EDGE OF SHADOWS: The Shadow Ops Finale (Shadow Ops, Book # 3) (22 page)

The official line had been that the US utilized every diplomatic channel possible to negotiate her release. The truth wasn’t as pretty. In exchange for the Razgravians keeping quiet about a civilian contractor who’d decided to play Rambo and ferment a civil war, arming rebel forces and talking to every media outlet he could, they’d betrayed Rose, the CIA officer who had been quietly organizing the opposition, preparing for a nonviolent removal of Grigor from power.

But Grigor was dead now. And Rose was still very much alive.

She parked the bike several blocks away from Eve’s street. Pulled her cuffs down over her boot tops so on casual inspection, her outfit resembled cold-weather running clothing. She pushed her body to keep a steady pace, despite the aches and pains the movement unleashed. Just another career woman getting a run in before work.

All the lights were off in her building—including the small one she kept aimed out the corner window. Eve had turned it off to warn her. Smart girl. Rose wasn’t sure if maybe it hadn’t been a good idea, telling Eve the truth about what Rose did, teaching her the basics of trade craft, how to use a weapon and handle herself in a crisis. But it was the best way she could think of to give Eve the tools she’d need if anything happened.

She jogged past, noting a man sitting in a beige Taurus and an unmarked gray panel van. Watching her building. She felt their eyes on her but didn’t hesitate. Instead, she kept going two more blocks before circling back to Eve’s block.

One of Eve’s two porch lights was out—another warning sign.

Very bad.

Without changing her pace, she kept running. Rose retraced her steps, avoiding the surveillance vehicles. Who were they? How’d they find her place? Two blocks down, three blocks over to the second-closest Internet café. From there she logged onto Craigslist, scanning the free-pet ads.

She tried to will the panic that kept nipping at her façade of control. Finally was able to take a deep breath when she spotted the message from Eve. She’d be waiting for Rose at the safe house in Harbinger Creek.

But no message from Billy. Surely he’d have activated Heartworm?

If Billy hadn’t been able to—had the traitor gotten to him? The men who’d taken her from Savannah had hinted that they were after him.

After posting the Heartworm ad herself, she leaned back in her seat, the nudge of the Beretta at her back slim comfort. Eve was safe…for now. But what about Billy and her team?

She’d give her life for her team. For her country. But no way in hell could she sacrifice her daughter’s.

The cinnamon roll she nibbled on to blend in with the morning crowd tasted like the ashes of her future. She forced herself to eat the whole thing plus an egg and sausage sandwich. No idea when she’d have time to eat again. Not when she was on the hunt.

She was going to make sure Eve was safe, then she was going after the traitor. She had a pretty good idea who it was. And when she found them, she was going to kill them.

Or die trying.

Chapter 23

Billy drove the van, following Chase’s Jeep south out of the metro area. Not much traffic going this way. Everyone was headed into The District, morning rush hour.

His cell rang. A call forwarded from his old number. He glanced at the screen. Teresa. Pursed his lips and decided to take the call. The comms tech was their only civilian team member; this whole bug-out thing probably had her rattled.

“Yes?” he said, avoiding names over an unsecured line.

“It’s me,” she said unnecessarily. You’d think a comms tech would remember caller ID, but that was Teresa for you. “Did Chase pick up Jay? I can’t find him anywhere.”

“We’ve got him. Kid’s fine.”

“Oh, good. What a relief. I know we’re supposed to keep radio silence, but I was so worried—”

“You should go, T.” And so should he.

“Right. Of course. I am. Everyone’s gotten the message except I couldn’t reach EZ. What should I do?”

“Do you have a location for him?” Last Billy knew, EZ was holed up in one of Rose’s safe houses, but that intel was twelve hours old.

“No. Should I keep trying his cell?” Worry lanced through her voice.

“EZ can take care of himself. You set to leave?” Operation Heartworm called for Teresa to wipe their computers before leaving. He glanced at his watch. Not quite nine. Surely the FBI would be there by now.

“Everything’s taken care of.” She hesitated. “Good-bye, Billy.”

“Take care, Teresa.” He hung up, steered with his knees as he dismantled the phone and switched to a new one. It was a short call and given how far apart towers were in this part of the state, he doubted anyone could have gotten an accurate position if they traced it to his burner cell, but better safe than sorry.

Half an hour later, the Jeep slowed and turned off onto a dirt road with a sign leading to Harbinger Creek Paintball Emporium. They bumped past a Quonset hut and the field beyond. The road turned to a narrow track surrounded by thick forest. A few more turns, and they came to a small cabin hidden by mature evergreens on the bank of the James River.

Billy backed the van up to the cabin door to make unloading easier. He hopped out of the driver’s seat just as Chase was stretching his way out from the Jeep. Chase gave Billy a nod and motioned for the kids to stay inside the Jeep. He drew his pistol, playing the role of rear guard while Billy scouted their position.

The cabin didn’t look like much from the outside, but Billy had the feeling that was intentional. As he circled the building, he spotted solar panels and a satellite dish hidden behind the chimney. There were no signs that anyone had approached the building in a long time. On the west side, there was a covered walkway leading to a small boathouse conveniently located under the cover of more trees.

Unless you were using thermal imaging, the place would be virtually invisible from air. And anyone approaching by either land or water would be easily spotted. Good place to make a last stand. If it came to that.

He went in the rear door, taking care to check for trip wires and traps. Eve had said there was nothing except for a few telltales Rose had left, but he took no chances. Rose’s telltales were still in place, undisturbed. The cabin was cozy with a bedroom, bath, and open kitchen-living area.

After waving the others inside and quickly unloading their gear, he and Jay hid the vehicles where they’d be out of sight from the air but easily accessible.

“So. This is really happening,” Jay said as they walked back. “I mean, this is how you guys live? Like, all the time?”

Billy shoved his worries about the Team, about Rose, aside to give the kid an encouraging grin. “What, you thought it was all tuxedos and beautiful women? Like James Bond?”

“After what happened over Christmas with Chase, I knew there was more than that, but I never dreamed—”

An animal rustled in the woods behind them. Jay jerked and looked over his shoulder.

Billy rolled his eyes. Never dreamed he’d be bugging out with a pair of untrained civilians. “Relax, kid. You’re with the best.”

“You mean Chase.” It wasn’t a question as much as a proclamation. “And KC. I’ll feel a lot better when she’s here.”

So would Billy. But first, he had to find her. No. First, he had to face Chase with the news that KC was missing. Talk about high-risk operations. Best make sure the Marine was sitting down, weapons out of reach, before he tackled that job.

He and Jay joined the others inside.

“Did you know that just across the river is Jamestown, and they found evidence of cannibalism there? First settlement in America, and we ended up eating each other,” Jay said, breaking the awkward silence.

Chase looked up from where he’d been positioning weapons at strategic points near the windows. “What’s that got to do with anything? You trying to tell me you’re hungry? Again?”

Jay shrugged. “Everyone seems to have a job to do except me, so thought I’d provide a little trivia to entertain you all.”

Eve laughed from where she was setting up a laptop and satellite feeds at the kitchen table. “That's your idea of entertaining? Hey, if you want something to do, it’s a little chilly in here. Maybe a fire?”

Jay’s eyes lit up. “Your wish is my command.”

“I don’t suppose you’re majoring in computer science,” Billy asked Eve. “We could use someone with those kind of skills.”

Eve shook her head. “Not unless you need something Photoshopped. I’m actually a design major.” She blushed. “My dad was an artist.”

“Is he still around?” Billy asked, not sure if he wanted the answer. If Rose was involved with another man…

“No.” Eve’s expression turned sorrowful. “He died when he was eighteen.” She hesitated. “Rose’s dad killed him.”

Billy blinked at that. And he thought his family was screwed up. He was torn between asking more and needing to attend to the current danger. Had no idea what to say to the kid—obviously it was an old wound, perhaps one best left untouched. He settled for, “Sorry to hear that.”

She nodded and went back to work.

“Kids are hitting it off,” Billy said as he joined Chase on the other side of the cabin from Eve.

Chase glanced over his shoulder at Eve. “She’s handling all this pretty good.”

“With Rose tutoring her, are you surprised?”

That brought a faint smile. “As soon as we have a secure comm feed, I need to reach KC.” His voice held an undercurrent of worry. “The feds should have released her by now.”

“I have some bad news about that,” Billy said. Damn, this was hard. Best to just lay it all out. “According to Susan Payne, KC never made it to her debriefing.”

Chase jerked up, barely catching his crutch before it fell to the floor. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He glanced at Eve holding the door for Jay as he came in with an armful of firewood. “Didn’t trust me not to run off, ditch my own brother?”

“No.” Chase knew the mission came first, but that didn’t make losing KC any less painful. If anyone understood that, it was Billy. “No,” he repeated, lowering his defenses to reveal his regret. “Didn’t have time alone with you until now. And without more intel, we have no idea where to look for her.”

“Even if KC heard about the accusations against Rose, she wouldn’t have run off on her own, not without contacting us.” Chase spun on his crutch, obviously wanting to pace but unable to in the cramped room. “Do we know if the Coast Guard got her to the airfield at Hunter?”

“No.”

Chase’s gaze cut away, his face blanking as one fist tapped his crutch. Billy understood. Being helpless, not knowing, unable to take action—it was the worst fate imaginable.

He squeezed Chase’s shoulder. Sometimes words just weren’t enough. “Let’s get a secure perimeter established, and we’ll see what we can learn.”

“Times like this, I sure miss EZ and Teresa.” Chase looked up. “Any chance of looping them in? If we’re careful, we could use the cloud to communicate.”

Billy had already thought of that and decided the risk was too great. Especially with the kids here. But once they were settled in, he could leave them with Chase and start working the problem in person. “Security first.”

He couldn’t stay here. As long as he had a target on his back, so would they.

Besides, he was tired of playing defense. Past time for him to take the fight to the enemy. Let them see what kind of damage an “old man” like him could do.

Rose would follow Eve here—if she came back. No, when she came back. She’d be safe here. But Billy couldn’t wait here for her, not while he still had team members out there at risk.

An image of her smile filled his mind. Rose wouldn’t expect any less from him.

<><><>

KC woke with her face immersed in freezing water. She gasped and jerked upright. Blinked and realized that wherever she was, it was absolutely dark. Yet extremely noisy with the constant rumble of an engine interrupted by occasional groans and thuds that rocked the floor beneath her.

The stench of diesel fuel and motor oil combined with a fishy afterthought. She sat on a metal floor, hip deep in water that felt greasy against her bare flesh. They’d taken her clothing, leaving only her underwear and camisole. Gone were her boots with her knife, her belt with a second knife concealed in the buckle, and—she rubbed her handcuffed hands against the small of her back—they’d found the handcuff key she’d taped there.

Half-naked, freezing cold, blind and deaf. Panic throttled her breathing for a quick moment. She felt movement beneath the noise and vibrations of the vessel. Some kind of old boat, she guessed. Except it didn’t seem to be going anywhere, just drifting back and forth.

“Who’s there?” she called into the black void. “Rose?”

If Rose was with her, everything would be okay, she knew. Rose had escaped from hell and back, could handle anything.

But there was no answer. She swallowed. Her mouth was dry, her mind groggy. They’d drugged her. Felt like she’d been out for a while. Water sloshed over her legs, which were almost dead with the cold. She pulled her bare feet back, stretched her arms under her butt, and painfully worked her handcuffed hands to the front of her body. Better. At least she had a bit of control and could fight back. She tried to stand, but hit her head on a low metal ceiling that forced her to bend from her waist.