Intercepted Risk (Aegis Group Task Force Book 5)

by Sidney Bristol

  Tucker and Evan caught up to them.

  “Security is aware we’re here on federal orders.” Tucker thumbed over his shoulder. “Evan’s parking. We don’t want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves.”

  Again Logan nodded.

  Everything the guys were saying made sense.

  “Here comes Evan,” Harper said.

  After they got Kelsey back, Logan was done. He’d turn in his notice. Tucker could take over. They’d find someone else to fill out the team. Logan couldn’t see himself continuing to work in this capacity with Kelsey. He was too aware of her. Too focused.

  She was right. He couldn’t separate his feelings from her and the job.

  Everyone always said love made a person crazy. Logan was of a mind to agree.

  “Okay,” Tucker said as Evan joined them. “We good to move in?”

  “Yeah, let’s go.”

  Logan took a step, then another. He didn’t run, but he wanted to.

  They passed through security easily enough. There were few questions asked when they showed their paperwork. One of the attendants at the gate got roped into showing them where the plane was thanks to Harper’s quick talking.

  This part of the airport was starting to wake up. There weren’t many people about, but enough that their group didn’t draw unwanted attention.

  “How far is it?” Tucker asked their guide.

  “Two over,” the nervous little man said.

  Logan slowed his pace. “Thanks for showing us. We can take it from here.”

  Harper nodded and gave the man a warmer send-off.

  The team gathered close to the back of one of the hangars.

  “We need to get eyes on the plane,” Logan said.

  Jamie grimaced. “Yeah, but they are going to have people watching it. If we tip them off, Skilton might never show up.”

  “Exactly.” Logan took a breath. Was this the right call? “I want you guys to stay here. I’m going to walk around, see if I can get a look inside. If I don’t, we’ll cycle through all of us until we get some kind of visual.”

  “Sounds good,” Harper said slowly.

  It was selfish, but Logan went first.

  He left the four in the deep shadows of the building and strode toward the hangar where the diplomats plane was.

  He zipped up his coat to better hide his firearms. Flipping up the collar kept the wind off his neck.

  His boots sounded loud despite the distant groan of the early morning commercial flights already landing and taking off. There wasn’t as much activity on this part of the airport. Yet. But that wouldn’t be the case for long. Very soon there would be a lot of coming and going.

  Logan’s heart began to beat in his throat as he neared the diplomat’s hangar.

  Another man in familiar black tactical rounded the corner of the hangar doing what appeared to be a circuit around the building.

  Everest Security.

  Damn.

  Logan ducked his head, turned and walked parallel to the hangar. He lengthened his stride, not very keen on being in visual distance of the mercenary.

  He reached the front corner of the opposite hangar and glanced right.

  The doors stood open. Inside was a sleek, maroon colored jet with the exterior door open. A few men loitered about with barely disguised bulges on their hips.

  That was a lot of security for an empty plane.

  Fuck.

  Logan turned left again and ducked into the neighboring hangar.

  What were the chances they were wrong? Was Skilton and Kelsey in there?

  Logan jabbed at his phone, dialing Zora’s phone.

  She picked up after one ring.

  “I’m arriving now,” she said.

  “I think he’s here,” Logan whispered.

  The bastard was right there, and still Logan couldn’t get to him.

  25.

  Wednesday. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Washington, DC.

  Kelsey sat in the darkness sucking down deep breaths.

  Holy shit.

  She shivered and glanced toward the front of the plane.

  Skilton hadn’t threatened her. He’d been polite and direct at times. Still, she’d heard the threats and knew them for what they were.

  If she didn’t make it off this plane her options upon landing would be to fall nicely in line or die. She hadn’t come this far in her career to turn traitor.

  Right now she needed to calm the fuck down.

  Skilton hadn’t noticed her now perforated restraints.

  There was time yet.

  Did she wait, or did she make a move?

  It felt as though a hundred bugs were crawling over her skin.

  She couldn’t stay here. Not a moment more than necessary.

  Kelsey twisted her arms, applying pressure to the restraints. Her wrists burned and then snap. The plastic fell off one wrist. She grabbed the other cuff and yanked, breaking free.

  She froze, listening for movement or any indication she’d drawn interest from others.

  Nothing.

  Carefully, she crawled back against the bulkhead and inched the window up a bit. Before she made a move, she had to know where the hell she was.

  The window looked out into a hangar. The sky was gray, lightening with the early morning dawn. At least one man was out there, probably more keeping watch.

  She peered toward the entrance to the hangar, but couldn’t see much beyond the open doors and tarmac.

  Out there was freedom.

  If she got off the plane and away, she could escape. She had faith in herself. The trick would be that first twenty or so yards. Her captors would be restricted. Pulling guns and shooting would draw the wrong kind of attention.

  She could use that in her favor.

  She just had to get out quietly. The emergency exits would create too much noise for a fast exit. Besides, she’d never trained for something like that. No, better to go out the already open hatch.

  Kelsey spent another moment collecting herself and breathing deep.

  A long creak made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

  Someone was coming.

  She scooted back to the chair and turned so that she faced it. Clasping her hands round the leg of the chair, she bent her head forward to cover any sign that she was free.

  Another creak.

  Slow, heavy footsteps came closer and closer.

  The night guard.

  Kelsey held her breath.

  The form of the night watchman passed her like a phantom out of the night.

  If she moved now, he’d see her.

  She had to take him down. It would mean one less person to stop her escape. But she’d have to surprise him and do it quietly.

  Did she dare risk it? Or was she better off bolting?

  Kelsey could do this.

  The man entered the rear galley. It was about as private as she could get back here.

  She reached down and broke the bonds on her ankles then stood. Her muscles protested, but she ignored them as she crept toward the back of the plane.

  The unmistakable sound of a can of soda opening was loud in the quiet.

  Her heart sang, recognizing the opportunity. At the same time, she resolved herself to this act. She didn’t want to kill people, but she also recognized that Skilton’s crew needed to be stopped. They’d tortured Dixon and would do it to others.

  Kelsey drew her knife and as quietly as possible rounded the corner of the galley. She could not afford to hesitate. It was time to turn off her feelings and act in her best interest.

  The large man crouched there, illuminated by the mini fridge, head tilted back while he drank deeply.

  She grabbed the man by his hair, knocking him off balance. She caught sight of his wide, startled eyes before plunging her knife into his neck.

  Bile coated the back of her throat. She swallowed it down and clapped a hand over the man’s mouth.

  “I’m sorry,” she
whispered.

  Deep down, she really was.

  Given that he worked for Skilton, he’d probably ended many lives and felt no remorse. But this was about her. She didn’t relish killing. Her job was about minimizing death and justice. Not killing.

  His eyes seemed to glaze over and the fight left his body.

  It was over in maybe fifteen seconds. She’d clearly hit the main artery. It was as merciful a death as she could offer him, which was more than he’d don’t for others, no doubt.

  Kelsey swung the fridge door shut and grabbed a stack of napkins with her other hand. Blood was slippery. She couldn’t afford to lose her grip.

  With that single minded focus, she cleaned off her hands and the blade while listening for some sign they’d been heard.

  Nothing.

  Kelsey found a gun on the man’s hip. She checked the chamber.

  It was loaded.

  She didn’t want to fire it, but she would if she had to. She transferred it to her left hand, keeping her knife in her right. It wasn’t comfortable and she wouldn’t shoot accurately, but that wasn’t her concern. The gun was an intimidation tool. Her knife was the real threat. At least until she couldn’t help but make noise.

  Armed and as prepared as she could be, Kelsey stepped out of the galley. Holding both gun and knife, she advanced forward. She spared a glance at Dixon and prayed he held on long enough for her to get away and signal for help. He still had to answer for his crimes and do his part in taking Skilton down. He could not die yet.

  Kelsey crept through the first dividing partition into the midsection of the plane. The chairs here were luxury recliners. A flat screen dominated one wall. Each side had padded sofas creating a comfortable lounge area.

  The door loomed ahead of her, a portal to safety.

  Was it this easy?

  She eyed the forward cabin. It was a partitioned off room. That was probably where Skilton was and the creak she’d heard earlier was the door opening.

  Fighting her instinct to spring ahead, Kelsey crept quietly onward. She swerved her path, avoiding where she thought the floor might squeak and give her up, sticking close to the sides of the plane.

  The harsh sound of a man’s laughter reached her ears.

  Was that from outside? It sounded like that might be the case.

  Kelsey swung left, hugging the wall up to where the sofa created a little nook to hide in.

  Ahead of her, a figure appeared down the short hall leading to the cockpit.

  She bent her head, trying to make herself as small as possible.

  The man shuffled forward. He called out something in a language she didn’t recognize then paused.

  Fuck.

  Was he waiting for the other guy?

  He called out what sounded like a name and started walking toward the rear of the plane.

  There was no way he wouldn’t see her. Just a few steps...

  As if he heard her thoughts, his gaze went straight to her.

  Fuck.

  Kelsey beat down the panic that surged through her. Now was not the time to freeze up. She had to act and remember that these people would kill her without a second thought. She was nothing to them.

  Kelsey darted forward and stabbed. He cried out, a loud, bellowing sound.

  She took aim and fired.

  He pitched backward, falling over one of the arm chairs.

  Kelsey whirled and sprinted for the hatch. She heard the familiar creak of Skilton’s door, but didn’t look back. She stumbled out onto the stairs. Her heart thundered against her ribs. Her whole body pulsed as adrenaline took over.

  Below her, four men were already scrambling toward her, blocking her path.

  This couldn’t be it.

  If Skilton got his hands on her, she’d be like Dixon. She’d wish she were dead.

  Kelsey fired, aiming at the ground in front of the stairs. She had no idea how many civilians were around. She didn’t want to risk firing wildly and hitting an innocent.

  She grabbed the railing and vaulted off the side. Her stomach did a somersault as she fell. Her still-tingling legs didn’t catch her, and she crashed to the ground, going to her knees. Grunting, she braced herself and sucked down air.

  It was a precious moment to waste, but her body wasn’t cooperating. She’d been twisted into a pretzel for far too long.

  A rough hand grabbed the back of her jacket and another her left arm.

  “No!” she screamed. Panic welled up inside of her and she struck out with her knife wildly. “Help! Fire! Help!”

  This couldn’t be how it ended.

  WEDNESDAY. RONALD REAGAN Washington National Airport. Washington, DC.

  Logan leaned against the hangar and peered back toward where the others were. He didn’t want to return to them. That was too much distance between himself and where Kelsey was potentially.

  “What makes you think he’s here?” Zora asked.

  “I’ve seen one Everest Security guy here making rounds. There’s also at least four men guarding the plane. The front hatch is open. It’s like they’re waiting.”

  “Pull back and let’s make a plan.”

  Logan bit the inside of his mouth.

  Did he go with his gut? Or did he follow orders? Could he rely on himself to make the best decisions right now?

  “Logan?”

  “I hear you. Zora, I can’t trust myself right now.” He tipped his head up and stared at the horizon with its thin line of gray light.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Kelsey and me, we got close. You were right.”

  “I know. Well, I suspected. You care about her. That’s good. Healthy even. And so long as I can keep counting on you to do your job, I don’t care what you two do. But, I need you to follow orders. We have to do this right or he’s going to slip out of our grasp.”

  Logan glanced toward the plane and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Everything Zora said made sense, and yet his feet were rooted to the ground.

  One of the men jumped up off the crate he was sitting on.

  “Something’s happening,” Logan said.

  A single gunshot ripped through the relative stillness of the early morning. His blood went cold and the burner phone slipped from his grasp. He was running before he realized it, arms pumping at his side.

  The maroon colored plane came into view with the hatch open. Only crouched in the shadow of the stairs was a small figure. A man grabbed the bit of shadow, hauling it to its feet. Only, it didn’t have far to go. The shadow was sort, petite even.

  “Kelsey!” he bellowed. Her name was ripped out of him.

  Logan had enough presence of mind to yank his gun out of the holster.

  Two of the men turned toward him, reaching for their weapons.

  “Down, now! FBI,” Logan yelled. He wasn’t, but at this point he’d say what he needed to.

  The two men didn’t stop. They both aimed guns at him.

  “Logan, get back,” Kelsey said.

  One of the guards had Kelsey by the hair and a gun pressed to her side.

  “Let her go,” Logan demanded.

  “Skilton’s on the plane. Logan, get—”

  Her words cut off in a strangled choking sound as the man holding onto her gave her a shake.

  “You get your fucking hands off her,” Logan demanded. “Right now.”

  He didn’t dare edge closer. The four men were speaking, but not in English.

  Fuck, if he didn’t do something they’d turn the tide on this. Logan could end up alongside Kelsey.

  Footsteps pounded the pavement.

  Was it...?

  “Back up. Back the fuck up,” Harper shouted as he skidded to a stop alongside Logan. “Fuck, TL, what’s with you?”

  “What about the Everest guy?” Logan asked.

  “Zora’s sitting on him,” Tucker said far more calmly.

  Evan and Jamie spread out, moving to flank the group.

  “We’ve got you surrounded.”
Logan figured that sounded good. “Put your guns down now and no one gets hurt.”

  The one holding Kelsey said something to the others. His eyes grew larger as he spoke and he shook Kelsey by the hair.

  Logan focused on that man. “Let her go.”

  Something electric buzzed. There was a click and then a hum.

  “What’s that sound?” Jamie asked.

  The jet engines whirled to life, drowning out other noise.

  “Skilton’s trying to leave,” Logan shouted.

  The guards must have realized that at the same time Logan did, and what that meant. Skilton wasn’t sticking around to make sure all his people got on board.

  Logan saw the muscled guy push Kelsey away from him. Logan’s instinct was to dive for her, hold her close and make her promise to always stay by his side. But his training kicked in. He wouldn’t be who he was if he let the bad guys win. Kelsey had done everything in her power to help the team get where they were now.

  That couldn’t be in vain.

  Logan bolted forward, shoving one of the guards aside.

  The plane inched forward.

  He took the stairs three at a time.

  The plane’s engines went up a notch, the whine drowning out all other sound.

  Logan threw himself through the open hatch, into the plane. He staggered into a wall. The scent of blood reached his nose. He blinked, trying to acclimate his vision to the low light.

  He got his feet under him and turned, toward the cockpit. The door was closed, but not fastened shut. Logan nudged it open with his boot.

  A man in a blue sweater aimed a gun at who Logan assumed was the pilot.

  This was Skilton. It was easy to identify him based on the video Logan had seen.

  “Stop the plane now,” he ordered.

  “I don’t think so,” Skilton said.

  “I said—”

  Something struck Logan on the back of his neck and shoulder. Pain blossomed and his vision hazed. Instinct had him reacting. He whirled to face the attacker.

  A gunshot went off. Logan felt the impact squarely in his chest. Center mass. All the air rushed out of his lungs. But the vest saved him from injury.

  Logan struck out with a kick, getting valuable room between him and the other man.

  His attacker leapt backward.

  Logan squeezed the trigger.