Mind of Danger (Body of Danger, #3)

by Bristol, Sidney

  “Let them go,” Jo said. “We have bigger fish to fry. They probably just wanted to eliminate the competition.”

  Elias grit his teeth. Yeah, he was going to hear about this from his boss. The condo hadn’t been officially broken in and already there would be repairs.

  “We need to move. Now. They’ll be back,” he said over his shoulder.

  “What the hell?” Isaac bellowed.

  “I was protecting you, dumbass,” Jo bit back.

  Elias backed away from the door and glanced at Isaac now sitting on the hardwood scowling at Jo. His bag was on the ground and a holstered weapon in his hand. Was he trying to protect himself? Or had he been about to attack them? It was hard to say. Isaac didn’t seem like a man of action, at least not the shooting and killing variety.

  They’d have to keep a close eye on him.

  “You good?” Elias aimed the question at Jo.

  “Yeah.” She shoved her weapon into her holster. “We need to get out of here. Get our shit and go.”

  “I’m on it.”

  Elias turned. He could feel the icy protective layer thawing and inside he was close to shaking apart.

  He’d shot at another person today.

  The shakes in his hands didn’t start until he was back in the bedroom.

  Elias couldn’t say what it was, exactly, that had stuck with him from the accident. But something had happened to his subconscious that altered how he reacted under stress. Which was why he’d focused on jobs that kept him behind the scenes and insulated from direct danger. But once again Christmas had brought disaster.

  Once in the bedroom he holstered his weapon. Bracing his hands on the dresser, he let his head drop forward and blew out a deep breath. His legs felt like jelly and his insides were knotted up.

  Jo was safe. He would be fine. These were the two things he needed to hold on to.

  He gulped down another breath to steady himself, then mentally packed it all in.

  They had to get out of here before someone else showed up.

  THURSDAY. SEATTLE, Washington.

  Jo gripped the door handle.

  She hadn’t even questioned when Elias brought them down to the attached parking garage and stuffed them in a SUV. Isaac’s moaning about everything was a dull buzzing sound against her more urgent thoughts.

  Dion’s partner? The man Elias had shot?

  That was Sasha Bugrov. At least that’s who she thought it was.

  Sasha was a man sent to work for Giovanni as an enforcer by his Russian father. The man was the bogyman’s bogyman. And they’d just injured the guy.

  What the hell was he doing here? Now? It didn’t make any sense. Unless he was helping Dion to acquire the virtual bomb. For what purpose? The pieces weren’t clicking.

  She closed her eyes and bit the inside of her mouth until it hurt.

  This was a disaster of her own making. And what was worse? She’d drug Elias into it.

  “Shut up,” Jo snapped at Isaac. “I can barely think with you moaning back there. God, grow some balls already.”

  Neither Isaac nor Elias said a word. Silence reigned in the vehicle as they sped through Seattle.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “Nowhere,” Elias replied. “Just getting us away from the condo.”

  She settled deeper into the seat. What the hell was she going to do? Was it smart to keep going, knowing Sasha was after the same target? Or had Elias eliminated him from the playing board? Who else was out there they didn’t know about? What did it all mean?

  “We need to talk,” she said, dreading every word that passed her lips. “I mean, talk about what happens next.”

  Elias glanced at her. “We get the code. Or the tech, whatever it is. What do you mean, what happens next? This morning doesn’t change anything. You said it yourself, didn’t you? They’re eliminating the competition. They see you as a threat, so of course they’d try to take you out.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t ask you to help me anymore.”

  “What? Yes, you can. This morning doesn’t change anything.”

  And yet it did.

  She had noticed the change in him. She didn’t understand it, but she knew she was asking more from Elias than he should give her. Last night drove home how precious he was to her. She couldn’t let him get involved more than he was. And yet, could she do this with Sasha after them without his help?

  “Whatever you’re thinking, stop.” Elias’s voice was a seldom heard firm command. “Don’t ask me to walk away now. I won’t do it. So, what’s our next step?”

  Relief flooded Jo, and she hated herself for that feeling.

  She stared at his profile. His chin was dark with a bit of stubble. The morning light showed off his strong profile. Her heart thumped quicker just looking at him.

  She’d been in love with him for ages, and now she couldn’t deny the fact any longer.

  Jo sighed and closed her eyes. “Eagle Tech. They’re the ones developing this so-called virtual bomb. How to get inside and steal it are things I still need to work out.”

  “Eagle Tech, you say?” Elias asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “I know where that is.” He turned the wheel, taking a right onto a small side street. “Besides getting inside and into position, how do you intend to know what it is you’re looking for?”

  “Isaac knows.” She glanced over her shoulder. “That’s why we’re the perfect team. I can figure out everything so long as he can do the actual stealing.”

  Elias flashed her a strained smile. “Leave getting into the facility to me. I think I know a guy.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded and tapped the steering wheel with his thumbs. “We haven’t worked with them directly, but I’ve had a few clients who have. It wouldn’t be incredibly difficult to pose as a potential buyer wanting a site visit. That would get me and say—an assistant? Through the door.”

  “One problem though.” She darted a glance at Isaac again. He hadn’t seen Sasha, but he’d recognize the guy in an instant. “They know where we’ll be. It’ll be a race to see who gets there first.”

  “Then we better get there fast. Isaac?” Elias stared into the rearview mirror. “Grab the bag from the condo. We’ll need some equipment.”

  “Elias... What about your job? What about the risk this could pose to you?”

  “What’s done is done. I’ll sort things out with my boss. Believe me, worse has happened. You need this, and I’m here to help you.”

  He spoke with so much certainty it was hard to not believe him. Was he lying? Or was he living in some reality where the occasional bloody shooting and car chase were considered normal? Should she have done more homework before calling him?

  “If you don’t have a better plan, I say we head to Eagle Tech. That other team will be behind us. With one guy injured, they can’t move as fast as we can. It stands to reason we can stay a step ahead of them.”

  It sounded so good. Was it because she wanted to believe him? She wanted out so badly. A part of her wanted Elias to have all the answers and be her shining knight, swooping in to rescue her. Too bad she knew reality never played out that way. Still, it had been a long time since she had hope.

  “What do you say, Jo?” he asked.

  She sighed and turned her head to meet his gaze. “I trust you. Probably more than myself right now.”

  Elias nodded. “Then it’s decided.”

  “Do I get a say?” Isaac huffed.

  She turned and arched a brow at him. “Do you have a better plan?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “No.”

  “Okay then, let’s go with the plan that holds water.” She settled back into her seat, feeling a bit lighter. God, it would be one hell of a Christmas present if this all actually worked out...

  THURSDAY. SECONDARY Aegis Group Safe House, Seattle, Washington.

  Elias smoothed his hand down his tie and stared at his reflection. H
e’d thought he wouldn’t have to wear a suit for another week or two. It was almost a disappointment to have to put the thing on. Still, he needed to play a role and out of the three of them he had a better chance of speaking the language of the rich.

  Surveilling Eagle Tech all morning and most of the afternoon hadn’t taught them much about the business. There was little foot traffic in or out. They appeared to be operating at reduced manpower due to the holidays, but that was expected. Mostly he’d listened while Isaac and Jo tossed ideas back and forth about how to do this approach.

  In the end, Elias’ first plan still seemed like their best bet for not only getting in the door, but achieving their goal. He still wasn’t certain helping Jo acquire this experimental tech was the best idea. What if she was forced to turn it over? What then?

  Elias’ skin prickled, and he paused in straightening his tie.

  This safe house was smaller, just a three-bedroom condo usually kept ready for teams that needed a place to crash. Elias had brought them here to grab some more equipment and to use as their staging point. It also had very thin walls.

  Jo stalked into the room like a caged wildcat. She had her phone in hand and was turning it this way and that without looking at it. She still hadn’t forgiven him from outvoting her when it came to playing his assistant.

  “Just stick to the plan, okay?” Jo said, as if he was the one that needed that reminder.

  He studied her, noting the slight stress line on her brow and the tenseness around her mouth. “I will. Can you?”

  She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Just get your ass in there already, okay?”

  “Hey?” Elias reached out and took her hand. It was the first time he’d touched her since being in bed together. His skin tingled, heightening his awareness of her. “We’re going to put this whole thing to bed, and then you’ll be able to do whatever you want to do, okay?”

  The stress line eased, and she smiled. “Does that offer for coffee still stand?”

  The simple question kicked him in the gut. “Of course.”

  “Would you wear an apron?” Her smile grew into a grin.

  Elias rolled his eyes. “Why not?”

  “Okay. Just be careful and listen.” She tipped her chin up and stared into his eyes.

  He held his breath, captivated by her strength and beauty.

  She reached up, cupping the back of his head, and went up on tip-toe. Their lips met in a brief, hard kiss. His head was still spinning when she took a quick step away from him.

  Jo fixed him with a haughty, commanding look. “We’ve got unfinished business, so I expect you to do this quickly. Got it?”

  Elias nodded, his brain too scrambled for words.

  “You two done yet?” Isaac groused from the living room.

  “Yeah, coming,” Elias managed to say.

  He wanted to remain where he was, tucked away from the rest of the world with Jo, but until this was handled she was still in danger. She was trusting him to help her out of this.

  “Is the car here?” Elias asked.

  Isaac glanced at his phone. “Almost.”

  They’d decided to leave the company SUV with Jo and instead take a cab to the front door of the Eagle Tech building. Each of them wore a Kevlar vest under their clothes because they knew at least one team was close on their heels. The truly useful things were the invisible comms that fit inside the ear and a digital lock breaker. With enough time, there was no lock that could withstand them.

  Together, they wordlessly headed for the door. Elias secured it and shoved down the internal dread. He just knew Zain was on their trail, too. He’d somehow figure out Elias had been here, too. Those were problems to deal with after.

  Their little trio descended the stairs. They trekked two blocks over to a parking garage where they’d left the SUV on the third floor, looking out over a bit of the city. The real reason he’d parked here was just in sight.

  The Eagle Tech building.

  Jo would have a bird’s-eye-view of everything happening around the building while they took an initial look around inside. With luck, Jo would pass unnoticed and safe up here until they needed her.

  Jo paused in front of the SUV and turned toward Elias. “This is me. Good luck.”

  “Keep your head down,” Elias said. There were other things he wanted to say, but for now that was it.

  He turned and walked toward the stairs with Isaac falling in beside him. The shorter man glanced up at Elias a few times. Isaac had complained loudly about having to wear some of Elias’ clothing to pull his role off.

  “Think we’ll pull this off?” Isaac asked as they reached the sidewalk.

  A silver four-door car pulled up at the curb.

  “Yes.” Elias put his full confidence behind that one word. They absolutely had to pull this off.

  Isaac surprised Elias by opening the door to their ride and letting him in first. He settled back, curious at how far Isaac would take the role. He leaned forward and gave the driver directions.

  He must have really taken his assistant job seriously. Then again, Jo had said Isaac was accustomed to being a right-hand man. This was likely more his speed.

  The drive took them a little over a minute thanks to red lights, but that wasn’t an issue. The ninety or so seconds allowed Elias to take a breath and settle into this role. He had some guilt eating at him already for their plan to fool the company reps into believing he was someone he wasn’t.

  It was just a facilities tour.

  Isaac swept open Elias’ door.

  This was it. Time to play the role he’d been handed.

  The cab eased away from them, leaving their path to the door clear.

  “Let’s do this,” Elias muttered.

  Together they entered the lobby of the four story building that comprised the entirety of the Eagle Tech company. Elias had done as much homework as he could on the place, but the only pictures he’d found of the interior were prior to Eagle Tech moving in. They’d no doubt changed the floor-plan.

  Elias prayed his cover story held water. Oh, and that no one recognized him seeing as they catered to the same type of people.

  “Mr. Allen,” a younger man with pitch black hair in a trim cut suit approached Elias with a welcoming smile.

  “You must be Torres. Samuel Torres?” Elias took the guys’ hand.

  Torres glanced between Elias and Isaac. “That’s me. Thanks for stopping by. Crossing a few things off your list before the holidays?”

  Elias inclined his head. “Something like that.”

  Torres gestured at the marble floored entry decked out with Christmas trees and fake snow. “Well, let’s have a quick walk around and let me tell you about what we can do for your personal security.”

  Elias paused and really looked at the lobby layout. It was from the same decade, maybe even the same company who’d built the old Aegis Group building. Right down to the weird box thing in front of the elevators.

  Man, just looking at this place brought back memories, and not the good kind.

  Hopefully they didn’t blow this place up, too.

  “Lead on,” Elias said.

  To his credit, Torres was a thorough salesman. They walked from department to department chatting about the services, man hours, expenses. Elias even found himself thinking of uses for their services to supplement and take a load off Zain. Too bad Elias could never bring those ideas up now.

  They trekked up and down the floors, showing off their mostly empty departments, what with reduced holiday hours.

  The place was impressive. They packed a lot of operating power into a small space. That said, something was beginning to nag at Elias. Why would a tech security company develop any kind of bomb? Was it offensive or defensive? A counter measure to ensure client’s protection? Where did it fit in?

  He just didn’t get it, no matter how many questions he asked Torres.

  “Elias, you need to speed it up, stop yapping so much,” Jo finally whispered
into his ear almost forty-five minutes later.

  It was decision time.

  They had two options. This tour was supposed to cement which of those two they tried. Either they did it now, or they came back later at night. The issue Elias saw was that security was far too tight to get in without raising some kind of alarm.

  Elias’s mind went blank as he caught a glimpse of a janitor ahead of them. The man’s face, Elias had seen it earlier today. He’d shot at that man trying to get to Jo.

  Fuck.

  They weren’t ahead of the competition, they were neck and neck with it.

  The race was on.

  6.

  Thursday. Eagle Tech, Seattle, Washington.

  Isaac was in over his head. What the hell was he doing?

  Jo was holding something back. He just knew it. But what?

  Any moment now this Torres guy was going to realize they weren’t really potential customers, and it was all going to go to hell.

  Besides, what was going to happen if Jo and Elias actually pulled this off?

  Elias glanced over his shoulder. “Did you get that?”

  “Yes, sir,” Isaac said without hesitation. They were discussing how long security videos were stored for clients.

  “Why don’t I show you our cyber division? Follow me this way,” Torres said.

  Great.

  Another room full of people Isaac didn’t want to see.

  They stepped out into a hall. Isaac hung back, letting Elias play his role.

  “Elias, you need to speed it up, stop yapping so much.” Jo’s voice surprised Isaac so much he jumped. Thankfully, no one was around to see him.

  He muttered under his breath and quickened his pace.

  What were they going to do? And what was Isaac going to do about it? There was no way they were going to really pull this off. It was impossible. Wasn’t it? Or had Giovanni lied?

  They’d gotten this far. The cat would be out of the bag soon if Dion didn’t catch up to them soon. Isaac wasn’t supposed to have to kill her himself. That was Dion’s job.

  How the hell had he gotten into this mess? He should be at home or at Giovanni’s. The Christmas party was tomorrow. It wasn’t fair he’d miss out for this bullshit.