by India Kells
“I want to know what’s going on!” Lance’s deep voice boomed inside the car and Luke could swear the metal vibrated at the sound.
Luke could hear shuffling in the background and someone typing fast. “I have my hands full trying to get Sloane out of a mess. The drug deal was a trap.”
Luke’s heart dropped down his stomach. “Who’s backing her up?”
Another bout of silence confirmed the worst-case scenario.
“Nobody. She doesn’t want help, keeps saying everything is under control. I don’t think we have the same definition of under control. I was about to call Sam or Josh, but I guess you two are closer. Got weapons?”
Lance shifted. “Not enough. What are we going up against?”
The dashboard screen lit with a new destination, and Luke pushed the car forward, burning a few red lights in the process. He remained silent, not caring if he only had one weapon. He’d use his bare fists to pull back Sloane from the trap she was in if that was what he needed to do.
“I’m not sure yet, boss, but I think we need to check all the exit routes. I’ve been trying to guide her toward a secure area, but those assholes have been sticking to her like glue, so she’s had to seek refuge in the Damen Silos.”
At the name, Luke shifted gears and changed course from the route Devin had given them, and it must have shown on the hacker’s radar.
“Hey, man! What are you doing?”
“I know the Damen Silos. I’ve explored them countless times. There’s an entrance to a tunnel on the east side, and that should allow us to go in undetected until we reach Sloane. We have the equipment with us, and I can move fast. At this time of night, there might be stragglers around so we’ll need to be careful. How many people are after Sloane?”
“From her assessment, five following her and another five most probably waiting outside, manning the entrances so they can shoot her if she comes out.”
Anger and adrenaline made Luke hot and itchy. The gun in the waistband of his jeans was digging into his hip and he wished he had more weapons and ammunition. The only advantage he had to pull Sloane out of this situation was his knowledge of the layout. Five minutes from the destination, a plan formed in his head.
“Tell Sloane we’re on our way, Devin. Lance, hear me out. You may not like my plan, but I swear it will work.”
Luke broke into a run as soon as he entered the tunnel, even though it went against every safety precaution for urbex. Hyperaware of his surroundings, and with only a faint beam of light to guide him, the sound of his boots against the wet concrete and his labored breath echoed in the humid atmosphere.
Every shivering form was a potential threat that could stop him from reaching Sloane. Contact with the outside was sketchy as Devin updated their positions. Lance had switched places behind the wheel of the car when Luke had found the hidden entrance to the silos and he’d had gone to take care of the attackers outside the perimeter, providing him and Sloane a way out when he found her. Because he was doing exactly that—getting her out.
From his estimation, he’d almost reached the main tunnel network under the silos and would soon be stepping into the fight zone. Urban missions had been his passion as a Marine, but he didn’t think he’d ever use his skills back on the mainland, and not with such an intense thirst for blood.
Devin’s latest update had been that Sloane had entered through the south and could only go down. And the hacker couldn’t link Sloane, Lance, and Luke together because someone was trying to ping their location from the outside. It meant they could only communicate using Devin as a relay.
Arriving at a bigger space, Luke slowed to listen. Now, more than his eyes and mapping the place in his mind, sound was his best ally to locate danger. Unless the bad guys approached via a point where they thought Sloane was hiding, they wouldn’t care about keeping quiet. Luke knew from experience that background noise could play tricks when determining position, and he’d use it to his advantage.
As if on cue, banging sounds came from the entrance on the right. It was muffled, and probably came from at least one level down.
Instead of going toward the noise, he went in the opposite direction to where he remembered a vertical ladder led down through the floor. It was a risk as he needed both hands to descend the ladder. Once on the lower level, Luke listened for any sound before turning his torch on. He heard a shot, louder this time, coming from his right. If he wasn’t disoriented, and was picturing the overall building correctly, it was the area where Devin had last pinpointed Sloane.
Luke touched his ear, trying to reach Devin, but only got static, confirming he was on his own.
Keeping the light to a bare minimum, Luke made as little noise as possible as he jogged toward the area the noise had come from. The next sound came a couple of minutes later in the form of more gunshots. He knew he was getting close when he heard male voices shouting.
Luke continued, silently and carefully, sifting through his memory on the silos wishing it hadn’t been so long since he’d explored it. The silos hadn’t interested him as much, as its tunnels didn’t link to those under the Loop.
The noise began to fade into the distance, so Luke decided to push. This level had ladders at regular spots along the way, but if you didn’t look up, it was impossible to see them, especially not in the structure’s current state of decay. Another worry was how easy, or ridiculously difficult, it would be to open one of them.
He was debating whether to test one of them as an escape route when rolling rubble followed by footsteps indicated someone was heading in his direction. Half-hiding, Luke knew it could be Sloane, but there was no way to know for sure unless they came face to face.
His timing had to be perfect and he waited until the last second before he jumped out of his corner and aimed his flashlight at the newcomer’s face.
Blinded, the form lifted its weapon to fire as Luke darted to the opposite wall, aiming at the form’s head.
“Sloane! Stop, it’s me, Luke!”
The masked outline immediately aimed in his direction, and Luke feared she hadn’t recognized his voice with the echo surrounding them.
Sloane shook her head, probably to clear her vision, but Luke didn’t move until her aim dropped.
“Are you kidding me? What are you doing here?” The modulator didn’t hide her anger at seeing him.
“Didn’t Devin tell you we were coming?”
“He said he was sending back up, but not that it was you!”
That stung, but Luke knew it wasn’t time for explanations. “We were closer than the others. Now let’s get out of here.”
Luke was about to tell her how to exit the shaft, when Sloane shook her head. “I’m not leaving yet. I’m going to track those scumbags down and kill them one by one.”
Incredulous, Luke shook his head. He understood it was hard to step back from a fight, but Sloane needed to see sense and the longer they stood in the open, the more dangerous it became. “There’s no time for that. There are at least five men below us, and Lance is alone up top dealing with five more. We’re outmanned and outgunned. Three against ten is suicide. We need to leave. Now.”
As soon as Sloane spoke Luke knew he hadn’t reached her.
“We have an opportunity here. If we take ten down, it’s ten we no longer have to worry about. I’m going after them. You and Lance need to leave. I’ll be fine.”
Luke couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “This is a suicide mission and a fucking stupid move.”
Her head whipped back to him. And even if he couldn’t lock eyes with her, he knew the insult had hit, and he guessed it only fueled her determination.
“You don’t understand the opportunity here.”
“No, you’re just being stubborn. You’re not thinking of your safety, or your team’s.”
“Don’t give me the Marine speech about no man left behind.”
“That motto keeps us alive, Sloane. I want to keep you alive, dammit! Even against your better judgment, you hard-he
aded woman.”
“I don’t need anybody looking after me, professor. So you can shove the hero act.”
It was like being dealt a fatal blow and Luke took a step back. The woman who’d made him smile, intrigued him, made him care, had turned on him. Discovering her true nature was like being sucker punched and he took a step back. In the brief time they had spent together, she’d inserted herself under his skin and he realized he’d fallen for her way harder than he thought, and instead of elation and joy, all he felt was pain and a sense of betrayal from the woman he’d hoped for.
After their discussion earlier, this felt like the final nail that completely closed any possibility of getting through to her. Maybe he’d been the one at fault, hoping to change someone just because he had feelings for them. That had been wrong, and he should’ve seen it. As a part of him shattered, all he could focus on now was getting her to safety.
“If you don’t give a fuck about your life, then think about Lance, the others on your team, and your mission. They take precedence over your personal mission or your stubbornness.”
There was nothing else that could be said, and Luke turned on his heel and jogged away, praying with every cell in his body that he’d made the right call. His heart beat hard, blocking any chance of hearing if someone followed him or any threats nearby. It was pure luck to have found Sloane before running into the traffickers, and he was using his last reserve of patience and control. His only focus was reaching the exit and getting out of there. It was the only way to numb the unexpected fear and pain—push everything out of his mind to be processed and dealt with later.
Physically exhausted and mentally drained, Luke gulped the night air as soon as he exited the tunnels, allowing himself to breathe before contacting Lance to ask him to come and get him. A second later his body relaxed as he heard her. Sloane had followed him. She was safe. It was over.
Chapter 21
Sloane didn’t understand why she’d decided to follow Luke out of the silos instead of hunting down the scum that had shadowed her underground. Bloodlust was the closest she could come to defining what she’d felt and experienced more and more since they’d failed to get ahead of the drug traffickers. Sloane hacked into the police files every morning and saw the increasing numbers of victims, and every time, she crushed her helplessness with determination and a silent promise that she’d stop this human tragedy. Thinking that someone would become addicted to Phantom as she’d been with other drugs, and succumb to their addiction, was like living her own despair all over again.
She was frustrated but something else nagged at her. Since Lance had come with the car, she’d been given the silent treatment. It wasn’t a first from Lance. They’d bumped heads countless times on missions, and in the end, they’d always found a middle ground. What Lance conveyed was that they would talk about it later, and she was fine with that.
She couldn’t comprehend why Luke was giving her the cold shoulder though. Didn’t he get this was her job? That this mission was crucial to stop the poison from spreading further than it already had?
How could he not see she was ready to take them down one by one if need be? Even if it cost her life?
The lair was empty when they arrived. The team members on standby had gone home to get some rest. Even Devin was nowhere to be seen, obviously taking advantage of some well-deserved downtime. His last message through the comms told them that nobody appeared to be following them, and he’d get someone to take care of Sloane’s SUV.
The moment the car had parked inside the underground parking lot, Luke had grabbed his pack and got out of the car, still silent, still with that same closed-off expression from the tunnels.
Lance followed with his own gear as Sloane trailed behind. Luke was already at one of the worktables, unpacking his equipment when she reached the upper level. He pulled his gun out, removed the cartridge, and put the pieces on the table.
Looking up, Luke addressed Lance. “I need to get out of here.”
Sloane cut off her boss. “You’re leaving? You can’t leave! We haven’t stopped the traffickers yet.”
Luke didn’t look at her as he waited for Lance’s answer. Unease spread, and she struggled to wrap her mind around was happening, around Luke’s sudden coldness.
Lance reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone. “I’m sending you an address and an entry code. The place is secure. Call me if there are any problems.”
A beep from Luke’s pocket confirmed he’d received the information. Without checking it, he went to the elevator.
“This is madness! We were tracked. He needs to stay here!”
Sloane’s body was torn between shaking some sense into her boss and running after Luke. When the elevator’s doors closed before she could enter, she ran for the staircase, Lance’s words following her. “From what I saw, Luke can take care of himself better than you can of yourself, Sloane.”
Not stopping for a reply, she ran up the stairs, undoing the top part of her suit down to her black camisole, which was soaked with sweat. The air should have made her shiver, but her body was radiating heat, her mind in overdrive.
Luke was in the kitchen, gathering his equipment, files, and laptop, putting everything into his messenger back. He was methodical in his movements, but it was clear he had no intention of remaining there for long either.
“What are you doing?” Her question sounded stupid, but she was trying to get her bearings, understand what had triggered him.
Once more, he avoided looking at her. “I said I was going to help you, and I’m going to keep my promise.”
“It’s too dangerous for you to head out alone. It’s safer for you to stay here.”
The tension was so thick between them Sloane felt panic insinuating itself down to her bones, and it made her even more frantic. It got worse the longer Luke remained silent.
“I told you I’ll see this mission through, and I will. I’ll head back to the tunnels and track them until we can shut this down, but I need a clear head, and that means being away from here.”
The way his last word lingered revealed more than what he’d said. “You mean me. You need to be away from me.”
All the air left her lungs and at that moment, she couldn’t decide if she was incredibly hurt or incredibly angry. As a defensive mechanism, she decided on the second option. “Good. If you can’t accept what we do here, what I do here, you’re better off leaving.”
Her dismissal made him look at her for the first time, and the fury that hit her full force had her taking a step back. It was the first time since she’d met him that she saw a Luke far different from the laid-back man she’d come to know. The professor with the easy grin and brilliant mind was gone, and she didn’t recognize the man that had taken his place.
As he came around the kitchen counter in her direction, he unleashed his anger. “This isn’t work, it’s a suicide mission! You’re risking everything, especially your life because you can’t come to grips with the fact you fucked up in the past and you’d rather put your life on the line than take significant risks for your team, and for yourself. Admit it!”
A dangerous mix of anger and fear made her see red. How dare he accused her of lacking courage or being afraid? She moved to bring him down but anger had slowed her response and Luke had her on the floor in less than a second, his face vibrating with fury as it almost touched hers.
“I don’t care if you hide behind a fucking mask, or jump into the middle of a firefight, but at least have enough courage to admit why you’re doing it. You’re trying to prove your worth, seeking your redemption, without a care for the others because you fear what they’ll think of you if they discover who you truly are. Do you really think you’ll feel better at the other end of that path when nobody around you trusts you anymore? When you’re alone, without friends, with only the cooling blood of your enemies on your hands?”
Each breath was like inhaling sharp glass. Her heart wanted to leap out of her chest, caught in
what he was saying like chains weighing her down. Unable to form words, Sloane’s mind blanked when Luke’s mouth descended upon hers.
Lust she could deal with. What he stirred inside her, that powerful need, was impossible to conceal.
Her arms went around his neck, desperate for a diversion. Their mouths battled for a second before Luke fisted her hair, baring her, rubbing his beard over the tender flesh, and getting her attention. “I have no doubt you want this as much as I do. Rough and all-consuming. But not this time. I’ll get my fill of you, but on my terms. You follow my lead or I walk. Do I make myself clear?”
Luke loosened his hold enough for Sloane to peer into his dark eyes, and she saw he couldn’t be more serious. There was a sense of finality in what he was offering, a deadline that was to be seized now, or lost forever.
Her body agreed before her mind could form a question, but when Luke pushed away from her and stood, Sloane froze. She’d thought he was going to take her on the floor, with the same violent hunger they’d had when they’d had sex before, but he offered her his hand instead.
When she took it, Luke pulled her with him out of the kitchen toward the bedroom. After closing the door, Luke gently caressed her cheek, pushing a wild strand of pink hair behind her ear. Still expecting the same explosive passion they’d shared before to detonate any second now, Sloane leaned forward to kiss him, but Luke shook his head and instead touched her cheek with his lips. It was so soft, so gentle, that Sloane held still, uncertain, trying to find her balance, the meaning of all this. Remaining still, and not taking control or unleashing what she felt, made her edgy, impatient. Vulnerable.
Twice she reached for him, to take control, twice he pushed her hands away, his lips tracing a lazy path across her jaw and near her ear. A shiver coursed down her spine when he sighed, his warm breath fanning her skin as the tip of his tongue traced a ticklish pattern down her neck to her collarbone. Now his touch was firmer, his furry cheek rubbing against her before he kissed her again. Only then did his hands move to her waistband and lower the hidden zipper of her suit.