by Kells, India
In her sleep, the rag masking her eyes had undone itself, and if she opened her eyes right then, she’d see his face.
To be honest, she’d seen his face at the party, only without knowing he was the vigilante. As he took one last glance at her body deliciously outlined by the white cotton sheet, Sam slid his fingers in the side pocket of his vest and touched Orla’s pendant. He’d done it so many times since he’d found the jewel, rubbing it like a good luck charm. He knew he should give it back to her but postponed the moment.
Closing the bedroom door behind him, he went back to the workstation to see Devin on the computer.
Without acknowledging Sam, the hacker pointed to the side table. “Coffee and pastries. Thought you’d need some fuel. I see by the way you’re walking your bruises are a tad better, although I’d keep a painkiller or two in my pocket if I were you.” He pressed a few more keys, spun his chair and stopped to look at Sam with a quirked eyebrow and an annoying expression on his face. “Whoa! Did you do the big reveal? Was it during or after the mattress tango? If I’d been in your shoes, I would’ve waited until after, so when she saw your ugly face, it was too late, and you’d already done the deed. Is that what happened?”
Sam was tempted to dump his coffee on Devin’s lap but refrained, as he needed him, and half the time he wasn’t that bad, like a low-grade itch. “No, she didn’t see my face.”
The sudden lack of expression or comment from his friend wasn’t usual. Seconds ticked by before he finally nodded. “Probably for the better. It’s not forbidden but highly discouraged. Lance would’ve been pissed too. I guess he knows or suspects, but knowing the man, he thinks it’s a one-time thing. And the clock is ticking. You’ll be stepping down soon, and another vigilante will take your place.”
Sam frowned at the words, but especially at the tinge of sadness that went through him. It was the one downside to what they were doing. How could they bring someone, anyone, in on this? It had never been officially discussed, only deeply frowned upon by Lance and most members of the team. How would anyone truly accept what they did and live with the dangers and risks that came with it?
With Orla, lust wasn’t in question; Sam would be happy to be buried deep inside her from sundown to sunup. And strangely, if he was going to settle down with anyone, it would be her. Her sharp mind, dedication, and courage were qualities he admired and were increasingly less common in the world they lived. But a future?
“Man, if you were envisioning a happily ever after with her, better cut that out right now, smother any feelings you have for her, and her for you.”
Sam sighed and hitched a hip on the worktable. Devin was right. He’d joined Lance’s crusade because he needed it—a quest for his own purpose. A thief, and a criminal, he’d accepted living his life in the shadows, just as he accepted that dark part of himself that was hidden deep inside and would be there until his last breath. Orla Karlsen was a seeker of truth, of justice. And not the type of justice he dispensed when wearing the vigilante’s suit. He’d found the thin line that kept his soul and morale from sinking completely, but that line wasn’t wide enough for two. “Yeah, I get it. About what happened with Orla and me, did you tell him what happened? And the team?”
Devin nodded. “Apart from you two sleeping in the same room, everything. Sloane went to Orla’s apartment with Joshua to see if there was any hint on who was there. Nothing. Nothing was touched, no traces of anything, or anyone, apart from Orla.”
“Yeah, I guessed as much. If their goal was the briefcase, they followed the GPS.”
There was movement behind him, and Sam took one last look at Devin before putting his mask on.
Even dressed, Orla had a sexy tousled look about her that made him want to pull her back into the bedroom, but his dick wasn’t making the decisions anymore. That window was closed for good.
It was clear her first stop had been the bathroom, but with both of them at the control center, she wasn’t the type of woman not to immediately jump into the fire. “Any news?”
“The computer is still searching for Black. I’m not the only one capable of shutting down cameras in this city, it seems. And I’m now obsessed with what was in that briefcase.”
Orla took a piece of pastry and took a big bite, thinking as she chewed. “At this rate, we won’t be able to stop the spread of Phantom. We may have had a respite with Black’s kidnapping, but that doesn’t mean that White will stop the process and wait.”
Sam nodded. “I think we’re too late for that. Too bad we don’t have any solid leads, no real threads to pull. I have to wait for the drug to start hitting the streets and then backtrack from a user to the distributer.”
Devin looked at Orla before angling his head in his usual thinking pose. “Well, we have a couple of options, but none of them guarantees success or are risk-free. If I were you, I’d try to find out what’s happening at Maximon while one head is missing and drive around with that empty briefcase in my trunk. If you can’t get to them, have them come to you.”
Sam winced behind his mask. Those were interesting options, if only they knew who was after them. Orla, on the other hand, was clearly considering both options. No surprise there.
Before she could open her mouth to suggest heading to Maximon headquarters, Sam cut her off. “Too late for that option. And may I remind both of you that even if they were legitimate, someone asking questions wouldn’t go down well. I know Orla can check it out, but it’s not as if they’d reveal anything significant. On the contrary, they’ll realize she knows more than she’s supposed to and immediately sees her as a threat to be eliminated.”
“She is standing right here and is listening to everything you’re saying.”
Pissing her off didn’t bother him, but Sam didn’t want her to charge in out of spite. “Orla, I’m not telling you not to do it, but think. We have limited resources and need to make sure we stir the right hornets’ nest. What about we have Devin here dig more into Maximon, try to get clearer information on who Black and White are, and who they’re dealing with?”
Devin pushed away from his desk. “So glad you had that idea because I was starting to feel guilty for already having a couple of programs running to break into Maximon’s server. No results yet, but anytime I hope. I’m also monitoring police calls and emails, so if a dead body comes up and fits the description of Mr. Black, we’ll know.”
Orla whistled, and that made Sam smile. “Are you always that efficient? No wonder you’ve achieved so much in your life.”
Devin still looked at her as if she was about to spit snakes, but amusement twinkled in the hacker’s eyes. “We all have our strong points. That’s why we work well as a team.”
Orla turned to Sam, but before she could utter a word, something beeped on the console. “Sorry kids, I need my brain cells for a minute as my little tiny tracker has finally found its way into Maximon’s main server. Hell, I thought it would take way more time than this. I’m good.”
Orla coughed, clearly trying to hide a laugh. “I’m baffled at how you fit that big head of yours through doors.”
“Lady, if I doubted myself, like a lot of people in this world, I wouldn’t try to achieve anything. I don’t claim to be an expert in everything, but I won’t play coy when I know I have talent in something.”
That was something Sam agreed with, even if his own talents were definitely on the wrong side of the law.
“That’s weird.” Fingers flying over the keyboard, Devin was hunched over the screen, deep lines around his eyes. “I’m trying to access files about Mr. Black, but they’re no longer there.”
“Maybe Mr. Black never used Maximon’s server; maybe everything is on his personal computer.”
At Orla’s words, Devin groaned. “That’s not what I meant. There was a folder marked ‘Mr. Black’, but it’s been moved, and they changed the name. Now it’s in a secured location under ‘Mr. White’.”
Something clicked in Sam’s brain. “Mr. Black was double
crossed by Mr. White. And it seems Mr. White doesn’t want to lose potential information. That’s why he moved the files.”
Orla leaned closer to Devin, watching the screen like a hawk. Before he followed her gaze, Sam took a quick detour, admiring her ass sticking out.
“Data is one thing, but personally, I’d be more attracted to money.”
Orla peeked over her shoulder. “Personally? Well, some people prefer power, control, dominance.”
Sam shrugged. They were all valid reasons, just not one he’d pursued in his life. “Black and White wanted to control the Phantom’s distribution on the streets of Chicago. That brings money, power, and death, for sure. I wouldn’t just focus on one reason.”
Orla’s eyes thinned into slits as she looked at him. It was obvious she wanted to ask questions, but Sam knew he had no answers to give.
“Well, boys and girls, one interesting point is the financial folder is locked tight, and it will take me some time to get through without raising any flags. However, there is extensive research and documentation of different independent security groups and mercenary organizations. Some are well established, others, not so much.”
This time, his interest was piqued when Devin scrolled down the list.
“I just saw two terrorist organizations, and one has been down for at least six months.” Orla squinted, telling Devin to slow down. “I recognize another name from a mercenary group I worked with in Afghanistan. Another I met in Syria.”
Sam gasped when he recognized two other names. “Fortis? Purgatory? We’d better call L...” Sam almost slipped and said Lance’s name in front of Orla. It was becoming difficult to keep information from her.
“Who are they?”
Devin understood and nodded, ignoring Orla’s question. “I’ll ask him immediately. He had strong links with Purgatory, and some with Fortis. Someone may know something.”
At the clear lack of details or answers to her questions, Sam thought Orla would pop a vein.
“Guys. We’re in this together, damn it. Either you start sharing with me, or I walk.”
Devin perked up immediately, lifting his hand like a good little student. “Me, me! I have the answer.”
Ignoring his nonsense, Sam turned to Orla. “It’s not about trust. It’s information that isn’t mine, and I’m not at liberty to share.”
“As I said, we’re back at square fucking one. You don’t trust me. I’m the only link to it all and keeping me close is a pretext to make sure I don’t hide anything from you. Please, at least admit that much.”
Devin snickered which didn’t help the situation. Orla tried to sidestep him, but Sam wouldn’t let her. “Fuck, it’s not that clear-cut, and you know it. I’m not alone in this. Do you think I don’t trust you? I’m willing to, even if I’ve been viciously backstabbed more than once because of who I am and what I do. But this isn’t about me; I can’t take a leap of faith and jeopardize what has taken years to build.”
Visibly pissed, she pulled away from his grasp. “And I know how to keep secrets.”
The way her eyes turned to blue gemstones, hard and unyielding clearly showed she was hurt. Her reaction didn’t sit well with Sam. She had to see his point of view and understand it.
“Sorry to interfere, but do you know anyone called Kelli Brice?”
From the way she jerked toward Devin, Sam had a bad feeling. “What about Kelli?”
“Well, I was just checking your phone…”
“You’re checking my phone?”
“Not the point, lady, but do you have any idea why she’d call you eight times in the last hour?”
Devin pulled up Orla’s phone on the main screen, and Kelli Brice’s name was displayed.
“Who is she?” Sam’s gaze never left Orla’s face. He watched as flashes of worry, fear, and anger raced across her features.
“A friend. My friend. She works in the financial section.”
When she pulled her phone out, Devin shook his head. “That won’t work here. No signal. I can link you via the computer. Just a sec.”
Orla was tense as a bow, and her hand played with her blond hair in a clear sign of her anguish. Sam immediately inched closer to her, in a silent show of support. He didn’t want to touch her, even if his instincts shouted at him to take her in his arms. To his surprise, Orla mimicked his move and touched her hip to his while her blue eyes remained focused on the screen, waiting for Devin to make contact. His gloved hand naturally settled in the small of her back as she leaned into him.
When the ring sounded through the speaker, Sam’s gut tightened. Any monster in its right mind, especially a cornered one, would try to find some kind of leverage. They didn’t know him, so they turned to the one they could identify. From her file, he knew she didn’t have any family, so friends and close acquaintances were the second-best choices.
There were two more rings, and as he expected, the voice that answered was definitely not female.
“Ms. Karlsen, how kind of you to return my call. But out of all of us, I think your friend will be most happy to hear your voice.”
Before anyone could utter a word, a whimper sounded in the background.
“Who are you?” Orla’s voice was hard as steel, but Sam felt her body tremble.
“I think the more important question to ask is, what are you willing to do to keep your dear friend Kelli alive and well? You have something I want. Something that prevents me from doing the worst to her, and I want it. Now.”
Devin signaled that whoever was on the line was trying to trace the call. Sam wasn’t worried about being traced but was more interested in what his hacker friend could find. Sam leaned into Orla’s ear and told her to be careful with what she said, and not to reveal they didn’t have whatever had been in the black briefcase.
In answer, she took his hand and squeezed. For the first time, he truly yearned to have skin contact with her, hell, that he could be there as himself for her. Not as a nameless vigilante.
“What guarantee do I have you won’t hurt her?”
“None. Remember that you’re not the one in control.”
A gun fired on the other end of the line, and Orla screamed.
Devin shook his head at them, a clear sign he hadn’t been able to trace the location of the caller yet. In the still silence, it took a few seconds for their ears to stop ringing, and a woman could be heard weeping in the background.
“Ms. Karlsen, you’re lucky my aim was poor. This time. Bring me the briefcase. I’m texting you the location now. Be there in thirty minutes. And come alone.”
Devin shot the address on the screen as the line went dead.
Sam cursed. “The deadline is tight if we want to reach it before the thirty minutes is up. We have to leave now.”
Orla wiped at her tears with the back of her hand. “But we don’t have what they want. You want to take them an empty briefcase?”
Devin went to the briefcase, put the GPS back and locked it. “I’ve changed the code on the locks, that should keep them busy for a little while. And as I’ve locked the GPS chip inside, be able to track where they take it. That alone should give us the information we need to discover their identity. I’ll contact the rest of the team and see if I can rally a few of them for backup.”
Orla turned to Sam, not letting go of his hand. “He said alone. I have to go alone.”
Sam knew getting back up there quickly was almost impossible, and even if he were selfish enough to ask her not to risk her life, she would do it anyway. He’d go and do his best to protect her along the way. “You won’t be. I’ll be with you in the shadows every step of the way. We’ll retrieve your friend, and make sure those bastards never hurt anybody again.”
Chapter Sixteen
Orla stopped herself from reaching into her bag and taking a couple of her anxiety pills, but she knew she needed a clear mind as the car flew through the city. The only thing that kept her heart from exploding out of her chest was the masked man sitting beside
her. Calm and collected, he was in constant contact with Devin as she tried to focus on the road.
Devin had tossed her a key for a big black SUV without blinking an eye. They roared through the streets until they reached the highway. She could hear Devin’s voice through the speaker system, and he told her he’d do his best to redirect all police cars from point A to point B. And it was point B she couldn’t stop thinking about.
The vigilante had a tablet in his lap and was looking at the map of where they were heading, and he and Devin discussed possible points of entry and cameras around the location.
Orla couldn’t focus on what they were saying, half of her mind focused on the road, the other worried sick about Kelli. It was only a question of time before she faced whoever had her friend and they’d realize she’d come empty-handed.
The address was deep in Riverdale, and according to what Devin had said, it was along the railroad. That didn’t give them much information, and it added to her rising anguish.
“Hey. We’re five minutes away. I’ll get off at the next stop sign because if they’re tracking the GPS as I suspect they are, I don’t want them to be aware of my arrival. I’ll cut through the back and make my way to you and surprise them. Devin is only a few minutes behind us.”
When he put his hand on her thigh, Orla immediately grabbed it. Even if she couldn’t touch his skin, it brought the heat to her frigid fingers.
“You’ll be all right, Orla. I’ll do my damn best to get you and your friend out of this.”
The stop sign appeared way too soon, and the vigilante quickly exited, vanishing into the evening night, leaving her alone. That was the moment all the feelings swarming inside her simply disappeared to be replaced with ice-cold resolution. It was the first time she’d felt this steady since she’d left the middle east, and prayed it would hold.
As soon as she crossed the railroad tracks, Orla turned left and parked on the small patch of dirt road. The headlights shone on trailers, vans, and containers in the junkyard until she saw movement. Two men wearing balaclavas came into view, holding military rifles aimed at her. With a definite sensation of deja vu, she took a deep breath and exited the SUV.
