding officer. “We aren’t going in there to steal CommTECH’s research,” he said.

“Mace,” Striker warned. “This is team business.”

“No,” Mace said. “It’s her business, too. And like I told you right at the start of this night, she deserves to know what’s happening.” He turned back to Keiko. “Your company is deliberately manufacturing faulty implants and plans to sell them to unsuspecting customers just to make a buck and put their competition out of commission. We’re stepping up to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“So, you’re the good guys.” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Well forgive me if I don’t believe a word coming out of any of your mouths. Do you have any proof to back up your claims about this faulty chip?”

He clenched his jaw before answering. “That’s why we’re trying to get into the building. To get proof.”

“Convenient. So I’m supposed to believe that you’re blackmailing me for a noble cause—to save the world from CommTECH’s evil plan to implant everyone with dangerous datachips.” She stared down her nose at him, which was pretty impressive, considering how tiny she was. “CommTECH would never put people in danger by releasing a faulty chip. Never. The only part of that scenario I believe is that you’re going in there to steal information. What you plan to do with it, I can only imagine. Either way, you’re all delusional. CommTECH security is the best in the world. And what they aren’t watching, Enforcement is watching. You won’t last ten minutes. Which means you’re all going to get killed.”

He didn’t fool himself that she was concerned for his welfare. That boat had sailed on the sea of betrayal. “We can take care of ourselves. All you need to do is get me on that admittance list.”

“Oh, I’ll do my part.” She narrowed her eyes at them. “And you had better do yours. My parents better walk away from this without having one hair on their heads ruffled unnecessarily. Or there will be hell to pay.”

Before Mace could argue with her further, Striker held up a hand to stop him.

“Hunter will set up any calls you need to make,” he said. “Then he’ll allow you carefully monitored access to the systems you need to add Mace to the approved list of reporters for tomorrow’s press event. He also has to implant a temporary monitoring chip.”

She looked like her head might explode at that, taking them all out with her. “You’re going to listen in to all my communications?”

“We have to. You know that. It’s a matter of security for my team. There will be a five-second delay on everything you send out. Long enough for Hunter to catch anything that will endanger my team or our mission.”

“And when this is over?”

“We’ll remove the chip.”

“And what’s to stop me blowing the whistle on all of you then?”

“I’ll still have the information on your parents, chère.”

“Information you plan to hold over me forever.” It wasn’t a question. There was no walking away from this situation—ever.

Striker inclined his head in agreement.

Keiko radiated fury. “What happens the next time you want a favor? Do you take out that information, dust it off, and make me do what you want?”