Lose Control (The Jewel Project #5)

30.1.|| Asking for Trouble

Jerry enjoyed his work at NASA more than he'd ever thought. Having the chance to fine tune his drug, test it on actual astronauts, and the prospect of going into space were thrilling. And, for once, he wasn't on call, there were no more goons out to get him, and he had routine and predictability.

The positive feelings came with some guilt. He missed Sarah so much, his heart ached, and the phone calls and messages they exchanged every day were hardly enough. Then there was the issue of his brothers and the utter misery and danger they still lived in. At least Jimmy seemed to be doing better, focused on his work as he was.

Sam also seemed much better. He'd found his excitement again and had actually requested a Skype conference which was programmed to start in a few minutes.

So Jerry joined Jimmy in the empty tech lab to see what Sam wanted from them. It must have been something very important, probably regarding his research on the jewels. He'd kept firing theories at them for a while now, even if he obviously didn't expect any answers.

Jimmy sat at one of the desks, his laptop already opened, scribbling on one of the many papers strewn in front of him.

"Any progress?" Jerry asked, approaching him.

"Not really," his twin mumbled. "I hate that they're only giving me bits and pieces of the blueprints and I can't figure out where everything goes."

Jerry frowned. "Didn't they give you blueprints of the defective part of the satellite?"

"Yes, but I need to see the bigger picture because I can't figure out why I have to fix this little thing here that looks like some sort of socket. What the hell do they need a socket for?"

And uncomfortable knot formed in Jerry's stomach. "I don't think they want you to know why, Jimmy. Just what."

"I'm sick of this. We've been in the Agency for four years. Maybe it's time they actually trusted us. And if the alignment is off, I need to see what it should align with."

"Maybe NASA doesn't want us to know."

Jimmy leaned back on the hind legs of his chair, pondering on the answer, twirling a pencil between his fingers.

Jerry didn't necessarily think it was wrong, but painting the Agency as the bad guys was getting really old. It was hard enough for him to stay in it as it was.

"Fair enough," Jimmy finally said. "How's your drug trial going?"

"Very well, actually. Roberta didn't throw up this time. So that only leaves Lee. But I'll figure out a way to make him tolerate it, too."

"Fucking Hannigan," Jimmy said with a smirk.

It was no mystery to anyone that Jimmy and Lee Hannigan couldn't stand each other. Jerry understood since Lee tended to be a little arrogant and wasn't easy to work with, but his twin didn't make the slightest effort to appease him and showed his dislike openly. Jerry didn't like him much either, but he liked to keep the peace.

Jimmy's screen lit up with an incoming call from Sam. He leaned over lazily and answered, then pulled back so the camera could focus on both him and Jerry.

Sam was just pulling back as well so that Tom and Kyle also came into view. Jerry was a little shocked. He hadn't seen his brothers in a little over a week, but they seemed so different.

Sam looked lively and well rested, finally resembling the person he was before the entire Christine debacle happened. His confidence engulfed him like a halo, bringing forth the leader he had worked so hard to become.

Tom still looked tired, but a little more peaceful than before. But Kyle was an entirely different story. The threatening air around him was so obvious, it seeped through the online connection and made Jerry shudder. He had no idea how Sam and Tom could be in the same room as him without cowering into the corners. The darkness in Kyle's eyes, the tension in his muscles, it all locked Jerry's words in.