Broken Arrow (Guarded Secrets Series Book 5)

by Sara Schoen

  “Just better? That seems a little harsh coming from you.” He stepped beside me, giving me an impish grin. “I thought you had an affinity for her. Did she do something to make you not like her? I thought she’d be a good match for you.”

  “I’ve known her for less than two weeks,” I stated, waving my hand dismissively to banish his thoughts. Though as I looked at Shadow, I realized I wanted to make her train so she’d be prepared. I wanted to protect her as best as I could without having to be there. Two weeks and I’m already attached...Camo’s right, I am turning into a softy. I scoffed, drawing Demon’s attention to me. I can’t believe I’m so worried about her. I don’t even know her. Demon had kind of explained why he picked Shadow over another possibility, but I wasn’t sure how he knew we’d be a good match. He was right though, we got along well enough.

  I hadn’t spent much time with her alone, but she didn’t back talk or question me. She kept on the right side of temper, and made sure when I went off on the other recruits, she wasn’t involved in some way. She’s cunning. She’s like Renegade. They’ll poke me until I’m about to explode, but then they’ll step back and let someone else set me off. I smiled, no wonder I liked her.

  “Don’t worry, I think you’ll grow to like her.” Something in his tone peaked my interest. He had a knowing tone, as if he knew I cared about her already. Was it noticeable or was he just that confident? “She’s a lot like someone else I know.” He gave me a playful wink to hint it was me, but I decided to mess with him a bit.

  Breathing out a laugh, I said, “Yeah, I bet she is. Hard-headed and determined as hell. I can see why she’d remind you of Katya.”

  He laughed uninhibitedly, his hand on his stomach. “She does remind me a little of Katya, though even Katya thinks Shadow’s a lot like you.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him. “You talked to Katya about her? Are you supposed to do that?”

  “You used to do it.” He shrugged and returned to watching Shadow.

  “Fair.” I hadn’t realized he was still talking to Katya. I figured the translation barrier had put something between them despite his strong initial interest. In high school, he just messed around with girls. Four years does change a person I guess... Frantic footsteps broke me of my thoughts. I turned to see Camo sprinting into the room and coming to a sudden stop in front of me. She leaned over, panting with her hands on her knees, trying to say something that I couldn’t begin to understand. I know we aren’t supposed to train, but she used to run a lot. Why is she so out of breath? Maybe she needed to start training again. I opted to keep my opinion to myself though. I knew better than to tell a girl she needed to work out, especially one who would kill me for suggesting it.

  “What’s up, Camo? You know I’m in the middle of training and I prefer not to be interrupted.” I glared at Demon as I said the last bit. While I was cordial with him, I still preferred to not have someone else in my training sessions.

  “You sound like Rum,” she huffed out between breaths. She took a deep breath and straightened up, seeming to recompose herself. Her hands fell to her hips. Her face was tinted a soft shade of red and her eyes were wide. She didn’t seem scared and wasn’t panicking so nothing major was going on. Or was she keeping quiet because Demon was in the room? She noticed my questioning gaze and shook her head as if to say it wasn’t anything private. She’d find a way to tell me if it was.

  I shrugged. “I’ll take that as a compliment. She taught me well.” I glanced back at Shadow to see she had made it to the last lock. Won’t be long now. Either she finishes or she restarts. “Maybe this one won’t die if I’m half as good a teacher as Rum was.”

  “I hope she never has to see a battle until this is mess is cleared up. I don’t want her getting caught in the middle of it,” Camo said, glancing at Shadow. “This is our fight. I want the Cardoza Cartel gone for good before new recruits need to be used.” Camo shook her head before pointing toward Shadow. I followed where her finger pointed to see Shadow’s head hung low in defeat again.

  “Try again, Shadow.” She’ll get it eventually, I thought as I reset the locks and returned to Camo and Demon.

  “That’s unlikely,” Demon chimed, watching Shadow make her way through the locks once again. “This will never be over. We just have to solve one problem at a time. Hopefully, Mark gives Sharp Shooter some information soon. I’m itching to finally be done with him and move onto whatever is next.”

  I nodded, noticing the underlying anger in his words. It gave me some hope that he wasn’t a part of it, but I wanted to know what he and Seeker had talked about. What did they have to say to each other? I lit a mental match and burned those thoughts away. Sharp Shooter told me to stop. I needed to focus and keep Shadow in mind. “Speaking of what happens next, why are you both here?”

  Camo glanced at Demon with a ‘what the fuck’ look. “You haven’t told her?”

  He shrugged. His typical noncommittal gesture. “I was getting there and then you walked in. Sometimes, it’s important to talk to people, not just come to them when you need them for something.”

  Camo rolled her eyes and put her hand in his face as she turned to me, effectively blocking him from the conversation. “We’re here because Renegade called to check in, and talk about what they’ve found. Sharp Shooter sent us to come get you, because apparently, Renegade won’t say anything to anyone, but you. I don’t know why, I don’t know what he’s found or where he is, but we need you so he tells us what’s going on.”

  “Must be nice having a secret code to talk to your boyfriend whenever you want,” Demon muttered in a teasing tone under his breath.

  “It is actually. I get to know everything and decide what I tell other people. It’s perfect for me,” I replied, the snark heavy in my voice. “Shadow.” I paused for a moment to make sure she took a moment to listen. When I saw her two-toned gaze land on me, I pointed to the timer overhead of her. “Keep practicing until I come back. If you complete the wall, then you can take a short break before you run through it again. I want you to beat my time.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” she replied politely before I heard the clanking of her tools working on the locks again.

  “Come on.” I gestured for them to follow me and led the way out of the training room.

  As we left, Camo leaned toward me and whispered, “Are you coming back?”

  I shook my head. “Nope,” plopping the ‘p’. “But this way, she’ll keep practicing and stay out of our way.” If she’s truly like me, she’d want to get in the middle of this thing and I didn’t want that. This was something my team had to handle on our own.

  Chapter 10

  I lead the way to Sharp Shooter’s office. Camo and Demon chatted behind me, mostly wondering what Renegade had to tell me. Demon joked that we probably spoke in thieves cant or another made up language when we were together so no one else would understand our conversations. He wasn’t far off, but it wasn’t a language. We did have a secret code, but it was more of what we chose to tell other people. We’d communication through gestures and facial expressions in person and when we couldn’t, we used keywords to let the other know that there was more to say. We told each other everything, but kept others at arm’s length and at a time like this, it kept us safe. I just hope we won’t need it forever.

  A few agents said hello as we walked past, but I didn’t stop. It was nothing against them, but for Renegade to hold back information, I knew I wanted to hear what he had to say fast. I gave a curt reply and moved on. I tried not to feel bad. They could tell I was focused and moved out of my way as we neared Sharp Shooter’s office, but I could see the curiosity in their eyes. They wanted to know what was going on and why I was determined to move past them. It was out of character for me, which only made them alert. If I wasn’t careful, all of CIRA would know something was going on and we’d lose the mole.

  Opening the door to his office, I found Sharp Shooter at his desk with the phone pressed to his ear. He waved curtly before
gesturing for me to come to him. “Thank you for the update. I’m going to pass you off to your partner in crime. I’m sure you’ll let her know what she’s allowed to tell us.” He paused for a moment, letting Renegade answer him. He chuckled lightly. “I’ll prepare for her departure while you’re on the phone with her then.” Sharp Shooter removed the phone from his ear and handed it to me. “You’re going to want to hear what he has to say apparently.”

  I nodded, ignoring the knowing gleam in his eye. Sometimes, I swore Sharp Shooter knew more than he let on. He seemed to know each agent, well over five hundred, personally and he seemed to know me very well. Maybe too well. I knew Renegade wouldn’t keep too much, if anything, from Sharp Shooter, but the way he looked at me seemed he knew what I’d react to whatever Renegade told him.

  Taking the phone from his hand, I pressed it to my ear and turned away from everyone. “Renegade, I’m here. What’s so important that you had to tell just me?” I scuffed the carpet as I paced in a circle, waiting for him to answer. I could hear him chatting to Sandstorm before his voice suddenly cut back to me.

  “I didn’t have to tell just you.” I heard the smile in his words, which eased me slightly. At least it’s not bad news if he’s making jokes. “I wanted to call in and give you a rundown on what’s going on here. It’s less stress for everyone if I say I’m only willing to talk to you and you can pick and choose what information gets out. You should know that Sharp Shooter knows everything, but he can’t tell you everything with everyone else who usually follows you around. I wanted to tell you myself. We can keep some of this under wraps for a while.”

  I nodded even though he couldn’t see it. Whatever he found should be kept a secret. That’s why Sharp Shooter said I wanted to hear it. I glanced over my shoulder to see Sharp Shooter using his desk phone. Probably calling Maverick to get me out of here. “I understand. Tell me what you’ve found.”

  “There’s not a lot here to be honest.” His voice drifted away from the phone for a moment, as if he was taking in his surroundings. “The building didn’t burn down, which is either unfortunate or fortunate depending on how you look at it I guess.” He sighed, clearly exhausted, but continued before I could comment on it. “We did manage to find some information in the parts of the building that weren’t a total lose. Mostly papers that we need to rifle through to find what’s of any use to us. Other than that, there’s no sign of any of the Cardoza Cartel members, so we either killed them all or the few who had somehow survived crawled off to die somewhere.” I could hear the bite in his voice. Either way, he wanted them dead, and so did I.

  A short silence fell over us. I wanted to ask about Fire Fox, but he continued before I could. “Anyway, there’s still more to shift through, but it’s going to take time and you know time is something we never have enough of. So, Sandstorm is letting Spit Fire go through most of it. She claims she knows how her stepfather organized things and she’ll find it faster.”

  “How’s that working out?” I asked, glancing up to see Sharp Shooter busy with files on his desk, but Camo and Demon’s full attention on me. Camo tilted her head to the side, curious, but knowing I’d tell her what I could once Renegade and I got off the phone. Demon seemed surly and tense. I couldn’t be sure why and I didn’t want to dwell on it, because I might not like the answer...He could know something...

  “So far so good. I’ll take all the help I can get because we have a lot of ground to cover out here...” His sentence traveled off like it did every time he got distracted. Something’s going on around him. I tried to listen in, but I couldn’t hear anything. There was the faint flutter of helicopter blades beating overhead, but nothing else. “Sorry, Sandstorm called to me. He seems to have found something he wants me to see. I’ll be right back, give me a moment.”

  I nodded again out of habit, but remained silent. It sounded as if Renegade had put the phone in his pocket to talk to Sandstorm. I heard a muffled conversation over the phone, and waited as impatiently as always. There must be more. What else did they know? Why would I want to get on a plane? He hasn’t said anything useful yet. I glanced at the clock occasionally, wondering when Renegade would pick up the phone again. It got to be so long that even Camo began to question what was going on. All I could do was shrug and wait for him to come back.

  “You’re not going to like this...” he chimed when he finally came through loud and clear again.

  My body instinctively tensed at his warning. What had they managed to find to change a casual conversation into something darker? “What is it?”

  “Spit Fire managed to find something. I thought you’d come here when I told you the building was still standing because you love to get in the middle of things. Well now I know you’re really going to want to be here.”

  “What is it?” I asked, trying to get him to the point. “What did she find? Is it anything useful? Is it anything about the agents or what we left behind?” The vague question left for interpretation. Anyone listening would think I was simply asking about the missing agents and wonder what we left behind, but it’s moments like this that having another way of communicating with a teammate helped. Renegade knew what I wanted without behind directly asked.

  “No, it’s not about the mole,” Renegade chimed. I don’t know what I was expecting. I had hoped Mark would have something on the person working for him, but he probably would want that to be a secret. I could be hopeful... “It’s about our parents, Night Stripe...”

  “What?” A chill swept up my spine. My past suddenly hit me with full force. This is supposed to be over. “What about them?” I asked after a moment of him not answering.

  “No matter what I say you’ll show up.” The pain in his voice resonated over the phone. He didn’t want me there. He wanted to try to keep me safe, but if something involved my family then I’d be on the front lines no matter what. “But I think this is something you won’t believe until you see it for yourself.” I could imagine him shaking his head as his groan echoed over the phone. “I’d just like to say that I’d prefer you to stay at CIRA where it’s safe, but I know once I tell you what I’ve found you’re going to hop on a plane and meet us here.”

  “Noted and appreciated.” I paused for a moment when he took in a sharp breath and while I braced myself for the news. “Well, what have you found out?”

  “I figured out who killed our families, and it wasn’t Ash Crest’s doing. He lied to you. Everything he said was a lie except that he completed the hit. It’s all been a roundabout story, but we know the real story now. I know who killed them.”

  My face twitched, fury followed through my veins, and my hands balled into tight fists. “I’ll be right there. Don’t go anywhere until I’m there. I want to see it with my own eyes, then I want to hear what the hell we are going to do about this.” I hung up the phone without waiting for him to answer and handed it back to Sharp Shooter, who feigned confusion. If Renegade hadn’t told me he knew everything then I would have figured from the sly grin on the edges of his lips.

  “What did Renegade have to say?”

  “Not a lot. They found some information they want me to look at.” I subtly shifted my gaze to Demon, he didn’t seem to react. He wasn’t confused, he wasn’t looking at me for an explanation, he seemed to accept my vague answer. Which is good I didn’t want to say more with him in the room. I wasn’t sure what Sharp Shooter wanted him to know about Renegade’s mission.

  “Did he mention anything about Fire Fox?” Sharp Shooter questioned, folding his hands together and putting them to his lips.

  I shook my head, trying to move past the crushing devastation when I realized I hadn’t even asked about him. So much for wanting him back. I forgot to ask if they had seen anyone, much less Fire Fox. “They didn’t mention him.”

  Sharp Shooter nodded and then leaned back in his chair. His hands fell to the desk. Silence drifted over us for a moment as he drummed his fingers on the wooden surface. “Well, that’s disappointing, but I�
��m sure he’s fine, Night Stripe. It’s only been a few weeks. He’s probably lost in chaos and at one of the hospitals. I’ll keep asking around.”

  I didn’t reply. I didn’t know how. So instead, I got to the point of the conversation. I needed to get out of here fast. I wanted to see what they found. I wanted to look for Fire Fox. I wanted for this all to be over as soon as possible. “They want me there immediately. I’d like to leave now if possible.”

  Sharp Shooter nodded. “I’ve already got Maverick getting ready for you. You’re free to leave whenever you’re ready. All I ask is that you let me know any information when you can. I want to find out what happened to cause this raid to go so poorly. How were they so far ahead of us? We had the element of surprise, didn’t we?”

  “Why not ask Mark Avery?” Demon questioned. Each of us stopped and glanced at him. I felt fear, my heart stopped, and Camo had a ‘deer in the headlights look’. “He’d have to know. He prepared his men for it. He should know who helped him and why. We could just—”

  “No.” Sharp Shooter, Camo, and I said in unison, breaking him off before he could continue. Demon glanced at us with confusion in his eyes. I spoke before he could ask why we said no. I didn’t want to explain and I didn’t want to risk saying something I shouldn’t. “I’ll be leaving right away.”

  “But—” Demon stuttered, but Sharp Shooter cut him off.

  “That’s a good idea,” Sharp Shooter chimed before giving us our orders. “Camo, you’re free to go with her if you want. Demon, please stay here for the recruits.”

  I gave Demon a forced smile. “If you have trouble with Shadow let me know. I’ll set her straight.” He nodded, but didn’t reply as Camo and I left the room. I didn’t say anything else, and didn’t want to until I was out of this building. Away from anyone who could be the mole. Sharp Shooter would know how to handle Demon. He could decide what he could know. I’d be on a plane to see whatever Sandstorm had managed to uncover and just who was actually responsible for my family’s death.