“Luke?”
Merlin’s stomach knotted when he heard the stress in her voice. “Hi, princess. How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine. Zip took care of me. What’s going on? How are my parents? Did you get the information you needed?”
“I’m fine and so are your parents. For now, we have to take care of another part of our mission. Zip will be there with you, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I don’t like the sound of that. It’s why you really came, isn’t it?”
Gwen was smart. Merlin should have expected these questions, but he didn’t have time to soothe her worry. He would probably catch a rash of shit for telling her the truth, but it might be the last time he’d ever speak to her. “Yes, it is. There’s a plot to blow up the presidential palace.”
“And you’re going to stop it.”
It wasn’t a question, but he answered anyway. “Yes. It’s what we do. Stay with Zip. I’ll be back soon.”
“You need him. He should be with you not babysitting me.”
“No, princess, his job is just as important. I have to go. Be safe.”
“You, too.”
Merlin wanted to tell her he loved her, but if he didn’t make it back, it wasn’t fair to Gwen. If they got through today, it would be different.
After they hung up with Luke, unease skittered along Gwen’s neck, lifting the little hairs and raising goose bumps. There was still so much danger.
“So now what?” she asked as Zip checked his watch.
“We need to pack up. Can you take care of your stuff, and I’ll make sure everything else is ready?” Zip’s voice sounded deceptively calm.
“Um, sure. I can pack Luke’s things while I do mine. Most of them are in our room.”
“Sounds good. That will save me a little time.” Zip was already breaking down and packing the computer equipment spread across the dining room table.
Gwen hadn’t really unpacked, so there wasn’t much to put back into her bag. She folded and repacked the few things Luke had out and paused to hold one of his T-shirts to her face, inhaling his scent. Even that small thing offered her comfort. Ten minutes later, she’d finished their packing and double-checked all the drawers and the bathroom to make sure she didn’t forget anything.
“I’m all done,” Gwen announced as she dragged the two bags into the living room. “Can I help with anything else?”
“I’m just about done.” Zip poked his head out of one of the other bedrooms. Then he appeared with several bags slung over his shoulder. He dropped them to the floor next to the hard case holding their electronic equipment as a knock sounded at the door.
“What’s going on,” Gwen asked.
Zip tensed and held his finger to his mouth, then motioned for her to leave the room. Her pulse ratcheted up as she silently backed down the hallway and out of sight of the door.
Half expecting to hear a gunshot, and it surprised Gwen when Zip gave her the all-clear a few seconds later.
“You were quick,” Zip said to the tall man now standing in the living room. “Gwen, this is our ride to the airport. Sorry if I scared you, but Merlin will kill me if you get hurt again.”
“It’s okay. But why are we leaving? I thought we were supposed to wait here for the rest of the team?” A chill slid down her spine. What was going on?
“I’ll explain in the van, but we need to get moving,” Zip said as he picked up bags, handing a couple to the other man. Then they grabbed the ones at her feet.
“I can take my own,” Gwen protested.
“It’s okay, ma’am, just follow Zip down to the van. I’ll be right behind you,” the man’s voice was deep with a slight accent. What was it with these bossy guys?
After they had the van loaded with their gear, Gwen climbed into the middle row, and Zip got in after her.
“Okay, we’re in the van. Tell me what the heck is going on,” Gwen demanded.
Zip chuckled. “Merlin warned me how you were. He wasn’t wrong.”
Gwen didn’t know whether to be offended or not. “What does that mean?”
“That you’d want justification for everything we were doing. It was a compliment, Gwen. Don’t get your hackles up, woman.”
“Geesh, I don’t know how Destiny puts up with you,” Gwen replied, only half joking.
“Yeah, well, we have our moments. I’m sorry about rushing you out of the apartment, but Merlin wanted us on the plane, ready and waiting.”
“Are they in more danger than from just the bomb?”
“We’re not sure. But whether they can disarm it or not, we need to get you back home,” Zip said as he watched out the windows for threats.
As Zip’s words sank in, worry slid down Gwen’s spine and goose bumps broke out on her chilled skin. She murmured, “You should have gone with them. They’re going to need you.”
“No, I’m right where I need to be. Would I like to be there helping? Sure. But keeping you safe is just as important.”
Gwen snorted. “No way. If there’s an explosion, countless innocent people will die. I’m just one person.”
“Maybe, but you mean the world to Merlin, and that’s enough for me,” Zip answered.
Was Zip right? Did she mean the world to Luke? Her heart warmed at the thought. Gwen had realized she was in love with him when they’d sat on her sofa, chatting in the moonlight. Or at least, that’s when she had admitted it herself. But did Luke really feel the same about her? He had better make sure he stayed safe, so she could find out.
Finally, they arrived at the plane and got the gear loaded and stowed. Now, they had to wait. Gwen couldn’t sit still and paced the length of the airplane, stopping frequently to check the windows for any approaching vehicles.
Zip tried to get her to eat something, and when she refused, he gave up and placed a bottle of water on the table. The thought of swallowing anything made her gag, and acid roiled in her stomach. Sure, the team trained hard for missions like this, but something could still go wrong. Panic strummed along her nerves, waiting for the opportunity to explode. Only her slow, even breaths held it in check.
Finally, Gwen sat down and took a swig of the water. “What are you looking for?”
“A TV. I know there has to be one, but I can’t find a user manual for this model, either,” Zip responded as he continued his search, going from one control pad to another. After a few more minutes, a portion of the ceiling slid open, and a screen dropped through the opening. He pushed more buttons, and the television turned on with the local news.
“Do you speak Egyptian?” Gwen asked as Zip sat down in the seat next to her.
“Nope, it’s not one of my languages. But we’ll know if something blows up even if we can’t understand what they’re saying.”
Gwen didn’t know which was worse—pacing and not knowing anything, or being glued to the TV, hoping nothing happened. Her anxiety increased as each minute ticked by. It wasn’t four in the afternoon—yet. But that didn’t do much to ease her worry. But the huge Delta sitting next to her remained calm. If he could do it, then so could she.
A red banner appeared on the screen, and the news anchor tossed to a female reporter standing across the street from the Presidential Palace. Chaos reigned all around her as she gave her update. Even though Gwen couldn’t understand a word, dread pooled in her stomach.
“Can you understand anything she’s saying?” Gwen turned toward Zip.
His expression looked grim. “Not much. I recognized a few words here and there. I think they’re reporting that there is a gas leak at the palace.”
“Is that good?” Gwen needed to hear something positive soon, or she would lose it.
“It’s not bad. It got the palace cleared out, so it’ll be easier for them to search.”
“But it’s almost four…” The reality of what she’d said hit her in the chest like a sucker punch. She pushed a fist against the pain, willing her heart to slow down.
She couldn’t
lose Luke without telling him she loved him.
Chapter 21
By the time Merlin and the team arrived at the palace, it was absolute chaos. The police worked on clearing the building and the grounds. If locals observed standard protocol, they should have worked with the secret service to evacuate the Egyptian president and the US secretary of state first.
The presidential palace was enormous, and there wasn’t enough time to search everywhere even with the help of the local police. Merlin wished he’d had time to review the layout of the palace. It would have helped him figure out where the bomb was hidden.
Officials had scheduled the press conference for sixteen hundred hours. It had to be the location, that’s where Merlin would put it for the most impact. If Rashad took out the Egyptian president and the US secretary of state, he’d make an enormous impact, especially since the world press was there to cover the event.
Merlin grabbed one of the police officers by the arm. “Where is the press conference?”
“In the central hall under the dome. Through there.” He pointed.
The Deltas navigated through the throng of people to make their way to the central hall. It was huge and extravagant. Persian rugs lined the floor, and twenty-two columns surrounded the hall. A dais was directly under the dome in the center of the room.
Merlin checked his watch. They were running out of time. Speaking into his comms, he said, “We have five zero mikes to locate the device. If we can’t find it by then, get the hell out of here.”
“Copy that.”
Merlin searched the dais. If Rashad wanted to guarantee the death of President el-Sisi, it would be the logical place to plant the bomb. He tore apart the podium and the sound system. Then he searched under the elevated platform, but he couldn’t find the device anywhere.
Woof searched the columns at the edge of the room. Depending on how they built the palace, one strategically placed detonation would take down the entire room, dome included. But so far, Woof had come up empty, too.
As much as Merlin hated to fail, he wouldn’t risk his team, and they were almost out of time. Maybe he’d picked the wrong location. It seemed like the perfect option, but Rashad wasn’t a logical thinker. Merlin looked up. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the large, black box wired to the underside of the first balcony dead-center above the stage.
With only two zero mics left, Merlin charged up the marble stairs to the second level with the rest of the team chasing behind him. The bomb had been planted about two-thirds around the circular area above the dais.
None of them were bomb techs, but they’d all had basic training. Merlin gingerly pried open the cover. After carefully checking for trip wires, he pulled the cover off and revealed the device. The three-foot square box was full of plastic explosive and wired to a remote detonator.
“Son of a bitch. That’s why Rashad is here. He’ll push the button.” Woof said.
One seven mikes remained. Merlin imagined the seconds ticking down inside his head.
“Any ideas?” Merlin asked the team. Besides the remote detonator, there appeared to be a secondary device as a failsafe.
“I’d start with the primary. You know he will press that button no matter what,” Jangles said.
“You and Duff work on the second detonator and Woof and I will take the primary. We have one five mikes.”
Sweat beaded on Merlin’s forehead as he and Woof worked on the remote detonator. Duff’s face was a mask of calm. With only a few minutes to spare, they removed the remote detonator from the plastic explosives. However, two wires remained.
Jangles and Duff removed the other detonator. Relief was visible on their faces.
“Go, get out of here. No sense for all of us to blow up,” Merlin said through gritted teeth. They still had two wires attached. “Woof, you’ve got Nori, go. We’ve got this.”
“You always have to be the big hero. What the fuck? We’re not going anywhere,” Jangles said.
“Fine. But I tried. So which one do we cut? Red or Yellow?” Merlin moved the wire cutters back and forth between the two colors.
“Yellow,” Woof said.
“Red,” Duff answered.
“Well fuck, do you want to blow up? It’s been a hell of a run. I wouldn’t want to go out with anyone else. I’m cutting red.” Merlin closed his eyes and said a silent prayer, then slid the wire cutters over the red wire. Just as he was about to cut it, he jerked it away and cut the yellow wire with only fifty-eight seconds left. The timer stopped, and they pulled the detonator free of the device.
“Are you color blind?” Duff asked.
“You know I’m not.”
“But you cut the yellow wire. You said red.”
“I know, but something told me to go with the yellow.”
“Guess we owe another one to the wizard,” Jangles said with a relieved chuckle.
They all breathed a sigh of relief as they sat for a moment, realizing how lucky they’d been. This had been close—way too close.
When the palace didn’t explode at four, Gwen breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn’t heard from Luke or anyone else to know that they were okay, but somehow, she knew they were. Confirmation came a half hour later when the four Deltas boarded the plane.
The combination of relief and happiness at seeing Luke and the rest of the team almost overwhelmed Gwen. The tension that had been squeezing her lungs finally let go as he pulled her tightly against his chest. As she inhaled his scent, the edges of her lips tipped up in a smile. Touching him eased the fear she’d tried to ignore all day. Everything would be okay now that he was back. Then, he lifted her into his arms and kissed her, and her toes curled with pleasure.
It didn’t take them long to get their gear stowed and strapped in. Then they were finally airborne and headed back to Texas. As Gwen looked around at the group, she realized she wasn’t the only one bringing home a few souvenir cuts and bruises, but they were all on the plane and breathing. That was all that mattered.
“You okay, princess?” Luke asked gently as he slid his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer.
“Yes, now that you’re all here. I can’t even imagine what it was like at that palace. But I am thanking God that you made it back to me.” Gwen snuggled her head against his chest.
“It was interesting.” Luke chuckled.
“That’s for fuck sure,” Jangles agreed.
What was wrong with these guys? They had almost blown up, and they were joking about it. Her disbelief must have shown on her face because Zip winked at her.
“It’s how we process it, Gwen. If we let it freak us out, we wouldn’t be able to do the job,” Zip explained.
Okay, that made sense…sort of. But if that would get Luke home to her each time, he could laugh his ass off and roll around on the floor.
“So…how are my parents?” Gwen dreaded asking, and she didn’t know why. Furious didn’t even cover how pissed off she’d been when she’d found out about their “second” job. But they were still her parents even if she wasn’t sure she’d want to talk to them for the next decade. They’d betrayed her family. Remembering the look on her grandparents’ faces when they’d heard about their “kidnapping” still made her clench her fists.
“They’re with the CIA being debriefed,” Luke answered. “They may be finished. I don’t know how long it takes for their process. After that, they’ll head back to Texas as far as I know.” His words sounded angry. Not that she could blame him, either.
Gwen leaned against Luke’s side and listened as Zip asked about the palace and the bomb. She tried to stay awake, but exhaustion finally won out, and she nodded off, still resting her head against Luke’s shoulder.
Several hours later, Luke woke her up so they could eat, but she wasn’t hungry and fell back to sleep. The next time she woke, they were about to land in Texas. Gwen couldn’t believe she’d slept most of the flight. The entire trip was like a bad dream—surreal actually. And all she had to show
for it were whatever scars would remain from the several slices on her neck.
The plane taxied to a stop at the end of the runway at Ft. Hood.
“Are you going to take me home now?” Gwen asked as she stretched.
“I’m afraid not, princess. We have to have a debriefing first.”
“All of us? Or just your team?” Gwen wasn’t sure she wanted to have a debriefing. The thought made her palms itchy.
“You, too, but it’ll be fine. Just tell them everything you remember.” Luke pulled her close and hugged her. “Really, it’s not a big deal. It’s just tedious since they tend to ask the same questions twelve different ways.” He smiled, but it didn’t do much to help her unease.
“Will you be with me?” Gwen didn’t understand why this bothered her so much. It’s not like she had anything to hide, but the thought of the interrogation made her want to run.
“I’m sorry, but we’re all interviewed separately. There’s nothing to worry about, princess. You can’t say anything wrong. They just want your version of what happened. Okay?”
“Okay, I guess.” It really wasn’t, but Gwen didn’t know how to explain it. She was making a big deal out of something they did all the time.
“Do you trust me?” Luke asked gently, and he squeezed her hand.
Just touching him helped calm her. “Yes, of course I do.”
“Good. Then I promise you, this is no big deal. It’s more of an annoyance than anything else.”
Gwen sighed. “All right. Let’s get this over with. I really want to see my grandparents.”
Luke had been right. There were two people in the room with her. One was in uniform, and the other wasn’t. There was also a video camera recording every word and move she made.
They offered her a drink, and she took a bottle of water. After starting with the basic questions of her name, address, and phone number, they moved on to the mission.
Gwen answered their questions the best she could, but everything seemed jumbled. Her memories of the money exchange were overshadowed by the shock of seeing her parents. Then, when she’d learned they worked for the CIA, it had blown her mind. They’d asked her the same questions over and over, and she answered. There just wasn’t that much to say. After the café and capturing the kidnappers, she’d spent the rest of her time waiting for everyone else.
Gwen's Delta (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Delta Team Three Book 3) Page 20