Delta Force: Crow (Wayward Souls)

by Kris Norris

  Crow frowned. “Anything about where she is, now?”

  Becca inhaled. “It says she was presumed dead in a helicopter crash two months ago that claimed the lives of three other soldiers plus the co-pilot. But…they never found her body.”

  “They never found her body? What the hell?”

  “Just a minute. Let me see if I can delve deeper into her personal files…”

  The room went silent as she kept tapping keys, clicking on the touch pad, then typing more. Several minutes drifted past before she muttered something under her breath, finally glancing up.

  “Afraid it doesn’t matter what it says in her files because it’s all a lie. The woman’s a plant.”

  Cannon choked on a sip of coffee, wiping his mouth with his arm before staring at Becca. “Excuse me? You think she’s a spy?”

  “I don’t think, sweetie. I know.” She scoffed at the identical blank stares, at least, Crow thought he was unintentionally mimicking his buddies because…damn, this was getting worse by the minute. “It’s her dossier. Not only has it been mysteriously erased, but everything I see in here is too superficial.”

  “And that proves she’s a spy?”

  Another sigh. “Ask Ellis.” She looked at the other woman. “You know how hard it is to build a convincing backstory. How long it takes if you want it to look real and not just pass a superficial inspection. Which is why most agencies throw in stuff that is easily verified by a phone call or a simple internet search. Nothing unique. Nothing convoluted. Just…perfectly normal.”

  Ellis groaned. “Damn, she’s right.”

  Cannon leaned forward, hands fisted together on top of the table. “So, there’s such a thing as too normal to be real?”

  Ellis shrugged. “Basically. Though, it’s more subtle than that. It’s like Becca said. The people who build the identities have to be able to have any part of it verified at a moment’s notice, so they tend to include a lot of the same attributes. Everyone goes to the same college because they have an in there and can add the name to an old roster. Typical birth places or having absolutely no family ties. No awards or anything that would be hard to manufacture without a lot of in-depth manipulation. Any one of the above is feasible, but these portfolios tend to have all of them. Once you’ve seen one…”

  “So, she’s what?”

  Becca pushed back in her chair. “Best guess? CIA.”

  It was Crow’s turn to cough. “You think she’s CIA?”

  Becca smiled sweetly at him. “Would you believe it more if Ellis told you?”

  “I’m not questioning it because it’s you. I’m just… Is there anyone involved in this damn assignment who’s actually what they say they are?” He motioned toward her laptop. “Can we see at least see a photo?”

  “Searching as we speak.”

  “There should be one in her military record.”

  To her credit, she only rolled her eyes a bit. “I know, but…erased, remember? Another tip off. While her personal information was deleted using a less-than-stellar program—which initially made it look like something went wrong and was the reason I was able to restore portions of the file—they used a data deletion tool on her photos. It rewrites the binary code several times and makes it virtually impossible to salvage. No way that’s a byproduct of an accidental failure or some glitch in the software. My guess is, they didn’t want anyone to recognize her the next time she surfaces.”

  “You think she’s alive?”

  “Oh, sweetie. There’s a reason they didn’t find her body. Mark my words, that crash was intentional. The real question is, did your friend Phoenix just get lucky, or did someone leave him alive on purpose? Wanted to keep him in the wings in case they needed his expertise?”

  “Like taking us all out at that warehouse when there probably isn’t another person alive who could pull it off?” Crow grunted, scrubbing a hand down his face before glancing at Cannon, then Colt. “This is not sounding good. If it turns out she was playing Phoenix all along…”

  Colt shook his head. “The kid was never that stable to begin with. Loyal guy and a solid soldier. I mean, I knew he’d die for any one of us, would have our backs, but he was always just a bit too…reckless. If he discovers he got played… Shit, it could seriously push him over the edge. And with his skills…” Colt looked directly at Cannon. “He could do a world of hurt.”

  Cannon sighed. “Let’s worry about Vale, later. After Brady saves his ass, and definitely after we have some answers. And, if it turns out someone took advantage of our brother?” He leaned back in the chair, seemingly oblivious to the way it groaned in protest. “Then, we make sure that person isn’t able to hurt anyone else.”

  He turned to Becca. “Any luck on a photo, yet?”

  “Still searching…”

  Cannon focused on Ellis. “Any chance this lady might be part of one of McCormick’s crews? Is working with Slader?”

  “Anything’s possible. Only the Special Activities guys worked in teams or with other agents. The rest of us worked alone. I can honestly say, I never saw another woman, and only a handful of those Spec Op assholes. But Slader didn’t have many rules, so…” Ellis huffed out a harsh breath. “Sorry, Cannon.”

  “I’m just glad you got out. Maybe we can ask Jack—”

  “Got one.” Becca turned the laptop—gave it to Cannon. “It’s not great, but it’s a start.”

  Cannon squinted then scowled. “It’s grainy, but I’ve never seen her before. Ellis?”

  Ellis shook her head, passing it over to Crow.

  “If she’s CIA, I’ve never run into her. Though, field agents are stationed overseas, so unless we met when we were chasing Bains across Afghanistan—”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Crow snapped his attention to Devlyn, and his heart rate spiked. Skin pale, eyes wide, she looked as if she’d seen a ghost. Or worse, was having some kind of medical crisis.

  He squeezed her hand, cursing at the cold, clammy feel of it. “Dev? Sweetheart are you okay?”

  She waved him off, allowing her hand to linger over her mouth as she stared at the screen, shaking her head. “It’s her.”

  Crow glanced at the image then back to her. “You know her?”

  A grunt, then she pounded one fist on the table, her cheeks flushing red. The fine lines across her brow deepening. “Damn it. I knew it. I knew that chance meeting was too unlikely. That she’d avoided Slader’s moves just a bit too well. That she’d fought me just enough to sell it before letting me clock her in the head. I just didn’t want to believe it.”

  “Dev.” He gained her attention. “What meeting? Who is she?”

  Dev snorted, pushing to her feet and pointing at the image. “Ms. Brown. The damn mule that was selling the intel. The one I thought I’d saved from Slader. That’s her.”

  Crow looked back at the laptop. “She’s the woman you got the disk from? You’re sure?”

  “She tried to knock me out with a frying pan. Pretty damn sure, Crow.”

  “Sorry, it’s just… Fuck. You know what this means, right?”

  “That Slader’s been playing us all along? That maybe he’s just out for blood, like you suggested? That those drives we brought back probably have nothing useful on them? That they were just bait to lure us to that warehouse so Slader could kill us?” She dragged a hand through her hand. “Yeah. I get it.”

  He cursed silently. He wasn’t trying to upset her, or piss her off. Seemed, he still knew how to push her buttons. Evident by her use of Crow, again. He inched closer, laying a hand along her forearm. “On the bright side, it looks like there’s someone else after Slader, too, so… Bastard can’t dodge all of us forever.”

  “Except where your buddy, Phoenix, was also out to kill us. Not sure how that’s a plus. Having another agency itching to cap us.”

  “But he didn’t. And we’ll figure it out. We always do. All we need is a break. A single clue.”

  Devlyn snorted. “So, it�
��s practically solved since we’ve had nothing but lucky breaks…” She inhaled, a slow smile curving her lips as she chuckled. “Oh, this is good.”

  “What?”

  She motioned to the image. “That night in Smithers’ office? You missed the part where he bitched me out for bringing my asset back to the facility. The high security, NSA facility, where I’ll bet my ass Ms. Brown, aka Captain Anna Carmichael, has been rotting away in a cell for the past two weeks on espionage charges.”

  Devlyn grinned, her gaze holding his. “You up for a road trip?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “I should have seen through it.”

  Devlyn tapped one fist on her thigh as Ryker drove toward her office, weaving through a number of alleys just in case Slader had another drone. Or, maybe Ryker was trying to drag things out. Postpone having to face the fact that his friend had been lied to. Used.

  At least, it was looking that way. That Anna Carmichael—or whatever her real name was—had been a plant to get close to Phoenix. That she was probably another one of McCormick’s agents. Had been working with Slader, all along. Had fought just enough at that motel room to sell the ruse—make Devlyn believe she’d been in control. That she’d had a choice. And she’d fallen for it.

  It seemed so obvious, now. Why Slader hadn’t capped the other woman that night. Sure, Devlyn had reacted quickly. Had probably broken the Guinness World Record for the two-hundred-yard dash racing across the parking lot. And she’d definitely outdone herself weakening the glass—hitting it exactly where she’d needed to minimize the impact when she’d dived through.

  But, now that she examined it more closely—without adrenaline pumping through her veins, or the shock of seeing Slader tinting her vision red—he’d had enough time he could have killed Carmichael. It wouldn’t have been pretty. Definitely rushed, but he could have done it.

  The only question remaining was why they’d been targeting Phoenix in the first place? Was it just a coincidence that whoever was behind the attempted hit on Slader and Crow’s team had needed Vale, now? Or had this been planned the moment Slader had outed himself? Taken off with Crow, hoping to finger him as the leak, after leaving her for dead on that godforsaken platform?

  Ryker’s hand landed on her thigh. Stopped the restless tap of her fist. “There’s no way you could have known that motel job was a setup. No…” He cut off her attempt to interrupt him. To disagree. “You didn’t even know Slader was alive. Not to mention you were a bit busy trying not to bleed out.”

  “All of which was orchestrated. A well-rehearsed play, except I didn’t know they were acting.” She huffed out her next breath. “I’ll show that bitch how it feels to get hit with a damn frying pan.”

  Ryker chuckled. “Now, that’s my girl.”

  His girl.

  Hearing that shouldn’t warm her chest the way it did. Shouldn’t make the corners of her mouth curve up. Sure, she’d told him she loved him, but, still… It took her by surprise.

  She looked over at Ryker. Studied him. The real him, not the ghost she remembered. Or the image she’d created in his absence. And she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d always looked this intense? This invested in an outcome? She’d claimed he’d been single-minded before, but right now…

  Eyes bright. Clear. Focused. Muscles primed. That situational awareness thing he did working overtime. Seeing every detail and categorizing it. Adjusting his actions to ensure he stayed five steps ahead of anything that might be targeting them. That he kept them in the safe zone. Kept her in the safe zone.

  Because that’s what was staring back at her. His love. His devotion. His promise to keep her breathing. See she wasn’t put in the line of fire. That, if someone had to die, it wouldn’t be her. He was in prime Delta Force mode—something she’d noticed his buddies switched in and out of in an instant. Or, maybe they were always in it, just kept it burning beneath the surface. A raging fire waiting for a surge of oxygen to be let loose.

  She wasn’t sure how there was enough air inside the truck for that to happen. Her chest felt tight. Made her work extra hard to expand it, though, that was probably just Ryker. He’d always taken her breath away, no reason that had changed. Not now. In fact, knowing how he felt about her had intensified her feelings. Made it impossible to see the future without him in it. Driving her crazy.

  The thought made her smile. Calmed that restless feeling she’d been fighting that wasn’t about Slader, Carmichael or the mission. The last few doubts she’d been clinging to. Her feeble attempt to protect her heart in case he changed his mind, when she knew, damn well, that there wasn’t any part of her that didn’t already belong to him.

  He frowned, did a quick check of the road, the mirrors, then thumbed her chin. “Hey? You okay?”

  She laughed. “You know, they should teach you guys a bit more about women between the hand-to-hand fighting and weapons courses. And, yeah, I’m exactly where I need to be.”

  More lines creasing his brow. “O…kay. I’ll just take that at face value. Nod my head and pretend I understand what you’re trying to tell me.”

  Another laugh. “Just go with…I love you.”

  That got her a smile. Hell, a beam of light down from heaven, itself, because smile didn’t begin to describe how his lips curled. The glimmer in his eyes she’d been missing. That had her laying her hand over his—giving it a squeeze.

  Ryker shook his head, doing his best to look everywhere at once. “I don’t deserve you. I know that. But, fuck, I’ll take my lucky breaks wherever I can find them.” He winked, the fucker. Looking all cocky and smug until he lifted her hand—kissed it. “And I love you, too. Dangerous for my health but…”

  He chuckled when she swatted his shoulder. “See?” He sighed as he pulled over to the curb. “This is as close as I want to get in case we need to bug out, fast.”

  Devlyn glanced at the building rising above the others on the block. “You think Slader might try to jump us inside the lobby?”

  “Inside. Outside. Hell, I wouldn’t put it past the bastard to level the entire block if he knew he’d take us with it. At least, this way, we hopefully have an out if we have to make a run for it. Aren’t cornered in that death-trap underneath.”

  “The parking garage?”

  “Worst invention, ever. Limited exit points. Numerous dark pockets to hide in. Cars to use for cover or as elevated nests—”

  “Sorry I brought it up. You ready?”

  He nodded, but she suspected he was dreading this part. Confronting the woman who might have driven one of his teammates off the deep end. Especially when they hadn’t heard back from Brady, yet. Didn’t know if Phoenix would make it. A fact she knew ate at Ryker. That Phoenix had risked his life to save theirs, especially when the other man believed he’d sacrificed the woman he loved in the process. Had been forced to choose.

  She inhaled, staring at Ryker when the truth hit her. “Shit. You would have taken the shot if you’d been in Phoenix’s place, and it was my life on the line, wouldn’t you? That’s why you’re so…edgy.”

  Ryker stared at her, eyes narrowed. Mouth pinched tight, then sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Honestly? I’d like to believe I would have found a third option, because there’s no way I could have killed Phoenix, either. But, at the same time, I would have done whatever was necessary to save you. Which results in one huge paradox. I’m just glad it wasn’t me up on that roof. Having to pick. When we’re all together, it’s one thing. I’d throw myself in front of you or Jericho, Addison, any of the team without hesitation, knowing my buddies would all do the same. Choose to save whoever was there that was important to us. Trust in my teammates to fend for themselves. Die happy knowing their loved one was safe. Protected. But having it happen while sighting through a scope, unable to change the outcome because some asshole was holding you hostage somewhere else?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know why Phoenix didn’t cap, at least, me. I wouldn’t have blamed him if he h
ad.”

  “You couldn’t have blamed him because you’d be dead if he’d decided to take the shot. Not help us. And I think he chose the sure win. Knew a setup when he smelled one, and there’s no way they ever intended on giving Anna back to him. Not if she was in on this, and even if she wasn’t. Since when do negotiations like that ever really work out?”

  “Rarely, but I know how he felt. Why he was up there, regardless of the consequences. All I would have needed was a sliver of hope. The possibility of saving you. And I can’t fault Phoenix for agreeing to go through with it, regardless of who was pulling the strings. Which makes this meeting even more important. I just hope this Anna chick has the answers because she’s our only lead.”

  “One more than we had yesterday.” She slipped out of the vehicle, looking at him across the hood as she took a step forward. “You want to lead? Or will that make you dance around me trying to check my six?”

  “Brat. Go on, just—”

  “Stay close. Don’t take stupid chances. Let you go all alpha dog if needed.” She winked back. “I’m familiar with the drill.”

  Ryker chuckled, falling in behind her as she headed for the office. She chose the path she thought he would—opting for the alley instead of the main road. Hoping the surrounding buildings prevented another sniper attack. Though, it opened up other issues. Men jumping out from behind a random dumpster. Others firing from one of the bordering windows. Made her acutely aware that there weren’t any safe ways in and out of the NSA office. That all they could do was lower the risk.