by Rebecca Deel
“What is it?” Alex murmured. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the twin bed he occupied.
“Wright.”
His partner pulled on his jeans, yanked a t-shirt over his head. “I’ll make coffee.” He shoved his feet into running shoes and fist bumped Josh on the way out the door.
Josh laid his weapon on the nightstand. Pit stop to splash his face with cold water and a couple gallons of coffee and he’d be awake. Maybe. He was feeling every one of his 35 years. Maybe he should rethink the plan to work with Fortress. He shook his head, laughing at himself. Not wise to make decisions this important before the sun came up.
After drying his face, he headed for the kitchen and the promised coffee. True to his word, Alex had a fresh pot ready, a large steaming mug in his hand which he held out as Josh neared. “Thanks. Anything from Del or Ivy?”
“Not so far.”
Good. Both women were exhausted, like the rest of his team. Difference was, his guys were trained to handle it and still function. “Stella still with them?”
“Yep.”
Josh finished half the mug before his brain cells fired at almost full speed. He refilled the mug, motioned for his friend to follow him to the security room.
Jon sat in front of the bank of screens, typing at supersonic speed on a laptop. Good grief. The screens flew by at an incredible rate. How could Jon even know what was on those screens? “Sit rep.”
The SEAL held up one hand, kept typing with the other. A minute later, he slowed and an email popped up. “Take a look.” Jon slid the computer over the desk to make it easier for Josh to read.
He snorted. Not much to go on. Just a request for Chase McKenzie to contact Black Knight, that he had a job for him. Black Knight was the moniker Wright used when online. He offered premium pay. Yeah, this job was going to cost Wright a great deal more than he wanted to pay. Heat burned him from the inside out. This was the man who wanted his hands on Josh’s girlfriend. If he had anything to do with it, Xavier Wright wouldn’t get within one hundred miles of Del.
“Dude’s careful.” Jon sent him a pointed look. “He may not give us what we need without the women.”
“No,” Alex said, his body stiff. “The two of us can’t protect both Del and Ivy. My focus would be split between you and Ivy. Don’t ask me to do that.”
“Ivy’s a liability,” Eli said softly. “You can’t let her go on this op.”
A ball of ice formed in Josh’s stomach. He didn’t want either of them in danger. “Don’t you think I know that? I never planned to take her into Wright’s estate. I want to hurl at the idea of taking Del in there. To bag Wright, I may have no choice.” He’d promised to protect her, but in order to do that he might be forced to drag her into the heart of danger. If anything happened to her, it would finish what the war on terror had started.
“We’ll protect her,” Alex said. “Without Ivy, there will be two of us in there to cover her.”
“Might not be enough.” Josh’s hands fisted. “One second of inattention, one ricochet from the enemy’s gun, and Del’s life ends in a river of blood.” And his own life would be over because if Wright or one of his men killed her, he would take out as many of them as possible before they killed him. If he was lucky, he’d be able to cover Alex’s retreat. Except the stubborn sniper would rather die beside him than leave him behind.
“One of our teammates has a bullet-proof vest we can borrow for Del,” Eli said. “We’ll do what’s possible to swing the odds in our favor, but there’s always a risk. If the time comes, give her a crash course in survival.” He grinned. “Number one rule? Do exactly as we tell her. Fortress has ear pieces for you. Wright’s people won’t see them and the gear will allow us to keep in contact. We’ll know if things are too hot. The SEALs will ride to the rescue.”
Alex glared. Eli laughed, voice soft in deference to the early hour.
“What should I tell Wright?” Jon asked.
“I want details, face-to-face. Send it in a few hours. Let him stew for a while, long enough to realize he doesn’t have complete control of the situation.” For a man used to ruling his world, Josh’s power play was sure to leave Wright unsettled. He needed every advantage he could get.
Jon nodded, swung around to the keyboard, started typing.
Didn’t take him long, only a few keystrokes. Josh eased closer to the screen. He chuckled. “Nice.” The SEAL had typed four words. Details. Face-to-face.
“He’s used to people kowtowing to his every wish. He expects respect.” Jon inclined his head toward the screen. “This will irritate him. Might make him careless. The message will be sent at 6:00.”
“Perfect. I assume you created an extensive cover story for Chase McKenzie.”
A grin. “Eli helped with that. By all accounts, you’re a very dangerous man to cross, McKenzie.”
“Let’s hear the details.”
Del woke to the scent of bacon and something baked. Muffins? Hmm. No, not sweet. Maybe rolls or biscuits? She glanced over to the other side of the king-sized bed. Ivy was still sound asleep.
She eased from under the covers, grabbed clean clothes, and locked herself in the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, she emerged, refreshed and ready for the day’s challenges.
Expecting to find Nate whipping up those amazing scents, she pulled up short when she saw Josh manning the stove and Alex using a spatula to transfer biscuits from a hot pan to a waiting platter. Also on the counter were butter, grape jam, strawberry preserves, apple butter, another platter heaped with scrambled eggs, a container of white gravy, and gallon jugs of apple juice and orange juice. Good grief. This was a feast.
She ventured closer to the counter. “How long have you been awake?” Hours by the looks of their growing mound of food and the alertness she saw in their eyes.
Josh glanced over his shoulder, smiled. “How are you, baby?”
The guys must have been awake a good while and Josh was hoping she wouldn’t worry if she didn’t have facts. Ha. He ought to know better. The man grew up in a house full of women. “Better. What’s happened?” If her handsome boyfriend knew what was good for him, he wouldn’t brush her off or deny anything had changed. Then again, she’d never known Josh Cahill to lie to anyone, except maybe in the course of his job when unavoidable. She could tell by the way he looked and his avoidance of her question that something had occurred while she was sleeping. At least this time, she and Ivy hadn’t been awakened and forced to race through the woods overnight.
Alex placed the pan in the sink. “I’ve got this. Why don’t you talk before everyone stirs?”
Josh blew out a breath. “Yeah, okay.” He handed Alex the tongs he’d been using to turn the bacon and grabbed a travel mug Del hadn’t noticed near his hand. He passed Del the mug.
“What’s this?”
“Hot tea. Figured it was about time for you to come down. Walk with me?”
“Sure.” She took his outstretched hand and followed him out the door. She sipped the hot liquid and moaned. “This is fabulous. What is it?”
“Green tea with ginseng and honey. Thought you could use some natural caffeine.”
Another sip or four later, she squeezed his hand. “Bad night?” How did you ask a man you were crazy about if he was having PTSD issues because of the situation they were trapped in?
“Short one.”
They walked around the back of the cabin, headed for that same trail Josh had chosen before. Del didn’t push him to spill the news though curiosity was a wild lioness inside her, demanding answers yesterday.
Josh sat beside her on the same fallen log, still silent. Del watched the water flow by, the stream higher because of the rain, and sipped more tea. His tangible gesture of caring touched her heart. The only way she could thank him without breaking the peaceful atmosphere was to remain quiet and wait for Josh to fight with himself. She knew a battle was raging inside him, a battle between what he knew to be right and what would keep her safe. No other
dilemma would cause such turmoil that he was reluctant to share details with her.
Minutes passed, the solitude broken by birds calling each other, the whoosh of water washing over rocks and tree roots. A bee meandered by on his hunt for nectar. When she’d enjoyed her last sip of tea, Del closed the lid and set it by her feet. She twisted on the log, faced him. His grim, fixed expression sent her heart into a rapid rhythm. She laid her hand on his arm and said, “Tell me.”
“Wright contacted me. Alex and I will meet him this afternoon.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder. In a few short hours, Josh and Alex would stride into the center of a target. She hadn’t forgotten the discussion of Wright’s defenses. “You’ll be armed?” Of course he would. She hoped her question got the response she wanted.
He grinned. “Can’t be a world-class assassin without weapons, love.”
“This is what you wanted.”
“Yeah, I did. However, Wright was very careful with his wording. If I printed that email and took the paper to court, the words would tell the judge nothing.” Josh sighed. “This sting might take a couple meetings with Wright. I’m afraid the second one will require you to be with me.”
A shudder wracked her frame. After all the warnings about how ruthless and evil Xavier Wright was, Del had no desire to meet him in person. Worse, things were bound to turn ugly. When they did, Josh would disregard danger to himself to protect her. Breath strangled in her lungs. She might be the death of him. And that would kill her just as surely as any bullet Wright or his cronies might fire at her.
He kissed her, then pressed his forehead against hers. “I’m supposed to protect you from him and if things go like I think they will, I’ll be dragging you into the presence of a killer.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Josh strapped on the bullet-proof vest, his actions as natural as breathing from years of repetition. He glanced at his partner who was slipping a black t-shirt on top of his own vest. “What’s your gut say?”
“He’ll be cagey. He’ll say just enough to convince us the job will be a piece of cake. Snatch the women, grab the book, bring them back to him. Easy money.”
Josh paused in the act of tying his combat boots. “Does he know about Durango?”
“Doubt it. Bet Granger kept details to himself until he defeated us so he could brag to his boss. Quite the prize to bag a whole Delta unit by yourself.”
“And since Curt’s supposed to be dead?”
Alex shrugged. “Wright will hope we’re a great deal better than Granger.”
He snagged his own black t-shirt from his bed and tugged it on. He hoped the sniper was correct. If Wright knew Josh’s real name, he might unearth a photo to ID him. Jon’s last scan revealed no searches on the name Josh Cahill. The Army had made sure no images of him were posted online while he was on active duty. He’d made an effort to stay out of the limelight or at least out of camera range since he’d transitioned to civilian life, but there was a chance snapshots had been posted without his knowledge. For that reason, he remained wary. From all accounts, the man was arrogant enough to believe he’d best an undercover cop and get what he needed. He was wrong. Josh had the best motivation in the world to keep Del safe. He loved her.
He grabbed his Go bag at the foot of the bed. “Ready?”
“Oh, yeah. Let’s bag a gunrunner.” Alex slung his bag over one shoulder.
At the bottom of the stairs, Del and Ivy waited. Alex motioned for Ivy to come with him. The two of them made their way to the living room. Josh set his bag on the floor and hugged Del. Her contented sigh made him smile. “One step closer to ending this nightmare, beautiful.”
“I wish you didn’t have to do this.”
“It’s necessary. Trust me to do my job, baby.”
In answer, she hugged him tighter.
She was breaking his heart. He foresaw a fast trip to a jewelry store as soon as this was over. “Rio is staying with Deke and Stella. They’ll watch over you.”
“What if you get hurt? You might need him.”
He cradled her face between his palms. “One of Fortress’s medics will be on hand if Alex or I need treatment. I want Rio with you and Ivy. My medic is fierce in a firefight. He’ll offer another layer of protection and, if something happens here, medical help. Ivy trusts him. He may be able to do more with her than Deke.”
A sigh. “As long as you have medical help if you need it.”
“Jake Davenport is as good as Rio. I’ve seen him in action on the battlefield. He’s saved countless lives. Ivy okay?”
“Worried.”
He grinned. “About Alex.”
“I’m sure you’re on the list as well.”
“Right. Near the bottom, I’d guess.” He leaned down, kissed her, a long expression of how he felt about her. No words necessary, he hoped. Later, he’d give her the words he prayed she wanted. Josh lifted his head, eased her back a step. “We need to go. Listen to your bodyguards. Stay inside. Ivy will probably feel the walls closing in more with Alex gone. Distract her.”
“If she has problems, we’ll work on the string of numbers. Maybe we can figure out if those are Swiss bank account numbers.”
“Excellent idea. Jon said that’s probable, but he hasn’t had time to locate the bank.”
“I can’t wait to see how much is in the account. Must be a substantial amount if Wright’s that determined to recover the information.”
Another kiss and he picked up his Go bag and strode to the living room. Alex sat on the couch beside Ivy, arm around her shoulders, her face pressed against his neck.
Josh raised an eyebrow in query.
Alex nodded. He cupped the back of Ivy’s head. “I have to go, angel. Stay out of trouble.”
She smacked his shoulder. “I’m not the one meeting a criminal. You stay out of trouble.”
“I will if you will.”
“Just remember, the sight of blood makes me woozy. You get injured, I might throw up on you, but I’ll bandage your injuries.” She grinned. “I’ll use the pretty pink bandages I found in our bathroom to patch you up. Should stand out nicely with your tan.”
He chuckled as he stood. “Deal.” Alex grabbed his Go bag.
Eli and Jon waited in the backseat of their SUV. Alex dropped both their Go bags in the back of the vehicle, then climbed behind the steering wheel. “We’ve got some justice to shell out.”
An hour later, the second SUV with Quinn and Nate parked behind a stand of trees. Alex slowed to a stop and let Jon and Eli bail with their equipment. The rest of the Fortress Security team would rendezvous with them. “Slow down a little. Let’s give Fortress time to get in position.”
“Roger that.”
Josh took the opportunity to scope out the landscape surrounding Wright’s estate. Dense trees and bushes hid the estate well from the road. His lip curled. Plenty of places to hide. Through the ear piece, Jon murmured, “Fortress is in position. Two minutes to go time.”
“Copy.”
“Cameras, Josh.”
Only half a mile from the entrance of his estate. Wright’s security wasn’t as good as it was touted to be. A true assault team could be at the gates in under a minute from this position. With no near neighbors to complain, camera coverage should have started much farther out. Sloppy.
“Camera coverage half a mile out,” he reported to Jon and the rest of the team. “Anything from our fed friends?”
“Oh, yeah.” Eli chuckled. “They weren’t happy about taking a backseat on this one. They’re a mile from our position.”
“Have one of your men watch for them. There’s a good chance Jordan will horn in.”
“Copy.”
Alex guided the SUV around a corner and black wrought-iron gates loomed 500 feet ahead. A high stone wall rose on either side of the gates and appeared to surround the estate. As their SUV approached, a pair of armed guards stepped from the guard house inside the fence perimeter, a dog at the side of one man.
“Roof,” his partner murmured.
Josh’s gaze zeroed in on the weapons battery and men on the roof. He whistled softly. “RPG,” he reported to Fortress. “Weapons battery. Men on each corner. Two armed guards at the wrought-iron gate. Guard dog.”
“Copy.”
The SUV slowed to a stop, grill inches from the gate. “Camera’s looking us over.”
Alex grunted. “Won’t do much good.”
Not with that special coating on all the windows which distorted the camera’s view of the SUV interior and its occupants. That was sure to frustrate whoever was manning the security feeds. He and Alex weren’t exiting the vehicle. Too many weapons pointed their direction. The guards at the gate weren’t authorized to do more than ask for ID without directions from inside the estate. “Two minutes and they’ll ask us to get out.”
“Not happening.”
The guard without the dog leashed to him walked to the gate, hand on his sidearm. Stupid move. Weapon should have been in hand and ready. Josh’s estimation of the security dropped another notch.
Alex lowered the driver’s window enough to hear the guard without compromising safety.
“Get out of the vehicle. Bring your IDs.”
“McKenzie and Malloy,” Alex said. “Tell Wright he has 30 seconds to open the gate or he hires new troubleshooters.”
The guard turned away, cell phone pressed to his ear. The other guard watched them, dog standing at his side and focused. “Dog’s better trained than the guards.”
“These bozos are disposable. The real talent’s inside, closer to Wright.”
“Time?”
“Fifteen seconds.”
The mission clock in Josh’s head ticked off the seconds. At the 30 second mark, Alex shifted into reverse and backed up. When they rounded the curve and were out of sight of the guards, his partner would swing the SUV around and get them out of there. Before they drove more than 10 feet, the gates slid into the stone walls.
“Alex.”