Countermeasures

by Janie Crouch

  “Any of your siblings married?” Megan asked as she was finishing up her food.

  Sawyer shook his head, taking a drink of his water. “My oldest brother, Dylan, was but...that didn’t work out.” Megan noticed the slight pause, but didn’t push.

  “My sister—” Megan could see Sawyer clench his jaw. He cleared his throat and started again. “My sister, Juliet, is...working through some stuff. She’s not involved with anybody right now.” Obviously whatever stuff his sister was working through was upsetting to Sawyer. Megan reached over and grabbed his hand. She didn’t know what to say, but she at least wanted him to know he wasn’t alone.

  Sawyer ate a few more bites and seemed to collect himself. “Cameron, my middle brother, just got engaged. It’s pretty sickening how in love the two of them are.” Sawyer gave a dramatic sigh and rolled his eyes. Megan giggled.

  They spent the rest of the meal with Sawyer telling stories from his childhood. Growing up with him and his siblings each being less than two years apart meant they had been tight—and had gotten into lots of trouble together. Some stories had Megan laughing so hard it was making her head and side ache all over again.

  Sawyer saw her wince. “Come on. Let’s get you home.” He paid for the food and they headed out to the car.

  The drive to her house wasn’t long. Sawyer was still entertaining her with stories of childhood antics when they pulled up to her driveway.

  “I know you’ll be glad to sleep in your own bed tonight rather than the couch at the office. I know I’m looking forward to not sleeping in an office chair.”

  “First night it was my couch, and last night it was a chair. It hasn’t been a great couple of nights for you.”

  Sawyer winked at her. “Don’t you worry about me, sugar. I can handle it.”

  “Well, I’ve got a new plan.” The words were out of Megan’s mouth before she even realized what she was saying. “Why don’t you try my bed tonight?”

  Chapter Eleven

  Sawyer put the car in Park and all but ripped the keys out of the ignition.

  Megan’s bed was possibly the best plan he had heard in his entire life. Sawyer hadn’t wanted to rush things, had recognized that Megan was different from the women he normally dated. She was special. And he was pretty darn sure she didn’t take sex casually.

  Which, okay, he could admit scared him just a little bit. But heck, everything he felt about Megan scared him. And none of it seemed casual.

  Those big brown eyes of hers were looking at him right now, a little in shock at her own words.

  “Megan...” There were so many things Sawyer wanted to say. Yes, please being the primary one. But he also didn’t want her to rush anything. It had been a crazy couple of days. She was tired, had been in an accident, plus what had happened with the unknown intruder in the lab.

  Sawyer just wanted Megan to be sure. But couldn’t find the right words to say it exactly.

  Then Sawyer saw hesitation—the fear of rejection—steal over her face. “It’s okay. I understand—” she began softly. She thought he didn’t want her.

  To hell with that.

  Sawyer got out of the car before Megan could finish her sentence. He strode around it quickly and purposefully, keeping eye contact with Megan through the windshield the entire time. He reached down and opened the passenger-side door.

  Megan was still looking at him with those big brown eyes when Sawyer reached down and unlatched her seat belt. He helped her out the door, then promptly picked her up and set her on the hood of the car. He grasped each of her legs just under the knees and slid her all the way to the edge of the hood, hooking her legs on either side of his hips. He stepped forward so they were completely pressed against each other.

  “Get one thing straight in that giant brain of yours—I have wanted you from the moment I first thought you were a receptionist and asked you to get me some coffee.”

  Sawyer grasped either side of her face and tilted her chin up with his thumbs. He brought his lips down very gently to hers, savoring the feel of them.

  “And I’ve wanted you more every day since.” He punctuated each word with a brief kiss.

  Sawyer slanted her head to the side so he could take advantage of her lips, her closeness. To sink into that soft, wet mouth. He could feel Megan melt against him—both of them wanting to get closer than their current location would allow.

  “Let’s go inside,” Sawyer said to her softly. Both of their breathing was ragged.

  Megan nodded. Sawyer reached back inside the car to get the countermeasure items they’d brought home with them—not wanting to leave that out in an unmanned vehicle. Megan got her purse and took out her house keys.

  Her eyes were sparkling; no doubt clouded them now. Sawyer reached up and trailed his finger down her cheek. “You’re beautiful.”

  Megan gave a wry grin. “I get lots of compliments, but that’s not the usual one.”

  Sawyer tucked his arm around her as they walked up the stairs to her door. “Oh yeah, what’s the usual compliment?”

  “Something about my brain. Never about my looks.”

  “Well, then, you should consider not hanging around with so many visually impaired people.”

  Megan giggled again—a sound Sawyer was coming to love. Serious Dr. Fuller didn’t do enough of it.

  Sawyer took her key from her and opened the door, ushering her inside. He closed the door behind them, locking it.

  “Saw—Sawyer?”

  Sawyer could hear the terror in Megan’s voice. He instantly drew his weapon and spun her around so she was behind him.

  Her house had been totally ransacked.

  Furniture laid overturned and viciously ripped apart, pictures and knickknacks thrown to the ground and broken without care. Someone had definitely searched this place, inflicting the most damage possible while doing so.

  If Sawyer had to guess, he would say this was payback for the countermeasure not being in Megan’s briefcase when they had attempted to steal it the other day.

  Megan whimpered behind him and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her up to his back, but didn’t turn around. Whoever did this could still be in the house.

  “Megan, I want you to stay here by the door. I’m going to check things out.” When Megan didn’t answer right away, Sawyer glanced at her. She was looking around at the ruins of her home, eyes unblinking, obviously in some sort of shock.

  Sawyer knew he couldn’t comfort her right now. He needed to check the rest of the house, make sure no one was still inside. Sawyer quickly turned all the way around so he could look Megan in the eye, wanting to make sure she understood. “Megan, I’m going upstairs. Somebody could still be here, okay? I want you to stay right by the door. I’ll be back in just a second.” He handed her the countermeasure drive.

  Megan took it, nodding blankly, her eyes still on her destroyed living room. Sawyer wasn’t sure she even heard him.

  Sawyer walked farther into the living room and kitchen. Both looked clear so he headed up the stairs. Megan’s bedroom had not escaped the rampage. Every item of clothing she owned had been dumped out of the drawers and shredded, her pillows, blankets destroyed. He definitely did not want Megan coming up here to see this.

  “Just stay down there, okay, honey?”

  Sawyer didn’t wait for her response. He glanced in the bathroom, then crossed over to the second bedroom Megan used as a home office. This room hadn’t been spared, either; papers were spread over the floor and it looked as if part of Megan’s computer—the part that wasn’t in pieces—might have been taken.

  Sawyer was reaching for the closet door when it burst open. Sawyer’s weapon was knocked out of his hand as a large man tackled him. Sawyer rolled to the side, but not before he felt the sting of a blade cut into his arm.

  The man—in a hoodie, similar to what Megan had described with her car accident—quickly scrambled away from Sawyer and began moving toward the door. Sawyer flipped his leg out, catching the
man across the ankles, causing him to stumble, but not fall all the way to the ground.

  Both men raced to get to their feet. It was obvious that Hoodie didn’t want to stay and fight; he just wanted to get away. Sawyer didn’t plan on allowing that to happen.

  Ignoring the pain in his arm, Sawyer ran to get his weapon. Hoodie took off in the opposite direction down the stairs. Sawyer was just moments behind him, weapon in hand.

  “Stop. You’re under arrest,” Sawyer called out as the man reached the bottom of the stairs. “Don’t force me to use my weapon.”

  When Sawyer reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw that the man had stopped, but now he was using Megan as a shield. Megan had obviously left her place by the door to come see what the commotion was upstairs and walked right into Hoodie’s path. His knife was pointed at her throat.

  Sawyer looked Megan in the eyes; she seemed frightened, but not injured. He tried to reassure her with a glance and saw her slide the countermeasure drive into the inside of her jacket. That was his girl—using that giant brain of hers. Hoodie had no idea how close the item he’d been looking for actually was. Sawyer gave his full attention back to the man.

  Caucasian. Six feet tall. Close to a hundred and eighty pounds, but light on his feet. Well-balanced.

  And a knife at Megan’s throat.

  The man slowly backed his way toward the door, bringing Megan with him. The perp didn’t say anything, but kept himself well hidden behind his human shield. There was no way Sawyer could get off a clean shot.

  With each step the hooded man took backward, Sawyer took one forward, weapon still raised and ready to fire. When they reached the front door, Hoodie opened it with one hand, the knife at Megan’s throat still in the other.

  Sawyer knew the man was going to have to turn and run in just a moment. Sawyer was ready for the chase, knowing he wouldn’t be able to use his weapon. He couldn’t just shoot a perpetrator in the back as he was running down the sidewalk. This wasn’t an action movie. Sawyer had laws he had to obey.

  But instead of turning to run, Hoodie took a step forward. The next thing Sawyer knew, Megan was flying toward him—shoved by the assailant with enough force to knock Sawyer down as he attempted to catch her. Hoodie took advantage of their predicament, darting outside.

  Sawyer got back on his feet and out the door just in time to see the other man get into his vehicle parked down the street and drive away. Sawyer slammed the side of his fist on the door frame.

  “He’s gone. There’s no way I can catch him now.” Sawyer turned back to Megan. She was still on the floor, having scooted so her back was against the wall. Her arms were wrapped around her knees. Sawyer crouched down next to her, running a hand over her hair.

  “Are you okay, sweetheart? Did he hurt you?”

  Megan unwrapped her arms from her legs and sat up, leaning her head against the wall. “I’m okay. He just scared me out of my mind. I know you said there might be someone still here, but I didn’t really think there was. Then I heard the noise upstairs...” Sawyer saw a tear escape one of her eyes.

  Sawyer sat all the way down next to her, picked her up and deposited her in his lap. “I’m sorry he got past me. But I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Does the rest of the house look like it does in here?” Megan gestured to the living room with one hand.

  Sawyer hesitated, but there was no point beating around the bush. “Yes. I’m sorry, Megan. It looks like he destroyed pretty much everything.”

  Sawyer thought Megan might lose it over that news, but she held it together. She wrapped an arm around him and squeezed, then stood up. He knew exactly when she noticed his arm.

  “Oh my gosh, you’re bleeding, Sawyer. Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt? Here I am talking about all my stuff and you’re hurt!”

  “It’s not bad, promise. He came out of the closet cutting at me, but I had on my jacket and shirt, so it’s not very deep.”

  “Do you need stitches?”

  “No, definitely not. Maybe just a bandage if you have some upstairs.”

  “Yes, come up. I’ll wrap it for you.”

  “Megan, you should know, it’s not pretty up there.”

  Megan took a deep breath. “It’s just stuff, I know. I keep telling myself it’s just stuff. But it’s still pretty hard.”

  “I know it must be.” He began walking up the stairs.

  “This is tied in to whoever was in the office earlier tonight, isn’t it? The one who overheard us talking about the countermeasure breakthrough.”

  “Without a doubt. The assailant who broke in here obviously thought you’d be here alone with the countermeasure.” Sawyer didn’t even want to think about that. “You weren’t here, so he thought he’d check to make sure you hadn’t left it lying around.”

  They entered Megan’s bedroom, where all her clothing lay in shambles. All the color left Megan’s face as she realized the extent of the damage. Almost everything she owned had been damaged or destroyed.

  “He definitely wasn’t subtle about it,” Sawyer continued. “And it looks like he just got angrier as he kept searching.”

  Megan reached down and began to pick up the clothes on the floor, but Sawyer stopped her.

  “I know it’s hard, but just leave it. I’ll have Omega send a local law-enforcement team over here to process this as a crime scene.”

  Megan dropped the piece of clothing back onto the ground. “My first-aid kit is in the bathroom.”

  While Megan was getting out the bandage for his arm, Sawyer removed his jacket and shirt, then called Evan Karcz at Omega. He put the phone on speaker so he could talk while Megan was bandaging his upper arm.

  “Evan, it’s Sawyer.”

  “Hey, Sawyer, how’s it going with your hot little scientist?”

  Megan raised one eyebrow and Sawyer gave her a wry grin. “You mean Dr. Fuller, who is standing right here with me while you’re on speaker?”

  “Um, yes, well. What I meant was—”

  “Save it, Evan.” Sawyer could hear the other man’s audible sigh of relief in having gotten out of that one. “There’s been a break-in at Megan’s house.”

  “DS-13 related?”

  “Definitely.” Sawyer winced slightly as Megan put some antiseptic on his arm. “It’s been totally ransacked. They were looking for the countermeasure. Thankfully, they didn’t get their hands on that or the second version of Ghost Shell, or DS-13 would be unstoppable. We had some suspicious activity at Cyberdyne a couple of hours ago, as well.” Sawyer explained the incident with the unknown person in the lab.

  “So what’s the plan?” Evan asked.

  “I’m going to have Omega send some locals out here to process Megan’s place.”

  “It sounds like both her work and home have been compromised.”

  Sawyer shifted so Megan could wrap his arm with a bandage. “When I call in, I’m going to get a local safe house where we can lie low for a few days. But I wanted you to be aware that DS-13 is getting more aggressive. First the car accident, now this.”

  “There’s definite movement in DS-13 with whatever version of Ghost Shell they have. And interestingly enough, whatever is happening is in Old Fort, North Carolina. I’m heading there right now. That’s relatively close to you, isn’t it?”

  Sawyer looked at Megan and she nodded. “Thirty minutes,” she told them.

  “DS-13 has put word out again that they’ll have something to sell—something of great interest—soon. A lot of big-name buyers are coming in.”

  “Including Bob Sinclair?” Sawyer still didn’t like this plan of Evan’s. There were too many ways Sawyer’s sister, Juliet, could get drawn in.

  “Yeah, but just Bob. No partner this time.” Evan was trying to reassure him, Sawyer knew. “But whatever you guys are doing, Sawyer? Do it soon, man. Things are starting to get hinky out here.”

  “All right. Be careful, Evan. I guess we both might be out of touch for a while.”

  “Will do,
” Evan responded. “You, too.”

  Sawyer ended the call.

  “All right, I patched you up as well as my medical expertise would allow. But I take no responsibility for anything if you get gangrene and your arm falls off.” Megan began putting away the first-aid kit, then stopped and just threw it on the counter. “This place is going to have to be burned to the ground anyway.”

  She turned away and looked back into the bedroom. Sawyer put his shirt back on.

  “You can’t stay here. Even after the police process it, it’s not safe for you to stay here.”

  “I know.” Megan’s words were soft, her look lost.

  Sawyer reached down and grabbed her hand, twining their fingers together. “We’ll make it through this together. But right now we need to get out of here in case our vicious friend decides to come back with friends of his own.”

  Chapter Twelve

  They found a pair of pants and a sweater that hadn’t been destroyed and gathered whatever toiletries could be salvaged before heading back to Sawyer’s car. Megan took a last look into her house as she was closing the door and about to lock it. What was the point in locking it? If somebody broke in now, they’d probably just run out screaming the way they’d come.

  The place she had carved out for herself, her haven, was destroyed. Sure, a lot of it could be replaced: furniture, appliances, clothing. Megan held ample insurance to cover it. But she knew she’d never sit in that house again and feel the same safe, secure level of comfort she had for the past few years.

  Megan forced the thought of her house and all her belongings from her mind as she got into Sawyer’s car. If she thought about them too much right now, she’d be a basket case. She turned and laid her cheek against the cold glass of the passenger-side window.

  “I’m going to take you to my hotel for now. I’ve got to call all of this in, and you need a few hours’ rest.”

  Megan was too exhausted to argue even if she wanted to. But she didn’t want to.

  “This is only for a few hours,” Sawyer continued. “DS-13 has been putting forth quite a bit of effort to halt the development of the countermeasure. And if what Evan said is accurate, we don’t have a lot of time before DS-13 is ready to sell their version of Ghost Shell.”