In the Black

by Cynthia Rayne

  Ellie knew the Navy SEALs were very particular about who they let in, and a felony conviction would disqualify a candidate.

  “What about your mom and sister?”

  “They had it pretty bad. My mom lost her home because Max was the primary breadwinner, and she couldn’t make the payments on her own. She ended up in a homeless shelter. My sister lived with our aunt, and I don’t know the rest.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  “I’m the black sheep of my family. My mom visited me at first, but she stopped comin ’after a bit. And she never brought Kim to see me. I think they both blamed me for breakin’ up our home. I haven’t spoken to them in years.”

  Ellie could tell it pained him and the wound was still fresh. Once they’d gotten through all this madness, Ellie would push him to look for his mother and sister. He needed to contact them and make peace, if only for his own sanity.

  “You were pushed into—”

  “I had a choice, Ellie, but I made the wrong call.” Zane shrugged. “I fucked up. We all do.”

  “Yeah, we do, but isn’t it time to forgive yourself?”

  Zane patted Bomber, focusing on the dog, instead of her. “You don’t understand, Ellie, I got off on it. I liked making him suffer. He deserved it for the way he terrorized us. For once, I had power over him, and I relished it. I—”

  Ellie was still, waiting for him to continue.

  “I lost more than my family. Or I gained somethin’, depending on how you look at it. I have a willingness to do whatever it takes to protect the people I care about, regardless of the consequences.” And then he met her gaze evenly. “No matter what taboos I must break, or what I have to sacrifice.”

  Ellie had no doubt, she’d seen his determination firsthand.

  “I don’t have the inhibitions most people do. Maybe because of the way I was raised. I grew up in a household without limits where anythin’ could and did happen. I don’t stop. Not until I’m floatin’ in the black, and it swallows me whole.”

  A shiver raced down her spine, but Ellie was curiously warm, too. Zane’s love for her was palpable, like a heartbeat. How had she not seen it before?

  “I’m here with you. For you.”

  Zane shook his head. “How can you be? After what I told you? I’m a monster, Ellie.”

  “No, you’re a protector. My guardian.”

  Without thinking, Ellie slanted her mouth over his, kissing him, letting Zane know he wasn’t alone. And if she had her way, he’d never be alone again.

  And then she pulled back to gauge his expression.

  “You kissed me.” Zane was dumbstruck.

  Ellie smiled. “You noticed, huh?”

  “And you aren’t gonna walk away from me?” He frowned, shamed and bewildered.

  Never. “No, but we can talk about it tomorrow.” Ellie stifled a yawn. Suddenly, she was exhausted. They had a lot to work out, but it could wait until morning. “Can I stay with you tonight? I don’t wanna be alone.”

  Ellie expected him to protest, but instead Zane nodded.

  And Ellie curled up beside him, fell asleep, wrapped in Zane’s arms.

  She’d never felt safer. Or more at home.

  Chapter 11

  A knock on the door broke the silence.

  Groaning, Ellie rolled over and collided with Zane’s chest.

  She smiled. They’d spent the night together. Again. Yet, they hadn’t touched one another, beyond some cuddling. This had to be a record. Although, they still hadn’t sorted everything out. They had a long conversation ahead of them.

  Ellie wanted to be with him, assuming she didn’t end up in jail, of course. And Zane would probably resist her every step of the way. It’s a good thing I’m stubborn.

  And then the knocking started up again.

  “Who is it?” she whispered furiously.

  “Stormy. Open up.”

  “Now isn’t the best time.”

  “Hey. Wait a minute. You two spent the night together?”

  Ugh. Why can’t people around here mind their own damn business? She slipped out of bed and opened the door.

  His lip curled. “Well, damn. How was it?”

  Ellie just stared at him.

  He groaned, totally put out.

  “What’s up?”

  “I’ve got a lead.” He jumped from one foot back to the other.

  “What is it?” And then she noticed his eyebrow kept jerking like it was pulled by an invisible string. Was Storm tweaking?

  “Okay, what did you take? An energy drink?”

  “I don’t do energy drinks.” His nose wrinkled. “That stuff’s poison.”

  “Then what’s wrong with you?”

  “Caffeine.” His eyes widened. “Lots and lots of caffeine. Don’t worry, it was all organic, with a bit of raw sugar. I stayed up all night to get this done.”

  “Fine, I’ll get Zane up, and we’ll meet you downstairs.”

  He went back down the hallway, almost tapdancing as he went.

  “And Storm? Maybe you should lay off the coffee? Stick to water.”

  “Excellent idea.”

  ***

  “And they never mentioned a hideout, right?” Storm asked.

  Ellie shook her head.

  They were in the tech center, and Storm had explained they didn’t need to know what the target was. They could stop it from happening after they found the group’s “evil layer” and those were the exact words he used, as though Black Star was hunting down a Bond villain.

  Evidently, he’d found references to it on the message board. He’d done everything he could think of to suss out its location, but he’d come up empty.

  Zane watched Storm with bemusement, and Ellie was distracted by him too. He couldn’t stay still. He kept pacing back and forth, fidgeting with pens, tapping out a rhythm against his pant leg. Anything to keep moving.

  “You’re absolutely sure?” Storm asked, clearly grasping at straws.

  “Dave and his buddies took off together for hours at a time, but I never knew where they went. I assumed they were hangin’ out at Marshall’s place.”

  “It was worth a shot.” Storm sighed. “Maybe you can get the information anyway. We need some answers, and I think you have the best shot at getting them.”

  “You want me to interrogate him?” Ellie didn’t wanna be alone in a room with Dave again. And she had no clue what to say to him. Besides, both Storm and Zane had failed. Why would she have any success if they didn’t?”

  “She isn’t doing this.” Zane shook his head. “It’s insane. The man beat her to a bloody pulp.”

  “I don’t like it either, but we are running out of time. Memorial Day’s 48 hours away and the target could be anything.” Storm lifted his chin. “It’s at least worth a try.”

  “No, we’ll let Nox have a go with him.”

  “Great. Maybe Dave will end up in intensive care, where he’s useless to us. What do you think, Ellie?” Storm asked pointedly.

  “I want to help, but I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. I’ve never grilled anybody before.”

  “Don’t think of it like that. You’re not grilling him. It’s only a conversation with a purpose. We need to know where their compound is. Just focus on that.”

  “And how do I get him to talk?” Dave had clammed up with everyone. According to Storm, he’d only defended his actions with Zane but hadn’t offered anything useful.

  “Use emotion, like Zane. Only you’ve got a better one to exploit. Love opens doors anger can’t. You two have had a connection for a long time, and those feelings are still there, although they might be buried pretty deep.”

  Zane turned to look her way, assessing Ellie.

  “I’m not in love with him. I haven’t been for a long time.”

  He nodded.

  Ellie needed to be alone with him. She had to talk to him, tell Zane how she felt about him, before it was too late.

  Storm cleared his throat.

 
; “Okay, I’ll try.”

  “Thank you.”

  Zane squeezed her hand. “And we’ll be right outside, in case anything goes wrong.”

  With a deep breath, she followed Stormy and Zane to the small room on the other side of the armory. There was a keypad on the handle.

  “What is this place?”

  “For lack of a better term, a prison cell,” Zane said tightly. “West figured it might come in handy one day, and he was right.”

  “Don’t worry, he’s been calm. We wouldn’t put you in any danger.” Storm punched in the code, and let her in.

  “And we’ll be listenin’ in,” Zane said, flipping a switch on the wall. Evidently, it was an intercom.

  Ellie nodded.

  She was about to step inside when Zane grasped her arm. “Be careful?”

  “Always.”

  When Ellie saw Dave, she sucked in a breath.

  His face was mottled, reddish mixed with black and blue, and a sickening green. He was lying on a steel bed, with a thin foam mattress, which had been bolted to the floor.

  Storm shut the door behind her, locking her in with Dave.

  “What are you doing here?” Dave stood, and his movements were slow.

  “I wanted to talk.”

  “Let me guess, about Marshall.”

  Hmm. If she went straight for the prize, he’d shut down again.

  “Actually, I need some answers about us, you and me, and our train wreck of a relationship.” Storm had said to play on emotions, and she needed some closure as well.

  He stared down at the floor, shoulders hunched.

  “About that, I’m…”

  Ellie tensed. “Don’t you dare tell me you’re sorry. There are some things a person can’t forgive, so don’t ask.”

  “I know.” Dave swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.

  “How could you hurt me? I loved you.” She touched her face subconsciously. “You kept hittin’ me again and again. Until I blacked out. You made me your personal punchin’ bag.” Ellie still couldn’t believe he’d done that. It was so unexpected, and out of character.

  “Loved?” He glanced up sharply.

  She blinked. “What?”

  “You used the past tense.”

  “Yeah, newsflash, we’re over.”

  He nodded toward the door. “Because you’re with the bastard who beat me up?”

  Ellie bit the inside of her cheek, to keep from screaming at him. Dave had no right to interfere or pass judgment on her.

  “This isn’t about wantin’ a new person. I can never trust you again. You destroyed us with your fists and your words.”

  Dave swallowed. “Hurtin’ you, saved your life. Does that make any difference?”

  “What are you talkin’ about?” He wasn’t making any sense.

  “I had to make you stop, but you refused to let it go. If you confronted Marshall, he would have killed you. And if you’d gone to the authorities instead, we’d both be dead. I’m sure of it.”

  She hadn’t thought about his actions in that light. Ellie didn’t know what to make of his twisted logic. Or maybe this was how he rationalized his ruthless decision? Ellie didn’t know what to think or believe anymore. Everything was a mess.

  “I did it out of love. I didn’t want to lay a hand on you.” His eyes were wide and sincere.

  “It sure seemed like you did.” She swallowed a lump in her throat. “The things you said to me…”

  “I was playactin’.”

  “For who?” She leaned against the wall, crossed her arms, and stared Dave down. What if he was just plain crazy?

  “Marshall. He bugged our place.”

  “What?” Ellie gaped at him.

  “Yeah, I found one in the kitchen and another in the livin’ room.”

  “And you didn’t get rid of them?”

  “I couldn’t. If I did, Marshall would know, and there’d be…consequences.”

  Ellie ran a hand down her face. “How can I even believe you? You’ve been plannin’ this thing with him for months, and I didn’t have a clue. How do I know you’re not lying to me now?”

  “This has all gotten way out of hand. Marshall is….” He broke off and shook his head.

  “What? Tell me.”

  Dave took a step closer and she backed away.

  “Easy, I ain’t gonna hurt you.” He held up his hands.

  Somebody pounded on the door. Most likely it was Zane.

  “It’s alright. I’m okay,” Ellie called.

  “I didn’t know it was gonna be like this. Talking is one thing, but Marshall was sick and tired of talk, he wanted to act. I didn’t know how paranoid he was, how batshit. But by the time I figured it out, this thin’ snowballed beyond my control.” He sighed. “I don’t know if I can go through with it. Although, since I’m here, I guess I won’t have too.”

  “Maybe it’s why you left in the first place. You didn’t want to check on me, Dave, you needed an out.”

  Zane sliced his head to one side. “No, he wanted me to get somethin’ at the hardware store.”

  “What?” Ellie held her breath, waiting for an answer.

  He went still as a statue.

  “Tell me. If you have the power to stop it, and don’t, then you share in the blame, even if you’re not the one hurtin’ people. What did you pick up?”

  Dave blew out a ragged breath. “Pipes.”

  Something clicked. Hadn’t the old man said Marshall was working on a plumbing project? Only Marshall wasn’t a plumber.

  “Is he makin’ pipe bombs?” It would be a simple way to disperse the gas into the air. It would cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, especially if they used it in a crowd.

  Dave nodded. “Yeah, lots of ‘em.”

  “Now, tell me where they are.”

  “I can’t. I already said too much.” Dave turned away.

  Ellie gritted her teeth. “Then let me tell you somethin’ about Anubis.”

  Dave turned, eyes flaring.

  “Yeah, I said the code name. It only has a thirty percent survival rate and the people, the innocent people exposed to it are gonna die a horrible death.”

  Dave shook his head.

  “Let me walk you through it.” Dave turned away, but she got closer, refusing to let him block this out. “Let’s pretend it’s happenin’ to you. The first symptom is a runny nose, which is innocent enough. And then watery eyes, so your vision blurs. It’s like you’ve got allergies.”

  Dave backed against the wall.

  Ellie got in his face, relentless. “Next, you’ll start to drool and sweat. Then, a cough that won’t quit and your chest tightens. It’s like someone is squeezing your lungs and every single breath hurts.” Ellie gasped for effect. “Sometimes, the heart rate skyrockets. You can hear the blood roaring in your ears and you’re afraid, terrified. If you don’t have a heart attack right then and there, you’ll pee yourself. And then you’d lose control of your bowels. Or maybe you’d start convulsing and—”

  “Stop!” Dave held up a hand.

  “Tell me where they are. Help me.”

  Dave didn’t speak for what felt like an eternity. Time had slowed down to a crawl.

  Please, Dave, tell me. Let me end this.

  Finally, he opened his mouth to speak.

  And told her everything.

  ***

  “Everybody got a gas mask?” West asked.

  Zane nodded, and so did the rest of the crew.

  After Ellie pulled a confession out of Dave, he’d gone to a local Army surplus store and loaded up on secondhand gas masks, since West hadn’t bought any for the armory.

  Evidently, nobody had expected a chemical attack.

  Dave had laid it all out for them. The sovereigns planned on pipe-bombing the Memorial Day Parade in Lexington. The event was always well-attended. They would’ve killed innocent men, women, children, who’d come out to enjoy the festivities.

  It was a bit like the Boston
Marathon bombing, only on a much larger scale.

  Zane had seen some fucked up shit in his day, but this was a whole other level. Although, in whacked out Marshall-land, it made sense. The parade was a soft target with a patriotic theme. There’d be plenty of cops and firefighters on the scene, too.

  They were in the meeting room again, and it was just after midnight.

  Everyone was sporting grim mugs. In a couple of hours, they’d infiltrate the compound and eliminate the threat. This would be a dangerous operation. Chemical weapons were nasty shit. It almost made him long for his days in Afghanistan.

  “Everybody clear on the plan?” Nox asked.

  After Ellie had gotten Dave to pinpoint the location, Storm had pulled it up on satellite so they could study their base of operations. It was a warehouse, which used to belong to the coal company before they’d moved on to another location. The place was industrial, fortified, which didn’t bode well for their plan of attack.

  It had metal doors and only a few windows. Breeching that kind of structure would be difficult.

  “Yeah, Chief, but what happens when we catch them?” Zane asked.

  “We turn ‘em over to the FBI.”

  “And what are we gonna do with the unwanted guest in our holdin’ cell?”

  “Yeah, that prick, too.”

  “We should tip off the FBI before we go in,” Mack said.

  Both King and Zane started to argue when West raised a hand to quiet them down.

  “Let’s hear her out.”

  “We’re going to need backup. What if they set off the gas when we walk inside?”

  “And it turns into another Waco.” Nox shook his head. “We could have a real shit show on our hands.”

  They’d all go to prison for the rest of their lives.

  Dammit.

  ***

  Ellie bit her lower lip, as she listened.

  She’d been on edge ever since she’d spoken to Dave. Ellie wouldn’t feel right until they’d stopped this from happening. She didn’t want to wait even a second longer, but she wasn’t in charge.

  “So, what? The FBI are gonna show up and help us out, no questions asked?” Annie shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Once they find out we thwarted a terror attack, they might see things differently.” Mack frowned. “But we’d have to play it very carefully. Call them in at the very last second.”