Strike Force

by Mary Alford

  “Yes, and from what Emerson’s been telling us, Collins has done heinous things,” Abby said. “He has to be stopped. If he’s in charge of Legion, then God help us all.”

  ◆◆◆

  The hours had drug by filled with nothing but struggles as far as Kaiden was concerned. But he and the rest of the team had received some good news—the director would survive the gunshot wound to his chest.

  The extra security measures James put into place confirmed no one had attempted to break into the compound so far. Kaiden sure hoped that remained the case.

  And a short time earlier, Emerson had reached out to Collins. They’d scheduled a location to meet where Collins would bring Emerson in. The contact was taking place now and the team was privy to the meeting, thanks to Abby and Brookes.

  “We have eyes on Emerson. There’s no sign of the car yet.” Abby’s voice came through the line as clear as if she were sitting next to him.

  So far, everything appeared to be going according to plan, but Kaiden couldn’t stop fidgeting in his seat. He couldn’t relax until he knew Emerson was in.

  Collins was sending a car to take Emerson to a location where he’d wait for him. Emerson had told Collins he’d hidden in the woods some distance from where Kaiden and Sidney were ambushed.

  Emerson would be using the button video camera clipped onto his jacket in the event that Collins confiscated his phone. It would enable them to both hear and see what Emerson did as well as allow them to record everything. James had circumvented the tracking device on Emerson’s arm to allow them to keep tabs on him as well.

  “An SUV’s approaching.” Abby’s voice sounded tense. “It’s stopped. Emerson’s heading for the vehicle now.”

  “Can you see how many men are in it?” Kaiden asked.

  “Hold on.” Time inched by until Abby came back on the phone. “I see four men altogether. I’m switching to video so you can see what’s happening.”

  The blank screen above them came to life, and they could see what Abby did through night-vision binoculars.

  The driver exited the vehicle and greeted Emerson. “Sounds like you’ve had a busy couple of days.”

  “Can you identify him?” Kaiden asked, then realized Garrett had already started working on it.

  “Got him . . . whoa,” Garrett said. ”That’s Harrison Young. He’s one of the CIA agents who’s supposed to be dead.”

  Kaiden kept his attention on the screen above.

  Emerson’s laugh seemed forced. “You could say that.”

  “Well, come on. He’s waiting for you and a lot has happened. We’ve got work to do before the meeting.”

  Kaiden shot a look Sidney’s way. Would Young reveal more information about the meet?

  “It appears Emerson’s cover is intact, at least with Young,” Abby said in a low voice.

  “Any ID on the rest of the men?” Kaiden asked Garrett.

  “Nothing. There not part of Collins’s former CIA team and we don’t have any record of them, but I’ll keep trying.”

  “Emerson’s inside the car,” Abby said. “James can you switch to his video?”

  “Doing it now,” James said. The screen changed. The SUV’s interior was dark, the only light coming from the dashboard. All Kaiden could see were the backs of two men’s heads.

  “Has there been any news from Collins about the people who attacked us?” Emerson asked and Kaiden froze. Emerson was rushing things.

  Young jerked his head toward Emerson, an angry glare visible on his face. “You can ask him when you see him,” Young snapped and returned to his driving.

  Emerson kept his mouth shut for a while, then, “Where are we meeting?”

  “We’re almost there,” another man muttered.

  “Why are you so curious?” Young shot Emerson another scathing look.

  “No reason. Just ready to get back in the battle.”

  Silence permeated the vehicle. The only sound was Emerson’s uneven breathing. If he didn’t relax soon, Collins would figure out something was off.

  “He’s too nervous,” Sidney whispered. “Abby, are you sure he’s up to this?”

  “He is,” Abby assured them. “He’ll settle down.”

  The vehicle continued through the darkness for another half hour. Then the driver exited onto what appeared to be a gravel road. After driving some distance, the SUV rolled to a stop.

  “Where are we?” Emerson asked in a less-than-steady tone.

  No one answered. The men got out. After a second more, Emerson followed. “Is Collins on that plane?” Emerson was trying to give them as much information as possible, but if he didn’t pull back a little, he’d blow his cover.

  “Wait here,” Young barked at Emerson before he moved closer to the plane.

  The video showed only a small space in front of Emerson. Steps led up to the door of the plane. A man stood in the doorway. A moment later he descended the steps and shook Young’s hand.

  Kaiden could barely hear the conversation between them. “Yeah, we got him. He’s shook up but otherwise okay.”

  The second man nodded before starting toward Emerson who took a couple of steps back, his heavy breathing evidenced through the video camera.

  “That’s Martin Collins,” Kaiden said when the man’s image became clear in the darkness.

  Emerson was virtually face-to-face with the true leader of Legion. Collins stared at Emerson for the longest time. Then a smile spread across his face, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  “Good to see you in one piece. I thought they had you. I was certain we’d seen the last of you, Nolan.”

  Emerson responded with an uneasy laugh. “Yes, it was close. Unfortunately, the other guy didn’t make it.”

  Collins shrugged. “He was expendable.” He motioned to someone near Emerson.

  The man stepped in front of Emerson and began patting him down.

  Kaiden leaned forward. Would they discover the video camera?

  The man pulled out Emerson’s phone and tossed it to Collins while he continued. After another tense-filled moment, the man turned to Collins. “He’s clean.”

  Collins took the phone apart and removed the battery, then he handed it to the second man. “Get rid of it,” he said without breaking eye contact with Emerson. “You understand we have to be cautious. There’s been some disturbing developments recently. We can’t afford to let our guard down for a second.”

  “What developments?” Emerson asked, his tone wobbly.

  “We’ll discuss it later. For now, we’re waiting for someone.”

  The news was disturbing. Someone else was coming? Evans? Hassanzai?

  “Relax, Nolan. You’re making me nervous,” Collins said, his laugh disturbing.

  “Sorry, I’m just ready to get out of here.” Emerson fidgeted with his hands while Collins continued to study him as if he were trying to decide what to do with him.

  “I don’t like it,” Sidney told him. “Abby, are you and Brookes close?”

  “We just arrived at the scene. There’s another vehicle approaching.”

  An uncomfortable silence filled the space between the two men while Emerson whistled under his breath. Soon, Emerson’s mic picked up the approaching vehicle. He turned toward the sound. Blinding headlights showed on the screen

  “That must be him,” the man who patted Emerson down said.

  “Go check it out,” Collins ordered. Emerson whipped toward his former commander in time for the screen to show the scowl on Collins’s face.

  Voices could be heard exchanging words and then the man returned. He stepped out of the way to let someone pass.

  The man who moved to greet Collins had Kaiden sitting forward in his seat while wondering if he could trust his own eyes.

  “I can’t believe it,” he said in total disbelief. “The vice president of the United States is part of Legion.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “How deep does the conspiracy go?” Sidney asked the question to t
he shocked room. So far, the evil had reached up to the vice president’s office.

  On the screen, Collins and the vice president shook hands.

  “It’s good to see you again, Martin.” Vice President Kincaid greeted the man who’d just tried to kill them as well as the director of the CIA.

  “You, too,” Collins responded. “I’m glad the plan worked and you were able to thwart the rest of the secret service agents assigned to you.”

  Kincaid smiled and turned to a man who came with him. “I couldn’t have done it without Agent Hamilton running interference for me.”

  The secret service agent appeared pleased with the compliment. “I’d do anything for you and the cause,” he told Kincaid.

  “How’d you manage to get away from the White House for so many days?” Collins asked.

  “I told my press secretary I’m recovering from a nasty bout with the flu. She’s to convey I will be resting at my ranch outside of Amarillo.”

  A cold shiver sped down Kaiden’s spine. He’d forgotten Kincaid was born in Texas.

  Sidney spun to James. “Check the ranch they’re on. There has to be a connection with Kincaid.”

  While James went to work deciphering the correlation, Kincaid and Collins moved away from the others and they lost audio.

  “Abby, can you pick up what they’re saying?” Sidney asked.

  “I think so. I’m switching you to my night-vision video. Hang on a second.” Time passed and then they could hear again.

  “With what is about to take place, I’m suggesting we move the meeting to a safe location right here on the ranch. It will be closer to them.” Kincaid paused for a moment. “We need to take care of our problem, Martin. He’s holding us back.”

  Collins didn’t appear surprised by the request. “I was hoping you’d say that. I agree. It’s our time to take control.”

  Sidney couldn’t take her eyes off the screen. “Who’s he talking about? He can’t be discussing Emerson. He’s standing right there.”

  “I’m pretty sure he means someone else,” Kaiden said. “Someone with more power. The only question is who?”

  “When the time comes, you’ll be able to handle the president?” Collins asked.

  “Oh course. A plan is in place to take care of him as we speak. I may need your help in making it happen, but when the time comes, I will assume control and no one will be the wiser.”

  Even though she’d heard the words for herself, Sidney didn’t believe them. Collins and Vice President Kincaid were discussing a plot to kill the president and overthrow the government.

  “Did I really hear him correctly?” James said.

  Sidney scanned the room. Everyone there was as shocked as she was by the depth of the conspiracy. “It’s much worse than we believed. I sure hope Emerson can ingratiate himself with Collins and get into that meeting. We need to know what they’re planning.”

  “Uh oh. Several of Collins’s people are coming this way,” Abby whispered. “We need to fall back.”

  The video became jumbled as Abby and Brookes retreated to a safer location, the sound of their hurried steps and labored breathing the only sounds.

  The scene blurred before the video picked up several men moving around the property some distance away. Sidney watched as the men stared straight at the camera before turning and leaving.

  “That was close,” Abby whispered. “But I think we’ve lost audio of what’s being discussed, and Emerson’s too far away to pick it up. Brookes and I will continue to monitor what’s happening here. If anything changes, we’ll be in touch.”

  “Okay. Stay safe, the both of you,” Sidney told them and the connection ended.

  Best case scenario, they’d be able to pick up Emerson’s video and learn more about what was happening. Worst case, Emerson was the person Kincaid talked about eliminating.

  Sidney prayed for the man’s safety. She believed he’d been forced into the acts of terror he’d performed. Under the circumstances, she couldn’t imagine what she would do. She’d been forced into hiding for two years just to stay alive.

  Now, she felt so helpless. She and Kaiden were a huge part of this fight, and they were effectively taken out of the battle because of their past. Sidney sat back in her chair, her thoughts reeling. “So, we have the vice president of the United States, the deputy director of the CIA, a former CIA spy and his team who faked their deaths. The principal deputy to the secretary of defense, an Afghani royal family descendent with a whole lot of reach, and the deputy director of the NSA. Who knows how many others are involved in this plot.” The list of names they’d uncovered so far was terrifying.

  “That’s a lot of powerful men,” Kaiden said with a sigh. “What are they up to?”

  She shifted to face him. “Whatever it is, it has all the makings of something world-changing.” Sidney ran a hand through her hair. She’d never felt more frustrated or helpless before.

  “It will be a while before we know anything more. Let’s get some air,” Kaiden said gently. No doubt seeing her distress.

  She welcomed the distraction. Her stomach was coiled into a knot, her nerves strung tight. The fresh mountain air was exactly what she needed. Sidney rose and grabbed her jacket. Together they left the house.

  Thousands of stars filled the night sky. A quarter moon hung low over the mountains glistening the snow below.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked, still worried about him.

  “Not bad for almost being blown up,” he told her with a chuckle. Just like Kaiden to make light of his injuries.

  “Don’t joke, Kaiden. You almost died.” She drew him close. “If I’d lost you—” She couldn’t finish.

  He enveloped her in his arms and held her tightly. “But you didn’t, and I’m going to be okay.”

  Still, she didn’t let him go. They stood holding each other for the longest time and she just gazed into his eyes and clung to him.

  Kaiden scraped back tendrils of hair from her face and kissed her. The world around them had gone crazy, their lives were on the line, but he was her safe haven.

  In the distance, a wolf pack howled. She entwined her fingers with his and they started walking again.

  In many ways, this place reminded her of her former home in Anana Harbor, Alaska. She missed the time she’d spent there. Life had been so much simpler back then, even though she was constantly looking over her shoulder.

  They walked to the edge of the property. The light of the airstrip flashing across the countryside was a beacon welcoming them home.

  “What are you thinking about?” Kaiden asked, and slipped his arm around her shoulders.

  “Believe it or not, I was thinking about Alaska.” She saw his eyebrows lift and laughed. “I never thought I’d long for the days when I was a wanted fugitive.” At this she frowned. “Now that Evans knows we’re alive, you’ll be branded a traitor along with me. And probably Ben as well.” Sidney stopped walking and faced him. She could handle her name being sullied, but Kaiden didn’t deserve what he was going through. “It’s not fair to you what happened.”

  Kaiden tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His touch warmed her troubled heart. “I can deal with whatever they throw my way as long as I have you. I don’t want to lose you again, Sidney. I can’t.”

  She felt the same way and pulled him close once more. “I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. She’d give anything if they could be like any other normal couple in the world. No danger facing them, just a man and a woman in love.

  “We should get back,” he said with regret in his tone. “I want to see if Hernandez is awake yet. I’d like to hear what happened between him and Collins.”

  She reluctantly let him go. “Me, too. I’m so ready for all of this to be over,” she said and meant it.

  Taking his hand, they headed back toward the house when a noise of rustling in the woods beyond the fence caught her attention.

&n
bsp; “What was that?” she asked, peering into the darkness.

  “Probably an animal.” Kaiden took out his flashlight and shined the light into the treed landscape. Nothing moved. Still, the hairs on her arms stood erect. She couldn’t dismiss the sound. “Let’s get back to the compound.” Kaiden sounded strained. “We’ll have James pull up the footage of the area. I’m sure it was a deer or maybe an elk.” Yet his tone seemed to confirm he had doubts, setting her nerves on edge.

  “Yeah, let’s go.” She glanced behind them once more before they headed toward the house.

  Once inside, they went straight for the command center.

  James glanced up when they neared. He must have caught something on Sidney’s face because he leapt to his feet. “What’s wrong?” he asked frowning.

  “We’re not sure. Maybe nothing. Can you pull up the footage from the north side? Kaiden and I heard something near the fence.”

  “Sure thing.” James returned to his seat and typed the command into the computer. On the screen the last fifteen minutes of video feed appeared.

  Sidney studied it. “There,” she said and pointed to movement among the trees. “Can you zoom in?”

  James homed in on the area. “I don’t see anything,” he said.

  “Can you have the camera hone in on the ground?” Sidney asked on impulse.

  “Sure.” James keyed in the command. Though they wouldn’t be able to see whatever was there on the screen, with the recent snowfall, footprints should be visible, Sidney thought.

  James zoomed the camera in as much as possible. What they saw confirmed Sidney’s worst fears. Whatever had been out there watching them wasn’t an animal. Those were human footprints and more than one set of them.

  James replayed the video recorded minutes earlier. Half a dozen men in camo—their faces concealed with ski masks—moved near the fence. Using night-vision binoculars, they surveyed the compound. Some took photos.

  Someone had been close enough to the compound to see what they were doing. There was no doubt in Sidney’s mind. It was Legion.

  ◆◆◆