Free Tracker by James Rollins

alongside him to expose those who had a hand in his mother’s murder.
    Still, Gray remembered the softening of those lips.
    Was there more to that promise, something yet unspoken?
    Before he could dwell on it further, his father pointed to the table. “We’re just about to sit down to dinner. Why don’t you join us?”
    “That’s very kind,” Seichan said stiffly, “but I won’t be staying long. I just need a word with your son.”
    Those almond-shaped eyes—marking her Eurasian heritage—fixed on Gray with plain intent.
    Something was up.
    Seichan was a former assassin for the same shadowy group responsible for his mother’s death, an international criminal organization called the Guild. Its real identity and purpose remained unknown, even to its own agents. The organization operated through individual cells around the world, each running independently, none having the complete picture. Seichan had eventually turned against it, recruited by Director Crowe to serve as a double agent until her subterfuge was exposed. Now—hunted both by her former employers and by foreign intelligence agencies for her past crimes—she was Gray’s partner and his responsibility.
    And maybe something more.
    Gray stepped close to her. “What’s up?”
    She kept her voice low. “I got a call from Director Crowe. Came straight here. There’s been a kidnapping off the Seychelles by Somali pirates. A high-value American target. Painter wanted to know if you were up for a mission.”
    Gray frowned. Why was Sigma involved with a simple kidnapping? There were plenty of policing and maritime agencies that could attend to such a crime. Sigma Force—made up of Special Forces soldiers who had been retrained in various scientific disciplines—was a covert wing for DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Sigma teams were sent out into the world to protect against global threats, not to address the kidnapping of a single American.
    Seichan must have read the suspicion in his face. Her eyes bore into his. She plainly knew more but was unable to speak freely in front of the others. Something big was happening. The realization set his heart to beating harder.
    “The matter is time sensitive,” she added. “If you’re coming, there’s a jet already fueling, and Kowalski is on his way to pick us up. We can swing by your apartment on the way out. Otherwise, we’ll be briefed en route.”
    Gray glanced at the chair by the cold hearth. His father overheard their talk, his gaze fixed to his son’s face.
    “Go,” his father said. “Do your job. I’ve got enough help here.”
    Gray took comfort in that gruff permission, praying it represented some small measure of forgiveness by his father. But his next words, spoken with a harsh bitterness, dashed such hope.
    “Besides, the less I see of your face right now . . . the better.”
    Gray backed a step. Seichan took his elbow, as if ready to catch him. But it was the heat of her palm, more than anything, that steadied him, the reassurance of human contact—like that kiss weeks ago.
    Mary had stepped into the room, drying her hands on a towel. She’d also heard those harsh words and gave Gray a sympathetic look. “I’ve got things covered here. You take some time for yourself.”
    He silently thanked her and allowed Seichan to guide him toward the door. Gray felt the need to share some parting farewell with his father. The desire burned painfully in his chest, but he had no words to voice it.
    Before he knew it, he found himself out on the front porch. He halted at the top step and took in a deep, shuddering breath.
    “Are you okay?” Seichan asked.
    He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ll have to be.”
    Still, she continued to search his face, as if seeking a truer answer.
    Before she could find it, the squeal of rubber on the pavement announced the arrival of his transportation. They both turned as a black SUV came to a hard stop. The window rolled down,