Page 82 of Rescuing Rebecca
“And you were reborn as Sam ‘the Reaper’ Black?”
“US Army, Sergeant First Class,” he said, sliding his hands wide on the granite, and watching her with open curiosity while he recited his alias’s information. “3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Battalion—Horn of Africa. Dishonorably discharged for allegedly stealing M-4 Carbine rifles from Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti and selling them on the black market.”
She took a moment as she reconciled the information on Adam Grayson with the background she already had on Sam Black, and a new stranger emerged to replace the villain in her mind. “Sam Black was a cover to get you into Victor Bodak’s arms trafficking organization.”
“That’s correct.” His sharp nod confirmed her theory, and she puffed up like she’d aced an exam. “At the direction of President Fowler, a small multi-agency task force under the purview of the Secretary of Homeland Security was struck to uncover the identity of the domestic terrorist known in enforcement circles as Mr. Wright. My father was appointed as the Joint Task Team’s commanding officer.”
At the point where their paths crossed electronically, she knew some, but not all, of what had transpired next. “So, you murdered your way to the top of Bodak’s food chain in order to uncover the identity of his backer.”
He picked up a dish towel and folded it over the edge of the sink. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
“Mmph.” She swallowed another spoonful of soup and asked the question loitering on the tip of her tongue. “How many people have you killed?”
“As Lieutenant Grayson or as Sergeant Black?”
“Both, I guess.”
“As a special forces operator, I don’t know.” He shrugged. “We never stuck around long enough to conduct an official dead count. But as Sam, I’ve killed eight men, all of whom were neck deep in the business of butchering innocent people.”
“Do you have any regrets?” she asked, wanting to better understand the man and the choices he’d made.
“Just one.”
“Someone you knew?”
He shook his head. “Someone Eve knew.”
“Oh.” His fiancée none of her business, she changed tracks. “When did you discover Secretary Johnson was the asshole you were looking for?”
“Less than twenty-four hours before my father was killed.”
“Oh,” she said again, sympathy and understanding flooding her chest. “I’m sorry for your loss.” She knew the devastation of losing a parent to violence, and she wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
He dipped his chin in acknowledgement. “Thank you. Do you know anything about his murder?”
She shook her head and told him the truth. “Nothing. I had suspicions but found no proof or evidence to directly implicate Johnson or any of his associates.”
“And what about the Joint Task Team? How much do you know about us?” he asked.
“Very little. I saw the CIA’s official task order seconding Jay to an unnamed unit under your father’s command, but the memo disappeared soon after, and nothing else popped up on him or the JTT in any of the government databases I hacked into.”
“But you already knew about the creation of Dominion and were aware of Johnson and his ties to the Imperium Council, correct?”
She nodded.
“How did you know?”
“I discovered Johnson and Wright were one and the same while searching for my sister.”
“Right around the time the JTT was formed?”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t think to tell Jay what you knew, considering his role in the creation of the virus.”
She shook her head. “He’d already disappeared into the ether, and I wanted him to stay hidden.”
“Why?”
