But how many would die? And would it change anything?
She didn’t believe Dauria would have a revolution soon. But at least the rest of the world could see the country for what it really was.
Paxton stepped into view. He glanced at them, meeting her gaze, before moving past, likely toward the lavatory.
Ekko turned and studied Silas’ profile. “How’d it go earlier?”
“I had an epiphany. Pax is still mad at me, but he’ll get over it.”
“Mad? Why?”
“When I first talked to Zain, I told him not to tell Pax I was in trouble. Let him enjoy his vacation. Between us?” He glanced at her. “At first I said it out of spite. Now? I genuinely wish he could have had the rest of that time. I’ve been so focused on what I’m losing that I forgot what he’s gaining. In the end, that’s more important and he damn well deserves to be happy.”
Ekko gave his hand a squeeze. She didn’t have a best friend like he did. Her group of girlfriends was reliable, but they weren’t as ride-or-die as Silas and Paxton. Any change had to be hard.
“Civilian life is just different. I guess I haven’t adjusted as well as I thought I had.” He glanced at her. Again, his gaze seemed to bore into her, reading her soul. “Pax has found something special. Reminds me that there’s more than just the job.”
She licked her lips and did her best to quell the hope bubbling up in her.
His gaze followed her tongue, staring at her mouth. After the last two nights she knew just how good he was with that mouth.
“Stop that,” she mumbled.
“What?” His gaze jumped up to her eyes and he smiled.
“Looking at me like that.”
“I can’t help it. You’re a beautiful woman.” He lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles.
Paxton passed them again. He didn’t look at them but she doubted he missed what was going on.
Ekko shifted, unsure if she could embrace this moment without endangering her heart. She’d gone and fallen for him without knowing if this was something that could grow.
“What’s wrong?” Silas swiped his thumb over her knuckles.
Was he going to make her say it?
They’d agreed to be honest.
She locked her gaze on him and rallied her confidence. It would be better for him to break her heart now rather than later.
“I like you. Maybe too much, and that worries me,” she said.
“Does it? Why?”
She arched a brow at him. “Why? Because is this really the best situation to develop feelings? Is it fair to tell you that I’m not feeling all that casual about us?”
“I’m a big boy. I can take it.” He pressed her hand to his thigh.
She narrowed her gaze. “Are you making a dick joke right now?”
“Will it make you laugh?” His grin widened.
She shook her head and chuckled. “I tell you I have feelings and you come back with a dick joke. Great.”
Despite his smile, his words were serious. “I want to put you at ease. You’re worried about problems that don’t exist. I like you now that I know you. I can’t say what will happen, but I can at least be honest. You’re a beautiful woman I have enjoyed spending time with, now that you aren’t trying to drive me away.”
“Really? But this situation—”
“Hey. Sugar, stop that. I’m pretty sure I gave Paxton the same line about him and Coco. When we met her she as picking a fight with a gang of poachers. To say that they developed an intense and immediate connection is an understatement. I have seen firsthand that not everything begun in a crucible is bad. Sometimes it makes a strong foundation. You know who each other really are.”
She swallowed, unable to look away from him.
“For example? I know you are fierce. I know that when you believe in something you see it through. I wouldn’t get to know those things for a long time if I met you like a normal person. I think seeing someone’s core character from the beginning makes it easier to connect. Don’t you?”
She licked her lips again despite her mouth having gone dry. “Y-yeah. I misjudged you from the beginning, and I regretted that.”
“Yeah?” His grin was back. “What did you think of me?”
“No.” She glanced away. “I don’t want to play this game.”
He just chuckled and pulled her toward him. The arm rest was up now and he tucked her in close to his side.
“Let’s agree to this?” he whispered in her ear. “When this is over, we’ll figure out what comes next, okay? We’re juggling a few too many things.”
She nodded while on the inside she could have screamed.
He got her. He got her in a way few did. And he wanted her. In just a few hours this nightmare would be over and the reality that they’d pulled off rescuing Chayan and meeting Silas would really sink in. It was all worth it. And no one had gotten hurt.
MONDAY. HEATHROW AIRPORT, United Kingdom.
One of the things Silas hated most about travel was the tedious process of disembarking from an airplane. It was always a time-consuming process with people bumbling along.
Today, however, he was content to sit in his seat holding Ekko’s hand.
The trip wasn’t over. They weren’t out of danger. But they should be in the home stretch now. With any luck, they’d given the DSS operatives the slip. It would take them six to twenty-four hours to pick up their trail. That was more than enough lead time for them to get on a plane headed back to New York City, and from there it really was over.
Paxton stood and glanced over his shoulder. Silas met his gaze and nodded.
It wouldn’t make sense for Paxton to wait for them here. They’d meet up in the terminal.
“Silas...”
“Hm?” He turned his head.
Ekko was staring agape at her phone screen.
“What?” He peered over her shoulder.
The headline read, Youth Rioters Killed in Dauria.
The image under the bold words was that of two young people. A boy in his early twenties was looking over his shoulder while supporting a girl that had to still be a teenager. Her face was bloody. Their clothes were covered in dirt and soot. The photographer had framed the shot so that just over the girl’s head was the blurry image of what Silas could only assume was a policeman. Or worse, one of those DSS enforcers.
Silas leaned over and kissed her temple. “Don’t look at that.”
“How did they get the picture? Who took it?” She looked at him, her eyes bright and brow furrowed with worry. “Silas, people are talking to people outside the border.”
He nodded. That significant point hadn’t struck him, but he wasn’t accustomed to thinking the same way she was. For a people so cut off from the rest of the world, having this news leaked internationally was significant.
The iron wall had holes.
“Come on.” He tugged on her hand.
It was their turn.
He let go of her long enough to grab their things from the overhead bin then led the way off the plane.
First, they’d catch up with Paxton, then call Zain and get their next orders. With any luck they’d simply board another flight and meet up with the others at the gate.
They emerged into the bustling terminal at Heathrow, and there, smack in front of everyone trying to leave, was Paxton. The look on his face made Zain pull up short.
“What? What is it?” Silas managed to ask despite his mouth going dry.
“It’s not good. Come on.” Paxton turned.
Ekko stopped next to Silas, her shoulder bumping his as she glanced from Paxton to Silas. “Not good? What’s not good?”
“Come on,” he said, taking her by the elbow.
Not good could mean a number of things. Ekko was a strong woman, but even she had a breaking point. Depending on the level of not good, whatever had happened while they were in the air could shatter her.
“Silas? Paxton? Someone talk to me,” she demanded as they
strode through the seats.
“Not here,” Silas said, keeping his voice down. “I don’t know what happened, yet.”
He squeezed her hand then let go and took a few quick steps to walk alongside Paxton. The taller man had his head up, gaze scanning every face they came across. He was on high fucking alert.
Damn it.
Silas’ stomach sank.
They turned a corner and almost walked into Vito and Brett. For a moment Silas just stared at him, his mind trying to grasp what was wrong with this picture.
Ekko’s voice was shrill and tight. “Where’s Chayan?”
No. Oh, no.
Silas turned toward her, switching into damage control mode.
“Ekko, keep your voice down.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into the tight knot of people.
The others parted, putting her in the middle of the circle.
“Where is Chayan?” She looked at each man in turn before settling on Vito and Brett. “Where is he? You were supposed to keep him safe.”
Her voice broke at the end, finishing on a sob.
Brett glanced at Vito and grimaced. They all knew Vito wouldn’t speak unless absolutely necessary.
“Police were waiting for us when we landed,” Brett said. “They arrested Chayan for traveling under falsified documents.”
Ekko winced.
Chayan’s passport had never been real.
Silas had known that.
“What I didn’t like were these two guys.” Brett turned his phone for the others to see. “We don’t know who they are, but we will.”
“They look Daurian,” Ekko said as if in a daze.
“Is there an embassy here? For Dauria?” Silas asked, the wheels turning.
“We didn’t plan for this. Why didn’t we plan for this?” Ekko asked.
“They have an embassy.” Brett grimaced. “Maybe they ratted Chayan out?”
“Easy.” Silas pulled her to his side and wrapped an arm around her waist. “What’s our move?”
“For now? Getting the hell out of here.” Brett glanced over his shoulder. “I know a place we can go.”
“Then let’s get out of here.”
Silas did a mental tally. Even if customs was a breeze, the police who’d taken Chayan would have a substantial lead on them.
What were they going to do with Chayan?
The Daurian government must have reported on Chayan. Ekko had explained when he’d asked about the passport she’d had made for Chayan that the only official passports issued were for government officials. Everyone else had a provisional license that allowed them to cross to the trading depos out of the country. Other than that, there were no passports or travel documents.
Why hadn’t they gotten something different for Chayan?
No, he wouldn’t rehash the past. At least not here and now. His first priority had to be securing Ekko, because she was in as much danger as Chayan.
So much for believing that they were on the home stretch.
MONDAY. UNKNOWN, LONDON, United Kingdom.
Ekko stared at the concrete floor. It had that artfully distressed look that went with the exposed brick and rustic ceiling beams, but was at odds with the stainless steel kitchen and stark white furniture.
Why white?
Why would anyone want white furniture?
For one, it was boring.
Second, it would get dirty and shabby in no time.
Third, why the fuck did she care?
Chayan was gone.
Arrested.
For a crime he hadn’t necessarily committed. She’d gotten the passport. Not him. But he’d used it knowing it wasn’t real.
This was her fault.
If she’d left well enough alone, he would have worked through his grief on his own. Yes, his home life would have been lonely. Chances were he’d get depressed, but couldn’t talk about it for fear of bringing on the attention of the DSS.
She cradled her head in her hands.
If she’d never engaged in this plan those kids from the article would merely be grumbling under their breath.
Why had she ever said anything?
Ekko had seen firsthand how far Dauria could reach. It was arrogant for her to think she could spirit Chayan away.
God, this was all her fault.
“Drink this.”
She lifted her head and looked at a red can of Coke then up farther at Paxton. “No, thank you.”
“Drink it.”
“I don’t want it.”
He stepped around the ottoman then perched on the edge. “I’m not offering, I’m telling you. You’re stressed. Likely sleep deprived. The time zones are messing with you. Your emotions are haywire. And you’re still in shock. Caffeine can help a little. Drink it.”
She scowled at him but took the can, opened it and took a long drink. The bubbles tickled her nose and the too-sweet liquid coated her mouth. She lowered the drink and rubbed her face.
“There. Better?” Paxton regarded her with a stony face and intense eyes.
He was nothing like Silas.
When she’d heard about Paxton she’d imagined someone more like Silas. Someone who was quick to laugh, joke around, make an ass out of himself. Paxton was none of those things. He seemed like he rarely smiled and was built out of seriousness.
She breathed in a deep breath and closed her eyes.
It was like something had just punched a hole in the dome pressing her into the earth. While nothing had necessarily changed, she also felt lighter.
“Yes,” she mumbled.
“Don’t get into your head. We’re here. Talk to us. Setbacks happen. We’ll deal with it.”
Was he trying to comfort her?
“Thanks,” she said and mustered a smile for him.
Paxton thumbed over his shoulder where Silas had stepped into the neighboring room to talk to their boss. “And whatever that asshole said about me, it’s not true.”
That made her chuckle. “You aren’t what I expected.”
“I get that a lot.”
She took another long drink of the soda.
“He take care of you guys well enough?” Paxton asked.
“Silas?” She couldn’t help but smile. “When I let him.”
The corners of Paxton’s lips quirked up. Was that almost a smile?
“Keep giving him hell,” Paxton said.
The bedroom door opened and Silas stepped out.
Paxton stood. Ekko clutched the can. Vito and Brett stopped talking.
“We know a little,” Silas said. He held out his hand and Brett handed him a tablet. “First, these two are DSS operatives. They were on our trail back in Mongolia. We think they killed the person that delivered Chayan’s passport and almost assaulted Ekko.”
She got up and edged close enough she could see the screen.
“We still don’t have names, but there’s enough intel to at least connect them to the DSS. We’re hoping that someone will fill in the blanks about them in the next few hours. The two guys are harder to pin down, but our working theory is that they’re tied to the Daurian embassy somehow. That would make them DSS or something akin to it.”
“That’s less than ideal,” Brett said slowly.
Ekko took another drink of the coke though she didn’t taste the beverage this time.
How could they possibly hope to get Chayan free?
“The bad news.” Silas glanced at her. “There’s two stories about Chayan’s whereabouts. Zain called the police who say he hasn’t made it to booking. However, the arresting officers all claim they handed Chayan off to processing. Something’s happened in the handoff.”
Brett shook his head. “And the Daurians are involved.”
“It looks that way,” Silas said.
Paxton pressed his hand to her shoulder blade.
She glanced up at him. His stare was unwavering, confident. Paxton believed they were going to fix this.
She looked at Silas. His face s
eemed to be carved of stone. He was determined.
Ekko glanced at Brett then Vito. They also wore similar expressions.
Things were tough. They had more questions than answers and fewer leads. But all four men were focused on finding a next step, another plan of attack.
She took a deep breath and turned around, plopping down on the sofa. She could still hear them talking, but she was far enough away she could choose to not listen. While she wanted to soak up every detail, this was beyond her. It was in Silas’ hands now. The best thing for her to do was stay out of the way and remain calm.
Silas thought he could bring them all home safely. She’d believe in him, even if she didn’t believe they’d pull it off.
Ekko lifted the can to her lips only to find it empty. Reluctantly she set it on the side table, kicked off her shoes and curled her legs under her.
While she wanted to scan more headlines, she knew that wasn’t good for her either. She’d already looked at dozens. The news about Dauria seemed to be reported on more heavily here in Europe versus America. But that could be a time zone thing.
She brought up her email. Her moderators had also begun to pitch in when it came to collecting the video testimonials. They had even started a spreadsheet knowing she’d want to organize what they had somehow. There were tags like English and Daurian, graphic, don’t share and good picture quality. If nothing else, they’d make sure these stories were heard. A whole slew had come down overnight though. The working theory was that servers located in China had to be the target of a wipe which meant Dauria likely had support there. However, most of those videos had been saved.
Ekko paused and frowned at one of the subject lines. It was an email in her folder reserved for messages received through her website. That didn’t happen often, so she was curious.
She tapped the subject line and scanned the body of the email. It wasn’t until she re-read it that she realized it wasn’t English. It was Daurian.
It wasn’t until she’d read it through a few times that she really understood what the sender was trying to say. Even then it was odd, as if this person, this Pasley, were speaking in code.
Just to be safe she sent the message on to Zain. She’d learned her lesson. She couldn’t be too careful. It was more than just her life they were playing with her.
Dangerous Connections (Aegis Group Book 9) Page 19