Dangerous Connections (Aegis Group Book 9)

by Sidney Bristol

  “And a fucking flashlight and strike set,” Silas said. “Golden boy over here got the last fucking pick. I said we were getting out of here, and we are.”

  Ekko just stared.

  A belt? That was their answer?

  Brett made quick work of his ankle restraint then moved on, freeing Vito next.

  No one spoke. They all listened.

  “What did Pasley say?” Silas whispered across the room.

  She licked her lips. “They want us to kill the protests. Probably execute us on TV.”

  But wouldn’t that just make them martyrs? Or did the DSS think it was worth running that risk?

  A weight settled on her shoulders. She’d wanted her country free, but she hadn’t thought it was a real possibility. Now, the responsibility of what she’d inadvertently begun rested on her. And she didn’t have the faintest idea what came next.

  WEDNESDAY. UNKNOWN, New York City, New York.

  Silas grit his teeth to keep from telling Paxton to hurry the fuck up. It wasn’t like Paxton was slow. The knife on his belt tool was small and no doubt dulled after cutting through several sets of thick, plastic restraints.

  Sitting like this it felt as though there was a ten pound weight sitting on his guts. He didn’t know what the knife had cut, but Silas knew from the woozy feeling and blood making his jeans sticky it wasn’t good. He had to get the others out of here before his clock ran out.

  “Which way did they bring you up?” Silas asked Brett instead of chafing at how long getting free was taking.

  Brett stood by the door, a discarded piece of wood held as a weapon. “We came in some doors, up a stair to our right then a long walk down here. You?”

  “Different way.” Silas grimaced. “Do we retrace our path, or avoid it? How many people were with you?”

  Brett grimaced. They’d been hooded when they arrived. “Hard to say.”

  “Let’s assume at least the three that came in here plus one other. We’re looking at fifteen people on-site, at least. Probably more. We have no weapons and no back-up.” Silas didn’t like laying all that out. “We need to avoid people and get out of here. Find our own way out.”

  “Agreed,” Brett said.

  “There.” Paxton sat back on his heels as the last bit of Silas’ ankle restraint broke free.

  Silas scrambled to his feet, ignoring the bands of plastic still around his wrists and ankles. Breathing as easier, though that damn weight still messed with his guts. He crossed the room to Ekko’s side and kneeled. She looked up at him, blood dried to her hair and across her face. In the dim light it was hard to tell how big her pupils were, if she were showing other signs of injury.

  “You’re still bleeding,” she said.

  “It’s just a scratch.”

  “Silas.”

  “Sh.” He bent his head and kissed her briefly, keeping it gentle.

  “What do we do about him?” Vito asked.

  Silas turned to look at Pasley.

  Was the man a plant? Was he trying to gain their trust?

  “No,” Silas said, listening to his gut. “We take him with us.”

  They’d left Pasley once after he’d helped them. Silas wouldn’t do it again. Not even if it was a trap. Change had to start somewhere, and if there was the slightest chance that Pasley was telling the truth Silas wanted to help. Besides, without him Silas was certain there’d have been a higher blood price to pay to rescue Chayan.

  Silas twisted to address the room while keeping a hand on Ekko. He knew she wasn’t going anywhere, but he felt better touching her. “As soon as we’re all able to move I want to relocate. Get to another floor or room then make a decision. We can try to escape on our own, or hole up and wait for back-up. Both have their risks.”

  “Yeah, I want to move soon,” Brett said, never taking his eyes from the door.

  It felt like it took ages to cut each of them free with the tiny knife tool. There was no doubt that it took them longer and longer every time.

  “Just cut my feet free,” Ekko said when it was her turn.

  Paxton didn’t question her. He cut most of the way through the plastic, then Silas helped by breaking the last bit by force. They had to make the knife last. Ekko shook her head when he grasped her arm and instead lifted herself and wiggled her bottom and legs through the loop of her arms so her hands were in front of her. The better to use even if they were bound.

  Smart girl.

  “We need weapons. Anything that can be used to defend ourselves, grab it.” Silas helped Ekko to her feet.

  Brett cracked the door open.

  No one spoke.

  Silas barely dared to breathe.

  The only person still moving was Paxton as he freed Chayan’s feet and moved on to Pasley, the last of their group.

  Brett closed the door and turned. It was hard to make out his face in the dim light, but Silas thought it looked grim.

  “There’s two men out there,” Brett said.

  Silas and Brett locked eyes.

  There were a few ways to do this.

  The best way also meant taking risks.

  He never liked risks, but they were a necessary part of the job. This time, he hated the idea of risk because it could very likely be Ekko paying the price. But he knew what would happen if they stayed here.

  She’d die just like her brother.

  He wasn’t going to let that happen.

  “Okay.” Silas licked his lips and turned toward Ekko. “In a few moments, I want you to scream. Not as loud as you can. We only want those two to hear, but we need their attention. The four of us are going to be ready. Two grab one, the two be ready to go after the other.”

  “You need to be on the first one,” Paxton said.

  Silas just glared at his friend. A knife wound didn’t mean anything. He was still capable, but there wasn’t anything to be gained by arguing.

  “I’ll stick with Silas,” Brett said. “And Pasley can back us up if we need it.”

  They arranged themselves against the wall closest to the door.

  Ekko and Chayan were in the corner. It was the safest place possible were things to go wrong. Silas directed Pasley to stand was between Ekko, Chayan and the door. While Silas and the others crouched in the shadows, every fiber intent on the door.

  This had to work. He was going to see her safe.

  “Now, Ekko,” Silas whispered.

  She threw her head back and chocked out a sob that turned into a hoarse yell. His gut clenched and he wanted to go to her, to comfort her. But that wasn’t his role. She sucked in air and yelled again, putting more volume into the sound.

  “They’re coming,” Brett whispered.

  Silas adjusted his grip on his belt. At a time like this anything could become a weapon.

  The door banged open.

  They let the first man take two steps in before Brett moved, lunging for the man like they’d discussed. Silas followed, swinging the belt like a whip and kicking the man’s feet out from under him. Brett followed the man down while Silas drove his knee into the man’s back and looped his belt around the man’s neck.

  “Fuck,” Paxton spat.

  That was when Silas realized that the other take-down wasn’t going as smoothly.

  Vito was on the ground.

  Paxton filled the doorway.

  Their target had a bat in hand, wielding it like a mad man.

  Pasley roared, a low dangerous sound, and charged across the room. The man struck out, hitting Pasley in the shoulders and head, but Pasley didn’t seem to feel the blows. He picked the man up, slamming him against the wall. He dropped the bat and the other two descended.

  In moments, it was over.

  “Ekko, you okay?” Silas asked over his shoulder.

  “Y-yes. We’re fine,” she said.

  “Here.” Paxton shoved a set of the plastic restraints at Silas.

  They bound their man’s ankles first then stripped him of his jacket. The thin T-shirt hid nothing, s
o they left it, bound the man’s wrists and gagged him using the discarded bags. That done, they proceeded to strip him of boots, belt, weapons and anything that might be useful.

  Paxton and Vito did the same.

  They wound up with three guns, two knives and the baton between them.

  Silas considered their little trove for a moment. How to divide it up?

  He handed a gun to Paxton. As a sniper, he had the best aim out of their whole group. Brett was good in a pinch, but like Silas he was on the smaller side. Silas handed him the second gun.

  Vito reached over and took the longer of the two knives then nodded, deciding that for himself.

  Silas glanced at Pasley.

  Trust.

  He offered Pasley the other knife.

  The man smiled and shook his head, but took the knife.

  “Something wrong?” Silas asked.

  Pasley spoke, but it wasn’t English.

  Ekko stepped up, glancing from Pasley to the knife.

  “He learned the knife first,” she said. “It’s fitting.”

  “Okay.” Silas offered the baton to Ekko. “Take it. Use it if you need to.”

  He wasn’t sure she’d make use of it or not.

  She held out bound wrists, only then reminding him they hadn’t fully freed her.

  Pasley said a word.

  She froze, hands outstretched while the other man made a lightning fast slice, freeing her.

  Damn.

  “Thanks,” Ekko said then took the bat.

  “Okay.” Silas glanced around the room. “Stay tight. Myself and Brett will take the lead. Keep Ekko and Chayan covered at all times, understood?”

  The others nodded.

  There was a chance they wouldn’t all make it out of here alive. That was always a risk taken during difficult jobs, he just hadn’t gone into this one expecting that.

  Brett opened the door.

  Silas stepped out, gun up.

  The hall was clear.

  Together they moved left, the way neither had come.

  There was more construction equipment. The drywall wasn’t entirely up. Wires hung down.

  Ahead of them the mouth of a staircase led into darkness.

  “Stay here, I’ll go down,” Silas said.

  “Wait.” Brett grabbed his arm.

  “There isn’t time.” Silas pulled out of the other man’s grasp and hastily descended.

  The floor below was just as dark.

  Silas waved. Footsteps thudded on the stairs as the group moved as one.

  “Do we keep going down or pick another path?” Brett asked.

  The others clustered behind them. Eventually this area would be walled off, but for now it was open to the hall.

  “Let’s find somewhere to stash the group then scout an exit,” Silas said.

  Brett nodded and took off.

  Silas smothered a curse.

  Did he follow or did he stay?

  He erred on caution and gestured for Paxton to bring the group with them, following in Brett’s wake.

  Silas jogged to catch up.

  When this was over they were going to have a long talk about chain of command and the way things worked.

  Brett pivoted, gun down, and frowned at the group.

  To their right a pair of double doors swung open.

  Silas opened his mouth, but it was already too late.

  Three men froze the moment they saw the two of them. But that hesitation only lasted a second.

  Silas threw himself sideways, lifted the gun and fired. Another shot whizzed past Silas, probably from Paxton.

  Two of the three men went down. The third dove back into the room from where he’d come.

  “Move,” Silas yelled over his shoulder as he backed away.

  Brett had already scrambled out of sight.

  The doors burst open. Silas fired then hurled himself around the corner.

  Their group was already moving. Vito had Chayan by the arm and was sprinting with Pasley at their back.

  But, where were Paxton, Brett and Ekko?

  A shot blew a chunk of drywall over Silas’ head.

  He kept going, darting down another hall. They zipped through half-built rooms, putting real and plastic walls between them and whoever was out there. Finally Vito slowed, stopping in a patch of sheltered darkness.

  “Where are the others?” Silas asked.

  “I don’t know,” Vito said, his face creased with worry. “The shots, we just ran...”

  “Fuck,” Silas spat.

  Brett must have herded the others down the stairs.

  They were separated.

  “Should we backtrack?” Vito asked.

  “No.” Silas grimaced. “Our goal is to get out. Paxton will make sure they do the same thing.”

  Ekko wouldn’t thank him if he got Chayan killed trying to save her. It might kill him to leave her here, but he knew the real way to save her was to stop this at the source. And that meant heading to the UN now.

  20.

  Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.

  The darkness felt as if it were swallowing her.

  Ekko clung to the back of Paxton’s shirt like he’d directed. She couldn’t shake the sensation that there were hands out there reaching for her. That Igney or one of the others were biding their time and waiting for the chance to kill her.

  Where was Silas? What about Chayan and the others?

  They’d been separated before she realized what was going on.

  Behind them a burst of gunfire spurred her on, shattering the silence.

  She knew it was Brett. Was he trading gunfire with someone? Those shots all sounded the same to her. She hoped he was safe. He was only one man and they had no idea how many were behind them.

  “Stay close.” Paxton reached back and pressed her hand to his back.

  Her head pounded with each and every step. It hurt so bad, but she didn’t want to say anything. Her pain was minimal compared to what could happen.

  “Will you cut that out?” Paxton yelled behind them.

  He side stepped and sort of skipped through a narrow gap between stacks of supplies and into a large room beyond.

  Paxton turned. The moment Brett was through he grabbed the smaller man and shoved him against the wall.

  “Calm the fuck down,” Paxton said in a frigid voice that made Ekko shiver. “I will take that gun from you. Now stop firing at nothing. We have to get out of here.”

  “They are right behind us,” Brett whispered.

  Paxton cocked his head and listened. “They lost our trail. You keep shooting and telling them where we are.”

  Brett sputtered but Paxton cut him off. “Ekko, are you okay?”

  “Y-yes,” she stammered.

  “Good.” Paxton’s gaze stayed on the door at their back. “We need a new plan. Silas will try to get out of here. That’s what he should do. Their group is larger. I’m willing to bet more of these guys are following them. Let’s go upstairs, cross to the other side of the building and descend on that side.”

  “But—”

  “Shut up, Brett.” Paxton put his hand on her back and nudged her to start moving. “Stay close to me. Still have that baton?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. You’re doing great.”

  “Is Silas okay?” she whispered.

  “He’s too stubborn to die.”

  That wasn’t exactly comforting, but she decided to take the statement at face value. Paxton had been through more things with Silas than anyone else. If Paxton said Silas was fine, she was going to believe him. It made a small part of her feel better to believe that.

  They crept out through a not yet completed wall into a barebones hallway. Support beams were exposed and frames for walls divided up the space. The only light they had came through windows, some of which had no glass.

  “Hide.” Paxton shoved her sideways as a shadow stretched toward them.

  She caught sight of a man stepping
into the hall before she was flattened to the ground behind some overflowing trashcans.

  They huddled there on the ground for several long moments. Listening. Waiting.

  Please be safe, Silas. Please.

  Ekko kept her eyes open though she wanted to squeeze them shut and pretend for a moment she was home and all of this some crazy nightmare.

  Paxton leaned against her and pressed his mouth to her ear. Ever so softly he whispered, “Need to move.”

  She nodded and gathered herself, rising slightly onto hands and knees, but waited on him to direct her.

  Paxton pushed into a crouch, keeping a hand on her shoulder. He applied the slightest pressure, keeping her down. She turned her head and watched him peer up over the pile of garbage.

  Suddenly a light turned on, aimed straight at Paxton’s face.

  He threw himself back, hitting the ground.

  “Go!” he roared.

  She scrambled to her feet, but stayed bent nearly double, and ran sideways as guns fired. Ekko screamed and threw herself into an interior room, away from the windows and lights.

  Her will to live gave her speed and clarity.

  The stairs.

  They were this way, weren’t they?

  She kept running, Paxton’s order spurring her on.

  The stairs had to be close.

  She slowed her stride, keeping low, peering all around her as she reached the opposite hall. Every shadow was potentially dangerous. She didn’t know what they hid.

  Where were the stairs?

  She flinched as another round of gunfire shattered the silence, only it was across the building, back in the other direction.

  That was when she realized she was alone. The others hadn’t followed her.

  She hadn’t been truly alone since the park. Even when Silas had left her in the apartment in London she’d known there were digital eyes watching over her. But now it was just her. There was no one looking out for her.

  For a moment she froze, panic clawing up her throat.

  Ekko pressed her back to a wall, willing the shadows to wrap her up and hide her. She squeezed her eyes shut and embraced the fear.

  This was scary. She didn’t have the means to deal with this situation. Nothing in her life had prepared her for this. But here she was.

  She blew out the breath and willed her heart to slow and her nerves to calm.