Delta Force: Crow (Wayward Souls)

by Kris Norris

  Ryker nodded. “Damn shame Phoenix got hurt. That kid would have been a hell of an asset.”

  “An asset that’s lucky to be breathing.”

  Devlyn jumped as Cannon’s voice boomed through the room. Didn’t the man ever make any noise when he entered?

  Ryker squeezed her side, focusing on his boss as Cannon crossed the floor to the kitchen area, once again, leaning against the counter. “From the tone, it doesn’t sound like you were able to get any answers from Vale.”

  Cannon shook his head. “He’s still in and out of consciousness, and the trauma’s definitely affecting his memory. But the gist of it wasn’t encouraging. I don’t think he knows much more than we do. He confirmed the guy’s name was Smyth—with a ‘y’, just like Slader said.”

  “Obviously, legit, then.”

  “Right. Phoenix couldn’t remember any specific agency. He’d assumed the guy was CIA but apparently hadn’t gotten confirmation. And not much in the description category. Dark hair. Beady eyes. Stereotypical ‘bad guy’ attributes. Not sure we can trust too much until his brain’s working, again.”

  Ryker sighed. “Which means we’re back our original options. Either, we give Slader the info, or we let him kill Anna Carmichael. And we all know he will. Slader doesn’t pull his punches, and he won’t lose any sleep over offing another agent, double or otherwise.”

  “Is there any way to doctor the intel?” Devlyn looked at Becca and Ellis. “Or make it erase after a specific period of time?”

  Ellis tapped a finger on her lips. “Is it possible? Sure. Should we do it? Less sure. I know Slader. Not as well as I knew McCormick, but he’s not going to give us an easy opportunity to dupe him. For all we know, he’s got a way of checking if the intel’s legit before he hands Carmichael over to us. And if that’s true and we screw with him… Things will turn bloody. Fast.”

  Cannon huffed. “So, you’re saying we have no other choice but to trust the bastard’s telling us the truth. That he’s doing us a favor, and this is all just to cap a mole and not to further some hidden agenda.”

  Ryker lifted his arm from around her waist, gave her a smile, then stood and turned to face Cannon. “I don’t like it, either. But I don’t think he’s lying about another faction out there gunning for us. I don’t see him sending that team to the safehouse to kill us if he needed us to decode his intel. More likely, he was planning on taking one of us hostage at the warehouse to use as leverage. And we know, for a fact, Phoenix was there to kill us, too.”

  “Believing there are more bad guys hunting you is easy. Believing Slader wants to help us out by eliminating that threat? Call me crazy, but I don’t see him doing anything that doesn’t benefit him. And, yeah, there’s someone after him, too, but I get this feeling there’s more to this intel than unearthing a mole.”

  “Then, we don’t make the trade.”

  “And let him kill Anna Carmichael? The woman Vale was obviously in love with? Double agent or not, that’s not how we role.”

  “I can call it in. Have a squadron’s worth of CIA agents waiting for him and his gang when we make the trade. Wrap it all up.” He looked at Devlyn. Sighed. “But, for all we know, some of those agents are the ones out to kill us, and it turns ugly. And, before you ask, until we know how deep this goes, I won’t involve the Marshal service. Not because I think they’re dirty, but because it could easily come back to bite them in the ass when the CIA finds out. I’d rally Smithers, since he’s sanctioned, but the man’s in the hospital. Which leaves us with only two options... We either notify my boss—put our lives in the hands of strangers—or Devlyn and I bring Slader in on our own. Forget to mention you and the crew helped out, or we’ll all be spending a very long time in some CIA black-op jail site.”

  “No one’s going to jail, and we’re not involving anyone we don’t trust. Period.”

  “Then, we really only have one option.” Ryker held up one hand. “We can’t have it both ways, Cannon. Yeah, it sucks. But, unless someone has a way of keeping the intel secure and saving Carmichael, we’re gonna have to choose what we think we can live with. And I’d rather not have more blood on my hands. Especially, when we’re skilled enough to track Slader’s ass down, again.”

  Devlyn nodded, rising to stand beside Ryker. “I agree. Maybe Becca and Ellis can’t piece it all together in the next few hours, but I’ll put my faith in them that they can figure it out before Slader makes his final move. And with the caliber of people you have working for you… I don’t doubt we can rein him in.”

  Cannon chuckled. “You and Crow agreeing on something? Should we be gearing up for a zombie invasion, next?”

  “You mean you haven’t?”

  Another laugh. Louder. From deep inside. “You are something else, Devlyn. And, even if I didn’t agree, which I do—lives always come first—it’s your op. Your decision. I’m just thankful we didn’t have to hogtie you both in Brady’s mobile clinic because you chose poorly.”

  He looked at Ellis and Becca. “Ladies, I’d appreciate it if you could start digging. I don’t care how you get the intel, just gather whatever you can. We don’t know how long we’ll have after we make the trade, and it would be nice not to be playing catch-up for long. Start with those warehouse images. If they’re other black-op sites McCormick was using, they’ll likely pose the greatest threat. God knows what the man has hiding in them.”

  Ellis snorted. “Nothing we’d want Slader to get his hands on.”

  “Exactly. Crow. Devlyn. I know you’ve scoured those files, but you two worked with Slader and McCormick, albeit under false pretenses. If there’s anything in there that can help us, you’re our best shot. I’ll take the rest of the team back to the office. Gather what gear we think will come in handy for Slader’s meeting…”

  Cannon stared at Gibson. “But Gibson and Dungeon will stay. Just so we don’t leave you all vulnerable.”

  Gibson grunted. “That’s not why you’re leaving us behind. Coen threatened you, didn’t he?”

  “Sorry, Gib. But Brady outranks all of us. And he’s right. You’re in no condition to go traipsing around. You’re lucky you didn’t pull all your stitches out the other night. Besides, we both know we’ll need your expertise at the exchange so…rest up.”

  Gibson grumbled something about Coen being a bloody nursemaid, but he didn’t make a move to leave. Just sat there while Dungeon nodded at Cannon, maintaining his vigil beside Gibson. Gibson gave the other man a side glance, then relaxed back. Not that Devlyn thought he looked any less lethal. In fact, there was something innately frightening knowing he could probably still toss his knives across the room without even opening his eyes.

  Which only made her feel a bit like the proverbial fifth wheel. Their weak link. Sure, she could kick ass when needed, and other than Slader, she hadn’t really had another failure in the field. But compared to the men from Ryker’s old squad…

  Ryker nudged her, drawing her out of her thoughts. “Stop.”

  She frowned. “Stop, what?”

  “Whatever you were thinking. I know that look. It’s been haunting you since you first walked through Cannon’s door. You’re part of the team, Dev. Always have been.” He placed a finger over her lips. “I know I haven’t done a lot to show you that, or even help you feel at home, but that doesn’t change the fact you belong here.” He smiled. “With me.”

  “It’s not going to be much fun if you’re this charming all the time. And, for the record, it’s hard not to feel a bit out of place after seeing all of your team in action. I’m no slouch, but…damn.”

  “Sweetheart, I have no doubt you could best any guy in here. And you wouldn’t even need a weapon. Which is why I’m using all my tricks.”

  “Jackass.”

  “Hell, yeah. The one you know and love.” He knocked her shoulder with his. “Can’t give up all those traits that attracted you, can I.”

  She snorted but smiled because the look on his face. Playful. Sexy. Far too handsome for h
er wellbeing. It eased any tension. Made her feel as if she was family. Part of the brotherhood she’d teased him about.

  Ryker stayed close, some part of his body always touching hers as they dove back into the files Ellis had copied from McCormick, once again, comparing them to the intel from Slader’s thumb drives. Devlyn focused on the operatives. The ledgers and files showing which missions they’d been assigned to. What tech they’d recovered and how he’d distributed it when a code number caught her attention.

  She brought up a few more windows, comparing the notes before inhaling. Shit, this had to be part of what Slader was looking for.

  A nudge, then Ryker’s gaze baring down at her. “Sounds like you found something interesting? Want to share with the class?”

  She stared for a few moments, then blinked. She really needed to stop obsessing over all that blue. It didn’t help when the bastard chuckled, as if he knew the effect he had on her. That she was completely lost.

  A slap on his thigh, then she was twisting the laptop. Showing the others the screen. “I went back through all the operative files—then decided to concentrate on that last one you did, Ellis, since it’s what brought McCormick down, and I thought maybe those entries weren’t as polished as the others. We know that he sent three of those guidance systems on to someone else. Most likely someone in the intelligence community that’s even higher ranking than him.”

  Ellis nodded. “It looked as if he had a connection inside the Pentagon, which would make sense. They’d be in a position to cover any situations that drew the wrong kind of scrutiny, and they’d have inside information on the kind of people looking to buy black market weaponry. But as far as I know that lead hasn’t panned out.”

  “Maybe that’s because I believe it’s more of a parallel connection.” Devlyn pointed to a line of entries. “This six-digit number comes up a lot in the information Slader gave us. And, here in the margin on your last mission, there’s a similar six-digit code. Not the same designation, but it got me thinking that maybe they’re connected. Different shorthand for the same asset.”

  “You think the other intel Slader has is like a Rosetta Stone that converts McCormick’s shorthand into this new one.”

  “It makes sense. But this whole thing got me thinking… The DIA.”

  “The Defense Intelligence Agency?”

  “Namely their Clandestine Service. The one that works closely with the CIA, as well as the Joint Special Operations Command. We’re talking potential access to Special Forces operations, and field operatives. Who knows how entrenched it is.”

  Ellis blinked a few times, looking at the gathering of people before focusing on Devlyn, again. “You think Smyth is part of the DIA?”

  “I know it’s a bit of a stretch, but there’s got to be multiple players involved, beyond the CIA. There’s no way Slader infiltrated my NSA facility without some inside help. And the DIA is the one group that has regular interactions with pretty much every agency involved in covert operations—the CIA, NSA, DoD. And with all the joint missions, it wouldn’t take much to recruit a few key people in each organization. Give them the resources they need to covertly sell their contraband while covering it up.”

  She carded her hand through her hair as she leaned back in the chair. “But, even if I’m right, it doesn’t tell us who Smyth really is.”

  “But it does give us a place to start looking.” Ellis glanced at Becca. “I’m betting between us, we can uncover the bastard’s identity.”

  Becca grinned. “You’re on.”

  Devlyn sighed. “What if I’m wrong?”

  Becca paused as she looked over. “It’s more than we had a minute ago. And, if nothing else, we can rule it out if we come up empty.”

  Devlyn smiled her thanks, glancing at her watch. They were only minutes away from Slader’s deadline, and she couldn’t stop wondering if she was wasting what little time they had by diverting their two best resources. Having them search databases that actually had nothing to do with Smyth or Slader.

  Another nudge and a smile from Ryker. “Brilliant theory, sweetheart.”

  “Let’s just hope it pans out.”

  “It will. I have complete faith in you.”

  “Again, with the charm.”

  “Maybe I’m just trying to avoid having you stab me in the heart. Mission isn’t over, yet.”

  “Then, there’s still time, I think—”

  Ringing. Cutting her off. Rippling silence through the room as every noise stopped. Made the next ring echo off the walls.

  Ryker grabbed the phone off the table, nodding at his crew before answering and putting the call on speaker. “Slader.”

  A chuckle. “What, no hello? Asking how I’m doing?”

  “You’re obviously still breathing. Where and when?”

  “Christ, Crow. I don’t remember you being this much of an ass when you were heading the squad.”

  “I thought you were part of the team, back then. Now, I know differently. So, enough chatting and tell me where and when you want to make the trade.”

  “Ellis broke the encryption?”

  “Would you have gone to all this trouble if you doubted she could? Am I picking the location, then?”

  “Fine. Sunset tonight. Same place McCormick made the trade for Ellis. I’m sure Cannon or Colt remembers the location. Only, this time, no agents. I get even a hint you’ve set up a sting operation, and I’ll kill us all. And no teammates masquerading as homeless people or hiding on nearby rooftops, either. Any tag alongs need to be where I can see them. I’ll have a drone circling a three kilometer radius. And I’ll level any building that so much as suggests there’s something larger than a pigeon on it. Are we clear?”

  “Crystal. And, since we’re being blunt, we’ll be watching the surrounding rooftops, too. In case you think having your own snipers is a good idea. And I will be bringing my team. So, unless you want this to turn bloody, your men won’t so much as twitch. And you’ll make sure Anna Carmichael stays breathing.”

  “Keep your end of the bargain, and we won’t have any issues. You’re just a means to an end, Crow, and not worth dying over.”

  “Then, I’ll see you at sunset.”

  “Oh, and Ward?”

  “What?”

  “Bring Vale.”

  Ryker snapped his gaze to Cannon’s, brow raised. Mouth pinched tight. “Who says I know where Vale is?”

  “Don’t bullshit me. Since his body wasn’t at the site, it means he dragged his ass someplace safe. Sought out people he trusts. That list is extremely limited, especially with how much blood he left behind. It’s a damn miracle he walked away, at all.”

  “Then, I guess he doesn’t trust me, because I haven’t seen him.”

  “Then, the deal’s off.” A click—Slader cocking his gun. “Do you want to hear me kill Carmichael, now? Or would you rather I just leave her corpse in the NSA lobby? Maybe at your boss’ office?”

  Another glance at Cannon. The man merely nodded.

  Crow huffed. “Fine. I know where Vale is, but you dropped a building on him. He’s barely alive and not in any condition to travel.”

  “Do you think I’m the kind of man to make the same mistake twice? I know what Vale’s capable of. You want Anna Carmichael? Then, I want to see Vale’s face. Know he’s not nesting four kilometers away just waiting to cap me.”

  “What part of ‘you dropped a building on him,’ didn’t you understand? He’s not even conscious. He can’t meet with you.”

  “I never said I had to talk to him. I just need to see he’s there. And that he’s unarmed.”

  “Then, we’ll need more time for him to recover.”

  “Apparently, I haven’t made myself clear. I don’t care if it kills him. If you have to drag him out in a body bag. No trade until I see the bastard’s face. And you don’t get more time to try to figure out what all that intel means. We both know you’ve made copies. Will be working around the clock to find the connection. Find Smyth
, yourselves. Sunset, or the woman dies. And, Crow? I’ll know if you’re trying to trick me. I’ve got far more information than you can imagine, so…don’t try to pawn one of your buddies off as Smyth. I’ll figure it out before Anna reaches your damn truck. Which means they’ll both die. And don’t plant any viruses, GPS locators or switch up the intel. Bains already tried to do that, and we both know how that ended for him.”

  A click, and the line went dead.

  Ryker shoved the cell across the table, glancing at her, then settling on Cannon. “By the look on your face, I assume the rendezvous site isn’t ideal.”

  “One road in. Zero useable cover, especially if he’s got a drone. We’ll all have to stand out in the open. Pray it doesn’t turn into a shootout. It also makes involving any agency seriously risky. There isn’t anywhere for them to hide. And we’ll all be vulnerable if they suddenly show up on the road out.” Cannon focused on Gibson. “Unless you know someone of Phoenix’s caliber.”

  Gibson shook his head. “Sorry, mate. None of my old teammates measure up to that level. Though, I’m not sure there is anyone close to that kid’s caliber. Under ideal circumstances—which these aren’t—I could hit a target at twenty-five hundred meters, but that won’t be near good enough.”

  “Which means we have to give Slader the thumb drive and pray we can stop him before he sells weapons to every militant organization that would love to get some payback.”

  Devlyn pursed her lips then cleared her throat, waiting until Ryker’s crew focused on her. “There is one other option, but…it’s crazy.”

  Cannon snorted. “We’re way past crazy, Devlyn, so just spit it out.”

  “He wants to see Vale, right? And based on how badly he was injured, he’ll need help just getting vertical enough to make an appearance.”

  Cannon frowned then palmed the table as he leaned forward. “Sounds about right. Go on.”

  “That means two additional people, besides your crew, right out in the open with us. And I believe you have an ordinance guy? A dog?”