No wonder they would do these practice enactments another twenty times, or more. Performing room clearing and sweeps and trying to take a criminal into custody would take time to become second nature, if ever.
“Do you know where the criminal has taken the hostage?” she asked the employees
“He hauled Clara, the VP, into the president’s office which is over there,” one of the two men said, pointing across the room beyond the desks and filing cabinets.
“Do you know if Clara is hurt?”
“We don’t know,” said one of the women, who wiped at her face. “But Bill got hurt when the guy threw him into the copy machine. Susan is with him. They’re over there.”
Chloe bit her lip, annoyed at herself. “We should have known that already,” she muttered. “Lindsey and Jenna, go find them and report back. Move carefully.”
Her team should have continued to sweep the large, open office space.
The double doors to the bank presidents were half-closed. A sudden scream sounded, as though the bank robbery had hit the vice-president to keep her in submission.
Jenna’s voice came through the earpiece. “Need an ambulance on the second floor. Injuries to one of the employees, a man named Bill. Not life-threatening, but possible concussion and broken arm. But he’s coherent and able to walk.”
Moments later, the third-floor team entered, guns drawn and scanning the room.
The next half an hour was spent trying to coax the criminal into letting the hostage go. She was now hurt and openly wailing as he dragged her around the room.
Then he began threatening to throw the woman out the window if his demands weren’t met. He wanted cash and a free escape.
“That ain’t happening,” Chloe heard Jenna growl.
Finally, two of the NATs went back to the street and got on a loudspeaker to talk to the suspect.
The sound of shattering glass came next, and they could hear the guy yelling his demands and threats over and over again.
“While he’s distracted by the team on the street, shall we try to take him down?” Chloe whispered into her mouthpiece. Various scenarios ran through her mind of how to do it safely. But there was no guarantee any method was foolproof or safe.
“Probably the best time to do it,” Lindsey said. “He sounds on the verge of a breakdown. He’s lost control.”
“He’s no longer paying much attention to us here in the outer office,” Jenna agreed.
The three of them moved toward the double doors and, without making a sound, swung the door a bit wider to take in the scene, and then quickly taking cover behind a filing cabinet.
The beautifully appointed office of the bank president was a disaster. The desk had been overturned where it was obvious the gunman had been holding the VP hostage and firing his weapon from the upper windows.
Two windows were smashed and broken glass lay everywhere.
Clara, the hostage, suddenly saw the team of agents in their black-leather clothes and helmets and rifles breaching the room, taking up positions to move in on the gunman.
She gasped in surprise and relief, crying out to them before Chloe could signal for her silence so as not to alert the criminal, but it was too late.
The gunman whirled, unloading his weapon and splattering red all over the walls and the desks. The boom of the gun was deafening as he aimed for Chloe’s team.
It made her blood run cold to see a crazy man aiming his gun straight for her, but the second Clara cried out, Chloe and her team slid under the overturned furniture to avoid a direct hit from the spraying bullets.
“You’re clear to give return fire when fired upon,” Agent Wells said in an even voice in Chloe’s ear.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Chloe said. “If we stay here much longer with bullets spraying all over the place, we’re all dead.”
Sucking in a gulp of air, Chloe stuck the end of her rifle through an opening between a plush office chair that had been thrown upside down and a broken end table. She had a clear shot to the gunman, and immediately pulled the trigger three times.
Instantly, the gunman jerked backward, red stains spreading like wildfire across his body.
He staggered backward from the impact of the bullets, toward the open window, but didn’t make it more than two steps before falling with a heavy thud to the floor.
Dead silence reigned.
Chloe couldn’t breathe for a moment.
“Ah,” she whispered in a ragged voice. “I—I killed him.” She was relieved that Clara hadn’t been tossed twenty feet down to the sidewalk and that none of her team was hurt, but she was completely shocked that she had pulled the trigger without a moment’s hesitation. “What did I just do?”
“Chloe,” Liam’s steady voice came into her ear. “Listen to me. Your instincts were dead on. You did a double tap on him. Two to the chest, one to the head. It was either him or your team. Two more seconds, and he might have gotten you or Jenna—or both.”
“I can’t breathe,” Chloe choked out. Her heart sprinted inside her rib cage like a runaway train. “My chest hurts. I think I’m having a heart attack.”
“Normal reaction, Agent. You did good. You did more than good. I’m impressed.”
“I—I’m not sure.”
“We’ll talk, and I’ll help you decompress, okay?” he said soothingly. “Your first hit is the worst, and thankfully these situations don’t happen very often. Are you on your feet yet?”
In an instant, Jenna was at her side, pulling Chloe to her feet. They stared at each other without speaking and then crunched through broken glass to lift Clara up from the midst of the destroyed office space.
Lindsey put an arm around the crying woman and escorted her downstairs, away from the bloody scene.
Chapter 9
A strange numbness took over Chloe’s body when she stood over the dead gunman, staring down at what she had done.
Two shots in his chest, the third directly at his forehead. Her aim had been perfect. Hours at the gun range had certainly helped her accuracy over the last month.
The scruffy guy wasn’t moving. That was the thing that freaked her out the most.
“Okay, either you’re dead or you are a really, really good actor,” she said, trying to get past the roaring sound in her ears. “Put me out of my misery and twitch a finger or something. Even a paint gun leaves bruises.”
Liam walked toward her after doing a quick check of the room. Agent Wells and Fedorko were talking with the rest of the group and inspecting the crime scene for analyzing later in class.
Liam stared down at the man, too. “Nothing. Not a blink or a single movement.”
“Maybe I really killed him,” Chloe said, tempted to kick the guy’s leg with the toe of her boot.
He was scary looking with wild, matted hair, tattoos all over his face, and bullet slugs in his ears. With red blood all over him and puddling underneath, it was hard not to believe he had actually been killed.
“Nope, he’s okay,” Liam murmured. “But he’s really good, huh? The guy isn’t moving at all.”
“Liam, maybe I’ve actually hurt him, and he needs CPR. I mean Agent Esposito,” she added quickly, glancing around to see if anyone had heard her etiquette breach.
The dead gunman lying flat on the floor in a pile of glass suddenly lifted his lips into a crooked smile. He cocked one eye open and then twitched a finger at her. Wise guy.
“You’re not supposed to still be here,” he said, giving Chloe a wink. “I’m waiting for my body bag.”
Growling under her breath, Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and strode toward the corner of the room for a moment before marching back to the ‘dead’ man.
“It was a little too real, okay?” she said. “But why aren’t you writhing in pain from the paint balls? I’ve been hit by my older brother before, and I was screaming bloody murder for a good five minutes, it hurt so bad. Course, he was close range when he pulled the trigger on me, but sti
ll. I was only a dozen feet away from you.”
The actor sat up and opened up his shirt. “I’m wearing a bullet-proof vest, so I don’t yelp from the hit. Helps to keep it real in Hogan’s Alley.”
Chloe shook her head at him, trying not to laugh at his expression, but also wanting to cry a little bit. Her legs were trembling from the hour of adrenaline coursing through her limbs. “I should have guessed.”
Liam’s eyes were on her face. Chloe wished she could melt in his arms and let him stroke her hair to comfort her, but that was only because she was fanatically attracted to him. She stepped away, wavering on her feet.
“It’s going to take time to process,” he said in a low voice. “Hogan’s Alley aims to make things as real as possible to train our NATs and SWAT teams well. But your first ‘kill’ does mess with your head. I hope you never have to experience it in a real scenario.”
Chloe nodded, trying to get a grip on herself. She felt so strange. “I know I have to shake it off, but wow, I never expected this kind of reaction. My legs feel like jelly. Worse than being in a movie.”
“No cameras or directors to let you know that it’s just a scene, right?” Liam said soothingly. “Let’s head back. You need a meal and a hot shower, Agent Romano. Get some sleep and tomorrow we’ll have an in-depth discussion about all of the scenarios that just played out in Hogan’s Alley this afternoon.”
A good dinner and a long, hot shower was perfect, but Chloe couldn’t seem to settle down to any studying or reading afterward.
While Jenna was on the phone with Frank, she finally got up and headed outside for a walk. She was restless after the events at Hogan’s Alley and maybe a brisk walk to clear her head would do her good.
The early spring evenings were beginning to lengthen, but it was still a little cool She slipped her arms through the sweater she’d brought, rubbing at her arms.
It was a beautiful night, the early stars beginning to pop in the deepening blue color of the sky. Chloe pulled at the elastic of her ponytail and shook out her hair, walking briskly to let off steam.
Taking deep breaths, she strolled out of a copse of trees and realized that she had reached one of the ponds situated around the Marine Base where Quantico was located. The last rays of setting sun sparkled red and gold off the calm surface of the water. Two ducks flew overhead. Like a silent apparition of peace and beauty.
This was exactly what she needed. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she took a few steps closer to the edge of the pond, staring into its deep, dark depths.
A moment later, she sensed sudden movement behind her and whirled, instantly going into an attack stance—her fists balled and up.
“Wha-at?” she spluttered when she saw who it was. “Where did you come from?”
It was Liam standing a few feet away from her as if he’d materialized out of thin air. He gazed at Chloe, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. The deep forest green pullover sweater he was wearing outlined his biceps and broad shoulders, fitting him absolutely perfectly.
Wow, the man took her breath away, and all of Chloe’s nerves went on high alert, sending waves of heat through every one of her fingers and toes. Her heart was in her throat, not in dread or fear, but only in the fierce longing she felt for Agent Liam Esposito.
Involuntarily, Chloe’s foot took a small step forward, but good sense took over just in time. She couldn’t have this man. He wasn’t hers for the taking.
“Hey,” he said, a soft smile on his face as he watched her, moving slowly closer.
“Hey,” Chloe whispered in return.
Before she knew it, Liam Esposito was standing in front of her, his flat chest a stunning creation. If only she had the nerve to reach out and touch him, but before she could draw her next breath, Liam was enfolding her against that magnificent chest, his arms pulling her close with a warmth that made her legs wobble.
One of his strong, warm hands went into her tangled, windswept curls, and he placed his palm against the back of her head, holding her closer still as his breath tickled her ear.
Chloe breathed him in, every single nerve in her body on fire while Liam murmured, “I’ve been wanting to do this ever since you wouldn’t let go of my suitcase at the airport.”
“Do what?” Chloe whispered hoarsely.
“Put your arms around me, Agent Romano,” he ordered gruffly.
Chloe obeyed, slipping her arms around his waist, making their embrace even tighter. While his hand cradled her head, Liam gently ran his fingers through her hair, bending his face to her neck to breathe her in with a long, deep sigh.
“How are you doing after today?” he asked, his voice low and deep.
She shrugged, hardly able to catch her breath at his closeness. “Better now,” she added with a small laugh. It was true. Liam’s presence melted all the fear and stress from Hogan’s Alley away. It was his voice that had immediately come on the headset after she shot the gunman in the bank. His words that kept her emotions together.
He pulled back slightly, gazing deeply into her face. “You are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen, Chloe. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“You must have read my mind,” she whispered. “Or maybe your suitcase actually was mine, and you bewitched it to put a spell on me.”
“The spell is all you, gorgeous woman.”
“I wasn’t sure you even liked me. You never even asked me for my number.”
“That’s because I knew who you were already.”
“What?” Chloe reared back to look him square in the eye. “How?”
“I’m one of the FBI recruiters. I saw every application, and everyone’s bio pictures. I recognized you on the plane with Jenna Fielding, your roommate.”
“I should have guessed. You look like an FBI agent.”
Liam laughed at that. “When you were offered the NAT position, I hoped you’d accept. Of course, all the recruiters hope the applicants will accept the offer when it comes, I just never expected to have a tug of war over the luggage carousel with the woman I hoped to meet up close and personal.”
Chloe sucked in a breath at his words. “I’m confused. Did you go to Charleston on purpose then? Because Jenna and I were there?”
“No, that was strictly coincidence. I was there to visit with the governor of South Carolina.”
Her jaw dropped. “You were at the governor’s mansion? With my dad? What about?”
“If I told you that, I’d have to kill you.”
“Ah, I get it now. Those silly, cryptic words. I thought you were just being coy.”
He grinned at her. “It actually was FBI business. We were discussing some known felons that made it out of Florida and were working their way north. We wanted to let Governor Romano know we had a couple of extra agents in the city helping the local bureau with some interrogations and arrests. Nothing to do with you.”
“So, what are you doing tonight, pulling me into your arms?” Chloe asked flippantly, mesmerized by the muscles in his jaw as he talked to her under the starlight. “Solely to make me crazy and doubt my sanity? Isn’t this strictly forbidden?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “You mean fraternizing with a NAT?”
“Is that what you think of me—a NAT? Like a swarm of bugs around a streetlight pestering everyone who walks by.”
“It’s early spring, not too many gnats out here yet,” Liam said, his lips twitching. “I was sitting in my office and saw you walk by through the window. I—um—took the opportunity, shall we say?”
“What made you so sure I wouldn’t slap you across the face when you ran your hands through my hair?”
“Lucky guess. And vibes.” Liam let out a low whistle. “Holy cow, the vibes. Please tell me I’m not insane, Chloe. Tell me that you feel them, too.”
“In spades,” she whispered. “All this time I thought I was the crazy one.”
He ran a finger along the length of her jaw. “Hey, I’m trained to keep my face as impassive as possibl
e. Come on, there’s a nice place to sit over here.”
Liam tugged at Chloe’s hand, leading her to a weeping willow with branches that nearly touched the ground. Soft, thick grass surrounded it, as if the gardeners had forgotten to mow after the spring rains.
“It’s not wet,” Liam told her, pulling her down to sit next to him on the lawn. “But I should have brought a blanket.”
“Following me must have been a spur of the moment decision.”
“You caught me,” he said, laughing. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you. Alone. Too many people are always hovering, and watching.”
“I completely agree.”
With a soft laugh, Liam brought Chloe closer, his hands spanning her waist. She nestled against his chest, and the touch of his warm hands on her bare arms was electrifying. She held her breath, the sky overhead changing colors as the last of the setting sun disappeared. Within minutes, stars lit up the darkness as if a switch had been flipped.
“It’s a gorgeous night,” Liam said softly, leaning back against the grass and pulling Chloe down with him. Her cheek pressed against his soft sweater, and she figured she had just died and gone to heaven.
“Do you know your constellations?” she asked a moment later, poking a finger into his solid chest. “Huh? Did you pay attention in science class?”
“I didn’t have to. When I was a kid, my dad built a telescope, and we took it out on summer nights or during an eclipse. I had posters all over my walls of the constellations. Plus, airplanes: F-16s, World War II bombers. I used to read books about them by the hour. If I hadn’t joined the FBI, I was contemplating pilot school.”
“You could have gotten free flights forever more.”
“And probably made a higher salary, too,” he added. “But detective work is pretty addicting.”
Chloe gazed at his profile, watching his throat move as he spoke. “Oh, there’s Orion’s Belt,” she said suddenly, sitting up.
“Hey, you can look at it down here,” Liam said, pulling her back down.
She placed a palm against his chest while his own hand smoothed along the skin of her arm in a soothing gesture.
The FBI Bride: An Undercover Bridesmaid Romance Page 7
