by Cara Carnes
“Those two freak me out,” Cracker said with a grin that exposed his missing tooth. “I’d be sitting in some high-end hotel bar while Addy was upstairs doing God only knows what ‘cause that dick Peter ordered her to. Every time I even twitched like I was about to lose my shit, Vi would crawl down my throat.”
“Then Edge would come on and knee us in the nuts with one word.” Shep laughed as the two men growled in unison, “Stop.”
“The first few missions I ran at Hive that’s all I ever heard from Edge. I thought that was the only word she knew,” Cracker said. “Then things went to shit in Kandahar.”
The team fell quiet as attention shifted to Cracker and Shep. Grim expressions harshened their features. Gage kept quiet.
“What happened in Kandahar?” Zoey asked.
“Leave it be, Z. We don’t ever ask Vi or Mary about Hive operations. It’s a hard line Dylan and Jud both threw down.” Cord’s voice was harder than it typically was.
“Addy’s a hell of an operative conditioned from an early age to do whatever it takes. There’s no line she won’t cross to accomplish an objective, even if it’d kill her,” Shep said. “It’s why we always stay close.”
“To make sure she doesn’t go so far she can’t find her way back,” Gage finished.
“This hits too close to home,” Thunder said. “What went down with Edge, Addy took it hard. Harder than she’d ever admit.”
“Addy’s got enough tech in her and on her to be labeled a cyborg, whatever that is.” Gage chuckled. “Zoey tried to label her one of six. That didn’t go over well.”
“Ah, yes. Seven of Nine. Star Trek Voyager,” Beast commented. “See, that’s why I dig Z. She burrowed in and established her own identity with us.”
“Though Addy’s way more of a badass than Seven of Nine,” Zoey said. “Just saying.”
“This isn’t Kandahar or a Hive mission,” Gage said. “We’ll be within striking distance so we can move if things go sideways, but they won’t. She’s one hell of an operative who can handle herself. If she needs help, we’re there because we’re team. She’s doing this because she knows we’ve got her six.”
Zoey clicked the cameras and audio back to Addy. Gage had the team emotionally prepped for whatever hit the fan. The woman was cuffed in the back of a cargo van. Kristof sat on a bench seat toward the front, legs crossed.
“As you can see, I have not only delivered the promised asset for tonight, but we have an even more valuable one for the block—Addison Rugers, one of the women behind the destruction of Hive and the Collective. Ms. Rugers is unharmed so far and will remain that way while in my custody.” Kristof reached down and cupped Addy’s head.
The woman growled and spat in his face.
Kristof chuckled and withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket. “She’s rather high spirited and will be a pleasure to break. Bidding for a seat at the auction will commence on the site in ten minutes. Winner must be present to accept delivery.”
Nausea pitched Zoey’s stomach as she entered Kristof’s site and got the viruses ready to unleash. Anyone who logged on would automatically be tagged. Any and all files and data would be dumped into HERA and immediately reviewed for relevance.
“You won’t get away with this. The Arsenal will kick your ass .”
“They’ll have to find me first,” Kristof commented. “Tell me, Ms. Rugers, how did it feel to betray your brother? To stand there while they murdered him?”
“You’re going to rot in hell. I’ll put you there myself.”
The man laughed as Addy lurched forward. The vehicle had stopped. Zoey notated the coordinates in the system as Kristof’s voice filled her ears. “Oh, we’re here. Come, Ms. Rugers. We must get you cleaned up and presentable for your showing. No one likes to purchase dirty treasures.”
“Go,” Vi ordered. “I’ve got this. Go have lunch with Ellie. I think I saw her walking to the mess hall.”
“I’ll stay,” Zoey said as her determination overrode her common sense.
The woman was giving her an out because she’d never handled something like this. And Addy wasn’t a stranger, a number within the cog of her former employer. She was a friend, the woman who’d driven fifteen miles to Marville without any reason because Zoey was worried that Gage was outnumbered.
“How do you get used to dealing with this?”
“You don’t,” Vi admitted. “Each of us has our outlets. Our thing. Mine is quilling. I kept that secret for a long time but have started to share it. Rhea has music.”
“Mary?”
“Mary has Dylan,” Vi said with a laugh. “He gave her a new outlet, one he picked up from Riley. You’ll have to ask Riley about it, though.”
Did Zoey have a thing? She enjoyed gaming, but that wasn’t exactly something she did to expend the unwanted emotions. She wasn’t into crafty stuff, and music hadn’t been her schtick ever since that disastrous three-month stint as a drummer’s girlfriend. No, thank you.
“Go. Take some downtime and let your brain calm. It helps,” Vi said. “That’s an order.”
Zoey extricated herself from the operational theater and made her way to the mess hall. The second she was outside, she clicked the com she still had on. She didn’t wait for Gage to answer.
“I need a thing.”
“What thing, Little Bit?”
“A thing to purge my emotions when they get in the way. Vi has quilling. Rhea has music. Mary has Dylan. I need a thing.”
“Addy’s fine, Zoey,” Gage whispered. “We’re listening.”
“She’s nowhere near you, though. What if Kristof is a bastard and he turns on her and us?”
“Then he deals with Jud,” Gage said. “No one would want that.”
The man had a point. Some of the worry eased. “Her team’s gonna get worried. You’ve gotta handle them. If Johnny starts turning the skulls up on his rings, he’s losing his shit. He and Beast are big gamers. They’re both into WOW. Mention the new expansion and that’ll get their minds on something else for at last half an hour. They don’t see eye-to-eye on it. I have to admit I’m with Beast on this one. It was a shit move.”
Gage chuckled. “You’re on the team com, Little Bit. I think you hit the wrong button.”
“Ugh.”
The team started laughing in the background.
“We’re cool, Little Bit,” Thunder said. “Red’s fine.”
Red. Addy didn’t let anyone but her team use that nickname. Zoey clicked off the com and headed into the mess hall. The sooner she grabbed some grub and unwound, the better she’d be. There was a war about to hit, and she was leading the charge.
Kamren, DJ, and TJ were sitting at a table with Ellie. Dobby, Hermione, and Harry were winding their way through the legs of the few Wounded Warriors participants eating lunch. Seeing the mess hall so empty was unsettling.
Just about every Arsenal vehicle was gone. Teams had piled in and headed to airports to take flights to their assigned areas. They were gone because they were protecting her network.
Rhea and Bree were holed up in Rhea’s lab running dots. Momma Mason was locked away with Sara, who’d apparently taken a shine to the motherly woman. Zoey made a note to check in on Sara and Ariana. Doctor Sinclair wanted Zoey to keep her distance, but one small check-in couldn’t hurt.
She grabbed some food and headed toward the table with her friends. Kamren and Ellie both offered smiles as the two boys jumped up and down.
“Z! Z! Z!” DJ shouted.
“She can hear you, sweet boy.” Kamren hugged the boy close, but her gaze was on Zoey. “Are you okay?”
“No, but I will be. You?”
“So far so good. Jud’s got everything in order. I almost want some idiot to try and attack just to watch him do his thing.”
“It’s not pretty,” Zoey said. “I’ve seen the tapes. Did you have a good trip into Marville?”
“Not really. I’m worried about Hank.”
“Hank?” The woman hadn’t e
ver mentioned him before.
“He’s a local farmer raising two little kids. His wife…” Kamren looked at the boys and lowered her voice. “Suicide.”
Damn.
“The hail and heavy rainfall ruined most of his cotton. Farmers in this area only plant it to keep their workers busy during the off-season. The crops break even at best.”
“And hail and heavy rain are far from best,” Zoey guessed.
“Now everything’s riding on his corn maze idea.”
“Corn maze?” Zoey’s interest piqued. She loved corn mazes.
“He’d thought to do one this year to start gathering money for his girls’ college education early. Now he’s gotta hope it helps him break even, or he’ll start the growing season in the red.”
Zoey suddenly lost her appetite.
“I think she wanted to de-stress by coming here,” Ellie pointed out gently. “We’re sorry, Z. We just worry because we know all the farmers affected by it.”
Of course they were worried. “Surely we can do something.”
“Doubtful. It isn’t like we can buy their crops,” Kamren said.
Zoey’s mind raced as a plan formed. “You’re brilliant. I’m giving you two a special mission, a top-secret one. All these commandos are going to need a fun way to unwind when they get back. I think I have the perfect way to make it happen.”
“Oh?”
“Yep, and you, Ellie, are going to get it all organized.” Zoey smiled. The plan was the perfect way to de-stress the operatives. “I’ll get a plan typed up. For now, all I need you to do is get over to Hank’s place and tell him The Arsenal is buying his crops. All the corn he’s got. Get me contact info. I’ll coordinate it from there.”
“Shouldn’t you be focused on the other stuff?” Ellie asked gently.
“My brain needs a distraction. Vi suggested a crafty thing. I don’t do crafts.”
“Ah. Ellie here bakes when she’s stressed. I shoot stuff,” Kamren said.
“So corn’s your thing?”
“For now it is.” Because it wasn’t about the corn. It was about the commandos and what they could do with the corn.
Hehe.
This was going to be way better than when Mary dragged Kamren up to the roof and had her paintball all the operatives to teach them a lesson. It’d been one hell of memorable lesson, too. Every operative was armed at all times now. They never, ever let their guard down.
Zoey let her mind rest its grip on the emotions engulfing her. Vi was handling the theater for now. Gage had Addy’s team under control. Operatives were on their way to ensure the network’s security. Jud was preparing The Arsenal for the next apocalyptic event, and the teams were on their way to their appointed destinations.
“We’re going to get rabbits!” TJ shouted the announcement.
“We’re thinking about getting rabbits,” Kamren amended. “Your daddy hasn’t voted yet. We all have to agree, or we wait. Rabbits are a lot of responsibility.”
“Like the chickens,” DJ said.
“Exactly like the chickens.” Kamren smiled at both of the boys. “Brant said you could come and visit his rabbits anytime you wanted.”
Brant Burton had worked hard the past several weeks to make amends with Kamren. He’d been a grade-A dick to her back when her situation was going down. Her little sister, Rachelle, had tricked the man into believing Kamren was an abusive bitch.
Zoey’s cellphone chimed. She picked up her phone.
Trouble. Gate.
Jud. The man was succinct and irritatingly vague. Zoey rose and bolted toward the door. He hadn’t sent the message to everyone, just to her. Weird.
Zoey got into the nearest golf cart and took off. From what she understood, they’d been Vi’s idea, and Jud had bought them himself shortly after relocating to the compound. She couldn’t imagine a badass like him cruising around in one, but she had to admit it was way faster and more efficient.
Jud stood with his arms crossed glaring down at Momma Mason and Sara. The young woman held Ariana close.
Oh dear.
“Oh, thank goodness,” Sara said. “Tell this cretin to get out of the way. Momma Mason said we could go to Nomad and shop. I’ve been stuck here forever. I need to get away.”
“Dear, I’m sure there’s a good reason why Judson doesn’t want us going anywhere,” Rebecca Mason replied. “I’m sorry he called you up here, sweetie. I’m sure you’ve got a lot going on.”
She had no idea.
“Pfft. She dumps me here, then ignores me.”
“And I’m sure Doctor Sinclair explained that to you, didn’t she?” Zoey asked.
The young woman glared.
“There’s not a lot of time, so I’ll be blunt. You aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, Sara. If you need formula or anything for Ariana, let Jud, Riley, or Kamren know, and they’ll make sure it’s delivered. The Arsenal is on lockdown.”
“Oh my.” Rebecca clutched her chest, no doubt worrying about not only her six sons, who weren’t at the compound, but everyone else. Her gaze swept toward the vacant parking lot where a sea of vehicles typically resided. “Oh my.”
“Everything is under control, but I have to get back to work.”
“So that’s it? I’m stuck here?”
“If you want to stay safe, yes.” Zoey reached up and ran her hand across Ariana’s head. So cute. “I see you’ve been doing really well with her.”
“Momma Mason’s been great. She’s shown me lots of stuff,” Sara admitted, a little less belligerent with her focus shifted to Ariana.
“Good. She did a great job raising seven of the best people I’ve ever met,” Zoey said. “You’re lucky to have her around. Perhaps you should stay focused on that instead of the frustration of being on lockdown.”
“Why are we on lockdown?” Sara looked at the vacant compound.
“Because we’re going after some very bad men. That’s what we do here. When someone does something wrong, we take them down.”
“Like Dad?”
“Exactly like your dad,” Jud said. “He should pay for what he did to you.”
The young woman bristled.
“If I had a little girl as pretty as Ariana, I wouldn’t sleep well knowing a monster was free that I could lock away,” Jud continued.
Zoey bristled. This wasn’t a good discussion to be had.
“I thought I was safer hiding. That’s what everyone said. My attorney said so. Dad’s too big to take down,” Sara said. “I want to press charges.”
Zoey touched the young woman’s arm. “Honey, this is the first I’ve heard about you wanting to press charges. The attorney told me you were emphatically against it. You said so yourself the last time I broached the subject.”
“Well, yeah. ‘Cause I was in hiding and had a new name and everything. The attorney said it’d never stick, so why try? I was safe.” The girl sniffled. “But I’m not anymore, am I? That’s why I can’t go to Nomad. I can’t even go buy my baby diapers.”
“We’re getting you safe. One way or another, we’ll get you safe.”
“But I can help, right? I press charges, and that’d help.”
“Yeah, honey. I’ve already dealt him a big blow, but you dealing the next one would help. With all the evidence we have of your abuse, there’s no jury in the country that wouldn’t convict his ass.”
“Do it. Send everything to the police and to the detective the attorney mentioned.”
“Winnie Madger,” Zoey said. “Are you sure, sweetheart? Once I send those files, there’s no going back. It’ll become a media circus. We’ll keep your location under wraps, but the vultures will eventually find you.”
“Everyone will know he hurt me,” Sara whispered.
“Oh, honey.” Momma Mason hugged the girl tight. “Sometimes doing the right thing hurts and it’s scary. But the first step is always the hardest. Take a look around. You aren’t alone. We’ll be taking the step right alongside you.”
Sara kissed
Ariana’s chubby cheek. Tears shimmered in the young woman’s eyes. Zoey couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be. “The media already suspects why I disappeared. We may as well confirm it.”
“Ariana’s gonna grow up knowing how strong her mom is,” Jud said. “It takes a brave woman to look the bastard who hurt her in the eye and fight back.”
Sara nodded and kissed her baby again.
“We’ll get you two squared away with whatever you need until you can go into Nomad yourselves,” Jud said.
“You’re such a good boy,” Rebecca declared as she reached up and patted his cheek.
Zoey laughed.
“When’s your mom coming back?” Rebecca asked Jud.
“Jacob returns from MIT permanently just before Thanksgiving, in seven weeks. They’ll be down then,” Jud answered with a smile.
“Oh, that’s perfect! We can have a holiday feast. They’ll stay for Christmas, too,” the woman declared. “I’ll have one of the cottages prepared for them.”
“That’s not necessary. They can stay in the bunker.”
“Oh no. They’ll stay in a cottage or with me. There’s plenty of room.”
Zoey watched the man squirm. Jud was the most terrifying man in existence around everyone except his mom and Momma Mason. Zoey chuckled as she got into the golf cart and headed back toward the theater.
In three hours she’d be helping take down the assholes who’d gone after her.
And they’d get Jade back.
Hang on, man. We’re coming for you.
She pulled out her cell and sent a group text to Mary, Vi, and Sara’s attorney.
Send documentation. Sara’s pressing charges. It’s time to take Cherling down.
Gage clicked the secondary com line and waited for the high-pitched chime. Vi and Mary had set up the private line so he could communicate with Addy one-on-one if necessary.
He and the team were in position outside the warehouse she’d been taken to. The comings and goings signaled preparation for a major event, but it’d been the sounds from within that had him worried.
“Status?” he asked.
