There was a good reason why — she’d already decided against the treatment, which had a minuscule chance of saving her life. The only reason she was taking the meeting was because he’d insisted.
Begged, really.
“Who wants coffee and who wants tea?” he asked. They’d dismissed the staff for the meeting.
“I’d love something stronger,” joked the President. “But I do have to get back to work.”
The others laughed. “Humor is a great weapon against cancer,” said Chambers.
Not really, thought Todd, going into the dining room, but it’s probably all I have.
37
Breanna nodded as Danny finished reporting on the situation at the island. The bunker had been imploded, exactly like the one they had discovered earlier. The Chinese had lost several men, including a high-level intelligence agent who had been working for well over a year trying to track Braxton.
“The PT captain doesn’t appear all that broken up about it,” added Danny. “But he’s not going out of his way to cooperate.”
“And Braxton?” asked Breanna.
“No trace of him. Presumably he’s in the bunker somewhere. But…”
“But?”
“There are some bodies aboveground,” said Danny. “Possibly he escaped. I just don’t know.”
“All right. The Navy is sending a SEAL team to secure the island. As soon as they arrive, you can come home.”
“All the way home?” asked Danny.
“We have the Sabres back. We have the technology from the tugboat and the other base. Our mission is accomplished.”
“Yeah, I guess it is.”
Breanna smiled at him. Danny was tired — as tired as she’d ever seen him. But she suspected it was a good tired, the sort that came at the end of a job well done.
She signed off, momentarily basking in her own sense of accomplishment — they had gotten the Sabres back and closed down a powerful if quixotic conspiracy.
And her organization had been exonerated.
There was much work to be done — on business and personal matters.
She turned and walked back up the steps, looking for her father.
He wasn’t there. Ray Rubeo met her instead.
“Where—” she started to ask.
“He’s gone,” said Rubeo gently. “He’s not ready.”
“But…”
Rubeo grimaced.
Somehow, Breanna managed to keep her tears to herself until she was alone in her office.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DALE BROWN is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, starting with Flight of the Old Dog in 1987, and most recently Starfire. A former U.S. Air Force captain, he can often be found flying his plane over the skies of Nevada.
www.dalebrown.info