by India Kells
“Potential?” How she disliked this word.
“It’s far from an exact science. Not yet. Maybe I’ll have a more complete map at some point. But it’s extensive work. Even when I’m old and decrepit, there’ll still be so much to discover.”
She loved how passion animated his face and body, and made his dark eyes bright as polished onyx. The more she learned of him, of what drove him, the more she wanted this mission to stretch indefinitely. “I’m sure more gray in your hair and beard will give you that sophisticated look I expected when I first met you.”
He winked and turned his attention to the screen. “I think we have a few options to explore right away. If you’re game for more exploration?”
Sloane felt the familiar anticipation of the forward momentum she thrived on and was about to start planning when the intercom system buzzed, and Devin’s voice came through the kitchen.
“Sloane, we need you down here. Now.”
From his succinct words, Sloane knew something was up and that the Vigilante was needed. When she went to the elevator, Luke came with her.
“Do you know what this is about?”
Sloane shook her head. “Something about the drug probably. It’s been our main focus for some time now. We’re always keeping an eye on what’s going on. We have extensive resources that keep us informed and feed us useful data on the situation.”
Down in the command center, Devin was talking with Lance. They both turned when the elevator doors opened.
“Sloane, suit up. We have information there might be a major Phantom transaction about to take place. We need your eyes on it. And if you come across some Phantom to bring back for analysis, that would be an amazing bonus.”
Luke frowned but kept quiet, following her to the dressing room. Quickly and efficiently, Sloane slid into her Vigilante suit as Luke watched.
“Are you going out there alone?”
Sloane wasn’t sure how to respond. It was like he’d tried to leave every trace of emotion from his voice and failed.
“That’s the goal, and it’s why we never have more than one Vigilante out there at a time. We’re being careful to keep the hype going and the rumors strong. If we went as a group, it would only create a situation where the bad guys loaded up on weapons like they would when confronting another gang or their enemies. That’s not our intention.”
Fastening her suit but minus her mask, Sloane grabbed her weapons and holstered them. It was bizarre to have someone there while she got ready, but when she stole a glance at Luke, it was surprising to see how intense he was.
“Remembering your time as a Marine, professor?”
When he took the few steps in her direction, Sloane wasn’t sure what to expect and was surprised when Luke pulled her against him for a hard kiss. Pleasure mixed with pain and lust exploded deep inside her belly, her suit becoming way too hot and tight.
Even if in the back of her mind she knew time was against them, Sloane indulged in one more lick before Luke released her.
“Don’t you dare get distracted in the field, babe.”
“Babe?” With a chuckle, she shook her head and went back to the command center where Lance and Devin waited.
The hacker threw her a set of keys. “Take the unmarked SUV. The Bugatti is starting to make waves on social media. I’ve programmed the best way in the GPS, which includes some off-road and the SUV has the best grip.”
Luke stood beside Lance, and she hid a smile at the sight of both men with their arms crossed.
Sloane pocketed the keys, pulled on her hood, and attached the mask.
Devin slurped from an oversize cup, the least stressed of them. “I’ll be manning the comms, unless I go get some food. There aren’t many cameras, but as Lance said, support will be on standby. I’m ready when you are, darling.”
The modulator was on when she spoke next. “I’m ready.”
Chapter 19
Deep down, Luke knew it was a bad idea to stay in the command center. Having to watch and listen as Sloane went into the field, knowing he couldn’t help if things went wrong, was a new experience for him and he didn’t like it. Not that Sloane needed his help. From what he could see, it looked more like a recon mission than anything else.
Sloan had chosen a position that gave her the best view possible, and Luke was impressed by the quality of the camera and sound. Not only could it be switched from color to night vision and thermal, but the zooming capacity was insane. All that on a small device that blended into the suit.
Devin was munching on plain nachos and Luke wondered how Devin was so ripped considering he ate like a six-year-old. Lance’s attention was on the screen, but he appeared relaxed. Luke, on the other hand, couldn’t decide how he felt. For the first time, he knew how the ones left behind felt when their loved ones were deployed. He didn’t know what was worse—not being able to see what was going on or being utterly helpless to intervene in any way. His logical mind knew Sloane could handle herself, but something in his chest tightened at seeing her alone. The Marine in him found it unacceptable as the team was everything.
“Mind if I get some work done?” His voice sounded strained, but all he wanted was to get away from the screens.
Lance seemed surprised. “I thought you’d want to be there each step of the way.”
“There’s nothing I can do here, and while she has work to do, I’ll do mine.”
Devin acknowledged him with a grunt while Lance turned to him. “As Devin is keeping an eye on things, mind if I help you?”
Luke didn’t know if it was some sort of test, but if he wanted to leave and go back underground, two were better than one.
“Ever visited the sewers before?”
Lance paled a little, but when Devin choked on his nachos, the massive man didn’t hesitate to retaliate. “I visited Devin’s office, so I’m prepared for the worst sewers Chicago can offer, lead the way.”
The thing that surprised Luke was how Lance jumped into action, took his suggestions in stride, and didn’t whine once.
The preparations moved so fast, it kept Luke’s mind from wandering to Sloane, and they were out the door before he’d had a chance to go back to the command center.
Lance even went the extra mile by suggesting they take the Bugatti and even let Luke drive. As they were headed in the opposite direction of where Sloane was, it might mess with potential onlookers when the news broke that the Vigilante and the Bugatti were in different locations.
Even though he kept the beast below breakneck speed, the ride went fast. Apart from a few pointers on where to park the car, Lance hadn’t said a word. Luke wasn’t sure if that was usual or not, but as he no longer had a deep frown on his face when he glanced in his direction, Luke didn’t mind the silence.
Deep in the Loop, the sector was calm at that time of night, and the streets were empty, apart from the nearby cameras that Devin was supposed to turn off. The winter wind was picking up and Luke was glad for his coat and gloves, both brand new from what he could smell. With a high collar, beanie, and gloves, he was ready, as was Lance who followed him.
Luke hesitated between two side streets, both having a manhole entrance. From what he remembered, one of them led to the sewer, the other led through the Pedway and a side sewer.
Lance looked around as if someone would jump out of the shadows, and Luke had to agree there was a risk they’d come face to face with the traffickers, but the other option was that they’d lay low for a couple of nights, especially after the underground parking incident, although Luke thought criminals eager enough to distribute Phantom, despite having the entire police force and the Vigilante on their heels, wouldn’t wait long before raking in the money.
The first manhole was straight ahead in the middle of the street. The other was a few yards over, in a small entrance to a building.
“Any preference, Lance?”
“Really? You’re the expert and you’re asking me?”
With a shrug, Luke point
ed at the closest entrance. “They’re probably part of the same tunnel, so I guess it’s not important which one we use. The one in the middle of the street is similar to the manhole they used for the drop. Logically, that would be my first choice.”
“Good point, man. Down we go.” Lance passed him and went to the manhole and removed the cover. It was another reminder of his strength and for Luke to never get into a physical fight with him.
The pungent smell coming from down below predicted a difficult urbex, but Luke slid down the hole and turned on his flashlight. The space was cramped, forcing him to crouch a little, but not as much as Lance had to when he lowered himself down, sliding the cover back in place.
“Damn, this place stinks.”
“Yeah, but we’re not directly in a conduit. I think it’s coming from a connecting pipe.”
Lance sniffed and wrinkled his nose. “Is that tunnel the sewer?”
Luke walked down the small space. “No, normally sewers are completely independent structures.”
A whine entered Lance’s deep voice, reminding him of Eddie. “Please tell me the tunnel is bigger too.”
“I’ll be sure to carry you on my shoulders next time so you don’t wet your pretty pink slippers. Would you like some fairy dust in your coffee as well?”
A deep laugh rumbled through the tunnel. “Fuck you, man.”
The exploration took them a few turns before they finally reached the main tunnel where they were walking on mostly dry surfaces and they could stand upright.
“Are we going down? I sense a decrease in our elevation.”
Luke felt it too. “Yeah. According to my estimation, we should reach an intersection in a few yards. But I hope my memory has failed me.”
“Why?”
With a sigh, Luke stopped where the tunnel split into opposite directions. “For that. That means the other manhole offered a more direct route into a building on the north side of the street.”
“Which way would be better?” Lance seemed genuinely interested.
“I wanted to find a location similar to the one at the hotel, an access point on the street, with another access via a building. At the moment we’re following the street, which isn’t good. It’s too far until the next manhole, and the exit is in plain view.”
Luke was about to suggest going back and trying the other manhole when a distinctive metallic thump came from behind them. Immediately, both men switched off their lights and listened.
“Please tell me you didn’t replace the cover properly.”
Lance huffed but said nothing, which didn’t bode well. Time suspended, ears straining, Luke’s mind was on standby. Whispered voices made him reach for Lance’s arm and pull him firmly to the right side.
His mind scrambled, but he knew the tunnel on the right wasn’t a long and straight stretch like the left one was. Stealth was of the essence, but in complete darkness, they were as vulnerable as a blind man. Just as they disappeared around the corner, Lance made him look back, and he saw a flash. Had they been followed, or had they unintentionally stumbled onto the traffickers’ next hit?
On the next turn, the sound of running water offered enough cover to speak, but there was no way he was stopping. They had a head start now, so he switched his light on. Lance has his gun out, and even if Luke wanted to draw his own weapon, he needed both hands for the GPS and the flashlight. Lance kept up, careful to keep his beam low to make sure he didn’t give away their position.
“Do you know where we’re going?”
Luke tried to find his way on the tiny screen while making sure not to fall on his face. “I’m trying to find a way out that doesn’t dump us in the middle of the street. Hang on.”
They were deep enough the tracker couldn’t pick up their exact position, so he had to navigate the tiny map by hand and memory. The only goal in his mind was to get them out safely, but the threat biting at their heels didn’t make anything easy. And there was a threat, as despite them making several turns, they were still there.
With another turn, Luke increased his speed until he was running. Lance didn’t ask questions, which was good. He wanted to reach the next manhole on a side street with some added distance between them and their pursuers.
At that point, nobody was trying to keep silent anymore.
“Be ready. There must be an exit in sight now. You’re taller, so you’ll need to try and get the cover off.”
Luke pocketed his GPS, so he now had a free hand for his gun. If the bad guys turned the corner and saw their lights on, they would be the perfect target.
Lance switched his torch off when the manhole cover flashed into view. “Be my spotter, professor. I’ll be a fucking big, shiny, sitting duck.”
Luke turned his back to Lance and put a knee down, aiming at the dark void.
Behind him, he could hear Lance huffing and puffing as he tried to remove the cover without much luck.
Luke was about to take a look when a distant sound stopped him. Training took over and he fired, not into the void, but lower, more of a warning. He could hear shouting in the distance. Turning off his torch, Luke heard Lance curse and move behind him, the cover forgotten.
“I can’t see a thing, and there’s nowhere to hide,” Lance whispered in his ear, and Luke had to agree with him. “What’s behind us?”
“I’m not sure. We don’t have a lot of options here.” It sounded grim, even in a whisper.
“They’re coming. I hear movement.”
They had to act now. “How close were you to opening that thing? Is there any chance you can do it?”
“I need more than a minute. It ain’t welded but it’s shut tight. It will take brute force, but it’s an awkward position.”
“Hand me your gun. Try again and I’ll give you as much time as I can.”
“Are you fucking mad, Luke? You’re not sacrificing yourself, not under my watch.”
Luke had to admire him. “I won’t. I know Sloane would have your hide. I want to get out too, so use those big muscles of yours and get it open.”
Reluctantly, Lance handed him his gun, and Luke moved forward, as close to the wall as possible. All he wanted was a target, as did the individual who was probably in front of him. This time there wouldn’t be a warning shot. He’d shoot to kill.
Ignoring the sounds Lance made as he worked to open the manhole cover, Luke focused on sound from in front of him as he inched forward.
Each step brought him closer to the corner, and he braced for anything. He just didn’t expect to bump into a wall of flesh. Survival instinct kicked in and he fired.
Chapter 20
It was like being caught in the middle of fireworks, deafening and scary as hell. Each time a bullet fired, there was a flash of light, which told Luke there were three men in front of him. He’d shot one in the leg and he was now crying in pain. The second had stumbled back, surprised at the attack, but the third had charged at him like a bull.
He almost fell from the force of the hit, but instead of taking the brunt of it, Luke redirected the man toward the concrete wall, and in the darkness, all he heard was a sickening crunch as the man’s head hit the concrete. He knew they had other weapons, but with his limited vision, he retreated so he could take cover around the corner if needed. Only then did he put Lance’s weapon in his coat pocket to turn his light on, his own gun at the ready.
It was over before Luke knew it, and it took a moment to process that the two loud bangs had come from him. The moment he’d turned his torch on he’d seen the wounded man aiming at him, and Luke fired two kill shots on the remaining men. Verifying the third man was dead, Luke dashed back to Lance, memories of the battlefield causing bile to rise in his throat, but there wasn’t the time to falter.
Lance had successfully opened the manhole and he was hanging down the opening. “Hurry! I don’t like having my ass out here unprotected, especially since I don’t have a fucking weapon!”
Luke barely slowed, grabbing Lance’s extende
d hand, and felt himself being lifted, or more accurately catapulted out of the tunnel. Bones jarring as he hit the pavement, he scanned the area, gun out, as Lance closed the manhole cover.
On high alert, Luke handed back Lance’s gun, both men blending into the shadows of a nearby building.
“We’re about one click from the car. Seemed way longer underground.”
“Always appears that way. Do you think more of the crew are waiting for us back at the car?”
Seeing the expression on Lance’s face, Luke knew it was a possibility he was already considering.
Leaving the area, they broke into a jog, detouring along the way and as they approached the vehicle from another direction, their suspicions were confirmed. Almost undetectable, two men stood beside a container, deep in the shadows of the alley.
Lance gestured to Luke, obviously fearing it was a trap, and they took their time approaching the vehicle, examining the outside and tires for trackers. Reassured, Luke slid in behind the wheel. Lance retrieved his cell, pushing a couple of buttons on the dashboard and answered his silent question.
“A gift from Devin. It helps to ping potential bugs on or in the car. It’s an extra layer of security, just in case.”
Returning to the street and headed toward civilization, Luke kept an eye out for a possible tail as Lance made a call using the car’s Bluetooth. The ringing went on and on, until Lance hung up.
“Not answering?”
“It’s not like Devin to not answer on the first ring, especially when he’s at the command center.”
What did it mean? Was there an intruder in the lair? Or did he have his hands full supporting Sloane? Luke’s hands tightened on the wheel while Lance dialed again.
“Fuck man, don’t tell me you can’t take care of yourself for a couple of minutes!”
Devin wasn’t only annoyed but on edge.
“Sit rep, Dev.”
“I don’t have time for your military shit now. What do you want?”