Team 52 Box Set: Books 1-3

by Anna Hackett

  “Found what?”

  “The emails are fake. They were inserted into Josh’s inbox at a later date.” Brooks cleared his throat. “You’re going to have to grovel to get her to forgive you.”

  “I will do that as soon as I find her. January’s not in her quarters.”

  “What?”

  “She’s gone.”

  Brooks swore. “Hang on. Searching the security footage now.”

  Seth slammed the phone down and strode down the corridor, flanked by Lachlan and Axel.

  “You’re going to need some charming footwork, amigo,” Axel said.

  Seth nodded sharply. That wasn’t his top priority. First, Seth just wanted to make sure that she was okay.

  Blair appeared, shaking her head at Seth. “You messed up, my friend.”

  “I fucked up. Big time. I know.” He growled. “Now I need to fix it, but I can’t find her.”

  Blair’s eyes widened. “What?”

  Panic slid into Seth’s veins. He knew she’d fight him, and he deserved it, but right now, he had to find her.

  He heard running footsteps from behind and spun. Brooks powered down the hall, tablet in hand.

  “We have a problem,” Brooks said.

  “What?” Seth demanded.

  “January is gone.”

  “Gone?” Seth bit out.

  Lachlan crossed his arms. “We’re in a secure fucking base, she can’t be gone.”

  “And January is a smart, resourceful woman,” Brooks said. “She lifted a key card from a guard. She got out, and somehow made it to the front gate.”

  Brooks tilted his tablet and it showed an image of January glancing over her shoulder as she exited the front gate of Area 52.

  “Dammit to hell.” Seth turned and punched the wall.

  Brooks frowned. “Where do you think—?”

  Seth clenched his fists. “The little fool is going to clear her name. She’s going to try and get the sphere back.”

  There were gasps and curses all around.

  January was going to put herself in danger, and it was all his fault.

  Chapter Fifteen

  January felt sand get in her socks and sighed. She continued to put one foot in front of the other, walking along the dusty edge of the highway. The very empty highway. Since she’d started walking, there’d been no cars on this lonely stretch of road.

  She lifted her head, pulling in a lungful of hot, dry, desert air. That’s all there was around—desert. The landscape was flat, beige sand with the odd sagebrush, and mountains in the distance.

  As she walked, she felt horribly alone. Memories of another highway she’d been left on tried to crowd into her head, but she straightened her shoulders. The past was the past, and she had bigger problems to worry about.

  She’d been accused of treason. Of selling out her work and colluding with ecoterrorists.

  Seth had believed the lies.

  Tears pricked at her eyes, and she ruthlessly fought them back. Oh, no. She was not thinking about Seth Lynch.

  Ever.

  January sniffed, her throat tight. Minutes ticked by, beads of sweat sliding between her shoulder blades.

  Her plan was to get herself to Los Angeles. She had a damn artifact to rescue.

  The rumble of a car’s engine came from behind her. She turned, her muscles tensing. She half expected to see a military vehicle from Area 52 bearing down on her.

  Instead, it was a beaten-up, white station wagon. She waved and stuck her thumb out.

  The car slowed down and pulled to a stop in front of her in a cloud of dust. The back of the vehicle was packed full of junk. She made out some camping gear, boxes, blankets, other things she couldn’t identify. Her gaze fell on the stickers plastered over the side window. All of them featured flying saucers or alien heads.

  UFO Hunter

  Area 51 Patrol

  I want to believe

  UFO Chase Vehicle

  Hmm. She leaned down to look through the windows and studied the three men inside…okay, men was stretching it. They didn’t look like they were much over twenty, so maybe man-boys was more appropriate.

  The trio had “geek-boy nerd” stamped all over them. And not in the hot, sexy way Brooks did, more of a sweet, earnest way.

  The young man behind the wheel was wearing thick-framed glasses, and had a mop of curly, blond hair. The one lounging in the back seat looked like he was all arms and legs, and had brown hair and cheeks pitted with acne scars. The one in the passenger seat had black hair that framed a face that was damn near close to pretty, with large, blue eyes and long eyelashes January would kill for.

  “Hi, guys” she said.

  The one in the passenger seat nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Hi.”

  “Can I get a ride?” she asked.

  “Sure, sure.” The young man in the back pushed open the door, almost tripping over himself to let her in. Several empty soda cans and candy wrappers fell out.

  “I’m Calvin.” He scrambled to grab the trash and scooted back across the seat.

  “Hi, Calvin.” She climbed in and a funky smell hit her. Lucky she was used to rough, dirty archeological digs. She smiled brightly.

  The driver swiveled to look back, peering through his glasses. He had pretty brown eyes.

  “I’m Artie.” Then he pointed a finger to the passenger. “And that’s Sammy.”

  Sammy looked back. Yep, definitely the face of an angel. When he filled out some more, he’d be a heartbreaker.

  “Hi, guys. I’m January.”

  Artie gripped the wheel and pulled back out onto the road.

  “Where are you headed?” Artie asked.

  “Wherever. I’m actually trying to get to Los Angeles.” She had an artifact to find and bad guys to stop. “What are you guys doing out here?”

  “We’re on vacation,” Artie said.

  “Best time of the year to spot activity around Area 51,” Calvin added.

  January raised her brows. “Activity?”

  “Unidentified flying activity.”

  She glanced at the stickers on the windows. “You guys are UFO hunters?”

  They all nodded.

  “We’re all studying astrophysics at college,” Calvin said. “On our vacations, we come out here, camp, stargaze, and try to record potential alien or suspicious military activity.”

  “A-ha,” she murmured.

  Artie looked at her in the rear-view mirror. “What are you doing here? There isn’t much out here.”

  “Escaping from a top-secret military base.” She winked.

  The young men all stared at her for a beat, then they all burst into laughter. January smiled.

  “So, have you spotted any UFOs this trip?” she asked.

  That was apparently all the young men needed. They launched into a blow-by-blow description of what they’d been doing, what they’d spotted, and then segued into all their theories on the alien wreckage and bodies they believed were being kept at Area 51.

  “We’ve also been recording any potential experimental aircraft we see,” Sammy said.

  “Aircraft made from secret alien technology,” Calvin added.

  January smiled at them. “Right.” Or by a genius tech guru, from ancient technology.

  “What do you do?” Sammy asked.

  “I’m an archeologist.”

  “Cool,” Artie breathed. “I plan to take a few archeology classes when I get back to school.”

  She saw Sammy eyeing her with a serious look.

  “Why are you really here, January?” he asked.

  She sighed. “It’s a long story, Sammy.”

  Calvin touched her arm gently. “I’m sorry.”

  She raised a brow. “About what?”

  “I can see you’re hurting.”

  Her nose tingled. God save her from perceptive, sensitive geeks.

  “Quit hitting on January, Cal,” Artie said. “She’s waaaay out of your league. Plus, she’ll absolutely have
a boyfriend.” His gaze met hers in the rearview mirror. “You have one, right?”

  “That’s another long story,” she told him.

  The three man-boys sighed.

  “I bet he’s a rich, good-looking badass,” Cal said.

  Seth’s image formed in front of her eyes. “Um—”

  Another set of gusty sighs.

  “So,” Artie said. “The activity hasn’t quite been what we’d been hoping for. We wouldn’t mind driving to California. Right, guys?”

  Their chorus of yeses made January feel warm inside. “Thanks, guys. I’ve had a few rough days, so that’s really kind of you.”

  “Because of your badass boyfriend?” Sammy asked.

  She sighed. “Because of a badass asshole.”

  Suddenly, there was a rush of noise overhead and dust kicked up around the car.

  The men and January leaned forward. A black helicopter swept past them.

  “Holy frelling frak,” Artie breathed.

  “It’s some sort of stealth helicopter,” Cal said, gripping the back of Artie’s seat.

  The helicopter spun in mid-air to face them, and January’s heart sank. Oh, no.

  “That badass boyfriend of yours, is he a pilot?” Sammy asked.

  “Maybe,” she said.

  Then the guns mounted on either side of the helicopter swung in their direction. January tensed. What the hell?

  Artie’s hands clenched on the wheel. “Oh, shit—”

  Machine-gun fire peppered the road right in front of them. They all screamed and ducked down.

  “Floor it, Artie,” January cried. “Go. Go!”

  Artie slammed his foot down on the accelerator and the car sped forward, fishtailing. More gunfire rained down around them.

  God, she couldn’t believe this. She couldn’t believe that Team 52 would fire on civilians. Talk about overkill.

  She couldn’t get these young men killed.

  “Stop the car,” she screamed.

  No one listened. The helicopter swung around, right in front of them, kicking up a cloud of sand and dust.

  Artie slammed on the brakes and their car skidded off the road.

  They came to a stop, the vehicle rocking on its wheels. January shoved her door open and leaped out.

  The helicopter lowered down, hovering just above the ground. Her hair whipped around her face as she watched the side door open.

  That’s when it hit her. Team 52 wouldn’t fire on innocent civilians.

  She watched several figures in black leap out of the helicopter. One big form had long, blond hair falling to his shoulders. January froze.

  Definitely not Team 52. This was the Knights of Gaia.

  Ah, hell.

  “Go!” She waved her arm at the men in the car. “Go now and get away!”

  She knew that the Knights didn’t want these boys. She turned and sprinted out into the desert.

  She heard the sounds of pursuit behind her and pumped her arms. She stumbled on the rough, desert ground, but kept moving. Her lungs burned.

  Then she was tackled from behind.

  She hit the ground hard, sand filling her mouth. Ow. The air was knocked out of her.

  She found herself yanked up.

  January fought hard, struggling wildly, and trying to knee the bastard in the balls. She caught a glimpse of several armed men holding Artie, Cal, and Sammy at gunpoint. She struggled harder.

  Her captor grunted, and then a bag was dropped over her head. She kept fighting, even knowing it was a losing battle.

  Then she was shaken hard enough that her teeth rattled, and tossed over a hard shoulder.

  No. No. No.

  “Faster,” Seth growled.

  He was leaning over Blair’s shoulder. She was at the controls of the Titan—the team’s light tactical armored vehicle.

  Blair ignored him. They were already going fast.

  The experimental vehicle was one of Ty’s toys. It had armor-plating the same color as the desert outside, huge, rugged tires made for hard terrain, and a sleek, glass-covered front where the driver sat. A machine gun had been fitted on the top.

  Behind Seth, the rest of Team 52 sat in the snug confines of the vehicle.

  They neared the front gate and the guards opened it for them. They tore out onto the highway.

  “Don’t kill us, Mason,” Lachlan called out.

  Seth glanced back at Lachlan, sitting on a bench seat, holding his CXM. All the team were dressed in black tactical outfits.

  “Fuck.” Brooks voice came through the panel in front of Blair. “I have the satellite imagery up. There’s a helicopter. It opened fire.”

  Seth’s stomach dropped.

  “I saw a vehicle stop and pick up January. The helicopter intercepted them.”

  The fucking Knights of Gaia were after January. Seth slammed his fist against the side panel.

  “Hold it together, Lynch,” Lachlan said.

  “We’ll get her.” Blair glanced back, her gaze meeting his.

  Seth dragged in a breath and nodded, but his muscles were strung tight. This was his fault. He hadn’t trusted her the way she deserved and he’d driven her away.

  “Helicopter’s leaving,” Brooks said.

  Shit. Seth gritted his teeth.

  “There!” Blair yelled.

  Leaning forward, Seth peered through the windshield. He saw a dusty station wagon on the side of the road. Three men were standing in the middle of the road.

  In the distance, a helicopter was flying away. It was barely more than a black speck in the cloudless sky.

  The Titan jolted to a stop beside the car. Seth shoved the side door out and up, then leaped down. His boots hit the dirt and he bent his knees. He whipped his CXM up and aimed at the young men.

  “On your knees,” Seth barked.

  The men dropped instantly, their faces white. Hell, they looked like geeky teenagers.

  “Please don’t kill us,” one cried.

  “Where’s January?” Seth asked.

  The men all frowned.

  Seth stepped closer. “January. I want answers. Now!”

  “You guys aren’t with the ones who took her?” the curly-haired young man with glasses asked, his brow creased with confusion.

  They’d taken her. Dammit. Seth sucked in a breath, trying to find some control. Lachlan and Blair flanked him, and he watched the rest of the team fan out, scoping the area.

  One of the young men, with a pretty face, looked past Seth to the Titan. His eyes widened. “Wow. I’ve never seen a tactical vehicle like that before.”

  “Eyes down,” Blair snapped.

  The man obeyed immediately. “Please don’t shoot me.”

  “Tell me what happened to January,” Seth demanded. “Now.”

  The tall, lanky one looked at him. “Are you January’s badass? The one she said was an asshole?”

  Seth gritted his teeth. “Yes. January is mine. Talk. Now.”

  The young men recounted the story in detail. When they described a man with long, blond hair grabbing January, Seth closed his eyes for a second.

  “Knights of Gaia,” he murmured to his team. The bastards had her.

  “Hold it together, amigo.” Axel gripped his shoulder.

  “If they hurt her—”

  “Um…” the curly-haired man said. “If it helps, we have a dashcam set up.”

  Seth straightened. “You recorded the attack?”

  The young man nodded.

  “I’ll get it.” Callie headed toward the car.

  The lanky man was staring at them all. “Who are you guys? Are you from Area 51?”

  Seth and his team ignored him. All Seth could think about was the fact that the Knights had January. He stared toward the western horizon.

  “She’ll be okay,” Lachlan said. “They want her for something. Besides, she’s tough. Titanium-coated.”

  “She’s been hurt before,” Seth said. “As a teen, she and her mom were attacked. Her mom was kil
led.” He drew in a breath. “They were attacked by the side of a road. Physically and sexually.”

  “Shit.” Lachlan’s golden eyes flashed.

  “You’re kidding,” Smith ground out, jaw tight.

  An angry vibe resonated from the rest of Seth’s team. “I wish I was.”

  “We’ll get her back,” Lachlan’s tone was uncompromising.

  Blair nodded. “We won’t stop looking until we find her.”

  Seth gripped his weapon and nodded. He’d tear the country apart if he had to, but he would find her.

  And if anyone had laid a hand on her…

  He glanced at the young men, who were still pale-faced and anxious. “You guys get out of here. You saw nothing, you will remember nothing.” The trio didn’t need any further prompting. As one, they dove into the wagon and took off down the road.

  Seth swiveled his CXM onto his back and turned to his team. “Let’s go rescue my woman.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Seth leaned forward in his seat and pressed play again on the tablet screen.

  He was on the X8, the jet engines a drone of background noise as they sped west toward L.A. The video flared to life. The three young UFO hunters had managed to record the entire attack and January’s abduction.

  He watched on the screen as the helicopter opened fire. His jaw tightened. He saw the car swerve, and heard the young men cursing. Then he heard January telling them to go.

  Of course, she would. She’d risk herself to help save them.

  Then he saw January through the windshield, running into the desert. Soldiers from the helicopter raced toward her, and he saw her struggling with a man as he lifted her, kicking and screaming, off her feet.

  “You’ve watched that a hundred times,” Lachlan said from beside Seth.

  Seth lifted his chin. He touched the screen and zoomed in on January’s attacker. He had long, shaggy, blond hair.

  It was definitely the man from Guatemala, who’d snatched the sphere.

  They needed the location of the cell in L.A.

  “Brooks got anything, yet?” Seth asked.

  Lachlan gripped his shoulder. “Not yet. But we’ll find her.”

  “I could lose her.” Seth looked at the floor. “I barely had her, but it was good, and I screwed it up.”

  “We all screw up,” Lachlan said. “You fix it, and do better next time. So, get your head in the game and focus on getting her back. We need to recover the sphere and stop the Knights of Gaia.”