Samurai Game

CHAPTER 10

A stunned silence followed Azami’s quiet revelation. The members of GhostWalker Team One exchanged uneasy, shocked looks.

Ryland rubbed his chin over his son’s thick cap of hair, his eyes closed briefly. Sam couldn’t imagine what was going through his mind.

“Are you certain?” Ryland finally asked. “I’ve seen no evidence of Daniel teleporting.”

Azami slowly nodded her head. “I’m very sure. He’s young and there’s an art to it, but learning can be both painful and dangerous, as Sam knows well. The gift didn’t really begin to manifest in me until around the age of ten. I would feel broken apart inside and find I’d moved from one corner of a room to another and couldn’t remember walking across the room. It was frightening. For a while I was afraid to tell my father, afraid I was losing my mind. Your son is a mere baby and he’s already experiencing that same sensation.”

Ryland buried his face against the baby’s neck, his arms tightening until Daniel squirmed and he was forced to ease up. He raised his head, his steel gray eyes meeting Sam’s. “Did you know?”

“I never even suspected, Rye,” Sam said. “Now that Azami pointed out the possibility, I can see that a few times, Daniel was in one spot and then he was a few feet away playing with my tools, but I didn’t feel the ‘broken apart’ effect until I was about eighteen. Neither you nor Lily has the ability to teleport, so it didn’t occur to me that Daniel would have it. But then, I don’t think my parents could do it, or they would have been all over television and selling their story for their drug money. Hell, Rye.” Sam rubbed the bridge of his nose, not knowing how to comfort his friend.

Daniel could very well teleport right into the middle of a wall before he ever fully understood the danger. Ryland and Lily had a difficult time as it was, let alone knowing their child could put himself in the middle of the forest, the mines, or up on the roof. The psychic gifts they had been born with, and then enhanced by Whitney, were both a blessing and a curse. Each talent could be extremely dangerous, especially in one young and inexperienced.

“You snuck past me, didn’t you?” Ian accused. “I knew I hadn’t gone to sleep.”

Sam understood what Ian was doing: giving Ryland time to assimilate the danger to his son and come to terms with it. He deliberately drew attention away from their leader.

“Many times, as a matter of fact,” Azami said, willing to sacrifice herself so that Ryland could take a moment to recover and hold his child close. “I tweaked your chin once.”

Ian rubbed his chin, glaring at her. “You did. I felt it. A draft hit me and it felt like someone pulled a hair from my chin.”

“It was red and I couldn’t resist. You really need to shave,” Azami pointed out. “What’s with that little red fuzz on your chin anyway? Is it some sort of statement I don’t understand?”

“Statement?” Ian flared, stroking the tiny little red vee on his chin. “This is manly, woman. Don’t you know that?”

Azami gave a slight bow, lowering her lashes and chin demurely, but not before Sam caught the sparkle in her eyes. “Forgive me, Ian, I did not know a man of your stature needed fuzz to be manly. I can only plead ignorance of this custom.”

The men snickered and nudged Ian, Tucker reaching out to touch the red fuzz. Ian punched his arm away.

“Tucker,” Ryland said, his voice once more commanding. “Take Daniel to his mother. Make certain she understands the danger. We’ll figure out how best to help my son comprehend the danger he’s facing. Please give her that reassurance.” Stay with her at all times. Be ready. If Azami can slip past our guards, it’s possible her brothers can as well. He added the command telepathically, uncaring if his guest felt the surge of energy accompanying the psychic gift. Aloud he continued. “We’ll be in the war room. I think Ms. Yoshiie has a little explaining to do before we go any further.”

Tucker nodded in understanding. He took the boy into his arms, looking larger than ever with such a small toddler clinging to him.

Sam had known it was coming, but he still had hoped for a little more time to cement his relationship with Azami. He didn’t want her taking offense to the grilling Ryland was certain to give her. Ryland wasn’t privy to her mind. He couldn’t know she wasn’t a threat to Daniel or their team. He would have to find reassurance his own way.

Sam glanced at Azami. She was impossible to fathom, her expression as serene as ever, and that could either mean she’d been expecting Ryland’s interrogation after her revelation, or that she was fully prepared to fight her way out of the compound.

“Ms. Yoshiie.” Ryland gestured toward the door after handing off his son to Tucker. “After you.”

Again her lashes fluttered, two crescent-shaped fans, feathery and beautiful, hiding her expression and making her appear fragile and feminine when Sam knew she was made of steel. Sam took a step after her and Ryland shook his head.

“Not you, Sam. You stay here.”

It was a clear command. Sam was a soldier first and foremost and he’d never disobeyed an order from Ryland in his life. Every muscle in his body tightened. Ryland turned on his heel to follow Azami out, but Sam used his speed to cut him off. The effect on his body robbed him of breath, but it didn’t matter. If Azami was facing a firing squad so to speak, she wasn’t doing it alone.

“With all due respect, sir, I can’t do that.”

The room went silent. Everyone turned to stare at him. He didn’t take his eyes from Ryland’s.

“That wasn’t a request, soldier,” Ryland said.

“I’m aware of that, sir, but in this instance, I feel I have no choice but to attend this meeting and request that you rescind that order.”

“And if I don’t, you intend to disobey?”

Before Sam could answer, Ryland stepped close to him, nearly nose to nose. Sam didn’t give ground. They stared at one another a long time in silence.

Tell me what she is to you.

She’s my Lily. I believe in her, Rye. Sam answered his friend and commander the only way he knew how-honestly. She’s one of us whether she admits it or not. I’ve been in her head, and she could never hide a threat to us from me. She isn’t here for Daniel.

Ryland continued to stare at him a few minutes longer before he nodded his head and spun around to stalk out of the room.

“Are you crazy?” Ian hissed. “You’re lucky you’re wounded. Has anyone ever disobeyed an order?”

“He understands I have no choice,” Sam said and dragged a shirt off the nightstand. He didn’t bother with shoes, padding barefoot after Ryland and Azami.

His teammates circled him almost protectively and he found himself grateful for their camaraderie. They might not understand, but they were showing support, hoping Ryland wouldn’t take his head off, or confine him to quarters for the rest of his life.

Sam waited until Azami sank gracefully into a chair before he chose the one beside her. He caught the men exchanging quick glances, but he didn’t care. Azami wasn’t going to be alone when Ryland questioned her. Sam was absolutely convinced she wasn’t Whitney’s ally and that she was no threat to Daniel. If anything, she wanted to help the child.

“Perhaps a cup of tea,” Azami suggested. “If that’s possible.”

She appeared absolutely calm-much calmer than he was feeling. Sam wanted to gather her close and protect her from what was to come, but she clearly didn’t need him to shield her. There was no fluttering of nervous hands; she folded them neatly in her lap and simply waited while everyone took a chair. Ryland nodded toward Gator, who quickly leapt up to make a cup of tea for Azami.

“Ms. Yoshiie,” Ryland began.

She inclined her head in that graceful, demure way she had. “Please call me Azami. I would prefer to learn American ways.”

“Azami then,” Ryland said, in no way deceived by her delicate features. “I think it’s time for an explanation, don’t you?”

“You certainly deserve one,” she agreed. “You’ve been more than patient. Dr. Whitney called me Thorn. He gave the girls names of flowers and seasons, a careless acknowledgment that we had to be called something other than the numbers he gave us in his files. He thought me quite useless as anything other than for experiments, so instead of a Lily, or a Rose, I was a Thorn to him, a constant pain that nagged at him until he threw me away-back onto the streets in Japan. I was eight years old.”

Silence greeted her matter-of-fact revelation. Ryland put both hands on the table and leaned toward her, his piercing steel gaze fixing steadily on her face.

“GhostWalkers recognize one another by the energy surrounding us. I don’t feel it when you walk into a room.” Ryland made it a statement. He looked to Kadan for confirmation.

Sam shoved down anger. He rarely got angry, but Ryland was all but calling her a liar.

Kadan shook his head. “I don’t feel anything at all,” he agreed, “but Sam did. From the very beginning he felt something was off about the Yoshiie family, in particular Azami. He went so far as to scan their faces and send them to Lily to run the facial recognition program.” Kadan too leaned toward Azami, a slight frown on his face. “Why would Whitney find you useless to him and the program when you’re obviously gifted?”

“Whitney is able to recognize those with psychic talents, even when they are mere infants. Unfortunately he isn’t a terribly patient man with children. My ability to teleport didn’t appear until I was ten.”

“There was a mention of a child named Thorn,” Kadan told Ryland. “Jesse, from Team Two, his wife, Saber, talked about her a few times.”

Azami remained quiet, and she held herself away from Sam. He knew what she was doing. If Ryland didn’t accept the things she told him-if this meeting turned bad-she didn’t want him in trouble with his unit or to have to make a choice between them.

Don’t worry about me, Azami. I’m a grown man. I make my choices and I live with them. I know exactly what I’m doing and why.

Ryland’s head snapped around. “Speak out loud for everyone to hear if you have something to say, Sam. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

Sam had rarely heard Ryland use that voice and more than anything else, as low and as stern as it was, the tone told him he was on treacherous ground.

“I told her not to worry about me, that I make my own choices and I know exactly what I’m doing and why.” Sam wasn’t about to dodge the truth.

“I hope you do,” Ryland said.

“I had reservations about the Yoshiie family from the moment I met them, especially Azami. From the beginning I thought it was possible she was one of us-a GhostWalker. It wasn’t that I felt the familiar energy, I can’t put my finger on what it was exactly, but I was very uneasy and indicated that to Nico and Kadan as well as sending Lily pictures,” Sam reported. He resisted the need to put his hand over Azami’s folded hands beneath the table. “Of course my first worry was for Daniel.”

It was important Azami knew that he would fight with his last breath for the boy against anyone who tried to harm him. She had to know his loyalty to his team whom he considered family ran deep, as would his commitment to her-and any children they had.

“She fought beside me, Rye. I’ve been in her mind. She saved me out there. I put my life in her hands and I would never have allowed her to come here if I thought for one moment she was a threat to Daniel or that she was working with Whitney.” Sam looked him right in the eye. “If you don’t know that much about me, what the hell am I doing here?”

Ryland didn’t flinch. “If I didn’t know that much about you, Knight, you wouldn’t be sitting at this table. Wounded or not, you’d be on your ass in the brig.”

“Mr. Miller…” Azami began.

“Captain. Captain Miller,” Ryland corrected.

Sam ducked his head. Ryland was royally pissed. It was difficult to get the man riled, but once he was, there was very little backup in him.

“Forgive me,” Azami said in her demure tone, those long lashes lowering as she bowed her head gracefully. “This is my fault. When I was young, my father asked only a couple of things of me. He asked that I live a life of honor and that I throw hatred and anger away as useless. I hated Whitney with the passion only a child could have. My father taught me that he is a monster, yes, but my hatred of him gave him great power over me. Bringing a man like Whitney to justice is impossible, but someone has to try.”

“How?” Ryland asked. “You must have a plan.”

Azami looked around the table. “You are asking me to trust all of you when you don’t trust me.”

“You came to our home on false pretenses,” Ryland pointed out.

She shook her head, her eyes steady on his. “That is not so, Captain Miller. I insist on visiting all corporations or countries who wish to purchase one of my satellites. Our company is legitimate and I know you didn’t choose us blindly. We deliver the best in the world. There is no competition as of yet. Our lens is superior, as is our software, to any other on the market. You reached out to us.”

Gator placed a cup of tea in front of Azami. “I noticed you took milk in your tea earlier.”

She smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

“Can I get you anything else, ma’am… Azami?” Gator asked.

Sam shifted in his chair. He was happy someone was being polite to her, but of all the men, Gator was the most charming with women. He was totally enamored of his wife, but that didn’t stop women from falling for him.

Azami raised her long lashes and looked at him directly. The impact struck like an arrow straight through his heart. How did she know? How were they so connected? He wouldn’t betray his family or team, but he’d fight with every breath in his body for her. Her eyes seemed like the midnight sky, dark and yet sparkling with stars, embracing him with heat, with something very close to desire. Then her lashes came down and she was once again focusing on Gator.

“No, thank you,” Azami said politely. She took a very ladylike sip of tea and put the cup back in the saucer before she looked once more at Ryland. “It is our policy to vet everyone who wishes to purchase from us-that is well known throughout the world. Three weeks after we turned down Dr. Whitney, his daughter Lily made inquiries. Was that coincidence or was he using her to acquire our satellite another way? I think that question is very legitimate, and as a responsible company, we had to get the answer.”

Sam knew he was falling fast. She was so composed under fire, so perfect in every way for a man like him. He loved the way she looked: regal, a Japanese princess with etiquette ingrained in her, with such grace and poise, and yet any moment she could erupt into a lethal killing machine if circumstances called for her to do so.

Ryland nodded. “I suppose you have a point. I would do the same thing.”

“I knew Whitney would eventually try to get his hands on one of our satellites, and it was the perfect opportunity to get to him. He would have to meet with us. His location is well hidden and he moves often. He can utilize any U.S. military base in the world and has friends in very high places helping him. He’s a ghost, elusive and impossible to track at this point. Our satellites were the perfect bait.”

“What went wrong?”

Azami shrugged. “He refused to meet with us personally. He wanted his representatives to stand in for him, so of course we refused. He offered much more money, but we reiterated we had a policy in place we never deviated from. He still refused a face-to-face. Three times he tried bribing one of my people and once he tried blackmail, in the hopes of being able to duplicate our software and lens.”

“He would try to get a spy in your camp.”

“It is impossible.”

“Nothing is impossible, Azami,” Ryland disagreed, using her first name as a sign of peace between them. “Not with his money. He’ll keep coming at you.”

“He won’t succeed. Those working for me were helped in some way by my father and owe him allegiance. They were trained as samurai and they will not dishonor themselves.”

“If he found something to blackmail one person with, he will find another.”

Azami sent Ryland a serene smile and a small shake of her head. “The man he tried to blackmail immediately came to me and confessed what he thought was shameful. It was not and he remains fine, but had he felt he could not live with the shame, he would have ended his own life with honor. That is our code. Whitney cannot conceive of such loyalty, and that, ultimately, will be his downfall.”

Sam knew Ryland couldn’t dispute her statement. The GhostWalkers many times had said exactly the same thing. Whitney had wanted a strong unit that could operate independently under the radar, men and women completely loyal to their cause and to one another. In that, he had succeeded far more than he had ever expected.

“You have to admit, after such persistence, to get an order from Whitney’s daughter, it would be natural to think perhaps he was behind the request for a satellite,” Azami continued.

Ryland also couldn’t dispute that statement either. He would have been suspicious himself had the scenario played out that way. Whitney was a cunning opponent and he never stopped trying once he made up his mind to something.

“There’s no doubt a high-resolution satellite would give him the capability to track our children more easily,” Ryland admitted. “I can’t say that I wouldn’t have done the same thing.”

“I would do anything to keep such an instrument out of his hands,” Azami admitted.

“Why wouldn’t you come to us the moment you realized Daniel was out of his room and getting into things that might be dangerous?” Ryland asked.

Azami took another sip of tea, unhurried and composed, her mind racing as she tried to decide just how far she could safely go without endangering anyone else. It was one thing to take a chance with her own life, but she had someone in Whitney’s camp she had to protect. She set the teacup down with delicate precision and looked up at Ryland, carefully meeting his eyes.

“Your wife is Whitney’s only acknowledged daughter and she’s a scientist who carried on his work. She inherited his wealth and his laboratories. It wasn’t completely unreasonable to wonder just what she was doing with her child. When I learned she had a baby here, I was determined to see that the child was well loved and not used for experiments.”

There was no apology in her voice at all. She had done what she believed to be right-and she wanted to make it clear to everyone at the table that she would have done the exact same thing if she had to do it over. She wouldn’t aid Whitney in any way-especially not for money.

“And what did you find?” Ryland asked, his voice dropping an octave.

Sam inwardly winced. Ryland speaking low was never a good thing. Anything to do with Lily and Daniel made him extremely protective. Azami was treading on thin ground without a hint of apology.

Azami had no hesitation in answering. “I found Daniel to be a delightful, amazing child, well loved and protected by his parents and all of his ‘uncles.’ He’s very happy. You provide him with support, and stimulation, yet you give him balance so that he’s not pushing himself before he should. I couldn’t imagine better parents.”

“And yet we didn’t catch that he could teleport.”

As a father, Ryland seemed vulnerable to Azami. She hated that she caused him worry. “Well, he can’t actually teleport yet, thankfully; not more than about a foot or less,” she pointed out. “But it will be soon and he needs instruction and firm rules or he’ll have very bad accidents. I learned the hard way as I suspect Sam did. Daniel’s too young to find himself inside a wall.” She leaned toward Ryland. “Why would you think you could recognize the signs so early in him? I almost missed them and I practice daily.”

“I can work with him,” Sam offered. “I enjoy spending time with him, Rye.”

Ryland’s gaze shifted to Sam’s face. Azami could see that Ryland was definitely worried about his son attempting to teleport, and she knew he should be. It was an extremely dangerous gift, and in a child-an infant, really-the gift could be lethal.

“Thanks, Sam. Lily isn’t going to take this well. We have to strike such a balance with Daniel and we’re always guessing on how much to let him do and his ability to understand the things we try to teach him. I suspect this is going to be difficult. If his natural inclination is to teleport when he suddenly wants to sneak a cookie, we’re going to be reprimanding him constantly.”

Azami flashed a small smile. “He loves his life. He’s quite good at communicating. He already understands that he’s loved and you put down rules to keep him safe.”

“He’s a sponge,” Ryland said. “He soaks up information at a rapid rate. I have no doubt that he’ll speak multiple languages, and his motor skills are already amazing.” A small grin escaped. “I guess every parent thinks that.”

Azami leaned toward him again, making up her mind. She was going to throw in with the GhostWalkers. She had no doubts about this particular unit; she’d spent the last few days spying on them. She even had tiny cameras in various locations throughout the house. Eiji and Daiki were adept at fitting the cameras in places no one would ever find them. They could walk through a room and place one in mere seconds. She just had to strike a balance to protect her informant. She wouldn’t risk his life, not even for credibility.

“You have a much bigger problem than me, Captain, or your son teleporting. We have stumbled across some information suggesting you will be getting orders to go into the Congo to assassinate General Armine, who is in a fight with Ezekial Ekabela to take over the rebel army. Ezekial’s brother, General Eudes Ekabela, was killed by a GhostWalker, and Armine took over before Ezekial could step into power. Whitney needs Armine out of the way to allow Ezekial back into power. Ezekial has control of the diamond mines and there is a particular size diamond that Whitney needs for a new weapon he’s working on. The price Ezekial Ekabela is demanding is Armine’s assassination and a GhostWalker to pay for his brother’s death. Whitney agreed to the terms. Since Jack Norton, whom the rebels are desperate to get their hands on, has twins, Whitney is giving them someone from your team.”

Azami took a breath and avoided looking at Sam. Her stomach muscles tightened, her breath refusing to leave her lungs. She didn’t want to see condemnation in his eyes. She hadn’t warned him, not even when she was kissing him, committing to him in her heart. She forced the words out. “Whitney believes that Sam is useless to his program and he’s willing to sacrifice him in exchange for the diamond.”

Sam raised his eyebrow, but didn’t say a word. Gator nudged Tucker, but one look from Ryland stopped any teasing they might have done.

“Any orders coming to us would be classified,” Ryland said, his voice dropping another octave. “And then there’s the matter of the second-generation Zenith that my wife has been working on, and no one should have even a whisper of it, let alone an actual patch.

She’d known that was coming. Azami recognized the instant suspicion and she couldn’t blame him. If he’d come to her with classified information on a team that didn’t exist to the outside world, where they were going and what was in store for them, she’d be extremely wary of just how that information had come into an outsider’s hands. She had known the moment she disclosed what she knew, Ryland would really begin his interrogation.

She kept her hands folded in her lap beneath the table. Her stomach was jittery, not because she feared these people-she knew she could kill several of them before they got to her-but because she wanted to choose each word carefully and make them understand she was on their side without taking a chance on risking lives. “Whitney has several people working for him giving and passing along information, as well as helping forward his agenda. Clearly those helping him are people in positions of power. They do his bidding. I’ve intercepted his commands to a woman named Sheila Benet. She’s his number one courier.”

Beneath the table, Sam’s fingers wrapped very gently around her wrist, cautioning her. He didn’t want her to go any further. She had eyes and ears in the war room and knew the GhostWalker unit as a whole didn’t believe the three deaths associated with Sheila Benet were accidental, and it was obvious Sam didn’t want her confessing to murder. From the moment he had recognized that someone could have used a blowgun to kill Major Patterson, she was certain he would figure out who had done so. She had known the moment she met him that he was too intelligent to fool for long and had she been able to, she wouldn’t have looked at him twice.

“The same Sheila Benet that witnessed two accidents? One in a bathroom of a night club and one in a restaurant?”

“I read about the accidents,” Azami said truthfully. Her computers certainly searched for certain names that might come up in any news article or report. “I found it interesting that she was at both accident sites.”

The pad of Sam’s thumb slid back and forth over the inside of her wrist in a caress she wasn’t certain he was aware of-yet she was all too aware. She was rarely distracted by anything, but that small movement sent a shiver of heat down her spine. She should move her wrist away from him-she couldn’t afford any distractions-but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

“We found it equally interesting,” Ryland said. “We don’t believe either of those deaths was an accident. And there was a third-a car accident as well that is suspect.”

She didn’t blink. “I have to agree with your suspicion. With Benet involved, I am certain those people had to be in Whitney’s employ. It would be too much of a coincidence to think they both died within weeks of each other-although stranger things have happened.”

Ryland studied her face with those piercing, steel gray eyes. She couldn’t imagine his son at sixteen lying to his father. She hadn’t lied, but she was definitely omitting facts. Ryland Miller seemed to see into one’s soul.

“You had nothing to do with those deaths?” he asked outright.

Inwardly she winced. There it was. If she told the truth, they could have her arrested. If she lied… Well, she wasn’t a liar. She widened her eyes and allowed a little frown, tipping her head back to look at him directly. “Why would you think that? How could you even consider such a thing?” Those were fair questions and she had sidestepped answering truthfully.

If Ryland cared enough to check, and he might, he would find she was in the United States at the time of all three “accidents,” but until he had that fact, she was going to dodge every single incriminating question to the best of her ability.

Ryland frowned, studying her face. She knew she looked innocent. That was one of her best gifts, that ability, a natural one that her adopted father had helped her to perfect. Her diminutive size and delicate, almost fragile appearance was an asset. People always underestimated her abilities. She deliberately gave the appearance of a shy, demure woman who spent most of her life indoors.

These men were dominant and protective by nature. She read them easily. They made no attempt to hide what and who they were-warriors, every one of them-and yet they had a soft spot for women and children. To them, women and children represented what they were fighting for. The women and children were the reason they put their lives on the line for the freedom of their country, to keep those they loved safe and protected. That creed was bred into their very bones. As a samurai, she was trained to use every advantage, and her innocent looks aided her in unexpected ways.

Ryland suddenly snapped his head around and his eyes met Sam’s. “Is she full of shit? Or is she for real?”

Her stomach did an unexpected somersault. If there was one person sitting in the room who saw right through her-it was Sam. Ryland was his friend and the leader of his unit, a man Sam respected and felt great affection for. Azami had to suppress a groan. Sam wasn’t going to lie to Ryland, not even for her, and she wouldn’t respect him if he did. It was a lose-lose situation.

For the first time, true tension crept into her. She forced herself to breathe normally, to look as calm and serene as ever. Those strong fingers stroking her bare, inner wrist ceased moving and settled around her arm like a shackle.

“I know she’s the real deal, Ryland,” Sam said, his voice equally low.

Which could mean anything. Azami didn’t dare glance at him. Her heart had begun a strange pounding, the rhythm new to her. She had an unexpected urge to lean over and lift her face to his. His voice was absolutely honest. His simple sentence meant nothing to Ryland, but everything to her.

Her eyes burned for a moment, forcing her to lower her lashes. Her father had stood for her. Her brothers were in another room right at this moment listening so that if necessary, they could fly to her aid and all three might have a chance to fight their way out. Never had anyone else stood up for her, and Sam was not only standing but placing himself in front of her. He believed in her to the point that, although he wasn’t being deceptive, he was still deflecting.

Ryland evidently knew Sam very well. Those steely eyes narrowed. “You’re a damn big help, Knight. If anything, you’re full of shit.”

“I’m telling the absolute truth, Rye,” Sam confirmed.

“I’m sure you are. What the hell’s going on between you two?”

Sam shrugged. “I plan on asking her brothers’ permission to marry her.”

Azami gasped, swinging her head around to look up at him. It was one thing to fight quietly for her, but he was openly aligning himself with her.

Sam’s fingers tightened on her arm, but his gaze was locked with Ryland’s. “Azami is a GhostWalker. She’s one of us and more than that, she’s the one for me. I want you to know that up front. That’s how certain I am of her.”

“And you don’t think that there’s a possibility that you’re blinded by your feelings for her? You just met her. Don’t you think that happened just a little too fast?”

Azami winced. She knew what Ryland was implying. Whitney had somehow managed to pair them together. She kept her head down, long lashes covering her eyes to prevent anyone from seeing distress that might show.

“So how did that work out for you, Ryland?” Sam demanded. He looked around the table. “For any of you with a wife?” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “I don’t much care if Whitney paired me with Azami or not, although I don’t see how he could have, but I know she fits with me. There isn’t a doubt in my mind.”

Azami shook her head. As much as she wanted Sam for herself, she couldn’t let him sacrifice. “Let’s slow down. There’s something else you should know, something that may be very pertinent to how you’re feeling right now, Sam.” Her lungs felt squeezed for air, but she had to be fair to him.

“I don’t need to know anything else, Azami,” Sam assured.

The tears burned again and she blinked rapidly, her throat clogging for a moment.

“You might not need to know anything else,” Ryland said. “But I do. Please continue, Azami.”

It was a major concession that he’d used her first name again. His voice had been filled with warning to Sam. She rested her hand over his, a very light measure of caution beneath the table. She didn’t want him to get into trouble with his unit, at least not before he heard what she had to say.

“Whitney’s pairings so far have seemed to fit. I speculated that perhaps that was part of his psychic gift and he clearly has one. Those of you I’ve tried to study a bit seem very grounded by one another, but none of you have been placed in a position that might cause you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“What do you mean?” Ryland asked.

“Suppose you had to make a choice between your wife and your son?”

“There would be no question. My wife would expect me to choose my son. He’s a child who needs help and guidance and love right now. If she suddenly went crazy and wanted to get rid of him, which is what you seem to be implying, then of course I would protect my child.”

Azami didn’t try to hide her relief. “Violet Smythe-Freeman didn’t.”

“She has a child?” Ryland looked around the table at his men. “Are you certain?”

“She aborted the child at Whitney’s demand. And she killed Senator Freeman. He was scheduled for the operation. They had taken him to do the surgery at the hospital and Whitney insisted on seeing Violet. They met at a small private airport. He was alone with her for several hours in a hangar. There appeared to be some sort of field surgery set up in the hangar, but my informant only caught a glimpse of the inside. When she emerged, she appeared different, very submissive toward Whitney, yet flirtatious. She boarded her plane and went straight to the hospital and pulled the plug on the senator, and then insisted on an abortion.”

Ryland frowned. “You believe he paired her with a second man and she immediately killed the senator and his unborn child? She was completely loyal to Freeman. She betrayed all the women in the compound in order to secure an alliance with Whitney.”

“Senator Freeman had no psychic ability. His child would be worthless to Whitney,” Azami pointed out. “Violet is well entrenched in the political arena. She’s intelligent and personable if a bit cold. The camera loves her and there’s talk of her running in the senator’s place. A weeping widow who valiantly fought for her brain-dead husband, trying to find a way to save him, would definitely look good in front of a camera. And her voice is enhanced.”

“Who was she paired with?” Ryland asked.

Azami shook her head. “My informant doesn’t know. Violet was groomed to take a political position in Washington. Whitney wanted her in the White House. The senator was supposed to be the vice president. Violet would have continued to have a great deal of influence. If she is elected to a senatorial position and her loyalty is to Whitney, can you imagine how he could use her to influence his programs?”

Ryland sat up straight, comprehension dawning. “You think Violet Freeman is paired to Whitney himself.”