As a train pulled up to the platform, people turned and straightened. While the commuters were distracted with boarding the train, the team quickly slipped through the doorway.
The space on the other side of the door was pitch black. Everyone clicked on flashlights, and Nat shivered. It was spooky as hell.
The tunnels had been stripped down in places. Old tile still showed, but in some places, the tunnels were just bare concrete, with electrical lines and pipes running along them.
“This way.” Lachlan started down the tunnel, weapon drawn from under his jacket.
Their boots echoed on the concrete floor. Gear was stacked along one wall.
“This must have been where they cleaned the tunnels to let people tour down here,” Callie murmured.
“Oh, my God, look.” Nat turned to eye the walls. There were torn, peeling advertisement posters on the curved walls. “These are all from the 1960s.” It was like walking into a time capsule. There was a poster for West Side Story playing in the West End, and another for the original Psycho movie.
But as they continued on, the tunnels became less well kept, with water dripping down the walls in places.
Ahead, she saw movement and gasped. The team tensed, but it was a homeless man wearing a ripped jacket, with a heavy, graying beard and wild hair. He pulled back into the shadows, watching them warily as they passed.
Then she felt vibrations under her feet, and heard a rattling noise.
“The Northern Line,” River said. “Or construction for the HS2.”
They turned down another tunnel, with lots of pipes and wires running along its walls.
“Keep an eye out for any sign the Minotaur’s been here,” Lachlan said.
Nat waved a curtain of spider webs out of her way.
Suddenly, a terrified scream echoed down the tunnel.
Oh, God. Nat’s chest locked.
As one, the team swiveled, bringing their weapons up.
“Come on.” Lachlan moved into a jog.
They followed, Axel pushing Nat to the back of their group. They moved through some wider tunnels, and she saw an old ticket window, set into the wall with beautiful tiling around it. They continued onto an abandoned platform.
“There!” Seth said.
Hunched over at the end of the platform, the Minotaur froze at the sound of their approach, and looked up. It was chewing on the neck of another homeless man.
Gorge rose in Nat’s throat. They were too late.
The team rushed forward.
“Stay back,” Axel warned her.
She nodded and she watched the Minotaur run into a tunnel, Team 52 in pursuit.
That left Nat alone, with only her flashlight giving off a small circle of illumination. Great. She’d spent plenty of time in underground tombs and tunnels as an archeologist, but knowing a dangerous creature was lurking nearby really made her nerves stretch tight.
Slowly, she followed after the team. She heard the Minotaur bellow, then more shots fired.
She pressed against the wall. It would all be over soon. Then a shadowed form stepped out of the tunnel.
“Axel? Is everything—?”
The man stepped closer, and she spotted the black balaclava covering his face.
Her stomach dropped to her toes. The Hannibal Syndicate.
Her eyes went wide, then she leaped on the man and screamed.
* * *
Axel heard Nat scream and spun.
Where the hell was she? Ignoring the hunt for the Minotaur, he charged back. The need to yell her name welled in his chest, and he bit his tongue.
He’d told her to stay back. He should have kept her by his side.
Lachlan brushed past him. Then they heard the sounds of a scuffle.
The two of them rushed ahead, running out onto the platform, their CXMs aimed. Two mercs charged at them.
Fucking Hannibal Syndicate.
Axel fired, taking one down. The other one leaped at Lachlan, knife in hand.
Lachlan ducked, then rammed his fist into the man’s side. When he grunted, Lachlan whirled and came up with a hard chop.
Axel heard the sound of bone snapping, before the knife clattered on the ground. The merc gave a strangled cry, but Lachlan hit him again. The man hit the wall and slid down it, to lie, unmoving, on the ground.
Nat. Axel had to get to Nat.
He heard her shout, and pivoted. He barreled down another tunnel into a central area of the old station.
She was fighting off an attacker. Axel sprinted toward them.
The merc saw him coming and let Nat go. The man took a step back, but Axel didn’t slow down. He leaped into the air and slammed into the man. They hit the abandoned platform, skidding across the tiles.
Axel punched the man, raining lethal, anger-fueled blows on him. The asshole had touched Nat.
Suddenly, she crouched beside them. “Quiet,” she hissed.
Axel paused mid-punch and frowned. When he raised his head, he saw the glow of red eyes in the darkness.
Both Axel and the Hannibal Syndicate merc froze.
The Minotaur shifted closer, its muscular body sliding out of the shadows. Axel realized it was staring at Nat, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose.
“Hey, there,” Nat said slowly and softly.
A light flared to life. Her tablet. She held it out, showing some symbols on it.
“You’re just trying to get home, aren’t you?” She pointed at the symbol for the labyrinth.
The monster snorted, staring at the symbol like it was hypnotized.
“Labyrinth,” she said.
“Lab-rinth.” The Minotaur’s voice sounded like gravel.
“Yes,” she said. “We want to help you.”
It tilted its head. “He-lp.”
Axel stiffened at the guttural sound.
Nat sucked in a breath. “Yes, we want to help. Mark. That’s your name. I really want to help you, Mark.”
Running boots. Two mercs barreled out of a tunnel and fired on the Minotaur.
“No!” Nat cried.
Axel jumped on her. As bullets flew, he shielded her. The Minotaur roared, and a merc’s body flew past, hitting the wall.
Nat whimpered and Axel held her tighter.
“Hey, you guys partying without me?” Blair sprinted in.
The rest of Team 52 was right behind her. Axel watched Blair dash toward the closest merc.
The man drew a knife and Blair grinned. “Ooh, goodie.”
Lunging, the man swiped out with the blade and Blair snapped into action.
Two kicks and three deadly blows later, the man curled up on the ground, groaning. Blair studied her newly acquired knife before tucking it into her belt.
The rest of Team 52 was all fighting.
A snort made Axel turn and he saw the Minotaur sliding back into the shadows.
“No.” Nat held up a hand. “Let us help you.”
But the creature turned and ran. A second later, it was gone.
Several remaining mercs backed up along the platform.
“Where are you going, assholes?” Seth clipped out.
The mercs retreated. As they ran, they fired several shots. Then the sound of gunfire stopped.
The only noises remaining were the groans of injured Hannibal Syndicate mercs.
“River, I have some zip ties.” Blair held up the plastic restraints. “Want to help me restrain some asswipes?”
“Sure. You’re a fun date, Mason.”
As the women worked to tie up the mercs, Axel rose and helped Nat up.
Her hair was a mess and dirt streaked her face.
“Did you see?” she said excitedly. “The Minotaur listened to me. I think it responded to the symbols.”
Axel met Lachlan’s gaze. “I saw.”
“He’s afraid, Lachlan,” she said. “It just wants to get back to the labyrinth.”
“So it’s searching for old tunnels?” Lachlan said.
She nodded. �
��I need to work on the symbols a bit more, but I might be able to convince it to come with us.”
Lachlan nodded. “That’s more than we’ve had up until now. The tranqs don’t slow it down, so capturing it will be difficult.”
“And we need to shut down these assholes.” Smith toed one of the unconscious mercs.
Nat nodded. “If they keep scaring Kitchener, he’ll fight and hurt someone.”
“All right, 52, let’s regroup.” Lachlan slung his rifle over his shoulder. “River, can your friends do clean up?” He nodded at the restrained mercs.
“Sure.”
“I want this mission put to bed,” Lachlan said, “We can’t leave this monster on the loose in London.”
Axel gripped Nat’s arm.
She’d been in danger. Again. It felt like a rock settled in his gut, a part of him agitated beyond control. He wanted this mission over. He wanted her safe.
Chapter Sixteen
On the drive back to the safe house, Nat stared out the window at the passing city.
She’d talked with the Minotaur, communicated with it.
It wasn’t just a mindless monster.
She needed to study more of the Minoan glyphs and come up with a message. She needed to convince it to come with them.
Axel was quiet beside her, radiating an intensity that made her look at his face. He didn’t seem angry, but he was definitely something.
They reached the safe house. Inside, everyone dispersed to stow their gear and change clothes.
“I want to get my notebook and—”
Axel grabbed her arm and dragged her into his room. He slammed the door behind them, and locked it.
“Axel—”
He set his CXM on the table. His Glock and knife followed. Then he pulled off his vest and gloves.
Nat’s nerves twitched. When he turned, he advanced on her, heat flickering in his eyes.
Her belly contracted. “Axel.”
He pulled her vest off, then yanked her close.
He smelled like Axel, mixed with the healthy scent of sweat. Before she could say anything, his mouth was on hers.
She moaned. He lifted her off her feet and she wrapped her arms and legs around him. Her back hit the wall.
His tongue was in her mouth, forceful and demanding.
“Need to fuck you.” His voice was guttural. “Need to see you take my cock.”
The blunt, possessive words made her quiver.
He set her down long enough to yank her pants off, leaving her in just her T-shirt. Then he lifted her again and his lips were rough, the kiss deep and wild.
And so much need. Nat had never been needed like this before. She moaned, her hands buried in his hair.
He moved a hand between her legs and found her clit. She bucked against his fingers.
“All this wetness for me?” he murmured.
“Yes,” she panted.
He played her like an instrument, and as sensation scorched through her, she looked up into his glittering eyes. She undulated, biting her lip, the edge of her climax skating closer.
“Uh-uh,” he said.
His hand disappeared and she moaned her complaint. Then his hips pushed between her legs.
“You’re going to come on my cock, not my fingers.”
“Axel.”
He fumbled with his trousers and she heard the click of his belt. “You need my cock, baby?”
“Yes. Now.”
He shifted and the head of his cock nudged her folds. Then with one hard thrust, he was inside her.
Oh, God. God. The back of her head hit the wall.
He hammered into her. “Fuck, nothing feels as tight as you.”
Nat clung to him as he drove into her. “Don’t stop.”
“Never.”
She felt it coming. Her orgasm hit in a blinding rush. She cried out his name and his mouth took hers, swallowing her scream. God. It was hard and fast, but it felt so right.
There was no separation between them. Right here, right now, there was no Axel, no Nat. Just the pair of them joined together. One.
A second later, he lodged deep and groaned in her ear.
She held his shuddering body as he came. Afterward, he still pinned her to the wall and the room was filled with the sound of their fast breathing. She nuzzled his stubbled cheek.
“I’ve never had sex against the wall.” To be honest, she wasn’t sure she’d ever dated a guy she’d trust enough to hold her against the wall.
Velvet-brown eyes met hers. “You are so damn beautiful.”
She flushed.
“And I have a few other positions that’ll rock your world,” he added.
She laughed. “I bet you do.”
His face turned serious. “Nat, nothing has ever felt like this.”
Her heart swelled and did a little dance. “For me, too.”
His fingers tightened on her hips, then he let her feet drop to the floor.
“Come on, let’s clean up.”
They took a quick shower and changed. Fresh and clean, Nat was eager to get back to her research and notes.
Leaving Axel to finish getting dressed, she headed for the main room and commandeered a desk. She spread notes across the surface, and woke her tablet up.
Right, she needed to find a way to convince the Minotaur that they wanted to help.
It only took moments for her to get lost in her work. The glyphs were so fascinating. She ran her finger over the image of a tree, a lily, and a bird.
Someone set a mug of coffee down beside her, and she smelled hazelnut syrup. Yum. She looked up at Axel and smiled. “Thank you.”
He dropped a quick kiss to her lips. “I love watching you work.” His gaze dropped. “I wish you were wearing one of your skirts.”
Grinning, she shook her head and turned back to the glyphs on her tablet. “I think I have a message worked out. Maybe.”
“Never doubted you. You hungry?”
She nodded.
“I’ll whip you up something.”
“I thought you didn’t cook?”
He shot her a wide smile. “I didn’t say I was going to cook, but I can make a sandwich.”
She smiled at him, watching his hard, muscled ass as he walked to the kitchen. Mine. She planned to bite that firm ass cheek later.
A beeping sound came from a nearby computer terminal, and she frowned. She leaned over and saw the screen showed CCTV from outside the safehouse.
She stiffened. Two people were in the back garden. They were dressed all in black.
She turned. “Axel, I—”
An explosion ripped through the safehouse.
Her ears rang as metal crunched and glass shattered. Nat screamed, and was thrown to the floor by the blast.
* * *
Axel pushed up on his hands and knees. His ears were ringing, and his nose was bleeding. He swiped his arm across it, and tried to clear his head.
What the hell had happened? Blinking, he looked up.
Half of the ceiling above and the door at the top of the stairs were blown out. He heard shouts.
He staggered to his feet. Nat. Where was Nat? She’d been sitting right in the center of the room.
Then he saw a screen on the wall, hanging askew but still functioning. He saw mercs step into the rubble upstairs, guns in hand.
Fuck. Axel slid along the wall. He needed to warn his team and he needed a damn weapon.
Lachlan appeared in the corridor, his head bleeding.
“Hannibal Syndicate,” Axel said.
Lachlan’s gold eyes flashed.
“I need a weapon. Now.” Every second that ticked by, he was aware that Nat was alone, maybe hurt. “Nat’s out there, somewhere.”
Lachlan jerked his head. They slid into Lachlan’s room and his team leader ripped open a duffel bag.
He handed a SIG and a spare CXM to Axel.
Nice. Axel preferred a Glock to a SIG, but he’d take anything right now. He tucked the handgun into
his waistband, then he checked the rifle. “Let’s do this.”
They met Blair and Seth in the hall.
“The rest of the team?” Lachlan asked.
“River and Ty are trapped in their room,” Blair said. “Explosion warped the door, but they’re safe. No sign of Callie or Smith.” Blair’s voice was tight.
“Nat was in the main room,” Axel said. “I couldn’t see her anywhere after the blast. I clocked three Hannibal Syndicate mercs heading inside.”
Blair lifted her CXM. “Fuckers.”
“Take them down,” Lachlan said. “Our priority is our people.”
They all nodded. Axel turned, itching to find Nat. Hold on, mi cielo.
As the team moved into the room, a spray of automatic fire sent Axel diving to the floor. He rose up, firing.
“Two mercs coming down the stairs,” Blair murmured. “Anyone see the third one?”
“Not yet,” Axel answered.
He crawled through the rubble, moving toward where he’d last seen Nat. Gunfire echoed in the room, and he ducked. He popped up and fired toward the stairs. He saw the two mercs dive behind an overturned table.
Then he saw movement from above.
The third merc leaned down through the gaping ceiling and threw something.
“Grenade,” Axel roared.
He ducked, and saw it hit and roll. Who knew what this damn grenade did, with the things the Hannibal Syndicate cooked up?
Axel grabbed the grenade and lobbed it back, praying he was quick enough that it didn’t blow his hand off.
It sailed across the room and exploded in the air. He ducked, hearing more breaking glass and a scream.
“Everyone okay?’’ Lachlan yelled.
“Yeah,” Axel said.
“Okay,” Blair called out.
“We’re fine,” Seth said.
Axel blew out a breath. More gunfire cut up the room, keeping him pinned.
Then he heard a woman cry out. Shit, Nat.
He crawled through the debris, ignoring the gunfire. He ducked behind a desk and then looked up.
A merc was herding a struggling Nat up the stairs.
No! Axel darted out, leaped, and dived behind another desk.
Gunfire tore up the room behind him.
He didn’t give a fuck. Nat was worth every risk. He’d die for her, and these assholes were not taking her.
Mission: Her Shield: Team 52 #7 Page 12
