She threw him a saucy look, and his eyes widened. She muted her mic. “One piece, mister. Last night was only a prelude to the real show.”
Derek sent her a hopeful grin.
Lily unmuted her mic. “Switching to channel one now. I’m out.”
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Thursday, October 2, 10:33 p.m.
DEREK WATCHED LILY skirt the wall and disappear into the shadows. Maybe they shouldn’t have split up. He started after her, stopping midstep. Get your shit together, man. She’d be livid if she knew what he was thinking. She wasn’t just some woman with a gun.
She was the best.
Still...she was also the woman who’d captured his heart, mind and soul. His world had come alive when she’d unknowingly waltzed into it, and exploded into full color the moment she leaned in and chose him. He could still taste her and couldn’t bear the idea of losing her.
Not when he’d just gotten her back.
Derek switched his radio to channel four, making his way through the empty foyer. His eyes swept the large room. Had Lily already made it to the executive level?
“She’s going to be fine.” Marcus’s voice interrupted Derek’s mental musing. “Focus, brother.”
“Get out of my head, man.”
“Then get into the game. You worrying about her isn’t going to help anyone. And it will most likely get you killed. I made a promise to get your ass home unscratched. So you need to focus. Now.”
Marcus had a point. Damn it. Nothing like being chewed out by your younger brother in order to get your head screwed on. “Got it. Headed to the elevator.”
“The elevator? Are you kidding me?”
Derek checked that his safety was off. “Nope.”
“That’s not ideal.”
No, it wasn’t. Actually, it was the worst possible scenario. He would be all but sending a calling card to whoever guarded John.
Hey, assholes, come and get me. I’ll be down in T-minus however many seconds it takes for this death box to get down to your level.
“Lady Luck must really hate me,” Derek grumbled.
“You sure there’s no other way down?”
Pushing at the button, Derek watched the numbers flash as the elevator came closer. “If there is, I’m not privy to that information.”
John Elsworth had smiled like a proud papa on graduation day when he’d mentioned that fun little fact to Derek during his tour of the facility on his first day. One way in, one way out.
The elevator chimed. Derek pressed his finger to the trigger, his senses on full alert.
No one’s smiling now. Are they, Johnny Boy?
Derek sure as hell wasn’t. Nothing like having security protocol bite you in the ass.
Marcus sighed into Derek’s ear. “Be careful, brother.”
“Safety first.” Derek froze. Unreal. He’d already picked up one of Lily’s phrases. Man, he was in trouble, and loving every second of their crazy, wild ride. His throat grew tight. Yeah, they definitely shouldn’t have split up.
“Hey, if I don’t come out of this, tell Lily—”
The elevator doors closed, and his radio went silent.
His gut tightened. He’d expected the elevator shaft to cut him off from all communication once he reached the impenetrable sublevel—not the second he boarded this death box. Figures.
Seconds later, the elevator doors slid back into the wall. Derek tucked himself close to the ceiling, supported his body weight and started counting. Before he’d made it to three, a wall of hot metal sprayed the box as bullets rained down their fiery fury.
His arms and legs shook with fatigue the longer he hung suspended above the blistering hell below him. He pushed against the weariness and remained in his position. One wrong move, and he was a dead man.
Two magazines later, the bullets stopped.
Derek breathed through his teeth.
A mountain of a man stepped into the elevator, glancing up. His eyes widened. He swung his AK-47.
Derek dropped, tackled the man, grabbed his head and twisted. The man went limp.
“What the hell!”
Derek instinctively hauled the dead man up and used his body as a shield. Bullets kicked and jerked the heavy mass. Dropping the dead weight, Derek aimed his weapon and pulled the trigger three times.
Two to the chest, one to the head.
The man dropped.
Adrenaline pumped through Derek’s veins as his heart raced. Reloading, he raised his gun and inched his way into the expansive chamber. He hugged the wall as he scanned the massive room. It sat empty.
Heat signatures had identified three bodies down here. Two lay just over his right shoulder. So where was body number three?
Where was John Elsworth?
CHAPTER FIFTY
Thursday, October 2, 10:34 p.m.
LILY HATED WALKING AWAY from Derek. But splitting up meant more covered ground. And since time wasn’t on their side, the quicker they located John, the better.
She double-checked her 9 mm Sig Sauer.
Tonight, it was one of her guns of choice. The concealability and round capacity—fifteen “plus one” in the chamber, gave her more bang for her buck. And she’d need to change her magazine less frequently, which was a definite perk. Especially considering that she had no idea what kind of mess she was walking into.
She checked her guns one final time and crept toward the emergency doors leading to the executive floor, moving from shadow to shadow. The hair on the back of her neck bristled. She froze. Pushed herself flat against the wall.
Her eyes focused on the advancing figure. Every muscle in her body coiled.
JB sauntered into view. An AK swung lazily over his back, while two .45mm guns peeked out from shoulder holsters.
Lily shrank deeper into the darkness. “I’ve got company.”
Ben’s voice sounded in her ear. “Do not fire unless fired upon.”
“Copy that.”
“Continue with care.”
JB’s radio crackled to life. He grabbed at it and listened to his earpiece squawk at him.
“Yeah, boss. There’s no one here.” He glanced around. “No, sir. I’m certain. I’ve checked the perimeters several times.”
He moved closer to the shadows shielding Lily. She muted her radio and held her breath. Keep moving, you little prick.
Reaching for his earpiece again, he stopped just five feet from her. Lily pressed herself further into the shadows as she watched him nod his head.
“Yes, sir.” He did an about-face. “I’m heading out there now.”
She watched him stalk off and disappear before breathing easily again. Without a sound, she slid from the shadows and made her way toward the stairwell. She pressed her radio. “Headed up the stairs.”
“Be careful, Lil. We’re still blind as a bat out here. I’ve got nothing.”
“Yeah, well, we can’t wait around, Ben.” She pulled the door, and it opened without sound. “I’m headed up.”
Sweat gathered at the base of her neck. Tiny curls tickled her skin. She ignored the annoyance and took the stairs two at a time.
Lily rounded the first-floor landing and pushed toward the second floor. She climbed two steps. Suddenly, a hand clamped onto her ankle and jerked. Hard. She flew backward through the air and landed with a crunch, her radio shattering into pieces. She lay there, stunned. What the hell?
She blinked back the advancing stars right as a black boot took aim for her head. Lily rolled to her right, swallowing a scream as her stitches pulled. The boot hit the step.
Snatching up her gun, she scrambled to her feet, sucking air through clenched teeth at the fire zipping through her side. Sensing movement, she ducked. Too late. JB’s fist connected with he
r jaw. She stumbled, steadied herself and glared at him. Enough of this shit. She whipped the 9 mm up and around and squeezed the trigger.
The arc was perfect. Her bullet found its mark. The brick wall of a man roared and grabbed his thigh. Blood seeped between his clutched fingers. He looked down, then slowly raised a shocked gaze to her face.
His eyes glazed over with pain and rage. “You bitch.”
JB charged. Lily scrambled up the steps, but he snatched her ankle again and yanked. Covering her head, she left her body unprotected as her world flipped on end. She hit the cold granite wall, her breath escaping her lungs in a rush of air.
He reached for her. She kicked at him.
“Hold still.”
She lashed out harder. He jerked her upright and threw her against the steps, the sharp edge digging deep. Hot spasms shot through her back.
Lily stretched for her ankle holster. Her fingers brushed the second metal grip frame. Come on, baby. Come to Momma. She spread her fingers wide.
He wrapped his massive hands around her neck. Murder flickered in his black eyes. He squeezed, crushing her throat. Lily clawed at his steel-trap hold.
She wasn’t going to die tonight. Not at this bastard’s hands. Lily kicked hard, her steel-toed boot connecting with his groin.
He bellowed and doubled over.
Bringing the heel of her palm up, she smashed it against his nose. The soft cartilage cracked.
He roared and snagged both her hands, slipping them into a one-handed grip and pinning them behind her head. The other found Lily’s throat. Again.
Darkness lurked at the edge of her vision, the stars in her cloudy mind beginning to dance and twirl. Lily battled it. Fought it hard, even as her body surrendered to the darkness closing in on her.
A sudden, sharp release jerked Lily back to consciousness. She coughed and gasped for breath. Pushing her badly bruised body up, she scurried away from his murderous grip.
“Yes, sir. I understand, sir.”
She scrambled farther from his reach. How had he put such a beat down on her? What was he? Some freaking genetically engineered solider? Lily glanced around, spied the 9 mm and lunged for it.
The hard heel of his boot landed on her outstretched hand. She bit back the groan that rose in her throat.
“Not so fast, bitch.” He grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked upward. “Rowland wants to see you.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Thursday, October 2, 10:35 p.m.
THE MAN COULDN’T have disappeared. People didn’t just vanish into thin air. Derek swept the open chamber for John. Came up empty.
Where the hell are you, John?
Derek made another pass along the wall. This time, he dragged the palm of his hand over it. Maybe he’d get lucky and find something. His palm rose a fraction. He paused, then backed up. Closing his eyes, Derek focused and ran his hand over the spot once more.
His palm rose again.
He stopped and pressed hard on the wall. A door swung open, and a hallway appeared. This wasn’t on the building schematics. Derek reached into his pants pocket, pulled out the tiny flashlight and flicked it on. The corridor sloped down and to the right.
Heart pounding, he made his way into the dark hallway, sweeping the light to the right and left. John was nowhere. Derek moved farther into the gloom. All five of his senses were on high alert.
“Well, isn’t this interesting?” a soft female voice sounded behind him.
Derek spun. Gina?
She raised her gun and shot him point-blank.
His body jerked. His head cracked against the stone wall as he went down.
Hard.
The world tilted on its edge as Gina Elsworth walked away.
* * *
DEREK’S VISION FOCUSED, sharpened. He pushed himself up and winced. The bitch shot him. He pawed at his chest. No blood. Thank goodness for body armor.
A tiny light to the left spread out from under a crack and caught his attention. He moved quietly, gun drawn. He flanked the opening, pressed himself to the wall and took a deep breath.
Kicking the door open, Derek rushed into the tiny room. John sat slumped in a chair. Gina spun around, staring at Derek as if she’d seen a ghost.
He cocked his gun. “Give me one good reason not to blow your head off.”
Gina tilted her head to the side. “I shot you.”
“You missed.”
Gina smiled. Why the hell is she smiling? Has she lost her mind?
“See this?” She held up a vial. It was empty. Derek’s stomach tightened. He’d seen vials like that before. Nothing good ever came from them.
“It’s a biochemical weapon I’ve been developing for the government. It was full. Do you know where it is now?”
He glanced at John. He was pale, his skin clammy. “I’m guessing you’ve killed him with it.”
“No. He’s not dead. Yet.” She laughed and held up another vial. “This is the antidote. It’s the only one we have. He needs it within the next four minutes.”
Derek couldn’t wrap his mind around the situation. He’d expected to encounter Rowland tonight. But Gina? No way in hell had he seen this one coming.
“Why are you doing this?”
“He tried to kill my children. He tried to kill me.” She gave Derek a strange look. “Wouldn’t you do anything to keep your loved ones from danger?”
Derek narrowed his eyes. She had a point there. No matter how fucked her logic was. “But why’d you try to kill me?”
“He tried to kill my children. He tried to kill me.” Her voice trembled and she pointed at Derek. “You work for him. How do I know you aren’t here to finish the job?”
Derek studied her and, strangely, understood her motives. Derek glanced between Gina and her husband. He hadn’t seen any of this shit coming.
Tears streamed down her face. “He had to pay. Don’t you understand that? Now, you have a choice to make, G.I. Joe.”
G.I. Joe? Really?
“Save him. Kill me. Your choice.” She tossed the vial into the air and ran for the door.
Derek dove for the vial as she disappeared from sight.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Thursday, October 2, 10:38 p.m.
JB OPENED THE DOORS to Rowland’s office and shoved Lily into the sweeping space. “Nice knowing you, bitch.”
Lily ignored the remark, focusing on the man who most likely wanted her dead. Rowland sat at his desk, the back of his chair hiding him. “I didn’t expect to find your guard dogs sniffing around the place, Rowland.”
“Ah, that sweet Southern accent of yours is missing. Such a shame. I rather enjoyed it.” He swung his oversize leather chair around. His face was set. Darkness flicked in his green eyes. “Tell me, Lily, did you honestly think I wasn’t aware of your little game?”
Her body tensed, a million needles biting into her skin. How had he discovered her real name? She went still. Jackson. If Jackson had sold her out, had he done the same with Marcus or Evelyn? With Derek? If he had, she was going to kill him when this was over, and not even bat an eye.
Rowland rose from his chair and walked toward Lily. She resisted the urge to back up—not that she could go anywhere with his thug breathing down her neck—and didn’t break eye contact with him.
“You’re good, I’ll give you that. But there was just something too familiar about you for me to let it go. So after our little meeting at the Boiler Room, I did some digging into past associates that I’d...disposed of.”
Lily didn’t take her eyes off Rowland as he moved closer to her. Familiar? Disposed? Where the hell was he going with this? Her throat grew tighter with each step he took toward her.
“Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across these photos.”
He held up two faded, sepia-toned photographs. Lily blinked slowly. In one, her mother’s beautiful face stared back at her. Laughing. Carefree. Alive. In the other, her mother was on the floor, lying in a pool of blood, a single bullet in her forehead. The room began to spin. Lily’s eyes flicked between the pictures and Rowland.
“And just like that—” he snapped his fingers “—I knew why you looked so familiar. Because I knew your mother, intimately.”
“Bullshit.” She lunged for him, but JB’s fingers dug deeper into her arms.
“No, that’s your department.” Rowland pointed at her. A sick grin twisted his handsome features into something dark, evil. He stepped closer and tipped her chin up, catching her in his death gaze. “I knew both of your parents, Lily Andrews, met them in Italy at a beautiful vineyard. Should have known they were plants. But your mother...she knew just the right words to say, how to articulate them. They worked perfectly on me, until—”
Rowland faltered. A pained look flashed in his cold killer’s eyes, and for a brief moment in time, the cool, detached facade lifted and humanity descended over his face, and with it grief, brokenhearted rage and unexplainable suffering. Then, just as quickly, it was gone. He cleared his throat, all humanity vanishing.
“Someone in my compound sold me out to the CIA. They killed my family.” His voice was dark, murderous. “As they were the only Americans on my payroll at the time, I did what any man in my position would do. I killed them.”
Lily shook her head, disbelieving. “You didn’t.”
“I did.” He let go of her chin and pushed his face close to hers. “And I will do the same to you. How do you think I got to where I am today?”
A wave of grief crashed into Lily. Her parents had died at this man’s hands. How many more people were going to meet the same fate? Flipping her eyes to his face, she focused the pain, the rage, the agony into a single target: Rowland James.
“Apparently by murdering your way to the top,” she said in a low, I-will-kill-you tone. “But it stops here.”
Within a breath, Rowland swung his powerful arm. His heavy gold knuckle ring connected with her face. Stars burst behind her eyes. Her knees buckled slightly. Spitting out blood and saliva, she focused her breathing and pushed against the advancing black.
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