EDGE OF SHADOWS: The Shadow Ops Finale (Shadow Ops, Book # 3)

by CJ Lyons

  There was a hiss on the line as he sucked in his breath. “How do you know that? The man’s on every terror watch and no-fly list in the world. Why would he leave Razgravia to come here where he’s most vulnerable?”

  “Exactly why I need to go in tonight and see what’s going on at that lab. Can you imagine what kind of weapon is powerful enough to bring Grigor here? Not to mention the thought of Grigor and the Preacher’s people working together.” Their intel last week had suggested ties between the Razgravian dictator and the homegrown terrorist group, but they’d had no evidence. Until now.

  “They have a common goal: the collapse of our government.”

  “And a common enemy,” she finished for him. “Me.”

  “It’s a trap. Tailored for you, Rose. You can’t go.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Billy Price, when have you ever seen me go to the car wash or to the grocery store without assuming it was a trap? Of course it’s a trap. But if the bait is real, we can’t risk not checking it out.”

  He paused for much longer than was usual for him. She pictured his face. The little V that formed between his eyes when he was worried. The tiny crow’s feet that emerged when he concentrated. Wished he was right there with her—no, no, she didn’t want that. She needed him far enough away that he’d be safe from any repercussions if she was wrong. Needed him in a position to keep her team safe. Needed him nowhere near Grigor.

  She’d rather face the monster herself than risk Billy anywhere near the man. She closed her eyes, squeezed them hard enough to bring red flashes across her vision. Tried hard to squeeze away the memories of Razgravia. Billy didn’t know it, but he’d saved her from Grigor the first time.

  No way in hell was she giving Grigor a second chance.

  There was the sound of a car engine starting. “Billy, where are you?”

  “Leaving Susan’s. You’re not going, not if there’s a chance Grigor will be there. I’ll go instead.”

  This was hard enough without him getting emotional. God, how far had things fallen apart if suddenly Billy Price had lost his edge, and she was now the one arguing for logic?

  “If there is a bioweapon and Grigor finds you or the FBI or some local sheriff’s deputy or anyone else instead of me, what do you think he’ll do? This is a man who once massacred an entire village because they offered him stale beer.”

  “I hate the idea of you going without me,” he said finally, surprising her with his vehemence. “I don’t want you anywhere near that animal.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he didn’t let her. “I know it’s irrational, it’s illogical and borderline Neanderthal, but I can’t stomach the idea of you having to face that man again.”

  “No matter what happens, he will not win, Billy. I promise you.”

  “And if he’s not there? If it’s a setup? A ruse aimed specifically at you?”

  “I’ll be ready for that, too.”

  She thought she’d convinced him. But then he said, “No. I’m on my way. Wait for me. I need to see you before you leave. Please…” His voice dipped low and urgent. “Wait for me, Rose.”

  KC finally tore herself away from Chase and began to walk toward Rose.

  “No time, Billy,” she said, meaning so much more. “I’m sorry.”

  She hung up the phone and turned it off. Suddenly, the noise of the busy airfield and stench of aviation fuel felt overwhelming. She had the urge to run, find a dark quiet corner to hide in, to give herself a single moment to be human and set her feelings free.

  But, of course, she couldn’t. There was no time for emotions. There was never any time. The Team came first. Always.

  For the first time, Rose regretted the code she and Billy lived by. Wished there could be another ending to their story. But, no. He had Susan. She was good for him, she’d take care of him, make him happy in ways Rose never could.

  “We good to go?” KC said, worry edging her voice as she took the phone back.

  It took everything Rose had to relax the muscles of her face, keep her voice normal. “Yep. Wheels up in ten.”

  They crossed the tarmac in silence. Rose counted the steps, with each one forcing Billy out…his touch as he washed her wound and eased her pain this morning, the way his eyes lit up when he won a sparring match with one of the younger operatives, his confident stride ringing through the hall when he approached her office…all these and more she forced aside, locking them into a safe corner of her mind, not to be opened again until she returned home.

  <><><>

  Rose had hung up on him. Again. Billy cursed and hit the gas, ignoring the cheerful twenty-seven-mph speed limit signs spaced every twenty yards inside the country club gates. The guard frowned as he sped past and hit the public roads where he could really unleash the Audi.

  Damn the woman. He understood why she was doing what she was doing. Her tactics were sound: a two-man recon team could get in and out without arousing suspicion and bring home the data they needed. Real data, not speculation like they had now.

  She was also right about not calling in the FBI or other law enforcement. Not only would they not be able to control any intel leaks, they’d be limited by legal technicalities, such as probable cause and the like.

  No, Rose was right. And so very wrong.

  If Grigor really had left Razgravia to come to the US, it meant this was much bigger than anything they’d anticipated. With their manpower seriously limited because of the risk of a traitor leaking info, this was not the time for her to go rushing off.

  He hit the steering wheel with his fist, tried KC’s number again. Nothing.

  Knowing how the Preacher’s group worked, the bio lab in Savannah probably was real. And it was probably also a trap—whether or not Grigor would really be there. That was how the Preacher thought: everything operating on a variety of levels, multiple endgames, always leaving him room to maneuver. Just because he was dead, there was no reason to assume his acolytes were any less cunning.

  After what they’d done this morning on the Mall, they definitely were driven by more than ideology. Revenge, bloody revenge, that’s what they wanted from Rose and the Team.

  He gave up on KC and tried Chase. “You still at Andrews?”

  “Just cleared their gates. Did you know KC moved us to our bug-out location? At Rose’s suggestion. Middle of nowhere, halfway to Pennsylvania, for chrissakes.”

  “Not a bad idea after this morning,” Billy told him. “Can you turn around, try to stall them?”

  “You want to abort?” Chase’s tone was one of high alert.

  “Just want a chat with Rose before they go. Can you do it? Stop them?”

  “No. They took off just as we were leaving. What’s going on, Price?”

  “Rose has intel that Grigor may have exited Razgravia. That he’s here, visiting that bio lab.”

  “Shit. Does KC know?” He answered his own question. “Of course she knows. She’d never let Rose face that bastard alone. Damn it, Price, how could you?”

  “Give me a way to be two places at once and a tranq gun to use on Rose and maybe—” Billy stopped short as he spotted two pairs of headlights bearing down on him from behind. He was going eighteen miles over the posted limit and they were still gaining. Cops? Last thing he needed was to waste time being pulled over. He eased off the accelerator.

  “How good is this intel?” Chase asked. “Where’d it come from?”

  “EZ gave it to Rose. But I’d like to confirm it myself. And I need to talk to Hollywood, get an update from him. Plus, maybe ferret out more details before they reach the lab. Without tipping our play, of course.” Not like Rose and KC needed more to worry about once they hit the ground.

  “Let me help. I might have a bum leg, but the rest of me is working just fine. Where are you?”

  The two cars behind him hadn’t passed, despite Billy’s slowing to the speed limit. Instead, they were bunched up on him. Waiting. Watching. Damn NSD assholes. Couldn’t be the FBI, they’d have a bit more finesse
—out of professional courtesy if nothing else.

  “Just hit the edge of the nature preserve on Riverview, heading north,” he told Chase. “But I’ve got company. I’ll need to shake them first.”

  “What kind of company?”

  “Two SUVs. Black. Front plates obscured.” He reached the area where the road curved through wetlands to the right and the river to the left. “Suits looking to have a word about Rose’s no-show at Justice, no doubt.”

  “This time of night?”

  “I kinda pissed off Senator Payne,” Billy admitted, hating being forced to play these bullshit games when Rose’s life was at stake. Grigor. The mere idea of her going anywhere near that monster made his blood burn. “Guess this is her way of returning the favor.” Except it really wasn’t Susan’s style. Maybe they’d followed him to her place and, out of courtesy to a high-ranking senator, waited for him to leave?

  “Damn politicians.”

  Suddenly the SUV in the rear of their three-car convoy sped out into the empty lane opposite. There was no traffic in sight; the nearest lights were far across the water. Perfect place for an ambush.

  Billy hit the gas, the nimble sports car responding. Ahead, two more pairs of headlights winked into view. Boxed in. “This might be more than the NSD,” he told Chase. “These guys are making a move on me. And they brought friends.”

  “We’re six miles out, heading your way. They trying to stop you or—”

  The bullets flying from the SUV behind Billy were answer enough.

  Chapter 12

  Billy was surprised when none of the bullets tore through the soft-top convertible to hit their mark. Then he realized they didn’t want to kill him—they could've easily have done that already. Fast as the Audi was, it was no match for a bullet.

  They wanted him alive. Which meant he had some leverage—he could take risks they wouldn’t.

  The two SUVs coming at him took up both lanes, but this road was a little wider than a normal two-lane—extra room on both shoulders for people to park and enjoy the views of the Potomac on one side and the marsh on the other. Plus, it had some wide curves as it hugged the shoreline. Combine the two, and he might be able to create an opportunity to escape.

  “All in the timing,” he muttered as he shifted gears and began his play.

  “You okay?” Chase said. Billy had forgotten the phone was still connected. Another ace up his sleeve.

  “Just dandy. Getting ready to play chicken with two SUVs.”

  “Save some fun for us.”

  Chase he could count on for firepower—the former Marine never went anywhere unarmed—but not for any kind of ground work, not with that leg out of commission. And Chase’s kid brother? Last thing Billy wanted was to get a civilian caught in the crossfire.

  If this worked out, he might not have to worry. The spot he wanted was coming up. He sped up, leaving the two SUVs behind him in his rearview mirror, the two in front gaining alarmingly fast as they swung into the wide curve.

  Billy aimed the Audi between the SUVs, hoping they’d take the bait and crowd together. As they did, they also inadvertently steered closer to the inside of the curve, the side on the marsh.

  He held his course. So did they. Maybe they’d decided they’d rather have him dead than let him escape.

  His entire windshield was filled with their blinding lights, forcing him to squint to save some remnant of his night vision. Yet they didn’t slow. Neither did Billy.

  Wait for it, wait for it…now! As they hit the widest part of the curve, giving Billy room to maneuver on the outside shoulder, he twisted the wheel and shifted down, driving more power to the wheels as the car hit the gravel shoulder. The all-wheel-drive Audi shimmied in protest, and he had to fight to keep it from skidding out, working the paddle shifter and the brake in tandem.

  He heard the SUVs’ brakes squeal—the vehicles were so close together the noise filled the night. But ahead, the coast was clear. He aimed at the guardrail, keeping the Audi on the shoulder until the SUVs were past.

  At the last second, the SUV closest to him changed directions, ramming his rear quarter, sending the back of the Audi into the guardrail. The SUV, too heavy and going too fast to stop, skidded out of control, flying past the rear of Billy’s car and over the guardrail into the Potomac.

  Billy couldn’t do more than note the movement as it crossed his rearview mirror. He was too busy fighting to stay on solid ground as sparks flew, the guardrail and Audi colliding. He tried to use the impact to steer the car into the other direction, back onto the pavement, but a rear wheel got caught in one of the guardrail anchors, wrenching the entire car into a spin.

  He twisted the wheel, desperately trying to steer out of the skid that was taking him toward the river, but his speed and momentum were too strong. The driver-side front tire hit the guardrail so fast it practically drove up the metal even as it buckled it, launching the small car into the air like a skateboarder flying off a ramp.

  The embankment was high enough that the car made a full revolution in the air, Billy still twisting the wheel then holding it just to keep his bearings as the Audi flipped over before finally hitting the water, wheels down.

  The impact blew all the air bags, blinding Billy as his head crashed against the back of his seat. The water smacked against the car, and he flew up, jaws cracking together. His seat belt yanked him back down, then there was a sickening lurch as the water sucked him under.

  <><><>

  “Here’s what we have.” Rose huddled beside KC on makeshift jump seats attached to the plane’s cargo webbing. She held her laptop open so it rested on her left knee and KC’s right. “Plant’s owned by a Canadian company, licensed for biohazard waste removal, pays taxes and bills on time, no complaints or reason for anyone to take notice. A little more than nine thousand square feet, laid out on three floors, entrances here, here, and here.”

  KC stared down at the blueprints EZ had retrieved from county records, memorizing them. “How many people?”

  “This time of night, I’m hoping no one but security staff. Not if they’re legit. But if it’s the Preacher’s group and they’re aiming to go into full production mode…”

  “It’s a crapshoot. What’s the plan?”

  Rose hesitated a moment. KC knew she was holding something back, but didn’t challenge her. Not yet, anyway.

  “I’ll go in, grab any video I can, plant cameras and tap into their computers. You watch my back.”

  KC jerked her chin up at that, decided to purposely misunderstand. “Watch your back as I go in with you.”

  “No. You’ll be outside, making sure I have a clear exit, let me know if any unexpected visitors show up.”

  Rose wouldn’t split them up like that unless… “You think it’s a trap? Why? Do you suspect EZ?”

  “No. Not after the Preacher’s people came after him today, almost killed us both. But they know we have the hard drive, know we have experts working to decrypt it. What better way to set a trap than to dangle bait that’s real?”

  “So you think there really is a bioweapon?”

  “My money is on a derivative of fentanyl. Remember that hijacked shipment?”

  “You thought the Razgravians were behind it, maybe selling it to the Preacher.”

  “Still do.” Rose’s voice was grim, and she looked away. Razgravia was always a tough subject for her.

  “Fentanyl is a narcotic, lethal only in high doses. Not exactly a reliable WMD.”

  “Hence the lab. They’ll need to refine it to use as a weapon.” She explained about Dr. Rayburn’s stolen research. “Fentanyl is active ingested, injected, or inhaled. Liquid or gaseous, makes no difference. Combine it with a nerve agent like ricin, sarin, VX, or one of the blistering agents like HD—”

  “That’s the new mustard gas? The one that burns the skin and lungs?” Chemical warfare wasn’t exactly KC’s area of expertise.

  “Burns, blisters, and three times more toxic than cyanide. Point is, the
fentanyl might be the vehicle for a weaponized agent much more deadly. One that could be delivered by aerosol or in a liquid form.”

  “Anything else they could have in there?”

  “Not sure until I get a look at their equipment. Thankfully, EZ wasn’t able to find any evidence for deliveries of any viral processing or human pathogen equipment, but he did find invoices for chemical protection apparatus. Negative filtration hoods, stuff like that. Nothing out of the ordinary for a company processing medical waste, but still—”

  “It’s like building a puzzle without knowing what it’s a picture of.”

  Rose nodded at that. “A puzzle where all the pieces are the same shape and color. That’s why we need solid intel.”

  “But what’s the rush? Why not set up on the place for a few days, get a look at who’s coming and going?”

  “Because we may already be too late.” Rose met KC’s gaze, her expression bleak. “Our intel suggests that Grigor left Razgravia and arrived at the lab today. If he was picking up the bioweapon, helping the Preacher’s people distribute it, then—”

  “Then we’re talking millions at risk, and we have no idea when, where, or what they’ll be striking with.” KC’s stomach clenched. She wrapped her fist around one of the cargo net straps supporting the plank she sat on, blew out her breath and nodded. “If Grigor is working with the Preacher’s people, we can’t risk waiting.”

  <><><>

  Everything went fuzzy for a few seconds. Billy came to in the dark car. Pain ricocheting throughout his body. The air bag pushed against his chest. Cold water sloshed against his lap.

  Black water was rising around him, the glimmer of the dashboard warning lights reflected from it, giving him hope. Then they died. Leaving the car cocooned in dark silence.

  He reached for the window. Battery dead. He’d missed his opportunity to lower it. He could smash it out, but he’d have to wait for the pressure of the water outside the car to equalize. Given the freezing temperatures and how quickly the water was rising inside the Audi, there wouldn’t be time for that.