by Bianca D’Arc
He’d thought they’d gotten beyond that kind of thing. Way beyond. But apparently not. He’d been wrong about her. Wrong about the trust he’d thought had been building between them. Wrong about the love that had blossomed in his heart, only to be shot down.
“Satellite is streaming in ten, Commander.” John’s voice broke into his silent reverie.
Matt gave the nod to dim the lights so they would be able to see the projection more clearly. He pushed aside the awkward minute of silence that had fallen in the room and allowed the darkness to engulf him. All eyes turned to the screen, watching intently as the video feed came to life.
The images were grainy at first, then clarified. Even Matt was impressed with the quality of the image. The CIA had access to some truly nifty toys in orbit.
“The structure at the top right of the screen is the farmhouse,” Matt informed those gathered, using a laser pointer to highlight the area on the screen. “This is a small utility shed and this larger building here is the barn, according to the county assessor’s report. The last onsite visit was in May of last year, so keep in mind that things may have changed since then.”
“Activity in the southwest quadrant,” John pointed out.
“I see him. Anybody recognize him?” Matt solicited the room at large.
The man was a little too indistinct.
“I can zoom in,” John volunteered.
“Do it,” Matt ordered, watching intently.
The man was leaving a small outbuilding that wasn’t on the assessor’s plans. The individual was heading for the farmhouse at a brisk pace. If they didn’t identify him now, they could lose their chance of doing so later. The satellite stayed overhead for only a few minutes at a time.
John punched keys on his laptop and the image zoomed. It grew grainier for a second, then resolved. Matt heard a familiar feminine gasp. His gaze swept down the table to Sandra. She sat rigid in her chair, her eyes glued to the screen.
“That’s Rodriguez,” she whispered. Turning toward Matt and meeting his gaze in the gloomy room, she spoke in a firmer voice. “That’s definitely Dr. Rodriguez.”
Satisfaction flowed through him. They’d just caught a big break.
“All right then.” He nodded his thanks to Sandra for speaking up and confirming what he’d already surmised. The man hadn’t changed too much from his file photo. His hair was a little longer, but other than that, Dr. Rodriguez hadn’t altered his appearance much, the overconfident bastard. Matt forced himself to look around the table at the rest of the team. “You all know what to do. I want to have our team in place tonight before dark. We’re going to take him down.”
Matt motioned for Sandra to stay after the meeting. He had a few things he wanted to say to her before the action started again.
“Sandra, you’re on lockdown. I don’t want you leaving this building until further notice.”
“You can’t be serious. The guy who was after me is gone. I doubt I’m in much danger now.”
“You’re in danger every minute until Rodriguez is apprehended. Don’t doubt it. If Leroy Mertle,” he stumbled over the name, “could come on and off base with impunity, what makes you think someone else in Rodriguez’s employ can’t do the same?” He paused a beat before continuing. “No, you’re still in danger until the threat has been completely neutralized. To me, that means until Rodriguez is in my brig.”
“If this is some kind of revenge for my not telling you about…” She trailed off, seemingly unable to finish.
“About what?” He couldn’t resist taunting her. “You know what? Forget it.”
“It’s obvious you haven’t forgotten anything,” she muttered.
“Damn straight I haven’t forgotten. How could I? You lied to me, Sandy. That’s not something I can forget.”
“I never lied.” Her tone was adamant.
“By omission, you certainly did. I knew you were keeping something from me and I should’ve trusted my gut instincts, but I rationalized my concerns away. I didn’t think you would keep something that could have been vital to our mission from me. I trusted you to be straight with me on that at least. Turns out I was wrong.”
“Tell me how knowing I’d forgotten to close a door”—her voice broke on the word—“could have made a difference to our mission!”
She had a point, but he wasn’t about to give in.
“I didn’t want to get into this with you now.” He ran one hand through his hair. It was shaking slightly and that small loss of control annoyed him even more. “In fact, I’m done. You have your orders. Follow them. And don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.” He purposely looked down at the papers that littered the table in front of him, dismissing her.
“I’m not one of your soldiers. I don’t have to follow orders.” She nearly spat out the words and her body trembled in anger. “In fact, I’m done. With this mission. With this team. And especially with you.”
She stormed out of the room and he followed but stopped short upon finding Simon just outside the door, waiting for him. He had his arms crossed before his chest and stepped in front of Matt when he would have pursued the fleeing woman.
“Let her go.”
Matt thought about his options. He didn’t seriously think Sandra would do anything risky or foolish. She probably just needed a chance to calm down.
He slammed his hand against the door frame. “All right. Gather the men. I want to go over the battle plan.”
“You gonna be okay, skipper?” Simon’s voice was pitched low.
“No,” he answered honestly. “But I’ll survive.”
Sandra was so angry she thought maybe steam might be coming out of her ears. She was also hurt. She felt like her heart was breaking all over again. Tears blinded her as she reached the door to the stairwell. She didn’t really know where she was going. She just had to get away. Away from Matt. Away from the accusation in his eyes. Away from her guilt.
Of course, she knew there was no getting away from the guilt that followed wherever she went. In a way, it was a relief to have the truth out in the open. Sure, Simon despised her and Matt wasn’t far behind. All in all, it turned out about the way she’d expected.
The only consolation was Mariana’s understanding and Donna’s compassion. Remembering that, she headed for the lab. She was about to enter when she heard voices from within the room.
“I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes right now. The commander looked really ticked off,” Donna said. She didn’t know the half of it.
“It’ll blow over in time,” Mariana assured her. “But for now, I think they’re in for a rocky road. Matt Sykes doesn’t seem the type to forgive or forget easily.”
Yeah, Mariana had that right. Matt wasn’t ever going to forgive her, Sandra thought.
“Are you concerned about Simon going out with the combat team tonight?”
“I worry whenever he goes out on a mission,” Mariana admitted. “This has all got to come to a head. The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned.”
“I feel a bit safer knowing the guy who kept infiltrating the base has been taken care of. I bet Dr. McCormick is breathing a lot easier on that score, too.”
Come to think of it, she was, Sandra realized. While there were still enemies out there, the only one she’d seen on base was this Leroy character. He was gone, so the most immediate threat had been removed. That didn’t mean she was totally safe yet, but it did give her cause to feel some relief.
She stepped away from the doorway and headed in the opposite direction. She didn’t want to see anyone yet. She needed some air.
Matt met with the combat team and finalized plans for the assault. They would go as soon as everything was set. The plan was to attack in what was left of the daylight so they could secure the living bad guys first, then wait till after dark to get any undead inhabitants who might be on the property.
The combat team would approach through the woods that bordered the farmhouse. That scrap of woo
dland meshed neatly with the base perimeter, which explained how the zombies were getting on and off base so easily. His men would use the same method to get to the farmhouse without being detected. Only, they weren’t going alone this time.
“Sir, I have to suggest once more that you are too important to this mission to be stomping around in the bush with us. You should stay here.” Simon, his oldest friend on the team, repeated his objection to Matt’s plan to go with them on the raid.
“Noted. But there’s no way I’m staying home this time.” He flashed Simon a bloodthirsty grimace.
After the day he’d already had, Matt wanted to get back in the action. His injury had sidelined him too long. The zombies he’d taken out after dinner last night had given him a fresh taste of real combat, and he missed it. If there was more action to be had, he wanted in on it, regardless of the fact that he was management and should rightfully be overseeing things from the sidelines. One more immune warrior on the mission was another few percent chance they would succeed. Matt was through sitting on the sidelines.
He also wanted something to do, other than sit around and think about how annoyed he was by Sandra’s actions. He’d thought they could have something special, and she turned out to have betrayed his trust. He wouldn’t get over that soon, even if his heart demanded some kind of resolution.
He was leaning toward forgiving her and asking her back in his life, which didn’t sit well in his mind at all. But his heart was dangerously close to taking control. It wanted her, no matter the cost in pride or self-control. It loved her. Scratch that. He loved her.
Damn. He’d been avoiding that word but it kept popping up. Regardless of what she’d done—what she’d told him, or hadn’t told him. He was still in love with her.
“Look, Matt,” Simon spoke quietly so that only Matt could hear. The other men were bustling around the room, readying their gear. “If you insist on doing this, at least stay to the rear. You haven’t operated as part of a team in the field in a long time. I don’t mean to insult your skills, but you know the guys have worked on group maneuvers more than you in recent weeks. They’ve established a rhythm. You know better than to mess with that, right?”
Matt sighed. “I do. And I understand your concern, Si. I’ll hang in the back, but I am going on this mission. I’ve sat on my hands too long, and I won’t be held back anymore when we’re finally drawing this thing to a conclusion.”
“I can understand that,” Simon allowed. “It’ll be good to have you along, skipper.”
“As long as I don’t get in the way, right?” Matt was able to laugh at himself and bring a grin to Simon’s face as well.
They were old warhorses. They’d been going on ops together since they were young SEALs. Matt’s injury had sidelined him too soon, and it had been some time since he’d been in the field. Simon knew that better than anyone, and Matt understood Simon’s warnings came out of friendly concern. He could respect that. As long as Simon could respect the fact that Matt would not be sidelined ever again. He was back in action now and would be for as long as his newly healed body allowed.
Matt checked his gear, loading the pockets of his combat vest with extra clips of darts. They’d need them after dark, he was certain. For the more ordinary foes, he made sure he had enough traditional ammunition for his favorite assault rifle. He’d missed going on missions with the big hunk of metal he kept well oiled and in peak condition. He’d put in a lot of quality time on the range and knew his skills were still sharp with his weapon of choice. He just hadn’t been allowed out to play in the real world with the big boys in far too long.
Simon was right to warn him off. He wasn’t in battle-ready condition to lead the team and he knew it. But he did have the skills to keep up and assist the rear guard. He’d plant himself in back and let Simon do the leading, as he’d been doing since this team formed.
“It’s your show, Si,” Matt reassured his old comrade. “I’ll hang in the back and be ready to follow your lead.”
Simon grinned as he finished loading his own vest. “It’s about time the roles were reversed.”
“I won’t let you down.”
The old friends shared a grin. Together the two had gone through a lot over the years and both knew they could depend on each other to be there when needed. The bond between brothers in arms was strong and even stronger between Special Forces brethren.
Chapter Fourteen
Matt ducked behind a tree and blended into the shadows, following Simon’s lead. They were through the convenient hole in the perimeter fence the zombies had no doubt been using and now entered the farm property. Simon led the team of ghosts through the woods toward the outbuildings where they’d begin their silent assault.
The soldiers were going to sweep from the outside in toward the farmhouse. There were a couple of small outbuildings hidden under the tree canopy. The first structure turned out to be a regular barn that held a rusty tractor and other farming implements that had seen better days. The team cleared it and moved on.
The second hidden outbuilding turned out to be a zombie safe house of sorts. Simon and the rest of the team began firing darts from every entry point. The door, windows, and even cracks in the old wood became portals for firing the nearly silent darts at the half dozen creatures that were hunkered inside the dim interior, hiding from the dappled sunlight that shone through the leaves.
The team waited a few minutes to be sure all the zombies disintegrated before moving on to the next part of the plan. The main barn waited, as did another small shed and the farmhouse itself.
Simon went ahead with the majority of the team, as planned. Sam and Matt acted as rear guard while the team cleared the main barn and the outbuilding.
“The shed is the lab. Couple of gurneys and some lab equipment. Nobody here right now,” Simon reported over the tactical frequency they all used. “The shed’s clear. Moving on to the farmhouse.”
After that, it was all rather anti-climactic. Simon and the team advanced through the house, finding it mostly empty. They encountered only minor resistance in the kitchen where two gunmen were posted, probably as security. The combatants put up a fight, so it was no surprise they both ended up dead, though Matt would have preferred to take them alive.
“Sir, you’d better get down here.” Simon’s tone hit Matt in the gut. He knew Simon was in the basement.
“What is it?”
“Rodriguez. We’ve got him cornered, but he has a hostage. He wants to talk to the man in charge.”
“Who does he have?” Matt asked as he double-timed it down the stairs, leaving Sam and most of the rest of the team on guard above ground.
Matt skidded to a halt at the bottom of the stairs. The area was open except for a few support beams and two people. One was Rodriguez. The other…
“Sandy.”
“Come no closer or the girl dies.”
What the hell was she doing here? Matt felt dismay fill him, and anger began to seep upward into his heart. That wouldn’t do. He had to keep his head. He had to stay cool. Emotions could only get in the way in a situation like this.
Rodriguez looked panicked. His hair was in disarray and his clothes were rumpled like he’d been caught napping. He had Sandra around the waist with one beefy arm and held a loaded syringe to her neck with the other.
“The contagion?” That had to be what he had in the needle. “You want to turn her into a zombie? Kill her like all the others you’ve murdered with your so-called research?”
Thank God the man didn’t seem to have a gun, knife, or other conventional weapon. Still, Matt would approach with caution until he was certain Rodriguez didn’t have anything more dangerous to Sandra on him than the syringe.
“She should have died long ago,” Rodriguez spat. “The minute she refused to aid my research, she signed her own death warrant.”
The relief that coursed through Matt at Rodriguez’s words was all out of proportion to the situation. Sandra had refused to help Ro
driguez, as she had claimed. She had been telling him the truth about that at least. With all that had happened, he had doubted her claims of innocence. But here was the man himself, clearing her of any collusion. A heavy weight lifted off of Matt’s heart. She’d been telling the truth when she said she’d rather die than help their enemies.
No matter what this looked like, he made a decision to trust her. He didn’t know how Sandra had ended up here, in Rodriguez’s hideout. He was sure that story would be a good one. It was time for him to take a leap of faith. He had to give her a chance. He only hoped it didn’t blow up in his face.
Matt edged closer.
“Stay back or I’ll kill her!” Rodriguez was wild eyed with fear and anger.
“You don’t want to do that. She’s your ticket out of here, right? Come on. Tell me what you want in exchange for the doctor.”
“I want a plane. A small plane with no transponder.”
Matt pretended to think. “Gee, planes are hard to come by, and it wouldn’t have anywhere to land close by around here. How about a helicopter. I can have one of those here in ten minutes.”
“Okay.” Rodriguez seemed to consider the offer. “Helicopter to an airfield. Then I want a plane and pilot.”
“Where would you go? You have to know you wouldn’t be able to land anywhere without us knowing.”
“I have my resources. I have allies you couldn’t even begin to imagine.”
“Admiral Chester? Ensign Bartles. I know you killed my previous assistant, Tim. I also know he was working for you and your so-called allies, spying on me. Did you seriously think I was so dull I wouldn’t notice a fox in my own henhouse? Give me some credit.”
