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Chapter 38: Mark, Erin
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Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 39: Riley
TUESDAY. SAFE HOUSE, LAS COLINAS, TEXAS.RILEY TURNED THE SUV off and glanced around the gated community. Their latest safe house was a bit too close to its neighbors for his taste, with no perimeter fence. He'd have preferred a hotel or something, but this was what Zain had lined up. He had to have his reasons.Vaughn and Nolan climbed out, stretching after still more hours sitting in uncomfortable chairs at the hospital. At least now they knew the extent of Erin's injuries. A fractured rib and deep tissue bruising wasn't fun, but it was better than being broken. The pain she'd experienced was due to knots and tension, both of which would be helped by a healthy dose of muscle relaxers."Come on." Nolan knocked on the roof. "They're supposed to have BBQ for dinner.""Right behind you," Riley said. He glanced in the rearview mirror.Erin had yet to move. That haunted look was still on her face, and he didn't know how to fix it.Nolan glanced from Riley to Erin, then shook
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 40: Riley
Riley tried the handle and found it was unlocked. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.Erin sat on a padded bench at the foot of the queen-sized bed, bent forward with her face in her hands. He shut the door behind him and crossed the room to sit next to her. The shit she'd been through this last week was the kind of stuff no one should have to deal with, and yet she'd taken it all in stride. It spoke to the strength of her character and her resolve to see this through till the end. She was more concerned about others than her own safety. He admired that about her even if he would like nothing better than to lock her in a closet for her own good."I get that this is frustrating, but we're trying to protect you and take care of Mark. It's not simple," he said."Don't you think I know that?" Erin pushed her hand through her hair and sat up slowly."Then what are you mad about?""Everything?" She blew out a breath. "I should have gone through his stuff sooner. I should ha
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 41: Erin
ERIN STOOD UNDER THE hot spray of water. She could still feel Riley's hands on her, his mouth against hers.This was becoming a habit.What the hell was she going to do about Riley? About all of this?Riley said his team was going to handle the mess she'd uncovered, but she was the one responsible for everything. Her relationship with him complicated everything. What Riley said ended with him. He didn't speak for the others or Aegis Group. That wasn't how these things worked. They were paid to do a job. That was their priority. If it came down to who to trust to do the right thing, she'd have to have faith in herself. People were dying, and she had the evidence to stop it. But at what cost? What if Mark killed her? What if something else happened?She could always take a copy of the video and send it to the police. Except the murders didn't happen in America. Someone at the Department of Defense, then? The last resort would be taking the video to the media. Exposing something l
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 42: Riley
WEDNESDAY. SAFE HOUSE, LAS COLINAS, TEXAS."RILEY?"There was a note of alarm in that voice. The kind that hooked Riley out of a deep, satisfied sleep and brought him to full wakefulness."Hm? What?" He sat up, blinking in the darkness."Where's Erin?"Riley blinked at Brenden standing in the doorway.Where was Erin?Riley twisted, but the other side of the bed was empty. She'd been right there. He placed his hand on the sheets, but they were cold."She was taking a shower..." And he'd passed out despite telling himself to wait up for her."She's not here," Brenden said. There was a note of alarm Riley hadn't often heard from the man. It fueled his desperation to find Erin, prove Brenden wrong.Riley threw back the blankets and stood, glad he'd at least gone to bed with his boxers on."She's here somewhere. Move." Riley shoved past Brenden into the hall. "Erin?"He pushed the bathroom door open.Water droplets still clung to the shower walls. The humidity h
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 43: Erin
THURSDAY. UNKNOWN, TEXAS.ERIN'S HEAD THROBBED AND her shoulders ached on top of the dull pain from her ribs. The one saving grace was that the floor was cool, giving her some respite from the heat. Her side still burned, and her toes twitched at the memory of the Taser.She kept her eyes firmly shut, sorting through the last thing she remembered.The man from the airport.He'd been waiting in the shadows outside the house. She'd stupidly walked out there and put herself in his path. He'd caught her off-guard and the Taser had robbed her of the ability to fight back at first. He'd hit her with something and after that it was fuzzy. She had fleeting memories of a car ride, being drug out by her feet, and then nothing.Had he dosed her with something?Her mouth was dry, but that didn't mean anything.What was she going to do?She took stock of her body, noting the pains and discomforts. Her ribs hurt, but that was nothing new. The back of her head was tender. The worst
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 44: Riley, Erin, Mark
THURSDAY. SAFE HOUSE, LAS COLINAS, TEXAS.RILEY PACED THE HOUSE. The cops gave him a wide berth while Casey sat back, giving him that flat stare that never failed to piss Riley off. If his brother was going to pop over to watch, the least he could do was be helpful."Dude. Stop. Sit." Casey nodded at the chair next to him at the dining table.Riley wanted to get out. Do something. Find Erin. But he couldn't. She'd vanished without a trace. The best thing they had was a neighbor's security camera catching her feet as she walked down the sidewalk.He circled the table and sat next to Casey, picked up his brother's cup of coffee and drained it."Have a drink, why don't you?" Casey said.Riley didn't answer."I thought you were here on work?" Casey studied him in a way that wasn't entirely comfortable."We are.""They might be." He nodded at Grant standing with Brenden. "You aren't. Who is this woman to you?"Riley bit the inside of his cheek."Riley likes a girl.
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 45: Riley
THURSDAY. SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS."WHAT THE HELL HAVE you gotten me into?"Riley ignored Casey's complaints. It wasn't like Riley had shoved him in the SUV. Casey had climbed in of his own accord after getting gear from his vehicle."The signal came from a hundred yards that way," Grant pointed up a gravel lane. A construction sign indicated a new office building development.Riley took point, sticking to a few yards off the trail, still under the cover of trees. If they were able to track the laptop, what were the chances Mark could, too? And even if Mark wasn't here, they didn't want to give Erin's kidnapper any kind of warning they were there.The SUV backed off the curb behind them and flipped a U-turn. Melody was on comms, but muted with the plan to wait at the gas station down the street."Mom and Dad are going to love this story," Casey muttered."Shut the fuck up," Riley said."Guys, we're sticking to silence," Grant said.The darkness was fading with the coming
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 46: Erin
"YOU'RE GOING TO BE okay," Erin said.She kept one hand on Khalil's side, pressing the shirt she'd found in the back seat against his wound, and the other on the wheel. The young man groaned and threw his head back in pain."Hang on. Just a little bit farther." She had no idea where she was going, but eventually she'd find a highway and hospitals were clearly marked when it came to highways. She hoped they found one before Khalil bled out.Riley had come for them. If he hadn't, she had no doubt that both she and Khalil would be dead. She wanted to be back there, she wanted to know if Riley had survived, but the best thing was to get clear of the combat. Her training had that drilled into her to the point she couldn't go against it even if she wanted to. Besides, Khalil's life depended on getting to safety.Businesses clustered along the road. A far different cry from the seemingly rural area they'd been. A sign for Interstate 141 was posted at the red light.She gassed it, ba
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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.
