LOGINShare
Chapter 99: Lee, Samuel, Yvonne
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 100: Nolan
Saturday. The Madison, Washington, DC.NOLAN PACED THE SWANKY DC hotel while the Kriegers bickered. Against Nolan's judgment Grant had showed the family the video. Their responses were varied.Mrs. Krieger wanted to wait for orders.Mr. Krieger and Douglas advocated for telling the FBI, getting more help.Theodore thought they should send Nolan and the others after these guys.Nolan was beginning to like Theodore.Sadly there wasn't much to do. Zain had pulled in their other IT guy, Gavin, to comb through surveillance videos surrounding the parking lot. Whoever had dropped the phone off had picked an excellent spot. It was only partially visible, but even that glimpse of a figure in dark clothes hadn't helped them identify the target.They were in a holding pattern until something happened, either they got lucky or the kidnappers reached out with more demands.Would electrical shock harm the baby?His mind shied away from the question as soon as it materialized.
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 101: Yvonne
YVONNE WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH the structure of the secure server. It was slow going, but so far she'd known all of her brother's security questions at every checkpoint. It was nice to know that he didn't have blind access to everything after a single log-in. She was disappointed that there was a way around the two-step authentication process. Then again, being able to get through that with an answer about ice cream was potentially saving their lives.Their.Plural.Her and the baby.It was crazy how fast her thinking was changing. Like she'd been absorbed into a team or something."How much longer?" the group's leader demanded. His patience was beginning to wear thin."I'm getting closer. Want to watch?" She glanced up at him standing in the doorway."No." He turned and stalked out of sight.She kept at it.The codes would be stored deep in their system under layers of security. She knew they changed, but not how often. With any luck, the security system had alerted The
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 102: Nolan
NOLAN HAULED BACK AND with Vaughn at his side they kicked the front door to the condo open together.Riley darted past them, gun up, and fired, laying down cover.The patio doors were shattered and Nolan caught a glimpse of Brenden and Grant at the rear of the house.The office.Nolan stepped in and whirled to his right, just in time to see a masked man send Yvonne to the floor. She lay crumpled in a heap, not moving."No," Nolan snarled.He lifted his gun and fired, once, twice. The bullets went wide, sinking into the back wall. He rushed the desk, vaulting over it and kicking out at the man. He landed between the man and Yvonne, swinging his left fist, forcing the man back another step.Nolan fired once. Then again and again. Three shots, close range.The masked man hit the wall and went down. Nolan closed in, gun up and secured one wrist then the other before checking for wounds.A vest protected the man's vital organs.He'd live to face a jury for these crimes.
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 103: Samuel, Yvonne
Saturday. The Madison, Washington, DC.SAMUEL WAS GOING TO pull this off.He checked his reflection in the mirror, ensuring the stack of towels concealed his gun.The men already upstairs had confirmed that there were only two cops on the floor where the family was staying.This would work."Everyone is in position," Karuki said."On the move," Samuel whispered and headed out of the staff area and toward the service elevator.The remaining team echoed Samuel's comment.In five minutes they'd all converged on the all. Two wrangled a maid trolley. One had a luggage cart.The two cops sat outside the suite, looking at their phones.Too easy."Now," Samuel whispered.He dropped the towels and lifted the gun.Two shots rang out from behind him, the bullets hitting their targets. Both cops toppled over. The silencers made the shots quieter, but there was no mistaking the sound to the trained ear.Samuel reached the suite door, knelt and pulled a keycard from th
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 104: Yvonne
Yvonne crossed her legs and sat up a bit straighter. She picked at one plate after the other while listening to the sounds from the shower.She wanted to stay in this bubble where she could pretend it was all perfectly okay.The bathroom door squeaked.She held her breath and watched as inch by inch, Nolan came into view.He wore clean sweatpants and a black T-shirt that molded to those arms of his. He dragged a towel over his hair, one eye peering at her."Food good?" he asked."Yeah." She set her fork down, no longer hungry.He tossed the towel over the back of a chair then crossed to the bedside. He perched next to her, picked up her fork and stabbed a bit of the pasta. She twisted her hands in the sheets, both hungry for his nearness and dreading what came next."Are we going to talk?" she blurted when the pressure in her head grew too much."Sure." He set the fork down then twisted toward her, stretching his left arm along the headboard. "I don't know where to st
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 105: Nolan, Samuel
Saturday. Private Recovery Facility, Bethesda, MD.NOLAN MET GRANT AND the others in the lobby of the recovery facility. He'd practically walked a hold in the carpet runner, his mind ping-ponging from the paused conversation he'd been having with Yvonne to the disappearance of her family."Do we know where they are?" Nolan asked.His gaze skipped over the guys.Melody was missing. She'd been left with the family. He had no doubt that it was Samuel Ito come calling to protect himself. He'd hit at the perfect moment, too."No. Zain and Gavin are on it. The FBI want answers." Grant stopped toe-to-toe with Nolan. "We need to know what's really going on here. No more lies."Yvonne knew, but she was still fragile."Come on." Nolan turned and strode toward the elevators."How is she?""How do you think?"They filed into the elevator. Nolan used their code to gain access to the floor. The nurses on duty gave him the stink eye, but they'd been doing that since Yvonne had
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 106: Nolan
Saturday. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington, DC.NOLAN HAD THOUGHT AFTER putting Yvonne into the ambulance that today had gotten as bad as it could get.He'd been wrong.Driving around the airport knowing he'd left Yvonne pissed off and hurt was worse and compounded by fact they all knew her family might very well not come out of this alive."FBI is calling again," Grant said via the headset."We should use them." Nolan kept his gaze on the street. It was complete bullshit their only possible action was driving around aimlessly waiting for a lead."And tell them what?" Vaughn glanced at him. "How long would it take to get them up to speed?""Fuck. FBI again.""Answer it," Nolan said."I am." Grant cleared his throat. "Hello? ... Yes, Agent Brooks, I-what?"Nolan's muscles tensed and he eased to a stop at the curb, every fiber of his being wanting good news."Ito's at the airport, private hangar." Urgency vibrated Grant's voice.Nolan twist
Aegis Group Lepta Team Chapter 107: Yvonne
Sunday. Private Recovery Facility, Bethesda, MD.THE ACHES AND PAINS had set in. Yvonne's head hurt. The night nurse had encouraged her to take some pain pills. Yvonne had declined. It was already too hard to stay awake.She turned the faucet on and splashed cold water on her face. The icy needles shocked her awake again. She straightened and looked herself over in the mirror.Boy, she was a sight.The lump on her head was going down, thanks to whatever miracle cream the nurses had given her. There wasn't anything that could be done about the bruising. It looked far worse than it felt. The electrical burns on the other hand hurt far worse. But she would heal. The physical hurts always did.It was the ones she couldn't see that worried her.Nolan hadn't called her back. There was no word except for a short phone call from Dad. She had no idea what happened where they all were. With the early morning hours creeping onward, they were probably sleeping.Yvonne turned the l
Latest chapter
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.
