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Chapter 70: Yvonne
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Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 71: Samuel
Tuesday. Location, Kyoto, Japan.SAMUEL STARED AT THE manpower reports his assistant had run. The numbers didn't lie. If he ran with the opportunity he'd been given, he'd run out of men long before they attained their goals. Which put him in the unfortunate predicament of needing more men.On boarding people was a time-consuming, slow process. For the work they did, he had to trust every person he hired. But that was when he only managed half the business. The kind of work he did required a great deal of trust among a slice of the population not known for their virtue.It would be immensely easier to hire more men on the other side. Let them think they were doing an honest day's work, when in truth they were helping Samuel on another level."Sir?""Show him in." Samuel waved his hand at his assistant. He didn't need to be told what time it was or who was here.A moment later Karuki entered the home office that Sota had once claimed as his primary work space. The kind of
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 72: Yvonne
Wednesday. Grimaldi Place, Chevy Chase, MD.YVONNE STUDIED HER APPEARANCE in the mirror. She ran her fingers over her neck and up her cheek.No hickies. Not even a love bite.Thank goodness.She still couldn't believe she'd allowed yesterday to happen. It wasn't smart. Unlike her brothers she couldn't get away with whatever she wanted. History had proven that she would always get caught.But it was worth it.She slapped her hand over her mouth as though she could silence the voice in her mind.Mom didn't have mind-reading powers, but she had always known what Yvonne's brothers were up to. Yvonne was going to have to be very careful in how she conducted herself around the family today.Yvonne smiled at her reflection, then laughed for no reason.That wouldn't do, but she'd been doing it since Nolan escorted her to her bedroom yesterday.She'd managed to avoid her family last night by claiming she needed rest to feel her best again. Mom was still fussing over Dougl
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 73: Yvonne
Yvonne turned and followed in her brother's wake.The living room was the one space in the house that didn't look like a room out of a museum. The walls at either end were floor to ceiling books, broken up only by the two fireplaces. Windows ran along the far wall with French doors that let out onto a small terrace. The furniture was large and leather.Douglas sat in grandpa's old recliner still wearing yesterday's clothes. Mom paced the width of the living room while Dad had his phone to his ear staring out the windows. Theodore was the only one who acknowledged Yvonne's entrance, and he merely nodded at her."Can someone please tell me what's going on?" She set her laptop and phone down on the table."Close the door," Theodore said.Mom whirled to face her. Today's outfit was a powder blue shift dress and cardigan. "They're leaving?""Why do they need to?" Yvonne kept her voice down and glanced from Mom to Theodore.Mom's eyes bulged, and she threw her hands up in the a
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 74: Nolan
Wednesday. Grimaldi Place, Chevy Chase, MD.NOLAN LEANED AWAY FROM the monitor in time to see Yvonne on one of the feeds push open the patio door and step out onto the wide terrace leading down to the pool. She put a hand to her hair, running her fingers through the strands, and tipped her chin up.It was an overcast day with little to no chance of rain, but it made for a dreary atmosphere.Had she talked some sense into her family?"How's the picture look?" Vaughn sat back on his heels. The poor guy had been up most of the night. He'd just crawled into bed when Mrs. Krieger burst in and told them to get out."Good," Nolan replied."The picture, not the woman, dumbass."He presented his middle finger to Vaughn.Vaughn chuckled and pulled himself up into the desk chair next to Nolan. "You've never been this friendly with a client before. You think I'm going to pass up the chance to give you shit?"Nolan didn't reply. It was a damned if he did, damned if he didn't si
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 75: Nolan
Nolan held her gaze. "Plenty. How do you like your coffee?""Sweet and creamy.""Just like you." He'd tasted her cream and knew first hand just how sweet she was.She glanced away, a little spark in her eyes and color in her cheeks. "Stop that.""Do I have to?" He cupped her chin and lifted her face. "Hm?"Her eyes were on his mouth. "What?"Nolan kissed her, suckling her lower lip until she groaned and clutched his shoulders. He lifted his face and stared down at her. During these moments she let him past that polished exterior and he got to see the real her. The one he hadn't been expecting."Are you trying to seduce answers out of me?" One side of her mouth quirked up. She wasn't serious."Would you tell me if it was working?"A bit of the brightness dimmed, and she stared at his shoulder, tracing her fingers over the words Aegis Group stitched there."I can't. I think moving your team out of the house is a mistake, but they aren't going back on it. They believe
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 76: Yvonne
YVONNE COULDN'T SEE THE house. Even the grass a few feet in front of her was blurry.She lifted a hand and swiped at her face, doing her best to stem the tears. There was a difference between knowing her place in the family, and others seeing it. She'd always played the role of the dutiful daughter, content to work in the shadows, because she was part of something. Yes, Theodore had a bad habit of not passing along the praise for her work, but he had a lot on his plate, too. It wasn't like he sat back doing nothing. They each did their part.Instead of heading for the patio, she cut through the grass toward the old oak tree and the tree house. As kids Theodore used to say she wasn't allowed inside because she was a girl, but Douglas would sneak her up when their oldest brother wasn't looking. They'd spent happier days up there.The old oak was on the east side of the yard, twenty or so feet from the fence. She didn't remember when the landscaping company had put in the stone path
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 77: Samuel, Nolan
Wednesday. Location, Kyoto, Japan.SAMUEL LOCKED HIS OFFICE door before tapping on the email his contact had sent him. Assuming control of the company was going relatively smoothly now that he had a few crucial people on his side. His next steps had to be about protecting himself.So far he'd managed to eliminate those Yakuza who knew he was their intended target, not Sato. The Lyme employees were pathetic pencil pushers that had the unfortunate luck to find themselves indebted to the wrong people.That left only one loose end.The drone.He skimmed the email then tapped the attachment.A document popped up. He turned the phone sideways for a better view of the images detailing the personal security and surveillance drone. The very one someone had used to kill his brother.The tech specs were most important. He'd already seen how well it shot bullets.There.A full grid listed out the spectrum of image and-fuck me-video capability. Another section detailed the audi
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 78: Yvonne
Wednesday. Grimaldi Place, Chevy Chase, MD.YVONNE TIP TOED INTO the kitchen. She could hear Theodore's voice echoing off the walls, doing his best to capture the attention of the family. He really was a great brother.She grabbed bread, peanut butter, a banana and knife, stacked it on top of her laptop and headed for the stairs. Her to-do list was full of things she couldn't write down like, find a doctor that wouldn't tattle on her to her parents.Loaded down with her bounty, she scurried across to the rear stair and up to the second floor. She held her breath all the way to her bedroom door and didn't breathe until she'd ducked inside.She dumped her things on the desk then changed back into her pajamas and out of her dusty wrap dress. So much for looking nice enough to escape criticism today. That done, she set about making herself a sandwich.Or tried to.She got as far as opening the jar of peanut butter before the scent had her stomach churning. Her shaking hands
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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.
