Tony leaned over the plastic covering. “Right here, Ninja Girl.”
“Don’t you let him do anything stupid. Watch my husband’s back.”
“Always do. This is just a speed bump. You hang in there for a couple hours and we’ll get that serum to you.”
She nodded quickly. “Take care of Lumin.”
Tony didn’t take his eyes off of Nina. “I will.”
“Hey, you know I love you for what you did for Mace and me. I’ll never—”
Tony darted a worried glance at Mace, and pushed his hand through a sleeve. Nina’s hair was plastered to her sweating skin and her cheeks were a rosy red. He brushed her cheek. “Don’t start giving me goodbye speeches, Ninja Girl. I want to see you on the mat when this is all over. We’ll go a couple rounds and you can kick my ass.”
She closed her eyes with a slow blink. “I love you, Petty Officer Callahan, and I love my daughter. She needs one of us.” Nina swiped the tears away. “Remember that before you go all crazy SEAL.”
Mace leaned forward and kissed the covering that kept him from holding his wife. Lumin could feel the depth of their love as the aeromedical team pushed Nina’s stretcher farther into the truck. Mace and Tony watched the door close, cutting them off from Nina. Mace couldn’t hide his pain any longer and he palmed his face, shaking his head.
Tony gripped him in a hug. “Don’t even think it, buddy. That’s not the last time you’ll see her. Hey!” He pulled Mace’s hand from his face. “You hear me?”
Mace’s chest heaved. He jerked his head in a nod and stared into the heavens.
* * * *
Lumin backed away, feeling like she didn’t belong. Tony hadn’t even spared her a glance. At the moment she probably couldn’t look herself in the mirror. She thought about what Nina and Kayla told her, but they’d been wrong. If only she’d called the CDC and dropped it in their lap, Nina wouldn’t be in the back of a truck. She pondered her mistake until she reached the factory and sat down against the wall. The hot metal burned the skin on her shoulder blades. There had to be a way she could help. She stared up into the sky. The night she and Star went out with the two men played itself over and over again. The SEALs needed more pieces of the puzzle. She bolted upright with a thought, and reached for her phone, forgetting Azeel’s men had taken it from her, but someone had to have one. She saw Nathan milling about and approached him. He gave up his phone without question, and she quickly put distance between them as she dialed.
“Hello?”
“Star?”
“Where the hell have you been, Lumin?”
“Are you okay? Do you feel all right?”
“I don’t know if I’d call being held against my will in some fucking hole in the ground, okay.”
“Lumin Edenridge,” a man’s voice said calmly into the phone.
“Yes, is this Mr. Dafoe?”
“So you know who I am. That is a problem.”
“It isn’t a problem if you let Star go. She wasn’t with Dr. Carmichael, I was.” Lumin watched as Dafoe’s men were herded into another truck with armed SEALs making sure all of them stayed in line.
“And did the good doctor tell you where Clifford Bjornson is hiding?”
“Yes, and I’ll tell you if you let Star go.”
“I sent men to collect you, but it seems you’ve brought the Navy SEALs along for the ride.”
“I’ll do what you want, just let Star go. When she calls me telling me she’s safe, I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
“I have a better plan. I want you to come to me without the SEALs, and if I see one sign of them Star will have twelve hours to exist on this earth.”
She nodded. “All right,” she said and listened carefully. She finished the call and approached Nathan. “Nathan, the Admiral says he doesn’t need me anymore. Do you think I could borrow that Jeep? I’m going to go into town and get a room and some rest.”
“I’ll drive you, Lumin. Ghost isn’t finished interrogating the prisoner, and Fox hasn’t gotten very far with Billings, either.”
Small pebbles and sand ground beneath her sneakers as she turned. “It looks like you have enough transportation. I just want to get a shower and deal with some...you know, lady things.”
Nathan shuffled, looking quite uncomfortable. “I see.”
It never failed, single guys never liked talking about a woman’s monthly issues. “Here’s your phone.”
“Keep it,” Nathan said. “Tony will want to be in contact.”
Doubt that. “Will Mace be okay?”
Nathan adjusted his weapon, cradling his forearms on it. “He’ll hold it together. If anything, he’ll do it for Nina.” Nathan said, “Keys are in the ignition. I’ll let Tinman know where you are.”
“He knows,” she lied. She needed time to widen the distance between them, and time to find the antiserum. She just needed to get it and get out without being killed.
She waited outside, watching the movements of the team of SEALs. Her pulse skipped with nervous beats. Most of them had filtered into the building for some shade. She stayed away from them and skirted to the shady side of the building. There she waited, hoping they would forget about her. She heard the crunch of pebbles under a heavy foot.
“Lumin?”
Stupid. She wanted to look up and see Tony, but instead Ed knelt down on one knee in front of her. He removed his helmet and set it on the ground. A concerned look penetrated his blue eyes and a taut jawline edged his handsome features.
“Stop beating yourself up,” he ordered gently. “What happened to Nina is not your fault. It could have been any or all of you who ended up with the same fate.” He covered her hand. “I would have never drawn you into this mission. Even if it meant losing a lead on the cell, you shouldn’t have been involved in this.”
She shook her head. “You know more now, and that’s the only good thing that came out of it. I hope you find Dafoe.”
“That’s what we’re trained to do and we will.” He brushed her hair aside and said, “Why don’t you come inside and we’ll get a drink of water. It’s too hot out here, even in the shade.”
“I’m fine.” She snagged a stone from the ground and clutched it, wishing it was magic and she could cast a spell to end all this. The crunch of pebbles made them both look up. Tony appeared, then stopped, seeing them. His hazel gaze tore into Ed.
“Fox wants you,” he said sharply.
“Trying to convince Lumin to come inside,” Ed said. “Come on, Lumin.” He pulled on her hand.
“I’d rather stay here. Thanks, Ed.”
He nodded. “Convo,” he said to Tony, but Tony didn’t move.
“Later.”
Ed stalled, but then carried on around the corner.
She stared out at the endless desert instead of Tony.
“Have some water,” he said, offering her his canteen.
“No thanks.” She wanted him gone so she could get to the Jeep and on the road.
“Ed’s right. I should have never allowed them to use you.”
“And then Nina wouldn’t be infected. I know.”
“Lumin, I’m going to call Steven Porter. All our resources are tied up right now. I want him to come and get you.”
“No,” she said sharply. “I don’t want them to know.”
“He can protect you. Stay with them until this is over.”
Finally, she lifted her gaze to meet his. If she argued, he might take away her chance to help Star. “Fine. I’ll do that. He can send someone to get me. Bye, Tony.”
His brows shot together with concern for a quick second, and then he nodded as if coming to the same conclusion as her. Once again it was like that night when he left her on the Porters’ steps. This time, she’d never see him again. Quite unlikely she’d get sucked into a terrorist plot for a second time, she thought sarcastically.
The desert air wasn’t only hot, it was stiff with meaning. She’d ended up on the cutting room floor just like all t
he other women Tony had taken to his bed, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t help her country. Her friend Star was in trouble and she could find the vaccine to help Nina.
“Lumin, look—”
She raised her hand and centered the courtroom stare that she’d learned from practicing in the mirror. “You have a job to do. Go do it.” She pushed herself to her feet. Tony opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again, looking pensive. She swallowed deeply, but didn’t veer from his gaze.
He pulled his phone out.
“Don’t need it. I have Nathan’s.”
Tony’s jaw flexed. “When this is over…”
“Don’t do that,” she said, trying to hold her emotions in check. “We both know I won’t see you again. Don’t try to placate me.”
His gaze dropped to the ground and he took a step back. “I won’t.”
It was a bittersweet moment. One she knew she’d remember her whole life. He’d always be the man of her dreams and her hero, but he also played the lead role in who knew how many other women’s memories. She mentally placed the love story she’d created for her and Tony back on the bookshelf as she walked away.
Chapter Ten
Tony watched Lumin round the corner of the building, and every instinct told him to run after her. She’d asked him what he would do after being a SEAL, but there was no after. He would always be a SEAL. Missions, duty, training, dragging her into his world meant she’d be left alone for months on end. Lumin deserved the white picket fence. A family. She was a beautiful young woman with the potential to change the world and have a normal life. SEALs didn’t have normal, so he let her walk away and reminded himself it was the right thing to do. He rubbed his chest as he entered the factory. It hurt. His heart actually hurt.
Two hours passed with the squad hanging over the maps. Options and ideas were contemplated as they put their attention on finding Dafoe’s lab. Kayla paced the floor, deep in thought. He needed a break. As soon as he didn’t focus, his mind leaped to Lumin. He should talk to her before Steven Porter sent someone. He left the room and looked around the factory floor. All he saw was camouflage. Was she outside again?
“Hey, Tadpole!” Nathan stopped his conversation with Stitch and turned to him. “Where’s Lumin? Did a chopper come in for her?”
Nathan looked at him strangely. “Chopper? Did you arrange a pickup instead of her taking the Jeep into town?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Admiral knows, he gave her permission to take a Jeep and head into town.”
Ghost spoke with Captain Cobbs near the factory entryway. “Sir, when did Lumin leave?”
Ghost gave him a shrug. “Left? Where’d she go?”
A sickening feeling ebbed inside Tony’s gut. “You didn’t clear her to take a Jeep and head into town?”
“No, why the hell would I do that?”
Tony ran outside, pulling his phone. He dialed Nathan’s number, but no one answered. “Hey,” he yelled at one of the guys from DEVGRU. “Have you seen Lumin?”
“The blonde gal? She left a couple hours ago.”
“Oh, fuck.” He dialed Nathan’s number again as he ran back into the factory. “Nathan,” he yelled. “Does she still have your phone?”
“Guess so. I told her to keep it. What the fuck’s the matter?”
Kayla appeared. “What’s going on, Tony?”
“She’s gone.”
“Said she was heading into town to stay at a hotel,” Nathan added, joining them.
“Kayla, will you check the local hotels in Kingman?” She nodded and headed toward Ditz, who was always attached to his mobile computer.
The Admiral and Captain Cobbs walked up to him. “What’s going on?” the Admiral asked.
“I think Lumin has gone to find Dafoe on her own.”
“How the hell is she going to do that? We don’t know where he is.”
“Maybe she does,” Tony said, fear grinding its gears in his belly.
The Admiral and Cobbs shared a look. “You think she held something back from us?”
“No.” He scrubbed his face with his hands in frustration. He’d missed something. Dafoe couldn’t contact her. She had Nathan’s phone. Who did she know? He paced back and forth while the men watched him.
“Maybe she’s in town, let Kayla find out,” Nathan offered.
“Not in town,” Kayla said walking up to join the circle after a few minutes passed. “I just called all the hotels. She’s not there.”
He grabbed Kayla’s shoulder. “Help me, Kayla. Who are we missing in all this?”
Kayla shot a harried look at her husband. “Ah, we have one dead scientist. One missing scientist. Um, Lumin was in Las Vegas when this all started. Dafoe wouldn’t be able to contact her. The only other people are her friend Star and Dr. Carmichael’s friend from Lebanon.”
Tony’s head shot up. “Star. Her friend!”
“We don’t know where she is,” Kayla said.
“No, but Lumin could get hold of her. We protected Lumin. We didn’t protect Star.” Everyone was silent. “He’s got her. Dafoe has got Star. Lumin must have called her. She’s going to Dafoe. It’s the only possibility.”
“Oh, no, she wouldn’t be that stupid,” Kayla said, shaking her head.
Tony dialed Nathan’s cell again. “Shit,” he yelled, and stormed away from the squad. “Don’t do this, Lumin,” he said to himself as he stepped into the sunlight. A hand landed on his shoulder and he whipped around. Kayla stared at him with big eyes. “This is my fault. From the word go. I never should have let Ghost use her.” Kayla remained silent while he raved about his stupidity. He should have known better. Lumin felt responsible and he’d done nothing, absolutely nothing to squelch her thoughts.
“Are you done beating yourself up?” Kayla asked quietly.
“No.” He sucked in a stuttered breath.
“Maybe she’s driving back to Las Vegas. She’s probably fine.”
“She’s not fine,” he yelled. “Fuck.” He whirled around.
“Tony, what is this really about?”
“I’m an idiot. I got scared, Kayla. Mace, he—” he clamped his eyes shut. “He might lose Nina, and he knows it. It’s tearing him apart because he loves her so much.”
“Of course he does,” Kayla said. She gave him a quirk of a smile. “And you’re falling in love with Lumin and it scared you.”
He jerked his head with a nod. “I think I am. At least I can’t get her out of my head. I nearly lost it when Ghost brought her out of that room draped in his arms. I thought…I thought…”
“I know what you thought. Did you talk to her? Does she know any of this?”
He rammed the cell in his pocket. He shook his head. “I held her back. I shut her out because—”
“Because you don’t want to feel like Mace,” Kayla finished for him. “Love doesn’t make you vulnerable, Tony. It gives you strength.”
Kayla wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug, and he crushed Ghost’s wife to him for support. “She’s all alone.”
Kayla palmed his cheeks and looked into his eyes. “Until she makes contact, there’s no way to find her. If she’s doing what you suggested, she’ll have dumped the GPS tracker. If she does call, you better do some fast talking. Now send her a text, and keep sending them.”
“A text? Oh fuck, duh.” He pulled the phone and did just that.
Kayla rested a hand on his shoulder. “God takes care of the innocent.”
His breath stuck in his throat. “But she’s not. I took that from her, then I let her go.”
“Have you?” She smiled at him and returned to the factory.
Tony walked a trench into the desert floor, sending text after text, but she didn’t answer. After thirty minutes of trying, he rejoined the squad. They had to find Dafoe, and if they could find him they would find Lumin.
* * * *
Tony’s cell rang and he answered it without looking at the cal
ler ID, hoping it was Lumin.
“Petty Officer Bale, it’s Gord. I think I’ve found something. Is Kayla there?”
“Wait one, Gord. You’re on speaker, go ahead.” Tony sat his cell on the table. His guts twisted tight with fear. Lumin was sticking her head into the lion’s mouth, and she was going to die. He had to find her. Both Billings and Azeel were extremists and refused to give up information. Azeel took the beating of his life, and was barely hanging onto it after Ghost had lost his cool.
“Kayla, I think I might have found something. I did what you asked using the satellite data and went back for an entire month in the history.”
“Spill it,” Kayla said, leaning over the map. She pointed to the northeast corner of Nevada before Gord said a word.
“There’s nothing there,” Ghost muttered.
“I watched a southbound delivery truck take Route 93 and then head west along a back road to a point almost due south of Humboldt National Forest. It made the trip every Wednesday, arriving at fifteen hundred hours from Twin Falls, Idaho.”
Tinman shook his head. Kayla’s finger was pinned less than an inch from that spot.
“A delivery of supplies,” Captain Cobbs suggested.
“Possibly, but there’s nothing there. No homes. No structures. Nothing. The truck disappears from view for one hour and then reappears,” Gord added.
“They’re underground,” Kayla said absently.
“There’s something else,” Gord said, and all eyes swayed to the cell. “I checked the subterranean water systems. There is a large one. A very large one that reaches the Colorado River.”
“Let me guess,” Tony stated. “It runs past that point.”
“Underneath it,” Gord confirmed.
“But the doctor developed an airborne contagion,” Mace said.
“Just something to note. It may have nothing to do with disseminating the Plague,” Gord added.
“Or everything to do with it. Dr. Carmichael said he was developing the airborne virus. He didn’t explain Dr. Bjornson’s role. We assumed he was his partner.”
“We need intel on Dr. Bjornson and what his specialty was,” Tony said. “Ditz?” Ditz was already tapping furiously on the keyboard. Everyone waited. It didn’t take long.
Code Name: Luminous Page 13