Hard and Fast

by Raven Scott

  Not that Lucas was contemplating the same thing. What had happened with Alex just hours earlier was a one-time thing. He had no intention of encouraging something more between them. He preferred his relationships to be less complicated and less intense.

  Thankfully, Ned didn’t really require a response to his statement, and Michael’s voice came through the earpiece with an update.

  “We have a match to the photo you sent. His name is Frank Nunez from Chicago. Security manager for a venture capitalist company called Red Creek,” Michael outlined. “No criminal record, nothing else noteworthy.”

  Ned and Lucas discreetly unmuted from their earpieces.

  “Chicago? That can’t be a coincidence,” Ned muttered. “Do we have any info on his movement over the last few days?”

  “Yup, looks like he arrived in Toronto Thursday afternoon,” confirmed Michael. “I’ll get Laura at headquarters to do a full review of all his activities since he arrived.”

  “What about this company, Red Creek?” Lucas asked. “Any obvious ties to the auto industry?”

  “Nothing I can see immediately from their Web site or media clippings,” Michael told them. “They seem more focused on buying out small to medium-size companies, then liquidating their assets and intellectual property.”

  “Okay, thanks, Michael. Let’s see if Nunez makes contact with Petrov while he’s here.”

  The team went on radio silence for another thirty minutes or so, but Nunez didn’t appear to be in any hurry. They watched as the middle-aged man ordered another glass of wine followed by a prime rib dinner.

  “I’m hitting the head,” Lucas eventually announced. “I’ll scope out the back area while I’m there. Let me know if anything changes with the target.”

  “You got it,” Ned replied.

  Lucas stood up from the barstool and casually walked to the right side of the pub, following the sign to the restrooms. As he walked down a narrow hall, he passed a row of autographed pictures that caused him to pause.

  “Boys, I’ve got something,” he said quietly. “They have a wall of photos, all related to car racing. There’s everything from signed portraits, shots from race events, three pictures inside the bar with guys wearing racing jackets. Looks like Red Inferno has hosted events for at least one team.”

  “Anyone you recognize?” Michael asked.

  “Not yet, except from the sponsor logos,” Lucas stated as he walked along the line of twenty or so pictures. “Shit! The racetrack. There’s picture from the racetrack that the Magnus race team uses for trials. I’m going to get images of each of these. There has to be something here that will connect back to who’s targeting Magnus.”

  “Lucas, I hate to rush you, but Nunez is getting ready to move.” Lucas was working his way through recording each of the framed photos. “He’s paid his bill and headed toward you.”

  “Got it,” replied Lucas, who looked down at his phone when the target entered the back hallway.

  But instead of turning into the door labeled for the men’s restroom, the older man brushed by Lucas and went through a door at the end of the hall labeled as private.

  “Tracking him into the back of the building,” Lucas whispered as he easily reached under his jacket and unlocked his pistol inside the shoulder holster.

  “I’m at your back,” Ned acknowledged.

  “I’ve got eyes on the back door. All quiet on my end,” confirmed Lance.

  Lucas paused by the closed door Nunez had gone through and listened for any activity. After a few seconds, he pushed it open with his left shoulder, keeping his right hand in easy reach of his gun. Through the exposed crack, he could see a passageway leading farther into the space.

  “I’m going in,” he notified his team, then stepped fully into the space.

  It was a hall with a door on the right. From the sounds and clanging and running water, Lucas knew it led to the kitchen. In front of him was a door that led outside, and beside it, a staircase to the upper level of the building. He took the stairs two at a time, careful not to make any noise. A few steps near the top, he paused hearing voices. Lucas pressed his back to the wall and went up farther until he could see into the room.

  There were three men: Nunez, Petrov, and a third whom Lucas instinctively knew was the unidentified subject who had planted the incendiary device. They were talking, but based on where they were standing in the room and the angle of the staircase, Lucas couldn’t make out the words. Then there was laughter, and the sound of their voices moved closer to his position, suggesting they were headed toward the staircase. He backed down as quickly as possible, taking the fastest cover, which was the rear exit to outside.

  “Ned, the targets are on the move,” he whispered to the others as he quickly pulled out his gun and darted behind one of the parked cars. “There are three of them including our mystery suspect.”

  “I got ’em,” Ned added. “Petrov and his partner went back upstairs. Nunez is leaving through the front.”

  “Lance, can you make your way to the front and get the license plate?” Lucas asked. “Then let’s meet back at the truck.”

  “You got it,” the ex–Army Ranger replied.

  Lucas waited a full minute before he retreated through the back parking lot and around the side of the building, then casually to their rented vehicle parked a block away.

  They were driving back to their client’s location within five minutes. By the time they arrived at almost seven thirty that evening, Michael had Laura, the Fortis analyst at headquarters, running search strings to assimilate all the new information uncovered. Evan and Sam had also sent the details needed to implement the Omega protocol.

  “Let’s see what Laura can uncover by tomorrow to confirm who exactly Nunez is working for,” Lucas stated as he and Lance started packing up their things. “Then we can hand over the security footage from the fire to the Toronto police. They’ll be able to round up Petrov and the other guy pretty quickly, and we can track Nunez to his boss.”

  “His rental car is now parked at a hotel near the airport,” Michael told them from his seat behind the laptop. “Looks like he’s headed back to Chicago.”

  “Good. That will get us to our target faster. Maybe we’ll only need to tuck Cotts away for a few days before we can shut this thing down,” Lucas added, then checked his watch. “I’m going to get moving to take her home. Michael, Ned, I’m going to make a digital copy of the Magnus storage server. Then I’ll do a full system restore to ten days ago, prior to any updates about the Cicada testing.”

  “You want to bait them into another network attack?” Ned asked.

  “No, just covering all our bases until we solve this,” explained Lucas. “Let’s not underestimate them again. If they’re still after the Cicada design as well, then they’ll try again and soon. If they get in, then the data will be stale.”

  “And we’ll be here to take them down,” Michael confirmed.

  “That’s what I’m counting on,” Lucas added with a quick grin. “Ned, I’ll confirm a rendezvous time later tonight.”

  “You got it, boss.”

  “Cotts should be ready to go. I have her list of requirements, and I left her to make any calls needed,” Michael noted.

  Lucas slung his duffel bag across his chest, and said bye to his team. He found Alex in her office, sitting on the edge of her desk and staring into space with her cell phone in her hand.

  “All set?” he asked in a soft tone as though not to startle her.

  Alex blinked a little and straightened up.

  “Yeah,” she replied in a firm voice.

  As Lucas watched her put her cell phone, iPad, and a few other things in her purse, he had to admire her fortitude. Though she looked calm and resolved, he knew she must have some trepidation about what was to come.

  “All set,” she added as she met him in the doorway.

  He looked down at her face with its strong chin and bright, sharp eyes and felt the strong urge to touch h
er, hold her, give her the reassurance that she must certainly need. Lucas tightened his fists from the effort to resist. Instead, he waved her in front of him.

  “Did you speak with your family?” he asked as they walked out through the back of the building.

  “Just my dad and Adrian,” she explained. “Adrian will tell my other brothers, and I’ll tell Noelle tonight. You know, she’s going to think I’m taking off with you.”

  Lucas smiled to himself since Alex sounded more mischievous than concerned about the idea.

  “Stranger things have happened. And it could work in our favor. Where did you say you were going for vacation?”

  “Europe.”

  “Good choice. We’ll create a profile to match,” he told her.

  “Michael said the same thing, but what exactly does that mean?”

  “It means that we’ll reprogram your cell phone SIM card to point to wherever we want. So anyone that’s looking for your digital footprint will find you there. Any pictures you take will be coded to the right coordinates.”

  “Not sure how that will work. The pictures won’t exactly have the Eiffel Tower in the background,” she shot back sarcastically.

  “Minor details,” he assured her, then smiled again when she scoffed at the suggestion.

  They were outside, and Lucas opened the passenger door to the truck. The area around the building was quiet and deserted.

  “So, what happens now?” she asked while they drove out of the parking lot.

  “We’ll leave this truck at the hotel and drive your car home,” he explained smoothly. “Then, you need to pack a suitcase suitable for a trip overseas for a few weeks. You’ll get a good night’s sleep, then we leave at dawn. But first, we’ll get some dinner. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving, actually.”

  “Let’s grab something on the way, then we’ll eat at your house.”

  They drove around the block to the hotel, then switched to her Porsche from there. Alex let him drive. They were on the highway with a few more minutes of silence.

  “Did you find the guys that set the fire?”

  Lucas looked over at her, speculatively. In every mission, there was a decision made on how much information should be revealed to the asset under threat. Too much could cause panic and irrational behavior, not enough might lead to reckless and uncooperative actions. Sometimes, their client made stipulations up front, but in this case, Marco Passante had already shared all aspects of the mission with Alex.

  “We did,” he confirmed, making the gut decision to provide full transparency, at least for now. “Hopefully, they’ll lead us to whoever paid them to do it.”

  “That’s great!” she exclaimed, clearly relieved by the news. “Sounds like I might have to cut my European tour a little short. How unfortunate.”

  He looked over at her profile, amused by her sense of humor, but still surprised by how well she was dealing with his situation. They made the rest of the drive to her town house in silence, stopping to order burgers from a local restaurant. Lucas parked in her driveway then carried both of the travel bags into the house while she held her purse and a paper bag with their meals.

  When they got inside, her cousin Noelle was sitting in the living room watching television. Lucas gave a polite hello then took Alex’s overnight bag up to her room before doing a full security sweep. He also wanted to give Alex some time to tell Noelle about her trip in private.

  When he returned to the living area about ten minutes later, Alex had food set out on plates in the kitchen and she was a few bites into her burger. Noelle watched his progress across the room with suspicious and questioning eyes, but she didn’t say anything. Lucas sat down beside Alex and started eating.

  “Noelle doesn’t believe that I’m vacationing by myself. She thinks I’m taking off with you in secret,” Alex suddenly announced to break the awkward silence.

  Lucas continued eating calmly.

  “Did you explain to her that I’m providing security detail in Toronto? My job ends when you leave tomorrow,” he finally replied in an even, casual tone.

  “I did indeed, but she watches too many old movies.” She flashed him a big smile with her eyes sparkling mischief. “Apparently, it’s obvious that I’ve fallen for your pretty charms, and you’re whisking me off to take advantage of my unfortunate situation at work. Her words, not mine.”

  Lucas wanted to laugh, but he didn’t take the bait. She really enjoyed stirring things up. He just finished his burger in one more bite while looking back at her stoically.

  “See, Noelle? Mr. Johnson is paid strictly to provide protection. He has absolutely no interest in taking advantage of me.”

  Lucas still held her gaze, refusing to back down from what they both knew was the truth. He had wanted her the moment she had sat down in front of him in the restaurant, and certainly still did. The chemistry between them was vibrating at a low frequency that was impossible to ignore. But that did not mean he meant to act on it again.

  “I’m going to pack,” Alex finally stated before heading off up to her bedroom.

  Apparently, Noelle was too embarrassed by her cousin’s outburst to stick around, which left Lucas to himself to read through all the details and logistics sent to him by his partners.

  Fortis had secured a large housekeeping cottage on Skaneateles Lake in upstate New York. The area was quiet in the spring, which made it easier to secure, but close enough to Auburn and Syracuse in order to get supplies or receive shipments. The property also had a large shed that would be converted to a workshop for Alex to work on the engine.

  Lance and Ned would pick him and Alex up at six o’clock in the morning for the drive to the Island Airport. From here, Ned would pilot a small, leased seaplane to their destination. The cottage was fully stocked, and the housekeeping services would include the delivery of groceries and other basic supplies. They only had to bring their bags.

  Lucas sent Ned and Lance a quick note to confirm their plans for the morning, then went back to work reviewing the portfolio Michael had pulled together on what they knew about Nunez, Petrov, and the third man. At ten o’clock, he went upstairs to check on Alex and suggest she get some sleep.

  CHAPTER 16

  Alex had managed to get about five hours’ rest. Packing had proven to be more challenging than she had anticipated. It started out simple, with a few piles of jeans, yoga pants, T-shirts, and a couple of hoodies suitable for work. Then it hit her. She might end up away with Lucas for the next five, maybe six weeks. Should she bring anything a little more feminine? Maybe a casual dress, at least one pair of nice shoes. A blouse. That decision took a long time. Even asking herself the question forced Alex to think about why. And about what happened in the hotel room.

  Eventually, she figured it was better to be safe than sorry, adding a few items suitable for something other than working.

  Sunday morning, Alex was up by five thirty to take a long shower and pack up her toiletries. The skies were a clear blue, the morning air was still chilly in late April. She dressed in comfortable cotton twill pants and a light sweater. Noelle had said good-bye the night before, so Alex crept downstairs without waking her. Lucas was waiting by the front entrance, wearing all black and looking serious. There were a few polite words of hello before he loaded her things into the large black truck parked out front. She tied up her sneakers and took a short trench coat out of the closet, then grabbed her purse.

  “All set?” Lucas asked when there was nothing left to do but leave.

  “Ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied in a tone that was much lighter than she was feeling. “Do I get to call shotgun?”

  His lips quirked.

  “We have a short ride. You’ll be fine in the backseat.”

  Alex shrugged and followed him into the car where Lance was in the driver’s seat and Ned was beside him. Lucas opened the rear passenger door and helped her into the spacious interior. Then he walked around the side to sit beside her.


  “We’re driving to the Island Airport,” he told her after Lance started up the car. “Then we’re taking a small plane into Upstate New York. We’ll get you some coffee and a bite to eat before we take off.”

  “You might have mentioned that earlier,” Alex protested. “You’re lucky I thought to bring my passport as part of this elaborate ruse.”

  “Don’t worry, it’s not needed. We’ve already provided the required travel documentation to U.S. Immigration,” he explained.

  “Wow, okay,” she breathed. What world did these people live in where that was possible? “Can you tell me more about where we’re going now, or am I still on a ‘need to know’ basis?”

  “I will tell you whatever you want to know, Alex,” he replied patiently. “As long as you remember that you cannot reveal anything to anyone that doesn’t align with your cover of being on vacation overseas. That includes Marco.”

  “I understand,” she conceded.

  “Good.”

  Lucas then proceeded to tell her about the cottage they would stay in for as long as needed. Alex was excited to hear that there was a work shed on the property that was solely for her use, and relieved to know that all of her supplies were already on their way. Though how that was accomplished so quickly was beyond her comprehension.

  The rest of the trip went by quickly. As promised, Alex was able to get a hot fresh cup of coffee and a toasted bagel in the airport. Then, they were on a flight into New York State in a small eight-seater amphibian plane piloted by Ned. It took off on the tarmac, then landed smoothly on a beautiful, still lake about fifty minutes later. She felt more and more like Alice in Wonderland every minute.

  Lucas helped her exit the plane and onto the long, wooden dock with a boat tethered on the other side. From there, steep wooden steps led up a hill to a modern home on the landing. The large windows along the back of the house reflected the blue skies and sparkling sunlight. The men were busy unloading the bags and other cargo, so Alex made her way up to the house, looking around at the lush, manicured landscaping that surrounded the property. The work shed was a modest structure about the size of the double garage and situated in the back corner of the lot, almost at water’s edge.