Sawyer could only watch and wait as Corbin moved slowly closer to her. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to stop. She wasn’t sure what she wanted or needed, but she knew that she couldn’t have moved away from him if she tried. She felt like a metal filing being drawn to a magnet. His mouth was so close to hers now. If she leaned forward slightly, she could press her lips to his as she longed to.
The knock on the door had her jumping back and Corbin swearing. She used an unsteady hand to shove aside a few stray hairs that had escaped her bun and gave a shaky laugh, not able to meet Corbin’s gaze as she stood. She wondered who would be knocking on her door this late. It was after midnight. Suddenly, worry replaced embarrassment and she rushed to open the door. Rowan was standing there, his expression grave. When he looked past her and saw Corbin sitting on the couch, his gaze briefly switched to one of curiosity. As though he thought better than to mention it, he shook his head.
“Conrad wants us in Ops,” he said. “Now.”
Sawyer didn’t ask for details. “Let me get dressed,” she said and turned to walk toward her bedroom. Rowan nodded as he moved into the room. When the bedroom door shut behind Sawyer, Rowan turned to face Corbin.
“I guess that explains why you didn’t answer your door when I knocked,” he said. “Is there something I should know about?”
Corbin shook his head. “I came here to talk,” he said. “It was time.”
Rowan gave a humorless chuckle. “Past time, if you ask me,” he said.
Corbin looked at Rowan. “Listen, Ro,” he began. Rowan cut him off with a wave of his hand.
“Forget it, man,” he said with a smile. “We’re good.”
Corbin nodded, grateful that his friend seemed to understand what he meant without him having to say the words. He thought back to the months since he’d woken and how much crap Rowan had put up with from him. Rowan had been there for him, no matter how much of a dick he’d become. He realized how lucky he was that he hadn’t managed to push him away as well. “Thanks,” he said. “For everything.”
Rowan studied him for a moment before he smiled again. “What are friends for, man?” he said.
Sawyer emerged from her room dressed in jeans, a black t–shirt and steel–toed boots. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. The vulnerable look from earlier was gone from her green eyes, replaced with the iron both men were used to seeing. She looked fierce and Corbin couldn’t stop the smile that tugged up one side of his mouth at the sight of her. Rowan looked from Sawyer to Corbin and back again, a thoughtful expression on his face.
They left Sawyer’s quarters and began walking toward the elevator. “So,” Rowan said. “Did you guys finally kiss and make up, or what?” Sawyer was thankful that she was walking a step ahead of the two men. Neither would see her face redden.
“Something like that,” Corbin said and she didn’t have to look back at him to recognize the humor in his voice.
Chapter 21
When Sawyer walked into Operations, followed by Corbin and Rowan, the Warrens and Declan were already seated in chairs waiting. Bree watched Sawyer take a seat and looked for any sign that she was still upset from the earlier scene in the arena. If she was, it didn’t show. Bree wasn’t surprised. Sawyer was good at masking her emotions. What did surprise her was Corbin taking the empty chair next to Sawyer. She tried not to let her shock show on her face. He’d been so obvious in his attempts to avoid Sawyer for as long as Bree had known him, only interacting with her when he was forced into it. She looked at his face. He didn’t look uncomfortable being near Sawyer. For once, his face wasn’t locked in an angry scowl. He looked concerned, but his shoulders were relaxed for perhaps the first time since she’d known him. Interesting.
Bree looked back to Sawyer who appeared just as casual as Corbin. She wondered what had happened between the two of them since they’d been attempting to beat one another senseless in the arena earlier. Rowan took the empty chair next to Bree, cutting off her view of Corbin and Sawyer. He leaned closer to her for a moment.
“You know, it’s rude to stare,” he said quietly from the side of his mouth. Bree’s lips quirked up into a smile that she tried to hide. She leaned in his direction and spoke to him in a similar tone.
“I just wanted to make sure I didn’t need a bulletproof vest,” she said.
Rowan chuckled quietly. “I think it’s safe for now,” he said. Bree was still intensely curious about what had occurred but she knew now wasn’t the time to ask questions. Conrad had called them all there for an emergency briefing. It being the middle of the night meant it had to be something serious and time–sensitive. She nodded at Rowan then straightened in her chair when Conrad entered the room.
Conrad looked exhausted. His dark hair was in disarray and he looked as though he hadn’t slept in days. The worry was clear in his brown eyes and he had a somewhat bedraggled appearance. The cuffs of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows and his hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his wrinkled slacks. His brow was drawn low and at first, he didn’t look up from his shoes. Finally, as though he’d reached some internal decision, he stood up straight and faced the group seated before him, taking his hands from his pockets and crossing them over his chest. Bree watched his eyes seek out Gwynn as she quietly entered the room through a side door. His face instantly relaxed just a bit when he saw her before he turned back to the team.
“I’m sorry about the late hour,” he said, his firm voice commanding their attention. “This can’t wait until morning.”
Bree felt Rowan stiffen beside her, sitting up straighter. Something inside her tightened in either anticipation or dread. She wasn’t sure which.
Conrad said, “We have a situation and we’re going to need your team to handle it.” He said it in a matter–of–fact tone, as though it were an order. “Gwynn thinks you’re ready for active duty,” he said, looking at each of them in turn. “I wasn’t so sure, but the truth is that you’re all we have right now.”
Wow, Bree thought. Thanks for the vote of confidence.
“I’m not saying that to ruffle any feathers,” he said, as though reading her mind. “I’m always skeptical of a new team until they prove their readiness. I have complete faith in Gwynn’s judgement. I hope you’ll prove her right.” He stopped speaking and took a deep breath as though steeling himself for what he needed to say.
“What’s the mission?” Corbin asked. Bree felt her heartbeat accelerate at the thought of an actual mission. She’d known that this was what they’d been training for all these weeks. Why did the idea of it shock her now?
Conrad looked at Corbin briefly before letting his gaze scan the room. “Retrieval,” he said simply. “We got word earlier tonight that one of the teams from the Upsilon compound was ambushed. Two dead, one captured, only two made it home. One was badly injured. She’s still in surgery but they think she’ll make it. I don’t have to tell you what it means to be captured by Ephraim’s people. We need to get her back.” They’d all suddenly grown more alert at his words. People had died tonight and one of their own was captured and possibly being tortured by the enemy. Conrad gave them all a moment to digest the information before he spoke again.
“Your assignment is to meet up with Miller from Upsilon, infiltrate the safe house where we think they’re holding the agent and bring her home. It needs to be done quickly. I want all our agents to come home safely. Rowan, there’s a file on your computer with all the intel we have on the safehouse and any known occupants. Corbin, get your team outfitted and ready while Rowan comes up with a plan.” He took a moment to look around at the people seated before him. He was sending them into danger with the understanding that they may not make it back alive.
Corbin stood and said, “We’re ready, Conrad. We’ll bring her home.” Conrad faced him and gave a single nod.
“Good luck,” he said. “Be safe.”
At that, they all left operations and headed toward the armory, with the exception of R
owan and Conrad. The two of them went to work on a plan to get everyone home safely.
“Okay,” Rowan said, “these are the schematics of the building where they’re holding Grace.” He was using a laser pointer to direct their attention to an area of the large monitor behind him. For the first time, his face wasn’t wearing a pleasant expression. He was all business as he spoke. They were standing in Rowan’s large office. Every member of the team was alert, despite the fact that it was nearing 2am. They knew what was at stake and were all determined to bring home the missing agent. In the armory, Gwynn had made sure they were properly outfitted with everything they’d need for the mission so now they stood in Rowan’s office in full tactical gear as he explained the mission details.
“We think this,” he pointed to a room near the center of the large building, “is the most likely room for them to use as a holding cell.” He turned back to face the team. “They’ll want a small room with no windows and only one access point that’s not along an exterior wall. One other option is this room, here.” He pointed to another room that had similar attributes but was closer to the front of the building than the other. “Now,” he said, looking back at the group. “My money is on door number one, but if I’m wrong, it’s probably a good idea to split into two teams and breach both rooms simultaneously. It’ll minimize the chances that you hit the wrong room. Unfortunately, it also means that you’re spread thin.” He looked at Corbin and Sawyer. “I’ve gone through all the options and this one has the best possible outcome, if everything is done right.” They nodded at him, complete trust in their expressions.
Rowan glanced at the others before turning back to the screen. He clicked a button and a 3–D layout of the building came into view. The others watched as he gave them a virtual walkthrough of the building. He talked them through the video, explaining where they would need to turn and which areas would have blind spots that they’d need to look out for. Rowan said, “I’m betting that they’re at least suspecting that we’ll come for her so expect resistance. Miller said they took out 2 of the team but there were 5 others. He thought he’d wounded one of them, but he wasn’t sure how badly. Be careful and good luck.”
Chapter 22
Declan glanced over to Bree for perhaps the hundredth time in less than 10 minutes. She looked nervous but excitement shone in her eyes. He wished he knew what she was thinking. He’d been prepared to join this fight and risk his life when it was little more than an idea. Now that the time had come, he was still ready to do that. He was prepared for what came next. But he was also wondering just how in the hell he’d gotten here. He was still willing and ready to risk his life if it meant keeping Bree safe. He just hadn’t given much thought to her risking her own life in the process.
He watched her recheck her gun’s magazine and replace it in its holster. They were wearing black tactical gear, including body armor. They all knew that body armor wouldn’t protect them against Praetorian abilities, but it would stop bullets and that was reason enough to wear it. Declan took a deep breath and forced himself not to think about what could go wrong. Worrying about Bree and the others wouldn’t change a thing. He turned his attention instead to making sure all his gear was in its proper place. He checked his own guns before securing them in their holsters. Then he adjusted the tiny earpiece that would keep him connected to the others as well as Rowan back in Operations.
The dark van was parked on an empty street near the safehouse they were planning to infiltrate. They weren’t close enough to be seen from the building, but they were close enough for their purposes. Not long after they arrived, Miller had approached the van cautiously and after everyone had verified one another’s identities, he’d climbed into the back with the others. Corbin made introductions and they began to discuss the plan Rowan had laid out.
“There are two ways into the building,” Corbin said, holding a tablet and pointing out two spots on a 3D layout that showed an aerial view of the building. “One in the front and one in the back. The best plan is to break into two teams and breach both doors simultaneously.” He looked at each team member in turn. “Miller, Declan, Rylee and I will take the front door and breach the forward room. Sawyer, Bree and Jon will take the back door and hit the more central room.” He pointed to each room on the screen as he mentioned them.
Bree’s gaze went to Declan as she realized that they would be separated. Her nervous excitement shifted slightly when she looked around at the other people in the van. Her parents, Declan, Sawyer, Corbin, even Miller who she’d just met minutes before. They were all going into a dangerous situation and anything could happen. She was suddenly afraid. The idea that one of them could be killed tonight hit her like a punch in the gut. How had this realization not occurred to her before this moment? She felt a hand on hers and looked up. Her mother had reached over and taken her hand. She met her eyes and felt a sudden burst of courage surge through her. She could do this. They would all get through this and make it home safely. She squeezed her mother’s hand gratefully and gave her a small smile. Rylee winked at her before releasing her hand.
“Alright guys,” Rowan was speaking into their ears now. “It’s been quiet for the last half hour. No one in or out. No lights in the windows. If you’re going to go, you need to do it soon. Before they decide to move her or reinforcements show. You got this.”
Sawyer looked around at the members of her team. They were ready. She took a deep breath and nodded to Corbin. He opened the door and they all left the dark van and began to move silently toward the building. They kept to the shadows, making sure they were as close to invisible as possible. They couldn’t afford to be seen approaching. The element of surprise was one of their biggest weapons.
As they approached the building, Corbin gave the signal for them to split into their designated teams. Bree met Declan’s eyes and gave him a small nod. See you soon, she thought. As she followed her father and Sawyer around to the back of the building, Bree forced herself to push aside thoughts of everything but the mission. She had to focus on what needed to be done rather than what might go wrong. She took a deep breath and took her gun from its holster, keeping it pointed at the ground, but ready to fire if needed. The three of them moved silently and swiftly, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. They saw and heard nothing as they moved. Bree kept expecting someone to attack them as they crept around the building, but nothing happened.
When the three of them were at the back of the building and looking at the plain, nondescript door, Sawyer spoke quietly. “In position,” she said. They all wore radios on their necks that didn’t require them to press a button to be heard by the other team members. Bree imagined being in the middle of a fight and needing to call for help but having to free up a hand to do so. This was much simpler, even if it did mean that everything you said was broadcast to the entire team, not to mention Rowan and probably Conrad back in Ops. At Sawyer’s signal, Jon crept quietly toward the door and checked the handle. He looked back and shook his head. Locked.
“The door is locked,” Sawyer said quietly. “Looks like a quiet entry is out.”
Jon shook his head at Sawyer and held up a hand. He looked at the door handle for a moment. Nothing seemed to be happening but after a few seconds of silence, he looked back to Sawyer and held up one thumb.
“Never mind,” Sawyer said. “The lock isn’t an issue.” Bree felt a swell of pride in her father. She hadn’t known he could do that.
“We go on three,” came Corbin’s hushed reply. Bree felt her nerves ratchet up a notch. Jon looked at her, a question in his eyes. Bree nodded. She was ready. She could do this. Sawyer met each of their eyes in turn and nodded. Bree and Sawyer moved to either side of the door as they heard Corbin say, “One.” Inhale.
“Two.” Exhale.
“Three.” Bree felt a calm stillness settle over her as Jon turned the handle and slowly pushed open the door. Her hand tightened on her gun and she trained her eyes on the dark interior of the building. Her
e we go, she thought as Sawyer crept inside and she moved to follow.
Declan watched as Corbin slowly opened the door to the darkened interior of the building. His nerves were on edge waiting for something to happen or for someone to attack them. He was most worried about hearing sounds of attack from the back of the building where Bree, Sawyer and Jon were entering the rear door. He hated that they’d been separated, but Corbin had given the orders and they both had to follow them. He knew that Sawyer and Jon wouldn’t let anything happen to Bree and besides, Bree could take care of herself. He needed to remember that she was a Praetorian soldier and didn’t need him to protect her.
He took a deep breath and followed Corbin into the building. The lights were off, casting the interior into various shades of inky darkness. Corbin moved with graceful stealth and Declan tried his best to do the same. Rylee and Miller followed close behind. The interior of the building was silent but that wasn’t a comfort. Something felt off to Declan and he thought Corbin could feel it too. There was a stiffness to the set of his shoulders that Declan hadn’t noticed moments before. It could just be related to the stress of the mission but he didn’t think so.
Declan slowed his breathing and focused on his surroundings. The front door opened into a large room that was divided by a high counter. It reminded Declan of an office building with a reception area. There were several chairs lining one wall. So far, there was no evidence of any people in the building, but Declan’s senses told him otherwise. He could sense something tickling at the edge of his mind. He focused in on each of his team members, individually. His ability could lock onto Corbin’s incredible strength, Jon’s telekinesis, Rylee’s reverse empathy, Sawyer’s unbelievable speed, Bree’s expert marksmanship, even Miller’s night vision. He could still only use one at a time, but he was getting better at cycling from one to the next quickly. He settled on Miller’s ability so he could see clearly in the dark building. Still, there was something else nagging at him from inside the building.
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