by Cara Carnes
Time.
She needed to stall long enough for The Arsenal to arrive.
Show no fear.
Her pulse thudded hard in her ears as he prowled across the room and dragged the cart to where Addy was. “Stand her up.”
The second and third man wrapped meaty hands around her arms and hauled her up.
Cold seeped into Addy as unease pricked her skin. She’d survived bastards like him more than a few times, but she wasn’t about to do so again. No way in hell would she let Kristof take more pain than he’d already endured.
Fatima whimpered, which drew the interrogator’s attention to her.
“And who is she?”
“No idea,” the third man said. “She was in the car.”
The interrogator sighed. “I do hate working for idiots.”
Addy chuckled. “I’ll pay you double whatever they are. Let us go.”
“That’s not an option, I’m afraid,” the man replied as he pulled out a syringe. “I gave my word. I never back out from a contract.”
“Then you’re a fool. You won’t survive this. If we die, they’ll hunt you down and make your death worse than any nightmare you’ve ever had.” Addy glared at the men surrounding her.
“I am the nightmare,” the interrogator said.
“What’s your name?” Addy asked.
“It won’t do you any good. You’ll be dead soon enough.” The man set the syringe down. He grabbed her hair and yanked hard. He drew a knife from his belt and pressed it against her throat. “You aren’t afraid. Why not?”
“I’ve killed far scarier bastards than you. I’ve trained with even deadlier.” She shrugged. “Your mediocre tactics won’t work on me. I’ve worked alongside the real nightmares.”
The man laughed. “Your lies are amusing. No one is worse than me.”
She laughed, forcing the sound out despite the fear crawling up her throat. She needed him off center. He was likely used to people reacting with terror. If she showed him none, he’d be intrigued.
He’d need to know why before the real pain began.
“Your lies are amusing.” She repeated his statement and glared at him.
The knife scraped along her skin. “I’ve skinned people for disrespecting me.”
“Interesting lie,” she said. “Only one man is known for doing that, and you aren’t him. Did you work with him at The Collective? Are you a Judge wannabe like everyone else?”
The man’s gaze widened. “I am the Judge.”
Addy grinned. “I think the real Judge would disagree. He’s taught me a few things, you know. Hurt us and he’ll come after you.”
His eyes widened again. “Who are you?”
“It won’t do you any good. You’ll be dead soon enough.” She repeated his words once again and smiled. “I’ll string you up and skin you first. Then I’ll eviscerate you. I heard someone can be kept alive for hours if it’s done right.”
The man backed away and reached for the syringe.
Addy sprang. The chains rattled, but she was up in the air and coiling chain around the man’s throat before he realized what was happening. The two men nearest her shouted and reached for their weapons.
“Fuck!” Kristof cursed from across the room.
Fatima screamed. Chains rattled across the room, but Addy focused on the three men around her. The interrogator slumped to the floor. She stayed on the ground and kicked out, sweeping both of the men near her below the knee, using her legs on one and the chain on the other.
One fell while the other stumbled. She grabbed the syringe near the floor and shoved it into the standing man while striking his groin. Scrambling for the knife near the interrogator, she coiled her hand around the hilt and sprang up.
Gunfire echoed within the cell. Pain spread along her left arm, but she jumped forward and donkey-kicked the bastard in the solar plexus. He fell backward. She surged forward, scrambling on her hands and knees. She shoved the knife into the third man’s throat. She drew it out, struck once more.
Breathing ragged, she yanked it out and lunged for the second man as he rose from the ground. She punched his gut with both fists and followed up with a double knee kick to his face. She fell atop him and ended the fight with a stab to his jugular.
The interrogator’s guard.
Fuck.
Addy’s gaze swept to where the shrouded woman had stood.
What the hell? Where was she?
Addy hopped toward Kristof and Fatima. The woman had the chains wrapped around the final target’s throat and was on his back. Anger reddened the woman’s face. Eyes wide, she cursed loudly in his ear.
“Die! I cast you into the fires of hell!”
“Get him closer, Fatima!” Kristof shouted.
The woman fell off his back and kicked his knees. He tumbled forward. Kristof reached out and grabbed the chains from Fatima. The two men struggled. Addy jumped atop them both and plunged the knife in the man’s chest.
Her gaze locked with Kristof as the man between them went slack. She rolled him off as Fatima scrambled closer. She spat on the man.
Addy sat back on her ass and forced her breathing under control. Blood ran down her left arm.
“Dammit. You were hit.” Kristof reached for her, but she pulled back.
“I’m fine.”
“What the hell were you thinking?” he shouted. “They could have killed you.”
Yeah, but they hadn’t. And they hadn’t hurt Kristof. She held her hand out to Fatima, who reached into her bra and pulled out the com.
Addy put it on. “ETA of team?”
“Five minutes,” Edge said. “You okay?”
“Nothing that a bandage won’t fix.” She stood. “We have at least one target in the wind.”
Where the hell had that bitch gone? Addy rifled through the dead man’s pockets and pulled out a set of keys. She undid the restraints around her ankles and wrists, then tossed them to Fatima. The woman undid Addy’s neck manacle, then moved to Kristof.
Addy stood. “Targets in the cell are down. One got away. A woman.”
“Remain where you are,” Mary said. “The teams will clear anyone left from the bunker.”
Addy approached the door. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest as she opened the door. She couldn’t risk another armed group getting into the cell. Skill and a heap of luck had gotten her this far, but they weren’t out of the woods yet and five minutes equated a century.
The door squeaked open.
“Addy, stand down,” Mary ordered.
“I need to assess the situation. We can’t risk them coming in here before the teams arrive. I need to at least know if there are any in the immediate area,” Addy said.
“Focus on Lavrov’s injuries,” Jesse said. “And yours. How is he?”
Great question. “He says he’s fine, but he needs medical treatment. Most of the wounds have stopped bleeding. He’s favoring his left side. His healing bullet wound is bleeding again. Possible rib damage on the same side.”
“And you?”
“Left upper arm was grazed, but I’m okay,” Addy said. “None of these were trained well enough to be what I’d consider a Mandrake operative. The assholes we encountered in Cuba wouldn’t have left Fatima and I in rusted chains that didn’t restrict our movements.”
Kristof drew to a halt beside her. Intensity loomed within his gaze, but his furrowed brow and thinned lips worried her. “You aren’t waiting for the team.”
“We need to get eyes outside and warn them how many they’re up against.”
“That’s what the drones are for,” Mary said. “Stand down.”
Anger surged within Addy’s veins. She couldn’t let them get in that cell. To her. To Kristof.
“Stay close,” she ordered Kristof. “If we get into trouble, let me handle it.”
“I’ll try, but I won’t stand back and watch you get hurt,” Kristof admitted. “That isn’t about me being a tough guy who can’t let the girl handle a fig
ht. I just can’t stand on the sidelines.”
“I might work with one or a hundred or so men like that,” she said with a chuckle. “I’ll let you know when I need help. Hopefully we won’t run across anyone except my team, but someone came with that interrogator. I figured we’d best have this conversation now rather than out there if it happens.”
“You were always ten steps ahead,” he whispered.
“And you were twenty.” She noted the blood stains along the shirt he’d just donned. The sooner she got them to The Arsenal teams, the better. They’d have med kits and could get his bleeding stopped. Fortunately, it didn’t seem that bad right now. “Let’s go.”
Addy stepped into the hallway. Weapon drawn, she looked right, then left. And froze.
What the hell?
Carnage.
Five bodies strewn about the hallway in a river of blood pooling beneath them. Her pulse thudded hard in her ears. “Get back inside the cell!”
“What? Why?” Fatima asked. She stepped past Addy and froze. Eyes wide. “Was this your people?”
“Was what your people?” Mary asked. “Trying to be quiet and patient here, but I’m sensing something just went very wrong. You shouldn’t have left that cell.”
“Not wrong. Just…” Addy forced a breath. “Unexpected. ETA on the team?”
“Three minutes, maybe less since they’re hauling ass way faster than they should,” Jesse said. “What’s wrong?”
She paused a moment and stepped over one of the bodies. Leaning down, she touched his face. His entire neck gaped open. “We exited the cell. Five targets, but someone beat me to them.”
“Repeat the last,” Mary said.
“Five dead targets in the corridor leading toward the exit,” Addy said. “Very dead. Very bloody.”
The woman?
Why?
“The woman is still AWOL. This must’ve been her, but why?” Addy ran her hand down her face. “Something’s not right here, Edge.”
“Stay where you are,” Mary ordered. “The team will clear the area and assist with an exfil. We need to find whoever did that. If we have a third party involved, we need to know now.”
“Copy,” Addy said. She stood and looked at Fatima and Kristof. The latter wore a grim expression. “We need to remove their weapons and any additional ammo. We’ll stage ourselves in the cell until my team arrives.”
Kristof nodded. Pain flashed across his face when he took a step forward.
Addy touched his forearm. “Go back to the cell. Fatima and I can handle this.”
“I’m not leaving you out here if whoever did this is still around,” Kristof said.
“Fine. Then lean against the wall and guard us. We’ll clear the weapons.” Addy motioned toward the nearest men. “Fatima, you handle these. I’ll take the others toward the ladder.”
Unease quickened her pulse as she cleared the weapons and checked for pulses. The latter was a formality since most had the same violent strike to the throat. Only one had a different wound and that was the one nearest the ladder.
Whoever had hit had likely struck him first.
No.
Bullets made noise. Knife wounds didn’t—not if properly executed. Whoever did this had struck from near the cell and back toward the ladder.
“We’ll need facial scans on these guys in the hallway,” Addy said into the com.
“What are you thinking?”
“This was an inside job. We’ve got a security team of five laid out in the hall. Only the interrogator and his personal guard entered with the first three targets.”
“And she’s not one of the five in the hall,” Mary said.
“No, she’s not.”
“Addison,” Kristof said. He ran his fingers down her hair. “Tell me what troubles you.”
“Not now.” She stood. “The team’s almost here.”
“We’ll burn the bodies once we’ve done facial scans,” Mary said.
That’d protect whoever the woman was—assuming she’d come with this Mandrake group. Why would she help them?
Addy swiped her hair from her face and shook her head. Something wasn’t adding up. Who the hell would’ve taken out five Mandrake operatives and vanished? “This means there’s a possible third party involved. Maybe Sidorav.”
“He’s a possibility,” Jesse said. “Though, I’d expect he would’ve had enough people there to take control of the situation. He wouldn’t have left.”
No. The bastard didn’t retreat.
13
Kristof kept his gaze on the door leading into the cell. Addy had told them to return to the cell and wait for The Arsenal teams.
She was worried about whoever the mystery woman was. So was he.
“I will unleash the fires of hell on these men,” Fatima said. “You will tell me who they are.”
“Let’s let Addy and her crew handle them. Save the fires of hell and your hounds for whoever has your father,” Kristof said. “I’m sorry it’s been so long, Fatima. When we are back in Moscow, I will see what I can do to help.”
“We’ll help,” Addy said. “I’d be surprised if it hasn’t already been handled.”
Kristof wasn’t surprised. Though he hadn’t interacted with Zoey’s bosses at The Arenal as much as he had her, their reputations within the underground and the private paramilitary arena where his former employer, The Collective, ran amok were legendary. Some swore Edge and Quillery had an unprecedented perfect mission record.
He was relieved they had Addy’s back, but he wished the problems they became embroiled in at every turn would ease up so the woman could rest. When was the last time she’d relaxed or made herself a priority?
“Stop scowling at me,” Addy said. “And sit your ass down before you collapse. You wouldn’t want my team having to carry you up that ladder when they arrive.”
Time had slowed to a crawl since they’d cleared the weapons from the hall and returned to where they’d started. Kristof hoped the team was nearby, but he didn’t ask Addy for a status update.
“Roger,” Addy said. “Weapons down. The teams are clearing the surroundings and making their way inside the bunker.”
“These men. You trust them?” Fatima asked.
“With my life. Every day. Without hesitation.” Addy glanced at the woman. “Why?”
“We are here because he trusted his man,” Fatima said as she pointed at Kristof.
He tightened. Fucking Dima. The man had been his trusted driver for years and had expressed a mutual distrust and hatred for Ivan and Kristof’s father. The betrayal would cut deep if he was involved in the kidnapping.
But it made more sense than Kristof wanted to accept. If Dima was in Father’s corner, then Ivan’s death made more sense. He’d served his purpose and was expendable. Easily replaced with a man Kristof had still trusted.
He’d need to get Maksim working on vetting the others within their secret group. How many others were playing both sides? Could they even figure out the truth beneath decades of lies?
“Addy and the teams coming for us are the best around. I’d trust them with my life without hesitation,” Kristof said. “Above anyone else. Even Maksim.”
Fatima’s eyes widened. She nodded. “Good. Then I will trust them to handle these men. My hounds and fires will wait.”
Kristof chuckled. Addy’s gaze narrowed when she looked from Fatima to him.
“Fatima unleashes her hounds and fires of hell anytime she gets upset or scared,” he whispered. “She’s had a hard life, one that has only gotten worse since her father’s injury.”
“You know her well,” Addy said, her lips thinned.
“I do.” Kristof ran a hand across her jaw. “You have an unusually expressive face right now. Ask what you really want to know.”
“It’s none of my business.”
“It is. Everything to do with me is your business should you choose to make it so. And yours is mine because I have chosen to make it so.”
; Addy pulled away from the contact and glared at him. “We aren’t having that discussion. Not now. Not ever. Leave it be.”
He had no right to drag Addy deeper into his chaotic life. The war with Father would truly begin soon and could end in Kristof’s death. Two decades of planning might not have been enough. Dethroning a king with a massive army was an almost impossible task.
He’d long considered his death a worthy sacrifice if Father died as well. It was the least he could do for Mama. And Olaf. And Stacia.
But that was before Addy entered his world again. She’d entrenched herself within it and stood at his side for the past two weeks. Although she’d seen some of the worst he’d done, she’d stood her ground.
For him.
A part of him wanted to explore the connection they had though he knew she deserved a better man than he could ever be. Being around her, seeing her with her team, and witnessing what she’d become only made the longing he’d contained for years more difficult to ignore.
He wanted to heal the damage he’d unwittingly created years ago when he’d left her in that camp. Father and Peter had tried to destroy the Addy he remembered, but he knew she still lived within the woman beside him. The trusting, protective, and caring Addy that he’d sworn to protect so long ago was buried beneath layers of betrayal, carnage, and destruction.
Just like him.
A loud pop sounded from outside in the hallway. Kristof startled and shifted to position himself between Addy and the door.
“What the hell are you doing?” Addy snapped.
“Whatever it takes to get you out of here,” he said.
“We’re getting out. We are both getting out.” She touched his chest. “Come on. Let’s get you up.”
The door fell inward with a loud rattle that echoed within the cell. Fatima jumped. Three men entered, weapons drawn. Thunder fanned left, while Beast went right. Nolan Mason headed straight toward them. He angled his automatic rifle downward and swept his gaze from Fatima to Addy then to Kristof and back to Addy.
“We’re clear,” Nolan said.
“Glad you made the party,” Addy said. “We’ve got scans going on the hallway?”
“Marshall and Gage are handling that.”
“All the teams are here?” Shock registered in her voice. “Who’s with the missiles?”