by Rebecca Deel
“Enough to take down an elephant. He won’t wake up until tomorrow.”
One less thing to worry about. Ahead, another gate loomed. Didn’t look as solid as the front. “Ram it.”
Alex grunted and floored the pedal. Five men raced toward their vehicle, guns drawn, firing. A spiderweb of cracks spread on the right side of the windshield. “Just had that thing replaced,” he groused.
“This one’s on me.” As they raced toward the opening in the wall, concrete posts began rising from the ground in front of the gate.
The sniper growled. “I’m tired of these bozos.”
“Jon, the back gate has concrete posts locked in place. The feds are at the front. We’re sitting ducks out here.”
Alex swung the SUV around and steered the vehicle straight for three more guards racing their direction.
“Copy. Fortress is moving in. Two minutes.”
“Machine gun,” Alex barked, swerving away from the weapon.
“I thought those were illegal,” Del said.
“Tell them that,” he snapped. Another evasive maneuver. A burst of machine gun fire. The SUV’s engine locked up.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“Are you kidding me?” Josh dived into the front seat. He glanced at Del. “Drop to the floorboard and stay there. It’s the most protected place in this vehicle.” He reached into Alex’s Go bag and yanked out the dart gun. “Loaded?” he asked his sniper.
A snort in response. Yeah, he figured as much. With Del’s life on the line, though, he wasn’t taking chances. He handed the gun to her. She flinched. “It’s loaded with a dart. Just point and shoot.”
“What are you going to do?”
He never wanted to hear absolute fear in her voice like that again. “Alex and I are on garbage detail. We’ll do our own pointing and shooting. We can’t let them take you or Wright. Help is one minute out.” Josh didn’t bother to tell her a lot of bad things could happen in one minute. From the tears streaking down her face, she suspected as much anyway.
“Forty-five seconds,” Jon murmured.
“They’re aiming for the windshield,” Alex said, drawing his weapon.
“They know Wright is in the back and the windshield is compromised. A few more well-placed shots, it will shatter.” A last glance to be sure Del remained in place. “Let’s do this. I’m ready for a big, juicy steak and baked potato.”
“Sounds good to me. You’re buying. I’ll take the left. I want the gunner who killed my ride. Jon, the clowns on the roof?”
“I solved the problem. Thirty seconds,” Jon said.
“Go.” Josh and Alex threw open the doors and rolled to the ground, firing as they went. A hail of bullets struck the SUV. He refused to consider a hull breach by one of the small metal missiles. Focus on the mission, he reminded himself, then ride into the sunset with the girl.
The roar of the machine gun cut off abruptly. Alex Morgan strikes again.
“Fortress incoming,” Jon said. “They’re dressed in black. Don’t mistake them for the bad guys.”
Laughter burst from Josh as he took down another tango. Shots sounded behind him, shouts from the bad guys. One scream. His blood froze in his veins. Del. He needed to get to her. She’d never scream unless someone had gotten past Alex. He rose into a crouch, scanning in front of him for another tango, saw no one. Movement to the right was his only warning. The next second he was flat on his back, staring down the barrel of a Ruger aimed at his head by a grinning Thug One.
“Not so smart, are you?”
Josh saw the movement of his trigger finger and, with his booted foot, broke Thug One’s kneecap. With a scream, the man collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain. Josh dived on top of him, pinned his gun hand to the ground and, after several vicious punches to Thug One’s head and face, knocked him unconscious.
He leaped to his feet and yanked open the vehicle’s back door, weapon up, ready. What he saw astonished him. Somehow, Wright had freed himself, escaped the duffel bag and climbed over the seat. Del’s face was bruised, which ticked him off, but she held the gun aimed at the gunrunner who was unconscious, sprawled across the seat with a dart protruding from his neck.
“Tangos down. Area secure,” Jon murmured. “Tell your girl she’s amazing.”
He’d do that as soon as he stopped shaking. “You okay, baby?”
“Is he down?” she asked, gaze still focused on Wright.
“He is. Besides, the gun’s empty.”
“You said he was down before. He got up.”
He grinned. Had to love a woman with such spirit. “Blame Alex for that.”
“Hey! Don’t send her after me,” Alex protested. “She’s dangerous with a gun.”
Not yet, but soon. “You’re lucky there isn’t more ammunition.” He planned to turn his sweet girl into a marksman. Never did he want to feel the kind of fear he had today, knowing she couldn’t defend herself. Never again. “Let’s get out of here, love. The feds can take care of the rest.”
“We did it?” Del crawled over to his side of the vehicle, grasped his outstretched hand.
He enclosed her in his arms. “He’s going down hard. We have backup on the recording. No way he’ll slide out of this one.”
“Can we go home now?”
“Josh owes me a steak,” Alex groused. “He’s paying up.”
“Tomorrow soon enough?” Josh asked Del.
“Tomorrow,” she agreed.
He took the dart gun from her unresisting hand, grabbed his Go bag and secured the weapon inside as Alex hefted his own over his shoulder. Josh hugged Del. “We injured or killed many of Wright’s men. It’s better if you don’t see that as we leave.”
“You’d blindfold me?”
“Carry you. Wrap your arms around me and whisper sweet nothings in my ear until we’re clear.” He dropped a soft kiss on her lips. “Let me do this, sweetheart.”
“Where is he?” Jordan strode across the estate grounds toward the trashed SUV.
Josh motioned to the vehicle. “He’s all yours, Jordan. See you at home.”
“Wait a minute. You can’t run off. I need statements.”
“You know where to find us. This is your collar.” He ignored Jordan’s further protests about having his badge and swept his girl into his arms. “Let’s go home, babe.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The next two weeks passed in a flurry of interviews with the FBI and Ethan, dodging the press, and a couple visits to the recovering Marshal Burns. Del reveled in her store with it’s perfect scent of brewing coffee and books. The Christie Club made an appearance in the store minutes after she opened the first day back and grilled her for information. Being warned not to share too much information, she gave generalities. All but Ethan’s aunt were satisfied. When Ruth grew too persistent for days on end, she pointed the mystery writer to her police chief nephew.
Ivy’s laugh bubbled out as the door closed behind a disgruntled Ruth. “That is one determined lady.” She slid off her stool behind the counter and walked to the coffee bar. “Have you seen Josh?”
She shook her head. “Durango is meeting this morning. They have something they want to talk over with him.”
“It’s been three hours.”
“Worried?”
“Hungry. Alex promised to deliver lunch.”
And maybe a little worried, though her cousin wouldn’t admit it. “They should be here soon.”
Lunch customers came and went in a steady stream. Still no sign of Josh or his team. At 1:15, the door opened and Durango walked in, big grins on their faces. All except Josh. He looked serious, a huge contrast to his teammates.
Del’s stomach knotted. Had something gone wrong with the case against Wright? Did he escape? Would they need another sting? She frowned, not knowing if such a thing were possible. After all, Wright had seen the faces of Josh and Alex. She didn’t trust anyone else with her safety or Ivy’s. She came around the counter and hurried to Josh. “What’s w
rong?”
“Nothing if you answer his question right,” Quinn said, his eyes twinkling.
Nate laughed. “Not if she’s smart.”
“I don’t need you clowns to help.” Josh scowled at his laughing friends.
Alex clapped him on the shoulder. “Face it, Major. This is a team operation now. We have a vested interest in her answer.”
“Fine.” Josh turned away from Durango and held out his hand to Del. “Can you take a break?”
“Go on,” Ivy said. “I’ll keep the monkeys busy.”
“Aw, now, that wasn’t nice, Ivy,” Rio said.
“There’s work to be done.” She picked up a stack of books and handed them to the medic. “Shelve those, please. The rest of you come get your stacks.”
Amid protests, Josh ushered Del outside and down the sidewalk. He said nothing while they walked and that made her uneasy. He only nodded at people who greeted them when normally he’d stop and talk.
“Where are we going?” Del asked.
“The park.”
More silence until they reached a bench under a maple tree near the pond. Josh drew her down to sit beside him and faced her.
“How was your meeting with Durango?”
“What? Oh, fine. We’re opening a bodyguard school outside town. Well, the rest of Durango is opening the school. I’ll teach a class as they need it. Ethan’s talking to Durango about being his volunteer SWAT team.”
Del blinked. A bodyguard school? Guess such an institution had to exist. “What about working for Fortress?”
He lifted his hand, brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek, his touch gentle. “That, love, depends on you.”
“I don’t understand. I thought you already decided to work with them, at least part-time.”
“That was before you had an up-close-and-personal view of a mission. Knowing what a mission might entail, can you still handle it if I work for Fortress?”
“And if I can’t?” she asked. Del had nailed down her answer to his question at the cabin. She was curious what Josh would say, though, and promised herself not to let him suffer long.
His face lost all expression, which told Del volumes about his feelings on the matter. “I can live without Fortress. I won’t live without you.”
Joy exploded in her heart. “Josh.”
He raised her hand, still clasped in his, and kissed the back of it. “You mean everything to me. I was partially alive until you walked into my life. I’m not willing to live in numbness anymore. If you can’t handle my working with Fortress, I’ll pass on that opportunity.”
“Why would you give up work you love? Think of the lives you’ll save.”
“It means nothing if I lose you. I love you, Delphinium Peterson. I love you enough to walk away from Fortress without one second of regret if that’s what you need to be happy.”
“You figured out my name. Joshua Cahill, all I need to be happy is you.” She leaned in and kissed him. “I love you.”
“Then I have a couple questions for you.”
She smiled, eased away. “Ask.”
“Would you like to see your mother tonight?”
“She’s back?”
“She had a blast with Mom and Dad on the cruise. Mom says they all have a tan.”
“I’d love to see her. Wait, don’t you have to work tonight?”
“Ethan agreed to patrol my sector for a couple hours so we can celebrate.”
Del’s brow furrowed. “Celebrate what?”
He withdrew a small, gray velvet-covered box from his pants pocket, and knelt in front of her. “I hope we’re celebrating our engagement.” He opened the box and pulled out a platinum ring.
She gasped as a diamond solitaire glittered in the sunlight. “Josh, it’s beautiful.”
“Will you make my life complete by marrying me?”
“Oh, yes,” she whispered.
“Soon?”
She nodded, too overwhelmed to speak as he slid the ring on her finger.
“What did she say?” Quinn shouted across the park.
Josh burst into laughter and drew Del to her feet. He leaned down, kissed her before turning to his waiting team. That’s when he noticed a lot of other town and family members eagerly anticipating his response. “Yes!”
Applause and cheers broke out across the park. Del grinned and leaned into Josh’s side. The perfect place to be with the perfect man for her.
About the Author
Rebecca Deel is a preacher’s kid with a black belt in karate. She teaches business classes at a private four-year college in Nashville, Tennessee. She plays the piano at church, writes freelance articles, and runs interference for the family Westies. She’s been married to her amazing husband for more than 20 years and is the proud mom of two grown sons. She delivers monthly devotions to the women’s group at her church and conducts seminars in personal safety, money management, and writing. Her articles have been published in ONE Magazine, Contact, and Co-Laborer, and she was profiled in the June 2010 Williamson edition of Nashville Christian Family magazine. Rebecca completed her Doctor of Arts degree in Economics and wears her favorite Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt when life turns ugly.
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