Delta Force: Crow (Wayward Souls) Page 8

  “I already said I’m sorry, and explained that I was hoping to keep this as far away from my crew…” He groaned at the instant scowl. “And your friend as possible. If I’d known we’d been compromised…”

  She shrugged, leaning against the back of the sofa. “Just confirms my previous misgivings concerning your agency.”

  “It’s not my agency. I got out.”

  “Yet, here we are, chasing ghosts, all courtesy of the Central Intelligence Agency.”

  “This isn’t just about the copy, is it? You think I don’t trust you, which is ridiculous. I—”

  “Hey, Crow. You’re gonna wanna take a look at this.”

  Crow glanced over at Ellis. Great, he finally catches a break, but it wasn’t the one he was hoping for. Devlyn sighed then turned, moving over to the computer station on the opposite side of the room. Crow followed her, stepping in behind her—close enough she’d feel the heat of his body. She tensed, held her breath then relaxed, and he couldn’t resist grazing his hand across her hip. Assuring himself she was okay. That Slader hadn’t gotten to her, yet.

  And never would. Crow had vowed he wouldn’t let her down, again. That wasn’t a promise he intended to break.

  Crow motioned to the computer. “Good news, or bad?”

  Ellis raked a hand through her hair, leaning a bit against Colt when the other man moved in behind her—pressed his chest to her back. “Honestly? I don’t know.”

  “Well, that doesn’t sound at all unsettling.”

  “Wish I could tell you more, but…” She turned the screen so they could both see. “The initial encryption was decent. What I’d expect from a drive containing highly classified material. And the intel doesn’t disappoint. We’ve got locations of over a dozen safehouses throughout the Middle East.”

  “CIA?”

  “MI6 to be exact.”

  “Shit. So, is this part of the list? Which doesn’t sound like Bains. He said he was trying to prevent that information from getting out, yet, he doesn’t even hide it beneath secondary encryption like with Kam’s drive?”

  “That’s where this gets complicated. According to Gibson, the intel’s old. Wouldn’t benefit anyone, now, which does tend to go along with the kind of info Bains was handing out. Seemingly important but obsolete. Though, it’s a stretch, and not something I would have expected Bains to release, regardless of whether it was currently relevant. His previous intel never involved our allies.”

  Crow turned to Gib. “How old are we talking?”

  Gibson leaned against the wall. “Four or five years.”

  “Wait?” Devlyn searched each of their faces then focused on Gibson. “How do you know where MI6 safehouses are located? Aren’t you ex-Special Reconnaissance Regiment?”

  Crow cursed inwardly. He hadn’t disclosed Gibson’s vocation—not when he hadn’t known if they’d be working together. Besides, it wasn’t his place to blow the other man’s cover, especially after all his buddy had done to help them out.

  He blew out a rough breath, meeting Devlyn’s expectant gaze. “Devlyn, he can’t really—”

  “It’s all right, mate.” Gib pushed off the wall behind Ellis. “She’s part of the crew, yeah? Your partner? That means she can be trusted.”

  His buddy nodded at Devlyn. “Perhaps I should have introduced myself properly at the airport. Gibson Miller, occasional MI6 lackey, at your service.”

  And damn if he didn’t do some elaborate bow. All cocky and far too charming. It didn’t help that Devlyn’s eyes widened before she blushed. Actually blushed, even if Crow was the only one who noticed. Who knew her intimately enough to see the slight coloring of her cheeks. The small half-smile that curved her lips before she schooled her features. Looked over to him.

  “That’s what you meant when you asked for a safe haven beyond the scope of domestic forces.” She glanced at Gibson. “This is an MI6 safehouse, then?”

  “It was. I claimed it after headquarters delisted it. Made it into one of my personal getaways. I have a few around, just in case a mate needs a safe place to stay.” Gib nodded at Cannon. “Though, I can’t help but notice your gang seems to need that more than most.”

  “That’s because we’re dedicated.” Cannon grinned at Gib. “Besides, you like having something to do when you’re not actively working a mission. Which is why Brady sent you this way after Crow called him for those pain meds for Devlyn. It stops you from getting twitchy.”

  “I don’t get twitchy, chum.”

  “Really? Because Brady tells it differently.”

  “Coen’s always been a bit of a worrier. Can’t help it. It’s the doctor side of him. But that’s another story. Best we focus on Slader for now, yeah?”

  Ellis snorted. “Which brings us to the next oddity. I didn’t need Kam’s program to decrypt the second layer, like on her drive. The coding was definitely better, but not the level he’d used on hers. And what I got…”

  Crow stared at the screen as Ellis flipped through a number of different images. “A building? That’s all there is?”

  “Images, blueprints. I have electrical data, air duct locations, sewer mains. There’re multiple angles and layers. The kind of detail I’d expect if Bains was planning on raiding the place.”

  “No IP address? No list?”

  “Just what you see. And these files didn’t have anywhere close to the level of security Kam’s drive did.”

  “Well, crap.” Crow paced across the room, turning to face the others. “So, I’m supposed to believe Bains outed actual MI6 safehouses, albeit old ones, but then encrypted a building he was staking out? This whole op is starting to smell like a well-orchestrated setup.”

  Ellis nodded. “As I see it, there’re three options. One, this building has something to do with Bains, and he’s trying to lead you there. There’s a chance he altered the amount of encryption based on the talent of the person he was giving it to. Not everyone is as skilled as Kam—”

  “Or you.”

  Ellis smiled. “Or me. Which means this could be legit.”

  “Option two?”

  “This has nothing to do with Bains or that list, and Slader’s chasing ghosts. You two just had the misfortune of getting in his way.” She paused to look at Devlyn then over to Crow. “Or…”

  He scrubbed a hand down his face, catching and holding Devlyn’s gaze. “Or this is an elaborate scheme to tie up loose ends. Which suggests Slader wasn’t there to cap your mark, Dev, or grab this drive, but had discovered you’re still alive, were on that case, and he was there to kill you. And, now that he knows we’re working together, he’s out for blood. Both of ours.”

  Devlyn glanced at his buddies, looking more than a bit uncomfortable. “We don’t know, for sure, that Slader was behind that attack the other day.”

  Crow snorted. “Well, if he wasn’t, then there’re more armed assholes gunning for us. Not exactly a better scenario.”

  “Regardless, we still have to investigate that building. It’s our only lead.”

  “I know. It just put a whole new spin on this. For all we know, this has been Slader’s plan, all along. Create a disk that could pass as Bains’, get it in your hands after a near-miss encounter that adds credibility to the ruse—knowing we’ll team up from his contacts inside the Agency—then lead us into an ambush.”

  Devlyn arched a brow. “You really think he’d do all that? Just to kill us?”

  Crow met the unspoken challenge. That she thought he was reaching for excuses. “I think he’s insane. Maybe he believes we’re holding out and have information on Bains. Can get our hands on that list.”

  “And I think you’re giving him too much credit.”

  “Or maybe, you’re not giving him enough. He’s desperate. That makes him extremely dangerous.”

  “Even desperate, I don’t see him deviating from his training. He was the kind of guy who preferred to let his actions do the talking, not make up elaborate plans. That was McCormick. With him dead, Slader�
��s gonna act on instinct. I say we hit this place, and hit it hard.”

  “And if Slader’s standing on the doorstep, waiting for us?”

  She pursed her lips, looking directly at him. “Then, we even the score.”

  Chapter Eight

  They’d even the score?

  Crow wasn’t sure if he was proud, worried or just plain scared by her choice of words. Because the look in Devlyn’s eyes… Determined didn’t begin to describe it. Fire. Lethal intent. Soul-deep conviction. Those fit better. Maybe a bit too well.

  Not that he blamed her. He wanted to kick Slader’s ass, too. More than kick it. He wanted the man’s head as a trophy on the wall. And he wanted it yesterday. But that stemmed from years of facing deadly threats. From experiencing, firsthand, the fallout when enemies were left to exact revenge. Just like now.

  But Devlyn—she was supposed to be above that. To cherish justice. She should want Slader spending the rest of his life rotting away in some rat-infested cell. Shackled to the damn wall. To have him suffer the ultimate punishment—the loss of his freedom. In every sense of the word. And she should be basking at the thought of the guy spending the next fifty years knowing exactly who’d defeated him.

  Instead, she looked as if she wanted to tear Ian Slader apart with her bare hands, boil the pieces in a pot, then feed the whole mess to wild dogs.

  Didn’t she realize that was Crow’s job? His burden to bear? To be the one who had to live with the ugly memories. The twinges of guilt. He already had a lifetime’s worth of it, so killing Ian Slader was just another slash of red on his humanity ledger. Just another piece of his soul he’d have to burn. And he’d do it. Gladly. He’d already failed Devlyn once. He wasn’t going to do that, again. Whatever it took. Whatever the consequences.

  Crow took a step forward, opened his mouth in a lame attempt to diffuse the awkward silence that had followed her declaration, when Dev groaned.

  She crossed her arms over her chest, hitching one hip out to the side. “Oh, come on, Crow. Don’t go soft on me, now. Not when there’s a chance we could nail Slader and end this op.”

  Heat warmed Crow’s cheeks as he marched across the room, making Devlyn take a step back when he crowded her. “Seriously, Dev? That’s what you think this is? Tell me, again, how you got that crater on your side Ice had to stitch?”

  Her eyes narrowed before she leaned into him, her face an inch from his. “The damn window did that, not Slader. I consider that fight a win.”

  “Of course, you do. And the fact you nearly bled to death, after?”

  She poked his chest with a single finger. “I’m not the only one who’s bled on this assignment. Besides, it’s called doing my job.”

  “No. It’s called being reckless. Someone jumped us at our safehouse. That, alone, deserves a moment of pause. Knowing Slader might be waiting for us? That this is all a setup? Going in blind shouldn’t be the default approach.”

  “We don’t know that he made that disk. I say we take advantage of the situation before he tracks us down, again, and puts everyone’s life in jeopardy.”

  Crow shook his head. “Christ, you haven’t changed at all, have you?”

  “I don’t consider that a bad thing. And I don’t remember you being this cautious, before. What happened to all that Delta Force crap you used to preach? To doing whatever it took to complete the mission?”

  “Still on the table, sweetheart. I’m just trying to avoid a repeat of the last time we faced him. As I recall, it didn’t turn out that well for anyone.”

  That had her inhaling. Stepping back as she seemed to realize everyone else was watching them. Silently. Not the good kind of silence. More like they were judging whether or not to step in—if things were going to turn ugly.

  They weren’t. The last thing Crow wanted was to alienate Devlyn more. But he also wasn’t going to let her stroll into a dangerous situation just because she wanted to end their mission—kick him to the curb, along with any unwanted memories.

  Gibson cleared his throat, smiling when Crow glanced over at him. “How about a compromise, yeah? We can go recon the site—see if there’s any evidence you’re being set up. If all looks good, we can head in. By the time we get there and watch for a bit, it’ll be dusk. That should limit the usefulness of night vision, but still add a bit of shadows to even the playing field.” He winked. “In case that bloke, Slader, shows up.”

  Crow arched a brow. “We?”

  “I’ll tag along, safety and all that. Maybe get a bit of payback, myself.”

  Cannon grunted. “We’ll all join you.”

  “No.” Crow held up one hand. “While I’d love the backup, I’m not willing to chance what you’ve got going, here, especially when the Agency has specifically denied any interagency involvement other than this joint unit with the NSA. And, like it or not, it’ll be seen as the Marshal service stepping in.”

  Crow ran a hand through his hair. “Now, that status could change if we find concrete evidence this building is directly related to Bains. But, until then, we were never here. I’d like to have a job to come back to, if it’s all the same to you. Besides, Slader knows about Delta—will be anticipating the team tagging along. A small three-man crew will be less conspicuous.”

  Cannon fisted his hands, cracking several knuckles in the process. “Fine. But let me make one thing perfectly clear—if you’re in trouble, we’re there. Period. I don’t care what the ramifications are. If the Marshal service revokes our status. If we have to call in every damn marker we have to keep our asses out of jail. We’re more than a team. We’re family. And we don’t leave our brothers—or sisters—to fight a war, alone. So, don’t make me regret this, Crow.”

  “Understood.”

  “Perfect. Which means you won’t argue when I give you a couple of extra vests. Maybe a few other items that might come in handy.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Unless you brought a bunch of stuff I’m unaware of.”

  “You know all my extra gear is still at the office. Not that I have a small arsenal like you do. I’d gone civilian, remember?”

  “Assuming you’re not still at war was your first mistake, buddy.”

  “Thanks for being the bigger man and not suggesting I’ve lost my touch.” Crow ignored Cannon’s chuckle, glancing over at Gibson. “Are you gonna be a pain in my ass, too? Maybe on official business? Do I need to worry about you clocking me over the head and grabbing that disk?”

  Gibson’s grin said it all. “Do you really think I’d do that to a mate?”

  “Do you really want me to answer that?”

  “Wanker. And, for the record, I haven’t mentioned the list to headquarters, yet. No sense getting those blokes all fired up if those disks are lost. Better to look like a savior than a failure. But I would prefer it if that arse, Slader, didn’t get his hands on that list. Bastard has a nasty habit of creating a lot of collateral damage.”

  “All the more reason to stop him…” Devlyn gave Crow a sideways glance. “Permanently.”

  Gibson laughed, stepping up beside Crow and slapping him on the back. “I like her. You weren’t joking about her being a ball buster.”

  Devlyn grinned then paused, her smile slowly fading as she focused on Crow. “Wait. You’ve mentioned me before?”

  Damn it. Now was not the time for her to start asking questions he didn’t want to answer—ones that would ultimately lead back to him infiltrating the facility with Six a few months ago. Especially when the truth would only widen the gap between them. She was already worked up, just looking for an excuse to kick him in the nuts. Or worse, ditch him. And he couldn’t afford to add more fuel to the fire.

  Crow shrugged. “Pretty sure I told you that Cannon’s crew have faced Slader and McCormick before. You came up in conversation. Simple as that.” He scowled. “Sorry, Dev, I didn’t realize I needed your permission to talk about us.”

  The red slashes on her cheeks deepened as she glanced around the room. “That’s not what I
meant, and you know it. I’m just unsure how our JSOG work was connected.”

  Crow groaned inwardly. This was definitely going in the wrong direction. Devlyn was savvy, and he knew it wouldn’t take much for her to make the connection between them and the incident at the facility.

  Cannon stepped forward. “Crow helped us out a couple of months back when McCormick sent Slader after Kameron. Pulled our asses out of the fire, to be honest. We needed some intel that only Crow could get us access to. He took quite the risk but… We wouldn’t have stopped the threat without him. Sorry, by the way, about what happened to your team. It doesn’t sound like anyone has gotten away from McCormick without a few scars.”

  Devlyn’s eyes narrowed a moment before her lips pressed tight and she closed the few feet between them, hitting Crow hard in the chest. “That was you, wasn’t it? At the facility two months, ago! Who knocked out Carl and set off that false fire alarm! You broke in to get that intel, didn’t you? You son of a bitch!”

  Crow caught her next punch, holding her arm to the side as he tried to distance himself slightly. So much for Cannon derailing the conversation. “Devlyn, I can explain—”

  “Explain? You were in the building—literally just a few floors away—and you avoided me? Let me keep wondering if you really were dead and everyone was just stringing me along?”

  “I was off-the-books. Involving you would have been risky.”

  “Oh, so you’ll involve your ex-Delta team when things get ugly, but I don’t make the cut?”

  “That’s not what I meant. I didn’t want to put you on Slader’s radar, again. Give him an excuse to come after you.”

  Devlyn wrenched her arm free, crossing both over her chest. “Right. It’s all because you care.” She cut him off with a wave of one hand. “Save it. Just more excuses I don’t have time for.”

  That look. Pain and anger in equal mix. A healthy dose of sadness tossed in for good measure. It had Crow moving. Crowding her against the desk Ellis had been using. Devlyn palmed his chest and tried to shove him away, but there wasn’t a chance in hell he was backing down.