“It will happen,” Jax said, his eyes hard.
“Agreed,” Vinnie said softly.
Raze reached for her hand. “I want a soldier on Vinnie for every interview. If Sami is called somewhere else or is on a different mission, no interviews take place unless one of us is there.”
“Understood,” Jax said. “How was scouting?”
“It was a bust,” Tace said, kicking back in his chair. His ankle ached from tripping over a pile of bodies earlier. “We went inner city and looked through all the home construction businesses we found in the phone book, and none of them had explosives left.”
“Find anything?” Lynne asked.
“Some prescription drugs, canned food, toilet paper, tools, and gas,” Raze said. “Wasn’t a bad day, but no explosives.”
“Shit. Maybe it’s time to reach out to the Mercs,” Jax said. “But from the list Sami put together, they have weapons and ammo . . . and no real explosives. That is if all the depots have the same resources.”
Sami nodded. “Oh, if they had explosives like we need, Greyson would keep them close and in that depot I found. The Mercs are heavy in medicine but not explosives.”
Tace winced. “I’d rather take the Bunker first and then call them in. There’s a chance they’d cut us out if possible, and you know it. Right now we have the advantage because we’re the only ones who know the location. That will probably change soon.”
“Yeah.” Jax turned and stared at the board. “Guns aren’t enough to infiltrate and then defend ourselves.”
Tace cocked his head to the side. “I have an idea, and it’s crazy, but it’s the only one I can think of.”
Jax arched an eyebrow. “I’m intrigued.”
“Our first option is to try to take explosives from the Mercs, but that creates an instant enemy, and we might not survive it,” Tace murmured. “Plus, the Mercs are prepared and waiting for us to make a move after Sami and I scouted the place from within.”
“I doubt they have the explosives we need,” Jax said thoughtfully. “Sami is right. If Grey has the good stuff, at least some of it would’ve been in the centralized depot she saw. I’m guessing the Mercs don’t have C4 or grenades.”
“So the odd idea?” Lynne asked Tace.
Odd? It was fucking crazy. “There’s only one group we know of that definitely has explosives,” Tace said.
The room was quiet for a moment.
“Have you lost your mind?” Sami was the first to connect and react.
“Probably,” Tace said. “But they won’t be expecting an attack. Hell, all we’ve done is hunker down and defend ourselves . . . unless they’ve forced our hand. Let’s take the fight to the president and the Elite Force and acquire their explosives.”
Jax stared at him, his mind obviously calculating the odds. “They won’t be expecting it.”
Raze nodded. “Downside is that they’ll know it’s us and they’re bound to retaliate.”
“Yes,” Sami said, her brow furrowed. “And if they wait until we go take the Bunker, our forces will be split, leaving Vanguard vulnerable. We’re pretty strong right now, even against the president, but that would change.”
Vinnie cleared her throat. “We can’t go in alone—not to fight the president and his force. What if we ally with the Mercs? I mean, tell them the plan to get the explosives, but later on when we are attacking, we don’t let them know the location of the Bunker until we get there?”
“And risk a double cross at the location?” Raze countered.
“We have to trust somebody at some point,” Lynne said quietly.
“No, we don’t.” Jax rubbed her shoulder to soften the point. “I’m just fine not trusting anybody but Vanguard. However, to infiltrate the Bunker and also protect Vanguard, we need to bring in the Mercenary soldiers. How do we do that and not give them an edge?”
“There’s always blackmail,” Raze muttered.
Jax snorted. “Speaking of which, it seems Greyson Storm has a thing for your sister. Think rationally, don’t freak out, and let me know if there’s a way to use that.”
“There isn’t,” Raze said shortly.
“All righty then.” Jax leaned back. “Let’s keep Damon Winter here since he’s in place to infiltrate the Pure with April Snyder, and maybe we can trade his safe return to Merc territory to gain some cooperation.” Jax held up a hand when Lynne started to argue. “We’ll just hint at it—nothing overt.”
“You’re assuming Grey gives a crap about Damon,” Raze said.
Tace nodded. “I think he does. They seemed like friends to me, and Grey won’t want one of the few people he seems to like killed by us.”
“Okay. Send scouts to Merc territory under the cover of darkness tonight and invite Greyson here for a meeting—let’s see if he has the balls to enter Vanguard alone. We’ll let him in on the plan to attack the president of the United States and take explosives—we can agree on some sort of split.” Jax stood and started sticking papers over the drawings of the Bunker. “We don’t tell him about the Bunker or why we want explosives.”
“Let it slip that we want them for protection and to blow up that apartment building across the way that we’ve wanted to get rid of forever,” Tace said. “We have to give him some sort of explanation.”
“Grey isn’t stupid,” Sami interjected. “But having explosives would be good, and he can probably see Jax making a move like that. A crazy one.”
Jax nodded. “Good. I like having them think I’m a wild card.”
“You mean you’re not?” Raze asked, his lip twitching.
“I may have mellowed a little,” Jax said, his gaze on Lynne.
“Not even close,” she countered, smiling.
Jax pushed back from the table. “All right. We meet again, all of us, when Greyson is here tomorrow morning, and I want Maureen present. Just to observe their interaction.”
“There’s nothing between Greyson Storm and my sister,” Raze said in a near growl.
“He sent her a letter, dude.” Jax assisted Lynne to her feet. “I just want to watch.” He tilted his head toward Vinnie. “You keep an eye and profile him, Doc. Get me into his head.”
Vinnie nodded. “No problem.”
Tace stood. “Sami? I’ll walk you up. We need to talk.”
The room fell completely silent. What a bunch of busybodies.
Sami looked around, paled, and rushed to her feet. “Fine.” She hustled by him, and her scent of wild orchids surrounded him, providing an odd sense of comfort and grounding him. Then it hit him. He could smell her scent. His sense of smell had come back.
He turned to follow her, his gaze straying to her fit ass in the cargo pants. Hopefully, he hadn’t bruised her the previous night while making his point. She needed to be at full strength if they were actually dumb enough to attack the president and his Elite Force.
She stomped up the stairs and down the hallway, shoving open her door.
Damn it. He had to get her a new door and some sort of lock. “I guess we talk here.”
She moved inside and dropped into the chair facing the sofa. “I have no idea what we have to say to each other.”
Yeah, he got that. It was time to be completely honest, even though he had no clue if he had feelings, much less what they were. Yet something about her called to him, and he grabbed on to it with both hands. “I want to make a go of it. Like Lynne and Jax. Raze and Vinnie.”
Sami blinked. “I lied to you.”
“Yeah, but I don’t care.” There were a whole lot of other words to add to that, but he couldn’t find them. “You like me, you’re attracted to me, and I’ll try not to turn into a sociopath.”
“That’s quite an offer.” She flipped a braid over her shoulder. “There’s something I didn’t tell everyone.”
He paused. More secrets? “What’s that?”
She swallowed. “The dizziness from rejecting the B doesn’t abate for a while, even after the cure. It might take some time.”
Great. “Why didn’t you tell them?”
She lifted a shoulder, vulnerability darkening her eyes. “I figured you could tell them if you want.”
The little sweetheart. She was still protecting him. “It’d kill me if Jax benched me right now,” he said.
Sami nodded. “I know.”
“Thank you for not saying anything.” If he still had a heart, and he probably did, the pretty soldier had just claimed it for her own. “I guess it’s you and me, huh?”
“Yeah. Tell me if you’re struggling, if you feel off, and we’ll figure it out.”
His leg shot out as if a doctor had tested his reflexes. He frowned. “I’m still obsessing about you.”
“Who can blame you? I’m awesome in bed.” She grinned.
He swayed. His knees buckled, and he went down.
Sami dove for him, turning him and helping him land on his back. “Tace?”
“That was sudden,” he ground out, his vision turning black. Fire flicked up his spine and exploded at the base of his neck. “It’s happening more often and I’m blacking out more quickly.” He moaned, and his body started to convulse.
A fist pounded on the door, but he couldn’t move.
“What?” Sami bellowed.
“Greyson and several Mercs just stormed the castle without waiting for an invite,” Jax yelled back. “They came for Damon. I need you two downstairs and now.”
Tace’s head thumped against the floor, and Sami pressed a hand to his forehead.
“We’re naked but will be right down,” Sami called. She leaned down, her mouth at his ear. “You’ll be okay, Tace. I promise.” The soft kiss to his ear was the best sensation he’d ever felt, even though his body was disintegrating rapidly.
* * *
Tace ignored Jax’s glare as he and Sami returned to the war room at least ten minutes after Jax had pounded on the door. “Sorry we’re late.”
Sami adjusted her shirt. “You wanted us to make up.”
Damn, she was kind. Acting like they’d been having wild sex instead of his having seizures that had left his legs still weak. Tace drew out a chair for her before dropping into his own.
His hands shook, so he kept them under the table.
Greyson Storm sat at the table with Damon Winter next to him. The Merc leader wore a pissed-off expression. “Somebody could’ve sent word that Damon was all right here.”
Jax shrugged from the head of the table. “We figured you’d send a scout at some point, and no way was I putting one of my guys at risk to send you a Candygram.”
Lynne sat next to him with Vinnie and Raze on that side of the table.
Ah. Somebody had made sure Raze and Greyson were too far apart to start throwing punches. Smart.
“Then we’ll be going now,” Greyson said.
Maureen Shadow crossed into the room, tying her long hair up in a band and covering a yawn. “You called for me, Jax?” She stopped short at seeing Greyson at the table.
Grey sat up straighter. “Maureen. How are you?”
“Greyson.” She dropped her arms to her sides, her face flushing a lovely pink. “What’s going on here?”
Grey turned toward Jax. “Are you willing to let Maureen work on food resources in our territory?”
“Whoa.” Maureen held up a hand. “I make my own decisions, men.”
Sami nodded vigorously.
“We’re willing to consider an agreement between Vanguard and the Mercenaries to develop food resources, if you’ll provide us with ten soldiers for a mission up north,” Jax said easily. “That is, if Maureen agrees, of course.”
“Of course,” Greyson said, his gaze remaining on Maureen.
Raze scowled at his sister. “I don’t like this.”
“You don’t have to,” Maureen returned.
“What’s the mission?” Greyson asked.
“No questions asked. We just need ten more guys to attack a holding up north and steal ammunition and explosives. Then we can discuss food development.” Jax crossed his arms.
“I’m in,” Damon said.
“No.” Jax shook his head. “The second part of the deal is that Damon stays here, undercover, and works his way into the Pure group. You’ll have to denounce Merc territory as unsafe. Temporarily.”
Greyson frowned at Damon. “What have you gotten into?”
“An undercover operation,” Damon said, grinning. “They did save my life.”
“So you said,” Greyson muttered, obviously concerned for his friend. Hell, the leader had come himself to find Damon even after Jax had threatened to shoot him if he took one step inside Vanguard territory. Grey studied Maureen and then Jax. “Damon said the president’s men attacked him.”
Jax nodded.
“I’m guessing you’re planning the dumbest thing you’ve done so far and attacking the president and his Elite Force. That’s the only way you’d ask for my help.” Grey glanced at Damon. “If we do this, it’s all-out war with the president.”
Damon lost his smile. “Anybody know if the Brigade is with the Elite Force?”
Jax shook his head. “Last we heard, nobody quite knew where the Brigade ended up.” He reached out and ran a hand down Lynne’s arm. “The leader, McDougall, is married to Lynne’s best friend, so we’re hoping they’re safe somewhere.”
Greyson glanced at Lynne. “All right.”
Jax eyed the Merc leader. “So. You in or out?”
Greyson met his gaze. “We’re in, so long as Maureen agrees to come back to Merc territory and work on food resources after we get back. I want her word as well as yours, and I decide when she’s finished. Oh, and half of the explosives are ours.”
Jax looked up. “Moe?”
“Agreed,” she said, giving her brother a look and obviously avoiding Grey’s contemplative gaze.
What was up with those two? Jax nodded. “We have a deal. Let’s start planning—I want to attack after dark tomorrow night.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
No risk, no reward . . . but shit. This is fuckin’ crazy.
—Jax Mercury
Sami held tight to Jax’s waist as he expertly maneuvered the dirt bike through rubble and pieces of glass, her mind on Tace in the truck a mile or so behind them. While she understood the need to separate them, she didn’t like it. Not one bit. What if he had another episode?
Barbara was covering Tace, and he was along only because he’d freaked out at the thought of being left behind. If he was anybody else, Jax would’ve shot him.
They reached Lake Tahoe and skirted the southern end, stopping at the edge of the park. Sami jumped off the bike and helped Jax hide it in the trees. “The mansion is a good choice for defense,” she whispered.
The moon shone down, highlighting the harsh angles of Jax’s face. “The president isn’t an idiot.”
She nodded and drew a knife from her back pocket. They’d stopped to gather ten Merc soldiers, and combined with the twenty Vanguard fighters, there were thirty of them. The plan was to infiltrate from three angles, not counting the lake. “I came here once on a Girl Scout trip,” she whispered.
Jax lifted his head. “You were a Girl Scout?”
“Till I got kicked out.” She grinned.
He nodded. “I told everyone you were forgiven because I need unity on the mission.”
Her stomach dropped. “Am I forgiven?”
“Yes, but don’t ever lie to me again.” Jax’s expression was edged with somber determination.
“I won’t.” Of course, she was keeping the full extent of Tace’s problems from Jax. She’d made her choice, and her first loyalty was to Tace Justice. Sure it had happened quickly, but that didn’t change the way she felt. If anybody could understand that fact, it’d be Jax, because of his feelings for Lynne. “Thanks for letting me stay at Vanguard.”
Jax checked the clip of his gun. “You’re family, Sami. No matter what you do, that’s the beginning and the end of it.”
Sami paus
ed and warmth infused her. “Ah, Jax.”
He looked up. “That doesn’t mean I won’t ground your ass at base for life if you fuck up again.”
Yeah, he kind of sounded like an older brother. “Right.”
“Are you and Justice on the same page now?”
She breathed out. “Well, if you consider us both lost in the woods along a windy trail with alligators snapping at our heels, then yeah, we’re on the same page.”
Jax tucked the gun away and frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”
The man really didn’t work with analogies, did he? “We’re finding our way.”
“Ah.” Jax unsnapped a knife from his calf. “So long as it doesn’t get in the way of the mission, take your time. There’s no hurry, you know.”
“Says the guy who claimed Lynne as his own within hours of her arriving at Vanguard,” Sami murmured.
He grinned. “She’s mine. Time wouldn’t have changed that fact.”
The air changed just a bit, and Tace came into view with Raze and Barbara. Sami’s shoulders settled, and her focus narrowed. All right. They had been working together for over a month, and there was comfort to be found in that.
Even if they were going on a suicide mission.
Raze crouched and unfolded a map they’d dug up to lay on the dirt. “I say we search the outbuildings before hitting the mansion. Chances are we’ll find plenty of explosives stored close to the mansion but not inside.”
Jax nodded. “Agreed. Each team either has a map or a set of drawings to find the outbuildings.” He glanced up at the waning moon. “We might even have cloud cover for a while. If anybody gets a bead on the president or VP Lake, take them out. No hesitation.”
“No problem,” Tace said easily.
Jax gave a hand motion. “Let’s go.”
They moved through the trees silently, reaching the first of several outbuildings. The scent of pine surrounded them. Jax pried open the door. Old inner tubes and life jackets filled the shack along with spiderwebs and rat droppings.
They moved on. Jax suddenly held up a hand, and they all stopped.
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