by Lexi Blake
Jake closed the van door. “Nope. We get back to the boat.”
“No.” Penny moved to the seat next to Charlotte and pointed out the window. “We have to get that man.”
Without even a hesitation, Charlotte gunned the engine and took off, a smile of anticipation on her face. “He’s a hulk. Who is he?”
Candice sniffled but seemed to be recovering. “He said his name was Carter. Brody Carter. Sounded Aussie from his accent. I think he’s Walter’s bodyguard. Walter didn’t show up.”
Charlotte made a sharp swerve to avoid traffic, keeping Carter’s figure in her sights.
“Shit.” Jake moved in between them, getting to his knees. “Why do I get left with the crazy chicks? Should I point out that our orders were to make for the docks and hook up with the rest of the team there?”
“You can certainly point it out all you like, but this is SIS’s mission and you’re a hired contractor, Mr. Dean. As the head of the SIS mission is currently not in contact with me, I believe I’m in charge,” Penny said primly. “Don’t lose him.”
“I’m not the one who’s going to get her ass smacked. And I am outnumbered unless Candy back there wants to help me take you both on.” Jake sighed a little.
Candice shook her head. “I’m pretty much terrified of everyone. But I would like to know where Walter is, and that man up there is the only one who can tell us. I think if we ask him to come with us, he might say no though.”
“I wasn’t intending to ask him.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a covered hypodermic needle. Damon had one as well. They had discussed it earlier and decided that if Bennett didn’t cooperate, they would drug him and bring him on the boat a different way, hence the cruise ship van they had liberated and the big storage box in the back. There was more than one way to get on a ship.
“You can’t kill him,” Candice protested.
“It’s just going to put him to sleep.” She frowned as they slowed down. He was moving uphill now. “I worry a bit it won’t be enough, though. It’s dosed for a smaller man. He’s much larger than Walter.”
“It will work. Shit. I’m probably going to get my ass kicked first though. Why does everyone I fight have to be so fucking big?” Jake asked.
Charlotte swerved and made a crazy turn. “He’s going down the alley. I think I can get ahead of him.”
She stared at the GPS on the van’s dash. It showed where the small side road led. She made another turn and brought the van to a halt.
Jake hopped out just as Carter sprinted from behind the building line. Jake found a way to avoid a prolonged fight. He simply put a foot out and the big Aussie, who was looking behind him, tripped and hit the ground with a loud thud.
“Bloody hell!”
Penny got out of the van, followed by Charlotte.
Jake jumped on the guy’s back, placing his gun at the base of his neck. “All right now, you massive piece of meat. We’re going to do this nice and easy.”
The Aussie twisted him off with a loud shout and Jake was tossed in the air, hitting the bricks of the building to his left. A groan came out of his mouth, but he was back on his feet in an instant and he never dropped the gun.
“Get the hell out of my way, yank, or use that gun because I’m not going anywhere.” The Aussie was on his feet, bleeding slightly, but shoulders squared and ready to fight. “And get the women out of here. I don’t want to take them down but I will.”
Charlotte stared Penny’s way and nodded.
It was up to her. She palmed the needle, flicking the safety cap off.
Charlotte cleared her throat. “Hey, we just want to talk, Mr. Brody. Candice is in the van.”
She was hiding in the van. Likely crying again.
Carter split his attention between Jake and Charlotte. “I think I’m done jabbering for the day. We’ll find another way.”
She couldn’t let him do that. She steeled herself. She would get one shot.
“We can’t let you go. Please come with us,” Charlotte said.
He turned directly to her and Penny strained to reach him, shoving the needle into the man’s thick neck, pushing the plunger down.
Carter immediately batted his big arm out and Penny went flying the same way Jake had. The air knocked out of her lungs as she brushed the side of the building. She fell to the cobblestones, struggling to breathe.
“Damn it.” Big hands reached down and started to pick her up. She was surprised to open her eyes and find it was Brody Carter and not Jake Dean who tried to help her up even though he had a needle sticking out of his neck.
“Shit-arse job. Hate hurting women.” His eyes glazed and he dropped her hands, hitting the ground with a hard thump.
“You okay?” Jake reached out a hand.
Penny nodded, adrenaline still rushing through her system. She got to her wobbly feet.
“Charlotte, see if you can help me get this guy in the van. We need to get out of here. I can’t imagine Baz isn’t coming this way.”
That was when the first bullet flew down the alley.
Penny looked down the long street and saw Baz there.
“Shit.” Jake returned fire, putting half his body behind a trash bin. “Get him in there or we leave him behind. You’ve got ten seconds before my need to get you to safety takes over and there will be no more discussions or rebellions.”
Gunfire cracked through the air.
Penny wasn’t about to leave the Aussie behind. There had been something about the way he’d tried to help her even after she’d shot him full of tranquilizers that brought out her protective instincts. He hadn’t been like the other one. She couldn’t leave him to die, and that’s what would happen if she let Baz have him. She pulled the needle out of his neck, tossing it away before gripping his wrist. Charlotte took the other one and they started to drag him toward the van.
Sirens began to wail.
“If we all get taken in, who do you think is going to fare better with the cops, Champion?” Jake called out.
There was a frustrated shout and then the beating of shoes against the cobblestones.
Jake left his spot. “Get him in now. We have to go. I have no idea if he’s gone for good or if he’s just picking a better spot. Your men will have my ass if I get you killed.”
Where was Damon? Panic threatened because she couldn’t be sure Baz hadn’t shot him. He’d been perfectly willing to shoot anyone in the church it had seemed. She hefted the Aussie up, helping to roll him into the back of the van.
Charlotte looked down at her phone. “No time for recriminations. Ian wants a pickup. Let’s go. He’s got injured.”
Penny’s heart sank as she hurried to her seat. Candice stared down at the unconscious man and huddled in the back of the van.
Penny tried to hold it together because one way or another, she would need to get through the next few minutes.
* * * *
Damon’s heart pounded in his chest as he burst out of the church. All around him panicked tourists screamed and yelled for loved ones, but he was looking for one woman. Where was Penelope?
He’d attempted to make his way toward her, but by the time he’d muscled to where she’d been last, she was gone.
Was she hurt? Was she lying somewhere bleeding and wondering where the hell he was?
Simon Weston was suddenly beside him. “Let’s go. Penelope’s been taken to the car. Charlotte’s driving. Both of the women are fine. We need to get down the street so we can avoid the police who should be here any moment.”
She was fine. Relief flooded through him at the thought. And he could see Baz forcing his way through the crowd up ahead. They’d slowed him down, the throng forming a wall that made it hard to get through. As he watched, Brody Carter managed to bust through and started to jog down the street, his head turning back to see who was following him.
“We have to get the man Baz is chasing. He knows where Bennett is.” Without another thought, he took off.
He slip
ped through the crowd, forcing his way where he needed to. He had seconds before Baz would be through the human wall and then Damon had very little chance of catching him. Even as he picked up his pace, he could already feel his lungs burning.
Baz turned, catching sight of him. A look of pure hatred crossed his face and he pulled his big gun, pointing it straight at Damon.
He moved just in time, rolling to his left.
A man beside him fell, the bullet that had been meant for Damon taking his life.
The crowd scattered and Damon was on his feet again. He couldn’t stop, couldn’t consider the man who had fallen. Baz had done that. Not him. It was up to Damon to bring Baz down, but he couldn’t do it from where he was standing. Fredrikinkatu Street was full of terrorized tourists, and the wail of sirens could be heard in the distance. If he took a shot, he might hit one of them. Too much chaos. It aided Baz.
He could see down the long length of the road, tall buildings on either side. He forced himself to move, to ignore the pain in his chest. He ran through the small park, past the tiny store they’d visited earlier. His feet beat against the cobblestones as the uneven ground threatened his every step.
Baz turned again, firing back. Damon whirled, his head spinning as he felt a burning sensation sizzle along his left bicep.
The road was sloping up now. He had to work harder. Run faster. Push himself. He had to.
He couldn’t stop. He had to get that fucker. Penelope would never be safe as long as Basil Champion was walking the earth. Somewhere in the back of his head he knew she wasn’t the objective. Protecting her wasn’t what he was being paid to do but somehow she’d become his mission. When everything else was stripped away, when he couldn’t allow his own stupid history to hold sway, when all he could hear was the thundering of his faulty heart, he knew what mattered. Penelope.
Pain flared as he stumbled a bit.
He could see Baz had stopped at a side street. In the distance, he heard the flare of guns firing. More than one. Was Penelope fighting?
Run harder. Run faster. Don’t give in to the pain.
“Come on, mate.” Simon was suddenly beside him, the younger man easily catching up.
Damon’s vision was just the slightest bit foggy, clouding on the periphery. He didn’t let up. He focused on one thing and one thing only. Baz.
Except he couldn’t see him anymore.
“It’s going to be all right.” Simon’s voice sounded distant.
Why wasn’t he running? What the bloody hell was that pain in his leg? He forced his eyes to open—he wasn’t aware they’d been closed.
His chest heaved, trying to get oxygen into his lungs.
“You passed out, mate. One minute you were running and the next you were down for the count.” Simon was staring down at him, his face stern. “We have to get you up. The police are already at the church, and they’ll be here any minute. Up you go.”
His stomach turned as Simon got him on his feet.
Everything hurt. What the hell had happened? Simon slung Damon’s arm over his shoulder.
“Come on. We have to move.”
“We have to get Baz. He was right there. I almost had him.” He’d been closing in.
His legs moved, but he had to think about it. They felt useless. It seemed like all of his effort, all his energy, was spent just trying to breathe.
“Come on, Charlotte,” Simon said under his breath as he dragged Damon’s useless body into the nearest alley.
“Have to get Baz.”
“Baz is gone, Knight. He’s long gone, and we’re going to get hauled into Finnish prison if we don’t get ourselves gone, too. I’m sure it’s very clean and polite, but prison is prison.” Simon sighed. “Thank god.”
There was a squeal of tires as the van they had switched to in the garage stopped at the alley. The side door slid open, and Taggart jumped out.
“What the fuck was that, Knight?”
Simon dragged him along “Not now, boss. He’s in bad shape.”
Damon started to shake his head. He was fine.
Taggart’s boots echoed along the pavement. “Hospital? Did he take fire?”
“No hospital.” He didn’t need a bloody doctor. Nausea threatened to overtake him, but at least he was breathing somewhat normally again. His legs still felt useless.
Taggart leaned over, shoving a big shoulder into his middle and causing Damon to curse. “Let’s go then. We have the package. You owe my wife and your girl big-time, Knight.”
If he vomited all over Tag’s backside, it would be payback.
The van doors opened and Jake Dean was in the back, shifting something to the side to allow Tag to toss Damon’s utterly limp body inside. He was just starting to regain control of his legs as his back hit the floor of the van. The doors clanged closed and in a second, they were off.
He realized what package Charlotte and Penelope had apparently picked up. Brody Carter was unconscious beside him.
Penelope stared down, her hand on his forehead. “It happened again?”
He’d passed out. Like he had in Liverpool station. He’d failed. He closed his eyes and nodded. He kept them closed because he didn’t want to see the pity in her eyes.
“What happened, Penelope? How did you get away?”
“Oh, I shot him.”
His eyes flew open and he twisted, forcing himself to get the hell up. “Penelope?”
Her face was pale, but she seemed steady. “He would have killed me, Damon. When Candice started running, I smashed my foot across the bridge of his and I shot him. I think I killed him. But it was him or me and I don’t think he was likely a very good person.”
“I’m so sorry.” Candice was sitting on the floor, huddled close to the front, her face blotchy from crying.
Penelope had killed her attacker and managed to bring in both of their assets.
He reached out for her. It didn’t matter that she was angry with him. It didn’t mean a thing that she didn’t seem to want him anymore. She needed comfort, and he was damn well going to provide it. She was still wearing his collar. He’d brutally failed to protect her. He could at least offer her this.
If she rejected him, he might die.
She went into his arms the minute he opened them. She was soft and warm and he hadn’t realized how cold he’d been.
“I killed him.” Her body shook as she cried, and he tightened his arms around her.
“It’s all right, love. You did so well.” She’d been more than he could have hoped for. But she was gentle at heart, and it would hurt her that she’d been forced to kill. “You did the only thing you could.”
She simply cried into his shoulder. As they moved deeper into Helsinki, Damon held on and prayed he could be enough for her.
Chapter Eighteen
Standing in an alley near the docks ten minutes later, Damon forced himself to move though every single muscle in his body ached. He had to face certain truths. He was damaged. His body was ruined. Possibly beyond repair. He might look all right on the outside. He might be able to fake his way through looking fit, but he wasn’t. He’d lied to himself, to everyone. He’d hidden from the fact for the last six months, but it was brutally true and he’d discovered something else about himself.
It didn’t matter. He didn’t even care that he’d lost consciousness, nearly wrecked the operation. All that he cared about was the fact that Penelope had held onto him briefly and then shut him out again.
“Are you sure this will work?” Taggart asked.
Jake Dean used a crowbar to force the crate open. “If it doesn’t, we won’t be any worse off than we are now. I already called Chelsea. She’s back on board. She and Jesse cut their trip short once they confirmed it was a distraction. She’s worked the system. They’re expecting crate number 1021009 in housekeeping. It’s supposed to be a new shipment of organic cleaning equipment. Jesse’s back on board, and he’s going to sign for it. He’s waiting for the crate and then we’ll move it to s
torage and get him back out again with no one the wiser.”
Him being Brody Carter, who was still unconscious. Simon wound rope around the bugger’s massive wrists and Taggart held out a ball gag setup that would have made the subs spit and scream his way, but it would totally work for what they needed to do.
There was more than one way to get on the boat, and they were using it.
If only he could get Penelope to look at him.
She’d clung to him, crying into his shoulder and holding him tight, but when the van had stopped and they’d had to get out and be cruise ship passengers again, she’d pulled away from him.
He couldn’t stand it. He hated not touching her, not being close to her.
It shouldn’t matter. They had the package. Everyone on the crew was fine. The cops weren’t waiting at the boarding level of the ship. It was successful despite the fact that they didn’t have Bennett or Baz. He should have been okay with it, but he didn’t give a shit because Penelope wouldn’t look at him.
“Should we stay here and look for Walter Bennett?” Penelope asked quietly.
At least that was a question he could answer for her. She wouldn’t allow him to do much else. “That’s not a good idea, love. After the debacle at the church, we have to be worried about the police. We need to question Carter and it’s going to be easier to do that on board, where we can control our surroundings. He knows where Bennett is. If we need to come back to find him, we will. But we’ll come back with a full team and support.”
They stuffed Carter in the crate, his dead weight a massive burden. Jake brought in a handcart and they got the crate on wheels. Jake nodded toward him, waving him off. He and Simon would board on the cargo level with the shipment. The rest of them had to get back on the boat with smiles on their faces like they’d had a brilliant time in Finland. Charlotte and Penelope had been trying to fix Candice’s makeup. She looked pale but walked solidly ahead of them.
His chest still ached with every breath. He kept his footsteps steady, but he had to think about it, had to focus. There was a small wound on his left bicep that still stung a bit. He was wearing Taggart’s jacket to cover up the small stain on his shirt.