by LENA DIAZ,
He waved toward the large band of handcuffed mercenaries being led toward the trucks they’d brought for just such a purpose. “Twenty-three prisoners to figure out what to do with.”
Bailey patted her pistol at her side. “I have an idea about that.”
Kade gave her an admonishing look. “Judging by the hardened look of most of them, there are probably outstanding warrants or parole violations we can use to turn them over to law enforcement. Austin can help with the research.”
“On it,” Austin called out from a few feet away, his fingers flying over his computer tablet.
“And the rest?” Bailey asked.
“I know a place in the warehouse district with a great locking mechanism that can hold them until we figure that out.”
Jace nodded. “Good idea. As long as we cut Internet access from the computers and take away their cell phones, that’ll work great. Devlin? Mason?”
“Agreed.”
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Jace announced. “I pronounce this retraining facility officially closed.”
A loud cheer went up from the crowd, and they began to disperse, moving toward the vehicles that had been pulled up to the cave now that the fight was over. Austin drove his van. The large truck carrying the prisoners followed behind, with a contingent of Equalizers to guard it until they could secure the mercenaries at the warehouse. Before long, only the core group remained—Devlin, Mason, Jace, Kade, and Bailey.
As one, they turned from the cave and headed toward the Humvee they’d appropriated after the fight at the warehouse. They all piled in, with Jace behind the wheel and Devlin sitting beside him. Kade and Bailey sat in the second row of seats, with Mason in the back.
“What about Faegan?” Bailey asked. “Was he one of the prisoners or one of the dead?”
Everyone looked to Kade, and he suddenly realized that he was the only one who knew what Faegan looked like. He slowly shook his head. “He wasn’t one of the dead. I assumed he was one of the prisoners.”
“I’m sure he was captured, but I’ll double-check,” Devlin said. A couple of minutes later, he passed his phone back to Kade. “Austin sent an email. He took all of the prisoners’ pictures as they were loaded into the truck. He plans on running the pictures through facial recognition software to search for outstanding warrants. The program will take a while to run. In the meantime, do you see Faegan?”
Kade was already flipping through the photos and finished just as Devlin finished his explanation. “He’s not here. He must have left the cave before we got there.”
Devlin swore. “We need some pictures of Faegan. Finding him is imperative to make sure this thing is really over.”
“I’m sure I can locate some.” Kade reached for his phone, then stopped. “All I have is the burner phone I got this afternoon. Faegan took my FBI-issued phone when he picked me up at the computer lab. He switched it with the GPS tracked one that Dominic took back from me at the warehouse. I don’t have any of my photos.”
“What about the cloud?” Bailey asked. “Do you upload your pictures to a backup server?”
He nodded. “I do.”
She handed him her phone.
He tapped through the menus and logged onto his cloud server, finding several pictures of Faegan from company functions, pictures taken long before he’d turned against the honor for which the FBI stood. He handed the phone back to Bailey.
She looked at the screen. “I’m going to need everyone’s email addresses so I can send these pictures to you.”
Soon they were all studying the pictures on their phones.
“Did you send one to the email address I gave you for Austin?” Devlin asked from the front seat.
“Yeah. He should have it by now.”
Devlin punched some numbers on his phone. “Austin, yeah. Bailey just sent you some pictures of Faegan. We realized he wasn’t at the cave. If he saw us coming, he may have tucked tail and ran, didn’t even bother to warn his people. Can you . . . oh, you’re already doing it? Great. Thanks. Call me with any updates.”
He ended the call. “As soon as his phone buzzed with your email, he pulled over and went to work on the pictures you sent. He tapped into the facial recognition programs at Homeland Security.” He shot a look at Kade. “You never heard that.”
“Don’t have a clue what you’re talking about,” Kade said drolly.
Devlin smiled. “Anyway, if Faegan is on the run and tries to hop a bus, a train, or a plane anywhere, we’ll be notified.”
The Humvee fell silent, and soon everyone was glancing around at each other.
Kade was the one who broke the silence. “That was too easy, wasn’t it? At the cave?”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Bailey said.
“Me, too,” Jace added, glancing at them in the rearview mirror. “If they were taking in dozens of Enforcers to interrogate, the place should have looked like a maximum-security prison where we found that handful of Enforcers. But there were only two cells for holding prisoners. Kade, do you have a list of all of the Enforcers from when you began your mission, and who’s left to capture?”
Kade cleared his throat, fighting down bile as he thought about the numbers. “A lot of Enforcers went off-grid after Cyprian Cardenas was killed. Since they haven’t been seen or heard from again, Faegan agreed that searching their properties to destroy any leftover EXIT documentation was sufficient for that group. What remained was a list of . . . sixty-two names.”
Devlin cursed.
Bailey sadly shook her head, probably thinking about Hawke and her other friends in addition to the overwhelming number.
Kade swallowed hard and continued. “We freed six here today. There are two confirmed dead—Hawke and Sanchez. Subtracting the ones my team hasn’t captured yet, that leaves twenty-seven that Faegan needs to account for when we find him.”
Devlin nodded. “Okay, best case, all twenty-seven are being held in another location. Faegan can’t simply kill them outright without knowing whether they have safety-deposit boxes or other kinds of safeguards out there that could bite the government. Enforcers are trained to withstand torture. So even if Faegan is brutal with them, it will still take time to break them down. We’ve still got a chance to save some lives, if we move quickly. But to do that, we have to figure out where he’s holding them.”
Kade nodded his agreement. “The security at the cave wasn’t anywhere near what I’d expected. The security where he’s got them would have to be much better. With electronic systems in addition to armed guards.”
“It would have to have cells, too,” Bailey said. “To house the Enforcers. Say, four or five prisoners per cell, he needs at least six cells, five in a pinch.”
“A cafeteria to feed them,” Kade added. “Guards to watch over them. Not to mention offices, computers, phones, whatever Faegan needs to run his operation. Obviously this place here was more for supplies, and a decoy if he needed one. Like he did today. The real headquarters for his operation needs to be out of the way, so all the vehicles coming and going won’t be noticed. And it needs to be far enough away from a city or any other facilities so that no one will hear any gunshots and call the police. It’s probably secluded, with woods all around it. And yet, it will be close enough to major highways to allow easy access.” He looked at all of them. “I’d think the EXIT building would be perfect, except that I’ve been through every inch of the place. It’s basically been gutted.”
Devlin stiffened. “I think you’re onto something. EXIT headquarters would be perfect for Faegan’s needs. But not the facility in Boulder. He must have his operation running out of the other building, and he’s been using these caves when he needed to be here in Boulder.”
Kade frowned. “Other one? Are you talking about the EXIT building in Asheville, North Carolina?”
Mason nodded. “Right in my hometown.”
“That can’t be Faegan’s base of operations,” Kade said. “The building was emptied and sold before I to
ok on this mission. Another company is operating out of it now.”
“It really is perfect,” Mason said, seemingly ignoring Kade’s statement. “Plus it has the last remaining requirement that the Boulder facility doesn’t have.”
“Tunnels,” he and Devlin both said at the same time.
“With cells,” Mason further elaborated. “There are half a dozen of them hidden in the tunnels beneath the building.”
“Wait, hold it,” Kade said. “Did you not hear the part where I said another company is operating out of that facility now?”
“What kind of company?” Mason asked.
“It’s . . . ah, hell.”
“What?” Bailey asked.
“It’s a personal security corporation. Which of course is the perfect ruse to cover the kinds of comings and goings that Faegan’s men would be doing there. We need to get to Asheville. Fast.”
Devlin grabbed his phone. “I’ll arrange a plane at a private airfield so we can get around security and bring our weapons. We can be in the air in thirty or forty minutes.”
Mason pulled his phone out, too. “I’ve got a few tricks of my own. And plenty of friends in Asheville.”
Chapter Twenty
Thursday, 6:15 p.m.
Bailey curled her fingers around the plane’s armrests as it taxied toward the runway.
“If you close your eyes during takeoff, that helps,” Kade whispered from his window seat beside her.
She frowned at him before turning to see whether the others had heard him. It was a small plane, but not so small that everyone had to sit close together. Still, she could see Mason, alone as seemed to be his preference, two rows up. Devlin and Austin sat quietly talking a few rows behind her across the aisle. The rest of their little party was somewhere behind them.
“They can’t hear us if we keep our voices low,” he said. “You can hold my hand if you want.”
She ignored his hand and blew out a frustrated breath. “This is stupid. It makes no sense. I should be terrified of parking garages, not airplanes.”
“Want to talk about it?” he asked.
“Want me to punch you?”
He sighed and looked out the window.
She tamped down the twinge of guilt that shot through her. He was only trying to be nice. But she didn’t want him or anyone else fussing over her, especially when she was desperately trying to will away nausea. The plane made its final turn, ready for takeoff. She dug her nails into the armrest and drew deep breaths. She could feel Kade’s eyes on her again but she no longer cared about trying to hide her weaknesses. She was too busy swallowing, hard, and then closing her eyes as the engines revved. Around her, the muted conversations faded away. Her brain felt like it was floating around in her skull. Oh, God. Was she going to faint?
The plane started forward again.
No. Just one more minute. I need one more minute to figure out how to survive this without freaking out.
“Hold my hand.”
Kade’s harsh whisper close to her ear took her mind off her stomach just long enough for her to look at him. Then she saw the trees rushing past the windows.
“Oh, God,” she repeated, then flushed when she realized she’d said it out loud this time.
Kade put his hand beneath her chin, forcing her to look at him as he leaned over. The rushing trees had her gasping for air and she tightly squeezed her eyes shut. Then, suddenly, his lips were on hers. She was so surprised she didn’t think to pull away. Then it felt so good she didn’t want to.
She opened her mouth for his tongue and he swept it inside. Heat flooded through her as she answered his wild kiss with enthusiasm. She wanted this, wanted him. She just wanted . . . more. He groaned low in his throat, or that might have been her. She reached for him, trying to pull him closer, but their awkward angles and the seat belts made it impossible.
Someone cleared their throat.
Someone else laughed.
Kade broke the kiss and told them to knock it off.
“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked. “You barely noticed when the plane took off, am I right?”
Her eyes fluttered open and she looked past him, shocked to see that they were indeed in the air, flying, not dying. Barely noticed? She hadn’t noticed at all.
“You kissed me to distract me,” she accused.
“Yep.”
She should have been mad. Instead, she smiled. “It worked. Want to distract me again?”
He gave her a pained look and adjusted his position in his seat. “More than you could possibly imagine.”
She grinned again. Maybe she’d finally discovered the way to get through her fear of flying. No, make that just the landings. Really, that’s what killed—landing. The takeoff was just the precursor that got her nervous for the next part. Kade just might have to pull her onto his lap and do some heavy petting to get her through that next phase. Thinking about that made her laugh.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Was it a rough flight, that last one, with your parents when you flew home to Montana after your vacation? Do you think that’s why you associate their deaths with planes?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Because I care. People who care about each other share personal details about their lives. I forgot that before. I won’t forget again.”
The truth was in his eyes, in the intensity of his gaze locked onto hers. He cared. About her. How long had it been since anyone had really cared? Too long. That had to be why she was so susceptible to him. He was too sweet, too good-looking, too charming, too smart, too . . . everything.
After years of keeping people at a distance, she’d grown used to them not even trying to get past the wall she’d put up. Even Hawke had never asked her about her past, offered to hold her hand during takeoff. If he had, she probably would have punched him, or ended the friendship. And that’s exactly what it had been with Hawke, friendship. But Kade . . . Kade was . . . something else.
He settled against the back of his chair, eyes closing. He didn’t push her to answer him. He just accepted that she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, and didn’t get mad about it. Didn’t press. He accepted her. Like no one else ever had. They still hadn’t talked about the warehouse. There’d been no apology from her—and she sure as hell owed him one now that she’d calmed down enough to put everything into perspective. And yet, she had a feeling he’d never expect one. And wouldn’t hold it against her either. She’d never met anyone like him. And wasn’t quite sure what to do.
“Why?” she whispered.
His eyes cracked open like a sleepy cat. “Why what?”
“Why do you care? About me? I don’t understand it.”
She had his full attention now.
“I know I’m pretty,” she said.
“And modest,” he added.
“Whatever.” She waved her hand in the air. “I’ve got the hair, the boobs, a smokin’ ass.”
“I’m not arguing with you there.” He grinned.
“I’m just saying, is it . . . physical? Is that all there is? Is that why you flirt with me and treat me so nice even though I don’t deserve it?”
He started to say something, but she pressed a finger against his lips to stop him. “I’m serious, Kade. I’m not a froufrou girl. I don’t wear frilly dresses or put on a lot of makeup. I don’t go to church on Sunday, even though my parents would probably roll over in their graves if they knew that. I’m not easy to get along with. Sometimes, most of the times, I’m rude or downright mean. I’m prickly, and ornery, and selfish, and—”
He drew her finger into his mouth, making her breath catch. He lightly sucked, before kissing her finger and pulling her hand down from his face.
“You about done?” he asked.
She swallowed. Nodded. He was doing something sinfully delicious with his thumb on the fleshy part of her palm, sending shudders straight down her spine.
“It
’s definitely physical.” His deep voice tingled across her nerve endings. “I can’t deny that I want to slide my hands up your shirt right now, cup them inside your bra, squeeze your—”
“Kade.” She glanced around, cleared her throat and scooted lower in the seat. “Stop it.”
“I haven’t even gotten started.” He grinned, then sobered. “But even if you weren’t mouthwateringly gorgeous, I’d still want you, in every way that a man can want a woman. Because it’s not just physical. If you were froufrou and loved to shop, I wouldn’t mind. But I’d probably be bored out of my skull. Trust me, sweetheart, you’re anything but boring. I find you utterly fascinating. I love your sarcasm, your intelligence, the way you can handle a gun better than most men I know—when it’s loaded, that is.”
She smacked his shoulder. “I hadn’t slept in two days. I get a pass for that.”
He smiled. “Yeah, you do.” He pressed a whisper-soft kiss against her lips. “You’re not mean. You’re clever, and funny, and maybe a little impatient with people who aren’t as quick and bright as you. But, hey, no one’s perfect. And I wouldn’t want you to be. I love that you’re unpredictable, and impatient, and—”
“Gee, I’m really feeling the love.”
“Okay, maybe I’m not eloquent. But my point is that you’re a good person. And if you ever call yourself selfish again, I might have to spank you.”
“I have a leather whip and feathers at home.” She waggled her eyebrows.
He smiled. “Bailey, if you were selfish, you’d have disappeared at the first hint that someone was tracking down Enforcers. I know you have plenty of money. I’ve seen the land you’ve bought, the houses you own, the cars parked in those garages. If you were concerned just for yourself, you’d have gone to Fiji or New Zealand or somewhere else and started a new life like a lot of Enforcers have. But you didn’t do that. Why? Because you knew that what was happening to your friends was wrong. And you cared about them, cared enough to risk your own life to fight for them, even to fight for Enforcers you’ve never met. That’s why I care about you. Because you care, sometimes too much. I love that about you. I love everything about you.”
