Intercepted Risk

by Sidney Bristol

  Kelsey closed her eyes and waited.

  The curtain rings jostled as they were pushed aside.

  Logan would have a clear view now.

  She held her breath.

  Logan’s voice boomed in the darkness. “Hands where I can see them.”

  Even she jumped.

  A bullet tore through the apartment, hitting the microwave above the stove.

  Kelsey turned, crouched on one knee, and found her target.

  Logan shot from her right at the same moment. Both their shots hit the first man entering the apartment in the center of his chest. He staggered back into a second man, but only grunted.

  They were wearing body armor.

  These were not run-of-the-mill thieves. Not even the same type of people sent after Dixon. These were professionals and infinitely more dangerous. She wished she’d put on a Kevlar vest now.

  Kelsey fired again, this time aiming lower for softer areas. She fired, and the man howled, going to the ground.

  The second man shoved the first aside, firing wildly. Kelsey ducked behind the cabinets. She heard the discharge of Logan’s firearm and her heart leapt into her throat.

  No vest.

  “Kelsey,” Logan barked.

  “Yes.” She leaned out.

  The balcony doors were open, shining light on two downed men.

  She scrambled to her feet, her gun aimed at the intruders as she glanced at Logan.

  He was okay.

  He was fine.

  He hadn’t gotten shot that she could see.

  She said a silent prayer of thanks to the universe.

  “You okay?” She moved toward the bodies.

  “Fine.”

  “They’re both dead,” she said.

  “Get ready. We have to get out of here,” he said.

  Shots rang out nearby.

  The other apartments. Harper, Evan, and Felecia.

  “Fuck,” she muttered.

  “Kelsey,” Logan snapped.

  She had to take care of herself first. She couldn’t help someone else if she got shot full of bullets.

  As much as it killed her, she rushed into the bedroom.

  Logan was already strapping on a Kevlar vest. She grabbed the bigger, bulker vest and got it on over her clothes, then pulled on her jacket.

  “You have a bag?” He tossed the big black duffle over a shoulder.

  She hefted her little one. “Just enough.”

  “Let’s get the others and go.”

  “I’ll follow you.”

  More shots.

  She prayed the others were putting up a fight, and that they hadn’t been caught unaware.

  Logan led the way out of his apartment.

  The breezeway was well-lit and empty.

  Footsteps pounded the pavement.

  Logan swept his arm out, pushing her behind him.

  The damn man was going to get himself killed.

  “TL?” Harper called out.

  “You okay?” Logan’s grip on her relaxed.

  “Fine. They got Kelsey.”

  She stuck her head out. “I’m here.”

  Another shot rang through the night.

  Evan and Felecia.

  The three of them took off together. Harper in the lead, Logan, then her. She glanced at the closed door of Jamie’s apartment. He was never there, but did they know that? Were there men inside right now?

  Logan skidded to a stop in front of her. Kelsey nearly ran into him. She pitched sideways, holding onto his arm.

  A shrill, angry sound broke the air. Felecia dove out of the front door of her apartment, swinging a baseball bat at an injured man decked out in black and tactical gear. Felecia smacked the man in the arm and shoulder, shrieking words at the guy that couldn’t possibly be English.

  “Holy shit,” Harper gasped.

  “What?” She turned, and that was when she saw it.

  The task force building was on fire. Flames licked toward the clouds.

  “We have to get out of here. Now,” Logan snapped. “Evan, stop her. Harper grab him. We need answers. Now.”

  Kelsey’s training kicked in. She went to Felecia, grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the poor soul.

  “Keys,” Logan called out.

  Kelsey held up her hand and snatched Logan’s Jeep keys out of the air.

  “Come on. Come with me.” She pulled a still-vibrating Felecia toward the Jeep.

  “That, that horrible man,” Felecia raged. Her accent made her words almost impossible to make out.

  Kelsey got both herself and Felecia into the back of the Jeep and the engine on.

  “Are you okay?” Kelsey asked.

  “Fine. I’m fine,” Felecia spat. She took a deep breath. “How are you? How are the others?”

  “Start making calls.” Kelsey shoved her phone at Felecia and watched the others.

  Logan and Harper grabbed the injured man and bound his hands and ankles. They dragged him to Harper’s sporty hatchback and tossed him in. A moment later Evan backed out of his apartment, two bags in hand, his gun raised.

  Kelsey’s stomach leapt into her throat as she saw the muzzle fire of a gun from the other side of the breezeway.

  Logan whirled and fired.

  Harper dove behind the wheel of his hatchback while Evan sprinted for the Jeep.

  Kelsey rolled down the window, gun up.

  Logan and Evan threw themselves into the Jeep. It whipped back as three more men ran out of the shadows.

  “Go! Go!” Felecia chanted.

  Kelsey fired, and the men scattered.

  “What the hell just happened?” She collapsed back onto the seat, her heart racing.

  They’d come close. So close tonight.

  What the hell was going on?

  TUESDAY. LOGAN MULLER’S Apartment. Washington, DC.

  Logan kept close to Harper’s car, watching for any shadow or movement. If possible, Logan would have preferred for someone to ride with Harper and keep an eye on their captive. But they’d all been on auto-pilot, just trying to get away.

  Logan glanced in the rearview mirror at Felecia and Kelsey. They’d begun calling everyone.

  “Is Zora answering?” he asked.

  “Not yet.” Kelsey held up a finger. “Tabby? Tabby, it’s Kelsey. Is Jamie there? Are you both okay?”

  “Diha and her family are fine,” Felecia announced. “The alarms from headquarters woke her up, and she’s already working. Miles is on his way to her, so he’ll check the road for any sign they’re being watched or in danger.”

  “They should go somewhere else for now,” Logan said.

  Felecia bent over her phone. “I’ll text her that.”

  “Jamie and Tabby are fine, too,” Kelsey said. “They’re packing their stuff now.”

  “Good,” Logan muttered.

  He pulled out his phone.

  Their headquarters was gone. Zora and Tucker were in the wind with their star witness. Someone was after them. They had no resources or supplies because all of that was supposed to come from the Task Force.

  Fuck it.

  Logan’s first priority had to be keeping everyone safe.

  He thrust his phone at Evan. “Dial the AG help line.”

  Evan blinked at him. “TL?”

  “Do it,” Logan said.

  Aegis Group had gotten big enough that it didn’t make sense for one person to be their emergency contact. With how often their guys wound up in hot water, they’d set up a help line that was manned every second of the day.

  Evan handed the phone back to Logan.

  When they’d taken the contract to work with the Task Force, they’d agreed to only use the resources provided by the government. It was an effort to keep classified work quiet. But they couldn’t do that now. Not when the headquarters was burning, and they were running around the city with a hostage who could very well be tracked.

  “Aegis Group—”

  Logan cut off the sleepy sounding voice. �
�This is Logan Muller, Troy Team. I’m on a classified contract. I need a base of operations. Preferably one fully stocked in Washington, DC.”

  “Verification code?” The person answering was fully awake now.

  Logan recited the code and said a silent prayer. He shifted the phone away from his face. “Call Harper. Tell him we need to pull over. Take care of things.”

  Evan nodded and pulled out his own phone.

  “Logan, I’ve got details. Do you want them over the phone or should I send them to you?”

  “Send them and update Zain.”

  “Already have. It’s in the file. If you call, he gets alerted immediately.”

  Of course Zain would.

  Their boss cared about everyone. It was like him to want to be notified if something went wrong. And if Logan needed help, something was seriously messed up.

  “Do you need anything else? Medical?” the person on the other end of the line asked.

  “No. Tell Zain I’ll be in contact later, during daylight hours. Preferably, don’t call. Thanks.”

  He hung up the phone. There was no way he could talk to Zain until he knew what he could say. Even calling for help like this was bending the rules.

  Evan leaned over. “Harper’s going to pull into an alley.”

  Logan nodded.

  The streets were mostly empty this time of night, so there was no one to worry about when it came to Harper slowing down and speeding up until he found an alley that fit his specifications. The little hatchback whipped into an opening. Logan slowed and pulled in more carefully.

  “Kelsey, Evan, will you two keep watch on the street?” Logan shifted the Jeep into park. “Felecia, keep trying Tucker and Zora. Switch between all our phones if necessary. Get ahold of them. Did Diha have any idea where they were? If they’re okay?”

  Felecia’s face twisted up. “Nothing.”

  “Fuck. Okay. I’ve got a text or email coming in. Give the location details to Jamie and have them meet us there, okay? Baruti and Samuel, too. Anyone on the inner circle.”

  It made sense that if his people were targeted at their apartments, so could others at their homes.

  Logan zipped up his coat and got out. His boots were loose. He’d never put on socks. His vest was rubbing a raw spot under one arm and it pressed painfully against his shoulder for some reason. The straps must not be fastened properly.

  They were all a mess, but they were alive. That was more than he could say for the people who’d tried to kill them. Their attackers clearly had expected him to be alone, otherwise they’d have sent more than two people into the apartment. Least that’s what Logan would have done in their shoes.

  Harper had the back of his car open and stared down at the slim, injured man in the back of his vehicle.

  “How we doing this?” Harper drawled.

  Logan stared down into the dazed eyes of the young man. He was clearly injured still. “Let’s strip him, blindfold and gag him. I don’t want any of his people following him to the safe house.”

  Harper nodded and reached down, unfastening the helmet.

  Logan reached under his hoodie and pulled a knife from one of the pouches on his vest. He flicked the blade free with a snick.

  “No,” the bound man said weakly.

  “Relax.” Logan pressed a hand down on the guy’s booted feet. “I’ll only cut you if you move. So hold still.”

  Logan and Harper made quick work of the guy’s gear. They didn’t risk cutting him free, so his clothes were sliced off him. They went through the guy’s pockets, examining his gear, gleaning information about him from each piece.

  In under fifteen minutes they’d thoroughly searched the guy and removed every stitch of clothing besides his underwear.

  Harper closed the hatchback and stared at the pile of gear.

  “They were professionals. Americans,” he said.

  “Yup.”

  “I’ll bag the guns and toss the rest.” Harper bent to the task.

  Logan glanced over his shoulder. “I’d prefer if Evan rides with you.”

  “Nah,” Harper replied. “You can’t separate him and Felecia right now. Kelsey could do it.”

  Logan bit the inside of his mouth. Harper was right. It was just Logan getting hung up on keeping her close to him. She’d kick his ass if he said as much out loud. This was their first test. Logan had to make the right call for the situation and ignore his personal wishes. Besides, he knew he could trust Kelsey just as much as the guys. And Harper had a point. Evan would be distracted with his wife, upset and in another vehicle.

  “I’ll tell her,” Logan said.

  Harper scooped up the ruined clothing and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. Logan turned, leaving him to the rest of the clean-up.

  Evan turned his head and Logan gestured for the two of them to return to the Jeep.

  He waited for Kelsey outside the vehicle.

  “Coast is clear. Haven’t seen a single car,” she said. “What’s up?”

  He so did not want her away from him. “Would you ride with Harper and keep an eye on our hostage?”

  She grinned at him. “That like, physically hurts you to ask me that, doesn’t it?”

  “It’s not that I think you can’t or shouldn’t do it.” He glanced at the street behind her. “I just... I want you close.”

  “Well, I appreciate you letting me out of your sight.”

  He grabbed her wrist when she would have walked past him. “That’s not what I mean.”

  “Chill. I’m making a joke. I’m not irritated with you. I’ll be fine, and if I’m not, you’re right behind us.”

  He swiped his thumb lower until he felt the warmth of her skin. “Be safe.”

  “You, too. And Logan?” She tipped her chin up just a bit more. “This is what I’ve been trying to talk about. These feelings? They’re interfering with our job. On both sides. Either we get this under control, or we have to stop.”

  “I’m not—Kelsey.” He needed to pick his words carefully, but they were too jumbled.

  “I’m talking about both of us. Not just you.” She pulled out of his grasp and turned.

  He watched her jog ahead to the hatchback and get in the backseat where she could watch their captive.

  Damn it, he was trying. Didn’t he get a fucking minute to adjust? Did she expect him to be perfect all the time?

  Logan got into the Jeep and mentally tamped down on his irritation.

  “I got Zora on the phone,” Felecia announced. “Only for a moment, but she said she they were safe. I told her about the safe house and she said to go, stay quiet and wait for instructions.”

  “Great,” Logan muttered.

  21.

  Tuesday.

  Kelsey peered over the seat at the dazed young man bound and gagged in the back of the car. She’d seen Felecia nail the guy with a baseball bat, but Kelsey had assumed the helmet had protected him. Now she was worried the kid had a concussion. Could be that or fear. He had to know getting caught was bad news for him.

  Did he have any idea who he’d attacked tonight? Or why?

  “He moving?” Harper asked.

  “Not even a little.” She twisted to face forward.

  He tilted the rearview mirror so he could see her face. “Thanks for checking on me back there.”

  His words stung, though they dripped with sarcasm.

  She’d hoped Harper wouldn’t remember her coming out of Logan’s apartment.

  What did she say? What could she say?

  Kelsey wasn’t ready to commit to Logan. Suddenly things were happening fast around them. She was drowning in feelings she didn’t know how to deal with and then add Logan to the mix? It was too damn much. She was suffocating under the pressure of it all.

  “Hey, you okay?” Harper asked.

  “Fine. Sorry. Just tired.” She propped her elbow on the back of the seat so she had the widest range of vision in the car.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think
you weren’t at your place tonight,” Harper said.

  Fuck.

  He knew.

  Kelsey met his gaze in the mirror. “Is there something you want to say to me?”

  “Nah.” He grinned. “Just making conversation.”

  “Do I look like I want to talk?” she snapped.

  “Easy there, we all got out okay.”

  They had, but what came next? How had it happened? What about bystanders?

  With headquarters gone, they had no centralized place to work. Everything would be disrupted, and that worked in favor of those they were after.

  “It does seem like you and TL are getting along better,” Harper said.

  Why was it any of his business?

  She knew her thoughts were childish, yet part of her couldn’t help it.

  Kelsey curled a leg under her and tugged on the seatbelt. “What about I don’t want to fucking talk is hard for you to understand?”

  “You two are cute together.”

  She drew in a deep breath.

  Harper’s problem was that he thought he was hilarious. Most of the time his antics were highly amusing. But not right now. Not tonight, especially.

  Nadine had no doubt told Skilton where they all lived. At least the Aegis team. And Kelsey. Nadine, who Kelsey had trusted. She’d told Logan she barely knew the woman, but deep down Kelsey knew she’d let Nadine fool her. Expertly.

  Who was Kelsey to judge a person’s character? How could she trust anyone?

  Thankfully, Harper focused on the navigation rather than talking. The drive to their meeting point only took another fifteen minutes, what with empty streets. Which made her wonder, had they gone far enough? Was someone following them? Would she even know, given that someone had been following her?

  Kelsey wasn’t sure what to expect from a safe house lined up by Aegis Group. A sky rise condo with a view of downtown DC was not it. They were able to park in a basement level parking garage and take a utility elevator up to their floor. The place was so sparkling clean she felt dirty just walking down the halls in her PJs, no bra and Kevlar vest. It was worse when Logan let them into the condo.

  White marble floors sparkled against soft gray walls. She glanced into the living room and was met by more glass, white and gray.