by Kaylea Cross
A fist caught him in the kidney. He struck out, a snarl of rage and agony bursting free, and landed a punch to the assailant’s ribs. The attacker let out a muffled groan and danced back, giving him a second to regroup and get his first good look. Slightly built, dressed in dark clothes, a mask covering the face.
“Who the fuck are you?” he snarled and lunged forward to throw another punch.
The attacker dodged it, caught his fist and used his momentum to throw him over their hip. He slammed into the side of the tub with a loud thud.
Ignoring the pain and his hazy vision, he shot to his feet.
An arm locked around his throat from behind, applying strong pressure.
Blood hold. He had seconds to break it before he lost consciousness.
He tried to shove a hand between his head and the forearm. A blur of movement flashed in his peripheral vision, just enough for his bulging, painful eyes to see the knife coming at him.
The military-style blade slashed across his throat, a deep line of burning fire. He clutched at the wound as blood spurted everywhere. His shoulder hit the wall, his eyes darting to the mirror to catch sight of his killer.
A pair of familiar green eyes stared back at him for a moment, burning with triumph and hatred.
Shock detonated inside him. No…
His knees thudded against the floor. He toppled over, his frantically racing heart only speeding up his death.
He lay there gasping for air he couldn’t suck through his severed windpipe while his blood spurted and pooled on the bathroom floor.
Rough fingers pried his jaw open. A searing hot pain flashed through his brain. More blood sprayed.
The light went out. His killer stepped over him, leaving him to die alone in the darkness.
A silent scream reverberated in his head. Valkyrie…
****
“Amber’s sure it’s him?” Zack asked her.
“Yes.” In the rental house living room, Eden slid another full mag into one of her cargo pants pockets and checked to make sure all of her hair was still hidden beneath the wig.
Instead of long ringlets she now had a straight, chin-length bob in chocolate brown that covered her ears. That and the baggy clothes she wore would help conceal her identity from anyone else searching for her with facial recognition software. “She hacked into some facial recognition program and got a hit on Bennett leaving the building earlier.”
“Hacked it from where?”
“No idea. And probably best we don’t know.” Amber was a force to be reckoned with. That she’d even been able to steal the files she had from the Program as the people in charge had been trying to burn everything was impressive.
“Still gonna ask her later.”
“You do that.” He and Amber had become pretty chummy in the short time they’d known each other. Zack’s intel expertise and Amber’s tech wizardry were a potent combination. The two of them had spent the entire flight across the Atlantic with their heads together, going over various things.
The unwelcome twinge of jealousy pissed Eden off. Amber was happily committed to Jesse, for Chrissake, and she had to spend time with Zack to prepare for this mission. There was nothing at all improper going on between them, yet a few times when Eden had looked up the aisle at them, she’d been tempted to wedge herself in the seat between him and Amber just to get his attention. To show that she had something to offer to the hunt as well.
Op time, she scolded herself. Get your insecure head out of your ass and focus.
This was why she and the others had been relentlessly trained not to get involved with anyone on a mission. They screwed with your head, even when you weren’t actually with him anymore.
She straightened as Zack slid his sidearm into the holster beneath his armpit. “Good to go?” She wanted to get moving. Trinity was already scoping out the building, and Eden wanted to limit the amount of time she and Zack were alone.
“Yeah.” He swung his leather jacket on and started for the door. “I’ll drive.”
Fine with her. She’d be able to watch everything more carefully without her attention divided.
She started for the door but stopped when Zack grabbed her elbow and turned her to face him. “What?” she demanded, annoyed. Let’s just do this already.
Zack stared down into her eyes. “You be careful. Don’t take any unnecessary chances. If it doesn’t feel right, just get out. Hear me?”
Eden hated being told what to do. But from him it was merely annoying because it was kind of sexy in an alpha, protective way. She’d never had anyone in her life who cared about her like that before, except Chris, and that was different to the vibe Zack was giving her now. He didn’t like her being in harm’s way, wanted to protect her. It reminded her of how he’d been when they’d been seeing each other last year.
Even his grip right now. Firm but gentle, combined with the concern on his face. Little things, like a hand on the small of the back when walking through a crowded room or space together. Him entering the room first, keeping hold of her hand so he wouldn’t lose her in the crowd, or keeping her on the inside of the sidewalk, away from traffic. They’d told her a lot about the sort of man he was.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself,” she told him. She’d gone up against scarier targets than Glenn Bennett, and she wasn’t even going to kill him.
Yet. But if she found out he’d been involved with Chris’s murder, he was a dead man.
Her job was to take him off guard and tranq him so Zack could carry him out, and together they would drive their prisoner back to the safehouse for questioning. Eden loved the idea of Bennett bound and blindfolded, waking up in total darkness to find her, Amber and Trinity there to interrogate him.
“Too bad, because you don’t get a say in that,” Zack said, no give in his tone or expression.
She firmed her jaw. “Can we go now?”
He waited a beat before releasing her. She couldn’t help but admire the figure he cut as he walked out to the street to where the rental car waited. Broad shoulders, jeans hugging his strong thighs.
She shook herself and aimed for the front passenger seat. Zack opened the door for her and held it while she got in. “Thanks,” she muttered, wishing he would stop being a gentleman and pretend she was nothing but a teammate.
“Welcome.”
They didn’t talk on the drive to the building. A swanky one located close to the business district. Not a place likely to be frequented by Bennett’s normal crowd, she was sure, and at least he was smart enough not to stay at a hotel.
That was as far as her respect for him went, however. If he was dirty, she would tear him apart.
Zack pulled up to the curb in front of the building. “I want to come in with you.”
She turned to face him. “No. That’s not the plan, and you need to realize that I can handle myself.”
“It’s not that I don’t think you’re capable,” he argued. “It’s that I don’t like you going up there without backup. Bennett was former Paramilitary Ops, and before that, SOF.”
“Just do your job, and I’ll do mine,” she muttered, and exited the car.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the annoyance from her mind and focused on the task ahead. Zack would park around the side of the building and watch the back exit, then wait for her to contact him via their earpieces. Trinity was keeping watch from the south side of the building in case Bennett figured out what was happening and tried to escape. Amber and Jesse were nearby, monitoring things from a van.
She smiled sweetly at the doorman and gave him the name and unit number of someone Amber had discovered was away. “I’m here to water her plants and feed her fish while she’s in Cabo.” She handed him her ID, the name on which Amber had added to the approved visitor list.
He glanced at it, checked in with the front desk via radio to confirm, then smiled. “Come right in.”
“Thank you.” And don’t mind the noise on the elev
enth floor in the next few minutes when I knock Bennett’s ass out.
She took the stairs, only running into one other person on the way up. At the door she paused to make sure no one was around. Bennett was well-trained. She’d only have a second to catch him off guard and administer the syringe. Trying to get him to open the door for her was too risky, so she was going in.
Pulling out the little electronic gadget Amber had given her, she placed it beneath the lock and waited for the combination to appear on the tiny screen. She entered it, thankful for the near whisper-quiet mechanism as it unlocked.
She hid the syringe in her left fist, ready to strike, and gingerly opened the door a crack.
Total blackness greeted her, sending a prickle of unease across her skin.
Was Bennett asleep? She slipped inside and stood there in the dark as an eerie stillness settled around her.
Then the smell hit her. Blood. Lots of it.
Whipping out her penlight, she risked turning it on. The bed was empty, still neatly made. She took a step further into the room and turned toward the bathroom.
Jesus.
She tapped her earpiece to activate it. “Bennett’s dead.”
Chapter Fourteen
Eden’s heart sank as she stared down at the body sprawled on the bathroom floor. Bennett had been their best hope for getting intel about Chris and people involved with the Valkyrie Program. That lead had died with him.
“What?” Zack said through her earpiece.
“He’s lying on the bathroom floor with his throat slashed. It looks like a slaughterhouse in here.” No way this was random. Not this kind of a murder, and with a man like Bennett.
She moved the beam of light up from the body, careful not to step in his blood. It spattered the wall, the sink. She spun back around to face the bedroom, looking for signs of an intruder. “Does Amber still have the security cameras locked in the building?” If not and the killer was still here, whoever it was might know she’d gone into the room.
“Yes,” Trinity responded.
“There’s no sign of forced entry.”
“I’m on my way to you,” Zack said. “Don’t move.”
Eden didn’t answer, busy sweeping the room. The curtains were drawn tight, and nothing was out of place. Bennett’s jacket was draped on the back of the chair and his weapon was lying on top of the dresser. “Room’s clear. I’m going to check for bugs and cameras.”
“Copy,” Trinity said.
As she was finishing up a few minutes later, Zack spoke. “I’m at the door.”
Eden drew her weapon anyway as she approached the door, angling her body toward the peephole in case anyone out in the hall was thinking of taking a shot through the door. But Zack was alone.
She let him in and stepped back. “Room’s secure,” she said as she locked the door behind him. “Turning on the light.” She flipped the switch, flooding the room with light.
Zack stepped past her to look in the bathroom. “Holy shit,” he murmured, taking it in.
Eden stepped up beside him. “Yeah.”
Rage. Looking around the bathroom, the killer’s uncontrollable rage was palpable.
She took in everything with a critical eye. The killer had planned this well, slipping into the room unnoticed to lie in wait, and surprising Bennett. “Whoever it was, was waiting in here for him and took him by surprise. They—” She stopped, her gaze halting on the lump of flesh she’d missed during her initial sweep.
Bennett’s severed tongue lay on the cold tile floor, inches from his face, his half-open eyes staring at it. He might have still been alive when it was cut out.
“This was personal,” Zack said quietly. “The killer knew him, and either was afraid of him talking—”
“Or was punishing him for something he’d already said.” It was a vicious attack, yet planned with care. The killer had been cautious initially, planning the details, leaving no sign of a break-in. Then they had seen Bennett and lost control, letting the anger take over. So much anger that they hadn’t cared about leaving a giant mess and risking leaving evidence behind. They’d wanted to send a message. A warning to someone else?
Eden didn’t see any bloody footprints on the bathroom tile or the carpet leading to the door. “Throat was slit from right to left, in a single, deep stroke.” No hesitation. “The killer was comfortable with using a knife, likely left-handed. I don’t see any visible shoeprints on the floor,” she said to Trinity, and leaned over Bennett’s body to peer into the tub/shower.
It was immaculate except for the spray of blood on the outside of the tub portion. “The killer must have hidden in the tub behind the shower curtain. Looks like Bennett made an initial effort to struggle, but from what I’m looking at in here, he didn’t see the knife coming until it was too late.”
“Understood,” Trinity said. “Amber’s reviewing the security footage now. You two get out of there.”
“On our way.” She stopped to check Bennett’s jacket pocket, took his wallet, keys and phone while Zack quickly checked through the small bag Bennett had packed. “Anything?”
“No. Let’s hope we get something good off his phone.”
“We need to check his vehicle.” He’d parked it beneath the building.
Zack stepped in front of her on the way to the door, one hand on the weapon beneath his jacket. “Stay close.”
She didn’t waste energy arguing, just stayed close as they entered the hallway and hurried for the nearest stairwell. Much as she didn’t like admitting it, she felt better having him with her as they rushed down to the underground parking garage.
“Just heard from Amber,” Trinity said to them. “Security footage during a twenty minute window around the probable time of the murder is corrupted.”
Given that, it seemed like they were dealing with a pro, and possibly more than one person. Sounded like the killer might have a team behind them. But then what about all the evidence and the body being left behind? If it had been a pro, they must have taken precautions not to leave DNA behind.
“Copy. We’re going down to the garage to search his vehicle.” Amber had sent them the make, model and plate number of the rental earlier.
“Okay. Alert me when you’re on the move again.”
“Will do.”
Zack stayed in front as they entered the garage. There were six levels, but they were in luck because they found Bennett’s rented Nissan parked one level down, near the bottom of the ramp. She unlocked it. He stood watch while she went through the interior, then checked the trunk.
“Nothing. It’s clean.” Hopefully Amber would find something useful on his phone.
“Let’s get moving. We’ve been down here too long already.” He led the way again as they started for the turn in the ramp.
“On our way to our vehicle,” she said to Trinity.
“Street’s clear. I’ll rendezvous with you back at the house.”
“Got it.”
Zack looked back at her as they reached the turn. “I’ll bring the car up—”
A blue Tesla whipped around the corner. They hadn’t heard it because the engine was so quiet. It veered toward Zack at the last moment.
Eden caught him around the waist in a flying tackle, knocking him out of the way at the last second. They hit the concrete with a thud and rolled, but the Tesla was reversing at them.
“Move!” Eden shouted, shoving to her feet.
She planted her hands on the trunk of a car parked beside her and vaulted over it just as the Tesla’s back end whipped toward her, missing her by a foot. As she landed on the other side, she grabbed her weapon and spun around in time to see Zack on the other side of the ramp, pistol aimed at the Tesla’s rear window.
Two shots exploded through the garage. The driver sped up, disappearing around the corner behind them.
Eden ran for him. “Go, go.” Together they raced up the ramp. The incline was only a hundred feet long, but they weren’t fast enough. Seconds from reach
ing the top, the Tesla came roaring up behind them. “Look out!”
She dove right, rolling and slamming into the concrete wall. The Tesla shot past into the street and screamed around the corner. “Trinity, take that asshole in the blue Tesla out,” she snarled, climbing painfully to her hands and knees.
“On it.”
Zack ran over and took her by the shoulders, anxiously scanning her face. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” He lifted her to her feet and she scanned him in turn. “You?”
“I’m fine. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
They hugged the wall as they ran to the top of the ramp, pausing there to check for the Tesla. “Are we clear?” she asked Trinity.
“I see it. Just turned east heading toward the front entrance of the building,” Trinity responded. “In pursuit now.”
Eden ran with Zack down the sidewalk, both of them watching for new threats. She almost ran into his upraised hand, inches in front of her face. “Stay here,” he told her. “I’m not letting you anywhere near this thing until I’m sure it’s safe.”
She opened her mouth to argue but he’d already turned around for the rental vehicle. Things were tense enough without them arguing, so Eden stayed put, guarding him while he checked it out.
“All right, we’re good,” he called out, and she hurried to the car.
He already had the engine running. As soon as she shut the door, he shot away from the curb. She checked the side mirror, then swiveled to look behind them. “Anything?”
“No. Trinity?”
“Lost it around the next corner. It’s headed east.”
They were headed east.
She and Zack looked at each other, then Eden spun around—just in time to see the blue Tesla veer out from behind the truck between them.
“Hang on,” Zack said, and hit the gas. He yanked the wheel to the left, passing the car in front of them before veering back in front. Horns blasted as he hit the brake just in time to whip around the next corner.
