Fractured Innocence (#2 IFICS)

by Julia Crane

  “You’re right.” Harrington rubbed his temples. “I should be the one thanking you for opening my eyes to the fact that I’m an asshole.”

  Lucas grinned. “You said it, not me.”

  Harrington opened his mouth and closed it. He paused, almost smiling. “Does she really see me as a father figure?”

  Lucas nodded solemnly.

  “I always wanted children,” Harrington said, once again taking Lucas by surprise.

  Unsure how to respond, they sat in awkward silence.

  Harrington pushed back his chair and stood up. “We’re heading out in two hours.”

  “Two hours? You didn’t expect me to say yes, did you?”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “You waited too long to bring it up. It would have taken well over two hours to mirror the account.”

  “Mirroring was your idea, not mine. I just wanted the code.”

  Lucas shook his head. “This late in the game, even my code would have been useless.”

  “Yes, I guess it would’ve been.”

  “So this was a test?”

  “Of sorts.”

  “Did I pass?”

  “You still have a job don’t you?”

  Once again, they settled into the small private plane.

  Wheels up in fifteen minutes. Lucas chose the back seats this time, so they could have a little privacy. This flight would be much longer: Lucas, Harrington and Adams would fly into Croatia and stay there. Once they touched down, Kaitlyn and Erik would board a helicopter to take them to the ship they’d been tracking. If things went as planned, this time tomorrow, everyone would be back safe and sound and Dasvoik would have been taken care of.

  Kaitlyn thumbed through a magazine and placed it back in the holder.

  Lucas could tell she was keyed up, even though outwardly she showed no signs. She appeared to be calm and relaxed, but he could almost feel the energy radiating off her body. She looked vibrant.

  “I think Ace was sad to see you go.” Lucas smiled crookedly.

  “Really?” Kaitlyn gazed at him skeptically and then saw his turned up lips.

  “Oh, I get it. You’re kidding.” A brilliant smile lit her face as she nudged him with her elbow. “That was a good one.”

  Lucas laughed. “Glad you approve.”

  Her smile faded. “I tried to be nicer to him. But it didn’t seem to work.”

  “That guy really has a chip on his shoulder.” Lucas grabbed a pillow and put it under his head. “His loss.”

  “I guess. Do you think we’ll ever work with him and Nick again?”

  “Hard to say, but we’ll probably see Ace around if he goes through with the fertility treatments.”

  “Not necessarily. That’s on a whole different area of the compound.” She paused. “At least I got the hot chocolate recipe from Nick.”

  “Enough about them. Tell me, how are you feeling, Kate?” He watched her intently trying to read the play of emotions that crossed her face.

  Her gaze focused on him, her eyes bright, and she leaned in to whisper. “Alive. I feel very alive, Lucas.”

  His chest tightened at her words. Her happiness meant the world to him. Lucas often wondered if she secretly resented him for his part in claiming her life, but the way her face was flushed and her eyes lit up he knew she had come into her own. She was loving every moment. Even though she had never been in a situation like she was about to embark on, he knew without a doubt she would thrive. Even before the upgrades, Kaitlyn’s personality had been one of living on the knife’s edge of danger. Adrenaline junky. She was still herself but amplified.

  “Not even a little afraid?” he asked curiously. Her mind was so unique, he wasn’t quite sure how far the tangle of her emotions and feelings ranged.

  She tilted her head to the side studying his face. “No. Should I be?”

  Lucas smiled ruefully. “You should only be what you are, Kate. If you feel fear, that is what is natural, if you only feel courage, then that’s your emotion. Only you truly know what you feel inside.”

  After a slight pause, Kaitlyn replied, “I guess I won’t really know until it happens. Up until this point, it’s all been training, but I don’t think I will be afraid. I hope I’m not. This is the life I was built for and what I’ve trained for. If I’m afraid, I’ll feel like a failure.”

  “That’s not true at all, Kate. Fear is natural.”

  “What about you, Lucas? Are you afraid?” Kaitlyn asked.

  He was slightly surprised she thought to ask the question. “Terrified,” he answered truthfully.

  She started to protest and stopped herself. With a squeeze of his hand, she said, “It will all work out, you’ll see.”

  Lucas found his feelings for her only grew stronger as time went on. He thought of losing her, but shook his head. He couldn’t allow himself to think that way.

  All he knew is he couldn’t get enough of her. Her silky smooth hand in his was like torture. It was so hard for him to hold back when they were so close. Just her proximity made his pulse race. She looked at him with her wide gray eyes, and it was killing him not to reach over and kiss her.

  “In a way, you’ll be right there with me,” she reminded him, and that was partly true.

  They would be able to access what Kaitlyn saw through an internal camera, and they could speak to each other through the imbedded microphone. He wasn’t sure that would make it better or worse.

  Soon he would find out.

  He cleared his throat. “I have no doubt you will exceed everyone’s expectations.”

  Kate dropped her head to his shoulder and snuggled closer, causing his heart to swell.

  As they deplaned, Kaitlyn made a beeline towards Erik, their heads bent together, lost in conversation. Even after the long flight, he could see the intensity in their steps. Lucas was glad he didn’t feel the usual pull of jealousy when he saw them together. It was not lost on him that Erik was part of the package. He had to accept their partnership and trust Kaitlyn.

  Their lives could very well depend on the bond they’d formed.

  Harrington approached from the left. “Lucas, we need to get set up. Things are going to progress quickly from here on out. The helicopter is waiting.”

  Lucas nodded and lengthened his stride as they made their way across the tarmac. They would leave the small airport and head to an even smaller clandestine clearing where a little bird waited to take Kate and Erik to the container ship. He’d had to brush up on his military tactical knowledge over the last several months. Before this mission, he hadn’t even known what the hell a little bird was. He’d since learned it was a small helicopter that was a favorite among Special Operations regiments. He wasn’t sure how Harrington had gotten his hands on one, but more than likely it had come at a steep price.

  A black SUV awaited them. Erik slid into the driver’s seat and Kate took shotgun, leaving the rest of them to pile into the back. Harrington made arrangements for their equipment to be waiting for them, so they didn’t have to bother with it after the flight.

  The sun was rapidly setting behind the horizon.

  Timing was everything.

  “The road is one hundred feet ahead to the right,” Kaitlyn spoke, her voice steady. They were the only words that had been spoken on the drive. Lucas wondered if everyone else was on edge like he was.

  Erik pulled off, turning onto the side road. The turn off would have been unrecognized at first glance.

  The SUV bounced along the narrow dirt road. Trees scraped the vehicle.

  Before long they rolled to a stop and Erik cut the engine before jumping out. Kaitlyn was beside him in the blink of an eye.

  Lucas unlatched his seat belt and jumped out, Harrington and Adams followed suit.

  Harrington turned towards Lucas. "We need to set up before the helo gets here. We've got about twenty minutes."

  They hustled into the small cabin that would act as their operations center, or OPCEN in military jargon
, during the mission. They immediately started booting up various systems and programs, watching as diagnostics flickered across multiple large monitors. From here, they would monitor Kaitlyn, seeing and hearing everything she experienced, along with some of the underlying processes that she used. In addition, they also had access to state of the art signals intelligence, imagery intelligence and live clandestine drone feeds.

  While the OPCEN was being set up, Kaitlyn and Erik were donning their equipment and doing their pre-combat checks. Both of them pulled on dry suits before they strapped on the thin body armor over their black clothing. Lucas glanced up to watch them check their pistols, making sure they were fully loaded before attaching the guns to their thighs and a knife to their calves. Erik pulled a black watch cap low over his forehead. Kaitlyn’s hair was pulled out of her face into a tight bun. They shouldered their rifles and shared a grin.

  They were a sight to be seen.

  “Fisher One, this is Mother Ship, radio check,” Lucas spoke evenly into the mic, hoping his emotions didn’t come across the line.

  “Mother Ship this is Fisher One, roger out.” Kaitlyn’s voice crossed the line and Lucas felt the tension ease in his shoulders.

  "Fisher Two, this is Mother Ship, radio check.”

  Erik replied, "Mother Ship this is Fisher Two, roger out.”

  Frantically, Lucas’s fingers flew across the keyboard. A green dot and a red bull’s-eye appeared on the massive monitor. A few more keystrokes and he had the information he was seeking.

  "Be advised, your ride will be here in 2 minutes." Lucas had communications with the small helicopter that would ferry them out and was able to follow its transponder beacon on the large digital geospatial display that also showed both Kaitlyn’s and Erik's positions.

  The small black helicopter came in fast, flaring at the last minute and lightly setting down in the small clearing near Kaitlyn and Erik knelt, waiting. Kaitlyn crouched low and sprinted across the opening. She boarded the helo without so much as a look back. She strapped herself into one of the skid's out-facing seats while Erik did a quick check on the small rubber boat that was strapped to the opposite side. Satisfied with the rigging and release mechanism, he strapped himself in next to Kaitlyn and gave the pilot a thumbs up. With that, the rotor whine increased, and the helicopter hovered in the air.

  CHAPTER 18

  “Kaitlyn, are you ready for this?” Erik yelled over the rotors, as he pulled fins over his booties. Kaitlyn didn’t need to bother with the fins. She just wore the booties to keep her feet dry.

  “Flipped the switch already.” Kaitlyn grinned.

  Erik graced her by laughing loudly and shaking his head. He’d once told her a common phrase used in their line of work was switched on, which he explained basically meant a mental on/off switch for humans. Apparently, some guys had trouble making the mental change between work and home. The saying made Kaitlyn smile since she was part robot so her on/off was a physical reality.

  “How about you?”

  His gaze caught hers, and his face became serious. The scar that twisted down his face whitened, making it more visible. “We got this, Kaitlyn. We’ll hit them hard and fast.”

  She nodded, straightening. “On your signal.”

  "Ten minutes out," the pilot’s voice sounded in their earpieces.

  "I confirm. Ten minutes out," echoed Lucas.

  Flutters filled her stomach. This was really happening. With a quick glance at Erik, her emotions steadied. His face was relaxed. There was no fear as he gazed across the immense ocean. They could do this. Together.

  "One minute."

  Both Kaitlyn and Erik unfastened their safety straps. This was it. There was no turning back. A tingle of excitement ran down her spine.

  The helicopter turned a tight circle and descended until it hovered two meters off the water. Erik deployed the small boat, checked that it was clear of the helicopter’s skids, then tapped Kaitlyn on the arm. Without hesitating, she pushed off the skid and dropped into the cold ocean water, plunging into blackness. Her eyes adjusted in the blink of an eye.

  Erik was right beside her. Every stroke she took was fueled by the image of Dasvoik taking his last breath. A slow smile spread across her face.

  "I have splash. Moving to loiter position,” the pilot said across the radio.

  "I confirm splash." Lucas keyed the mic. Kaitlyn envisioned him continually scanning the various monitors. She took comfort in knowing he was also there with them.

  Erik swam over to the small rubber boat, pulling himself inside. Immediately, he squatted on his haunches and started to prep the small engine attached to the back. Kaitlyn was already aboard, checking and readying the equipment that was strapped down. Her mind ran through the many scenarios of how the drop would take place.

  Their vessel approached the large tanker filled with shipping containers. In the dead of night, their small boat went unnoticed by the sentries, aided by the size of the waves of the choppy seas. If they were like most guards, they were probably dozing on the job. But Kaitlyn operated under the assumption they were heavily armed and dangerous. Erik hit the throttle and veered off at the last second, bringing the boat back around again, getting as close as possible to a ladder welded onto the side of the tanker.

  Dim lights glowed from some of the portholes, but most were dark.

  Kaitlyn analyzed the wind and gauged the waves before leaping forward. She grabbed a hold of the ladder rung and pulled herself up quickly, climbing with ease. Erik was close on her heels.

  Silently, Kaitlyn dropped to the floor. Engaging senses more acute than any humans, she simply stood for a long moment, watching, listening. Her mind went cold, analytical. She could hear muted voices, footsteps scraping, water dripping, the hum of fluorescent lighting. In the distance, someone coughed. No one was aware of their presence.

  The tanker was old, rusty and large. It was nine hundred and sixty five feet long and had almost three thousand shipping containers on it. The captives could be anywhere. Mentally she went over the blueprints, seeking out the largest rooms below decks where Dasvoik would most likely sleep. She identified a couple of suitable locations.

  Her nose wrinkled. The stench was overwhelming—rotten food, feces and urine mixed with the salty air. While her sensors were busy sorting out the different scents, sounds and possible scenarios they could encounter, Kaitlyn panned back and forth scanning the area, taking in heat sensors.

  Several different caution symbols illuminated on her internal screen. Nearby, an armed guard stood off to her left, his back to her, completely unaware he was a breath away from death— if he made the wrong move.

  The boards beneath their feet creaked slightly when Erik dropped beside her. His large frame wasn’t quite as light on his feet as she was. Erik’s night goggles were down. He looked like something out of a spy movie. The thought gave Kaitlyn pause, knowing if anyone saw under her clothing, they would truly see something out of a sci-fi movie.

  Kaitlyn nodded her head towards the guard and signaled to Erik that she would take care of the man. In one swift motion, she pulled out the modified 9mm on her thigh. With the flick of her thumb, the weapon went from lethal to tranquilizer. She leaned forward, aimed and squeezed the trigger. The dart made a soft pft noise as it sailed through the air and hit the guard in his neck. Annoyed, the man swatted himself, muttering a profanity in Russian. Before he even had time to remove the dart, he started to sway.

  Sticking to the shadows, Erik pounced forward and caught the guard before he hit the ground. The last thing they wanted was a loud thump to alert the others.

  Steady and methodical, Kaitlyn pivoted to the right, where the next target stood looking out over the water, smoking. She was tempted to switch the dart to an actual bullet. The man was obviously a poor excuse for a watchman. But the man’s incompetence was not her concern; she needed to stay focused.

  Silently, she waited for Erik to slip into place. With stealth, he moved across the boat. Nev
er hesitating. Never second-guessing. Ghosting as he liked to call it. She smiled and pulled the trigger. The dart hit the second guard between the shoulder blades. Once again, Erik lowered the man to the ground.

  Two down. Several more to go.

  The guards would be out for a couple of hours, give or take a few minutes, depending on their weight. It was more than enough time for her to accomplish her objectives.

  Quickly, working as a team, she and Erik took out four more guards with lethal silence.

  After a quick, three-hundred-and-sixty degree sweep, Kaitlyn locked eyes with Erik and signaled they were clear to move. She sprinted across the ship, followed closely by her partner, to the entrance leading below decks.

  They crept down the stairs, rubber-soled shoes quiet against the metal steps. Kaitlyn hit the landing with a soft thud and looked into an empty well-lit corridor. She stepped back. Erik dropped in front of her. He padded forward and unscrewed the light bulbs. Darkness was their friend; it would give them an advantage and confuse their enemies.

  As they made their way down the corridor, she felt an odd tingling. Her gut was warning her, Lucas might say. Something felt off. It was too quiet, even for this time at night. There weren’t as many thermal heat sensors as she expected down below.

  Movement. Kaitlyn halted and held up a hand. Erik froze behind her.

  A door to the left swung open, casting a dim glow in the corridor. Two men appeared. One cursed and grumbled, “What the hell happened to the lights?” in Russian.

  With zen-like focus, Kaitlyn raised her firearm.

  “What the hell? Who are…” The man reached for his gun, but he was not quick enough. The dart hit him in the throat and he dropped with a loud thunk. Before the second man could react, Kate shot him in the chest. Erik ran forward and grabbed the bigger man under the arms and pulled him back into the room from which they’d just come, dropping the body. Kaitlyn holstered her pistol and dragged the other man, disposing him on the floor.