by Rebecca Deel
“You better not be wrong.” Maddox ended the call.
Zane shoved his phone into his pocket and wheeled into the gym. Claire was the first to notice his approach. Her face lit. As he drew near, the soft conversation dropped to nothing.
“Well?” Quinn asked.
“Maddox agreed.”
Hollis’ mouth dropped. “You called Maddox? I thought you said there was someone else, someone with computer skills. The other mole will know you contacted the boss. How stupid can you be?”
“No one will know.” He didn’t bother to explain. As his friend Remy had said in the past, you just couldn’t fix stupid and Hollis appeared to be just that. He and Remy exchanged glances. Yep, the Cajun’s eyes reflected Zane’s feelings perfectly.
“Well?” Moore asked. “What’s the plan?”
“Hollis,” Nate said. “You and Moore return to the motel. You’re due here at six tomorrow morning.”
The other man’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t trust us.”
“No, we don’t.”
Durango’s EOD man didn’t bother pulling his verbal punches. What was the point? Adam’s team was doomed to be split up. Moore and Hollis might want to remain with Adam, but Zane wasn’t banking on Claire’s brother wanting to work with them again. Too many questions about their loyalty. Zane would have packed them off to another team, preferably another company altogether. If he couldn’t trust them, no way did he want them at his back on a mission or at home. The two operatives glanced at each other, got to their feet, and left without another word.
Zane watched them walk away without a second of guilt weighing down his conscience. The less people who knew what was going on, the better. They’d bring Eli and Jon up to speed along with Josh and Alex. Everyone else was out of the loop. If Adam was still alive, this may be their only chance to keep him that way.
“Do we need to leave?” Del asked. “It’s okay, you know. We understand if it’s better for us not to know what’s going on.”
“But you don’t like it,” Nate said.
“That’s a given, babe.” This from his wife. “Just tell us what we need to do. I’m due at the station in an hour.”
“It’s safer for you if you don’t know the details,” Zane said, deciding to take pity on Josh, Alex, Rio, and Nate, and make the call himself. Their women could be trusted. Collins, however, wouldn’t hesitate to torture information from them if he thought they knew anything worth his while. He glanced at Claire. He figured his chances of keeping her from too much information were between slim and nil. His bet was on nil.
“No.” She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not leaving. Collins already thinks I’m the key to forcing Adam into talking. I want to know why I’m a target.”
Zane gave a slow nod even as his heart sank. He hadn’t expected a different response from her. He didn’t like it, but he understood her reasoning. Her brother’s life was on the line and, based on the events of the last few days, so was hers. If their situations were reversed, Zane would insist on knowing everything he could, doing anything necessary to save his own siblings.
“Come on, ladies,” Del said. “Let’s go to the break room. I want off my feet while the guys hash out the details with Claire.”
“Sounds good to me. My feet and legs are killing me.” Darcy reached up to kiss Rio, then followed in Del’s wake with Stella close behind.
“Hope you guys treat those women like the treasures they are,” Quinn said. “I don’t know any other woman who would have given in without feeling hurt about being asked to leave.”
“Be patient.” Rio smiled. “You haven’t met the right woman yet, buddy.”
“Rub it in, why don’t you,” he muttered.
Nate and Rio chuckled. Claire shook her head, amusement in her gaze. From Zane’s point of view, Quinn was right. Those ladies were treasures.
“So Maddox agreed to the plan.” With a sigh, Nate sat in the chair vacated by Moore and stretched his legs out in front of him. “Any concerns?”
“Not much,” Zane said, his tone dry. “Just the possibility of getting on Uncle Sam’s bad side, being blackballed, and causing Fortress to go belly up.”
“Is that all?”
“Aside from threatening me with redoing the entire computer security system if we’re still in business? No, nothing else.”
“Was Maddox serious?” Claire asked.
“Oh, yeah. He meant it. Said Jon and I wouldn’t be allowed any time off until we reprogrammed the whole system if we miscalculated.”
Rio made a face. “Maddox will run all of us ragged if the plan fails. I don’t know about the rest of you boys, but I have plans in the near future. I don’t want to spend weeks away from Darcy.”
Nate and Quinn both flinched. Zane understood. He didn’t want to be away from Claire. He wouldn’t take Fortress down or lose Adam. He didn’t care what the government thought of him or his skills. The only opinions that mattered to Zane belonged to Maddox and Claire. No way would he torpedo his friend’s dream company or shatter his girlfriend’s trust in him.
“So what’s the big plan?” Claire asked.
“Leak classified information Collins won’t be able to resist.”
She frowned. “What kind of information?”
“The kind that could cost lives if we’re wrong.”
“It will be fake, right?” Silence greeted her statement. Color drained from her face. “Zane, no. Adam wouldn’t want to be rescued at the expense of innocent people’s lives.”
“It’s the only way, baby. The information has to be high value enough to drag Collins from his cave. It’s also the best way to capture the computer hacker at Fortress. We have to plug the leak and blind Collins to our movements. Otherwise we don’t have much hope of rescuing Adam.”
“But how many people might die if we miscalculate?”
He stared at her, astonished that she would classify herself as bearing part of the blame for a failure. Nothing could be further from the truth. His admiration of her grew. “Too many,” he said simply.
“That’s not an acceptable risk. I can’t live with that and I don’t even know what’s at stake.”
“A mother lode of germs that we’re supposed to transport to the CDC.”
“Aw, man, not that mission.” Rio scowled. “I can’t believe Maddox signed off on that.”
“Wait a minute.” Claire edged closer to Zane. “Germs going to the CDC? That can’t be good. What kind of germs do they need transported with Fortress protection?”
“The kind that can be turned into a biochemical weapon when loaded into a long-range missile.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Claire forced her weary body out of bed early the next morning though she felt as if a truck had run her over. Her body ached and her brain worked at the speed of molasses. Not good. Maybe if she drank a swimming pool of coffee she might feel human.
Her lips twitched. Since the swimming pool of coffee idea wasn’t good for her stomach or kidneys, Claire supposed a run might be a better option. If she was allowed out of the house on a run. Well, if not, she bet Rio had exercise equipment somewhere. All the Fortress guys looked like they worked out all the time, Zane included.
She dragged her jogging clothes from her bag, yanked them on along with her running shoes, and stepped into the hallway. The sound of keys clicking on a keyboard greeted her. Zane? She frowned. When she’d gone to sleep long after midnight, Zane had still been awake, pounding away on his laptop. From his side of the conversation with Jon, his teammate was also working on his own laptop late into the night. Claire followed the sound to the living room where Zane stretched out on the couch, computer on his lap.
He glanced up as she crossed the threshold, though Claire was positive she hadn’t made a sound. Zane checked his watch. “You’re up early. Couldn’t sleep?”
“You’re a fine one to talk, Murphy.” Claire folded her arms. “Did you rest at all?”
“Enough.”
She rolled her eyes. What was it with these macho guys? Adam was just as bad Zane and his friends. “Right. I need to go for a run. Will that be possible or should I look for Rio’s home gym?” She prayed he wouldn’t make her choose that option. She might end up grumpier than she was already.
“The gym is in the garage. I think it’s safe enough to go for a run, though, if you’d prefer.”
Relief settled over her. “I hate running on a treadmill.”
“Boring,” he agreed. “I need a change of scenery when I run.” Zane’s lips curved upward. “Well, roll now.”
“Come with me. We both could use fresh air.” And while his main concern was her safety, Claire needed to take care of him as well. After working all night, he needed a few minutes’ break. She suspected Zane would be back at that keyboard as soon as they returned, creating the trap for the second traitor in their ranks.
“All right.” He tapped a few keys, then closed the laptop lid. “Why don’t you get two bottles of water? I think Lily put a 12-pack of water in the refrigerator before she conked out last night. I’ll stick them in one of my chair pockets.”
“Nice.” She smiled. “You’re a handy man to have around.” Claire went to the kitchen and grabbed the bottles. The coffeemaker gleamed on the counter. Hmm. A piping hot mug of coffee sounded perfect after a run and shower. At the very least, she could make a pot for Remy and Lily to wake up to. By the time she finished prepping the machine and pressing the brew button, Zane rolled into the room, shoulder holster and weapon in place under his black colored zippered hoodie. Oh, yes, her boyfriend took her safety seriously.
“Ready?”
“Can I tell you a secret?”
“Sure. I’m a vault when I need to be.”
“The truth is I hate jogging.”
He blinked. “Why do you run, then? There are other ways to exercise.”
“True. I hate the other methods as well. This one, at least, is finished the fastest. I jog because it conditions my legs for long photo shoots or lengthy walks to find the perfect shot.”
“Makes sense about the conditioning.” A wry smile appeared. “In BUD/S, we swore the instructors ran our legs off.”
She winced. “How far did you run every day?”
“A lot of miles, babe. Painful conditioning, but it saved our hides on more than one mission over the years.” He inclined his head toward the living room. “Let’s roll.”
Claire grinned, appreciating his sense of humor, and preceded him.
When she reached the door, he murmured, “Wait.” Zane turned off the alarm and opened the door. He rolled out onto the porch, then remained motionless for a couple minutes, only his head moving as he surveyed the sleeping neighborhood. “Come ahead.”
“I don’t suppose you know which direction to go?”
He cast her a look of amusement. “I might have asked Rio for his favorite route.”
She stopped, stared at him a moment. “How did you know I run? I don’t remember mentioning it.”
Zane cleared his throat. “A guess on my part.”
“Based on?”
“The muscle tone of your legs.”
She laughed softly at Zane’s sheepish expression. “Good guess. If it makes you feel better, I noticed your broad shoulders and ripped arms and abs.”
His lips curved. “Glad you approve.”
“So which way, Mr. Murphy?”
“Left.”
“Ground rules?” She knew he had some. Probably more than a few.
“Stay on the sidewalk. If I tell you to hit the ground, do it immediately. I may not have time to explain why I’m giving you that order.”
Nausea bubbled in her stomach. She glanced around, feeling as if a whole host of kidnappers watched in the darkness, waiting for another chance to snatch her. She needed to run, but Claire didn’t want Zane exposed to a possible sniper’s bullet. And where had the idea of a sniper’s bullet come from? So far, the kidnappers had been inept or failed in their mission. None of the others had been a threat like Simmons. Yet the Fortress operative had still failed, thanks to Durango and Zane. Still, Simmons might have a buddy who was a sniper. Surely a man with as many resources as Collins would have a sniper or two on his payroll or, if not, knew where to find one. The shiver wracking her body had nothing to do with the cold wind making the bare tree branches sway.
“Don’t let them win,” Zane said.
Claire dragged her thoughts from the twisting paths of her mind, gaze snapping back to his. “What?”
“If you give in to fear, they win.”
“What if something happens?” Just the thought of something happening to Zane because of her made Claire long to race back inside and yank the covers over her head. That action would accomplish nothing except make her furious with herself. She couldn’t imagine that this amazing man would appreciate being thought weak, unable to protect her or himself. She would never do that to him. He’d had enough blows in his life without a perceived lack of faith from her. She couldn’t hurt him that way, no matter how afraid she was.
“I’ll handle it.” He tugged on a pair of black fingerless gloves.
And just like that some of the fear left and the knots in her muscles loosened. How could she have forgotten? Zane was a Navy SEAL. He’d seen more than enough action and was highly trained. Compared to what he’d already been through, Collins’ people didn’t stand a chance against him. Being afraid was okay. Being paralyzed by that fear was unacceptable. Zane was correct. Giving in to fear would hand power over her to Collins. She might as well trot up to his compound and surrender.
She straightened her shoulders and raised her chin. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of keeping her caged. With a short nod, she started off at a slow jog until her muscles warmed.
“How far do you normally run?” Zane asked.
“Three miles.” She glanced over her shoulder to see his powerful muscles easily propelling his chair along the sidewalk. Had to appreciate a man with that kind of muscle power. “How many miles are you comfortable with?” Claire was careful not to specify if the comfort was the distance from the house or his own physical ability. She needn’t have worried, though.
“A lot more than three.” Amusement laced his voice.
Of course. Why had she even doubted? “Yeah, yeah, rub it in, buddy.”
Soft laughter was his response to her snarky statement. Within a few blocks, Claire picked up the pace. Never a speed demon, she stretched into her normal jogging rhythm which was probably slow motion to the man keeping pace with her. The air she sucked into her lungs was cold enough that a cloud of vapor formed every time she exhaled.
Every few minutes a vehicle drove by. Each time, she heard Zane close the gap between them until the vehicle passed without incident. He let her know when they’d reached the halfway point.
“How do you know?” she demanded. Distances were not her thing. The only way Claire knew she jogged three miles was by driving her normal route when curiosity made her check it a few months before moving to Nashville. She took the same route, though Adam cautioned her against doing that, insisting at the very least that she vary the time of day. While she wasn’t creative with the route, even in her new hometown, Claire did take her brother’s advice to heart and changed the time she ran.
“I know how far Rio runs and I memorized the mile markings.”
She shook her head in amazement. She turned at the next corner and started back to Rio’s house. By the time they entered the house, Claire was breathing hard. Zane, however, had barely broken a sweat. “Could you at least look a little winded? This is mildly embarrassing for me, you know.”
He chuckled and tossed her the remaining bottle of water, then removed his gloves. “Feel better?”
She nodded and guzzled half the water, then set the bottle aside and dropped to the living room floor to stretch her muscles. The last thing she needed was muscle cramps. “The walls were closing in on me. So how much p
rogress did you make last night?”
“A good bit. Another couple hours and I should have the information tucked away in a secure area of the Fortress database.”
“Isn’t the information already available in the system?”
“Only two people know about this mission to date. The government insisted on complete secrecy.”
“Let me guess. You and Maddox?”
A nod. “It seemed best that way. We never talked about the mission details at work and will choose the protection team right before the mission.”
“At least you’re sure who has the information.”
“It helps us figure out who the second traitor is. Collins’ inside man already set me up as a traitor. I guarantee I’ll get the blame for a security breach and compromised mission.”
Claire leaned against the wall, arms wrapped around one knee. “It will be a long time before you’re fully trusted again by the other operatives. And even then, some operatives will refuse to work with you. The trust you spent the past year building will be destroyed.”
“I know.” His voice was soft, the look in his eyes stark.
“It’s not fair, Zane.” Knowing he was a scapegoat made Claire ache. He’d given most of his waking hours to those men and women, laboring long hours to keep them safe just as he had Adam.
“No one said life was fair, baby. If it was, I wouldn’t be riding an iron horse the rest of my life. Look, I have to trust Maddox will spread the word and deal with the fallout as it comes. There isn’t another choice.”
“Did Jon make progress?” Claire’s stomach grew tight as she waited for his answer. Jon was scouring the Internet and delving into Collins’ communication and computer network to locate Adam.
Before he responded to her question, his cell phone chirped with an incoming message. Zane pulled the phone from his pocket, glanced at it. His eyes widened. “It’s Jon. He found a reference that might relate to your brother.”