Dead No More

by L. R. Nicolello

  Family? Lily glanced at Derek. A soft smile pulled at his lips. The lump in her throat returned, bigger this time, and she caught her lip in her teeth to keep the unexpected tears at bay.

  “Granted, it took you a little while to pick up on what Derek was putting down, but you clearly figured that one out last night.”

  Derek hurled a donut at Marcus, who laughed and dodged the glazed missile. Derek got up, moved next to Lily. She didn’t know what to say, how to respond. So she just stood there. Mute.

  Marcus bent low, picked up the donut. “And we will do anything for family.”

  “Oh.” The tiny word barely escaped Lily’s lips. Wow. Smiling, Derek raised her hand to his mouth, pressing his lips to her palm.

  Ben whistled and crossed his arms. “Well, there you go.”

  “That clear now?” Amusement pranced in Marcus’s eyes.

  “Crystal.”

  “Great.” He clapped his hands together. “So we’re working under the impression that Director Kennedy has gone quiet with this whole situation. Rowland and Jackson are the dynamic duo—which one is the boss man and which one is the underling is yet to be determined. And we have a mysterious sniper sniffing up our asses.”

  “Well, isn’t this a pretty little party,” Lily muttered into her cup of coffee.

  Evelyn laughed, then grew serious. “Since calling in an extraction team and taking Rowland down the old-school way is not an option, we go with plan B.”

  Lily wanted justice so badly she could taste it. But she wasn’t desperate enough to forgo the code she lived and swore by. Derek had brought her back from that edge last night.

  She’d never go there again.

  “What’s plan B?”

  “We send Derek back into ARME so he can ascertain the situation,” Evelyn said slowly.

  “Absolutely not.” There was no way in hell anyone was leaving, not on her watch. And definitely not Derek.

  Lily hung her head, clamped and unclamped her hands together. She knew the right response, but didn’t want to voice it. What if she agreed and, in turn, signed someone’s death warrant? Another person she loved.

  “Lil.” Derek covered her hands, stilled her movements. “It’s the right call. We need eyes and ears inside.”

  She looked up. Four pairs of eyes stared at her. She sighed. She was outnumbered, and she knew it. Damn it.

  Evelyn was spot-on in her assessment. Lily was confident in that, as she was in Derek’s ability to get in and get out. She pinched the bridge of her nose. They needed eyes, and they needed them ASAP. Without more intel, they were screwed. Lily swallowed the frustration creeping up her throat. They’d been so close to nailing Rowland.

  And now they were back at square one.

  “Okay. Go. Be our eyes.” She reached up and placed her hands on Derek’s jaw. “But you better come back tonight. In one piece.”

  Leaning forward, he kissed her quickly. “Yes, ma’am.”

  A heavy stillness settled over the room. It was risky sending him in. They all knew it. But what choice did they have?

  Evelyn reached over and gave Lily’s shoulder a tight squeeze. “Okay, let’s talk through this. Ben, how much gear do you have here? I don’t want Derek going in alone. I want ears on him.”

  A grin spread across Ben’s face. “Little lady, I’ve got it all. You think Lily had a nice setup in that little closet of hers? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

  Ben’s response broke the tension floating in the room.

  “It’s true.” Lily shrugged and pointed at Ben. “Where do you think I got it from?”

  “Excellent.” Evelyn nodded, her eyes twinkling. “Let’s get to work, then.”

  * * *

  HOURS LATER, DEREK WALKED back into Ben’s apartment. Marcus and Evelyn stopped talking. Lily looked up and studied Derek’s face. He’d called, told her he’d be late, but she hadn’t expected him to stroll in well past eight o’clock.

  “You okay?”

  The muscle in his jaw tightened. “I got nothing.” He slumped into the kitchen table chair. “No Rowland. No John. It was almost as if the place was abandoned.”

  “Seems strange, doesn’t it?”

  “Very. John hasn’t responded to any of my calls today.” Derek’s phone chirped. He scanned the message, the muscles in his jaw jumping. “Son of a bitch.”

  Lily’s stomach tightened. Now what?

  Without a word, Derek tossed her his phone. She caught it, turned it over, read the text. “Well, that’s putting it mildly.”

  “What does it say?” Marcus asked.

  Lily had seen her share of convoluted cases, but this surpassed them all. With flying colors. “It’s a text from John Elsworth. He said, ‘9-1-1. No cops. Get my family to safety. Intruders. Home. 9-1-1.’”

  Ben joined them in the kitchen, taking the phone from Lily. “What the hell does that mean?”

  Derek rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking very tired and worried. “With all the crazy shit hitting the fan, I can only imagine it’s the worst-case scenario.”

  Evelyn’s face was gray. “That said ‘family.’ How many children does he have?”

  “Two.”

  Marcus threw Evelyn a quick glance. “We get those kids out. The dynamic duo can wait. The kids come first. Derek, do we have any idea how many men might be involved?”

  “No idea.” Derek’s face hardened. “But I’m guessing we’ll need more than the five of us.”

  Ben handed Derek’s phone back to him. “Got that covered.”

  Everyone stopped moving, stopped talking, silently stared at Ben. He leaned against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed over his chest. He didn’t blink, just stared back at them.

  “How?”

  “After George.” Ben cleared his throat and brushed his thumb at the corner of one eye. Lily’s chest tightened. “I alerted my team, put them on standby, what with everything happening.”

  Lily slumped against the counter. “Oh.”

  She’d expertly compartmentalized George’s death, banishing the dark, raw emotions to the depths of her soul. It was the only way she could focus on the task at hand.

  One day, she’d need to address them, and she would. But she wasn’t prepared for that one day to be today. At the mention of George’s name, a tsunami of grief crashed into Lily. Tears sprung to her eyes. Derek laced his fingers through hers. She swallowed down the sorrow rushing her throat, locked it away.

  She’d be forever indebted to him—always her protector.

  Lily forced a weak smile to her face. “Good call.”

  “Only call to make.” Ben shifted his weight.

  She bit back a small laugh. She knew how much Ben hated being the center of attention. He preferred the shadows, just as she did. “How long before they can be on the move?”

  “An hour.” Ben shrugged. “Tops.”

  “Great. Then let’s roll.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  Thursday, October 2, 9:40 p.m.

  HIDDEN WITHIN THE GRASS, Ben and his small team of men waited patiently along the front of the Elsworth estate. The whites of their eyes were the only giveaway to their exact location. Lily peered into her scope and studied each of Ben’s trusted comrades.

  All men he’d served with, fought by. All men she’d gladly die for.

  Lily owed them, big time. Each man had dropped everything to fight next to her—with them—in this moment. Each responded to her apologies for the last-minute notice with, “Once an agent, always an agent.”

  She shook her head in astonishment. Pride surged through her veins.

  “Heads down, eyes open,” Ben murmured over their radio links. “Anyone have eyes on the target yet?”

  They needed to get an idea
of the layout before moving in. Heat signatures showed thirteen bodies. Now they just needed to verify who was friendly.

  And who wasn’t.

  Lily and her team surrounded the Elsworth estate. Ben and his men spread out across the front. Evelyn camped out on the western corner. Derek and Marcus had positioned themselves on the east corner. Lily took the rear.

  She breathed slowly, peered through the scope and scanned the yard. Again. She rolled her shoulders and settled in.

  Going in on a dime was a bitch.

  Never the kind of conditions she’d choose, but their hands had been forced. And, truth be told, they’d been in worse situations. All of them had. So while the circumstances were dicey, at best, a quiet confidence blanketed Lily.

  Ben broke the silence. “Anyone?”

  “I’ve got them.” Evelyn’s smooth voice sounded in Lily’s ear.

  Lily glanced to her left. “What do you see?”

  “Three in the front room. Appears Gina’s giving two brutes a piece of her mind,” Evelyn reported, her voice calm. “Can’t find the kiddos. Anyone got a location on them?”

  Lily got up and ran low along the back perimeter of the mansion and repositioned herself. Searching through her scope, she examined the dark windows. Bingo. “Got ’em. They’re both in the kitchen...with two heavily armed babysitters.”

  “Hold on.” Evelyn’s voice cut in. “One of the guys just hit Gina and is dragging her off. Crap. I lost visual. Anyone pick that up?”

  Lily watched through her scope as Gina was hauled into view, kicking and screaming. “Got her. They just pulled her into the kitchen.”

  The tall man threw Gina to the floor. She looked up, glared and said something. The man backhanded her. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, she scowled at the man, but made no move to comfort the two young children cowering in the corner.

  Lily studied the boys. The oldest couldn’t have been more than seven, and was stick thin. Given his rumpled pj’s and wild bed head, she assumed they’d been yanked from bed. He wrapped his gangly arms around his sibling. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he pulled his little brother close. The tiny boy buried his chubby baby face into his brother’s shoulder and clung to him.

  She didn’t have to have children to feel the righteous anger burn her insides. No child should have to undergo what they were enduring.

  She panned back to Gina. Incredible—the woman was yelling at the tall man again. His face darkened and he moved toward her, but Gina didn’t back down.

  Oh, to be a fly on the wall.

  Just as she’d suspected, there was nothing soft about Gina Elsworth. But tigress or not, mouthing off to an armed intruder was ballsy. And dangerous.

  “We need to get those kids out.” Evelyn’s voice came through the radio. “What’s the game plan?”

  Lily stared through the scope again. “I’ve got four heavily armed men in the kitchen. Three innocents, two being children. That leaves six more men roaming, possibly upstairs. Ben, can you confirm?”

  “Affirmative.”

  Excellent. It’s go time.

  Lily took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll cover Gina and the kids from out here. Ben, you and your team take upstairs.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Derek, cover the front. Ev, Marcus, when it’s clear, get those kids out.”

  “With pleasure.” Evelyn’s hard voice filtered through Lily’s ear.

  “Let’s avoid bullets if we can manage it.” Lily focused her scope on the children’s faces. “Those kids have been traumatized enough as it is. So go in quiet. Neutralize the threat. And get the hell out of there.”

  Ben’s voice floated into the darkness. “Old-school, boys. Let’s show these young pups how it’s done.”

  Young pups? Lily smiled into the darkness. She wasn’t surprised he’d gone there. He’d given her a hard time about the new way of doing things for as long as she could remember.

  “Yeah, Pops, show us how it’s done.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  Thursday, October 2, 9:45 p.m.

  THE FEISTINESS WAS OUT in full force tonight. Lily was fully engaged, alive...and Derek loved it. He repositioned to the front and glanced at Ben. “Pops, eh?”

  Ben scowled.

  Derek bit back the laugh in his throat. Who knew he’d ever be on a mission with the renowned Ben Tinsdale? The man was a legend in their ranks. All newbies studied Ben’s tactics while going through basic training.

  It was a way to weed out the weak. Those who mastered his tactics stayed. Those who didn’t washed out.

  The man was a hard-ass and a true warrior.

  Yet somehow, Lily had managed to get beneath the unbreakable outer layer and park herself permanently within the big man’s heart. Derek would have said it was impossible, if he hadn’t seen it firsthand.

  Bringing his binoculars to his face, Derek scrutinized the two men pacing in the front foyer. Damn, they were huge. “Hello, boys, I got you now.”

  The tallest stopped moving and looked directly at Derek’s position.

  Derek froze. Didn’t breathe.

  The man scanned the area, then went back toward his buddy. A thick, black cobra, red droplets dripping from bared fangs, rode the muscles on his arm. Derek had seen that tattoo before. Each droplet represented a hand-to-hand combat kill. He gritted his teeth.

  Ben pressed the radio link around his neck, muting the connection. “What’s up?”

  Did nothing get by this man? Derek muted his connection, too. “I ran into this group on my last deployment.”

  “You know these boys?”

  “Not specifically, but I know their group. Black Cobras.” Derek peered through his binoculars. “What I don’t understand is why they’re here. Kidnapping isn’t usually their forte.”

  Ben’s face darkened. “Well, which one of us pissed off Lady Luck? She sure ain’t smiling down on us tonight, is she?”

  Derek couldn’t have agreed more. She was all but flipping them off.

  He turned his connection back on. “Heads-up, everyone. These aren’t just your run-of-the-mill kidnappers for hire. They’re mercenaries, known as Black Cobras, and they’re mean sons of bitches.”

  “Fabulous,” Evelyn muttered.

  Evelyn’s dry quip made Derek smile. He didn’t know which woman had more sass: Evelyn or Lily.

  They’d grown tight in the past few days. He hadn’t seen Evelyn light up around another woman since her best friend, Kate, had been murdered. It was almost as if Evelyn had found another friend to let into her world. And Lily had embraced her gladly as one of her own.

  A knot formed in Derek’s throat. If anything happened to either of them, he’d never forgive himself.

  “Proceed with extreme caution,” Derek said. “I ran into this group in Afghanistan. Believe me, they won’t hesitate to take you down.”

  “Copy that, Derek,” Lily chimed in. “Ben, you and Derek cover the front. Have your team clear the second floor.”

  “Roger, Lil. Sam, take the team and get it done.”

  “Got it, boss.” A deep, gravelly voice broke into the conversation.

  Derek muted his radio. “I don’t need a keeper.”

  Ben glanced over and pinned Derek with his eyes. “And I don’t need Lily’s heart breaking again. Stop being a pansy. She’d doing her job. Now, stay close to my side.”

  Derek blinked. Had Ben just called him a pansy? Ben raised his eyebrows, almost as if daring Derek to challenge him. But he couldn’t. Not only did the big man staring him down scare the shit out of Derek, but if the tables were turned, he would’ve made the same call. He needed to get his pride under wraps if he wanted to keep this woman in his life.

  He unmuted his radio. “Copy that, Lil.”

  CHAPTE
R FORTY-SIX

  Thursday, October 2, 9:47 p.m.

  IT WAS THE right call. Though Lily knew it rubbed Derek the wrong way. She recognized it in his voice, in the pause before he’d answered. Well, he’d have to get over it. Her team’s safety was her priority. Pride didn’t have a place here.

  His or hers.

  Lily knew about the Black Cobras. They were bad news. “Ev, hold your position until the—”

  “What about the kids?”

  “Hell will freeze over before anything happens to those kids on my watch. Promise. I’ve got my sight trained on the targets, and I will take them down if it comes to that. Hold your position.”

  Lily was being a hard-ass, and she knew it. Her team was good. But the Black Cobras were just as good, and much more brutal. She needed her men to neutralize as many of them as possible before they went in, and fast.

  Otherwise they wouldn’t come out of this alive.

  Lily waited for Ben’s team to do what they did best—hide within the shadows and deliver death’s blow. The minutes crawled by at an excruciating pace. Lily concentrated on her breathing, not the silence.

  “Second floor is clear.”

  The tightness in her neck lifted. She breathed a sigh of relief. One down, two to go. Come on, Derek, talk to me. Peering through her scope, she watched the kids, etching their faces into her memory.

  “Same with the front.” Derek’s voice sliced through the stillness, instantly calming the racing in her chest. “All assholes accounted for, minus the monkeys in the kitchen.”

  And those were the words she’d been holding her breath to hear. Excellent. She pressed her eye to her scope. “Copy that. Evelyn, you and Marcus go get the kiddos.”

  “Already on the move.”

  Ben’s deep voice cut into the quiet. “Setting up new positions within the house, Lil.”

  Adrenaline raced down her body, sending her nerves into overdrive. This was what she lived for, and loved. None of them had worked together before, yet they moved like a well-oiled machine. She could get used to this.