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Chapter 124: Farez, Carla
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Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 125: Carla
Neither spoke a word all the way up to Ashton's room. Carla shut the door, and he paced across to the windows. She leaned her back against the door and watched him.What was he going through in his head? How much was he holding in?"They're never going to find him, are they?" Ashton turned to look at her, the light at his back casting his face into shadow. She didn't need to see him to feel the heartache."I think they will. You had me read their reviews and vet them, remember?" She pushed off the door and took a few steps forward. "I just-I still think we're coming at this from the wrong angle.""What would you have me do?" He sat down on the edge of the bed and propped his elbows on his knees. His jacket was long gone, and he'd rolled his shirt sleeves up to his elbows. He really was a handsome man.Carla picked up clothes Ashton had left on the floor. She smoothed them and folded the garments without consciously thinking about what she was doing. "We should at least try my
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 126: Vaughn
Saturday. Safe House, Beirut, Lebanon.VAUGHN STARED AT the door to the condo and briefly considered chopping off an appendage to avoid the shit storm that was about to go down.Grant and the others had no idea how badly this failed op was going to go over because they didn't know how important Jared was to their client. But Vaughn did.Here went nothing.He dragged the suitcase forward and used his keycard to open the door.A wall of noise hit him so hard he took a step back.Yeah, it had hit the fan alright.He waded into the room, picking out the voices.Ashton and Grant were the loudest. Melody struggled to be heard.Vaughn placed the last bags down just past the entry then edged closer to the dining table where everyone had gathered. Sure enough, Grant and Melody were on one side with Ashton on the other. Despite Grant's volume, he was presenting a calm face. Then there was Ashton; red faced, veins bulging, he wasn't taking the news well.Where was Carla?
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 127: Vaughn
VAUGHN SAT ON the terrace, the evening breeze bordering on the edge of chilly. Darkness had long since descended on the city. The city noise from below was even quieter at this hour. Being this far above the ground with an uninterrupted view of the water, it was like being on an island.He could go for that right about now.Today was a cluster fuck and the more he thought about it the more frustrated he got.Who'd blown cover first?Him.Their additional manpower should arrive first thing in the morning. That really rubbed him the wrong way. It was like Grant didn't have faith that they could pull this job off or something. Deep down Vaughn knew it was more about needing to keep their assets protected. A couple months back they'd had assets kidnapped out from under them during a job because they'd split manpower. Twice. Vaughn's rational mind knew this was Grant overcompensating. He'd been different since that job. No one wanted to lose a high profile person like Ashton in a
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 128: Vaughn
Vaughn needed to get a grip on something. Maybe his dick. Releasing a little pent up energy might help, but he doubted it."I guess I should go back to bed." She placed her hands on the table. "Thanks for the talk."Vaughn had a dozen thoughts in his head, things he wanted to say to her, tell her, but all he could do was sit there in silence as she pushed to her feet. She turned, dragging her fingers along the table then the back of his hand.He was letting her walk away from him.This woman was unique. She was special. Her touch permeated his limb, all the way to his bones.If he let her walk away, would he regret it for the rest of his life?Her hand slid up his arm to his shoulder.He grasped her wrist, pressing her palm to him.What was he doing? Wasn't this what he'd said he wouldn't do?Little zips of electricity shot through his body and in that moment he saw the world clearer than ever before.Regrets were opportunities not taken.Carla might not ask for m
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 129: Hani, Carla
Sunday. The Spice Way, Beirut, Lebanon.HANI PEERED THROUGH the darkened windows of Farez's old shop. The landlord had shut the place down if the old man was to be believed. Right about now Hani needed a break.He'd gone to check on his friends. Of the three who'd joined him on the kidnapping job, one was dead and the other two had gone to visit family. He didn't have to guess who was behind that. There were only two options.Their boss.Or the man in the suit.Hani was willing to bet their boss was behind this. Promising a quick payday with no proof or results hadn't been enough to gain them a reprieve. The suit guy had been forthright with Hani.The only reason he was still alive was because the suits had their own targets. Ashton Khoury and the other Americans. If Hani was going to keep his head, he had to stay close to Farez."What are you doing here young man?"Hani turned toward the elderly woman. She had a bulging bag in hand and stood on the sidewalk peering
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 130: Carla
Carla poured a cup of coffee then tucked her laptop under her arm and climbed upstairs to Ashton's room and let herself in. The window shade was still down, plunging the room into darkness."How long are you going to stay in bed?" She picked her way across the room, mindful to not trip over his mess."Until you give me that coffee." Ashton's voice was a low rumble from the mound of blankets."Well, good morning to you, too." She found the dresser by feel and set the laptop and her phone down.That done, she turned toward the bed. Her eyesight was more or less adjusted. She slid her feet out of her flats and crawled up to brace her back against the headboard.A hand groped her knee then her thigh.She laughed and guided him to the cup and released it into his hold.Ashton sat up and gulped the coffee greedily.On a normal day, she was up early, tidied up from the night before, made coffee and got breakfast going. At some point, usually Jared, would ping her that they wer
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 131: Vaughn
VAUGHN TILTED HIS head listened for movement or voices, but heard nothing. What did he think he was going to hear through a wall with the shower running?Carla was next door.This was technically her room.Her things were in all the drawers, hanging in the closet and lined up on the vanity. Her stamp was everywhere. He was beginning to see her touch where others weren't. It was in the absolute cleanliness, the smoothed comforter, the picture perfect arrangement of toiletries. Even in the shower she'd positioned her bottles of shampoo and soap so they were visually appealing.And he was supposed to sleep in here?Not fucking likely.He'd had a hard enough time ignoring her this morning while in the company of Melody. Just Carla's nearness distracted him. It was frustrating, sexually and professionally. He'd worked around women he was in an intimate relationship with before with no problem. He'd always been able to get his job done and keep it work and pleasure separate. But
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 132: Vaughn
Sunday. Safe House, Beirut, Lebanon.VAUGHN STOOD UP against the glass where he could see the entire condo without having to turn his head. The coffee teased his nose while his mind was still waking up.He'd come downstairs as the day search teams were returning. The priority was comparing notes and compiling information for what their evening focus would be when it came to going out into the city.About the only thing Vaughn could contribute was his observations on their lobby manager's presence. The man had opted to not wear a suit jacket tonight.They were going to find Jared, one way or another.Vaughn's gaze went back to the stairs.He'd noticed the light on under Ashton's door. In the half hour or so that he'd been downstairs he hadn't seen either Carla or Ashton.She hadn't been the same after her phone call. Distracted and rushed were the words he'd use to describe her then. He'd fallen asleep while she was in the shower and when he'd woken up, she'd been gone.
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Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 258: Epilogue.
Three Months Later. Aegis Group Offices, Seattle, Washington.MELODY PLACED HER SERVICE weapon in the case and clicked the lid shut. This was the real moment for her when she got to switch off from a job. Used to it was when they turned a newly rescued asset over to whoever had paid to have them rescued, be that family, coworkers or other loved ones. However, after Ibiza everything had changed.She smiled at the newly hired munitions clerk and slid the case over. Unlike the guys she didn't feel the need to keep her weapons at home."I'm done with this. Thanks," she said."There's the sharp shooter," Vaughn said coming into the small room, Nolan and Riley bringing up the rear.Melody flushed and inwardly preened. That had been a rather exceptional shot there at the end."It was just a shot." She rolled her eyes and leaned an elbow on the counter as the guys all requested their own secure cases. "What are you three doing?""Carla's birthday," Vaughn said as if that expla
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 257: Melody, Grant
Tuesday. Forgery Front, Chicago, Illinois.MELODY WANTED NOTHING MORE than to let Grant take over. He was good at that. It was kind of his thing. But she knew he wasn't on Ethan's side. No one was. They didn't understand him. Not that she did either, but after spending a few days around him she had some insight to the man, he'd become.But first...She took Grant's face in her hands and pulled him down for a quick, hard kiss."I missed you," she whispered."You're safe." He squeezed her.She nodded then let go of him and turned her attention on Ethan.The man had taken two central mass bullets. He needed a damn doctor.She grabbed Grant's hand. No matter what came next, she wanted him by her side. She marched across the small space to where Ethan leaned on the only still-standing desk. Nolan had his gun trained on Ethan while a man she didn't recognize spoke to him."Who are you?" She stepped between Ethan and the newcomer. "Why aren't you getting him a doctor?"
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 256: Melody, Grant
Tuesday. Forgery Front, Chicago, Illinois.MELODY STOOD FROZEN TO the spot, the visual of the crackling electricity up lighting the faces of Ethan and Liman burned into her mind. It was like something out of an action movie.Ethan hauled back and rammed the bathroom door with his shoulder. He roared his rage.Liman was trapped. There was no way out of that bathroom. Eventually Ethan would get in or Liman would have to come out. Either way, it was going to be an explosive conflict.This was her chance to get out of here. The back door was unlocked. She could slip out and be gone. Call the cops, Grant, anyone more capable to deal with this. And yet she remained rooted to the spot, unable and maybe a little unwilling to move.They'd already left Ethan once and look where that got him.Ethan planted his back against the wall and kicked. She heard the pop of hinges. Another kick and the door clattered to the floor. Her stomach clenched. Ethan shoved off the wall, only to be h
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 255: Grant, Liman
Tuesday. Aegis Group Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois.GRANT PUSHED UP OFF the cot. Some thoughtful person had brought four of them into the ops room at some point. He'd actually managed half an hour of sleep. It was better than he'd gotten trying to crash back in his room. Something about being near the constant buzz of activity helped ease his mind.He stretched, paying attention to the twinges of muscle protesting. The soreness was worse now post-crash.How was Melody feeling? Did she have any injuries?Watching the video, the ambulance had more or less driven off the road and tipped over. With any luck she wasn't badly injured.Grant gave Marco and Luke a wide berth. Both men had chewed his ass out for potentially risking Hannah and running into a situation by himself. Grant wasn't keen on rehashing that. Instead headed for the computer in the corner where Ghost had set himself up. Most people avoided him, which was fine for Grant. He didn't have to like the guy to use
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 254: Liman, Melody
Tuesday. Hotel, Chicago, Illinois.LIMAN LAID OUT EVERYTHING he'd spent the last thirty-six hours gathering. When he'd left their safe house he'd wanted to take supplies with him, but didn't dare beyond some cash. All he'd had was what he was wearing, some jewelry and a couple things he knew he could hawk at the pawn shop around the corner.It had taken some work hustling the goods he had, turning them into more profitable items, but he had a couple thousand in US dollars, three new to him guns and a small collection of ammunition, and if all went as planned, in another day he'd have a passport that would grant him an escape from this dammed country.He knew he couldn't go home. That bridge was burned. As soon as his government learned about the utter disaster, they'd want to bring him in for questioning. It wouldn't end in a simple debrief. There were no answers he could give his superiors that they'd accept. The only true end would be Liman's death.He had no intention of
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 253: Melody, Grant
Tuesday. Unknown.MELODY'S TOES HURT.That was her first coherent thought as her mind rose from the groggy sleep of the dead. She remained exactly where she was, as if even her subconscious was aware that there was a predator nearby.The handcuff secured to her left wrist bit into her skin and her fingers were numb, no doubt from the way she'd been laying.She strained to listen harder. There was no sound of traffic or horns. She couldn't even hear someone walking around, the whish of fabric or the soft sounds of someone breathing.If she didn't know better, she'd think she was alone.What did she smell?The air was musty and she recalled a vague memory from last night that included a sneezing fit."I know you're awake," a man said slowly.He was so close his voice seemed to rumble across her skin.Melody sucked in a breath and her eyes popped open.Ethan sat next to the bed, his clasped hands resting on the edge of the mattress. He was watching her."Jesus."
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 252: Grant
Monday. Aegis Group Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois.GRANT KEPT STARING AT the map, as if it would suddenly reveal where Melody was. He knew it wouldn't, but as the hours ticked by his hope was beginning to wane. Eventually they'd get a lead. They always did. But would it be too late for Melody?"I know who he is," Gavin announced.Grant straightened and stared at the younger man holding his tablet up like a beacon."And?" Marco prompted.Gavin referenced the tablet screen. "Liman Fahed. Intelligence officer for the General Directorate of General Security.""And that tells us, what?" Grant asked."A name is a start," Ghost said.Grant ground his teeth together and focused on the map.A name was just a name, especially when they didn't know how to find the man.He'd hoped that with Ghost's arrival, they might make some sort of forward movement on locating Melody, but they were still stuck in a holding pattern.They needed a lead."So I guess it's not useful to
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 251: Melody, Liman
Monday. Unknown, Chicago, Illinois.MELODY KNEW SHE WAS dozing. She hadn't actually fallen asleep, even if the odd, twilight state between sleep and wakefulness made her question that knowledge. Exhaustion had won out, more or less. But she couldn't relax enough to become totally unaware.A soft jangle of metal lured her consciousness back into the land of the living. It wasn't a suspicious noise. More like she'd moved and maybe disrupted the coil of chain. Or Ethan had finally decided to stop playing at being a statue.Thinking the man's name caused Melody to shiver. She opened her eyes, blinking into the relative darkness. The light filtering in around the door from the next room over provided enough light for her to make out shapes.Ethan was no longer sitting.He stood. Judging by the way his shoulders hunched, his back was to her, his attention on the handcuff securing him to the wall.The chain jangled again. He grunted.The hair on the back of her neck stood up.
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 250: Grant
Sunday. Aegis Group Headquarters, Chicago, Illinois.GRANT STARED AT HIS new phone. Zain had a bundle of them delivered via a courier about an hour ago. Since Aegis Group hadn't contacted Lepta Team's family beyond a few of the guy's girlfriends, it was imperative they have a means of communicating.The gut-punch had been opening up his photo gallery to see pictures of Melody. They'd gone to a nice dinner last week before leaving on the job. She'd looked beautiful in a goldish-pink dress that had shimmered. She'd rolled her eyes when he took a picture of her with the city lights behind her.Zain was nothing if not thorough. Of course their new phones would be updated with all their information and preferences, right down to the custom sound Grant had picked for Melody's texts.He tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling.Following the outburst earlier Grant had opted to wait in the hall where he wouldn't be tempted to stick his nose in things and slow people down.
