“What’s happened?” asked Sean, instantly thinking James had been killed. He looked at Luis, ready to pounce.
“It’s Vincent, he’s had a heart attack,” she cried.
Sean couldn’t believe that he actually felt some relief. She hadn’t said he was dead and just as importantly it wasn’t James.
“How is he?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” her voice quivered. “They’ve just rushed him by helicopter to Bethesda.”
“He’s a tough old goat, it’ll take more than a heart attack to kill him, Jane!” comforted Sean. He knew how much she cared for the old tyrant. The only person that didn’t was Vincent. Sean had tried to tell him in the past but Vincent had brushed it aside as nonsense.
Jane sniffed loudly before she responded, regaining some composure. “The last thing he said before he was wheeled away and I had to promise before he would let them take him away is that I was to tell you he was sorry!”
She started to cry again. “But he never said what for!”
Sean knew exactly what for, not going to his funeral, or what he thought was his funeral.
“Not going to the funeral,” he replied. “Seriously Jane, he’ll be fine. Vincent Black will not tolerate a heart attack being his cause of death!”
Jane actually managed a laugh at the thought of Vincent saying exactly that and brightened slightly, until she realized what the next topic of conversation needed to be. “Katie said our team are all dead?”
“I’m afraid so!” he confirmed.
Jane, at that point couldn’t speak, the tears flowed, it had been her that sent them to Laredo, nobody else. Vincent hadn’t thought of it himself, another sign he had not been himself. She should have seen just how unwell the worry was making him; his level of agitation had been greater than she had ever seen before. If she had noticed earlier and tried to calm him, he may not have had the heart attack. If she hadn’t sent the team to Laredo, six lives in one morning would not have been extinguished and it was all her fault.
“I sent them!” she blubbered.
Sean just made out what she had said. “Well in that case, thank you. They saved Katie’s life and mine and as a result young James’s too.” He knew the latter was not a given but he’d do everything in his power to make sure it was.
“Sean?” a voice replaced the blubbering Jane, a voice that Sean had never heard before.
“Yes, who’s this?”
“Mike Ritter, I was working with Vincent this morning,” he replied.
“OK, anything I should know about?”
“Lots!” replied Mike, very much surprising Sean. He had only been in the country for 24 hours and was no longer a member of CIA.
“Sorry?” questioned Sean, wondering if he had heard Mike correctly.
“I need you to get to Langley,” ordered Mike, adding firmly, “ASAP.”
Sean looked at Katie. He had business to finish in Laredo. He wasn’t going anywhere until James was back safe in his mother’s arms.
“You do know I’m no longer a CIA agent?” clarified Sean.
“Yes,” replied Mike.
“So why the hell would I come to Langley?”
“Because, if I’m right, you may be our only hope in stopping the next world war!”