by Anna Hackett
Shit, she was right at the edge of the pool. “January—”
She teetered and fell into the pool with a splash, taking the chair with her.
No! Seth moved forward. The heavy chair would drag her to the bottom.
The guard attacked him again.
Kick, punch, strike. Seth dodged and blocked. Gritting his teeth, he moved back, avoiding her blows when he could. But she got several in. He felt a sharp pain in his ribs, and when her kick connected with his thigh, agony tore up his leg.
But in his head was a ticking clock. He had to get to January.
He risked a quick glance toward the pool, and saw her struggling under the water.
Enough. He advanced and kicked the woman. She staggered. She blocked his next punch, but he whipped his elbow up and connected with her face. Her nose broke and she grunted.
Seth shoved her back and launched into a roundhouse kick. His boot connected, and the woman dropped to the tiles and didn’t move.
Spinning, Seth took two steps and dived into the pool.
He sliced through the water. January wasn’t moving anymore and his heart clenched. She was still tied to the chair by one arm, her hair floating around her head and her body horribly still.
He reached her and quickly sliced through the rope. He grabbed her and kicked hard.
They broke the surface. He kept one arm around her limp body as he dragged her out of the pool.
Be okay, hellcat. Be okay.
He laid her out on the tiles. Her face was pale, her chest not moving.
Suddenly, more people burst into the room. Seth covered January’s body and snarled.
It was Team 52.
Lachlan’s cool gaze moved over January’s wet, limp form. “Fuck.”
Seth moved back, tipping her on her side and clearing her airway. “Callie!”
The medic dropped down beside them. “How long was she under?”
“A couple of minutes, maybe. She was still conscious when she went in.”
Callie rolled January onto her back, tipped her chin up, and started resuscitation.
“Come on, baby,” Seth murmured, stroking January’s wet hair. “You can do it, hellcat.”
It felt like an eternity, as Callie did her thing. A cold desolation began to creep into Seth’s gut. He hated seeing January so pale, so deathly still. What if he lost her? Agony tore into him.
Suddenly, January coughed, and liquid came out of her mouth.
As Callie sat back, Seth pulled January into his arms. “God, hellcat—” He heard his voice crack.
“I’m okay.” Her voice was husky.
He held her tight, his face pressed to her wet hair, and she leaned into him. He stroked the sodden strands off her face, and his gaze met Callie’s. Thank you, he mouthed.
Callie smiled and quickly checked January’s pulse.
Nearby, he watched Axel tie up the guard Seth had subdued. Then Axel dragged the woman back into the living room.
“We have all the Knights of Gaia contained,” Lachlan said.
January lifted her head. “The leader of the Knights is Mark Kelleson.” Her voice sounded raw.
“The tech billionaire?” Seth said.
She nodded.
“Shit,” Blair said. “Man’s got resources.”
Suddenly, a helicopter roared overhead. They watched it sweep into view, toward the city. It had clearly taken off from the roof.
Lachlan strode to the window, staring. He touched his ear. “Brooks, I need you to track the helo that just took off from our location.”
“I guess that means the artifact’s gone,” Blair said.
“Kelleson had a scientist here.” January struggled to sit up. “He found a way to amplify the sphere’s effects. They have a plan.”
Seth tilted her head back. “What is it?”
“All I know is they plan to cause Los Angeles to fall.” She stilled. “The scientist was called Dempsey. It sounded like he had a lab here in the house somewhere.”
Lachlan looked at his team. “Let’s find that lab.”
Seth helped January to her feet, and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Let’s get you somewhere where you can rest.”
“No.” A fierce shake of her head. “I’m helping.”
Seth frowned. “January, you almost drowned—”
“But I didn’t. I’m fine. I’m doing this.”
Air hissed out from between Seth’s teeth. “You drive me crazy.”
Her chin lifted. “Get used to it.”
Nearby, Axel chuckled. “It’s good to see you got your head out of your ass, amigo.”
Seth gave Axel the finger.
“Fine. You can help, but you take it easy.” He lowered his voice. “I’ll make you rest later.”
She managed a small smile. “Later. And it had better include orgasms and breakfast.”
He leaned down and brushed his nose against hers. “That can be arranged.”
“Hello? Bad guys to stop,” Blair called out.
Seth kept a tight arm around January as they moved through the house, following the rest of Team 52.
She leaned into him. He’d clearly been torn up about hurting her, and her own pain had slipped away.
“Found it!” Blair’s shout echoed down the hall.
They entered the decent-sized room. It had clearly once been a bedroom, but at some point in time had been converted to a lab. The stainless-steel benches gleamed under the lights. She watched Smith kick open a closet, checking inside. Blair was yanking drawers open.
There were several computer screens, displaying images and scans of the sphere.
“Sphere’s not here,” Lachlan said, scowling.
Suddenly, a scraping sound came from a small closet in the corner, followed by a muffled curse.
The team spun, lifting their weapons.
Lachlan strode over and yanked the door open. A terrified Dempsey looked up at them through his wire-framed glasses.
Gripping the scientist’s lab coat, Lachlan dragged him out.
“Talk,” Lachlan growled.
“They made me help them. They…they threatened my family.”
“And paid you a lot of money,” Lachlan said.
The scientist’s gaze dropped and he fidgeted. “I was fascinated by the sphere, but I never wanted to be a part of mass murder.”
“Tell us Kelleson’s plan.”
Dempsey swallowed and nodded. “He had me work out how to amplify the electromagnetic effect of the sphere without needing the second sphere. He wanted exponential plant growth.”
“And you tested it on the Hollywood sign,” Seth said.
Dempsey nodded. “It worked better than we ever imagined.”
January pushed forward, Seth sticking close to her. “I heard you tell Kelleson it still needed more testing.”
The scientist bit his lip. “We can’t control the rate of plant growth yet. That’s why I wanted to do more tests. If Kelleson uses it, and the growth gets out of control… At critical levels, it’ll be impossible to stop the vegetation growth.”
Oh, God. January had visions of out-of-control plants taking over Los Angeles.
“Where is Kelleson headed with the artifact?” Seth asked.
“He wants to destroy L.A. and make a statement to the world.”
Everyone in the room tensed.
“Where’s he headed?” Lachlan asked again.
Dempsey wiped his palms down his lab coat. “Los Angeles is riddled with underground tunnels. His plan is to flood the tunnels with plant growth, undermine the city’s foundations, and let it collapse in on itself.”
Silence fell. January looked at the man, horrified.
“Where has he gone?” Lachlan said darkly. “Don’t make me ask you again.”
“Little Tokyo.”
“Why?” Lachlan shook Dempsey.
Terror was etched on the scientist’s face. “There’s a new train tunnel being built there. He plans to direct the vegetation
down into the tunnels.”
“What vegetation?” Blair asked.
“There’s a rooftop Japanese garden in Little Tokyo.”
“Let’s go.” Lachlan spun Dempsey, tying the man’s wrists with zip ties. He then tied the man to the bench. “Cops will be here soon to pick you up.”
Dempsey’s chin dropped to his chest. “Stop him. Please.”
Lachlan lifted his chin and the team moved. Clutching Seth’s hand, January jogged with the team out of the house.
They moved down the curved sweep of the driveway, and on the street she spotted a sleek, black truck.
“Callie, I want you to give January a thorough check,” Seth ordered, as Lachlan opened the side door of the truck.
“I’m okay.” January eyed the interior. Wow, these guys didn’t mess around. The place was Mission Control on wheels.
Ice-blue eyes met hers. “Please.”
Warmth filled her chest. How could she say no to that? She nodded.
They all settled into the truck, with Smith behind the wheel, and pulled onto the road. Callie quickly checked January’s vitals and gave her a clean bill of health. The medic also found her a clean set of clothes.
“I could kiss you,” January said.
Callie grinned. “Seth might get upset.” She held up a small container. “You’ll need this as well. A new earpiece.”
January changed at the back of the truck. Everyone was turned away, but as she pulled the black T-shirt over her head, Axel was the first to turn his head. He shot her a charming smile that fogged her brain a little. Damn, the man had a sexy grin. She took a second to slip the tiny earpiece in her ear.
She settled in a seat, listening as the team talked and planned, and they sped toward Little Tokyo.
As they got closer, Brooks’ voice filled the truck. “Guys, we have a problem.”
“What?” Lachlan asked.
“There are reports coming in about a disturbance in Little Tokyo.”
They leaned forward to look at the screens. A male reporter with a square jaw and a grave expression appeared.
“No one knows what’s happening,” the reporter shouted. “This is unbelievable.”
Behind the reporter, plants were growing down the side of a tall building.
“Oh, no.” January gripped the armrests of her seat. Kelleson had already started using the sphere.
Thick vines were flowing over the side of the building, moving fast. As she watched, pink blooms unfurled.
“Shit,” Seth muttered.
“Smith, get us closer,” Lachlan said. “We need to find that sphere.”
But soon, the traffic increased and the truck ground to a halt. January leaned over to look out the window. Cars were trying to speed away from Little Tokyo. The roads were clogged with panicked people, and on the sidewalk, people were sprinting away and screaming.
Smith finally pulled over. “We’ll get there faster on foot.”
Lachlan nodded and opened the side door.
“Stay close to me,” Seth told her.
She nodded, and together the team moved down the street. Their strides were fast and filled with purpose, and with their all-black gear and rifles, people quickly got out of their way. They passed a street that was covered in red lanterns strung between the buildings.
They turned a corner of one building, and January gasped.
The street ahead was filled with teeming greenery. It had flowed down the side of one building and was traveling down the street, consuming cars. The street was alive with green. Several vines were wriggling like snakes.
“Fuck me,” Smith ground out.
A crack of a shot split the air. A bullet hit the wall close to Lachlan.
“Sniper,” Blair called out.
Team 52 dived to the ground. January barely hit the pavement, before Seth covered her body with his.
More shots slammed into the ground around them, and January fought not to scream. A second later, Seth’s weight lifted off her. She heard gunfire all around, and lifted her head just enough to peek.
Team 52 was all up on their knees, firing up at a nearby building.
“Got him,” Blair said.
A body fell out of a window, a man’s scream echoing above the chaos filling the street.
“No, it was me, chica,” Axel said.
“In your dreams, Diaz,” Blair said.
Everyone rose.
“We need to find the artifact,” Lachlan said.
But right now, the vines and bushes were moving toward them, fast.
“Grenades,” Smith said.
Lachlan frowned at the man. “What?”
“Use the grenades to cut a path through the vegetation. It should kill it, or at least, slow it down.”
They all nodded, aiming their CXM rifles. There were a number of muffled thumps as they fired.
Several grenades sailed through the air, landing in the middle of the incoming greenery.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
January slapped her hands over her ears as flames ignited, and watched the vegetation in the center of the heaving mass wither. But at the edges of the street, the vines kept coming.
At that moment, armed Knights of Gaia soldiers poured out of a nearby building.
“Shit.” Seth swiveled. He looked at January. “Stay here.”
She nodded and watched Team 52 engage. The team walked forward, firing on the incoming fighters. Wow, they were something to watch.
Seth spun her to face him. “Promise me. You’ll stay here and stay out of the fight.”
She nodded again. “Stay safe, 007. I’ve decided I’m going to keep you, and I don’t want that fabulous body of yours hurt.”
He smiled and pressed a hard kiss to her lips. Then he was gone, striding to join his teammates.
She watched as he joined the fight. Soon, Team 52 got close to the fighters and switched to hand-to-hand combat. Seth fought with a fluid grace, but packed a hard punch. Her man was a badass.
Her man? January let that settle inside her.
He’d hurt her, but he’d apologized. And he’d rescued her, again and again, and more than once, he’d thrown himself between her and danger.
She could work with that. Especially since she was pretty sure she was falling in love with the guy.
January blew out a breath. And spotted Mark Kelleson.
He was standing in the shadow of a nearby building, watching the fight. Behind him was a construction area, blocked off by temporary fencing. She guessed that was where they were building the new tunnel.
The man held the sphere, and she saw it was linked to some sort of electrical device.
Then he swiveled, and slipped through the fence into the tunnel construction area.
Her chest hitched. Dammit. She glanced back at Team 52. They were still busy fighting.
Shit. Shit. She couldn’t let Kelleson and the sphere get away. Seth was going to kill her.
January darted to the fence, squeezed through the opening, and followed Kelleson.
Chapter Eighteen
Seth ducked into cover, then came up, firing at the group of Knights of Gaia fighters.
“These guys are good,” he growled at Lachlan.
Lachlan nodded. “Yeah, too good for fanatic ecoterrorists. Must be hired guns.”
Seth took aim again and fired. The Knight went down with a cry.
“Lachlan, I have LAPD SWAT incoming,” Brooks said through their earpieces.
“Thanks, Brooks,” Lachlan replied.
Seth watched more vegetation spill over the side of a nearby building, like a waterfall of green. It was pretty damn amazing, except for the fact it was going to engulf everything.
“Seth.” Brooks voice. “Standby.”
He frowned. What now?
“Ah, Seth?”
January’s hesitant voice came through his earpiece. Brooks had patched her through. Seth froze, and then touched his ear. “January? Where are you?”
“Well—”
He dragged in a breath. “Tell me.”
“I saw Kelleson with the sphere. He ran into the tunnel construction zone just around the corner from where you are.”
“And where are you now?” Seth asked patiently.
“I’m following him.”
Seth cursed, long and loudly. He saw Lachlan shake his head in sympathy. Clearly, Brooks had patched January through to him as well.
“I’m not stupid,” she bit back. “I’m keeping him in sight, but not letting him see me. But, I was hoping you could get down here fast-ish, 007.”
Seth took another breath. He trusted January. She was smart, and she wouldn’t do anything rash. And she trusted him to come for her.
“Okay, hellcat. Don’t engage. I’m on my way.”
He could almost hear her smile across the line. “Hurry. Uh, and there are lots of plants already growing in here, so watch out.”
Seth met Lachlan’s gaze. “Let’s move.”
His friend nodded and barked out orders to the team.
Together, the team pulled back. They ran from cover to cover, and rounded the corner. He spotted the construction zone ahead.
“Kelleson is in the tunnel with the sphere,” Seth told them.
“How do you know?” Blair asked.
“January’s following him.”
Blair shook her head, grinning. “Damn, I like her.”
Lachlan was smiling. “I’m just glad someone else is suffering the hassle I went through when Rowan was in danger.”
Seth ignored them. They moved through the fence and fanned out. Several pieces of construction equipment filled the area, and one small digger was still running. The workers had evacuated quickly.
Ahead, the mouth of the large tunnel loomed.
Seth noticed a tangle of vines and plants already on the right-hand side, running into the tunnel. He lifted his weapon and entered the darkness.
The inside of the tunnel was lit with lights for the workers. His team’s boots made the quietest steps on the concrete. Then he heard gunfire ahead, and his chest locked.
He touched his ear. “January?”
“I’m okay. Kelleson spotted me. Tell me you’re close.”
“I’m close.”
He picked up speed. A side tunnel speared off to the left, shrouded in darkness. He ignored it, keeping his gaze focused on the main tunnel.
