Page 107 of Fool Me Twice

“Yeah.” Bryant gives her a small smile, handing over the folder. “Even though your missiontechnicallyfailed, the Council was still able to use the intelligence you gathered to track him down. Apparently, their search led them to an Obadiah Smith rental property that came off the market right after the demons kicked you out of their clandestine meeting last week. The Council thinks that JJ‍—thatJacksonhas to be there.”

Roma’s stomach lurches. “What? But that doesn’t‍?—‍”

That doesn’t make sense, she realizes, horror driving through her hard and fast. JJ and Cass’s newest safe house was never compromised, because they were too suspicious to let Roma in there after last time. The only properties that she saw were Naomi and Sawyer’s‍?—

And Ez’s. Roma tastes bile. “Are they sure?” she hedges. “I mean, the evidence sounds a bit weak.”

“They staked out the house and found it littered with anti-tracking spell work,” Bryant says, and Roma’s heart sinks even further. “The type that would only be used to confuse the Sanctum’s soul-tracking spells. Since Jackson is the only defector we know with connections to Smith, the balance of probability is that he’s inside.”

“But‍—‍”

Butthatdoesn’t make sense, either. If JJ was in that house, he wouldn’t need to bother with anything besides standard anti-tracking spells‍—since his Sanctum enchantments were stripped away, they can’t find him through soul tracking anymore. His soul energy just isn’t high enough to pinpoint.

But therearetwo other defectors with connections to Obie. Two other former hunters who, as far as Roma knows, still have their Sanctum enchantments intact.

JJ isn’t inside that house.Naomi and Sawyerare. Naomi and Sawyer, who abandoned the Sanctum and have been working against it for years and have intimate knowledge of the entire vast conspiracy‍?—

If the Sanctum gets their hands on them, they’ll make them regret ever being born. Roma feels like she’s going to vomit. “All right,” she says faintly. “So, uh, they’re sending Strike Team Kappa in?”

“Not just us,” Bryant says. “They’re sending in a whole strikeforce,just like the last time we cornered Cassius Chin. We still want him and the kid, apparently, but Jackson is the maintarget. I‍—I think they’re hoping they still might be able to save him.”

Roma almost laughs at the thought of the Sanctum “saving” JJ from anything. JJ saved himself‍—with a little help from the people who love him. “Maybe,” she says, struggling to keep her voice neutral. “So when are we moving out? Has anyone else been briefed yet?”

Bryant’s lips twitch in a smirk. “That’s the best part, Roma: the Council wantsyouto lead the mission.”

The words jolt through Roma.“What?Why?”

“I think they realized they gave you an impossible assignment,” Bryant says. “Actually, they’ve given youtwoimpossible assignments in the past six months. But even though they were hopeless, you still came shockingly close to succeeding at both‍—and your intel led them straight to Jackson. I think Kenneth Long’s hand in marriage is still off the table‍—wewereresponsible for the mega-rift epidemic, after all‍—but it looks like they’re giving you the opportunity to redeem yourself.” She smiles. “You know how rare it is for the Council to give second chances. They must really believe in you.”

And, all at once, the pieces snap into place.

The Council doesn’t believe in Roma. This isn’t her second chance‍—this is herpunishment.

Councilwoman Nasir knew that Roma wasn’t telling the full truth about her assignment. She knew that Roma was hiding relevant information from them, hidingcriticalinformation from them.

So, rather than torturing Roma to get that information, Nasir decided to take a different approach: to force Roma to lead a mission that the Councilknowsis resting on a shaky foundation. To force Roma to lead a mission that she can only accomplish by using everything she hid from them in the first place.

To force her hand and make her give up her secrets.

And being chosen to head a strike force like this is a great honor, of course. Roma can’t refuse. She legitimatelycan’t‍—if she does, then the Council will know for sure that she’s lying, and, well‍?—

She was just thinking about how much she misses talking to Chester, but she doesn’t want to see him again from the wrong side of a scalpel.

“Roma?” Bryant’s eyebrows pull together. “Roma, are you okay?”

Roma swallows hard, her pulse roaring in her ears. “Yeah,” she hears herself say. “Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just a lot to take in. The Council wants us to move out today?”

“Within two hours,” Bryant confirms, and Roma fights back a flinch. “You were just about to get lunch, right? Make it quick‍—the Council wants you in Nasir’s office at twelve-thirty to brief you on what they found, and then you’ll have to choose a few strike teams and briefthem,too.” She arches an eyebrow. “I’ll be coming with you, right?”

Roma forces a smile. “Wouldn’t be a mission without you.”

“Great,” Bryant says, but her answering smile looks strained. “And who knows? Maybe the Council is right. Maybe we reallycansave JJ‍—or save him from himself.”

“Maybe,” Roma says hollowly, and she holds up the manila folder. “Thanks for this. I’ll review the info and head to Nasir’s office.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Bryant says, and she claps Roma on the shoulder before jogging away, doubtlessly to prepare for their upcoming mission.

Roma waits until she’s out of sight before leaning heavily against the wall, all thoughts of lunch forgotten. Hands shaking, she opens the folder and stares numbly at the documents inside.

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