by Kaylea Cross
Perfect. “Can you disable the security from here?”
The guy gave Joe an insulted look. “Of course.”
“Good. Then let’s get moving.”
He and two of his guys hopped in an SUV and drove to the condo building near Alexandria. Just before they arrived, his tech wizard informed them that Samarra and her husband had left the building yesterday afternoon and hadn’t come back, according to the security surveillance footage.
Perfect.
Someone in the foyer let them in as they reached the door, then they took the stairs to the sixth floor. All of them were armed. As far as Joe knew, Samarra was a tech and security expert, but didn’t have the kind of training he worried about. Still, they needed to take care of any security measures before entering.
They paused at the condo door, noting the position of the security cameras in the hallway. Joe texted his tech guy to verify that he had taken care of the cameras. Joe had other tools and gadgets with him to take care of any alarm system inside.
He picked the lock on the door while the others kept watch, quickly located the alarm keypad inside the entry, and set his specialized electronic gadget against it. Seconds later, a green light flashed on the keypad, signaling the code had been entered.
“We’re in, but keep an eye out for other cameras,” he told the others in a low voice.
The three of them spread out to search the condo. One of them worked with their tech guy to break into the desktop computer and clone it.
Joe still couldn’t see how Kader knew Samarra. But since Hutchinson had personally selected Samarra to work with him on various ops, it meant she was damn good at what she did, because Hutchinson only worked with the best. Joe had to assume she was smart enough not to keep anything sensitive on her home computer, but it wouldn’t hurt to check. He needed what Kader had sent her.
His guys found three hidden cameras that had already been disabled as he’d first bypassed the alarm on the way in. He didn’t find any other electronics of use in the place. No keys that looked like they belonged to a storage locker, no notes with anything promising on them. But when he pulled open the cupboard beneath the sink, he found an empty white envelope in the recycling bin.
Bingo. “Got the envelope.” Her name and address were scrawled on it in Kader’s hand, and the postmark confirmed it had been sent from D.C.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything else in the bin to help him find what he needed. “Any flash drives or keys? Letters?” he called out to the others.
“Negative.” One of his guys came out of the office. “Just waiting for Tim to crack her password so we can take a look at what’s on her computer.”
Joe did another sweep of the condo on his own, searching under drawers and cabinets, and looking at the back of the closets and inside the heating vents. Nothing. Dammit.
He was just walking into the kitchen after completing his search, when his phone beeped with a text from Tim. Joe called him immediately. “You in?”
“Yeah. She downloaded some files onto her desktop yesterday afternoon and then erased them. From what I can tell, they were all encrypted. It’ll take a while for me to crack them.”
Fucking Kader. If he weren’t already dead, Joe would hunt him down and make him suffer more for this. “He must have sent her a flash drive, maybe the storage locker location. There’s nothing here, so if she has it, she must have taken everything with her.”
And if she had received electronic files from Kader, it was possible she might already have sent them to someone else. Shit.
“Well, then that means whatever she has is currently in Charleston.”
Joe stopped in the middle of the kitchen. “What?”
“I’m looking at her emails now,” Tim continued. “There’s one confirming her and Ben Sinclair flying to Charleston yesterday afternoon. Their flight left not long after she downloaded the files initially.”
The wheels in his head spun. “Hutchinson lives in Charleston.”
He’d heard that Hutchinson had reconciled with his wife there a while ago. And it seemed like way too much of a coincidence for Samarra to have received Kader’s letter the same day she and her husband left for Charleston, when she was so closely connected to Hutchinson.
Was she heading down there to see Hutchinson? Had Kader sent her the letter knowing she would?
Joe’s pulse picked up. He needed to do immediate damage control. “Track them. All three of them.”
Christ, this was getting more and more complex with each piece they unraveled. If Samarra had received the kind of intel Joe assumed Kader would send, she’d probably tell Hutchinson.
And then Joe would be in even deeper shit than he already was. Because with one phone call, one email, Hutchinson could destroy him.
Joe had to stop this now. It was probably already too late to stop the spread of any electronic files she may have been sent.
But he could still get to Samarra, and find out if she had the location of the storage unit. Stop her from leaking that, and using anything else Kader had sent.
“Get us on a flight down there ASAP,” he told Tim, “and see if you can find a rental car listing for them.”
Joe would have to somehow get Samarra away from her husband—and maybe Hutchinson as well if she was planning on paying him a visit. Taking her without much time to prep, and possibly while she was under Hutchinson’s eye increased the risk, but the stakes justified it. If that meant incurring collateral damage and taking more lives, then so be it.
He would do whatever the hell it took to save himself.
Chapter Five
Emily gave a happy sigh and smiled to herself as she picked up the glass antique cake pedestal. This was what Christmas was all about. Everyone was finally here, her home was filled with laughter and conversation, and now everyone she loved best was under the same roof.
Her heart was full to bursting as she carried her great-grandmother’s famous coconut cake into the living room. Luke had lit a fire in the fireplace earlier, and combined with the glow of the decorated tree in the corner, the entire room felt festive and cozy.
“Ta-da,” she announced, setting the cherished confection on the coffee table next to the stack of plates and forks Rayne had set out earlier in anticipation of his favorite dessert.
“I hope you made more than one,” he said, eyeing the lone cake in concern.
She laughed. “Yes I did, greedy. Now. Ladies first.” She cut a piece and handed it to Neveah with a smile. “Here you go, sweetie.”
“Thanks.” She turned her plate away protectively as her husband, Rhys, tried to steal her fork for a bite. He and Ben were fraternal twins, and now Rhys was married too, after shocking everyone by popping the question to Neveah only a few months after their ordeal in Vancouver last November. “Wait your turn. Jeez.”
“You too,” Sam scolded Ben as Emily handed her a piece.
“But I’ve been looking forward to this all day,” Ben protested.
“It’s the best,” Rayne said. “Make mine a big piece, will you?” he said to her.
“You’re impossible.” Emily grinned and kept dishing out cake, one piece for Christa and one for Bryn.
Today had been everything she’d hoped for and more. She was especially grateful for having everyone around to help take her mind off everything and ease her worry. A full house meant lots to keep her busy and her mind occupied, and that’s just the way she preferred it. Wandering around with nothing to do made her feel lazy and useless. She much preferred staying busy and having a purpose.
“Just a small slice for me,” Luke said when it was his turn.
“I’ll share one with you,” Emily said. Cancer loved to feed on sugar, but it was the holidays and she was allowing herself a piece.
“You’re nuts,” Ben said around a mouthful of cake. “This is wicked awesome.”
“Try being over fifty, out of the field, and living with someone who bakes things made of butter and sugar at least thr
ee times a week,” Luke answered wryly. “I love it, but I can’t eat it like I used to.”
“Oh, please,” Emily said with a scoff. “You’re still in incredible shape.” As sexy as ever.
He quirked a dark eyebrow. “No thanks to you and your cooking.”
She lowered the cake server and gave him a stunned look. “And here I thought I was partially responsible for helping you burn off the extra calories.”
Everyone laughed except for Rayne, who grimaced. “Mom. Come on,” he groaned. “Not in front of me.”
Smiling, she finally handed him his extra-large piece. “There you go.” She took a small one for herself and snuck in between Bryn and Luke on the tufted leather sofa next to the fire, then offered a bite to Luke, which he took.
Finally taking a bite herself, she sighed. Food held so many memories for her. One bite of the cake, and she was transported back in time to when this house belonged to her grandmother. Every special occasion they spent together, she and her grandmother had made this same cake, but especially at Christmas.
“What’s that under the tree?” Luke said, looking over her shoulder.
Emily glanced back and saw the little parcel wrapped in shiny silver paper, decorated with a red satin bow. “I don’t know.” She glanced around at the others, and received blank looks. So she gave Luke a suspicious smile. “Did you put it there?”
He shook his head. “Not me.”
She got up and went over to crouch down beside the tree. The extra strands of white lights Luke had strung on it made it easy to read the label. “It’s to us, but it doesn’t say who it’s from.” She looked around the room at the others, narrowing her eyes and giving them a playful smile. “So sneaky. Should I open it?”
“Definitely,” said Bryn, forking another bite of cake into her mouth.
Bryn had been a trooper so far, even though it must be hard for her to be here with everyone while Dec was in harm’s way somewhere overseas. Emily knew exactly what that was like, and made sure to spend lots of time with her friend to keep her spirits up.
Picking up the gift, she carried it back to the sofa. Luke settled an arm around her shoulders as she undid the ribbon, then began rolling it up.
Ben groaned and set his fork down on his empty plate. “Oh, God, you’re one of those too.”
Sam elbowed him gently, laughing. “Not everyone is a savage like you when it comes to bows and wrapping paper,” she chided him.
“It’s meant to be torn off,” he argued. “None of this trying to save the paper crap.”
“I’ve always done it this way,” Emily said, amused.
“You go, Em. You’re doing it the right way,” Sam said in encouragement.
“Thank you.” Emily placed the rolled-up ribbon aside and carefully lifted the flap on one side of the wrapping paper.
“Seriously, why?” Ben asked. “You gonna reuse it on a gift the exact same size afterward? It makes no sense.”
Emily laughed. “Maybe. Mostly I’m just enjoying getting a rise out of you for a change.”
“That’s my girl,” Luke said, amusement in his deep voice.
A white paper box was revealed under the paper. Inside that, she found a blue velvet box closed with a fastener made of gold cording. She opened the lid, took out the exquisite glass tree ornament, and gasped.
“Merry Christmas to the grandparents-to-be—” Her head jerked up, her gaze shooting to Rayne and Christa in shock.
Her son stared at her blankly. Christa sat frozen with her fork poised partway to her mouth, and her eyes widened when she met Emily’s gaze. “What? No. Not us. Definitely not us. I’ve got the Olympics coming up, remember? No baby on board here.” She glanced questioningly at Sam and Bryn, seated on either side of her.
Emily smothered her momentary disappointment and looked at Sam, who waved her hands in front of her and shook her head. “Not us either.”
She turned to Bryn next, who looked as stunned as Emily felt. “No, not me,” Bryn said.
Then that only left…
As one, seven pairs of eyes turned to stare incredulously at Neveah and Rhys.
Rhys grinned and stretched a massive arm across his wife’s shoulders as Neveah blushed and smiled. “Surprise,” he said quietly.
The room erupted into happy chaos.
The women all cried out and jumped to their feet, and Ben shot from his seat to stare at his twin, his face full of shock. “You tight-lipped bastard, are you kidding me?” he said to Rhys, bending to grab his brother’s hand and drag him to his feet. “Oh my God.” He caught his twin in a bear hug, lifting the larger man off his feet a few inches in his enthusiasm, his booming, contagious laugh filling the room.
Rhys clapped his brother on the back, his almost embarrassed grin melting Emily’s heart. “Yeah. Surreal, right?”
“Hell, yes. I’m gonna be an uncle.”
“Yeah. Don’t worry, you and Sam get an ornament too.”
Ben put him down and drew his head back a little to scowl at him. “Can’t believe you didn’t tell me as soon as you found out.”
Rhys shrugged. “We wanted to make it through the first trimester, and decided to surprise everyone at once.”
“Do Mom and Dad know?”
“No, we’re gonna surprise them the same way when we see them. So don’t say anything, punk.”
Ben grinned at the warning, then relented. “All right.” Then he held his arms out to Neveah, who was currently engulfed in a group hug by all the women. “Come here, you.”
Nev stepped into his embrace. She was tall, just under six feet, but even so she looked tiny next to the twins.
Emily’s throat tightened, happy tears stinging her eyes as she clasped her hands to her chest. “A baby…”
“I didn’t know you guys were even trying,” Sam said as she wiped at her cheeks, a tremulous smile on her lips.
“We didn’t try for very long,” Nev said in a dry voice, shooting her husband an amused look. “The nerve damage in my hand means I still can’t go back into the O.R., and so we decided waiting to start a family was kind of pointless. We just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.”
“When are we talking?” Ben asked.
“End of July.”
Emily held out her arms for Rhys. “I’m so, so happy for you both.” The couple had both stared death in the face and beaten the odds. They deserved every happiness together, and them having a baby was just too precious.
Rhys’s hard face melted into another grin. He’d already smiled more in the past five minutes than he had in all the other times Emily had spent with him.
He stepped around the coffee table and engulfed her in those huge arms of his, holding her carefully, as if afraid he might break her if he squeezed too hard. “Thanks. So, will you guys be honorary grandparents?”
“Of course we will! Won’t we, Luke?” She ducked her head to the side to see past Rhys to where her husband stood.
“Be honored to,” Luke said, holding out a hand to Rhys. “Just as long as you don’t expect me to do any diaper duty,” he added as they shook.
Emily took the beautiful ornament over to the tree and carefully hung it on a branch front and center amongst all the other cherished keepsakes of Christmas past she’d held onto, making sure the lights shone on it just so.
Magic. That’s what this holiday had been so far. Pure magic. “This is so exciting,” she squealed, clapping her hands and bouncing on her toes.
“Yeah, and I’d personally like to thank you both for taking the pressure off us and giving my mom a grandbaby to fuss over,” Rayne said next to Christa. “She’s beside herself to be a grandma, but it’ll be a few years for us yet.”
“Not too many,” Christa added with a secret smile that got Emily far too excited.
Going back to Luke, Emily leaned her head on his shoulder as he slung an arm around her waist. “We’re gonna be grandparents,” she murmured, choking up a little from the joy flooding her.
“Gu
ess so,” he said, kissing the top of her head in a way that made her heart squeeze.
The chime of his phone was barely audible above the conversation still buzzing around the room. He pulled it out of his pocket, glanced at it. “I gotta make a quick call. Be right back.”
Before she could ask him what was going on, he’d already turned away and was striding from the room.
****
Dec McCabe hauled his gear from the belly of the C-130 and trudged down the tail ramp with his teammates. He was dead-ass tired after the late trans-Atlantic flight, but glad to be back on American soil, and looking forward to seeing his wife after being apart for the last six weeks.
Circumstances surrounding this latest mission meant he’d hardly been at base, so hadn’t been able to call or email her much. He couldn’t wait to surprise her by showing up in person soon.
As they crossed the tarmac toward the lit hangar, a lone silhouette stood waiting off to one side of the open bay door. Tall, big build, leaning on a cane.
“Well, look who it is,” the man called out. “Lieutenant McCabe, still kickin’.”
Dec grinned at that familiar voice, his buddy’s face finally coming into view as he got closer. “Spencer.” He dropped his stuff and grabbed the former medic in a bear hug, laughing. “How the hell are you, brother?”
“Still kickin’ too. Only with one leg, of course,” he joked.
The bullet Spencer had taken in the thigh while defending Bryn a couple years ago had cost him his career in the Teams, but the Navy refused to let him go and wanted to bring him on as an instructor here in Virginia Beach. “What the hell are you doing out here at this time of night?”
“Heard you and the boys were coming in. Thought I’d come down and say hello. You headed home tonight?”
“No, I’m headed down to Joint Base Charleston to surprise Bryn. She’s staying with Hutchinson.”
Spencer’s sandy blond eyebrows hiked up. “That right? Give her a hug from me.”
Dec smirked. “Not likely. Perv. You already kissed the hell out of her once.” In the hospital in Beirut when he and Bryn had both been recovering from wounds sustained during the op to rescue her.