Rogue Trilogy: Parts 1 - 3

by Jade Dean

  Reaching the end of the dock, Matthews moved so they were standing sideways to the house. This way, when he shot her, her body would fall backwards into the surf and it would swiftly be carried out to sea. There would be no mess, no fuss and no evidence for him to clean up.

  Staring down into her eyes, Logan gave her a half-smile that was almost affectionate. “I want you to know that you’re the best agent I’ve ever had on my squad.”

  “That’s a great comfort,” she said. Her mouth was so dry she was amazed she could speak at all.

  “Goodbye, Ann.”

  Logan lifted his gun and Abby braced herself for death.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Twenty

  Waiting until just before nightfall, Ryan ordered his men into action. They knew what to do and he trusted them to do their jobs. While they weren’t on an official government mission, none of them wanted to fail in their tasks. This was the sort of mission they’d been on many times, but with one major difference. This time, they were hunting a fellow agent.

  Watching from his perch in the tower, Ryan listened in as his men reached the property. Each carried a device that would detect traps, mines and lasers that alerted the owner when an intruder was present.

  He’d opened one of the windows and a range of sounds filtered through from below. The ocean was a constant background noise that was occasionally interspersed with traffic and distant sounds of the occupants of the houses on either side.

  “There are no signs of anyone inside the house, boss,” Jackson reported a few minutes later.

  “I don’t see any tripwires, mines or alarms,” Holt added.

  “I’m going for a closer look at the boathouse,” Josh said as quietly as he could. His deep voice made whispering difficult.

  “Wait,” Ryan said and all three men froze in position. The door to the boathouse opened and two people emerged. His heart soared when he saw Abby. She didn’t appear to have been harmed and walked along the dock without assistance. He only saw Matthews’ face for a second, but he was younger than he’d expected.

  “Move in, but do not fire until I give the signal,” he instructed his team. “Matthews and Abby have left the boathouse and are moving towards the end of the dock.” They all knew what that meant and the three agents quickly made their way towards the back of the property.

  A tree ruined Ryan’s view for a few seconds then the pair moved to the far end of the dock and became visible again. A gust of wind hit him in the face as he stared at the scene below. He wished he could hear what Matthews was saying, but his body language spoke volumes when he lifted his gun.

  Time seemed to freeze and Ryan knew his men wouldn’t reach Abby in time to save her. His perch was a good fifteen hundred meters away from the target, but he had no choice. He had to take the shot.

  Peering through the scope of his sniper rifle, he aimed at a spot just over Abby’s right shoulder and pulled the trigger. Matthews was knocked off his feet from the force of the bullet a second later. A sharp crack split the air, startling birds from their nests. Abby went down to her knees as well and his heart stopped. Had Matthews managed to fire off a shot as he’d fallen into the water?

  “Did you get him?” Dale asked as he headed towards the dock. It was too dark to make out what had happened.

  “Yeah,” Ryan verified. “But he might have shot Abby. Check on her and call an ambulance if you have to.”

  He was already on his way down the stairs as he gave the order. He sprinted to the mansion two doors down and vaulted over the front fence. He passed Doran and Holt, who gave him strained nods. Dropping his sniper rifle and backpack, he raced down the dock to find Dale crouched down next to Abby.

  Jackson looked up, patted Abby on the shoulder then gave his boss the thumbs up. “She’s not hurt.”

  Abby’s face was white when he hunkered down beside her. Dale discreetly left them alone and joined the others. “Are you ok?” he asked her softly.

  Nodding, she changed her mind and shook her head. “I had a very long and strange day.”

  “Did he hurt you?” He put his hand on her back and was glad when she leaned against him. If she’d been abused, she wouldn’t be so willing for him to touch her.

  “No. He barely touched me.” She was still coming to terms with the idea that she was alive and that Logan was dead. Ryan’s bullet had missed her by a fraction of an inch as it had zoomed past her to slam into Logan’s chest. He’d been propelled backwards so fast that no blood had landed on either her or on the dock.

  “Why did he bring you here?” Ryan asked as he helped her to her feet.

  “He wanted me to run a search on someone.” She explained the laptops and the mystery man that she’d performed a cyber-search on, relating everything that had passed between herself and her former boss.

  “You don’t know who he was?”

  She shook her head. “I had the feeling that he’s higher up on the food chain than even Logan’s boss. He told me I’m better off not knowing who he was.”

  “Do you believe his story that he deliberately had you eliminate your own team?”

  “Yeah,” she said with a shaky nod. “It’s the sort of thing he was capable of.”

  “Do you also believe he did it to save your life?”

  That question wasn’t as easy to answer. Her last interaction with Matthews had left her with more questions than answers. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I’m just glad it’s over. Unless Logan’s boss decides to track me down and have me killed,” she said darkly.

  “If he does, he’ll have to go through me to get to you.”

  Abby smiled at his fierce expression. “Thank you for saving my life, Agent Sheldon.”

  His return smile was rueful. “That’s former Agent Sheldon.”

  “I don’t think you’ll ever be able to leave your past behind you,” Abby said as they made their way back along the swaying dock. “I’m not sure either of us can.” They’d both been in the spy business too long to be able to forget everything they’d learned. Now that the greatest danger she’d ever faced was gone, Abby didn’t know what she was going to do with her life. She did know that she didn’t want to face it alone.

  “Let’s go home,” Ryan said.

  “There’s one thing I want to do first,” Abby replied as they reached the others.

  “Does it involve setting off explosives?” Matt asked hopefully.

  Abby couldn’t help but return his grin. “No. Just theft.”

  “Damn.” He looked momentarily sad then glanced at her sideways. “What do you want us to steal?”

  “Five laptops.”

  Logan’s body might or might not wash up on the shore, but she didn’t want to leave any evidence that she’d been on the property behind. Wiping her prints off the computers wouldn’t be enough. An expert might be able to discover that she’d used them and she didn’t want to take that chance. Not if Matthews had told her the truth and the man he’d been hunting was as dangerous as he’d said.

  They each took a laptop then Jackson used the padlock to lock the door. Ryan scooped up his sniper rifle and backpack just as they heard sirens in the distance. Someone had recognized the sound of a bullet being fired and had called the cops.

  Trotting back to the house two doors down, Jackson retrieved the car and they all piled inside. Doran took the passenger seat so Ryan, Abby and Holt could fit more comfortably in the back. Dale took off in the opposite direction of the cop car that appeared in the rearview mirror.

  Abby didn’t look back as they left the coast and headed for the airport. Ryan slid his arm over her shoulder and pulled her against his side. They’d only known each other for a few short months, yet she couldn’t imagine her life without him now. She knew her felt the same way. Now they just had to decide what they would do for the rest of their lives.

  ₪₪₪

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Dale contacted their pilot to warn him that they were on their way. T
ravelling in a government jet helped them to get swift clearance to leave LA and to head back to Washington DC. They only stopped once on the way to the airport to riddle the laptops with silenced bullets and then drop them in a dumpster.

  Ryan sank into the seat beside Abby, still shaken at how close he’d come to losing her. He was a skilled sniper, but a stray gust of wind could have ended her life and saved Matthews the job of killing her. He shivered and she glanced at him and took his hand.

  “I’m fine,” she said, accurately guessing his thoughts.

  “I almost lost you,” he said. The others had taken seats towards the rear of the small jet to give them some privacy.

  “Now we’re even,” she teased. “I rescued you from your enemy and you saved me from mine.”

  Taking her hand, he linked his fingers through hers. “Now neither of us has anyone hunting us down. We don’t have to hide anymore.”

  “You don’t,” she argued. “The director of the Black Squad might still want me captured and brought to justice,” she reminded him.

  “We’ll talk to Trevor and see if he can talk sense into the man.” He hadn’t told the others of Trevor’s decision to quit. That information was up to Watts to divulge.

  Abby wasn’t going to put much hope that the black marks against her name could be scrubbed clean. It was her word against Logan’s and he could no longer admit the truth. Maybe it would be for the best if she continued to remain under the radar.

  Their flight was uneventful and they landed in Washington to find an escort waiting for them. Two black vans were parked next to the runway when the jet coasted to a stop. Ryan spied several agents that he didn’t recognize through the window. “Do you know them?” he asked Abby.

  She shook her head when she took a peek over his shoulder. “No. They don’t look like Black Squad.” They looked capable, but they didn’t have the ruthless façade that her old team members had had.

  “Do we fight?” Jackson asked. He hefted his rifle to indicate he was ok with the idea.

  None of the agents had drawn their weapons yet, so Ryan shook his head. “Let’s see what they want before we start taking potshots at them.”

  One of the men stepped forward when Ryan descended the stairs. “Agent Sheldon, we’d like you to come with us.”

  Ryan didn’t bother to remind the man that he was no longer an agent. Too many people seemed to have forgotten that fact. “Come with you where?”

  “To the SOB headquarters. Mr. Watts is waiting to speak to you. He’d also like Ms. Parker to accompany us,” the agent added.

  Abby had already intended to join Ryan anyway so nodded her acceptance.

  To show they meant no harm, the agents allowed the team to ride in one vehicle and they didn’t ask them to relinquish their weapons.

  It was late and traffic was light. They made it to the Special Ops Branch headquarters in record time. Ryan was tense and nervous as the two vans drove into the underground parking area. The elevator wasn’t large enough to carry them all, so they split into two groups. Most of the unknown agents remained behind and only one escorted them up to the sixth floor.

  Abby somehow wasn’t surprised when they were taken to the same meeting room where she’d met with Trevor twice before. Watts and several other men were seated at the large oval conference table. She recognized one of the men and halted in midstride.

  Ryan put his hands on Abby’s shoulder when she came to a sudden stop. One of the men at the table stood and offered the new arrivals a wide smile. “Agent Pierce, it is good to see you again.”

  “Director Sullivan,” she replied with a polite nod. Ryan urged her into motion and she moved to the far end of the table as far away from Logan’s boss as possible. Her heart rate had increased from the moment she’d seen his face. In his late sixties, he had dark gray hair and soulless brown eyes. She didn’t trust him at all and expected some form of treachery.

  “Charles,” Trevor said and stood as well. “I’d like you to meet agents Ryan Sheldon, Dale Jackson, Matt Holt and Joshua Doran.”

  “Agents,” Charles said with an affable nod and took his seat again. He waited for them all to be seated before speaking. “Trevor has informed me that you have just rescued Ann from Logan Matthews.”

  Ryan cocked his eyebrow at hearing Abby’s real name. “Yes, sir, we did.”

  “I take it Agent Matthews has been eliminated?” His expression was almost serene and he might have been talking about a stranger rather than one of his trusted employees.

  “He has,” Ryan confirmed. Abby was sitting up straight beside him. She was so tense that her muscles were almost quivering.

  “You have done your country a great service, Agent Sheldon,” Charles said gravely. “I was forced to blacklist Logan when I heard he’d used my personnel to detain Director Watts and his team, as well as yourself. I have evidence that he has committed treason and you have saved us the trouble of bringing him to trial.” Sullivan made a pretense of sadness, but Abby saw straight through it. He was lying, but she had no idea why. To be honest, she didn’t even care. Matthews was dead, so what did it matter now?

  “I’m glad I could be of service,” Ryan said, somehow keeping a straight face.

  Trevor sat forward, drawing his attention. “Speaking of service, we’d like to make you an offer.”

  Ryan recognized the other men at the table as high ranking government officials. One was Trevor’s boss. “What offer is that?”

  “We would like to reinstate you as an agent and to promote you to the position of Director of the Special Ops Branch.”

  Matt whistled in awe while Dale and Josh grinned. Clearly, they had no problem with the idea.

  “Of course, Ms. Pierce’s record will be expunged and she will also be offered a position as an agent,” Charles said. “Within the SOB,” he added when Abby gave him a sharp glance. They both knew she’d never work for his agency again.

  Stunned speechless, Ryan shared a look with Abby. She was just as bewildered as he was at the offer. They’d both turned rogue and had created numerous crimes while they’d been on the run. He was astounded that their employers were willing to overlook their offenses.

  “We need people with your skills,” Trevor told them bluntly. “Aaron Swift and Logan Matthews made a mockery of both of our agencies. You two can rebuild the Special Ops Branch back to what it used to be.”

  His sincerity was obvious and Ryan felt himself being swayed. He remembered what Abby had said back in LA, that she didn’t think either of them could leave their old lives behind. He turned to get her reaction to the offer. “What do you think, Ann?”

  Wrinkling her nose at her old name, Abby didn’t have to think about it. “When do we start?” she said. Matt let out a whoop and spun his chair in a dizzying circle. Josh leaned over to clap Ryan on the shoulder hard enough to leave a bruise. Dale gave Abby a quick hug then leaned away before she could pull a knife on him.

  “Are you sure?” Ryan asked Abby quietly while a pleased babble broke out from the far end of the table.

  “Very,” she replied. “This is what we were born to do.”

  “Should I call you Ann from now on?” he asked, secretly hoping her answer would be no. She would always be Abby to him.

  “I’ve always hated that name,” she confessed. “I was thinking of legally changing it to Abigail Parker.”

  “You could always change it to Abigail Sheldon,” Ryan suggested slyly.

  Blinking at him in surprise, she couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. “Is that a proposal?”

  “Would you knife me if I said yes?” he half-joked.

  Abby pretended to think it over. “Probably not.”

  Ryan grinned, leaned over and gave her a lingering kiss. He’d never met anyone like Abby before and she would keep him guessing for the rest of their lives. While he still missed Miranda, he had a chance at a new life now and he was going to take it.

  In something close to a daze, Abby could barely be
lieve that her world had changed so drastically in just a few short months. She’d gone from being on the run for her life, reviled by the very people she’d once worked for, to meeting the perfect man. She even had a job as an agent again. It didn’t bother her that she’d be working for Ryan. Unlike Logan, he would never give her an order that went against her morals.

  Her hands were still stained by the blood of all the lives that she’d taken, but she could hopefully gain redemption by keeping her fellow citizens safe from real threats now. She would kill if she had to, but only if the life of someone she loved was put in peril.

  Since there was only one person on the planet that she loved, she doubted she’d be called on to kill very often. After a decade of following her orders and killing dozens of people, maybe her soul could finally have a chance to heal.

  “Welcome to the Special Ops Branch, Abby,” Holt said with a grin.

  Abby’s smile was uncertain at first, then blossomed into a grin. It looked like she and Ryan wouldn’t be moving away after all. They were right where they were supposed to be. Even rogues could be given a second chance sometimes.

  Titles by Jade Dean

  Rogue Trilogy:

  Rogue Renegades

  Rogue Rescue

  Rogue Revenge

  Coming soon: Covert Trilogy