Page 100 of Code Name: Reaper
“Prior to graduating, actually. He was recruited early on.” She stood, walked over to the sideboard, and poured more coffee.
“Hungry?” Kingston leaned over and asked.
“Not yet, but don’t hold off on my account.” I almost giggled when he was halfway out of his chair before I finished my sentence.
We spent the next hour talking about the years following my parents’ death.
“My father and Mikhail left the agency within a year of the accidents. By then, they were convinced the scale of corruption they’d uncovered was on an international level. Initially, they focused primarily on Argead’s activities.”
When there was a knock at the door, Blackjack stepped inside.
“Sorry for the interruption, but I wanted you to know I’m on my way to the airport to pick up Mom and Dad.”
I turned to Lyra. “Excuse me a moment?”
“Of course. In fact, I need a short break.”
We both stood, and when she left the room, I pulled Kingston aside. “You should go with him,” I suggested.
“You’re sure?”
I smiled. “I’ll be okay.”
After I promisedto fill him in on what he missed and they left for the airport, I made a small plate of fruit and waited for Lyra to return. My mind swirled with so many questions as I tried to piece together what I already knew with what she told me. While I was anxious to fast forward to our meeting at the Air Force Academy, I understood her reasons for wanting me to know the earlier part of the story.
“Ready to continue, or should we wait?” she asked when she walked in and shut the door behind her.
“We can continue,” I assured her.
Rather than sit in the chair where she’d previously been, Lyra sat on a small sofa and motioned for me to join her. When I did, she reached for my hand. “I want you to know it was very difficult not to be involved in your life. Particularly in those early years. As my mother said, your grandparents sent photos, along with letters about you. Nothing can make up for the time we lost, though, the time when so much about your life was kept from you.”
“I promise you that I do understand.”
Her grip tightened. “While I believe you do, there will be times, now even, when you may question our decisions and our actions. That too is understandable. What I hope is that you will not question our love for you.”
“I won’t, and I mean that sincerely. I felt it from the moment we got here.”
“I’m glad. All of this was harder on her than anyone else.”
I brushed away a tear. “She lost so much.”
Lyra studied me. “You’re a lot like her.”
“I am?”
“Your empathy has always driven you, Charity. My mother is the same way, as was yours.”
Warmth settled in my chest. “For most of my life, I wondered if I was anything like her.”
“You are in so many ways.”
“When we were interrupted, you were talking about the time after the accident,” I prompted.
“Right. At first, my father’s and Mikhail’s investigation was solely about Argead. It’s unclear when my father shifted his focus, but at some point, he discovered there was an equally powerful faction based out of the US.”
“Avalon?” I asked.
“That’s right. They spent three years documenting a network of corruption involving defense contractors, government officials, and intelligence assets—all connected, all working together to manipulate conflicts and profit from instability. Eleanor, Edgar, and I believe this is what got both men killed. Mikhail’s death was made to look like a Russian hit, but my father never believed they were behind it. Then, when my father was ‘killed in the line of duty,’ as the agency told us, we knew the extent of corruption they’d uncovered.”
