by Julia Crane
“Jesus, Aaliyah.” Staring emphatically into her eyes, Noah walked forward. Gently he pried at her fingers and carefully removed the flower from her hand. He set it on the stand next to her and pulled her into his arms. Her head dropped to his shoulder, and her body shook violently.
“Now do you see why you can’t love me anymore?” Aaliyah felt pressure building in her chest, as if her heart were being squeezed.
“Why wouldn’t I love you anymore? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” he replied. “If anything, I love you more. I was going insane when you were gone. I didn’t know if you were alive or dead. The fact that you are alive… We’ll get through this together.”
“I don’t know if I can.” Aaliyah’s voice sank. She pulled away, embarrassed that Noah had seen her break down like that.
“Yes, you can. One day at a time. One minute at a time, if that’s what it takes. I’m not going anywhere. Let me help you. Please.” He stared into her eyes.
“Maybe.” She heard her voice crack and crossed her unsteady arms across her chest.
Noah closed his eyes and tilted his head back. “Maybe. That I can work with. Thank you, Aaliyah.”
“He called me petal and flower.” She trembled, frustrated that even saying the words out loud made her shake. Instantly she felt numb.
“Petal?” Noah looked down at his gift his face contorted. “I’m so sorry, Aaliyah. If I had known, I would have made something different. I can throw it away.”
She turned to him, blinking. She’d drifted back to that horrible place in the back of her mind. “No, I want to keep it. It’s not your fault.”
With a troubled expression, Noah cleared his throat. “Are you sure? I wish I had known.”
“Dr. Chambers would tell me I need to take the negative and replace it with a positive. Quess would say it was serendipity.”
“Quess?”
“She’s my …” Aaliyah hesitated “…friend.” It was strange to think she’d made a friend out of this ordeal. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to take Harrington up on his offer. She couldn’t imagine going back to her old neighborhood. The only thing holding her back would be Noah... But even he would be going off to college in the fall.
Dr chambers was right—she had a lot of healing to do before she was ready to decide. But she also had a new path at her feet—one that might help her regain the soul she thought she’d lost at the hands of Dasvoik. She had a lot to think about the next few weeks.
CHAPTER 27
Slovenia. Three days later.
Kaitlyn was momentarily taken aback by the beauty around her. She shed the oxygen tank on her back. She couldn’t resist appreciating the magnificence of the enormous rock formation. The craggy cliff went almost straight up, slanting away from the ocean towards the top. Visible only with her enhanced eyesight, the area appeared to be bathed in an orange glow. Water crashed against the rocky coast, and mist rose from the ocean.
The phrase eerily beautiful crossed her mind out of nowhere.
“Alpha 3, status? Over.” Lucas’s voice came through her imbedded mic.
“This is Alpha 3. We are set.”
“Roger.”
“Do we have confirmation the target is on the grounds?”
“Affirmative.”
They were so close to completing the mission. Dasvoik would finally get what he deserved. A sense of elation washed over her at the thought, followed quickly by another. Dr. Chambers would not approve.
Erik had already removed his wetsuit, changed and was now attaching the climbing harness around his legs. His watch cap rode low over his forehead. They were both clothed all in black.
Their eyes met, and he nodded once. She could see his pulse throb in his forehead. His heart rate was elevated. She wondered if it was because the climb would be dangerous or the mission in general.
Moments later, Ace and Nick, along with three other guys, joined them on the shore. They would all make the climb with the newcomers remaining in place as a support element in case anything went wrong. Kaitlyn wasn’t particularly fond of the idea since they hadn’t had time to train together, but essentially they wouldn’t actually be involved in taking down Dasvoik.
She turned away and slipped on her own harness and climbing shoes, while Erik talked to the guys. She checked her weapons, shouldered her pack, grabbed the coiled nylon and tossed it over her shoulder.
“Be careful. The cliff is brittle,” Erik said to her when he’d finished his talk with the others. Reaching up, he grabbed a handhold, tested it, and then secured his first foothold. Kaitlyn watched him hug the cliff wall and soon followed his lead. They had climbed together many times in training, where they were taught to stay at least twenty feet a part. The separation made it harder for a sniper to take them both out at once. If one of them got shot at, the other was able to return fire. There wasn’t much chance of that from this location, but she knew to never underestimate an enemy as cunning as Dasvoik. It was always possible he had boats patrolling the area.
Ace and his team would follow in thirty minutes.
With her left hand, she groped the rocky wall until she found a narrow crevice to wedge her fingers into. She hung by one hand while seeking out a foothold on a thin ledge. Erick wasn’t kidding about it being brittle. Rock splintered beneath her weight. She moved cautiously to the right. The ledge widened enough to reduce the strain on her fingertips.
Erik scurried up the sheer wall, moving with practiced ease. Kaitlyn alternately climbed then paused, her body pressed against the jagged cliff, to let him get a little farther ahead. His broad shoulders and powerful forearms made him a natural, but he still had to deal with the human elements that didn’t trouble her: cramped hands, water breaks and maintaining his heart rate. At the pace they were going it would take them at least three hours to reach the top. The swirling mist made the rocks slick, so they had to go slower than normal.
Dasvoik should be sound asleep. There was still the question of how many sentries they would have to get through to get to him, but she wasn’t worried.
When they finally reached the top, Eric extended his hand and pulled her the rest of the way up. He leaned back on his hunches, his chest heaving.
“Glad that’s over with.” He wiped his brow and took a swig from his canteen. “Not a big fan of heights.”
Kaitlyn was startled by his confession. “You’re afraid of heights?”
He grinned. “I didn’t say afraid. I said not a fan. There’s a difference.”
“Well you hide it well.” Kaitlyn said, keeping her voice low as she unclipped the harness and dropped it into her bag.
They checked in with Lucas and the support team before they advanced, clinging to the shadows. Clouds covered the nearly full moon. Occasionally it peeked through the coverage to throw off a stream of light in the dark woods.
After forty minutes of silent movement, they reached the edge of the forest and paused to check in again with Lucas. There was a break in the woods and a wide clearing stretched before them. They needed to reach the coverage of trees on the other side – fast and without tipping off the guards.
“Security camera to the right, two hundred yards.” His voice crossed the line. “Give me a few seconds.”
Kaitlyn and Erik waited.
“All clear,” Lucas said calmly in her ear.
Kaitlyn nodded to Erik to signal she was ready. They sprinted forward. There was a lot of ground to cover before they made it to the main house. They had a good idea where the sentries would be placed, but it wasn’t for certain—just an educated guess on how they would handle the security for the compound, if they designed it.
The orange tip of a cigarette glowed in the distance, an instant indication that someone was present. Kaitlyn would never understand why someone would have a habit that would seem to undermine his work as a security guard.
She and Erik froze, exposed outside the forest, but more certain that their immediate threat stemmed
from sudden movement that would give them away to the oblivious guard.
After a couple of minutes, the man stamped out his cigarette and strode forward. They had permission to do whatever it took to get the mission done. This sentry was not posing a threat to them at the moment and only doing his job.
Kaitlyn shouldered her rifle and set it to non-lethal mode. She zeroed in on the target and squeezed the trigger. The man turned and went for his gun but staggered to the ground before he was able to get a shot off.
He was well armed and moved like he knew what he was doing. This, along with the sophisticated security of the compound, made her think a lot of blood would be shed before the night was over.
“We need to hurry. I’m sure he’ll be missed, if he’s not back soon.” Erik whispered. They reached the other side of the clearing and began to move through the woods in the darkness, quickly and completely at ease. They moved carefully, light on their feet and stayed within the edge of the forest moving northward.
The sound of Erik’s heavy breathing beside her brought her mind back into focus as they raced parallel to the cliff through the thick brush and trees, the branches scratching her face.
The impressive house loomed in the distance. It was an English Tudor design that resembled a castle—all that was missing was the mote. Ivy climbed up the stone walls. Smoke drifted out of the chimneys.
“Alarm disabled. You won’t have much time before someone notices,” Lucas said.
They’d only need enough time to slip into the house; after that it didn’t matter.
A bullet whizzed through the air and splintered the wood in the tree mere inches from Kaitlyn’s shoulder. Her head snapped up, and she scanned the area, searching for the location of the shooter. He had to be at a great distance, because she wasn’t picking him up with her heat sensor.
Sniper.
Erik crouched behind a large rock.
Kaitlyn also took cover.
Soon the area would be crawling with Dasvoik’s men, now that she and Erik had been spotted. They were so close. She couldn’t bear the thought of that monster slipping through their fingers again. More than likely, the guards would whisk him away to safety.
“We need to move fast,” she whispered.
Erik nodded in agreement.
They scrambled up the hill, keeping low. Erik lost his footing and stumbled. He recovered quickly without her help and kept going. As they advanced, bullets tore up the ground at their feet. Heat sources started to show up on her sensors. The hilly land made it easy for the people to hide from her, but she knew for sure that they were grossly outmatched, based on those she was able to detect.
Kaitlyn listened, tuning out the sounds of the forest and her immediate surroundings to cast her hearing out as far as possible. The sentries were closing in on them quickly. She could hear the murmur of voices.
“The target has left the house. I have access to all the security cameras now,” Lucas reported.
“Being evacuated. Which direction?” Erik asked in a hushed voice.
“No. It appears as if he is going hunting. He’s armed and headed in your direction.”
Kaitlyn couldn’t believe it. Harrington wasn’t kidding when he said the man had a God complex.
They scrambled up the loosely packed shoulder of a slope, guns drawn. Rocks crumbled beneath their boots, making it hard to gain traction. Movement to the right caught her attention. Erik dropped his pistol and took aim with his rifle. He fired off a shot. A split second later, they heard a scream and the sound of someone tumbling in the woods.
Kaitlyn slipped on the shale and slid down the incline. Dropping her shoulders, she rolled as she’d been taught, until shrubs stopped her. She sprang to her feet, landing in a low crouch.
Erik stayed on his feet and skidded down to meet her.
A shot came from above. It grazed her ear. She dove for the trees.
Another shot.
Erik slowly staggered backwards. His knees buckled, and she realized he’d been shot. He would have fallen to the ground, if Kate hadn’t sprung forward and caught him.
“Erik!” Kaitlyn yelled.
“I’m okay,” he said through gritted teeth, grasping his thigh. Blood poured through his fingers.
“Erik’s down,” Kaitlyn said into her mic.
She found cover, dropped her bag in front of her, and pulled out supplies. Quickly she thumbed open the knife and sliced his pants to get a better look at the wound. He was lucky it hadn’t hit the femoral artery, but he wasn’t going to be much use for the rest of the mission.
“Support element is moving in,” Lucas said with a touch of alarm in his voice.
Without a word she, wrapped duct tape around the wound to slow the bleeding. Kaitlyn glanced down at him. His face was pale and his breathing shallow.
“I’m fine, Kate. We need to keep moving,” he said.
Kaitlyn hesitated before nodding. She hated the thought of leaving him behind. She helped him to his feet, and they continued upward.
They were at a disadvantage. Dasvoik and his guards had the high ground and they were still climbing the slippery slope. A quick glance at Erik revealed he was drenched in sweat and pale. She wondered how much blood he’d lost already.
“Alpha 3, we’re closing in on you from behind. Do not engage,” Ace told her.
“Roger.” Kaitlyn was relieved. With Ace and the others, she wouldn’t have to worry about leaving Erik behind.
Up ahead a heat source flashed before her, lighting up her sensors. Kaitlyn took aim and squeezed the trigger. A body dropped to the ground.
Reckless bullets splattered around them in response, kicking up dirt. None of them were close enough to warrant her to risk moving Erik.
“Just go, Kate,” Erik urged her. “I can hunker down here and cover your back. Ace will be here soon.”
“Kate, wait for backup.” The desperation in Luca’s voice was clear, and he made no effort to hide it.
A sense of urgency washed over her. Dasvoik couldn’t slip through their grip again. She leaned down and brushed her lips against the warm flesh of Erik’s cheek.
“Don’t you die on me, partner,” she said fiercely.
“Go. Get that bastard,” Erik replied through gritted teeth. A sheen of sweat coated his forehead.
Kaitlyn took off. Erik was already firing off rounds. His skill was second only to hers. The sound of bullets hitting flesh filled the air.
Her internal heat sensor screen was lit up like Christmas. How many guards did Dasvoik have? Obviously, the man was paranoid about his safety, and yet he was out in the woods with them. Enjoying the chase—living on the edge, the way Henry had said he would.
Kaitlyn dropped to her knee and shouldered her weapon. The sound of a round being chambered sounded loud in the still of the evening. Slowly and precisely, she took out the targets ahead of her, one by one. Most never had a chance to scream.
In her mic, Lucas confirmed what she had already expected—the support element was evacuating Erik.
Kaitlyn whirled around at the sound of approaching footsteps.
CHAPTER 28
“It’s only Ace,” Lucas said into the mic.
Kaitlyn turned her attention back to the north.
Ace emerged from the shrubbery behind her. He eased up beside her and gave her a cool glance. “I’m not Erik, but I gave him my word I’d have your back.” His voice was detached, but a muscle tightened in his jaw.
Kaitlyn’s eyes narrowed on Ace’s face for a long minute. She shrugged, if Erik trusted him with her life that was good enough for her. That was good enough for her. Using hand signals, she gestured to the northwest, up the ridge, indicating their path. Kaitlyn grabbed ahold of an exposed tree root, dug her heels in and pulled herself up. The rugged terrain was both friend and foe. After a twenty-six minute, climb they finally made it to flat ground.
Ace leaned against a tree catching his breath. Kaitlyn waited for his heart rate to settle.
; “Alpha 3, Dasvoik and three men are approaching from the East,” Lucas said.
Kate stopped in her tracks, and her body went rigid. Her gaze raked the terrain. A red bull’s-eye flashed. Dasvoik. She would know that face anywhere. He turned his head in their direction, his back stiffened, as if he sensed them. But he was still too far away to see her with unaided human eyes.
Kaitlyn shouldered the rifle and pulled a Glock 9mm from her hip. Ace picked up and tossed a rock to the left of them. Dasvoik and his men spun in that direction. The three of them separated.
Smart.
“The one in the middle is mine,” Kaitlyn said softly, gaze never leaving Dasvoik.
Ace nodded. He raised his rifle and picked off the guy to the left and then the one to the right dropped.
Dasvoik took off in a sprint, clearly at home in the woods. She held her hand up to Ace to wait. She wanted him to think he had a chance of getting away. The man liked to play games.
After a few moments, they gave chase.
Kaitlyn maneuvered quickly through thick shrubs. She broke free and caught a brief glimpse of the target between the trees. He was getting careless. Why had he allowed them see him? Perhaps he was getting tired. They had been running for a very long time, but self preservation should have kicked in..
Or he was trying to lure them into a trap.
She picked up speed. Ace kicked it up a notch as well. She wondered how long Dasvoik could keep up this pace. He was running on pure adrenaline at this point.
If he was aware of her little game of cat and mouse, he never let on. They both knew she could have taken Dasvoik out already, but she wanted it to be up close and personal.
She paused, listening. He crashed loudly through the forest.
Kaitlyn circled left to get behind the target closing the distance.
Another gunman stepped out. Kaitlyn pivoted, squeezed the trigger, the gunman fell and heaved.
Why was he slowing?
She had him in her sites. Lowering the gun slightly, she shot him in the thigh. Just like Erik had been hit. Dasvoik dropped to the ground, groaning with pain. With one arm, he swung his rifle in an arc spraying bullets.