Targeted do-1

by Katie Reus

  Jack glanced up to find Sophie watching him, her mouth pulled into a thin line. Immediately she frowned. “Are you hurt?”

  He didn’t have to look to realize what she meant. “Not my blood. You okay?” When she nodded, he hefted the guy up and carried him to the back, where he dumped him.

  His chest ached painfully as he watched Sophie wordlessly get into the passenger seat. This was the last thing he should be doing with her. For once in his life Jack wanted to do something normal. Like take Sophie on a fucking date instead of have her wait for him while he set up high-powered explosives and then knocked a man unconscious.

  Scrubbing a hand over his face, he got in the driver’s side. “Where did that guy come from?”

  She wrapped her arms around herself, traces of fear evident in her dark eyes. “I’m not sure, but he came from the direction of the hangar you were in. I thought maybe . . . you’d gotten hurt or something. I was worried.”

  That’s when he realized the fear wasn’t for herself, but for him. He wasn’t used to anyone worrying about him. Despite what they’d shared last night, he told himself he couldn’t get used to it. “I’m fine,” he said, the words harsher than he’d intended.

  He didn’t trust himself to say more, so he started the vehicle and slowly backed up. They didn’t have far to go, so he continued driving behind the next couple of hangars until he parked in front of number five.

  “Why are you stopping?”

  “We’re here.”

  “This is where we’re meeting your boss?” She sounded incredulous.

  Jack nodded. “We need to be close to whatever’s going down with Vargas.” He jumped out of the vehicle and punched in the code for the hangar door. It immediately started rolling up.

  “What’s going to happen to me now?” Sophie asked as he slid back into the driver’s seat.

  “What do you mean?” Glancing in the rearview mirror, he slowly pulled through the entrance. Wesley’s team should be here soon.

  “Will I still, uh . . . never mind.” It was as if the temperature in the vehicle dropped a few degrees. He could practically see her shutting him out, shutting down. She’d done it numerous times when they were teenagers.

  If something was bothering her, her automatic reaction was to pull away emotionally. Jack had never done the comforting thing well, but he hated Sophie pulling away from him. Especially now. “Sophie, I’m not letting you out of my sight if that’s what you’re worried about. You are mine to protect. No matter what happens, I’ll keep you safe.”

  Her expression softened a fraction, but she didn’t respond. As if she wasn’t quite sure she believed him. Before he could say more, three black SUVs with tinted windows drove through the opening, parking in a perfect row.

  “Looks like everyone’s here. . . . Remember, don’t mention what I just did to anyone.”

  She nodded, her expression guarded. “I promise.”

  • • •

  Levi was silent as he walked down the tiled hallway in Vargas’s house. As he passed one of the open doors, he overheard two of the guards arguing. He stayed in the doorway, but neither of them took notice of him.

  As their voices escalated, he frowned when he realized what they were discussing. “What the fuck is going on?” he asked. Stupid fucker, always looking at the two women Vargas held captive. There weren’t many things Levi would ruin his cover for, but protecting a woman was about it. He hadn’t been with the team to pick up Hannah Young—because he would have made sure the girl got away—but she was here now and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Unfortunately he had a feeling he’d be leaving soon.

  “Why don’t you mind your own business, pendejo?” Manuel took a step back from Rico and squared off at Levi.

  Rico waved a hand in the air as if to dismiss him. “Don’t worry about it, man.”

  Levi ignored Rico and focused on Manuel instead. He leaned casually against the door frame. “You touch either of those girls and Vargas will cut your nuts off. He’ll probably make you eat them before he kills you.”

  Manuel let out a string of curses before storming past him. Levi waited until he saw the scarred man disappear down the hall before turning back to Rico. “Keep him away from those girls.”

  “I’m trying to get it through his thick skull that Vargas will kill him. . . . Man, whatever, it’s his fucking hide.” Rico shook his head and brushed past Levi.

  The world would be a better place if Manuel was dead, but the only way Vargas would kill him was if he actually hurt one of the girls. On that front, Vargas was a strange man. Levi had overheard him threaten to hurt the blond girl to her parents, but he’d never actually do it and he’d never let his men hurt them. Levi wasn’t sure why, but there was a rumor that someone had raped and killed Vargas’s wife a decade ago.

  But that’s all it was. A rumor. If it was true, it was the only thing Levi had in common with the drug-running bastard. Whatever, everyone had a fucking sob story. Right now the only thing he cared about was vengeance. He couldn’t worry about anyone else’s shit.

  When his phone buzzed, he frowned at the number on the caller ID. “Yeah?”

  “You still looking to get in bed with the Russians?” a familiar voice asked.

  Fuck yeah. “I’m in?”

  “Your time with Vargas was worth it. Your credentials are solid.”

  “When do they want me?”

  “I can get you a ride off the island in three hours. You know the place.”

  “I’ll be there.” Levi’s hand shook as he disconnected. This was it. He hated that he couldn’t free the women, but they weren’t his problem. A year ago he’d have died trying to get them out of here. But if he was dead, no one would avenge his wife’s death. Right now that was the only reason his heart was still beating. Once he’d ended the bastards who’d cut down his life, his soul, he didn’t care what happened to himself.

  He glanced down the hall. Empty. Most of Vargas’s men guarded the perimeter. Getting off his estate without being seen would be tricky. His friend was doing him a huge favor flying him out of Cuba, and he couldn’t risk Vargas following him to the airstrip.

  It wasn’t as if he owed Vargas anything. Not to mention that something big was going down if Jack was involved. Vargas had been very vague about what he was doing with SBMS other than running weapons. Deep down Levi knew it was bad and that if he dug deep enough he’d find out what it was, but the driving need for revenge inside him kept pulling him back. Levi couldn’t get caught up in that mess if he wanted to stay alive. It was definitely time for him to disappear and get his revenge.

  Chapter 18

  Op center: location where an operation is being run.

  Sophie watched an older man get out of one of the SUVs. He was followed by two men wearing what looked like battle gear. They were dressed in all black, wore Kevlar vests, and carried some big freaking guns. Everything about the situation had her on edge. When she’d seen the man they now had tied up coming toward her, she’d tried to hide, but it had done no good. Then to see Jack disarm and knock him unconscious so easily . . . it was jarring. Though she wasn’t sure why. She’d seen him take down two men with a bullet between the eyes—while he’d been running. He moved with such fluidity, his actions natural and graceful—in a terrifyingly deadly sort of way. And the longer she was with him, the more she couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew him. Had known him for a long damn time.

  It didn’t matter what reality told her, something bone deep recognized Jack and it was starting to drive her a little crazy. Now she couldn’t get rid of the fear that their time together was coming to an end. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Okay, that was total bullshit. She didn’t like the thought at all. Wrapping her arms around herself, she asked, “Who are those guys?”

  “They’re part of the tactical team. There are probably six or seven of them and they won’t know anything about us or the mission until they get set up in the hangar.” Jack answered he
r, but she could tell he was only half listening. His eyes narrowed as he scanned everyone, probably looking for a possible threat.

  All in all, there were seven men dressed like commandos, four men wearing suits and ties, and one woman in a pantsuit. She guessed the older man was the boss. He turned to everyone, shouted something, and people fanned out like ants, pulling boxes and bags from the backs of the vehicles in a quick but orderly manner. One of the men shut the hangar door, which gave her a surprising sense of claustrophobia. She didn’t know any of these people.

  When the older man looked through their windshield and nodded at Jack, Jack turned to her. “You ready?”

  No. “Yeah.” For the past two days she’d been running for her life, but she’d been with Jack. Which, in her mind, translated to safe. Now all of a sudden, she was nervous. Before she’d even shut her door, Jack had rounded the vehicle and was standing protectively close to her. His nearness was wildly soothing.

  “Just relax,” he said, low enough for only her as the older man walked up to them.

  “Ms. Moreno, I’m Wesley Burkhart. We spoke on the phone. I’m sorry you’ve had to be a party to all this.” He held out his hand.

  “Thank you, and please call me Sophie.” She shook his hand before sticking her hands in her pockets.

  When Jack placed a comforting hand on the small of her back and pulled her a fraction closer, the older man’s green eyes narrowed. Not in a dangerous sort of way, but he looked almost surprised.

  “I’ve got an unconscious guy tied up in the back of the SUV. Probably one of Vargas’s. He spotted our vehicle and he’s definitely not airport security. I left his weapons under the driver’s seat.” Jack’s statement tore his gaze away from the way he was holding Sophie.

  “Where you’d run into him?”

  “Outside hangar seven after I’d finished recon of Keane’s. So either he got nosy or they’ve got guys doing larger-scale sweeps.” Or the guy could have been smoking a cigarette and noticed the vehicle. Who knew?

  His boss frowned. “The satellite hasn’t caught anything like that,” he murmured, almost to himself. Then he turned and shouted an order to someone. Two of the men wearing all-black gear stopped what they were doing and headed for the vehicle.

  “This way.” Without waiting, he turned and headed toward a far corner of the hangar.

  Jack nodded, so she fell in step with him. The other people barely glanced their way as they unloaded the vehicles. Unlike in the other hangar, there weren’t any crates. Just tables with computers and a couple of the men were in the process of setting up cots and dry-erase boards.

  “Are they going to sleep here?” she whispered.

  “Probably.”

  Once they’d reached the far corner of the building, Wesley stopped. “The two guys from Bayside were likely hired thugs. We couldn’t find a concrete connection to Vargas, but they’ve done work for hire in the past. The locals are wrapping the case up as we speak,” he informed them.

  Sophie had wondered about those men—though she hadn’t cared much about their deaths considering they’d been hunting her and Jack.

  Jack simply nodded, his expression blank, as if he felt the same way.

  “Did you get a chance to scope out Vargas’s hangar?” he asked Jack.

  “Yeah. Five men guarding the place now. Well, six if you include the guy I took out. After Sophie’s break-in, I’m guessing they increased the security, because she said there were only two men there Sunday night.”

  His boss glanced at her, so she just nodded in confirmation. Then he looked back at Jack. “Have you contacted Weller yet?”

  “No, I was waiting for you.”

  Wesley’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t comment. Sophie didn’t understand what was going on, but she was under the impression the other man wasn’t happy. As if they were having a conversation without actually talking.

  “Contact him and pick him up,” Wesley ordered.

  “Send someone else.” There was an unexpected edge to Jack’s voice. She’d heard the same tone before, but this was his boss he was talking to.

  Wesley’s jaw clenched. “She’ll be protected.”

  “I’m not letting her out of my sight. You’re the one who insisted I take this mission, and I’m doing things my way.”

  Jack’s boss gritted his teeth, but he conceded after a few tense moments. “Fine. I’ll go with one of the guys. You need to call him, though. You’ve been his only contact and he trusts you.”

  Without responding, Jack pulled out one of his phones and texted her boss.

  As they stood there waiting for Ronald to return the call, she decided to take a chance. It was constantly weighing on her mind to the point she wanted to scream in frustration. Jack had promised he’d tell her if he heard anything, but maybe his boss knew something he didn’t. Asking was worth a shot. “Has there been any news on my friend Hannah?”

  Wesley shot a glance at Jack. It was almost too quick, but she saw the warning glance in Jack’s eyes as he looked at his boss.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” she demanded. Raw panic slithered down her spine, leaving her cold and numb.

  Jack rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “When we were at her house I saw some broken glass and some of her clothing scattered in her garage.”

  His admission was like a stinging slap to the face. He’d kept this from her the entire time they’d been together. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “It could be nothing and I didn’t want you to worry.”

  “You should have told me.” Her hands automatically balled into fists at her sides.

  “Why? So you could needlessly worry? There’s nothing you can do and now this knowledge only hurts you. I . . . just wanted to protect you.” The way his voice softened smothered the majority of her previously spiking anger. But it didn’t soothe her growing panic.

  She hated that he was right. There wasn’t a damn thing she could do. Still, Hannah was her best friend. Sophie pressed a shaky hand against her abdomen. Hannah was okay. She had to be. But this was the real world and she knew all the bad things that could happen. Staring into those pale eyes, she felt absolutely betrayed. “I thought we were in this together.”

  “I didn’t want . . . You’re right. I should have told you. I’m sorry.” He said the last part quietly.

  Wesley raised his eyebrows as he glanced between the two of them. But she didn’t care about him right now.

  “Is there anything else you’re not telling me?”

  “No.”

  “Should we call the police, then? Her parents?”

  Wesley shifted his feet, looking slightly uncomfortable. “I’ve spoken with a local contact about her, and we have her house under surveillance, but we’re not involving her family. The timing is too coincidental, so we’re assuming Vargas has her. If he’d wanted her dead, he’d have just had her killed at her house and left her there.”

  Sophie nodded because she’d heard what that man in Marathon had said about taking Hannah. But she didn’t understand why they weren’t calling the police.

  Before she could ask, Jack cut in as if he’d read her mind. “If we contact the locals, it might alert Vargas that we know a lot more than he’s aware of. Right now he knows that people are asking questions about SBMS, but he doesn’t know more than that. He thinks you are a threat because of the pictures you took, but he doesn’t know who’s helping you or why. For all he knows, you’re working with competition looking to move in on his territory.

  “He clearly had her call in to work, so he wants the world to think she’s just sick, not missing. He might think he has a bargaining chip with her and we need to let him think that. Either way, it changes nothing.”

  A bargaining chip. Sophie felt sick to her stomach.

  Jack started to say more when his phone buzzed. “Yeah?”

  The conversation was one-sided, but after some smooth talking, Jack convinced her boss to meet some people with the NSA. Worry
for her friend ate at her, but she knew it wouldn’t do Hannah or her any good to freak out right now.

  “Set up a table for when I get back. I don’t want anyone else touching the recording devices,” Wesley said before turning on his heel and heading back across the open floor.

  “You could have gone, Jack.” Sophie wrapped her arms around herself.

  “I’m not leaving you.” He reached out a hand and cupped her cheek, his thumb gently stroking her skin. She almost pulled away, but there was something vulnerable in his gaze that stopped her. She was so damn angry he’d lied to her, that feeling battling with the worry inside her, and she wasn’t sure what to do. Finally he cleared his throat and dropped his hand. “Come on, I want to get the audio equipment ready by the time they get back.”

  Sophie fell into step with Jack, thankful he’d kept his word. He’d said he wouldn’t leave her, but she hadn’t been sure if she’d truly believed him until this moment. She wasn’t sure what it meant, though. He’d lied to her about Hannah and while she understood, it pissed her off beyond belief. She’d been handling everything pretty well and she hated that he’d kept that knowledge from her. She didn’t need him to think for her or make her decisions.

  • • •

  He watched the interaction between Jack Stone and the Moreno woman. That had certainly been interesting.

  Jack was more or less a legend in the agency, a man who killed with no compunction. No one but Wesley really knew him. For all he’d heard about Jack—and it wasn’t much—he’d never imagined the man had a soft spot. But seeing the way he’d just comforted the Moreno woman—there was definitely something going on between them. The sexual tension was practically tangible. And he couldn’t believe he was the man who’d been working with the Moreno woman. Now that he actually had intel for Vargas, he couldn’t tell him that the mystery man wasn’t someone trying to take over Keane’s operation, but one of the NSA’s own. Wesley had certainly kept this operation close to the vest.