Kat was hot, hungry, and frustrated when they got back to the compound. Wicked the same. He’d already checked in with Ruckus, and they’d had no luck at all. None of Shannon’s assets panned out. They still had no idea where the lab was. She was trying to keep it together for Wicked and the team’s sake.

Hollywood was a lovable, charming, drop-dead gorgeous man, a lethal and skilled SEAL, and she cared what happened to him. She cared about them all. She had to find a way.

She wished she was wrong, wished the profile package she’d done on Eze was wrong, but it wasn’t. The death of his brother aside, Hollywood provided Eze a way to strike out at the West. A SEAL’s death would bolster his agenda and fire up his followers.

She clenched her hands into fists as she strode to TOC. Once inside, she thought about following Eze’s money. She tasked one of the analysts with the job, but it was a shot in the dark at best.

She sat down heavily in a chair as Wicked came in with a plate of food and water. She took both with gratitude, suddenly wishing they had time for just a moment together where she could put her arms around him. They ate side by side in silence. When she was done, she finished off her water, then leaned back against the chair, folding her arms.

“What about the radioactive substance? He had to have used plutonium or uranium. Can we trace it?”

“Most likely North Korea provided the substance, and it would take too much time to find and track the shipment.”

“What about human error?”

“What about it?” she asked, the light in his eyes making her hope.

“Someone is always careless, especially when they’re trying to fly under the radar. They hire shady people not particularly worried about illegal activity. Not always the best people either. What if we look for anyone with radiation poisoning? Check the hospitals. It’s a long-shot, but at this point, it’s all we have.”

“That’s quite brilliant.” She pulled up to her station and started accessing hospital records.

“You know how to hack?”

“I do. There are always back doors.” She waited while her query ran, then three names popped up. Two were deceased, but one man was still alive, Saten Ngo. “Let’s go,” she said.

The man lived just at the edge of town. It was dark by the time they got there. Wicked pulled his weapon out of the small of his back; Kat was also armed.

They checked all around the area before they went to his front door. Kat knocked, and when he opened the door, they barged in.

He started yelling in his native tongue until Wicked put a gun to his head and said very quietly, “English?”

“Yes, I speak English.”

“Good, have a seat.”

“What is it you want?” he growled, his voice hoarse. He was emaciated, his skin ashen, his dark hair showing thin, his eyes sunken. He carried a portable oxygen machine, the tube under his nose.

He took a few deep breaths before glaring at them.

Wicked crouched down, and the man eyed the gun. “I’m dying. There’s no point in threatening me. You would just put me out of my misery.”

“We’re aware what is killing you,” Kat said. “We want the location of the lab where you got poisoned.”

His face blanched. “Why do you want this information?”

“We are looking for a Dr. Haaris Rafiq.”

“That bastard.” His anger infused color into his face. “He didn’t give a damn about the people who worked for him. Half of them, like me, were forced to work at their damn makeshift lab against their wills.” He closed his eyes, his spurt of anger making him cough violently. Breathing hard, he leaned back as he caught his breath. “All he cared about was getting the uranium refined fast.”

“He’s already made the triggers.”

“Yes, six of them. They have one warhead, but I overheard they are expecting more from the Koreans. You should be worried. He hates Americans. He has a bounty on one of their heads.”

“Do you know where Eze’s compound is?” Kat asked, desperate to find Rafiq and get those triggers.

The man shook his head, then he grinned. “No, but I know where the lab is. Will that help?”

With a sigh of relief, Kat nodded, giving Wicked a nod, feeling triumphant that they had a lead. Now if their luck held, they’d find Rafiq inside.

“Thank you for your help,” Kat said.

The man nodded. “If you could manage to kill that bastard, it would give me peace.”

“Unfortunately, we need him alive, but I can guarantee you he won’t be seeing the light of day for some time.”

“That is something. Locked up in a hole is where he belongs. Good luck to you.”

“Would you mind if we use your residence to plan our raid. Your information about the logistics would be invaluable.”

“Not at all,” he said, his eyes bleak. “It doesn’t matter one way or the other. My days are numbered. I have no interest in helping Rafiq or Eze in their bid to destroy this country. I would see them brought to justice.”

Wicked was already radioing Ruckus now that they had the coordinates for the lab. Time was of the essence. They would have to do this op quick and dirty.

“Ruckus,” Kat said over her comm. “I think we should keep this information between us.”

“You don’t want to loop Brandon in?” Ruckus asked.

“No. I don’t trust anyone but you guys. I can’t take that chance. We only have a shot at getting to Eze by using Rafiq as a bargaining chip. Eze needs him, and on top of that, it’ll piss him off that we were able to disrupt his plans. I will send this uranium enrichment intel up the chain, once we have proof, and we have Rafiq.”

“Copy that. If Brandon asks any questions, we’ll deflect.”

She gave Ruckus the address, and once the SEALs arrived, they got to planning. As she hoped, the man was very helpful. He drew a sketch of the whole lab, including where the guards were stationed.

“It’s located about fifteen miles from here, an old prison that was abandoned in favor of a newer, state-of-the-art one. Eze retrofitted the infirmary for the containment of the uranium and plutonium. The infirmary is here.” He marked a big red X on the map. “The gate is the trickiest part. The walls are ten feet tall and made out of concrete blocks. It’s the only way in.”

Ruckus smiled. “Ten feet? I’ve scaled higher. Don’t worry about us getting in.”

“That’s cake,” Scarecrow said.

Cowboy nodded. “How many guards?”

“Twenty last time I counted. They are all armed with automatic weapons. That’s about all I can tell you. I’m very tired.”

Kat nodded and said, “Go lie down.” She followed him to his modest bedroom. “I hope you understand that I need to bind you. We have to make sure you don’t tip off anyone.” She tied his wrists and feet. Eze had disrupted so many lives, forcing people to do what he wanted with threats and coercion. She wanted to bring him down all the more now that she had met Saten, saw what the radiation poisoning had done to him. He would have made an excellent asset.

“I understand your mistrust. Your lives are at stake. Do what you must.”

After she checked for any cell phones, she covered him up. “I will be back to set you free.” But he had already dropped into sleep and didn’t answer. With a heavy heart, she left the room.

The eight of them loaded up in the SUVs, and using Saten’s directions, easily found the prison. It was dark with the barest minimum of light.

Ruckus’s strong, confident voice came over the comms. “Dragon, overwatch.”

Dragon would find a place to set up for sniping the enemy. They really had no idea if Rafiq was at the lab. Time would tell. Using thermal imaging, they discovered there were only fifteen guards, but several people inside. Kat was hoping one of them was Rafiq. She pushed away her worry about Hollywood, everything riding on them capturing their target. She thought briefly of how much she liked Hollywood with his combination of charm, looks, and sense of humor.

The prison was off the main road, far off, at the base of the mountains, and recon told them only two vehicles were inside the gate, a black Mercedes and a truck that was large enough to carry the guards.

“Blue and Crow. Disable those vehicles.”

“Copy, LT,” Blue said, and the two of them peeled off. Blue threw a hook up the wall, and a ladder fanned out. Grabbing the dangling rope, they quickly scaled the wall and disappeared over it.

“Our turn,” Wicked said, his deep voice in her ear. She secured her weapon in a holster underneath her left armpit and grabbed the rope. She wasted no time ascending the height of the concrete, then when she reached the top, rappelling down the other side. She pulled the handgun out as soon as she was on solid ground. Wicked and the rest of the team soon followed.

They all crouched in the shadows waiting for two roving guards to make it back to their posts.

“Dragon?”

“I can take out three, LT. The two at the gate and the one in the tower.”

“We’ve got the other two,” Blue said. “Vehicles disabled.”

“Copy that,” Ruckus responded. “Execute at my mark. Three, two, one, execute.” Five bodies dropped.

“Clear,” Blue said.

“Moving,” Ruckus said.

They quickly walked across the open ground, wind blowing hot and humid through the area. Ruckus raised his arm, his closed fist indicating everyone was to stop right outside the entrance. “Blue, Crow, take the rear, neutralize the two guards, and start clearing the building. We’ll meet up at the lab.”

“Copy,” Scarecrow said. “Moving.”

They were almost invisible as the two SEALs crossed the farthest part of the building and disappeared around the side.

“In place, LT,” Blue said.

“Wicked, breach.”

“How about I pick it open,” Kat said. “Keep it quiet. I don’t want to lose Rafiq.”

Ruckus nodded. “Have at it.”

“Ooh, it’s very spooky around here,” Tank said.

Everyone chuckled, and Kat felt like part of the team, the ribbing telling her more than anything how they felt about her.

“How’s your spook skills, Blue, Crow?”

“I got this.” Scarecrow’s confidence came over the comm.

“I told you, Crow, you’d make a great CIA officer. No need. I can override it from here.”

“I don’t think I can keep up with you, Kat,” Scarecrow said.

She smiled as she worked the lock. The door opened, and she stepped back as Tank took point, releasing Bronte. The Malinois took off down the hallway.

She wished she had more intel. They were going on information from an asset she hadn’t cultivated, and nothing really solid. They needed luck here. Without Rafiq, this was going to be one hard night.

The prison wasn’t as heavily guarded as she’d expected. Eze wasn’t too concerned about being stopped. He was about to get a surprise. They’d walked in, found no sensors or traps. In daylight, this would have been a much larger operation. All of them were wearing nonreflective, black Ops gear, covering even their hair.

Using infrared goggles, she followed the SEALs. As they moved swiftly down the hallway, Bronte sat down, and everyone stopped moving. A guard stepped out, scrambling to pull his weapon up, but it was too late. Bronte attacked, and suppressed shots took him down. They stepped over him, following Saten’s map, which had been very accurate so far.

“Ruckus?”

“Go.”

“The back of the building is clear. Exfil solid,” Scarecrow said.

“Copy. Go back out with Dragon. When I give the word, blow a path through the wall for easy egress to the chopper. We have ten minutes.”

“Copy that, moving.”

“Pick up the pace, boys,” Ruckus said as they jogged down the hall, watching Bronte for any signs of tangos. She gave them the signal, and they took out two more guards. Wicked picked up one of their radios. It crackled to life. “Number two, check in.”

Wicked handed the radio off to Tank, and he responded in Swahili. They moved left, then halted. The remaining guards behind reinforced glass had no clue they were even there. Ruckus and the rest of the SEALs got into a line of sight position, so they would have clean shots into the command center. He turned to Tank and nodded.

Tank started yelling about intruders. The door opened, and the SEALs took out the three guards with precision shots.

Kat went inside and studied the control panel. She flipped a switch, and the door with metal bars that had been impeding their progress slid open. They moved swiftly past the command center and entered a wide corridor, through another set of barred doors into a corridor with two sets of cells on both sides. They were all empty.

“We’re almost to the infirmary,” Kat said, consulting the map. The door is reinforced steel. We’ll have to blow that one.”

“Three heat signatures, boss” Cowboy said.

“Copy that. Wicked, breach it.”

Wicked moved toward the door, set his charges on the hinges and in the center of the door. They stepped back, looked away, and Wicked said, “Fire in the hole.” He hit the switch. The blast ignited with a white-hot flash, the charge dislodging the door as they kicked it inward.

Three people started moving, but there was nowhere for them to go.

Wicked raced across the room and grabbed one of the scientists. In the bright light, Kat breathed a sigh of relief.

Rafiq.

Mission accomplished. Now came the most dangerous and tricky part. Negotiating with a fanatic who was unpredictable. She would have to rely on her skills. Hollywood’s life depended on them.

“We have the package,” Kat said into her comm. “Rendezvous in ten minutes.”

“Copy that,” the pilot of the chopper responded. Kat had coerced Neil Shannon into giving her access to the bird. Now all they had to do was get Rafiq out of here. Tank finished binding the other two scientists. Wicked had already bound Rafiq and had a death grip on the collar of his lab coat.

“Where are the triggers?” Wicked asked.

Rafiq shook his head. “They aren’t here. Eze has them.”

“If you’re lying to me…” Wicked said, the threat evident in his voice. Rafiq peered at him through a pair of wire-rimmed glasses, clearly intimidated by her big SEAL, but he said nothing. “Tear this room apart.”

Kat walked up to Rafiq. “If I’m a betting woman, I’d say you have some insurance. You have the codes to the triggers right up here, don’t you?” She tapped her temple. Rafiq’s lips thinned, and he looked away. “That’s a yes. It’s smart. Eze is an animal.”

The noise of the SEALs searching was loud in the room as they emptied cabinets and drawers, but time was running out. “Nothing, LT,” Tank said. “But we found the warhead. It’s in pieces.”

“I told you,” Rafiq said, his voice harsh. “Eze has them. I’ve already finished them. It’s in pieces because I’m retrofitting it.”

“Tank, Cowboy, destroy the pieces.”

“Copy.”

As soon as they blew the warhead into unusable slag, they were ready, retracing their steps without incident, all three scientists in tow. “Blue, blow the wall.”

The explosion flashed bright in the night, tossing rocks and dirt up into the air and raining them down again. As a group, they moved fast through the hole, heading for the LZ.

Kat heard the chopper, then the pilot said, “ETA one minute.”

Blue popped a smoke can as a precaution. “Visual, LT, coming in.”

Wicked pushed Rafiq ahead of them, the shorter man having to run to keep up. The chopper swooped low, the doors open, and the team closed the distance. As soon as it set down, Blue climbed in, assisting the bound HVTs, ducking the blades, the rotor wash blowing the grasses flat.

Kat climbed in, moving back from the entrance as Ruckus hopped in. Tank motioned Bronte to enter, and she leapt up. Tank moved inside, then stepped to the edge, providing cover. In the distance, Dragon ran full out. Reaching the helo, he climbed inside.

“Go, go, go,” Ruckus shouted over the rotor noise.

The pilot lifted the aircraft, banking right and flying toward the mountains before banking right again.

Kat could finally relax. She was going to get some heat for all of this, but she didn’t care. She had something with which to bargain for Hollywood’s life. But it was chilling hearing that Eze had the triggers. Letting the scientist go went against everything inside her, but there was no choice. They would have to hope their plan of getting Eze to agree to a trade led them to capturing him in the end.

As the chopper touched down back at the compound and the prisoners were unloaded, Kat spied Michael walking briskly toward her. “Why wasn’t I informed?” he shouted at her. One thing Michael hated was being left out of the loop.

Wicked stepped to Kat’s shoulder, and Michael glared at her, sparing the big SEAL barely a glance.

“I made a call and kept it quiet. Probably why it went off without a hitch. We have Rafiq.”

“Kat, one of these days, your luck is going to run out. I’ll inform command.”

Michael turned on his heel and walked away. “He’s probably going to get me fired after all this is over. Going behind his back sticks in his craw, and he resents me for taking charge.”

“A station chief?” Wicked asked. “You think he’s responsible? I’ll fucking kill him.”

“I don’t know, but I’m not taking any chances. It’s the first mission we’ve been on that hasn’t been compromised.” She shrugged, wondering. It occurred to her that Michael, Wicked, and Kat were the only people living who had been involved on the op that had killed Phoenix. She had to wonder why Amanda and Jason had been murdered. Who was cleaning house and why?

She headed toward TOC wishing for food, shower, and bed. Wishing she could just snuggle up to Wicked and go to sleep. She looked over at him walking beside her looking so sexy in his battle gear, the stubble darkening his jaw, his broad shoulders swaying as his lean hips and muscular thighs ate up the real estate. Maybe sleep was overrated.

Inside the building, the three scientists were split up and each of them put into a separate interrogation room.

Kat started with the blonde woman. She looked the most terrified, and Kat remembered what Saten had said. Some of them were coerced, their families threatened. She set some water in front of the woman.

She eyed the water, but her thirst overcame her fear. “Who are you?” she said, then swallowed a sip.

“I work for the American government. We’re interested in the nuclear triggers. Do you know where they are?” Kat asked.

“It’s like Dr. Rafiq said. Mr. Eze has them. But Dr. Rafiq wrote codes for all of them. Without the codes, they are useless.”

Giddy inside with this news, Kat said, “Do you have the codes?”

She took another sip of the water, her flex tie impeding her progress. Kat pulled the knife she carried out of her boot and cut the plastic. The woman gave her a grateful look and drank deep. “Mr. Eze came into my home. He threatened my husband and my children. I had no choice in helping him. He made me abandon my job at the university. It’s been a horrible nightmare.”

“I’m sure. After this, you might want to get your family and get out of here.”

“You are going to let us go?” Her eyes sparkled with hope. She looked haggard and thin as if she’d been worked night and day with very little sleep.

“It’s a possibility, once we’ve checked your story. In the future, you might remember me, and if I need a favor…”

The woman sighed. “If I can see my family again, it will be worth owing you.”

Kat moved on to the second scientist, but he was tight-lipped. Until she got more information about him, she would have to tackle Rafiq head on. She entered the room and sat down across from him. Rafiq stared at her, impassive and deceptively calm. She was sure he was shaking inside.

“Do you know where Eze’s compound is?”

He looked down and refused to talk.

She opened the folder in front of her. “Your wife is very beautiful. Young.”

Rafiq’s head jerked up, and the panic inside finally broke in his eyes. “He will kill her. He’ll kill me. I have nothing to say.” The tension around his eyes and his mouth made her believe every word of that statement.

She placed the photo in front of him. “Do you think she’s still safe now that you have been captured?”

He sat back in his chair, defeated. “I only have the codes to keep us safe. He promised me much, but will he deliver?” The man shrugged.

“He has one of our men. I’m going to trade you for him. Unless you know where his compound is and are willing to cooperate.”

“I don’t know where it is. He met me at the prison. I can’t help you.”

Kat closed the folder and rose. “All right. You will soon be free.”

He frowned and shook his head. “As long as Eze is alive, I will never be free.”

Kat left the room. Now it was nothing but a waiting game. Hopefully, Eze contacted them soon before he found out they had Rafiq. Kat rather liked the element of surprise.

She went back to Saten’s small house, but when she went upstairs to release him, he had passed away during the op. Her heart heavy, she released him from his bonds gently. She contacted the authorities with an anonymous tip, then left him in peace.

Back at the compound, she keyed her comm. “Ruckus?”

“Go,” his voice flooded her earpiece.

“I’d like a SEAL guard on the prisoners. I just don’t trust anyone in this compound, and we can’t lose Rafiq.”

“Copy that. Blue and Tank, take the first watch, bring Bronte with you.”

“You got it, LT,” Tank said. Blue checked in as well with his affirmative. She felt marginally better.

She made her way to the Mess Hall, and when she entered, she saw Blue and Tank setting their trays in the bin. They smiled at her as they passed. “Thanks,” she said.

Then she spotted Wicked eating with Cowboy, Dozer, Dragon, Scarecrow, and Ruckus. She went to the line and got herself some food. Making her way over to their table, she sat down.

“Did you get anything out of our friends?” Ruckus asked.

“Yes. The woman is a university professor and she was conscripted into service. Eze threatened her family. The man won’t talk. My analysts are building profiles for both of them. Rafiq has the codes for the triggers in his head.”

Ruckus grinned wide. “That’s good news for Hollywood.”

His cheer was contagious as she smiled, too. “We’ll have to be careful with an exchange. Eze wants Hollywood dead. He means business as evidenced by that bounty. I think he’ll try to kill him during the tradeoff. We just have to be prepared.”

“I’m prepared. I have one of the best snipers in the navy.”

Dragon tilted his head and gave Ruckus a dubious look. “Say what?”

Ruckus chuckled. “You’re good, but I will definitely hurt Kid’s feelings if I say you’re the best. The boy wonder has more kills than you, I believe,” Ruckus said.

Cowboy laughed and said, “Son, you better take that and run with it. That’s a high compliment to be compared to our agent of chaos.”

“I’m well aware. I always jump at the chance to operate with you.”

She met Wicked’s amused gaze. It turned warm, lighting the amber deep in his eyes. He wanted to kiss her. She could tell by the way his eyes slid over her face and lingered on her lips. She wet them, and his eyes flared.

Then someone nudged him, and he looked over with a scowl. “Salt?” Scarecrow said. “You in La-la Land, man?”

“Just tired,” he said picking up the salt shaker and handing it to Scarecrow.

Crow narrowed his eyes and met hers, assessing. His brows rose, but she looked down.

Wicked cleared his throat. “I’m heading out.”

It was Kat’s cue to finish her meal. “I’ll walk you out,” she said, trying not to sound breathless. But she just wanted to corner him and kiss the hell out of him.

She and Wicked received more speculative looks. She should have realized that them getting along would be a red flag something had changed. She didn’t feel the need to fill them in, though. She liked having Wicked all to herself.

She intended to have him as much as possible.