“I remembered, Kingsley. I know what this key is for.” She knew she sounded hurried and excited.
“You do?” His grin widened as he reached for her, stopping short of touching her. Allowing her to move to him but not demanding it. She crawled across the bed to him, curling into the crook between his bent legs and torso as he curled his arm around her waist in a light hold.
“It’s from an old textile mill. See!” She shoved the key at him so he could see it. The key had the name Milton on it and was hard to see unless you knew to look for it.
“And this key is for a mill?” His voice was alert now but still soft when he looked at her.
“Yes, I had completely forgotten about it. My mom’s great grandfather owned it, but it was run down. He had left it to one of my grandmother’s cousins. My mom took me a few times. Apparently when she was young, she and my aunt would play there.”
“Looks like we have our next clue. Get dressed, and I’ll contact the team and update them on where to go. Write the address down.” She went to roll away to do as he bid, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Earlier, what happened between us…” he started, and she stilled at the rejection she expected. “It meant something. It meant a lot. I don’t know what the future holds, Sydney, but I know I want you in it.”
Sydney was shocked by his words, braced for the worst when the sweetness that was Kingsley flowed over her, she was unprepared for it. “Kingsley.” She lifted a hand to cup his face.
“You don’t have to answer, but I want you to know where I stand.”
Sydney remained silent processing what he had said, wondering if she was brave enough to take a leap with this man who, in a few days, had come to mean so much to her. “Thank you for telling me.” Her voice was but a whisper and she touched her mouth to his.
“You’re welcome.” His grin went all the way to his eyes.
They got ready in comfortable silence. Kingsley contacted the team while she dressed and then he made sure the room was clear while she snagged her hair into a ponytail.
Walking outside he tucked her into his side, his arm around her, his eyes on their surroundings as he went into full-on protection mode. They made it to the car and silently he helped her into the passenger’s seat and then climbed in the driver’s side.
The drive to the rendezvous point with the team was uneventful and any other time would have been pleasant if it wasn’t for the memory of her uncle’s poison still festering under her skin. Sydney refused to allow it taint what was happening with her and Kingsley, and mercilessly pushed it back.
Kingsley pulled up a mile from the mill on an old, dirt track. He’d left the engine running but muted the headlights. The mill’s surroundings had been industrial at one time or another, but the town seemed to have moved all its factories to the other side of town closer to the highway. Now all that was left were memories and derelict, or near derelict, buildings.
It made Sydney sad to think about. Life had forgotten what these businesses had done for families in days gone by.
“What’s up, Syd?” Kingsley glanced at her in the near dark.
“Just thinking about these buildings and everything they meant for towns like this has been forgotten. It’s sad that they are left like this, once big cogs in the industrial wheel and now reduced to broken windows and rotting wood.” For so long she had guarded her inner thoughts not wanting anything to make her vulnerable, but now she aired them knowing Kingsley would keep them safe.
“It is sad, and you see so much of it, not just here but in the UK and around the world. We build, and then we lose interest and move on. Big companies should be forced to utilize places like this or restore them. Sell them to families at a reduced cost so they could build cheap homes and a future for their kids.”
She heard the truth in his words and thought about what he’d said. Kingsley was a man who cared—about people, about the world he lived in and wanted to make it better. “Why did you join the military?”
“I wasn’t much good at anything academic. Honestly, I joined because my brother couldn’t.”
“You have a brother?”
“Had. He died when he was nineteen. He caught adolescent meningitis at Uni. He was doing his degree to join the RAF as an Air Operations Officer. He thought it was the flu and kept ignoring it. His roommate found him and called the ambulance, but it was too late and he died of sepsis.”
“Oh, Kingsley, I’m so sorry.” Her heart broke from the emotion in his voice.
“Me too. He was the best older brother. There were four years between us, and I worshiped him. I decided if he couldn’t see the world in the military, I would do it for both of us. My mom took his death hard, but she was the proudest woman there when I graduated from the Royal Navy.”
“I bet she was. Thank you for telling me.” She touched his hand with hers.
He linked his fingers with hers and kissed her hand. “I like sharing with you.”
Her belly did a little flip at the sweetness in his voice. She had no time to respond as out of the darkness, shadows began to descend on the car. Her body tensed and she almost stopped breathing at the sight.
“It’s okay, it’s our guys.” He exited the vehicle, and she followed suit.
“Hey, Sydney.” Caitlin smiled at her, Killian, her faithful dog like a black shadow at her side. The sight made her go from terrified to relaxed in seconds. James and two other men she hadn’t met were there too. Kingsley moved closer to her, his arm going around her back in a proprietary way that nobody could miss as he quickly introduced her to the new men. She found she liked it. “Sydney, this is Cain Davis and Mason Bentley. Cain’s former ATF, and Mason is former Secret Service.”
Sydney smiled at the newcomers and shook their extended hands. “Nice to meet you.”
“Any word?” Kingsley took a comm unit and extra clip for his gun that Mason handed him.
“No, they’ve been maintaining complete radio silence, so we have no idea where they are or how long we have. What’s the plan?”
“If you go on ahead to scout and secure the area, Sydney and I will follow and do the search. We get in, get out, and get home. I don’t like being this far from Alliance. Are Emme and Shane up to date with what’s happening?”
“Yes, they’ve called a meeting for tomorrow morning. Something big is afoot.” Mason’s frown caused Sydney’s gut to tighten. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
Kingsley motioned at Sydney to get back in the car as the team dispersed. Fifteen anxious minutes later they got the all clear, and Kingsley looked at her. “We go in, we find the clue, and get out. If you want to reminisce, I’ll bring you back when this is over.”
“Fine, bossy boots.”
Kingsley laughed at her answer, erasing the tension from the situation and making her smile.
16
Kingsley scanned the area, not seeing any of his team but he knew they were on the lookout, slowly surrounding the building. He had a horrible feeling about this and regardless that the area had been cleared by his men, it felt off somehow. He pulled the handbrake on the car and turned to Sydney.
The last few hours he had seen a lightness in her that wasn’t there before and it seemed to have changed her, steadied her. He wasn’t conceited enough to think it was his doing, but he liked to think he’d had a hand in it. Now, her face was once again guarded, and he mourned the relaxed look he’d seen in her eyes just moments ago.
He would see to it once this was over that the look she had worn when she’d teased him would be the only one she wore with him. She’d had a shit time, and she didn’t deserve it. She deserved everything that was good, and he had decided as she lay in his arms that he was going to be the man to give it to her. Her genuine warmth and sympathy on hearing about his brother cemented that decision.
Shoving that away for now, he once again scanned the area and saw nothing. With a small shake of his head he checked his flashlight and opened the car door before crossing to Sydne
y and putting himself in between her and the open space. If bullets were flying, he would take them not her. Moving to the door, they saw the lock was rusted and broken, and hanging uselessly. Pushing the door open slightly he listened and hearing nothing, not even a rat running across the concrete, he moved inside.
“The key is for the office I think,” Sydney whispered.
“Let’s move.” He took her hand and moved through the dark empty space toward an office located near the back. Old machinery and boxes made this place perfect for an ambush. The door was closed and as he tried the handle and found it locked, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Turning, he looked around at the dark shapes and saw no movement. “Come on, I want out of here.”
They moved into the office and Sydney went directly to the filing cabinet. Using the key and some wiggling she opened the cabinet. Her radiant smile came to him in triumph, and he took a second to enjoy it.
“Quick.” He all but pushed her to the cabinet.
Pulling it open she started going through the files dismissing them until she came to one named ‘Princess Pea.’
Taking it out she tucked it in her jacket and then closed the drawer. “This is it. Dad used to read me Princess Pea when I was a kid.
“Great, let’s go.” His command was cut short when a bullet shattered the glass beside his head.
Instinct took over. He dropped to the floor covering Sydney with his body before activating his comm. “Report, report! We’re under attack. Location is the office on the south-east corner.”
James’s voice rose above the noise as he advised them he was heading in their direction. He must have been close because the firing switched directions, targeting him and the rest of the team.
Kingsley crawled to the window and checked outside. Shadows moved, but he couldn’t be sure if it were friend or foe. “It looks like they snuck up on us through the forest.” He heard a noise inside the remains of the mill. “Possible intruders inside.”
This time, Caitlin answered, her voice cold and clipped. “Entering the mill from the north entrance, following attacker. Stay put. Mason in pursuit. Cain is rounding up the other side, covering our flank. James is closing in on you two from outside.”
Kingsley cursed under his breath, not that he had a choice but to stay where they were. They were pinned and he wasn’t going to risk Sydney’s life. He had to rely on the four operatives to get them out of there alive.
Sydney was shaking when he looked over at her. “Don’t worry, the team has our back. I need you to stay calm and do exactly what I tell you.”
She nodded, but he could see her control was hanging by a thread. She followed his signal to remain low and behind him. Gun drawn, he remained at an angle by the door so anybody trying to enter the office would get a bullet between their eyes.
“Corner sniper out. I saw two others running, but they were going around the corner. Mason, we need somebody else inside.”
James’s voice came back over the comms. “Cain and I are busy, and Cait is outnumbered.”
Two shots came from inside the mill, and a man howled in pain. It seemed Caitlin was slowly and surely turning the odds in their favor. More shots sounded followed by someone running. Not being able to act or move almost drove Kingsley crazy.
A massive explosion came from outside causing the decrepit building to shake as dust rained down.
Before Kingsley could ask what had happened, James came on the line. “Bad news, King. Your Mustang has been blown to kingdom come.”
“Don’t care about the fucking car, find me a way out, now!”
The sounds of a firefight intensified inside the building.
“My side is clear. I’ll run to the window, and cover you while you get out that way.”
Keeping an eye on the door, Kingsley peeked at the window and saw James at the edge of the trees.
“Too far. We’d be in the open too long.”
“Better than remaining inside. Cain, Mason, Cait, keep them occupied for the next two minutes, starting now!”
James rushed toward the glassless window before reaching his hands up. Kingsley took Sydney in his arms and passed her to James, praying that for the few seconds they were helpless the bad guys had better things to do.
James took her in his arms, and Kingsley had just put one leg out to follow when someone barged inside the tiny office space. With less than a second to spare, he pushed away and fired, and the attacker retreated.
Sydney called his name, but instead, he focused on James. “Get her out of here and keep her safe!”
In an instant, he blocked everything out, and his mind reverted to the familiar consciousness of a soldier. It was a state that was hard to explain, similar to having everything slow down around him, and becoming hyper-aware of his surroundings.
When he rolled past the door, Kingsley’s shot was deadly accurate, and the thin man behind the door dropped to the floor before he even realized he was dead.
“James and Sydney are gone. I’m still in the building. State your positions.”
Cain was still outside, checking the entrances and any possible incomings. Caitlin was in position and about to take down two of the intruders inside the building. Mason was in trouble though. He’d been cornered behind some rusty machinery that didn’t offer enough cover.
“Mason, I’m headed your way. Try not to shoot me, okay?”
The former Secret Service agent sneered at his joke. Not a surprise as Mason was stiff as a board. “Shut up and get your butt in here, King.”
His voice was low, a sign that the targets were looming close. The battleground was anything but simple, as sound reverberated into the empty space, making it difficult to pinpoint locations, and the internal brick walls that remained blocked the view every other step.
Moving stealthily was hard as the ground was full of rubble and grit, announcing his arrival, but also helping him locate Mason’s stubborn guests.
When Kingsley finally found a secure hiding place, one of the men had shifted and was unreachable. The second one was in his sights, but if he fired, he would reveal himself.
The first man moved again, attempting another angle to kill Mason, and Kingsley knew he had the opening he wanted.
He only had seconds to make his move. He was silent as a ghost as he moved into position behind the man and swiftly broke his neck.
Keeping quiet, Kingsley carried the dead man back to his hiding place and searched him. No comms on him, but a wallet. He didn’t have time to check so pocketed it, as well as the man’s cell phone after making sure it was turned off.
He could hear more shots being fired in the distance, and Kingsley used the sudden burst of noise to burst around the corner. The remaining man was about to take a shot at Mason just as he tackled him to the floor. The silence was broken as the man shouted and grabbed Kingsley roughly by the collar.
Kingsley punched him hard in the kidneys, but the man was made of stone. Unable to evade the elbow to his temple, Kingsley saw stars for a second but pushed back as hard as he could and his attacker’s skull hit the ground with a sickening crack.
Rolling toward the wall, he shook his head, trying to clear his vision when someone rushed to his left side. His body reacted, his gun went up, but it was a familiar voice that stopped him from pulling the trigger.
“You all right, King?”
He offered his hand to Mason who pulled him to his feet. One quick check confirmed that blood trickled from his scalp, but he wasn’t worried. He’d suffered worse wounds in his line of work, and once the room steadied, he was good to go. Mason had blood on his arm too, but it looked superficial.
They were on their way to Caitlin, when she found them. “I’m clear.”
Kingsley nodded and touched his ear. “Cain? Sit-rep.”
Cain answered immediately. “Nobody outside as far as I can see. Everyone just vanished.”
“We’re coming out.”
The three of them, all still on high alert, j
oined Cain as he patrolled outside.
“Nobody else is inside. Mason, check on James and Sydney. I want to make sure they got away.”
As Mason pulled out his phone, Kingsley held his breath. Had he made the right decision in sending them away? Or had he sent them straight into danger? His heart in his throat, he looked around pretending to scan the area while fighting his instinct to run to the forest where Sydney had disappeared.
Mason closed his phone. “James stumbled on one of their cars by the road and stole it. They’re on their way to the airport. I told James to take the plane and keep going until they were back in Miami and safe at Alliance. I said to tell Sydney that you were fine, we all were, and would make our way back as soon as we could.”
The tension flew out of him now he was reassured Sydney was safe. He would have preferred to be the one ensuring her protection, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
He made his way back to his smoking car and sighed. “Hell. I liked that car.”
Cain snorted, and Caitlin rounded the wreck as Killian danced around her heels. “Did they throw a grenade on it?”
With his experience with bombs, Kingsley knew it wasn’t a grenade. He dropped down to look underneath what was left of the car. “They put something underneath. That means they knew from the start where we were going.”
Mason crouched beside him. “It’s not surprising. If Rutherford was close to Sydney’s parents, then he knows about the farm and this mill. Especially as the mill is so close to the farm. I suspect he ordered men to come straight here and wait to see if we showed up but as we came straight from the airport, there is also the possibility they followed us from there. We would have stood out as we don’t exactly look like tourists, especially having Killian with us, and arriving on a private plane. Our only advantage was that we used a different entry point. Has Sydney figured out what the key is for?”
Kingsley brushed his pants from all dirt. “It unlocked a drawer in an old filing cabinet, and we found a file named ‘Princess Pea’. Apparently her father used to call her that. They attacked before we could see what was in it. Whatever information it contains is enough bad enough for Rutherford to hire professional mercenaries to silence his niece. That bomb was not handmade, but the person who installed it probably wasn’t a professional. I would need to examine it properly, but a quick look tells me that it was supposed to go off when I started the car. It’s a safety precaution that obviously didn’t work. As they were here before we arrived, I would check your own vehicles, they’re probably rigged as well.”
Sweetest Obsessions - Anthology Page 142
