Mission: Her Justice

by Anna Hackett

  She joined the crowd, ducking in behind a tall man. She shuffled into an elevator and the doors closed. The other people in the elevator were all revved up, talking too fast and one step away from panicking. She couldn’t assess how bad her wound was yet. She was bleeding a lot, but she wasn’t down. Hopefully, she wasn’t leaving a convenient blood trail behind her.

  The elevator opened and sunlight hit her eyes. She shoved past the people in front of her and strode outside. The scent of chlorine hit her.

  A long narrow pool dominated the space and the panicked people from the elevator started shouting.

  Right, she needed to get out of there.

  Guests of all shapes and sizes lay on sun loungers. Kids splashed and squealed in the water. Palm trees in huge pots dotted the space.

  Evan hobbled past those on the loungers, limping a little. Screams had alerted those enjoying the pool that something was up. She saw people sitting up and glancing around.

  She kept her head down and walked across a bridge over the pool.

  More gunshots.

  Shit. She glanced back and saw three people moving in, but she knew that there would be more.

  Guests leaped up, grabbing kids and running.

  “Go!” Evan yelled at some stunned people.

  She urged people on, waving her arms. Once her section was clear, she pulled out her Glock from her waistband.

  One of the mercs spotted her. She took aim and fired, sending him diving for cover. She fired again and she saw the man fall into the pool.

  With a grim smile, she hobbled on.

  The burn on her side was worse, and she was sure she’d lost a lot of blood. She felt lightheadedness starting to set in. She was pretty sure the bullet had just winged her, but it must have nicked an artery. Unfortunately, she’d been shot a few times before.

  More bullets hit close by, and she ducked. They plowed into some trees and loungers.

  Evan kept moving and then slipped. She hit the ground, her bloody handprint dark on the pavers. Shit.

  Up, Fletcher. Keep moving, or you die.

  She dredged up all the energy she had and pulled herself up. She limped a bit farther.

  When she glanced back, she counted six people making their way toward her.

  Shit. She wasn’t going to make it out.

  She saw some cabanas, now abandoned, and she skirted one before she ducked inside another. The stripey curtains didn’t provide much cover.

  She touched her side. Ow, it hurt. The wrap was now soaked with blood. She pushed into the shadows behind the daybed. Maybe if she was quiet and hadn’t left a blood trail, they wouldn’t find her.

  She snorted. These people were professionals. They’d find her.

  She peeked out and she saw the team systematically searching the pool area. Checking her Glock, she felt her heart sink. She was almost out of ammo.

  A raw feeling washed over her. So, this was how it ended.

  Her mom would mourn her, but Evan had never taken the time to make good friends, to build anything personal. There would be no star on the wall at Langley to remember her. She was a rogue, a pariah.

  She let out a breath. She’d never fallen in love. Never been the center of someone’s world. She closed her eyes. With bloody fingers, she pulled out her phone. Quickly, she texted her mom. I love you.

  Then inexplicably, she thumbed another button.

  Jonah’s face filled the small screen and strangely, it eased the tight knot inside her. She kept her voice hushed.

  “Look—” she licked her lips “—I won’t be able to help you and your team out like I’d hoped. You need to be ready.”

  He scowled. “Evan.”

  She stilled, the air rushing out of her. “You know who I am.”

  Dammit. He knew. He would’ve heard all the ugly lies.

  “I’m very good at what I do too,” he said.

  She closed her eyes. “Whatever you heard, it’s all bullshit.” She brushed her hand against her face, her head feeling foggy, making it hard to think.

  Jonah frowned. “Is that blood on your hand?”

  “He found me. I just…wanted to tell you to be careful.”

  Jonah straightened, leaning closer. “Evan, where are you?”

  “He has a team closing in—”

  Bullets ripped into the cabana, shredding the curtains and splintering the wood. She threw an arm up to shield her head.

  “Evan!” Jonah’s frantic voice. “Evan, where are you?”

  “The Wynn Casino. They’ve got me pinned down in—”

  A man stepped into view in front of her cabana, gun up.

  Evan lifted her weapon and fired. He dropped with a violent jerk.

  “Evan!” Jonah said urgently.

  The phone slipped out of her bloody fingers and skittered under the bed. Damn.

  She raised her gun. She had to concentrate.

  She would go down fighting.

  Jonah accelerated, pushing his Jaguar past the speed limit.

  “Brooks, can you track her?”

  “Yeah.” Brooks’ voice came through the car’s console. “I’ve got her.”

  “She said she’s at the Wynn Casino.”

  “Yes. The main pool area. Picked up reports of shots fired, and the casino is evacuating. Jonah, it’s chaos.”

  “The rest of the team?”

  “Seth, Lachlan, Blair, Axel, and Callie are almost there. River is at Area 52 with Ty, and Smith will take too long to come in from his cabin.”

  “Acknowledged.” Jonah was going too. He’d grabbed his Beretta M9 as he’d left his penthouse. Be alive, Evan Fletcher. He felt like there was a rock in his gut.

  He screeched to a halt in front of the Wynn. It was pandemonium, and he strode toward the front entrance, pushing against the fleeing crowd. No doubt memories of past shootings and the terrifying storms that had destroyed the Strip were fresh in people’s minds.

  He spotted Lachlan, and a second later, Seth and Blair appeared. They were dressed in jeans and T-shirts, with light jackets despite the heat, no doubt to conceal their weapons.

  Blair looked at Jonah, her eyebrows rising. “Never seen you in jeans, Director. They look good on you.”

  He shot her a look. “I’m coming in with you.” He was itching to get in there and find Evan.

  “You armed?” Lachlan’s gold gaze was steady and considering.

  Jonah nodded. After a beat, Lachlan handed him a tiny earpiece and Jonah slipped it into his ear.

  Axel and Callie jogged up to them.

  “Let’s go,” Jonah said.

  Lachlan stepped forward. Jonah was the director of the team, but Lachlan was the team’s leader. He’d follow Lachlan’s orders.

  “Brooks says she’s by the pool area,” Lachlan said. “We go in, and deal with the bogeys first.”

  “I’ve accessed the casino cameras,” Brooks’ voice came clearly through the comm line. “Lines of sight suck by the pool, but I count five bad guys.”

  Team 52 walked in the front door, careful to avoid the security team members. They were busy evacuating guests.

  “There could be more bad guys,” Brooks said. “Be careful.”

  “Have you got a visual on Evan?” Jonah asked.

  “Evan?” Lachlan’s head whipped around.

  “The redhead. Her name is Evan Fletcher.” Jonah paused. “She’s a CIA agent.”

  “I knew it!” Brooks said.

  “The name sounds familiar,” Seth murmured.

  “She’s a rogue CIA agent,” Jonah added.

  “Ah, fuck,” Axel muttered.

  “She says that it isn’t true,” Jonah said.

  “Of course, she does,” Blair drawled.

  “Something is going on, and I want answers. Evan Fletcher is the person who has them. We rescue her, but treat her as dangerous.”

  They took the stairs and finally moved out to the pool area. Jonah heard gunfire.

  If they were firing, that meant she was
still alive.

  “Fuck!” A voice yelled across the pool. “She killed McDonald. Shot him right between the eyes.”

  Lachlan raised his hand, using some hand signals. All the team lifted their weapons, and Blair and Seth broke off, moving left around the pool. Axel and Callie went right.

  Lachlan glanced at Jonah. “You’re with me.”

  They advanced.

  And then Jonah got to see what his team did best, up close and personal.

  Lachlan and Jonah waited a beat, then crossed a small bridge across the center of the pool.

  Blair and Seth fired, two bad guys dropping to the ground. Jonah saw the mercs clustered around one pool cabana that had a dead body of a man slumped in front of it. The roof of it was a tattered ruin.

  Three other mercs whipped around—two male, one female. Jonah fired, and hit one man in the chest.

  The other two dived for cover, but they’d missed seeing Callie and Axel creeping closer.

  Axel’s kick sent the man flying into a pool lounger, his gun splashing into the pool. Callie punched the woman in the face, then got an arm around her neck and yanked her back.

  The woman beat her fist against Callie’s arm. Callie grimaced, but held tight, and eventually the woman slumped, out cold. Callie lowered her to the ground.

  “Clear,” Lachlan barked.

  “Clear,” Seth confirmed.

  “Clear,” Axel said from his side.

  As the team spread out to double check and restrain the attackers, Jonah strode toward the cabana.

  “Evan, it’s Jonah.”

  No response.

  Chest tight, he strode into the torn-up space. He shoved the daybed out of the way and saw her sprawled on the ground.

  In a pool of blood.

  Shit. Pulse spiking, he dropped to his knees. He rolled her over.

  She blinked lazily, and when he touched her neck, he felt a pulse. Air shuddered out of him.

  “I…almost had them,” she whispered.

  “Sure, you did.” She had a gunshot wound to her side. “Callie!”

  His medic arrived, took one look at Evan, and slid the black backpack off her shoulder.

  Jonah clutched Evan’s hand and leaned over her, heedless of the blood getting all over his shirt. Callie pushed Evan’s shirt up, uncovering a toned stomach and a bloody injury.

  As Callie set to work, Evan hissed.

  “Bullet clipped her, made a damn mess.” Callie eyed Evan with speculation, and a healthy dose of caution. “I’ll clean it and put on a field dressing.”

  Jonah nodded. “Because we need to get out of here fast.”

  Evan glanced at Jonah, then looked away.

  “I’ll also give you a shot of painkillers and a few other goodies.” Callie looked at Jonah. “Ty’s super-mix.”

  Evan tensed. “What is it?”

  “Something that will increase your rate of healing.” Jonah kept his gaze locked with hers. “It’s time to start trusting me, Evan.”

  For a second, she was motionless, then she nodded.

  Callie injected her.

  “Guys, LVMPD is arriving,” Brooks said. “MacKade delayed them as long as he could. I’ve tampered with the cameras, but you need to move.”

  Callie quickly slapped a bandage on Evan’s side.

  Jonah slid his arms beneath her and rose.

  She gasped, sliding an arm across his shoulders. He strode out of the damaged cabana.

  “Jonah.” Her voice was so quiet only he could hear.

  “Yes?”

  She was quiet for a second. “Thanks for coming for me.”

  He looked into those hazel eyes—a brilliant green, covered with flecks of gold. He nodded.

  “Everyone else I know would have left me.” She looked away.

  Jonah battled back the confusing, raging emotions inside him. He couldn’t trust this woman. She could be the enemy, but right now, he liked the weight of her in his arms and he was fucking glad she was alive.

  Chapter Five

  The painkillers worked miracles.

  Evan leaned back on the bed in the windowless room in Team 52’s concrete base at the airport. She was tied to the bed by her wrist.

  She was alive. She closed her eyes and swallowed. She’d expected to die.

  The door opened and Jonah strode in. She was glad he was alone, because his team did not like her. On the journey over here, she’d copped many a hard, unhappy look.

  He’d changed into a black T-shirt, although he still had bloodstains on the jeans that fit him really, really well.

  Her traitorous belly warmed.

  He sat on the bed, just inches between them. “Callie asked me to put some cream on your wound.” He held up a small tube.

  Evan eyed it warily.

  “Our scientist created it. It increases your natural rate of healing.”

  Her skin felt itchy. She hated being treated for anything. She’d been accused plenty of times of being a crap patient. “Fine.”

  He lifted the hem of her borrowed shirt. The medic, Callie, had given her a clean change of clothes when they’d first arrived. Evan’s had been beyond saving.

  He gently pulled the bandage off her side. She noticed his long, bronze fingers had several thin white scars across them. They looked old but the white was stark against his darker skin. She wondered what had happened to him.

  His fingers brushed her skin and sensation washed over her. She couldn’t stifle her gasp.

  His green gaze flicked up to her face.

  Evan felt the air change. Like a big storm was brewing. She licked her lips, and saw his gaze drop to her mouth, and something flicker in his eyes.

  Then he focused on her wound and rubbed cream along the ragged edges.

  “This will scar.”

  “I’ll add it to my collection. It’s not the first time I’ve been shot.”

  A muscle in his jaw ticked. He finished, and pressed the bandage back in place. “So, your boss at the CIA tells me you’re dangerous, you’ve gone rogue, and you’re trying to kill me.”

  “He’s a fucking liar,” she whispered furiously.

  “Funny, he told me that you’re a liar.”

  She shoved upright, and pain shot through her side. She bit back a cry.

  “Easy.” Jonah helped her back down.

  “I served my country for years, did my job—” Her voice broke.

  “You loved it,” he said quietly.

  She nodded. “I thrived on it.” She saw something cross his face and she cocked her head. “You understand?”

  “I was an Army pilot. I was injured, and it ended my military career.”

  She knew “Army pilot” was an understatement. “You were a Night Stalker.” A member of the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The pilots who flew special forces teams, like the Navy SEALs into combat.

  He nodded. “For some of it.”

  Yes, she’d seen the redacted sections of his dossier. Jonah Grayson had done something else covert and classified for the Army before his career as a pilot ended.

  “And now you serve in another way. I don’t have that choice. My reputation is in tatters and I’ve been labeled a traitor!”

  “Tell me,” he urged her.

  “Brennan. Fucking Assistant Director David Brennan.” Evan dragged in a breath. “He’s the man I warned you about. I picked up on small things he was doing that seemed off, but I couldn’t believe it of him. I trusted him. Finally, I confronted him and he blew me off with a bogus story. Then suddenly, I was on some very shitty missions, and almost didn’t make it back a few times.” She looked at the wall and battled back the anger. “I broke into his office and hacked his files. He’s working with an accomplice, and they’re after a powerful artifact.”

  “What artifact?”

  “I don’t know! They use codenames. They call it Codename Leo.”

  “And the accomplice?”

  “A codename as well. Codename Poseidon. I tried to
tail Brennan to a meeting, but I lost him.” She met Jonah’s gaze. “I did intercept an email. He talked about putting Team 52 out of commission in order to achieve their plans.” She hunched her shoulders. “After that, I was declared a rogue. I barely got out of Langley. Brennan fabricated records that made it look like I’ve been selling arms to terrorists.” Her gut churned like it was filled with acid. “Apparently, I have millions in a Cayman bank account.” She let her sarcasm loose.

  Jonah was silent, his face serious and unreadable.

  She made an annoyed noise. “You don’t believe me.”

  “I need to verify your story.”

  She scowled. “All you’ll find are more of Brennan’s lies.”

  “He contacted me.”

  She jerked on her bindings. “If you hand me over to him, I’ll end up in a shallow grave in the desert.”

  Without warning, Jonah cupped her cheek, and she gasped. God, she’d gotten so unused to being touched.

  “It’s time to start trusting me, Evan.”

  His hand was so warm, and she wanted to turn her face into that touch. She had no one to lean on. Hell, she’d never actually wanted to lean before. “I don’t trust anyone.”

  “That’s why you thought you’d die at the Wynn. That no one would come for you.”

  She closed her eyes.

  “Let me look into Brennan—”

  Evan grabbed Jonah’s wrist with her free hand. “Jonah, he’s dangerous. Be very careful.”

  His white teeth flashed in his handsome face. “Trust me.”

  She blew out a breath. “I’ll try.”

  He rose.

  “Will you untie me?”

  “No.” He walked out.

  “Hey, trust goes both ways,” she called after him.

  Evan sank back against the pillows. With Jonah gone, doubt set in. She and Jonah had some sort of…connection. She felt it, knew he did, too. She blew out a breath. Was it just lust-induced insanity?

  Brennan’s reputation was long and spotless. Her stomach tied itself in an uncomfortable knot. Jonah would dig and find Brennan smelling like roses, while she now stank of filth.

  She stewed. What if Jonah and his team turned her over to Brennan? She’d be dead, Team 52 would still be in danger, and Brennan could get his hand on a dangerous artifact.