Razor's Edge

by Shannon K. Butcher

  At the time, Tanner had thought her measures had been overkill. Now he wasn’t so sure.

  Roxanne came to the front. “Right two blocks ahead and you should see him.”

  He took a hard right and saw his brother running up ahead. They pulled over, and Reid hopped inside. He was sweating, and his chest surged with each speedy breath.

  “They’re in a black SUV.”

  “Are you okay?” asked Roxanne.

  “Fine, Razor. Just follow them. Something’s up.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll go monitor the map.”

  “Why did they go if they knew it was a trap?” asked Tanner.

  Reid angled the vent toward his face, so Tanner turned up the fan to help him cool off. “It was the first lead we’d had all day. I’m sure they figured it was our only shot at finding Jake.”

  “They’ve hit the highway,” said Roxanne. “We’re going to lose them if we don’t pick up the pace.”

  Tanner gunned the engine. “Which way?”

  “West.”

  He could feel Reid’s glare hitting the side of his face. He didn’t have to look to know his brother was pissed. “Where the hell were you?”

  “Here. We never left the MCC.”

  “You also weren’t monitoring comms. Were the two of you—”

  “I’m not going to talk about this with you.”

  “Fuck,” spat Reid. “You did it, didn’t you? After all my warnings, after all I went through to get you this job, you went and broke the rules your first week out.”

  “I’m not going to talk about it. What I do is my—”

  “It’s my business, too. I put my reputation on the line for you. I promised Bella you’d be a good addition to the team. I can’t believe you went and fucked—”

  Rage rose up inside Tanner’s chest, making his voice right. “Stop right there. You can bitch at me all you want later, but not now. Focus on the job.”

  “I lost them,” said Roxanne. “The signal faded.”

  Reid scrubbed his face with his hands but fell silent.

  Tanner took the entrance ramp toward the west and began a steady acceleration. “This beast won’t go much faster.”

  “I’ll keep looking. Maybe we’ll pick up something.”

  “Call Mira,” said Tanner. “If she has trackers in our tags, chances are she has them on our phones, too.”

  Reid pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’ll do it.”

  “Never mind. They’re back again,” Roxanne called out. “Take the next exit.”

  It was flat out here, and the lumbering MCC was going to be easy to spot. “I don’t want to get too close.”

  “They’re still moving, but the speeds are slow. Maybe they’re looking for something.”

  “Or on a gravel road. There’s nothing out here.”

  Tanner took the next exit and stopped at the end of the ramp.

  “Left,” said Roxanne. “But go slow. They’re not far. Less than half a mile.”

  He turned off the headlights. The sun had set, but it wasn’t completely dark yet. There was just enough gray light left in the western sky to allow him to see. But that wasn’t going to last long, and there were no streetlights out this far. He couldn’t even see a single security light on a house or barn. It was just a wide stretch of blackness.

  After a few more minutes, Roxanne said, “They stopped.”

  “How far?”

  “Quarter mile to our east.”

  “We should go in on foot,” said Reid.

  Tanner turned the MCC around in case they needed to get out fast and pulled it off the road. He didn’t dare go far for fear the vehicle could get stuck in the ravine running alongside the gravel road.

  Roxanne was in the back, digging through cabinets. A small pile of gear sat on the table where he’d taken her only a short while ago.

  He couldn’t regret it—not something as mind-shattering as what they’d shared. But he did regret what that decision was going to do to his life. Reid was furious. Bella was going to fire him and maybe Roxanne, too. His mom was going to be so disappointed.

  For a moment, he considered going back into the service. Life there made sense to him. He had a job, a purpose. And he was damn good at it. Here, in the civilian world, things were much more complicated and messy.

  “There are only two pairs of NVGs,” said Roxanne.

  Before Tanner could think through the consequences of his words, he said, “You should stay here where it’s safer.”

  Her face darkened, and her eyes blazed with fury. Heedless of Reid’s attention, she shoved Tanner back against the wall, her finger hard against his chest. Her voice was low, but the anger vibrating through her tone was unmistakable. “If you think you’re going to start telling me what to do just because I had your dick in me, think again.”

  “I’ll stay,” said Reid, his voice cold. “Mira sent me satellite images of the area. I can guide you.”

  Tanner gave his brother a look of silent thanks. Reid could have made the situation worse, but instead had chosen to defuse it. Tanner had no idea why.

  “Fine,” snapped Roxanne. “We leave as soon as you’re geared up. I’ll be waiting.” She grabbed a few items from the table, snatched up her go-bag, and stomped out the door.

  “This is why Bella has a policy,” said Reid.

  “Thanks for stepping in. I saw things spiraling out of control there for a second.”

  Reid stared at him for a long moment. “If ever there was a woman worth breaking the rules for, Razor would be her.”

  Jealousy fluttered through Tanner before he could control it. “Do you have a thing for her?”

  “No, I just get it. That’s all. You’re a fucking bonehead for screwing her, but I get why you would want to.”

  Tanner strapped on a tactical vest. “It won’t happen again.”

  Reid grunted. “Not if you keep opening your mouth, it won’t. Of course, if Bella fires you, there would be no reason not to pursue Razor for real.”

  The thought stopped him cold. His hands froze on the NVGs.

  He wanted her. Even now, after having been with her so recently, he was ready for another round. He liked her. As angry as she was now, it would pass. What remained was a dedicated woman who would stop at nothing to see her friend safe, a woman who cared for others and put their needs above her own.

  But could there be more between them than chemistry?

  He’d never been with the same woman for very long. Maybe he wasn’t capable of that type of relationship. And if he wasn’t, he sure as hell didn’t want to find out and hurt Roxanne in the bargain. Then again, maybe his caring about her enough to protect her from that meant there could be something more between them.

  “She’s waiting,” said Reid. “Get your shit together and get out there.”

  Tanner was emotionally stunted. That was the only explanation for why he was standing around like an idiot at the very thought of a relationship. It would be best if he just stuck to business and kept his dick in his pants for the rest of this mission. After that, he’d have plenty of time to wallow in his own emotional immaturity while he searched for a new job.

  The tactical gear felt good on his body. Right. This was the world that made sense to him. The only thing missing was his rifle. The one he had now would do the job, but it wasn’t his. He didn’t know its quirks. It hadn’t saved his life.

  Tanner slid the earpiece in place and went outside. Roxanne was strapped in, ready to go. Her pale hair was pulled back, covered by a clinging knit cap. She’d smeared greasepaint on her face and changed out her leather sandals for a sturdy pair of boots.

  The transformation was amazing. Gone was the classy socialite, and standing in front of him was a warrior. Part of him was shocked at the change, but mostly he was turned on. He’d always loved strong women, and she was looking like the stuff of fantasies. “Wow. You look . . . different.”

  “Save it. Come here.” She rubbed her finger in some black paint
and smoothed it across his skin.

  As platonic as the touch was, he still felt it to the soles of his feet.

  He hadn’t had enough of her—not yet. Not even close. Even though he’d told himself he wouldn’t touch her again, part of his mind was already searching for a way to seduce her. It didn’t matter that he knew better. The only thing that mattered was the list of things he still wanted to do with her, to her.

  “There,” she said, stepping back to admire her work. “That should do it. You ready?”

  He nodded, not trusting his voice.

  “Reid, can you hear us?” she asked.

  “Affirmative.”

  “Good. We’re moving in now.”

  Tanner didn’t dare ask her if he could go first; he simply moved out, setting a pace she’d have a hard time outdoing. They followed the gravel road up a slight rise. Heat rose from the crushed rock under their feet, bringing with it the scent of dust and sunshine.

  “You should be close,” came Reid’s voice in his ear.

  Tanner stopped to survey the area. He kept his voice quiet. “There’s a building ahead. Looks like an old barn.”

  Roxanne stopped next to him. “I see one man on the south wall.”

  “We’ll skirt around and get another view from the back.”

  “I’m not hearing anything through Gage’s and Clay’s comms,” said Reid. “We’re in range, so that’s not a great sign. You need to hurry.”

  Tanner followed the lay of the land, using the brush and rocks to keep them out of sight. Roxanne was right on his heels, moving like a silent shadow behind him. They cleared the north side of the building and saw no other guards.

  There was a door on this side. Without knowing what was on the other side, he was definitely not going to let Roxanne go in there.

  “I’ll go in that way. Cover me.” He left before she had time to argue.

  Her whispered reply promised payback. “You play dirty.”

  “I’m not playing at all.”

  Tanner moved fast over the open ground, his rifle ready. He stopped at the door and listened.

  His heart was pounding, but he had plenty of practice filtering it out so he could hear other sounds. There were two men talking in low voices. He couldn’t tell what they were saying, or if they were Gage and Clay, or other men. They didn’t sound upset or afraid. It was more like a conversation over dinner, given the casual ease with which they spoke.

  Tanner put his hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly, testing to see whether it was locked. It wasn’t.

  He crouched and opened the door just a crack. Light from inside blasted through his NVGs. He shoved them up and blinked while his eyes readjusted. The voices were louder now, but he couldn’t tell if they were strangers, or if one of them could be Gage. The man had barely said ten words since they’d met, and Tanner didn’t have a good feel for his voice.

  “We should have knocked them out,” said the first man.

  “Relax. Reinforcements are on the way. We can hold two men for ten fucking minutes.”

  “They could get out.”

  “With what? I stripped the room clean. There’s nothing in there but dust.”

  Man one’s voice wavered with fear. “You know what she’ll do to us if we fail, man.”

  “Pussy,” muttered the second man. “Go check on them again if it makes you feel better. Just shut the fuck up about it.”

  Tanner tested his vision. It wasn’t perfect, but he could see clearly enough now to make out the general layout of the room. The floor was concrete. The roof and walls were supported by steel I-beams. The walls themselves didn’t appear to be much of an obstacle, but getting through them would make too much noise.

  One guard was visible, sitting on a folding chair with his feet propped on a second chair. He had a rifle at his side and was dressed for battle.

  Tanner changed his angle, looking for the second man and scanning the room for more. On the extreme right end of his line of sight, he could barely see the heels and back of another man in a camouflaged uniform.

  That was where they were keeping the men.

  He silently closed the door and backed up a few feet. In a slight whisper, he said, “I found them. They’re locked in a room, but we’re on a clock. Reinforcements come in ten minutes.”

  “What’s your plan?” asked Reid in his ear.

  Roxanne spoke up. “We need to keep them alive for questioning.”

  “That’s going to complicate things,” said Reid.

  “She’s right. These aren’t enemy combatants.” Yet. If they started firing, that would be a different story. “They’re wearing body armor. That should make things less risky if we have to open fire.”

  “I have a tranq gun. We’ll toss in a flash-bang. Then I’ll hit them while you go after Clay and Gage.”

  “I saw only two, but can you take out two of them before they start shooting? You’ll have to hit them in an unarmored area, too.”

  “Do you have a better idea?” she asked.

  Not one that would get them out of here in less than nine minutes. “Move in, and don’t forget we have a guard on the south side of the building.”

  “I’ll bring the MCC closer and take care of him,” said Reid. “You two get the men out.”

  “And a hostage,” said Roxanne. Her voice became arctic and took on a tone he’d never heard her use before. “One of them is going to tell us where Jake is.”

  “Let’s hope they know,” said Reid. “I’m moving now. Give me two minutes to get into position.”

  Tanner felt her presence a second before she was at his side. In the midst of the smears of black paint her eyes blazed with golden determination. The set of her jaw was as hard and cold as her voice had been.

  He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer her some reassurance. Her eyelids fell shut, and she drew in a breath as if collecting herself. When she looked at him again, she was all business. “Where are they?”

  “West wall, about twenty feet from this corner.”

  She nodded.

  He reached for her NVGs and lifted them. “The lights are on inside.”

  She pulled out a flash-bang grenade. “Where’s the best place to toss this?”

  “They’re seated in folding chairs a few feet from the southeast corner.”

  She offered him the grenade. “Will you do the honors? You know where they are.”

  “Sure.”

  Tanner wanted to say more. He wanted to tell her to be careful, but he was certain that wasn’t what she wanted to hear right now. She probably wouldn’t thank him for doing anything to ruin her focus, so instead, he kept his mouth shut.

  Reid’s whisper piped into their ears. “I’m in place. I have a bead on the guard.”

  “Tranqs only,” said Roxanne.

  “Sorry, Razor. You took the only gun. I’ll keep him pinned down and try not to hit anything important. That’s all I can do.”

  “Fine. Wait for the bang.” She nodded to Tanner.

  He pulled the pin and eased the door open again, this time wide enough for his arm to pass through. He gave the grenade a good toss, releasing the spoon, then shut the door fast.

  Boom.

  Tanner shoved the door wide and went through first to keep any rounds from hitting Roxanne. He heard the clatter of metal on concrete as a weapon hit the floor. The men were yelling, their voices echoing off the metal walls.

  Outside, a series of shots went off. Another exploded inside, and he had to fight to keep from turning around to see if Roxanne had been hit.

  Their best chance of survival was getting their allies free to fight with them.

  Tanner raced across the floor toward the only door along that wall. It was locked.

  “Back away,” he roared. He waited only a moment before firing a series of rounds through the wood near the lock.

  Behind him, more shots were fired. His blood pressure skyrocketed. “Roxanne?”

  “I’m busy!”

&
nbsp; Her voice flowed over him like cool water. She was still alive.

  Tanner kicked the door, and the wood splintered. He kicked again. The lock held, but the chunk of wood connected to it separated from the rest, and the door flew open.

  “About fucking time,” said Clay.

  Gage said nothing, but he grabbed Tanner’s knife from its sheath as Tanner passed to help Roxanne.

  Smoke obscured his vision of the far side of the room, but he could hear movement. She gasped in pain, and Tanner’s world narrowed down to that single, horrific sound. He was in the smoke, his rifle ready. He didn’t give a shit that he had no nonlethal ammunition. Whoever had hurt her deserved to die.

  A weapon fired. In his ear, he heard a hard exhalation of air that was almost a scream, cut off short. It had come from Roxanne.

  Fear exploded behind his eyes. She’d been hit. He knew it. He could feel it.

  “Roxanne!”

  Smoke billowed in the air, dissipating too slowly for him to see. He charged toward where he thought she was, keeping low.

  He saw her boot—too small to be a man’s. It wasn’t moving.

  Another boot came into view. Someone was standing over her.

  Rage took over, pouring through his body. No one was going to hurt his Roxanne. Ever.

  Tanner charged, flinging himself at the man. His rifle hit first, clashing with the man’s weapon. Tanner let his go and slammed his fist, targeting a head he couldn’t see. His fist hit something hard. His knuckles split open.

  They fell backward under Tanner’s momentum. He reached for his knife only to find the sheath empty. His rifle was locked in place between them, and the only weapons he had now were his fists.

  The men hit the ground hard. There was the sickening sound of bone hitting concrete. Tanner slugged him again, and this time, his head snapped to the side. He was out cold.

  Tanner shoved himself up, crawling under the smoke. “Roxanne!”