Mission: Her Freedom: Team 52 #6

by Hackett, Anna

  “That didn’t work for me.”

  “It’s his arm, not his head,” Callie shot back.

  “Hello, we need to get this aircraft operational,” Seth called out.

  “Patch Brooks up first,” Lachlan ordered. “Then Brooks, get us out of here.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The X8 was closing in on Las Vegas.

  The atmosphere in the aircraft was tense. Callie leaned back in her seat, glancing through at Seth and Blair in the cockpit. The pair were silent.

  Lachlan was staring out the window, Axel was tapping one foot against the floor, and Smith looked like he was asleep, but she knew he wasn’t. Brooks sat beside her, bent over his tablet.

  He’d gotten the X8 operational, but they were all well aware they were two hours behind Amy Holder, even with a mid-air refuel over Hawaii.

  “Let me check those hands,” she said.

  Brooks had gotten used to her bugging him about the scratches on his hands during the flight home. He lifted them and she took the bandages off. He had some nasty grazes, but no sign of infection.

  “They sting like a—” he coughed “—bee.”

  “I’ve heard you swear before.” Callie smiled. Her sexy geek.

  Hers. Her heart stuttered. Is that what she wanted? A man in her life? Someone she cared about so much that losing him would tear her apart?

  She grabbed clean bandages from her kit and wrapped his hands again. Then she pressed a light kiss over the white gauze.

  When she looked up, she saw a warm look in his eyes.

  Callie cleared her throat. “Do you think Holder is back?”

  Brooks’ face changed, any sign of happiness draining away. “Yeah. Nothing showing up on the news channels.”

  Worry laced his voice. They were all worried. Amy Holder had a powerful artifact, and Callie wondered what the hell the unhinged woman had planned.

  How many innocents would be hurt before this was over?

  Brooks’ tablet chimed, and he slid a finger across the screen. Nat’s face appeared, lines of stress bracketing her mouth.

  “Guys,” Nat said.

  The others rose, crowding around.

  “Nat?” Axel’s brows drew together. “What’s wrong?”

  “Reports are just starting to come in.” The archeologist sucked in a breath. “There’s a huge storm brewing over Las Vegas. Huge.”

  Brooks tapped again and other pictures filled the tablet screen. Black clouds lit with lightning were perched over the Strip.

  Hell.

  “Las Vegas,” Callie murmured. “She’s targeting our base of operations.”

  “Sin City,” Brooks added. “Remember, she spouted all that garbage about wanting to ‘cleanse’ sinners from the world.”

  Lachlan muttered a curse. “We’re about an hour out, Nat.”

  “Okay. Hurry.”

  “Nat?” Axel leaned closer. “You at the base?”

  Natalie shook her head. “No, I’m at the Bunker with Kinsey.”

  A muscle ticked in Axel’s jaw and Callie got the impression he’d prefer the women were deep underground at Area 52.

  “You tell Kinsey to stay put,” Smith growled.

  “You both stay there,” Axel said. “No heroics.”

  Nat nodded.

  “I mean it, Natalie.”

  “We’ll do what we need to do. See you soon.”

  The call ended and Axel muttered a curse. The remainder of the trip was taut, everyone on edge.

  Smith refused to sit down, pacing at the back of the jet-copter, holding his CXM in his hand. The man was over-the-top protective of Kinsey, and he was worried.

  “Holy fuck,” Blair said from the cockpit.

  Callie pushed up, elbowing past Axel, and followed Lachlan into the cockpit.

  The glow of Las Vegas spread along the horizon through the viewscreen. Usually, it was a sparkling, inviting sight.

  Now, black, churning clouds hung over the city. They were huge, billowing high into the sky. As Callie watched, several lightning strikes hit the ground below.

  Wind battered the X8 and they all jolted, grabbing on to whatever they could to keep their balance. Seth muttered a curse and his hands moved quickly over the controls.

  Brooks leaned against the back of Blair’s seat, streaming news reports on his tablet. His face tightened. “Casualties have been reported.”

  A reporter appeared on the screen, brown hair blowing around her face. “This is a freak storm unlike anything Las Vegas has ever experienced before.” The woman tried to capture her flyaway hair. Suddenly, her attention was pulled away from the camera, and her entire face lit with horror. “Oh my God, the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Casino is collapsing!”

  The camera bobbed and turned. Callie’s mouth dropped open. She watched as the replica Eiffel Tower crashed down onto the Strip, crushing several cars as it fell.

  “Holy shit.” Callie shook her head.

  A small, thin tornado touched down, tearing along the sidewalk.

  Lachlan’s jaw went tight. “Brooks, we need to find the jewel.”

  They moved into the back of the X8. Brooks dropped into a seat, nodding his head. He switched to a different program.

  “I’ve been fine-tuning my storm-mapping program on the flight.”

  Callie smiled. Of course, he had.

  “I think I can predict some of the worst strikes. And it can help me find the epicenter, the eye of the storm.”

  “And that’s where Holder will be with the jewel,” Lachlan said.

  Brooks nodded. “Let me analyze this data.”

  It looked like a crazy map filled with colors to Callie. How he could pick anything out of it was beyond her.

  He muttered, finger swiping on the screen. “Got it!” He looked up with a grin. “She’s at the Stratosphere Tower.”

  Lachlan nodded. “Everyone, get prepped. Let’s go save our city.”

  * * *

  They were coming in to land at McCarran Airport, and the ride was rough. The X8 rocked from side to side.

  Shit, the winds were horrendous. Brooks gripped the arms of his chair.

  “All flights have been grounded,” Blair called back.

  Brooks braced a hand against the wall. Oh, crap.

  “Blair, Seth, get us down now,” Lachlan said.

  A huge gust of wind caught the aircraft and jerked them sideways. Callie slammed into Brooks, and he wrapped an arm around her.

  “I think I’m gonna puke,” Axel grumbled.

  “I thought Delta badasses don’t puke,” Brooks said.

  “They do when they’re in a blender.”

  There were more bumps, and then finally—thank the Lord—the X8’s skids touched tarmac.

  “Thank fuck,” Smith muttered.

  Lachlan tore the side door open and wind howled inside. Brooks stared at the welcoming sight of the Bunker. It’s thick, ugly, concrete walls had never looked so good.

  Nat and Kinsey were waving from the door.

  When Brooks’ boots hit the ground, he doubled over against the wind and ran for the building. Callie jogged beside him.

  When they got inside, Seth slammed the door closed. Everyone was hugging, except Smith, who was kissing the hell out of Kinsey.

  “Kinse and I have been helping to coordinate the evacuation,” Natalie said.

  “MacKade?” Blair asked, a thread of worry in her husky voice.

  “He’s been in touch,” Kinsey said. “Last time we spoke, he was at police headquarters.”

  Blair bit her lip. “He won’t stay there. If there are people in trouble, he’ll go to help.” Pride warred with concern in her tone.

  “Rowan’s in the basement at the university,” Kinsey said quietly, looking at Lachlan.

  The team leader’s tense shoulders relaxed.

  Kinsey looked at Seth. “And January went to the base with Ty.”

  “Thank God.” Seth ran a hand over his head. “Thanks, Kinsey.”

  �
��Brooks, your family said to tell you they’re safe,” Nat said. “At your brother’s place down south.”

  Brooks felt a small spurt of relief. “Thanks.”

  “Holder and the wind jewel are at the Stratosphere,” Lachlan said.

  Natalie gasped. “There’s no way to get there. Mini-tornadoes and lightning strikes are tearing up Las Vegas Boulevard. It’s hell on Earth.”

  “We’ll get there,” Lachlan said grimly.

  The team ran for the lockers, grabbing more ammunition and checking their weapons.

  Brooks slid a Kevlar vest on.

  “What are you doing?” Callie asked sharply.

  “I need to come, Cal. Comms aren’t guaranteed in weather like this, and if Holder moves, you need me to track her.”

  Callie shuddered. “If you get hurt—”

  He cupped her cheek. “You’ll be with me. We have to do this to save the city and its people. There are men, women, and children out there who need us.”

  “Damn you for being so brave.”

  He smiled at her. “I think the same thing about you every day.”

  They loaded into the SUVs, and Brooks sat in the passenger seat with his tablet on his lap. Axel was behind the wheel, with Callie in the back seat. The others were in the SUV ahead of them.

  “The center of the storm is still above the Stratosphere,” Brooks said.

  Axel sped down the road flanking the airport. Most cars were pulled over, not daring to drive in the bad weather.

  Moments later, they tore out onto Las Vegas Boulevard with a screech of tires.

  “Madre de Dios,” Axle murmured.

  The storm looked demonic, clouds boiling and twisting overhead. Red lightning spiked through the clouds. For some reason, it made Brooks think of the center of a volcano.

  They passed the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, just as it was ripped free of the ground. It flew wildly into the air, and Brooks gritted his teeth.

  Ahead, a small sedan was driving slowly. They watched as it was pushed sideways by the wind and tipped off the road.

  Axel cursed, swerving around it.

  Thankfully their bulletproof SUVs weighed a lot. Brooks looked at his tablet and frowned.

  “Wait! Something’s happening.” He stared at the storm data, trying to make sense of it. “Shit.”

  “What?” Callie leaned forward from the backseat.

  “Larger tornadoes are touching down. Everywhere.”

  They all looked up, and through the windshield, they saw the funnels forming, coming down out of the clouds. A dozen hit the ground, black and twisting.

  Ahead, Lachlan’s SUV swerved.

  Axel followed, jerking the wheel from side to side as they dodged the funnels. Brooks braced his hand on the roof.

  One of the tornadoes was growing bigger and bigger. It was picking up debris from all around.

  “Oh, God,” Callie breathed. “Look at that.”

  The huge funnel hit the pyramid at the Luxor Casino, tearing half of it apart.

  “Fuck me,” Axel said.

  They continued to speed down the Strip, dodging parked cars and overturned debris. Then, the Stratosphere appeared out of the gloom. Its circular top was lost in the clouds, but he could see the lower half of the highest structure in Las Vegas perfectly fine.

  Holder was in there, somewhere, wreaking havoc and hurting innocent people.

  She had to be stopped.

  The two SUVs screeched to a stop at the front of the Stratosphere. People were running out of the casino and down the sidewalk.

  Team 52 slid out, CXMs held up.

  “Let’s get inside and get to the top,” Lachlan ordered.

  They headed for the entrance.

  Gunfire broke out.

  With curses, everyone ducked for cover. Brooks’ knees hit the concrete, and he heard bullets hit the ground way too close to them.

  “They’re on the rooftop,” Lachlan called out.

  Brooks swiveled his head. He couldn’t see anyone, but he guessed there was a team of snipers somewhere up there. They were firing steadily, keeping Team 52 pinned down.

  “We need to get up there,” Blair said.

  “Where are they exactly?” Brooks asked.

  She pointed.

  There. He could make out the vague shadows of some people on the roof—right near a giant screen that was advertising the casino and its attractions.

  “Give me a sec.” He swiped at his tablet screen.

  “Brooks—” Lachlan started.

  “Hang on.”

  “Give him a minute.” Callie lifted her rifle and returned fire.

  Brooks hacked into the Stratosphere’s computer system. Easy-peasy. Their cyber security was appalling. “I’ve got it.”

  “Got what?” Lachlan growled.

  Brooks had the controls for the giant screen. He tapped and the screen started blinking on and off. Wild patterns of light flickered on the screen.

  Stunned, the snipers stop firing.

  “They’ll be blinded.” Callie grinned at Brooks. “Genius.”

  “Move,” Lachlan yelled.

  The team ran into the base of the Stratosphere Tower.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “She’ll be at the top,” Brooks said as they jogged across the lobby of the Stratosphere.

  Lachlan nodded, his CXM up and aimed. “We’ll check—”

  Suddenly, Callie heard the familiar sound of something rattling along the floor. “Grenade!”

  She swiveled and dived on Brooks. She hit him and they both went down.

  Bang.

  Smoke filled the air, followed by the sound of gunfire.

  Callie looked over her shoulder and saw forms running through the smoke.

  “Incoming,” Lachlan yelled.

  “Stay down,” she warned Brooks.

  She got off a few rounds before a mask-covered man appeared. Callie jumped up, kicking him.

  He staggered, regained his balance, and rushed her. She moved into the fight, aiming her blows for maximum effect. She never, ever forgot that despite her training, she was smaller, and not as strong as most of her opponents. That always meant she had to be smarter and faster. She punched the man in the kidney, followed with another hard kick, and then a chop to his neck.

  The man groaned and dropped to his knees. She hit him again, and he flopped forward.

  “You are badass, baby,” Brooks said.

  Shaking her head, she smiled at him. She could hear the others still fighting the rest of the attackers, but the gunfire had stopped.

  The smoke dissipated, and she saw the team had almost all the attackers down. She watched Axel land an impressive front kick, his attacker sliding across the floor.

  Dammit, they needed to get to Holder.

  As Blair finished zip tying all the downed attackers, the rest of them jogged to the bank of elevators.

  Callie groaned. “They’re all out. It’s a long way to the top of the Stratosphere by the stairs.”

  Lachlan scowled.

  Brooks whipped out his tablet. “I might be able to…” The lights on one elevator panel flared to life.

  Axel slapped Brooks on the back. “Nice.”

  “It’ll only climb to halfway, I can’t seem to activate the rest of it,” Brooks said. “We’ll need to take the stairs from there.”

  “It’ll do.” Lachlan stabbed at the button.

  They all packed into the elevator, and soon were zooming upward.

  But they hadn’t gone far, when the elevator jerked to a violent stop. Curses filled the air, and Callie slammed into the wall.

  Brooks tapped his tablet again. “Shit. Someone locked me out.”

  Lachlan nudged Smith. The big man immediately went down on one knee and cupped his hands together. Lachlan stepped on Smith’s palms, and Smith boosted the other man up. Lachlan reached up to the ceiling of the elevator car, ripped down a decorative panel, and then started opening the hatch he’d uncovered.

  Then
he pulled himself out the top of the car in one smooth move. “Let’s go.”

  One by one, they climbed up, Smith helping Brooks to get up on top of the car. Callie followed, letting Lachlan haul her up. They stood balanced on top of the car.

  She looked up and saw a set of doors two feet above them.

  Lachlan shifted, pulled himself up to the doors, then pried them open wide enough for his body to fit. Once he was through, he turned and held out his prosthetic hand.

  He gripped Blair’s hand and jerked her up. Then Axel.

  Suddenly, the elevator car dropped a foot.

  Callie threw her arms out for balance, and Smith cursed. Brooks went down on one knee, almost toppling over.

  Callie’s heart stopped.

  “I’m okay,” he said.

  Lachlan reached out and grabbed Callie’s hand. She quickly let him pull her up.

  Brooks’ tablet pinged. “Uh-oh.” He looked up. “They’ve taken over control of the elevator again.”

  “Move it,” Lachlan said.

  Smith jumped, grabbing the edge of the doorway, right beside Callie’s feet.

  “Brooks,” Callie called out. “Hurry.” Panic was like acid in her veins.

  He was already moving, reaching for Lachlan’s hand, when she heard the grind of machinery.

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  Brooks slapped his palm in Lachlan’s, just as the elevator dropped away.

  Brooks made a choked sound, and suddenly he was dangling over the empty elevator shaft.

  Smith hauled himself up, turned and grabbed Brooks’ collar. Together, Lachlan and Smith hauled him in.

  “Fuck.” Callie’s heart was beating like a drum on speed. She shoved the other men out of the way and gripped the front of Brooks’ shirt. Then she hauled him in close and kissed him—hard, deep, desperate.

  He clamped an arm around her and squeezed. When she broke the kiss, he rubbed his nose against hers. “I’m okay.”

  “Lucky fuck,” Axel said.

  Brooks’ tablet pinged again and he lifted it up. She watched the color drain from his face.

  “Several tornado funnels have joined together into a fucking huge mega tornado.” He looked up. “It’s slow moving, but it’s heading straight toward the Las Vegas Convention Center.” He looked up. “There’s some family convention on. The place is packed with thousands of kids.”