by Misty Evans
The taskforce members were quickly securing all the guards’ weapons and incapacitating their hands, lining the men up against the far wall. Only a few were still conscious.
Cooper’s large hand captured the back of her head, pulling her close, as if afraid he would lose her. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. What the fuck were you thinking?”
Celina looked up to meet his eyes. “I needed to protect Novia and you needed to get out and bring help. Partners, remember? We work as a team.”
His mouth curved in a pained smile. He may not have liked that she put herself in danger, but he knew she was right. “True, but I’m supposed to protect you both.” His mouth crashed onto hers and he poured all of his anger, worry, and love into that one kiss. She gave right back, too relieved to be back in his strong arms to care who was watching.
By the time they parted, Victor informed them SWAT was still fifteen minutes away. “We need to secure the premises and make sure Ortega doesn’t escape.”
They didn’t want Ortega to get wind of what was happening, although Celina knew he must have heard the gunfire and was wondering. As Victor and Cooper walked with her toward Via, they batted around ideas.
Emma and Sophie were trying to calm everyone back down and Celina lent a hand, leaving Cooper to pick up Via. He lifted his daughter from the playpen, snuggling her against his massive chest, and even Victor stopped talking to let The Beast reassure himself she was okay. Via giggled and patted her daddy on the cheek, babbling unintelligible words that made him grin.
“My Princess,” he breathed, feathering a kiss over her forehead. Celina paused, heart in her throat as she took in the tender scene between father and daughter. Oh how she loved them both, so very, very much.
“Who the hell are you people?” a man asked, holding a crying child tightly against him.
“We’re the Southern California Violent Crimes Taskforce.” Thomas tipped an imaginary hat. “At your service.”
“Speak for yourself, Mann.” Sophie grumbled. “I’m FBI, and I work alone. Usually.”
“And you all just happened to be here tonight?” the man looked confused and a touch skeptical.
Celina couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t everyday a cartel leader fell into the taskforce’s lap. In fact, she was sure this was one for the record books. Right time, right place for them, not so much for Basilio Ortega.
“We’re like the Avengers,” Nelson offered dryly, grunting when Sophie’s elbow found his ribcage. “What? We are pretty damn impressive.”
“I second that,” Thomas agreed, and then shared his favorite quote from one of the movies. “You get hurt, you hurt back. You die, walk it off. It’s like, our motto.”
Mitch rolled his eyes as Nelson and Thomas exchanged a fist bump.
“The guards in the hall are taken care of.” Ronni breezed through the cafeteria doors like she owned the place. Her elf costume was slightly skewed, and her red and green striped tights were covered in grime, probably from crawling through the air ducts. “All we need is Basilio.”
“What, no gun?” Thomas asked, giving her a crooked grin. “You never leave home without a weapon.”
Ronni arched a sculpted eyebrow. “Some of us don’t need a gun to take down a bad guy, Mann.”
Shaking his head, Thomas laughed. “That’s my girl.”
Victor nodded at Cooper and Ronni. “Nice work you two.”
“Sorry it took a bit,” Cooper said, handing Via to Celina. “Those air vents are a bitch to maneuver.”
Celina tried to picture Cooper’s large body twisting through the ductwork and failed. “Where did you guys end up?”
“Not far.” Cooper admitted. “We made it to an office a few doors down and called for backup.”
Victor’s gaze traveled over the dozens of heads to Olivia who was talking to several parents. “We need to move the kids back to their rooms and get to the surgical floor to help Dr. Kyan.” He paused to meet Cooper’s solemn stare. “Ortega has a surgeon and two nurses under his control.”
“Celina told me. We need to get them out of there.”
Amber sidled up alongside Celina, stroking Via’s back. “How are you going to do that? Especially without compromising Jana’s health?”
Cooper jerked a hand through his disheveled hair. “Okay, Plan C. Mitch, you and I will stake out the surgical wing to determine the best way to apprehend Ortega without jeopardizing Jana. First, we need to get the kids to the safety of their rooms. How do we get to the surgical wing, Amber?”
“It’s on the second floor.” Amber’s voice wavered, and she paused to clear it. “If you take the back staircase you should be able to get to that floor without being seen. The stairwell is only used by staff, so they’re probably not guarded. When you exit the stairwell, find the lines painted on the floor to help patients find where they’re going. The bright blue line will take you right to surgical. The safest way to get the kids to their rooms is by using the service elevator.”
“Thank you.” Cooper slipped an arm around Celina’s waist to draw her off to the side. Her stomach flip-flopped at his serious face, and she almost dreaded what he was about to say. “I want you to stay here,” he said softly, playing with one of Novia’s soft curls. “Please.” The fear in his eyes when he lifted them to hers took her breath away. “Sophie and Victor will handle the prisoners. All you have to do is take care of Via, okay?”
She mutely nodded.
“You scared the hell out of me when you walked out of that kitchen earlier, and it took everything I had to not go after you.” He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to respond, pressing a finger firmly over her lips. “I want you to stay here with our daughter where I know you’ll both be safe. I love you so much, Celina. If anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself.”
Tears pricked the backs of her lids and she blinked several times to keep them from spilling over. Damn. When he asked like that, how could she possibly refuse him? She hooked an arm around his neck, careful not to smash Novia as she dragged his mouth down to hers. “Then come back to us, because if you don’t, I’m going to seriously kick your ass.”
He grinned against her mouth, eyes sparkling mischievously. “Deal.”
Chapter Four
True to Ronni’s word, the hallway was clear of guards when Mitch and Cooper stepped out of the cafeteria with the entire group in tow. Normally, Cooper would be clearing the building, not leading those in attendance deeper inside, but the children were worn out from the ordeal, the patients in the group no longer able to even walk. Amber and Olivia helped staff members snag as many wheelchairs as they could quietly find, while the rest of the children were carried by their parents.
Ronni and Thomas had gone on ahead to the oncology floor to make sure the patient rooms were clear. The plan was to move everyone out of harm’s way with Thomas and Ronni standing guard until the hospital was threat-free.
Gun in hand, Mitch led the way down the hall while Cooper brought up the rear, eyes alert for any sign of trouble. An occasional whimper rustled the group, but for the most part, everyone remained quiet, well aware of the danger they were still in.
Where is that SWAT team?
Rounding the corner into the back hall, they stopped outside the service elevator doors, squeezing as many people into the tight space as would fit. Due to the bulky wheelchairs, it wasn’t nearly enough, and tension rode Cooper’s shoulders hard. He hated being so exposed. Anyone coming around the corner would spot them for sure, and if they decided to apply deadly force, they were screwed.
Finally, the cell phone at his hip vibrated with a message, and he breathed a little easier when he saw Ronni’s thumbs up text. “We’re good to go.”
Mitch pressed the button for the service elevator to bring it downstairs. They loaded the first group in as tight as they could fit before Mitch squeezed himself inside. “Be right back.”
The doors slid shut, the silence that followed deafening. Already on edge
, Cooper jumped at the slightest noise, keeping a wary eye on the hallway.
Seconds ticked by and became minutes. Come on, Holden. Get your ass back down here already.
A few more agonizing seconds passed, then finally the light over the doors lit up, indicating the elevator was returning. About fucking time.
“Miss me?” Mitch asked when the doors slid open.
Cooper had never been so happy to see Holden’s ugly mug, but there was no way he was going to tell him that. His man card would get revoked.
“About as much as a toothache,” Cooper lied, hustling people inside.
Holden chuckled, squeezing in between a wheelchair and a nurse. “That’s what they all say.”
He winked as the doors slid shut, and the silence returned. Fucking guy lived for this kind of risky shit, but that’s what made him perfect for the taskforce.
It took them several more tense-filled trips, but they finally managed to get everyone upstairs. Ronni and Thomas worked quickly to get the children settled into their rooms again, helping the nursing staff in any way they could. For the guests who didn’t have a patient room to hang out in, they were put in the family lounge down the hall. Doors were locked. People were safe.
Relief flooded him. He caught Thomas’s eye and waved him over to where he and Mitch stood, ready for the next phase. “Are you guys good here? Holden and I need to book it to surgical.”
“Sure you guys don’t need a hand?” Thomas didn’t look happy about being left behind, not that Cooper blamed him. He and Thomas were cut from the same cloth, and sitting idle was never a good thing. Being forced to babysit a group of uneasy partygoers? Yeah, that definitely fell to the bottom of the list.
Still, much as he was tempted to have Thomas tag along, Cooper decided against it. If any of Ortega’s men decided to do a sweep, Ronni would need the extra firepower. It might suck to stay behind, but these people needed protection.
“Nah, we’re good. We’ll holler if we need backup.”
“Ten-four.” Thomas shrugged, conceding he was stuck. “I guess being left behind could be worse.” His eyes roamed over Ronni’s bedraggled length, and she plopped a hand on her hip, lifting an eyebrow.
“Don’t even think about it,” she said in a low voice that sounded more breathy than an actual warning.
Something unspoken passed between them, and Cooper stepped back, pretty certain that was his cue to go. “Good luck.”
They found the back staircase and took the stairs two at a time to the third floor, pausing on the top step. There was no window on the door to see onto the surgical unit floor, which meant once they opened it, they would be walking in blind. If he got shot, Celina was going to kill him.
“What do you think, slap and tap?” Mitch suggested, and Cooper grinned. Why hadn’t he thought of that? The slap and tap was a technique employed when they were trying to draw out an enemy. He and Holden had used it on more than one op assignment and it had always served them well. Why not now?
“Absofuckinglutely.”
Mitch slapped his bare palm on the door, followed by a tap from the end of his gun. He and Cooper then stood on either side of the doorframe, waiting with baited breath to see who might open it.
Waiting. Seemed like he’d been counting the minutes all night. When he couldn’t take it any longer, he nodded at Mitch. Get the show on the road.
Slowly, Mitch opened the door while Cooper flanked his rear, gun raised and ready. The door opened across from a storage room with a solid bare wall to their right. To the left, the hall led to a nurses’ station, which thankfully was empty. The coast was clear. Soundlessly, they left the stairwell.
While Cooper stood guard, Mitch raided the storage room, returning with a metal tray. He crouched down and crept to the end of the hall and tipped the edge, using the reflective surface as a mirror to allow him to see around the corner.
“Three men standing outside an exam room, and one farther down in front of a set of double doors,” he reported quietly.
“Four guards?” Apparently Ortega had added two to his entourage after leaving the cafeteria. Cooper rubbed his jaw. Yeah, they could handle that. If there weren’t more hiding somewhere. “What about the doctor and her staff?”
“Negative.” Mitch shook his head, rocking back on his heels. “My money is that they’re all in the first room.”
They needed a distraction. The guards were too far away for them to take out. The minute he and Holden stepped around the corner they would be sitting ducks.
“I’ve got an idea.” Mitch pushed to his feet, rising to his full height and motioning for Coop to follow him. “But you aren’t going to like it.”
Back to the stairwell, Cooper felt apprehension clenching his gut. Holden’s constipated grimace didn’t exactly leave him with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
What they found waiting for them made him even more agitated.
“Before you start yelling,” Celina whispered from her spot on the stairs, “Victor sent us. You weren’t answering your phone, which by the way, made me extremely nervous.”
Next to her was Olivia, gun drawn and looking pissed.
“I turned my phone off because we’re on a sensitive op here.” Cooper gritted his teeth, realizing his whisper echoed off the walls it was so loud. “What the fuck is so important?”
“SWAT’s been delayed,” Celina whispered back, laying a hand on his arm. “There was an accident on the freeway, the whole northern lane is out of commission and traffic is backed up for miles. They’re taking a detour, and Victor tried the local cops, but they’re up to their eyeballs with the holiday scrambles and the accident too. They’re going to be later than anticipated, and Victor thinks you should stand down and wait.”
“Wait and leave all the kids and their families in danger?” He shook his head. This could not be happening. “Tell me that was not a direct order from him.”
Celina exchanged a look with Olivia. Olivia sighed and looked at Cooper. “It was not,” she said. “But I think he believes you will follow his wishes.”
Cooper was in hell, pure and simple.
And then it got worse.
Mitch shrugged. “There’s still my idea.”
Celina and Olivia’s gazes swung to him. “Which is?” Celina asked.
Ten minutes later, pressed against the wall of the surgical ward, Cooper and Holden watched as Celina and Olivia, dressed in nursing scrubs, pushed a lab cart ahead of them down the hall towards the guards. Their task was to distract them long enough so the men could move to a closer position.
Kill me now.
Cooper had tried everything to talk Celina out of it, but she’d insisted. “I want this night over so we can take our child home and scrub this awful memory from our minds.”
Nothing he said would dissuade her, and Olivia and Mitch told him to stop worrying about a dozen times.
Seeing the women approach, the guards came alert and turned their guns on them. “Hold it,” one man said.
Fear seized Cooper, the breath stealing from his lungs. Celina was a highly skilled agent like Olivia, who could take care of herself, but seeing a gun pointed at her set off all of his natural instincts to protect her all over again.
“We gotta move. Now.” Holden shoved him hard, snapping Cooper back to reality. Forcing his emotions aside, Cooper turned on his training, knowing it was the only thing that would get him through these next critical moments.
“Dr. Kyan requested labs to be drawn on her patient,” Celina was explaining as they moved down the hall, getting into closer position. They had maneuvered the guards around so their backs were to Mitch and Cooper, giving them a chance to get near.
“Nobody told us you were coming. We need to check with the boss first,” the guard said, his eyes narrowed.
“Fine by us.” Olivia lifted a shoulder in a shrug, appearing unconcerned. “Delaying the patient’s surgery won’t hurt us any. We can just come back when you get this all straightened out.”
>
“Wait.” Another guard grabbed Celina’s arm when she made to wheel the cart around. “I don’t want to be the one who delays this surgery, do you?”
“Hell, no.” The third lowered his gun. “Pat them down for weapons. Then we’ll check with the boss.”
Cooper met Mitch’s hard stare. This was the part of the plan where things could take a detour. If Dr. Kyan denied having called the lab they were screwed, plain and simple.
Celina put her arms out at her sides while a guard patted her down, jaw tightening when he hovered a bit too long over her ample breasts. White hot rage beat at him, and Cooper swallowed, forcing himself to look away before he did something stupid.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” Celina spoke with a deadly calm that could only mean one thing, and Cooper groaned.
She was beyond pissed.
The guard squeezed her breast again, and rage clouded Celina’s vision.
“Or are you still searching?” she added when he didn’t respond to her question. Deep breaths, deep breaths. They can’t afford to slip up now, but if the bastard copped a feel one more time…
“Did you want me to search more, baby?” he asked, and this time both hands moved to cup her breasts. “You look like you’re up for some fun tonight.”
That did it. Celina grabbed his wrists and inverted them, applying enough pressure to force his hand open, the MK4 falling to the floor right before he followed. Her knee came in contact with his face, which made a satisfying crunch, before he dropped like a sack of rocks.
“Get down!”
Celina hit the ground as the suppressor on Cooper’s gun went off, dropping two more while Olivia wrestled the fourth guard to the floor, subduing him with Mitch’s assistance. Cooper reached Celina’s side, his face thunderous. She wasn’t sure if it was because she had deviated from the plan or got to knock the handsy guard out first, but she was happy he was there all the same.