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Chapter 134
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Aegis Group Chapter 135
ZAIN YANKED THE FIAT into the parking lot.He could see the rental.The empty rental.Where was Andrea?Who was that man?He shoved the car into park and got out, his hand on the gun. In the distance, he could hear sirens-no doubt the cops on their way to Andrea's house, or maybe his location, if Gavin was still in communication. Either way, it wasn't Zain's problem.The lot was empty, save for the rental. Smoke leaked out from under the hood and the driver's side door was still partially open. He approached with care, peering into the back seat, steeling himself for anything. Or at least as much as he could.If Andrea...he couldn't go there. Not now. Not when she still needed him calm and level headed.He turned in a circle, searching for something, any sign of them.The car that'd left the parking lot was now beat to hell. He could only hope Andrea had survived the collision uninjured.A few vehicles had pulled over to the side of the street running parallel to th
Aegis Group Chapter 136
ANDREA GRITTED HER TEETH. The car bumped over what felt like train tracks. She'd lost all sense of direction and time after they'd taken four or five turns. At first, she'd had some kind of idea that she could remember where they were going, keep track of it somehow, but she'd given up on that. Instead, she clutched the seatbelt across her chest with both hands and did her best to keep her breathing slow and steady.Her cheek still hurt from where her kidnapper had hit her for hyperventilating. Since she'd gotten her breathing in check, she'd also stopped crying. Somewhere in there was when she'd lost her bearings.What was it Zain had said about being kidnapped?They'd had the conversation yesterday. Why couldn't she remember what he'd said?His cousin's girlfriend, they'd talked about her. How she'd tried to fight back and wound up getting into more trouble.He'd told her to do nothing.To wait to be rescued.How could he rescue her when he didn't know where she was? Th
Aegis Group Chapter 137
ZAIN PARKED THE FIAT outside of the police station.Hours spent canvassing the area where Andrea had gone missing and the apartment complex had turned up nothing. Not a thing. Besides the people on the road, no one had noticed the man, Andrea or their car. How could they just disappear? He itched to be at his computer, to do something that might yield a lead, but he had to leave that up to Gavin and pray the kid realized what was at stake here.He pushed the front doors open and checked in at the front desk. The officers on scene had connected him to the Detective Bowman that Crystal and Andrea had wanted to speak to."Bowman is on his way," the officer at the desk said after a quick buzz.Zain checked his phone again. Nine texts from Crystal, two from some of the guys and one from his boss. Fuck. He'd leave that for later. Chances were, whatever Crawford had to say wouldn't be good."Mr. Lloyd?" A man in his late thirties opened the double doors leading into the rest of the
Aegis Group Chapter 138
ANDREA SQUEEZED HER THIGHS together. She'd been here-how long? And she really had to pee.Footsteps thumped toward her from her left. Last she'd heard, the guy had been on her right. She swung her head toward the sound, struggling to make anything out through the black fabric, but it was too dark.She held her breath.He was right there.In front of her.Thump-thump.He was close enough she could feel his presence, the way the floor vibrated with each step.A hand grasped the bag, catching strands of her hair, and jerked it off. Her head snapped forward, her chin almost bouncing off her chest as he ripped the bag away. She hissed at the pinpricks of pain along her scalp.He crouched in front of her, the bag fisted in one hand.It was dark. Night had fallen. But there was enough light from the kitchen to make out his face. He stared at her, his head tilted to the side, his hair falling over his brow.Crazy.He was batshit crazy."What kind of processor are you ru
Aegis Group Chapter 139
ZAIN HIT PRINT AND stared at the mug shot.Kevin Lee.He was as good as dead."I've got him," Zain said out loud.Max sat up straight, his head swinging toward Zain."What? Who is he? Let me see." Max got up, circled his desk and leaned over Zain's shoulder. "We're just now starting to get tips from Crystal's vlog.""Can we release the name?""Do I want to know how you found him?""Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to." Their facial recognition access was a favor. One they'd paid dearly for by almost losing one of their guys. But the FBI, CIA and NSA all owed Aegis a big, honking debt. So Zain got to play with toys that were so far above what he'd been able to do before. The capability alone was terrifying. And he got access to it."Let's see if he's got a file before we discuss releasing his name." Max returned to his desk, tapping out the name."He does." Zain pressed his lips together. He'd skimmed the police records on Kevin as soon as the Ae
Aegis Group Chapter 140
ANDREA HUGGED HER KNEES to her chest. Her butt was numb from sitting on the wooden stairs. The complete darkness made it hard to tell the passage of time. How long she'd been down here. Alone.Well, almost alone.She'd found Crystal's cat.October was content to lay next to Andrea and purr.Her arms had stopped burning. After the overwhelming fear had died down, she realized the cuts were shallow and mostly scabbed over already. It didn't change the fact that the psycho had cut her. Blood still flaked off her skin and stained her clothing.She sucked in a deep breath.Where was Zain?He'd said to wait for him, to do nothing, but shouldn't he have found her already?What was taking so long?She stood, gripping the railing with both hands while her legs remembered what they were good for. October meowed, the sound punctuated with a question mark, as though she were asking, When are we going home?"I don't know, October," Andrea whispered.There was a grimy window ac
Aegis Group Chapter 141
"DID WE GET A trace on that?" Zain clenched Crystal's phone in one hand and pointed at Max with the other."I barely got the request in." Max held his hands out."Shit." Zain jabbed the speed dial to Gavin. Hopefully the kid wasn't-"Yeah, boss?""Gavin, I need you to run a trace on a call that just came into a number. Ready?""Shoot."Zain recited Crystal's number from memory and waited. Crystal stared at him, eyes wide, hands clasped. They were all on pins and needles. So far, they'd had a name and a list of crimes-then nothing.Until now."Hey, boss, I ran across something," Gavin said slowly."You get a location yet?" Zain knew these things took time. It wasn't as instantaneous as it was on TV but he needed to know now."It's running. So I was going over the Dark Matter people, financials, phones, the usual-and I ran across a weird phone registered to that Cliff guy.""Yeah? Send it to me.""Hey guys-what's going on?" Patricia paused in the doorway, cups of
Aegis Group Chapter 142
ZAIN LEANED FORWARD, URGING Max's SUV faster. The red and white lights cleared the road ahead of them, but they were still twenty minutes out."Yes, this is Detective Bowman-I need two units to go to this address. We believe a hostage situation is underway." Max had conducted this same conversation three times, working his way through to someone who could assist.The address the phone line Andrea had called from was in another department's jurisdiction. This was where it got sticky, and when being a private contractor was most convenient. Zain didn't have to care about who had jurisdiction or not when he was out to protect someone. All he wanted was for the bad guys to get what was coming to them-and the client to get extracted safely.Only this time he wanted blood.Kevin Lee was a dead man; he just didn't know it yet."For fuck's sake." Max jammed the radio into the dash holder and got both hands on the wheel. "Units are en route. They should be there in ten minutes."It
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Aegis Group Chapter 490: Epilogue.
Two months later. Ekko's Apartment, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.EKKO STARED AT THE table with the spread of food laid out.Was there enough? Did she need more? Would Coco and Paxton like it?She reached out and adjusted the tray of cheese so it was at more of an angle instead of perfectly aligned to everything else.It looked too neat."Stop." Silas took her hand and spun her toward him, capturing her against his chest with strong arms around her waist."It looks like I'm trying too hard." She smoothed her hands up and over his shoulders."Stop. It's just Paxton and Coco.""Your best friend and his fiancé, who I haven't met yet.""What?" Silas' face scrunched up. "You've talked to her dozens of times.""In the background of you and Paxton talking. That doesn't count." She pulled away from him and proceeded to turn dishes a little this way and that."You do realize Coco spends most days digging in elephant shit and stuff, right?""Silas." She scowled at him."What?" He gr
Aegis Group Chapter 489: Thursday. New York Hospital, New York.
IT FELT LIKE THE weight Silas had been carrying around in his gut had now attached itself to his eyelids. He floated in darkness, no longer asleep but not yet awake. Someone had called this twilight once, though he couldn't recall who. Something wouldn't let him go back to sleep. There was something he needed to do. It was urgent.What the hell was it?That nagging question hounded him as he ever so slowly gathered his strength.He wasn't aware of time or how long it took to wrestle one eyelid open, but at long last he peered out of his darkness into...more darkness.Well that was just dandy. What the fuck?He blinked that one eye again, letting his vision adjust. He was in a room and there was a light on, it just didn't do much.Machines beeped and whirled around him.That was a sound he could never mistake and it told him the first piece of his puzzle. From there the others fell into place, one after another.He was still in the hospital.He'd been hurt.There was a fight.
Aegis Group Chapter 488: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
EKKO CLUNG TO THE stretcher bearing Silas out to the parking lot.She hadn't realized how bad his injuries were. He was barely keeping his eyes open. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she kept pace with the two paramedics. Silas covered her hand with his as they came to a stop at the bumper of an ambulance.Paxton, Brett and Vito were sitting inside. They were worse for wear and grim, but seemed okay.All around them police were marching uninjured people they'd arrested to sit in a line next to a chain-link fence blocking the sidewalk. The night was lit up with swirling lights that made her head spin."Where's Chayan?" she asked. Her heart was tearing in two, aching for both men.A little distance away an ambulance took off, sirens blaring. She hoped it was the one with Pasley in it."Ma'am, I need to look at that wound," a paramedic said to her.She held tight to Silas' hand. "What about Chayan? Older man, little taller than me? Salt and pepper hair?"Silas had said he was fine.
Aegis Group Chapter 487: Wednesday. New York City, New York.
IGNEY PACED IN A circle, looking down each hall in turn.Where were they? Had he miscalculated? Were they willing to lose the woman so long as they got the man?His orders were clear. Get both the man and the woman.The woman was a symbol. Too many young people had taken to the streets because they listened to others like her.The man though, he knew things.Killing the woman was personal. Chasing her had cast him in a bad light. But the man was more important in the grand scheme of things."Fuck," Igney muttered. He glanced at a pair of men striding for the doors. "You. Come here."The men never glanced at him. Because they didn't understand him?He whirled to face Alban. "Where are the others?""I don't know where Delem and Michil are." He grimaced. "I haven't heard from them since we split up to search the building."That wasn't good.Igney had heard a lot of gunfire. Was it possible the other men he'd brought with him were dead?If both Chayan and Pasley escaped, leavin
Aegis Group Chapter 486: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
EKKO'S ONE OFFENSIVE ATTEMPT was an utter failure. Her head spun and she was going to be sick.This wasn't good.She felt like a ragdoll being drug around, first by Igney then another man she didn't recognize. He spoke Daurian though which could only mean one thing.He was London DSS.Her body chilled. Was that from fear or the blows to the head? She didn't know anymore."Come find me, Pasley, or your little bird dies," Igney cackled into the radio.She tasted bile.Pasley had called her little bird back in the park.Igney cackled like a bad movie villain. The man was enjoying this. He was getting off on torturing them all.What about Silas?Pasley was with him.If Pasley told Silas, if he knew, they would come for her. Silas was determined to bring them all home and to keep her safe. But if he did, if he came to her rescue, Igney would kill them. Igney needed her and Chayan. Which meant he couldn't kill her here and now. It was an empty threat. Wasn't it? Did she dare belie
Aegis Group Chapter 485: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
SILAS PUSHED HIS GROUP hard as they traversed the second floor. The sun had fully set, plunging them into complete darkness where there weren't windows or other lights.This building was a damn maze, and every turn they needed was blocked by too many people to fight their way through.There had to be more than the fifteen or so they'd estimated. More like thirty.This wasn't good.What about Ekko? Where had the others gone to?He'd hoped getting down here meant they would find her and Paxton, but so far all they'd found were a few bodies. At least they knew Paxton and Brett were eliminating the other side. But no one had taken the ammo or guns. Why? When resources were this precious, why not take them?Could they have gotten free? Did he dare hope?Something thumped in the darkness. Like a heavy footfall.Silas cursed himself as he skidded to a stop. He didn't see anything, but his gut screamed at him. He pivoted and threw himself at Chayan, shoving the other man aside. Silas w
Aegis Group Chapter 484: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
THE DARKNESS FELT AS if it were swallowing her.Ekko clung to the back of Paxton's shirt like he'd directed. She couldn't shake the sensation that there were hands out there reaching for her. That Igney or one of the others were biding their time and waiting for the chance to kill her.Where was Silas? What about Chayan and the others?They'd been separated before she realized what was going on.Behind them a burst of gunfire spurred her on, shattering the silence.She knew it was Brett. Was he trading gunfire with someone? Those shots all sounded the same to her. She hoped he was safe. He was only one man and they had no idea how many were behind them."Stay close." Paxton reached back and pressed her hand to his back.Her head pounded with each and every step. It hurt so bad, but she didn't want to say anything. Her pain was minimal compared to what could happen."Will you cut that out?" Paxton yelled behind them.He side stepped and sort of skipped through a narrow gap betw
Aegis Group Chapter 483: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
SILAS GRIT HIS TEETH to keep from telling Paxton to hurry the fuck up. It wasn't like Paxton was slow. The knife on his belt tool was small and no doubt dulled after cutting through several sets of thick, plastic restraints.Sitting like this it felt as though there was a ten pound weight sitting on his guts. He didn't know what the knife had cut, but Silas knew from the woozy feeling and blood making his jeans sticky it wasn't good. He had to get the others out of here before his clock ran out."Which way did they bring you up?" Silas asked Brett instead of chafing at how long getting free was taking.Brett stood by the door, a discarded piece of wood held as a weapon. "We came in some doors, up a stair to our right then a long walk down here. You?""Different way." Silas grimaced. "Do we retrace our path, or avoid it? How many people were with you?"Brett grimaced. They'd been hooded when they arrived. "Hard to say.""Let's assume at least the three that came in here plus one o
Aegis Group Chapter 482: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
EKKO STARED IN SHOCK, her head spinning as the men left the room again."S-Silas?" she whispered so softly she barely heard herself.He slumped sideways groaning.Had that man-that monster-just stabbed Silas?"Man, Silas, dude, talk to us." Paxton had scooted forward, his arms extended behind him, attention on Silas."I'm fine." Silas' voice was strained. "Brett, Vito, how are you two?""Alive," Brett groaned."Vito? Man?" Silas shook his head and sat up straighter."Fine."This was it.Ekko swallowed.They'd done everything and in the end, they were outplayed.The DSS would kill them. She wasn't sure why they hadn't already, but she didn't doubt that death was the final move. All of these people, they were going to die because she'd been arrogant. She'd thought she knew what she was doing, when in fact she hadn't a clue.A sob tore out of Ekko making her already aching head pound harder."Ekko?" Silas called out. "Ekko, listen to me, this is going to be okay. Pax?"A ch
