He stopped outside the door of the address he was given. S. J. Canalis, Private Investigator. A pale light broadcast through the frosted window from somewhere further back in the space. Lycos looked up and down the hall. Fuck. This. He extracted his forty-five from its shoulder holster.
His size thirteen boot landed beside the handle of the door and the flimsy door shattered around the lock. Lycos stepped through the opening. He leveled his weapon on the woman who sat behind the desk. He saw everything. Her eyes flicked to the gun on her desk. He made a show of pulling the hammer back on the weapon in his hand. The metallic click was louder than any explosion.
She lifted her hands and leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs, as if he was going to be distracted by her legs. Give him some credit. He wasn't a hormonal teenager. He moved forward and glanced down at her desk blotter. Thirteen names with lines running through them. There were four more. He nodded at the names.
“Decided to save you four… for seed.”
“As if I want to have more like them. May I ask why you’re taking my men out?”
Lycos leaned forward and pressed the weapon to the woman’s forehead. Her eyes grew huge as he advanced. “We are going to do this the easy way… to begin with.”
“So, you’re going to kill me?”
Lycos laughed and lifted the gun away a split second before he dropped the butt of it against the woman’s head in a resounding crack. She slumped in her chair. “No, bitch, you’re only going to wish you were dead.”
He made quick work of gagging and tying her up. He glanced at the clock on her computer. He had hours before the city would stir, longer before anyone would come to the nondescript office building, and even more before someone would notice the door to the office at the end of the hall was broken.
He searched the area and found a flat rate mailer in her top drawer. He chuckled as he turned off her cell phone and dropped it into the cardboard postal pouch. He did a hard shut down of the computer on her desk and quickly disassembled the tower collecting dust beside the desk. He pulled the hard drive and dropped it into the same box. Pulling a stickie off the top of the stack, he dropped a quick note on the paper and sealed the flat rate if it fits it ships container. If Bengal’s wife could find anything useful on the electronics maybe he’d earn a marker or two he could use in the future. He pulled his laptop out of his pack and removed the 2.5-inch hard drive. He had to rig the connection to the 3.5-inch hard drive sled he’d removed from the woman’s tower, but he managed it. He started his program and watched the monitor as the computer connection acquired the internet and downloaded a GPS map of the world. Perfect.
The woman groaned and winced as her head jerked up. He’d tied her hands to the arms of her chair and her feet to the prongs of the roller wheels.
“Well good morning, sweetheart.”
Lycos laughed at the fuck you noise she made.
He grabbed her hand and showed her the lock pick he held in his hand. “We are going to have a conversation.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, and this time enunciated around the gag, “Might as well kill me.”
“Oh, I plan on it, but I want some answers first.” He lifted her index finger and positioned the lock pick. “Why are you after the woman and the boy.”
“Fuck you.” The muffled, barely discernible words spewed around the gag.
Lycos felt nothing as the woman contorted in agony. Her screams, although muted, were horrendous and he should have been moved, but he felt nothing. This woman had sent men after his family. She’d coordinated the efforts. She was the one who knew the next step in the chain.
He waited until she regained consciousness. As her tear-streaked face lifted, he held up the lock shiv again. She screamed and shook her head back and forth. “Ready to answer questions?” She nodded and cried. “Why are you looking for the woman and the child?”
“Woman only.” The words were hard to distinguish through the gag, but he managed.
His eyes narrowed. That didn’t compute. Period. If they wanted to clear Harvey’s slate, they’d need to… Unless it had nothing to do with Harvey.
He cocked his head and smiled at her. “What does she know?”
“I don’t know!” The woman screamed the disclaimer over and over.
“Shhhh… okay, then you don’t know.” He waited for the woman to settle down. “What is the telephone number you call to report in?”
Her eyes went crazy wide, and she fell into hysteria as she cried, shaking her head.
“See, this is what we are going to do. You’re going to give me that number. No one will ever know. I’ll leave, and in a couple hours someone will find you. You can tell everyone it was a robbery. Your handlers won’t even have to know.”
She shook her head, still crying.
“Or we could do this the hard way.” He reached for her middle finger and positioned the shiv under the nail. She screamed again and begged.
Lycos leaned in, “What was that? You’ll give me the number?”
The woman really was a mess. Snot hung from her nose as she cried and nodded. He tapped her finger, making her jump. “I’m not a patient man.”
Getting the digits between the pleading cries was tedious, but in the end, he had the number. He took out his pay-as-you-go phone and dialed. She cried and shook her head back and forth, trying to push her chair away from him.
“You might want to be quiet, or they’re going to guess you gave me the number.” He listened to the phone ring.
A system of clicks and whirs commenced before a manipulated voice answered. “Who is this?”
“You’ll never know, but I know you. I know how to find you. I’m a black door asset which no longer belongs to your world, but I will come back, and I will find you.”
“What do you want?”
“The woman, forget she exists.”
“It isn’t that simple.”
“It is.” Lycos countered.
“I have people I answer to.”
“Then convince them. You won’t be my first kill, and just for your information the fact you are a woman doesn’t matter in the slightest to me. Evil exists in both male and female form.”
There was an audible pause, but the implication was that he’d guessed correctly. Stratus had long been rumored to be run by a female council known as the Fates. Moriah had told him that Guardian had captured one. “There are only two of you. Convince the other. Let this go.”
“What motivation do I have to do so? We can find you.”
“Thirteen men have tried. I can kill the other four in the field, now if you’d like, or you can remove them. I have already visited their pretty coordinator.”
“As is indicated by the GPS lock we have on you.”
“So, you know I am capable.”
“Why is the woman important to you?”
“Personal reasons.”
“When things get personal, life becomes messy.”
Lycos laughed. “I like messy. Comply or die.”
“What incentive do I have to comply?”
Lycos stood and turned to face the computer monitor. He cupped his hand to the phone and whispered, “Because if you don’t, I’ll come to 6900 Royal Palms Drive and I’ll kill you. You cannot hide from me. Leave her alone. Your word, Fate, or your death. Your call.”
“She is released. We will never go after her as long as you both stay in the dark.”
“Keep your word, Fate, or I’ll hunt you through the bowels of hell.”
“I don’t make commitments I can’t keep.”
“See that it stays that way.”
Lycos terminated the call and dropped the phone into his pocket. He yanked the smaller drive from the computer and tucked it into his inside coat pocket. Glancing at his broken watch, he decided to make one more call.
“Operator Two Seven Four.”
“Sunset clearance, third operative, tell Bengal to haul ass to my location. I have a present for him and disconnec
t this number from the switchboard. It may be compromised before he reaches this location.”
The woman chuckled. “You might want to hurry; I believe he is poised to strike. Goodbye, Third Operative, it has been a pleasure.”
Lycos hung up and gave the office one final sweep to ensure he’d left nothing. He looked at the woman. “Both the good guys and the bad guys are converging on this location will all speed. I wonder which one will win? If I were you and the good guys get here first? I’d roll hard on Stratus and the Fates and beg for protective custody. If your boss’ assets arrive first? You’ll be dead.”
He put his stolen ball cap back on and pulled it down over his face. The jarring of the stairs as he traveled down them didn’t hurt as bad as it had going up. Perhaps because the accord he just struck with the devil had taken some weight off the load he was carrying. He turned right out of the building and walked as quickly as a casual pace would take him. He needed a car and a way back to the mountains. At forty-three, he was finally ready to start his life.
Chapter 26
Lycos pulled into the covered and camouflaged parking area on his mountain and smiled. A fine sheen of dust and dirt covered Thanatos’ vehicle. His friend hadn’t had to leave. Lycos had abandoned his old truck, which was the only way Stratus could have tracked them to the mountain, in Charlotte before he purchased a new vehicle, in cash, under another name. He’d loaded it full of groceries, presents for both Bethanie and Ethan, and yes, a full case of gallon jars of peanut butter. He was home. He’d purchased a new laptop and checked to make sure the four men who were in the area searching for them had been called off. They were scattered across the continental US, but he’d be damn sure to keep track of those signals. He’d also bought twenty new wildlife cameras with motion detection activation devices with the intention to blanket the mountain. He’d know if anything came close.
He grabbed a few bags out of the cab and headed up to the back entrance of the cave. The trail had been used recently. He could see tracks for three sizes of humans and one dog. He keyed in his code and set the bags down as the door slid shut. Within seconds, Dog was at the edge of the cabinets, teeth bared in a fearsome snarl.
“You better knock that shit off,” Lycos growled back. He laughed as the dog twisted and jumped in the same action. The animal barked, which was rare, before it launched at him. One hundred and twenty pounds of wolf hair hit him, knocking him into the wall.
“Ryan! Mom! Ryan’s home!”
He absorbed the additional body that flung against him. Between the boy and the dog, he was covered from shoulder to floor. He glanced up as she flew to him. Her eyes glitter and her smile stretched from ear to ear. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he lifted her up. “You’re home!”
Fuck, yes. He was home. Finally.
He heard Thanatos entice Ethan out of the house. His friend got it. Lycos couldn’t explain how they made it to the bedroom, the walk up with her in his arms was a blur. But the world slowed down when he dropped her to the mattress. It slowed enough to register two individual heartbeats.
He wished he could have taken his time when he claimed her again, but his need to possess her, fill her, drove him to mount her like a wild man. She was with him, though. Her words pushed him harder and faster. She broke apart in his arms, and he shattered along with her.
She refused to let him move away and rolled on top of him. Her chin cupped on her hands as she laid on his chest. “Are we safe?”
“We are.” At least as safe as he could make them.
“And you won’t have to leave us again?”
“Not for any reason I can think of.” He reached up and ran his hands through her curls. Her hair was getting longer.
He listened as Ethan’s chatter and Thanatos’ laughter filled the bottom cavern. “I suppose we should go down and help unload the truck.”
Bethanie shook her head. “Let them do it. I need you inside me again. I need to know you’re home. For good.”
Oh! Shit! He sat up, and she scrambled to keep her balance. “There they are.” He moved her to the side and dashed out of bed, grabbing his jeans. He snatched them and jumped back in bed, launching her small body in a bounce as he hit the mattress. He pulled her back to him and slipped his hand in the front pocket of his jeans. “I got something for you.”
“You did? What?” She lifted up, the sheet pooling at her hips. God, she was beautiful. He withdrew his hand and opened his closed fist, exposing a black velvet box.
“What… is this a…”
He lifted the lid and watched her eyes flood with tears. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.”
“I haven’t asked you yet.” He laughed and rolled her over onto her back. “Bethanie Clark, would you marry me?”
Ryan really liked the way she chose to answer him.
Chapter 27
Thanatos waited until the family retired for the evening. He’d watched over Lycos’ woman and child, and he got it. He understood how Ryan could step away from his life for this woman and the boy. Hell, if he’d been lucky enough to be the person at the safe house when they arrived… he closed his eyes and rolled his shoulders. This wasn’t his destiny. Happiness on a mountaintop wasn’t his destiny. Although Bethanie was the type of woman he could see making sacrifices for. He’d even consider staying out here in the godforsaken wilderness for a woman like her, and the idea of an insta-family didn’t send him running away to the nearest bar, which said a lot about where his mind was planted.
He glanced at the kid’s jacket hanging on the peg next to the one he’d claimed from Lycos’ vast array of outdoor clothing. The boy was smart and funny, and he was a good kid. Yeah, he could see why Lycos walked away from Guardian. He had one hell of a bundle of incentive.
Thanatos slipped his feet into an old pair of Lycos’ hiking boots. The guy would have to deal with them going missing. He grabbed the coat he’d commandeered and turned to leave the cavern for the last time.
“Leaving without saying goodbye?” Lycos leaned against the cabinets. His massive watchdog ambled over and sniffed at Thanatos' feet. He’d never really gotten comfortable with the dog, but he trusted that the damn thing wouldn’t eat him. Maybe.
“No sense in making a scene.”
“Thank you for watching over them.” Lycos walked forward and extended his hand. “By the way, you’re the only human besides the three of us that knows this place exists.”
“Damn good thing I have a shit memory.” Thanatos took his brethren’s hand and clasped it. “You take care of those two. If you don’t, I’ll have to come back and kick your ass.”
“You could try.” Lycos smiled at him.
And that was something that he hadn’t seen before either. Thanatos dropped Lycos’ hand and nodded. “Have a great life, man.” He turned and headed out the back entrance.
“Thanatos?”
He turned at Lycos’ soft call.
“Dude, if you ever need a place to exist, off the grid, you come to me. To us.”
“I appreciate that, but I would never bring heat down on you or them.”
“By the time the next snow falls, this mountain will be rigged. No one will be able to get within miles of us. If you need me, I am here for you. I will always be here for you. Markers or no.”
Thanatos smiled and gave Lycos a two-finger salute before he keyed the code and left the warmth of the home Lycos had built. He ghosted down the dark trail to his vehicle. The road off the mountain was a slow drive, and Thanatos used the time to push all those pesky feelings back into the compartments he kept them in. He was the last of his group of Shadows. Well, except for Tempest, and no one really knew if he was alive.
He waited until he passed Charlotte before he turned on his phone. Notifications pinged for his dead drop email. He opened it and read the reporting instructions the code spelled out for him. He pulled a U-turn using the emergency cut-throughs and headed back to Charlotte and the airport.
Guardian needed him. That privilege would
have to be enough. His dreams of having what others had were just that, dreams. Thoughts like that were easily weeded from the graveyard plot where his previous life had been buried. What he did, and who he did it for, was his purpose in life. He existed to eliminate those who prayed on the weak, defend those who had no voice, and defeat those who would bring disaster to humanity. He was a Shadow, a warrior, and for a man such as he, that identity would suffice.
THE END
Continue on for a sneak peek of SEAL Forever by Kris Michaels!
Also by Kris Michaels
Kings of the Guardian Series
Jacob: Kings of the Guardian Book 1
Joseph: Kings of the Guardian Book 2
Adam: Kings of the Guardian Book 3
Jason: Kings of the Guardian Book 4
Jared: Kings of the Guardian Book 5
Jasmine: Kings of the Guardian Book 6
Chief: The Kings of Guardian Book 7
Jewell: Kings of the Guardian Book 8
Jade: Kings of the Guardian Book 9
Justin: Kings of the Guardian Book 10
Christmas with the Kings The Kings of Guardian
Drake: Kings of the Guardian Book 11
Dixon: Kings of the Guardian Book 12
A Backwater Blessing: A Kings of Guardian and Heart's Desire Crossover Novella
Montana Guardian: A Kings of Guardian Novella
Guardian Security Shadow World
Anubis (Guardian Shadow World Book 1)
Asp (Guardian Shadow World Book 2)
Lycos (Guardian Shadow World Book 3)
Everlight Series
An Evidence of Magic (Everlight Book 1)
An Incident of Magic (Everlight Book 2)
STAND ALONE NOVELS
SEAL Forever - Silver SEALs
A Heart's Desire - Stand Alone
Hot SEAL, Single Malt (SEALs in Paradise)
Hot SEAL, Savannah Nights (SEALs in Paradise)
FOR A SNEAK PEEK OF
SEAL Forever
Lycos (Guardian Security Shadow World Book 3) Page 24
