I.N.E.T 5

by Brenda Cothern

  Lita couldn’t see anything more than Randy’s shadow under the stairs until his partner flicked on the flashlight. Randy balanced the flashlight on the corner of the trunk so the beam bounced off the lid. Holy shit. Lita whistled at the impressive stockpile of weapons.

  “What do you need?”

  Randy asked so casually that Lita chuckled. He had no problem seeing several rifles and shotguns along with a shit ton of box ammunition.

  “If you want small arms, we need to pull out the trunk behind this one,” Randy informed him and swallowed his embarrassment over the amount of firepower his father had stockpiled. “Actually, I need to replace my handgun, so help me pull this out.”

  Lita took back his gun when Randy held it out and he tucked it behind his back in the waistband of his jeans. It was a tight fit under the stairs between two men who were anything but small and the large trunk. The damn thing wasn’t light, either, and neither was the trunk behind it that they also pulled out.

  If Lita was impressed with the weapons in the first trunk, he was even more so with what was stored in the second. Handguns of several calibers with boxes of ammo sat beside three AR15’s and what looked like a small storage crate of grenades. Damn if Brian Connor wasn’t more than prepared to protect his shit.

  Randy ignored Lita while he retrieved one of the 0.9 mils and a box of ammo from the second trunk. He was sure the INET agent was cataloging all of the firepower and could only imagine what the guy could be thinking. The sound of the bullet being chambered in a bolt action rifle had Randy turning back around to look at Lita. He held one of the hunting rifles equipped with the scope.

  “So what’s the plan?” Randy dared to ask after he holstered the 0.9 mil on his hip, returned his 0.38 to his ankle, and grabbed another 0.9 mil for backup. “Burke needs to be in D.C. in a week and a half,” Randy reminded Lita. He didn’t think the agent planned on killing his witness, but thought the reminder was warranted just the same.

  Lita grinned. Randy’s protectiveness for Burke since she was placed in his care was attractive as hell. Lita closed the two feet separating them before he even realized his intent to move. The rifle was pointed toward the ground and he barely registered Randy tensing. He raised his free hand up to cup the man’s face, leaned in, and placed a chaste kiss on the plump lips he was becoming addicted to tasting. The thought that Randy might punch the shit out of him never crossed his mind.

  Randy stiffened when Lita stepped up to him. He held his breath when the man’s hand caressed his cheek. He was still holding his breath when Lita kissed him. Randy didn’t want to be kissed by the man who’d lied to him.

  Yeah, right, a tiny voice in the back of his mind called him out on his bullshit. Still, his rational mind told him to push the sexy as hell man he was pissed off at away from him. He never got the chance before Lita stepped back.

  “We drag her ass back inside, then get reinforcements here.”

  Lita turned and started back up the stairs before Randy could ask how the hell the man planned on getting anyone to back them up when they had no cell service. He had no choice but to trust Lita had a plan, but that didn’t mean he liked being kept in the dark about whatever it was. Still, all he could do at the moment was follow Lita upstairs.

  Lita was back to staring out of the front window by the time Randy was closing the door to the basement. “Do you think you can circle around to get behind the SUV without her seeing you?”

  Lita looked over his shoulder at Randy when the man didn’t reply for several moments. His ‘don’t be stupid’ look from earlier was now leveled on him and caused Lita to smile. He was still smiling when Randy turned around and disappeared back into the basement. Randy returned wearing cold-weather overalls and Lita wasn’t surprised cold weather gear was included in the supplies stored in the basement.

  “Here’s what I’m thinking,” Lita started and couldn’t help but appreciate the way Randy still moved as if he weren’t wearing the insulated and bulky garment at all.

  ##~~##

  Lita stood looking out the window until he saw Randy’s crouched form break from the tree cover and approach the SUV from behind. He waited until Randy disappeared behind the vehicle then moved to the door. In one smooth motion he opened the door and had the rifle braced against his shoulder. Lita had no concern Burke would shoot at him. She would have to lower the window to get off a shot, but was smart enough to know he’d get one off quicker. She also knew better than to try to shoot through the windshield to attempt to hit him.

  A grin spread his lips. “Get out of the vehicle, Burke,” he called out.

  The snow had let up enough that he could easily see her flip him the bird. Lita laughed and stepped out of the doorway into the deep snow that covered the porch. Cold seeped into his calves from his jeans soaking up the snow. Lita ignored the sensation.

  “I told you I’d shoot your ass if I had to,” Lita reminded Burke. He could only see her from the shoulders up. He was sure she felt safe in the car and that he was bluffing.

  “Last chance, Burke. Toss the gun out the window and get your ass back in here.”

  He knew she wouldn’t listen and wasn’t surprised when she flipped him two birds instead of one. Her opinion of his demand was more than fine by him. It only made his grin spread into a genuine smile when he gently squeezed the trigger. His shot hit the windshield exactly where he aimed under the SUV’s rear view mirror. The 7mm Rem Mag cartridge didn’t shatter the windshield, but he could see the bullet exited through the rear windshield just as Lita expected it would since it was the ammo used to take down elks and full grown black bears. The shot echoed through the trees and hadn’t even disappeared before Burke’s startled, SUV muted, scream joined it to fill the silence.

  Randy was prepared for Lita to shoot the windshield. He was also aware the bullet would go through the rear window which was why he was crouched so low behind the SUV that he was practically covered by snow on three sides. Still, knowing the shot was going to happen didn’t stop him from startling when it did. Burke’s screaming wasn’t surprising. He would’ve fucking screamed, too, if the bullet blew through his windshield close to hitting his head.

  However, Burke’s scream was his cue to move. Randy pushed his way through the two-foot-deep snow. He remained crouched down which didn’t make moving to get in position by the driver’s side door any easier.

  “Last warning, Burke,” Lita called out. “I’m sure the CIA will understand if you never make it to D.C. The cartel has a long reach, after all.”

  Lita sounded so casual and Randy couldn’t help but wonder if the INET agent was always so relaxed when threatening someone with death. Randy watched Lita raise the rifle he’d lowered to yell his comment at Burke back up to his cheek. Lita had assured him he had no intention to kill Burke, but even he bought Lita’s act. Randy couldn’t stop the shiver which had nothing to do with the cold that ran down his spine. If he hadn’t known better, and he did, he wouldn’t doubt Lita would follow through with his threat to kill Burke.

  The driver’s side window slowly lowered. It only went down a few inches. Just far enough for Burke to push out Randy’s gun that she managed to take from him earlier. The weapon hit the snow with a soft thump before it disappeared below the powdered white shit.

  Randy yanked open the SUV door. He grabbed Burke’s shoulder none too gently and roughly pulled her out of the vehicle. Actually, he yanked her out so harshly she flailed and ended up face down in the deep snow. He was beyond giving a shit as he reached into the SUV and turned it off before he retrieved the keys.

  Lita had to force himself not to laugh after he lowered the rifle and watched Randy get Burke from the SUV. She landed face first in the snow. It was deep enough that he could barely see the back of her jacket. Randy slammed the driver’s side door shut hard enough that snow fell from the roof to the sides and down the windshield. Burke was on all fours when Randy turned back to her and grabbed the back of her jacket to haul her up to her fe
et. The look on her face was priceless and Lita let his repressed laugh escape through his lips. Randy glared at him over Burke’s shoulder, but Lita only met his gaze with a grin.

  Pop pop… Pop pop.

  Lita’s grin disappeared instantly and the rifle being raised back up to his cheek was all that registered in Randy’s mind when he heard the shots before he shoved Burke forward and covered her body with his. The gunfire was unexpected to say the least even though they expected the cartel to eventually make an appearance. Randy could only be grateful he and Burke hadn’t cleared the front quarter panel of the SUV when the cartel opened fire.

  He raised his head and looked at the house. Lita was no longer standing on the porch, but Randy could easily see across the fifteen-foot distance to where two bullets chipped wood around the door. Randy couldn’t see anything other than the barrel of the rifle in the doorway. The barrel moved minimally and it was clear Lita was scanning the area looking through the scope. No more shots were fired at Lita in the house, but Randy didn’t plan on doing anything other than sitting tight and keeping Burke beneath him. Lita suspected they were the targets and not Burke, but he wasn’t willing to take the chance of either of them getting shot.

  Lita’s subconscious had him reacting before his conscious mind caught up to what the hell was going down. Two shots were fired. At him. Not Randy and Burke and Lita could only be grateful he was the target and his partner and Burke weren’t on the side of the SUV where the shots originated.

  “Son of a bitch,” Lita grumbled. He hated being right when it came to this type a shit.

  He barely spared a glance; let alone any thought, at where Randy practically smothered Burke beneath him to protect the CIA agent. At this point, as far as he was concerned, he wouldn’t feel bad at all if she got caught in the crossfire. Randy on the other hand, he did care about. The Marshal made him feel things he’d never felt before and Lita had every intention to see where those feelings would lead and what they meant.

  First, he had to get the man and Burke back into the safety of the house. So, he scanned the trees through the scope in the direction the shots came from. A glimpse of dark clothing had him squeezing the trigger. He missed. Not because his aim was off, though. No, because the fucker ducked back behind the tree. Still, he was sure the man knew he literally just dodged a bullet. Lita scanned the area surrounding the cartel man he just shot at in an effort to find the second shooter.

  A navy-blue hooded head peeked out from behind a tree. Lita forced himself not to squeeze the trigger. The asshole fired another shot at the house, but Lita didn’t flinch. Instead, he looked over his scope and around the open door just enough to catch Randy’s gaze.

  Randy wasn’t surprised Lita broke cover enough to check on him and Burke. The cartel goons who were firing on them were using handguns. The sound was vastly different than a rifle and he wasn’t the only one who understood the accuracy at their current distance was shit. Still, handguns and piss poor accuracy weren’t enough for Randy to attempt to get him and Burke back inside of the house.

  If it was just him, he wouldn’t hesitate to make a break for it. He’d dodged plenty of bullets enlisted in the Corps while deployed to Afghanistan. It wasn’t just him, though. He had Burke to worry about and he sure as hell wasn’t about to leave her behind so he could get to safety. That was probably what not only the cartel assholes hoped he’d do, but also what Burke likely wanted.

  “I’m going to roll off you and you are going to run for the house,” Randy told Burke in a cold tone. “If you even think of doing anything else, or try to go in any other direction but toward that open door, I will shoot your ass. Not to wound you, either, because I have no problem blaming your death on the cartel at this point.” Randy paused to let his threat sink in. “Understand?” Burke nodded. “Good.” Randy met Lita’s gaze and gave him a slight nod. “Go.”

  Lita shot two rounds toward where he spotted his targets after saw Randy roll off Burke in his peripheral vision. She was up and running through the trench she created earlier and toward the house. No shots were fired at her and the lack of gunfire was proof enough that his theory on her flipping was correct.

  Randy didn’t follow her, but instead kept his gun aimed steadily at her back. Lita couldn’t help but wonder if the Marshal would actually shoot Burke if need be. He didn’t think the man he’d come to know so well in such a short period of time and who put the protection of the witness he was assigned to above everything else would. Then again, something made Lita think Randy just might after all the shit Burke had put them through.

  Burke barreled through the door and Lita didn’t hesitate to reach out and harshly grasp her arm. He spun her around and slammed her into the wall behind him with enough force her head bounced off. She slid to the floor and Lita didn’t feel an ounce of regret for knocking her ass out.

  Now, he just needed to get his partner back within the safety of the house. Lita returned to his position at the open door and scanned the area. He spotted the first shooter moving through the trees in an effort to get closer. Lita squeezed the trigger. The sound of his shot echoed in the silence that had settled around them.

  Randy was sure Lita would fire at the cartel fuckers again and he was crouched and ready. He took off like a sprinter from a starting line at the Olympics when he heard the first shot. The sound of a handgun firing didn’t slow him at all even though he expected to feel the searing pain of a bullet tear through him. The sensation never happened. A scream did, though, but the shriek of pain didn’t stop Randy from pushing off the top step of the porch to propel himself through the front door. His intention was to roll in order to break his fall. Well, the best intentions and all that shit. Instead of rolling, he landed in a sprawl and slid across the floor until abruptly coming to a stop against one of the chairs at the table.

  Lita confirmed his shot to the asshole’s shoulder before the man’s scream even finished filling the air. He was clearing the doorway an instant later. Randy flew through and Lita was back in position before his partner even skidded to a halt on the hardwood floor. Lita fired off two more shots, one in the direction of each gunman, before he stepped back and slammed the door shut.

  He leaned his back against the door without any concern that the assholes would be able to hit him through the thick wood. It wasn’t the material of the door that gave him confidence he wouldn’t be shot as much as the knowledge the assholes weren’t using anything more powerful than handguns.

  Lita watched Randy roll onto his back. The Marshal raised both hands and scrubbed them down over his face. Randy didn’t seem rattled just like he hadn’t been when they were shot at before at the truck stop. No, his partner seemed resigned to the fact they now had to deal with a fucked up situation that he’d never planned to find himself in.

  Randy tightened his abs to get up. Lita’s beautiful green eyes were leveled on him. The INET agent displayed no concern for his well-being and Randy appreciated Lita had enough faith in him to not treat him as if he might have a breakdown or some shit over what just went down. A grin spread his lips when he remembered how much Lita likely knew about him. He was sure Lita knew he was a Marine before he picked up a Marshal badge just like he was pretty sure the man was former military, as well.

  “Well, if nothing else, this place was made to withstand a siege.”

  Randy pushed himself up off the floor and couldn’t help his chuckle from joining Lita’s.

  ##~~##

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lita sat in a chair near the couch and faced the door. His 0.9 mill was in his hand and resting on his thigh. He looked totally relaxed, knees spread wide enough to make the totally inappropriate image of Randy kneeling between them flash through his mind. Lita met his gaze when he walked out of the kitchen. The smirk the man leveled on him made Randy think Lita was totally aware of where his thoughts wandered to and he was totally on board with the idea. If Lita’s smirk wasn’t enough of an indicator he surmised what Randy was t
hinking then his wink sure as hell verified it.

  Randy looked away from Lita and dropped the bundle of clothes he retrieved from the basement on the couch next to Burke. It only slightly mattered if a tracking device was hidden in her clothing somewhere. The cartel had already found them and Randy wasn’t stupid enough to think they only sent two men to retrieve her.

  Still, she was soaking wet, so he brought her some of his mother’s clothes. Giving her dry clothing had nothing to do with the kindness of his heart. It didn’t have anything to do with whether she caught pneumonia, either. No, it had everything to do with the possibility she still wore a tracker.

  His father built all of his houses to withstand an attack and this one was no different. In fact, they could stay here and have the ability to repel attacks for years, but that really wasn’t an option. Eventually, they would need to use one of the escape tunnels and the last thing he wanted was for the cartel to be able to follow them.

  “They’re calling for more snow,” Lita said offhandedly since the weather report just finished on the radio.

  Randy gave his partner a nod. More snow only benefited them. “Get changed,” Randy ordered Burke.

  She crossed her arms stubbornly against her chest. Randy ignored the sneer she leveled on him, but his patience finally fucking snapped. He fisted her platinum blonde hair and yanked her head to the side. Her hands came up to grip his wrists, but all he did was shake her head in his fist.

  “You can change yourself or I will strip you out of that wet shit before I knock your ass out and dress you like a fucking ragdoll.” Randy leaned closer to Burke and snarled.

  If Lita hadn’t been so proficient at schooling his expressions, his shock at Randy’s sudden shift in character would have been written all over his face. It seemed being shot at for the third time while protecting Burke was the final straw. Lita was perfectly fine with that.