Part 26 (1/2)
”Alex, you are scaring me.”
”No more fear, Ca.s.sidy, just the truth. I promised no secrets. I meant it. Please?” Ca.s.sidy nodded. ”No matter what, you need to know that nothing is more important to me than you and Dylan. Nothing.”
”I have a feeling I might need some of that anxiety medication,” Ca.s.sidy offered with a deep breath as she followed the agent back to their room.
”What are you telling me?” Jane Merrow asked pointedly. Jon Krause sighed deeply and looked to her with heavy eyes. ”Are you telling me that Congressman O'Brien shot Alex? Is that what you are telling me, Jon?” The fury in her voice seemed to increase with every syllable. ”Just what the h.e.l.l is going on here? What does this have to do with John?”
”Jane,” he began carefully as he slowly bridged the distance between them. ”I did what I could where John was concerned. This isn't about John. It's Claire and it's...o...b..ien.”
The former first lady closed her eyes tightly and grabbed onto the agent's arms. ”I know you did what you could.”
He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. ”I have to see Toles.”
She pulled away abruptly and questioned him fearfully, ”Jon...I don't...”
”I have to. I need you to work with Matt...”
”Jon....”
”Listen to me,” he said softly as he pulled her closer again. ”Claire killed Elliot.”
”What?” her voice echoed her disbelief.
”This is spiraling, all of it. I need Toles. Ian and I....”
Jane shook her head and turned, covering her eyes in frustration. ”Jon, what the h.e.l.l was he into? This isn't simply...”
”Jane, John was trying, trying to change things...I don't know...that is not what my role is. You know that. I know enough, enough to...”
Jane Merrow looked up into her friend's eyes. ”You're afraid for them, aren't you?”
”Yes. I am.”
She nodded and covered her eyes again. ”O'Brien...he's not part of the...”
”He is self-serving, Janie...if I could...” She looked at him conveying her concern. ”I won't, but I'd like to,” he told her.
”You need to be careful,” she warned him.
”This is who I am.”
”You should tell her, Jon.”
”Tell who, what?” Krause asked.
”Tell Ca.s.sidy about O'Brien.”
He chuckled. ”No....Toles will tell her.”
”Alex knows?”
”I'm sure your good agent has put the pieces together by now about O'Brien. I need her. She and Matthews are tight. She can get closer...”
”I can't lose you, not any of you...not after...”
Krause heard the panic in Jane's voice. ”Call Matt. Tell him I am in.”
”You know once you cross this line...”
”I'm already over it, Jane. Mitch.e.l.l and I are in. I will find out what John was doing, why the Russians were so...where SPHINX leads.”
”Just promise me, Jon...no matter what, I promised him....”
”Jane, I will do whatever I have to. I won't let anything happen to Dylan or Ca.s.sidy,” he said emphatically. ”I'll do whatever I can to protect Agent Toles, but I can't keep her out of this. That is not who she is. You know that too. This is what we do, Jane. It's what we were built for. Brackett and O'Brien have to be controlled and there are...well, I have to see her. She'll have questions.”
He turned to leave and Jane grabbed his arm. ”If you did,” Krause stopped, searching her eyes for her meaning. ”I mean... if the congressman were to....well, I would not shed any tears.” He nodded. ”If you are going to see Alex, I am going with you.”
”Jane, you risk compromising...”
”Jon, they both deserve to know what we are headed into.”
”Ca.s.sidy is not in....”
Jane took his strong face in her hands with a deep understanding. She leaned into him and spoke softly, ”we don't choose who to love, Jon. We both know that. But, who we love....This effects them both. Dylan...and Alex is her...”
He closed his eyes and leaned into the gentleness of her touch. ”I know.”
She pulled back and looked at him as her tears glistened. ”You are good man, Jonathan.”
”I wish that were true.”
”It is,” she said quietly as she turned to leave.
”Brady?”
”Sir,” Steven Brady answered.
”Where the h.e.l.l have you been?” Taylor blared through the phone.
”I was detained.”
”By what?”
”Not by what, by whom.” Taylor rubbed his hand across his forehead and prepared himself for the coming conversation as Brady continued. ”Toles, how is...”
”Agent Toles is already home, Brady. Seems she has some very unlikely friends.”
”Seems we all do, Sir.”
”Explain,” Taylor said pointedly.