by Rebecca Deel
“You know the way.” Beefy Man laughed. “You spent some quality time in there with Mr. Collins.” Another shove in the back. “Get going.”
Adam glared at the man over his shoulder, then gave Veronica directions to the basement. Every step they took to the chamber where he’d been held for so many days made the knots in his stomach draw tighter. He wasn’t worried so much for himself. He didn’t want Veronica anywhere near the place, especially so soon after her encounter with Silverman.
In the elevator, he nudged Veronica to the back corner and positioned himself in front of her. Both hooligans smirked, believing him helpless. So much the better if they believed the lie. Adam’s priority was Veronica. He wouldn’t let them hurt the woman at his back. She’d sacrificed enough for him.
The reflective doors slid open to reveal another man, one with a familiar face. “Andre.”
The man’s expression hardened as anger flared in his gaze. Andre stepped back and waved them out of the elevator with his Sig.
Adam kept his body between Andre and Veronica in case the Collins soldier decided to hand out some retribution, using Veronica. Andre opened the door to Peter Collins’ favorite room, his torture chamber.
Seeing the room brought back a host of memories, none of them good. Still the same stone chamber, a cold, drafty room with a drain in the middle to wash away the blood from Collins’ victims. The only difference this time was two chairs were in the center of the room, side by side.
“Sit,” Beefy Man said, punctuating his one-word statement with a shove against Veronica’s back.
She stumbled forward and fell sideways into the chair. She yelped when her ribcage connected with the hard frame.
Adam scowled at Beefy Man as he helped her sit up. “Hold on, baby,” he whispered.
“In place,” Remy said.
“We’re ready to roll,” Maddox said. “I’d like to grab Lilah, but not at the expense of you and Veronica. We’ll give it a little more time, Adam, but if things go south, we’re moving in.”
Adam sat beside Veronica and leaned over as though he were nuzzling her ear. “Copy.” His lips curved when his girl shivered. He made a mental note that the woman he adored had sensitive ears. He brushed his lips over the shell, glad to give her something pleasant to think about in this situation.
No matter how fast Fortress breached the estate and mansion, bullets could riddle their bodies in a matter of seconds, snuffing out their lives. He couldn’t lose Veronica and would fight with every skill in his arsenal to protect her.
When he lifted his head, Veronica locked her gaze with his. The utter confidence in him and his skill stunned Adam. Deep in her eyes he saw trust and bone-deep love for him. He gave her a slight nod. They would leave this place alive. He wouldn’t accept any other outcome. They had too much to live for. A lifetime of love and happiness. Maybe a family of their own one day.
Thin Man, Beefy Man, and Andre positioned themselves against the wall, out of Adam’s reach. They still didn’t consider Veronica a threat. Didn’t they research her? She was a trained DEA agent, as dangerous as he was.
Adam quartered the room, noted three cameras aimed their direction. Was Lilah or her husband watching? Both? He turned his attention to Andre. “How’s your mother?” When he worked undercover, Mrs. Valenzuela fed him several meals. She had believed Adam was a good influence on her only child.
Undercover assignments were his least favorite. Nana had stressed the value of honesty, and in an undercover assignment Adam lived a lie and deceived everyone he came in contact with. He hated lying to Andre and his mother. Mrs. Valenzuela was a sweet woman who didn’t understand her son worked for an evil drug kingpin.
The soldier straightened, a grim smile curling his lips. “She asks about you. I don’t have the heart to tell her you’re a traitor, responsible for the deaths of many friends.”
“I had a job to do. Collins planned to weaponize viruses, Andre. Thousands of people would have died if he’d succeeded.”
Andre burst out laughing. “You’re a fool if you believe that, Walker. The boss was only into powdered dreams, man.”
“I found proof to the contrary. He was evil, determined to get rich on the poverty and deaths of others.”
A scowl. “Was anything you told me true or did you lie about everything to me and Mama?”
He and Andre had grown close in those months, and that’s what burned the other man so much. They were friends and now Andre felt as though he’d been personally betrayed. Because of the possibility their conversation was monitored by Lilah or her husband, he remained silent. The best way to work undercover was to stick close to the truth so you didn’t trip yourself up with too many lies. As angry as Andre was, he wouldn’t believe much of what Adam shared was true. He warned Andre last year that he needed to leave the Collins organization and find honest work for his mother’s sake. He hadn’t taken that warning to heart.
“That’s what I thought,” Andre said, disgust in his voice. “If you weren’t already a dead man walking, I’d kill you with my bare hands.”
“Enough,” Beefy Man snapped. “He ain’t your problem anymore.”
“What are you going to do with us?” Veronica asked.
“Me? Nothing.” A leer crossed his face. “At least not yet. The boss will be down here soon enough. If you were smart, you wouldn’t be so anxious to know what’s next.”
“I’m the one you want,” Adam said, wanting their attention off Veronica. “Let her go. I’ll do whatever Lilah wants.”
“You got no leverage, Walker. You could have been rich beyond your wildest dreams. Instead, you’ll go to an early grave.”
Frustrated with his lack of success in confirming Lilah’s presence in the mansion, Adam subsided into silence.
In his ear piece, Maddox said, “EOD, go. The rest of you be ready. Adam, Veronica, five minutes and we move in without confirmation.”
He decided to try one more time. “Who’s running this dog-and-pony show since old man Collins ate a bullet?”
“Shut your trap,” Thin Man snapped, taking an aggressive step forward. “Did you kill him?”
Come on, Lilah. Make an appearance. “You’re in charge now?” Adam laughed. “I don’t think so. Your boss wants questions answered? She’ll have to ask me herself. I don’t talk to underlings.”
“Not even to save your wife?”
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “You want my cooperation, you need leverage. Without her, I don’t have a reason to live.”
“Don’t give them too much power,” Maddox warned through the ear piece.
Adam had told them the absolute truth. Without Veronica, his life was meaningless. Hard to believe how quickly the woman at his side had become as essential to him as breathing.
A tall, thin blond woman with glittering eyes walked into the room followed by her sandy-haired husband.
Adam’s hands fisted. “I wondered when you would make an appearance, Lilah.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Adam held himself still as Lilah Collins and her husband Wes walked to within two feet of him and Veronica. As they approached, Maddox gave the order to move. Once the Fortress operatives were in position, EOD would take out the power grid for the mansion and the compound. There were no street lights this far out of the city which meant when the lights went out, the grounds would be pitch black except for emergency lights, perfect for the operatives preparing to storm the place.
“I’ve been looking for you, Adam Walker.” Lilah’s smile was cold. “I spent the last year dreaming of this day. You killed my father and turned the happiest day of my life into my worst nightmare.”
He didn’t refute her assumption that he’d killed Collins. He hadn’t been in any shape to fire a weapon a year ago. Peter Collins did his work well.
He wouldn’t endanger his teammates, especially Zane who shot Collins. Lilah wouldn’t care that his brother-in-law fired the fatal shot to protect Adam and the woman who was n
ow Zane’s wife. She also wouldn’t care that someone higher up the food chain authorized the shot to protect American citizens. “You wasted your first year of marriage because you’re obsessed with revenge? Your father died as a result of his choices.”
“How can you say that? He was a good man, a great father.”
His teammates needed time to get into position. That meant stalling. “Lilah, I worked for him for months. I know what kind of man he was. You’re seeing him through the eyes of a girl who idolized her dad. That was the smallest part of Peter Collins. The largest part of him was a drug kingpin who planned to weaponize viruses and sell them to the highest bidder. Thousands of people would have died.”
“Walker is not worth your time, sweetheart.” Wes captured his wife’s hand and brought it to his lips. “Let me deal with him for you. You agreed to let me take over your father’s enterprises. Handling unpleasant tasks related to your father’s work is part of the package.”
“You make Peter Collins sound like a CEO of a Fortune 500 company,” Veronica said. “Your father was a drug dealer, Lilah. He preyed on people’s weaknesses and profited from them.”
“You don’t know anything about him,” Lilah snapped.
“I know more than you think. I worked for the DEA. Your father was at the top of our most-wanted list.”
The blond turned desperate eyes to her husband. “She’s lying, isn’t she, Wes? Dad wouldn’t have infected people with a virus. Tell them they’re wrong.”
“He’s in this as deep as your father was,” Adam said. “He worked for Collins for years. Why do you think your father hand-picked Wes for you?”
“Sweetheart, don’t listen to him,” Wes said. “Go upstairs. I’ll deal with both of them. You brought them to our territory. Now I’ll finish the job. Your father was my friend and mentor. I owe Walker.” His gaze shifted to Veronica. “While he’s tough enough to withstand punishment for days, I don’t think his wife will be. She is his greatest weakness.”
A mistake to underestimate the woman Adam adored. He flexed his hands. One hard twist and the bonds would break. “You want a fight, Wes? Cut these ties and I’ll give you one. Come on. Four against one is overwhelming odds. Just give me your word you won’t lay a hand on Veronica.”
“Fine. I won’t touch her.” His mouth curved. “Lilah wouldn’t like that anyway.” Wes inclined his head toward the two thugs who had abducted Adam and Veronica. “I’ll give her to them to do with as they wish.”
“No one touches her,” Adam snapped.
“How will you stop them? You’ll be dead soon.”
Two large explosions rocked the night, one right after the other. Seconds later, the electricity went out, plunging them into darkness except for a dim emergency light in the hall.
Adam broke his zip tie and lunged at Wes. Andre cursed and shifted position, trying to get a clean shot. A scream from Lilah was cut off abruptly when Veronica punched her and knocked her out.
“Don’t hurt the woman,” Wes ordered as he threw a roundhouse at Adam’s head.
Adam blocked it, countered with his own jab to Wes’s nose. He heard the satisfying crunch, knew he’d broken the man’s nose. Wes roared in fury and pain and tried to buck Adam’s weight off his body.
Veronica gasped and Adam knew he had to end this tussle with Wes, fast. He clamped his hands around the Wes’s head and slammed the back of his head against the stone floor until Lilah’s husband went limp. He snatched the man’s weapon from his holster.
Leaping to his feet, Adam rounded on Andre who held Veronica in front of him as a shield. “Let her go, Andre.”
“Did you kill Wes?”
“He’s breathing. My orders are to bring him and Lilah in for questioning.” He shifted to the right, weapon trained on his former friend’s head. “Don’t do it, man. You know I’m a good shot.”
“You won’t get out of here alive. We’ll cut you down where you stand.”
“Andre, think of your mother. You’re an only child and your father is gone. She needs you. Don’t make me do this.”
A bitter laugh escaped the other man. “Bringing Mama into this? You really are scum, aren’t you, Walker?”
“I’m trying to keep you alive and protect my wife.”
Through his ear piece, Remy said, “Adam, we’re in the hall. We’ll take down Beefy Man and Thin Man. You and Vonnie deal with Andre.”
Although he didn’t dare take his eyes from Andre, Adam noted the slight nod from Veronica. If he didn’t do something, Mrs. Valenzuela would lose her son in the next few seconds.
He shifted to the left, banking on Andre turning to keep Adam in his sights. The move put Andre’s back to the door where Adam’s teammates were ready to infiltrate the room.
“Andre, Veronica is innocent. All she did was fall in love with me.”
“That’s not the way I heard it.”
“You should know better than to believe everything you hear.” He moved closer to his girl and Andre. “Walk away from this life. I can help you, but you have to choose to live rather than die in this place with these scumbags.”
Black shadows moved into the doorway. Out of time.
“Now,” Adam said.
Veronica rammed her elbow into Andre’s stomach and wrenched herself to the side as Adam lunged forward and tackled him. He grasped the thug’s wrist in a punishing grip, fighting to gain control of the weapon before Andre shot Veronica or one of Adam’s teammates.
When Andre refused to release the grip, Adam shifted his hold, and twisted hard. Andre’s wrist bone snapped, and his shout of pain echoed in the room as Adam ripped the weapon from his unresisting fingers and tossed it aside.
“I have him,” Remy said. “Check on your girl.”
Adam’s heart lurched and his head whipped to the right. “Vonnie!”
Jake knelt beside Veronica’s still form.
He covered the distance separating them in two strides, his throat tight. “What happened?”
“Knife wound to the side.”
No, he couldn’t lose her. “How bad?”
“Can’t tell in this light. We need to transport her to the plane.”
“Maddox,” Adam said, “Vonnie took a knife to the side. We need to get her out of here.”
“Copy. Take her out the back door to the SUV you arrived in. Secure Lilah and Wes. The Shadow unit will transport them. Cahill, clear a path.”
“Copy that,” Durango’s leader replied.
“Adam, hold the flashlight for me.” Jake slapped the light into his hand.
He turned the beam toward Veronica’s side, saw the blood flowing from the knife wound. Who had stabbed her and when? Adam thought back through the past few minutes and remembered her gasping. His gaze tracked immediately to Andre who was sitting with his hands secured behind him. “You did this?”
Andre lifted his chin, defiant. “I had my orders, too.”
Adam surged to his feet, hands bunched into fists.
“No.” Lily planted her hands on his chest and shoved. “He’s not worth the trouble. We need to take care of Vonnie.”
Remy tore off a piece of duct tape and slapped it over Andre’s mouth.
Adam clamped a lid on his fury and shifted his attention to his girlfriend. “Can we transport her without injuring her further, Jake?”
The medic grabbed a white packet from his mike bag and ripped it open. “I’m using a pressure bandage for now. She’ll hold until I can work on her.”
“Why isn’t she conscious?” Had she lost that much blood already?
“Hit her head when she fell. She has a goose egg on the side.” He applied the bandage to her side, watched a few seconds, then nodded. “Let’s get her out of here.”
Adam scooped Veronica into his arms and stood. “Remy, Lily, take point. Jake, watch our six.” He left the chamber of horrors without a backward glance.
The operatives climbed the stairs to the first floor. At the top, a Collins thug plunged through the
doorway. Remy took him down with a vicious punch to the throat, crushing the thug’s windpipe. He stripped the thug’s weapon, and shoved him aside. Lily fired her weapon twice in the hall and dropped two more.
“Adam,” Cahill said, “Kitchen’s clear. So is the path to the SUV. Have your car expert hot wire your ride.”
“Thank you, Josh,” Lily said, a smile curving her lips. “Nice that you appreciate my less-than-legal skills.”
“This is way out of my jurisdiction, short stuff. I’m happy to ignore your criminal tendencies.”
Despite his worry about Veronica, Adam shook his head at the interchange between the Otter Creek policeman and Lily.
In the kitchen, Nate Armstrong, Durango’s EOD man, was removing a bomb from his pack. He inclined his head toward the back door. “Alex is covering you. Go.”
“We’re coming out the back door,” Adam said into the comm system.
“You’re clear,” Durango’s sniper said.
“Remy, Lily, go.”
Remy and Lily left the kitchen. A moment later, the SUV’s engine cranked. A smile tugged at Adam’s lips. Lily Doucet’s skills were legendary in Fortress. Good to know the reality lived up to the hype.
“Go, Adam,” the sniper said. “Tangos moving in from the east.”
He angled through the door with Veronica and ran for the vehicle with Jake a step behind. He climbed into the back seat, Veronica still in his arms. Didn’t make sense, but he couldn’t let go of her, almost as though he’d lose the woman he loved if he laid her on the seat.
Jake climbed into the back with him and Veronica.
“Go,” Adam snapped.
Remy threw the SUV into reverse, knocking into two more thugs, and raced toward the front of the compound. One of the earlier explosions had blown the gates off their hinges. At the road, Remy turned right and sped down the street until another black SUV parked in the trees came into view. He skidded to a stop, then he and Lily ran toward the other vehicle and transferred the bags stashed in the cargo area. Seconds later, the journey to the airport resumed.