The Heart of the Jungle, стр. 68
"We had a moment," Jason said vaguely.
"He was accompanied by a man matching Brunner's description. They said it didn't look like he was tagging along willingly."
"Damn," Jason swore. "I was right. Brunner was trying to make an end-run."
"Chris seems to have escaped him somehow. Once he was free, he contacted MacQuery and they all ended up back here. Very likely, he's going to arrange Chris's death and make it look like Brunner was involved. That buys us a little time. The officer keeping an eye on the house said it doesn't look like MacQuery believes he's in any kind of danger. He sent the other security guard away shortly after the muscle and Brunner arrived. If he expected trouble, he wouldn't be hunkering down."
Jason said soberly, "Now that he has Brunner, though, the clock is ticking. He won't drag this out. He has the diamond, he has Chris, and he has the fall guy. He's holding all the pieces."
"Like I said, the Seattle office is assembling a task force as quickly as they can," Frank soothed. He pulled up Google Maps and zeroed in on the satellite image of George's Whidbey residence. "As soon as we're on the scene, we'll take up a position here." He indicated a forested area behind the house. "We'll keep the team apprised of the developing situation. Once they're on site, they'll establish a perimeter, cover every exit, and they'll move in. Strike fast before he has a chance to react."
"And if something goes down before they get there?"
"Then our friends from Langley will move in to apprehend, and we'll stay the hell out of their way," Frank said warningly. "They're trained professionals. That'll have to be good enough."
Just as he had been so many times since this all began, Jason was frustrated by his inability to take direct action. As much respect as he had for law enforcement, he hated the idea of placing his faith in people he didn't know. He had an intense personal stake in the outcome of this crisis, and the lack of control brought him close to panic.
If Chris were harmed, he would never forgive himself. His own carelessness had sparked this fire. He felt like it was his responsibility to stamp it out.
His concern wasn't solely the result of a guilty conscience or a sense of personal obligation, though. He was in love with Chris James.
Forget that it was crazy, that he had known him for a handful of days, or that the sentiment was not likely returned.
The passion they'd shared had proven to him beyond any reasonable doubt that this was the person he'd spent his whole life searching for. Even though he'd never thought himself capable of that kind of attachment, here he was, up to his eyebrows in it.
Frank had been studying him as the series of emotions played across his face. Jason, like his father, was given to being mastered by his emotions. Frank didn't need to be clairvoyant to know exactly what he was thinking.
"Well I'll be a son of a bitch," he said. "You're in love with him. Curt said you were smitten, but that wasn't the half of it."
Jason didn't even try to deny it.
Frank was thoughtful, serious. "Watching you, I keep thinking what I would feel if it were Ann in this situation. What I'd do." He fixed Jason with a meaningful stare. "I have to be honest, kid, that scares the shit right out of me...." He paused, hesitant to give voice to his growing concern. "You have to pull it together. I know that's hard. Hell, I'd have a hard time myself, and I've been doing this a lot longer than you."
Frank was ever more sober as he continued. "You start thinking with your heart and not your head, it's both our asses in the sling."
Jason prickled, suddenly realizing where this might be headed.
"Forget it, Frank. You're not cutting me out," he warned. His voice was hard, his tone resolute. He wasn't asking for permission.
Frank shook his head. "Now hold on just a damn minute. All I'm saying is I need you, not some lovesick fool with a score to settle."
Frank was right. Emotional distraction had caused him to fuck up once before. He'd paid the price for that awful mistake for years afterward. He could not afford to be careless again---especially not this time.
He took several deep breaths, trying to bring his roiling emotions under control.
"Good, that's good," Frank said, sensing the shift in his demeanor.
Once he was sure Jason was back under control, he grinned. "Cutting you out," he muttered. "Christ. Someone tried to keep me away if Ann were in danger, I'd kill the son of a bitch with my bare hands. I'm old, kid, but I'm not senile. I'm not going to let you in on the action, but I won't keep you from being there when it goes down."
Jason smiled despite himself. Frank's depth of understanding could still surprise him, though it shouldn't have. For all Frank's bravado, Jason knew he was a man of deep compassion with a good heart.
"You still licensed to carry?" Frank asked.
Jason opened his blazer and showed Frank the Browning 9mm strapped to his body.
"Let me see that," Frank said, reaching for the gun. "That a Browning?"
"Yeah," Jason replied, handing the weapon to Frank. "Dad's Mark I. I've had it since I graduated."
Frank looked it over, carefully checking the mechanisms and the overall condition of the weapon. "You take good care of