He wasn’t so sure on that count, because CT should be feeling threatened themselves right about now. When a group like that got cornered, all bets were off. Rules and long-range plans went to hell. Same for OPAQUE.
“But this time, it’s different.” She reached out and tenderly touched his arm.
The pleading in her eyes shook him to his core. She wasn’t scared for herself. She wasn’t just scared for him. She was scared for them. Their future. Their life. Was this what love felt like? What he’d been feeling since yesterday morning? This irrational, unrealistic fear of life without the other. Love?
He brushed the pads of his fingers against her cheek as he pushed her hair behind her ear. She was his life. He’d felt the love in that moment. “We’re not having this conversation right now. Understand?”
“I know. But you better not go and get yourself killed.” She stepped back, shooting a glance at Mitch and then Drake. “And you two better not let it happen, either.”
Shaking his head, Mitch laid down his security panel and left the guest room, mumbling something about threats and women and how it was never going to happen to him.
Over the top of Macki’s head, Josh watched Drake’s image on the computer. The man looked like he might explode. “I’ve waited a long time for you two to get your act together. Now is not a good time.”
“Sorry about the timing, sir.”
“Damn it to hell, Josh. This is nothing but one big cluster…” Drake held his breath, turning red behind the stubble of his unshaved beard. “Complication.”
Josh ended the connection.
If Coercion Ten discovered he and Macki had feelings for each other, they’d have all the leverage they’d ever need against him. Leverage could be emotionally, physically, and psychologically painful. A long, slow death.
Chapter Twenty-Five
An hour later, on the way to City Hall, Mackenzie and the agents still didn’t feel any better about the hastily called committee meeting. Maybe Josh had been right. Maybe the whole Coercion Ten situation had them all paranoid.
These types of things happened. And from what she could tell, the other members had all received the same notice. Yet, when paperwork she needed to look over prior to the meeting had arrived by email, she hadn’t seen anything that couldn’t have waited. Besides which, she’d never heard of the company requesting a special waiver for vacant property on the outskirts of Riverfalls.
Josh turned down the one-way street that ran in front of City Hall and ended his call with OPAQUE headquarters. “From the info they tracked down on this company, they’re legit. And they’re looking to expand to the Midwest. Evidently got some deep pockets for jobs.”
“All right, then. Looks like we’re a go.” She glanced at the surroundings, the same way she noticed Josh had been doing ever since they pulled out of her private garage. “I know you said Mitch would be your backup. Where is he?”
“You got us, Mitch?” Josh pushed his finger against the earbud for the listening device he’d put on a few blocks back. Angling into one of the pull-in spots designated for committee members, he grinned as he came to a stop. “Yeah, well, you just keep your eyes on the street.”
Josh pulled an extra Glock from the glove box and tucked it under his seat. Once he arranged everything just so, he glanced in her direction, locking eyes with her for a second before going back to his surveillance scan. His gut feeling must be working overtime. For sure hers was.
“You seem to be the first one here.” Josh tapped the side of the steering wheel. “The two of us will wait in the truck till more of the committee members arrive.”
Glancing at her watch, she didn’t understand why no one else was there. In fact, everything seemed a little too quiet for late afternoon. The courthouse at the beginning of the next block appeared to be full-on packed, with every parking spot taken and people rushing in and out of the building.
“Are we sitting ducks?” For some reason, she hadn’t been able to keep herself from asking.
“Not yet. You got anything on your end, Mitch?” Josh shook his head in reaction to the reply then reached out and touched her hand. “We’re good so far. I’m sure there’s a rational explanation for this meeting.”
“Sure.” She rolled her eyes. “That would explain why I’m sitting with one OPAQUE agent, another hidden somewhere on the street, and my gun, loaded and easy to reach, in my purse. Plus I’m holed up in a bulletproof truck.” She raised her hands. “Seems rational as hell to me.”
Shaking his head, he laughed out loud. A smile spread across her face. Evidently, they’d both needed that release of tension. At least she had.
A car pulled in on her side, and she nodded to the representative from the second district as he got out. Walking toward City Hall, he turned to wait for someone else who’d also just parked a few spots down.
“Are either of them on the committee?” Josh asked.
“No, but maybe the mayor requested they come. Look.” She pointed down the sidewalk toward the courthouse. “That’s the mayor coming this way. And Lieutenant Grey’s not far behind him.” She glanced back at Josh. “Must have been a court case they had to attend.”
Confident everything was okay, she reached for the door handle and slid outside. The moment her feet hit the ground, she knew she’d screwed up. She should have waited for Josh’s okay to leave the truck, and the look he shot her said, Don’t forget next time.
“Sorry.” She’d never realized how hard being the one in protection could be. “Okay if I go talk to the mayor and head inside for the meeting?”
“We’re on the move, Mitch.” Already out, he nodded and headed around the rear of the truck as she took a few steps in the direction of the pedestrian plaza in front of City Hall.
Josh had stopped. She stopped. Watched. Quickly, she keyed in on the fact that he kept glancing from one end of the street to the other. Traffic had thinned. Probably stopped at the corner signal. Crews were working on the overhead light signal a couple blocks away when she and Josh had driven down the street.
“Macki, stay where you are.”
“What’s wrong?”
“The side streets are barricaded. They weren’t when we pulled in.” He moved his hand to the gun tucked in his back waistband. “And up ahead, there are barricades turning traffic to the right.” He tapped his earbud. “Are you getting this, Mitch?”
A black cargo van started down the street, followed by a white SUV. Suddenly, a red car swerved from behind the two vehicles, taking the lane closest to Josh. The car increased its speed. Zeroed in on him.
“Down, Macki. Down.” He slid across the trunk of the car next to them, pulling his Glock as he landed on his feet.
She dropped and rolled for protection by one of the cars. Lieutenant Grey pulled the mayor out of the line of fire and into City Hall. Grabbing her gun from her bag, she glanced over the hood and aimed.
The car veered closer and closer. Rear window lowered. Gunfire erupted. Targeting no one but Josh. He returned fire then jumped into the road and aimed for the windshield. A spray of bullets from the black van drove him back.
The van stopped. Three men jumped out of the rear door.
Just as fast, Mitch and another man appeared at a dead run on the far side of the street, firing at will toward the van. At a distance, Cummings was headed in their direction, weapon drawn.
“Gas. I smell gas.” She glanced in the direction of the car next to Josh’s truck. Bullet holes riddled the rear side, and the gas tank was spewing liquid.
“Get out of there,” Josh yelled as he reloaded and shot, bringing one man down.
She backpedaled to get away. Taking aim, she hit one of the men in the leg.
Josh jumped back in front of the oncoming car. Fired and fired again. The windshield shattered a second before the red car crashed into the rear side of his truck. A fireball ripped upward and outward. Metal and glass splintered the dust as the air reverberated with a boom. Smoke and fire and hea
t clouded the scene.
The men on the street dragged their dead and wounded, including the man from the red car, into the van a second before it and the white SUV raced off down the street. Their tires squealed as they turned right at the intersection and disappeared into the city. Considering the interstate was a block away, they were long past a quick police pursuit.
“Josh!” Macki turned and ran toward the explosion as a secondary explosion echoed across the emptiness.
An arm wrapped around her and she fought, kicked, yanked backward as the man took her to the ground.
“Stay down, Mackenzie.” Mitch’s voice drilled into her mind as he protected her with his body. A couple of feet in front of her in a heat-fueled haze, Cummings crouched with his gun arm straight in front of him, circling the perimeter of an unseen circle around her. They’d made sure she survived.
Where was Josh? Why wasn’t he the one beside her? “Josh?”
She’d seen him jump onto the hood. Then the crash. The fireball. Then nothing. Nothing. The last few seconds played back over and over in her mind. Slowly, her insides grasped the outcome. She’d lost him. He’d gone up in the explosion.
Her mind moved in slow motion. Screaming to go back…go back to yesterday…go back to this morning…go back to when they’d laughed less than five minutes ago. “Noooooooooo.”
Like a deflating balloon, the fight went out of her, and she ceased her struggle. No matter what OPAQUE did to Coercion Ten, it would never be enough to ease her pain. Because nothing would change what had just happened. Nothing would bring him back.
…
Josh opened his eyes. Was he dead? Hell no, but he sure couldn’t breathe. All he remembered was that he’d fired at the oncoming red car. The windshield had shattered, and he’d fired at the driver again and again. After rolling onto the hood, he’d jumped to the top and catapulted himself off the back as the car careened into the sedan parked next to his truck. Then one damn big explosion.
He’d landed flat on his back. Hard. Air…he needed air.
Cough…try to cough.
No matter how many times he’d been in this position, having the wind knocked out still hurt to blue blazes. But he knew the drill. Knew not to panic.
Wherever he’d landed was a tight confine, but he stretched his arms over his head the best he could. Sucked in air through his nose. Then pulled his arms back down to his sides.
He needed to breathe. Move. Get to Macki. Make sure she was okay. Finally, his diaphragm kicked back into action, and he gulped in one long, deep breath.
Bracing up on one elbow, he focused through a break in whatever he seemed to be penned behind. The street looked like a war zone. The gunfire had ceased, replaced with shrill approaching sirens. The two men in the car had bit the dust, but what about the SUV and black van? Had they gotten away empty-handed? Or had they grabbed her before they made their escape?
“Hey. Anybody there? Get me out.” He banged against what appeared to be pieces of scaffolding and wood. There had been window-washing equipment set up across the street. The men had been taking a break near the curb. Surely he hadn’t been thrown that far. Then again, maybe the stand had tumbled with the explosion.
He tried to lift the steel with his shoulder. Didn’t budge. What if no one knew he was there? Digging and muffled voices came from above. He scraped and shoved his hand through enough of the rubble until he felt the fresh air of outside.
Someone grabbed hold. “Hang on. We’ll get you out.”
Within seconds, the faces of three men appeared as they lifted the mess off of him.
“Thanks. Thanks a lot, guys.” He crawled out of the debris and tried to stand. His side hurt with the pain from slamming against metal, but at least he could move.
Another man reached out and pulled him to his feet. “You okay, buddy?”
CIA Trenton…Reese Trenton. Where had he come from? “Thanks, buddy. Glad you were here.”
“I was just passing by.” Trenton pointed Josh toward City Hall then turned back to the other men still digging through the mess. “Yeah, he’s okay. Just a little wobbly. Let’s see if anyone else is in this pile of rubble.”
The group began to dig again, but he’d gotten the message he should ignore Trenton. That he should go forward, across the street. He shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears as the sun’s glare bounced off shards of glass littering the area. He stumbled then ran toward the last place he’d seen Macki.
He detoured onto the sidewalk, pushing through a gathering crowd of spectators and reporters. Damn. How much time had actually passed? Someone tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at a man appearing to shout at him.
“Cummings?” Hell, why wouldn’t the damn ringing in his ears stop? He pounded his palms against his ears as he walked. There, that was better, or at least he told himself it was. At least he could hear again.
“You look like you’ve been run over by a bulldozer.” Cummings tucked his gun in his holster as police cruisers and cops populated the area. “Better get checked out by the paramedics.”
Josh caught a glance of his dirt-and-soot-covered reflection in a car window. Clothing ripped and torn, with blood on his hand, his arm. He raked his hand through his hair and felt the singeing. But he’d survived. That’s all that mattered.
Instinctively his gaze searched the surroundings for the only thing he cared about. “Where’s Macki? Is she hurt?”
“She’s okay.” Cummings nodded across the sidewalk toward the steps to City Hall.
Josh jogged in that direction.
“You’re alive.” Mitch met him at the top of the steps and grabbed him in a bear hug. “We thought you were dead, man.”
“Close, but no cigar. We’ll talk about it later.” Scouring the crowd, Josh caught sight of Macki. She looked like she was in shock. “What’s wrong with her?”
“Don’t worry, she’s not hurt.” Mitch slapped him on the back. “Let’s just say that expression on your woman’s face is one I don’t ever want to see again. We all thought you’d met your Maker.”
Josh climbed the few steps to her, but the closer he got, the more perplexed she looked. As if her feet were planted in concrete. She didn’t move. She just stared at him as if he were some kind of mirage. She tilted her head, her expression questioning. Shock could do that to a person.
“Hey.” Cupping his hands on her shoulders, he felt her tremble the moment she realized he was real.
“Hey.”
He pulled her against him. Partly for her. Partly for him. He’d almost died without telling her how much she meant to him.
Her jerky sobs began small, then increasingly vibrated as she looped her arms around him and held tight. All he could do was hold on just as tight as he kissed the top of her head.
“I’m okay,” he whispered. “I’m okay.”
“I—I thought I lost you.” She gasped, plastering his cheek with tiny kisses. “I love you, Joshua. I love you with all my heart.”
“I love you, too.” He wrapped her in his arms, closer and closer. Kissed her with every ounce of love and conviction he’d ever felt, deeper and deeper. Nothing was ever driving them apart again. Nothing. “You’re everything to me, Macki. Everything.”
They clung to each other, one kiss following another. After a bit, she loosened her hold and stepped back, giving him an up-and-down glance. She still battled her tears as she gave him a weak smile.
“You look…” She shook her head and smiled bigger. “You never looked so damn good to me in all your life.”
He glanced down at himself and knew different. In fact, he looked like a man who’d come too close to dying. “I may look like hell, but it’ll all wash off. You’ll see. I’ll be good as new.”
“Doesn’t matter to me. I’ll always love you.” She kissed him once again then fell into his hold, lifting her lips to his ear. “And you love me. Only me.”
At last, he felt complete. “Forever, honey. Forever.”
Cha
pter Twenty-Six
Police questions. FBI questions. Questions in his own mind. There’d been too many damn people in Josh’s personal space the past couple hours. Wrapping up the scene in front of City Hall had been intense, to say the least.
Riverfalls Police hadn’t been happy about the FBI sticking its nose into their local business. The Feds had listened to their complaints then pulled Josh and Mitch aside for private interrogation. They’d answered questions they felt fell in their jurisdiction. The others they referred to Drake.
Josh’s truck had been so close to the explosion, the police had towed it to the impound lot. But not before he’d stripped the truck of anything pertaining to OPAQUE or him personally. The police hadn’t been happy about that, either.
The tote filled with gadgets from the truck had gone with Mitch when he’d headed over to D Street. Securing more information on Roxy and her daughter had taken the back seat for a brief period, what with the CT attack. Now, Mitch needed to return to the reason he was in town. Dig deeper on the Roxy issue.
Finally, things had calmed down, and it seemed everyone had what they needed for the moment. He and Macki needed to head home. Only one problem. No ride.
“Don’t think there won’t be any follow-up questions from me.” Lieutenant Grey had the look and tone of a man who felt empowered. “Macki, I’m surprised you’re tangled up with the likes of OPAQUE and Agent Slater.”
“Why would you be surprised? Runs in my family.” She stood straight with the attitude of someone not about to be put down ever again.
Josh was proud of her resilience, but part of him also wanted her to stay quiet on this subject. He twined his fingers between hers and squeezed lightly. Until he figured out who to trust around Riverfalls, he wasn’t too sure he wanted people knowing who, what, when, and how Macki and OPAQUE fit together.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Grey’s tone had become suspicious.
“Did you forget? Law enforcement runs in my family genes.” She double-squeezed Josh’s hand in return. “What did you think I meant, Lieutenant Grey?”
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