“If you know exactly who I am, then you know I’m an expert borderline skilled connoisseur of grammar, synonyms, and arts and crafts, but I loathe algebra. So my special set of skills is going to somehowmake this rightand avenge my brother’s death?” She didn’t mean to be sarcastic, but there was no way she could go on some special ops mission.
“With your innocent beauty, you are the perfect candidate to play on the chauvinistic sympathies of the reclusive Greer Delta, work your way into his life, become a guest in his home, and find the secret. As soon as you obtain the location, you will send me the details and you can bug out with my blessing. I will then assign a special ops team to finish the mission. Your country and your brother will be forever grateful to you.” The man had completely ignored her sarcasm and heaped on more guilt and crazy ideas.
“Uh, come again?” Icy fear traced through her, causing her to shiver even in the morning heat. “You expect me to get chummy with the man who murdered my brother?”
“Our intel suggests you would be in absolutely no danger.”
“Oh, thank you. I feel so reassured now.” This guy was a little off. He’d seemed compassionate and loyal to Travis, but he was willing to put her in a dangerous situation because of her “innocent beauty.” She’d give him innocent beauty. This dude had put her brother in a mortally dangerous situation, and now he wanted to do the same to her. These Deltas sounded like bad news. She wouldn’t mind writing an impeccably composed but downright nasty hate mail letter to Greer Delta, filled with lots of deplorable synonyms about his murderous heart, but she didn’t want to go anywhere near him.
“The Delta family are upright Christian people who respect and protect women. Greer Delta would never dream of hurting you. I swear that to you on your brother’s honor.”
He was laying it on thick. “Forgive me for doubting you, but thesaintlyman who murdered my brother is a Christian who respects and protects women?” She was so confused. She hated Greer Delta, was reeling from the loss of Travis, and had no idea why this guy thought she was the solution to their military’s and country’s problems with some hidden weapon. She shuddered. Was this a nuclear weapon and the evil Deltas were going to take the entire country out if she didn’t stop them? That was far too much pressure for an untrained schoolteacher, and she needed to stop watching action movies recommended by her students.
“Yes. He and his family have been deluded into believing they are protecting the weapon for the good guys.” He gave a harsh laugh at that. “Deluded, misguided, false patriots, the whole bunch of them.”
“This is all … psychotic,” Emery admitted. So the Deltas weren’t Satan’s henchmen but a bunch of zealots killing her brother because they’d been tricked by the sneaky bad guys? It was more than psychotic.
“I’m sure it seems that way. I apologize for throwing so much at you after you just learned of your brother’s loss, but we need you. I need you. Your country needs you. Travis needs you.”
His words touched something deep inside her. She loved her brother and she loved her country, just like Travis had. She’d always felt her way to help others was to be the best teacher she could and love, inspire, and lift her students. The problem was she had no concept of military strategy and fighting. Even if she wouldn’t be in danger confronting the evil Greer Delta, anger and resentment would eat her up if she had to come face to face with the man.
“I think it’s a better route for me to mourn my brother, not avenge him,” she said finally. She tried to be a saint herself. No way was Greer Delta one.Vengeance is mine, it said somewhere in the scriptures. She had to leave all this pain to God or she’d become a bitter, withered harpy. Though admittedly vengeance sounded pretty appetizing right now, she was realistic enough to know that if her well-trained brother couldn’t best this Greer Delta, no way would she stand a chance.
“If you are willing to let your brother’s legacy fade to nothing, and never get the answers about why he had to die, you can choose that selfish route.”
Ouch. This guy seemed compassionate, but he didn’t pull punches.
“Are you even going to tell me who you are?” She wasn’t committing to anything right now. She needed to figure out a funeral and cry a lot and call the Weatherspoons and let them know what had happened. Was there anybody else who would want to know about Travis’s passing? He hadn’t run with the best crowd in high school and most of them were drugged out, in prison, or busy fathering children across the state of Idaho. She didn’t know his military friends.Please say he had good friends, she begged heaven above.
A heaviness settled on her heart. Travis’s death was tragic for so many reasons. He’d had so much unfulfilled potential. She wished for the millionth time that he hadn’t chosen the military route. But that was selfish of her. The military had helped him stay out of prison, away from drugs and irresponsible fatherhood, but it had still killed him in the end. He’d changed and distanced himself from her because of what he’d seen and done in his last deployment. Ultimately he’d sacrificed himself for his country. At least she had that. But if this guy was telling the truth, nobody else believed that. Travis’s martyrdom would mean nothing if Emery didn’t go put herself on the altar as well. Her only qualifications were her innocent beauty and the need to avenge her brother. It wasn’t enough.
“I wish I could tell you more,” the voice said, “but that would only put you at risk.”
“And somehow weaseling my way into my brother’s murderer’s house isn’t putting me at risk?”
“I promise you on my son’s grave that you will be in no danger from Greer Delta or any of the Delta family.”
“I’m sorry about your son,” she managed. Was that why his voice had seemed almost tortured and bitter at times?
The man didn’t respond to that. “Your country needs you, Miss Reeder. Will you do this small favor for them? For Travis?”
She couldn’t confirm that yet. Small favor? It seemed massive, huge, colossal, immense to her. “I don’t know.”
The man didn’t seem fazed. “The details of your assignment are in your mailbox, along with two hundred thousand dollars in cash and a fake ID.”
“Yikes! What am I going to do with two hundred thousand dollars?” Actually, she could think of a lot she could do with that kind of money, but not if she hadn’t earned it. The fact that he knew where she lived and had been to her house was disturbing too. He seemed like the good guy, but what did she know?
“You can use it for funeral expenses, travel expenses, and whatever else you need for your assignment, and then keep any surplus with your country’s thanks.”
She didn’t want the money, but funeral expenses? She hadn’t even thought of that.
“The question is, Miss Reeder … Will you avenge your brother’s death, finish what he gave his life for, save America from imminent destruction, and find answers that no one else can give you?”
“That’s a loaded question.”
“I don’t know that you’ll ever have to answer a more important one.”
Emery had no clue how to respond. She’d landed in the middle of a spy novel. She would have to pray hard for guidance on which path to take. If she didn’t feel she should complete her brother’s assignment, she didn’t care what this guy said. She’d get his money back to him and pray he’d leave her alone.
“I’ll check back soon.” The man hung up.
She dropped her phone and buried her head in her hands.
Curse Greer Delta. Curse, jinx, plague, afflict, scourge, torment that man. She didn’t want to avenge her brother or rescue her country. All she wanted was her brother back.