In the Shadows (Metahuman Files Book 3)

by Hailey Turner

  Leaving the knife in the body, Alexei yanked up one pant leg and ripped free the ceramic throwing knife he had hidden in his boot. With a hard snap of his arm and wrist, he sent it streaking through the air at Antonovich’s pet assassin. The tattooed man dodged the knife, but it didn’t matter.

  “Trevor!” Alexei barked as he rose from his crouch in a smooth motion, carrying the discarded assault rifle with him. He braced it against his shoulder and fit his hand to its grip and trigger without much conscious thought.

  “Clear!” Trevor yelled back.

  Alexei pulled the trigger on the gun, the mechanism moving smoothly now that Trevor’s telekinesis no longer blocked its way. The person who used to carry it had it set for fully automatic and Alexei didn’t bother to switch out of that mode.

  He braced for the recoil as numerous bullets cut through the assassin’s body, ripping large bloody holes through unprotected flesh. What few bullets didn’t hit their target shattered the plas-glass window behind the desk. He heard Antonovich yelp as the waterfall of shards fell on top of where he was hiding like a coward behind his desk.

  Alexei looked over at Madison to check her six in time to see her execute a perfect roundhouse kick into a guard’s face, sending him careening into the display case behind him. She landed lightly on both feet, knees bending a little to take the impact, before picking up two assault rifles from the floor. Madison took the magazine out of one before bracing the other against her shoulder. Just for good measure, she shot the guy she’d been fighting in the chest.

  Madison looked up and caught Alexei’s eye, giving him a sharp nod. “We should move.”

  “Trevor, take point,” Alexei ordered, turning his attention back to Sean.

  The agent had corralled the Wolcotts into the nearest corner, keeping them clear of the fight. He held the assault rifle in his hands but didn’t have it properly braced. Alexei knew for a fact the MDF trained all its agents on various kinds of weapons and that Sean could handle that type of long gun just fine.

  “Is yours,” Alexei said as he approached, gesturing at the weapon.

  “I’m seeing double. Probably not a good idea for me to be shooting at anyone right now. Don’t want to hit our people with friendly fire,” Sean told him.

  Alexei swore in Russian before taking the rifle from him. He ejected the magazine and tucked it into his back pocket for later use before dropping the rifle to the ground. “Stay between us when we move out. Follow orders.”

  Alexei didn’t think he needed to tell Sean not to use his power while they fought their way out of this mess.

  “I know.” Sean turned his body rather than just his head to look at the Wolcotts, a clear sign he was in pain. “Adrian? This is Alexei Dvorkin, the company’s COO. He’s going to get us out of here.”

  “Not time for small talk,” Alexei growled.

  “He’s also easily annoyed,” Sean continued, acting like he couldn’t hear a word Alexei said.

  Adrian Wolcott looked more angry than scared, which told Alexei the man probably wasn’t as on the up and up his public persona portrayed. Most people wouldn’t react with anger in the middle of a brutal fight like this; they’d be scared shitless, like his wife.

  “Your COO doesn’t seem to be a fan of negotiating,” Adrian said tightly as he held his wife closely against him. “That’s not a good business trait.”

  “Am ex-Marine,” Alexei snapped. “Only negotiating I do is with gun. Now shut up. Need to move.”

  “I have the door,” Trevor said.

  Alexei looked over at where Madison and Trevor had taken position on either side of the door. As the only exit out of the office other than the window, they had no choice but to go through it. The only problem was the hallway beyond was a bottleneck. Alexei would bet his entire goddamn paycheck, hazard pay included, that more of Antonovich’s men were waiting for them outside the door, ready to shoot at the first sign of movement.

  “Stay behind me. When clear, you move,” Alexei told his charges.

  Sean had training in a situation like this. Maybe not to the degree that Alpha Team did, but he would make sure the Wolcotts followed directions. Sean would do his job, even while dealing with a probable concussion.

  Madison got the go signal from Alexei and palmed open the office door while staying out of view. The second it slid open, a hail of bullets ripped through the office. Trevor kept everyone shielded from being hit, but Alexei heard Antonovich scream from farther in the office, the kind of scream anyone’s hindbrain would recognize as the panicked agony of the dying. A tiny flicker of satisfaction uncurled in Alexei’s gut. Considering the firestorm of bullets, he doubted Antonovich would live for much longer.

  Asshole got what he deserved.

  The shooting stopped. In one smooth motion, Trevor and Madison twisted into position, protected by Trevor’s telekinetic shield from the enemy. The same couldn’t be said of their targets as they opened fire.

  “Clear,” Madison said seconds later, never taking her eyes off the hallway.

  Alexei smiled viciously as he heard the faint, distinctive click of his comms turning on. Katie’s voice was like a cool drink of water after going too long without.

  “We’re in,” Katie announced over their encrypted comms. “I have you in sight. That’s quite a bit of carnage you’ve delivered. I see you’ve been busy.”

  “Get us way out,” Alexei said.

  “Annabelle is holding the front with some of the Wolcotts’ misplaced personal security people. Cut through the house. I’ll guide you.”

  Madison and Trevor took point. Alexei waved at Sean and the Wolcotts to follow after them. Alexei took up the rear, discreetly forming a ball of fire in the palm of his hand before tossing it into the office once the Wolcotts weren’t looking.

  “Really?” Kyle asked over comms, joining the conversation. “You got enough problems with hostiles, you wanna throw in a house fire while you’re at it?”

  “Antonovich in office. If he still alive, won’t be for long,” Alexei muttered.

  “What’d he do to piss you off that much?”

  Alexei remained stubbornly silent, eyes constantly roving over their position as they kept moving. He didn’t like being reminded of his early childhood, and Antonovich had rubbed him the wrong way from the first call. Alexei knew men like that would never let go of a grudge. Leaving him alive wasn’t an option.

  Besides, he’d hurt Sean. Asshole got what was coming to him.

  “Got company!” Madison called out from her position near the double-stairway a minute later, sounding entirely too happy about that fact. “I’m going in. Cover me!”

  Alexei prodded Adrian and Chloe against the wall, urging them to “Close eyes.”

  They did so immediately, with Chloe pressing her face against her husband’s chest. Beyond them, Sean reached out to press a hand against the wall for balance.

  “Sean is wounded,” Alexei reported.

  “How badly?” Katie wanted to know.

  Alexei ignored the glare Sean gave him. “Concussion.”

  “Copy that. Dr. Gold will be on standby once all of you return.”

  The hissing roar of one of Madison’s energy blasts exploding somewhere out of sight rang in Alexei’s ears.

  “That was an ugly statue. I’m glad she got rid of it,” Kyle said off-handedly.

  Madison’s voice rang through his comms. “Clear!”

  “Move,” Alexei ordered.

  The Wolcotts moved, sticking close to Sean on the way down the stairs as Alexei covered their six. Chloe stumbled halfway down in her hurry, one of her high-heeled shoes catching on the hem of her sheer dress. Sean threw his arm out to halt her fall even as Adrian grabbed her by the waist to keep her from falling down the stairs headfirst. Adrian didn’t waste any time in picking his wife up in his arms and carrying her the rest of the way.

  Even when they reached the first floor, Alexei never took his eyes off the way they’d come. They’d left a lot o
f bodies behind on the second floor, but that didn’t mean the coast was clear.

  Madison stood in the middle of body parts and rubble, the scorch marks on the tiled floor indicative of explosions. She had her weapon aimed at the front door, ready to exit the building as soon as they got clearance from their overwatch.

  “Ten seconds,” Katie told them. “Annabelle is clearing the way. On my mark…go!”

  They didn’t waste any time. Madison shoved the door open and kept her weapon at the ready as they ran out under cover of suppressive fire and Trevor’s lifesaving telekinetic shield. Surprisingly, Adrian easily kept up despite carrying his wife. It was Sean that Alexei ended up helping out when the agent stumbled mid-stride, losing his balance. Alexei grabbed him by the arm before he could fall, keeping him upright and running.

  “Thanks,” Sean gritted out, squinting hard against the bright sunlight.

  Alexei grunted an acknowledgment as they sprinted toward their SUV. Sweat beaded across Alexei’s brow, sliding down the back of his neck. The midday heat was scorching and they needed to get clear as soon as possible.

  Bullets had dented the side of the SUV while they were inside but hadn’t penetrated the body. The MDF had thankfully given them a military-grade vehicle for this mission. Anything less than a .50 caliber gun wasn’t going to breach it.

  Annabelle stood on the other side of the SUV in a brace position with her rifle, keeping an eye on their six. Three other men decked out in tactical gear over casual civilian clothing had also taken position around the SUV. Alexei had no idea where they’d come from, but any extra support right now was a bonus in his book.

  “I’ve rerouted all 911 calls about the gunfire, but the smoke coming up from the back of the house isn’t something I can make disappear. People will see that for miles. Might want to get a move on,” Katie said.

  In such densely packed megacities, fire was a danger no one would ever ignore. Katie and whoever was helping her back at the MDF might have control of communications in the local area, but they couldn’t stop the rest of New Miami from calling in about the smoke.

  “Mr. Wolcott!” one of his security personnel barked out, waving for Adrian to run their way.

  Before Adrian could respond, Sean snagged the sleeve of his suit jacket to get his attention. “Trevor is a medic. He can take a look at Chloe. Tell your people to get back to their vehicles and follow us.”

  Adrian probably would’ve disregarded Sean’s suggestion if it was only himself, but one look at his wife curled in his arms had him agreeing. “Okay.”

  Trevor already had the doors to the SUV open, scrambling inside. Madison threw herself into the driver’s seat and slammed that door shut. Adrian was handing Chloe to Trevor to get her into the SUV when two of his security personnel came around the vehicle.

  “We have a car out front for you,” the burlier man said, looking like he was about to shove Sean out of the way to get to his charge.

  Alexei slammed his arm between them, the impact stinging the skin of his palm as he glared at the stranger. “We have medic. Retreat to your car and follow us out. We take point, you take rearguard.”

  He barked out the order without thinking about how he was supposed to act like a civilian who was almost two and a half years out of the Marines at this point. But in the heat of the moment, instinct took over.

  “Do as he says, Martinez,” Adrian grunted as he hauled himself into the SUV.

  Martinez scowled, his hard gaze probably enough to make anyone else wilt beneath it. Alexei jabbed a finger in the direction of the street. “Move out!” he snarled.

  That got Adrian’s people moving. The four men sprinted down the drive and scrambled over the high fence with a surprising amount of ease. Alexei hauled Sean around to the other side of the SUV, helping him into the far back seat where Adrian sat. Trevor and Chloe took up the middle seats, with Trevor already tending to Chloe even as Madison threw the SUV into drive and yanked the wheel to the left. The tires squealed as she pulled a U-turn over the front lawn.

  A few scattered gunshots ricocheted off the windshield as what remained of Antonovich’s people tried to stop them. Madison gunned it down the drive, picking up enough speed that it would seem as if it were the SUV that took out the front gate when in reality, Trevor used his telekinesis to break it open. They peeled out of the driveway and into the street, Madison deftly handling the SUV.

  “I have CCTV looped showing feed from a different day and am currently in the process of wiping you from Antonovich’s servers,” Katie said, her voice coming crisp and clear through the SUV’s speakers. “Good afternoon, Mr. Wolcott. I’m terribly sorry your dinner with my CFO was interrupted last night. I do hope you’ll reconsider another meeting with my company in the near future.”

  Sean wearily closed his eyes before saying, loud enough to be heard over the roar of the engine, “Did we interrupt your meeting in the UK?”

  “Can’t believe you talk business right now,” Alexei muttered under his breath. He took a couple of seconds to switch on the safety of his stolen weapon before shoving it between his leg and the side of the SUV to keep it out of the way but within reach, just in case. He lifted his hips to grab the extra magazine out of his back pocket and wedged it between the seat and the SUV’s side.

  Katie took the information Sean had casually given her and ran with it. “Alexei kept me informed of the situation. I knew he would have it well in hand and figured I’d do more good over here with a hack than flying to New Miami.”

  “You’ve been monitoring us the entire time?” Adrian wanted to know.

  “I broke through Antonovich’s security measures around the time Alexei arrived at the villa. We do a lot of cybersecurity work, so we know what holes to look for. Don’t worry, Mr. Wolcott. My people will see you safely to your destination.”

  “Which would be?”

  “I understand you are staying at a resort in New Miami. We were going to take you there, but if you prefer a different location, just inform our team.” She paused for a second or two before continuing with, “I don’t think I need to tell you that going to the police about this incident is probably not in your or our best interest.”

  “I want to go home, Adrian,” Chloe rasped in a brittle voice as Trevor finished tending to the bruises on her throat with quick-heal patches.

  Adrian leaned forward to rest his hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner. “Then we’ll go home.”

  “Rerouting to New Miami International,” Madison said to the vehicle at large. “Might want to let your security personnel know where we’re going and why, Mr. Wolcott.”

  “Antonovich’s people burned out our comms at the villa.”

  Alexei’s scowl deepened at that tidbit of information, gaze snapping over to Sean. The agent had his eyes closed against the sunlight, mouth twisted in a grimace.

  “If you give me their contact information, I can link you,” Katie said.

  Adrian relayed the information and it was mere seconds before a different voice came through the line. “Yes, Mr. Wolcott?” the deep voice asked.

  “We’re heading to the airport. Call to get our jet ready. Do whatever you have to do to ensure we aren’t hassled on our way through security,” Adrian ordered. “And Reynolds? We’re discussing what happened with my brother.”

  The two-second pause was noticeable to everyone in the vehicle. “Yes, Mr. Wolcott.”

  Alexei figured they’d be out of a job soon. Losing the people under your protection was never acceptable.

  Wolcott’s people got off the line and Katie came back on, staying with them for the drive north up the highway back to New Miami International Airport, their small, three-vehicle convoy slipping away from the scene of the crime. Madison led the way, pulling into the short-term parking garage when they finally arrived and driving all the way to the top, where more spots were available. She parked in a center row as the other two cars carrying the Wolcotts’ security personnel found spots nearby. />
  Several of them rushed to the SUV, having gotten rid of their tactical gear and weapons on the drive to the airport. They opened the door, intent on ushering their charges out, but Chloe angrily waved them off before submitting quietly to Trevor’s care as he checked her over one last time.

  “Thank you,” Adrian suddenly said, staring at his wife. “I don’t know what we would have done without your help.”

  “It’s no problem,” Sean replied, cracking open his good eye.

  “You should visit us in Las Vegas. Come out and stay at one of my casinos. I’ll make sure you’ll enjoy yourselves.”

  “Ekaterina won’t be able to make it, but Alexei and I wouldn’t mind joining you. We can finish up the business dinner that was interrupted.”

  “I think you’ll find I’m a sure bet where your company is concerned at this point.”

  Adrian extended his hand. Sean gamely shook it. “I’ll reach out to you in a day or so. Have a safe flight, Mr. Wolcott.”

  “Please. Call me Adrian.”

  “Then it’s Riley.”

  Alexei helped Sean get out of the vehicle, allowing Adrian to exit it as well and be ushered away with Chloe by their security. Alexei followed the group’s movements with his eyes until they were out of earshot.

  “We clear?” he asked, keeping one hand curled around Sean’s elbow to steady him.

  “You’re clear on our end, but we’ll keep monitoring to be sure. Your flight plan has been filed. See you in an hour,” Katie said.

  She cut the line. Alexei nodded curtly. “Let’s go.”

  The sooner they left New Miami, the better.

  The pain in Sean’s head had settled somewhere between excruciating and shoot me to make it stop. The extraction out of Antonovich’s villa had rattled his skull and the broken bones in his face badly enough that, when Annabelle initiated the vertical take-off and landing in the jet, his stomach twisted violently in reaction.

  Trevor had prepared for just such an issue and whipped out one of the travel sick bags packed away in his individual first-aid kit. The plastic opening easily molded around Sean’s bruised face and mouth as he got sick.