Chapter 5
West’s alarm clock screeched at five in the morning.
With a sigh, he picked up his phone from the night stand and checked his messages, hoping to hear from Katie. He had one from Nox, one of his teammates, who said he’d be moving in this morning. West fired off a reply and tugged on a pair of sweatpants and a muscle shirt. He slept naked, and West didn’t bother with underwear, preferring to go commando.
Once he was decent, he headed downstairs to the gym. When he passed Annie’s door, he briefly hesitated. She’d taken the empty bedroom next to his. On the other side, was Katie’s room.
Last night, King had taken Annie back to the bar to get her car. She’d pulled a couple duffel bags out of the trunk and brought them upstairs. And he wondered if she’d been staying in the rusty old Kia Rio.
For a second, he contemplated knocking and inviting her to work out with him, but ultimately decided against it.
West found himself wanting to know more about her, but since this gig wasn’t permanent, it was probably a terrible idea. He didn’t have the time for attachments anyway.
After turning on some Rascal Flatts and putting his ear buds in, he got his ass in gear. West loved working out, because it gave him the opportunity to quiet his mind. He performed a variety of HIIT exercises like squats, burpees, pushups, and lunges. The workouts were quick and could be done anywhere.
When he finished, he grabbed a hot shower and then West headed into the kitchen and made himself some sausage, toast, and eggs, along with some Starbucks House Blend. After he finished breakfast, his phone pinged with a FaceTime invitation from Katie.
“Hi, Daddy.”
West grinned. “Hey there, Katydid.” She was a miniature of his ex-wife, but she had his eyes. Since his son’s sudden death, they’d grown even closer, and Katie was the center of his world.
“How was the zoo? Tell me more about the pandas.” She’d texted him some photos of a panda last night, along with appropriate emojis. “They were awesome, Daddy. So cute and fluffy…” And then she launched into a blow by blow account of her encounter with the bears.
“What do you think about comin’ over to my place when you get back? We could have a campfire.”
“Yes, please!”
She squealed with excitement, dancing up and down. He loved that about her, how simple things made her happy. She was so innocent, and he’d do anything to protect her. Part of him wanted to keep her this little for her entire life.
“Ask your mom and see if it’s all right with her.” West doubted Paige would have any objections since she was a newlywed and wanted more time with her new husband.
She’d gotten married three months ago, and he’d attended the small ceremony, along with Katie. Watching Paige walk down the aisle with someone else had given him closure. Paige was no longer his to worry about. She had a new man by her side and seemed content. She deserved a fresh start.
“I will, Daddy. I love you.”
“I love you too, Katydid.”
She kissed her fingers and pressed them to the screen. “Gotta go. We’re gonna swim in the indoor pool. I’ll talk to you later.”
After hanging up, West poured himself another cup of joe.
One by one, his teammates drifted downstairs after finishing their own morning routines. King liked to workout and then sing Savannah songs off key in the shower. Mack journaled quietly in her bedroom. Stormy made himself a smoothie bowl and then went for a walk.
When Annie entered the room, he sucked in a breath.
He hadn’t been nervous around a girl since high school. But then again, it was the last time he’d dated anyone. He and Paige had been together since their sophomore year.
After she made herself a cup of coffee, Annie grabbed a granola bar from her pocket.
She caught him staring and he glanced away.
“Let’s have a quick staff meetin’ and then I’ll hand out assignments for the day.” He headed to the meeting room, and everyone followed him. And Nox walked in the door, just in time to join his peers.
***
Annie hung back until everyone else had been seated.
She finally sat beside Mack. They’d met briefly last night, and Annie was grateful to have a bit less testosterone in the mix. Across the table from her, was another man she didn’t recognize, and he didn’t offer her his name, or even a smile.
“Okay, everybody, shut your cake holes and let’s get this show on the road.” Everybody went silent. West took his seat and got down to business. “Now that were all here, let’s do short introductions, for those of you who don’t know each other.”
He gestured to his left. “This is Stormy. Up until recently, he was workin’ at a Silicon Valley startup. He’ll be our tech guy.”
Like the rest of the men in this room, he was handsome. Storm had dark chocolate eyes and a shock of brown hair, but unlike the rest of them, he had on a pair of khakis and a polo, while everyone else wore jeans and T-shirts.
“Since we’re about to get friendly, I was wonderin’ why the fuck would you leave such a choice job?” King asked.
Storm shrugged. “I worked ninety hours a week, and I was gone so much, I killed my cactus. Think about that for a minute.”
She’d heard horror stories about startups and people working themselves to death. Sometimes, the companies didn’t even turn a profit, so all that effort was for nothing.
King nudged her. “FYI, he’s a spook, so watch yourself.”
Her eyes rounded. Spook? As in CIA? Holy crap.
“Come on, tell her.” King made a “get on with it” motion.
Storm rolled his eyes. “I can neither confirm nor deny my status.”
“Which is spook for ‘yes.’” King translated for her.
“Agents make my ass itch.” Surprising a shiver, Zane glanced at Storm. “No offense.”
“Too damn bad, I’m offended.”
West smothered a laugh with his hand.
Annie found herself smiling. She missed this kind of camaraderie. The men she’d worked with loved to bust each other’s chops. It was their way of showing affection.
“He probably knows everythin’ we’ve ever bought on our credit cards.” King whispered this, like he was telling her a secret, only it was loud enough for everyone else to hear.
“And what kind of porn we watch,” Zane added loudly.
Storm smirked. “Hell yeah, I know what kind of porn you watch. You like librarian types, so what? I don’t judge.” He gave King the side eye. “And we both know the sick shit you’re into.”
“Blondes with great big tits?” He held out his hands, as though carrying two ripe melons. “Guilty as charged.”
Storm snorted. “Oh, you like other things, too.”
King changed the topic real quick. “Hey, man, did you ever do any sexpionage? You never gave us a straight answer.”
“Ready for one?”
King nodded.
“No, because this is the 21st century and I’m not James Bond.” He leaned back in the chair and folded his arms across his muscular chest.
Speaking of…
Annie glanced around the room and noted everyone was in great shape. She pressed a hand against the belly she’d developed over the last few weeks. Eating fast food and skipping workouts hadn’t done her figure any favors.
She made a mental note to visit the gym tonight. She hadn’t been working out as much as she regularly did. Clearly, she was going to have to up her game to keep up with everyone else. With any luck, this gig might lead to other opportunities in her field, a chance to redeem herself, if it was possible.
Maybe the universe had thrown her a bone.
“Well, that sucks. It’s a good thin’ you’re smarter than an old hooty owl.” King snorted.
“A what…?” Storm made a face. “I swear, I only understand half of what you guys say.” If her ears were right, the majority of them were Southern. She thought Storm had a west coast accent.
“I know you ain’t deaf.”
He closed his eyes, as though King had just gotten on his last nerve. “I’m just consternated by the use of Southern colloquiums.”
Annie had a feeling this was an old argument.
“I think he said constipated.” King glanced at Zane for confirmation.
“Yeah, that’s what I heard to. You should buy some prunes for that.”
A muscle jumped in Storm’s jaw. “You know very well I said consternated.”
Zane snickered. “And quit usin’ all those fancy pants Georgetown words while you’re at it.”
“Will you stop fuckin’ around? We’ve got work to do.” West clapped his hands together with anticipation. “Were gettin’ off topic here.” Methodically, he went clockwise around the table, introducing King, Zane, Mack, and the newcomer. “And this is Logan Knoxville, a former Army Ranger, and a damn good sniper, if I do say so myself.”
He nodded to the room. “Call me Nox, everyone does.” He had a devilish twinkle in his blue eyes. His hair was coal black, and he pushed an impatient hand through it. Like the rest of him, he was fit and handsome. And she couldn’t tell how tall he was because Nox was seated.
“A sniper, eh?” King had a curious streak. Annie was glad he asked the questions, so she didn’t have to.
“Yeah, I dropped bodies all over the Middle East.”
King hmmphed and nodded in approval.
From what she understood about the Rangers, they sat on a target for hours, sometimes days, and took the shot whenever they got a green light. Annie couldn’t imagine watching someone go about their daily life—kissing their kids, feeding the dog, watching television, and then putting a bullet in them. She could never be so coldly detached.
“Did it ever bother you?” Mack asked. “Pulling the trigger, I mean.” She’d clearly been thinking along the same lines.
“Why would it? I was doin’ my job. I don’t think, I don’t feel, I just hit the target, and move on to the next one. ” Nox genuinely didn’t seem to understand the question, which was even scarier.
“Sweet Jesus, you’ve got ice water in your veins.” It wasn’t a dig. On the contrary, Zane seemed appreciative of the man’s detachment. Annie bet the SEALS had trained themselves to focus on the mission, and not worry about the rest.
“I’m as cold as they come,” Nox said smugly.
Annie did a quick read of the room. She loved studying group dynamics, finding out who worked well with whom.
West, Zane, Storm, and King were all friendly since they’d worked with one another. Mack was warm and inviting, although she wasn’t as familiar with everyone else either.
Storm didn’t quite fit in with the rest of them. He was a classic fish out of water. He might’ve worked with them for years, but he wasn’t quite one of the group. As a female on a largely male staff, Annie had been an outsider at times, too.
Nox, on the other hand, was smooth and unperturbed, like he was a thousand steps ahead of anyone else. And she got the sense he had more bite than bark. There was something downright machinelike about the man as though nothing fazed him.
Annie sat in a room filled with deadly men, yet he’s the only one who gave her pause.
“So, what’s the mission statement?” Storm asked, bringing them back on task.
“You think I wrote one?” West raised one disbelieving brow.
“Then what are the mission parameters?” Storm had an analytical bent and Annie bet he needed to know how West’s vision for the company fit into the big picture.
“We’ll be handlin’ a bit of everything—bounty huntin’, body guardin’, K&R, and any other security services you can think of.”
Annie had heard the term K&R before, and it referred to kidnapping and ransom. Snatching people was big business in some parts of the world, including this one.
“Oh, and before I forget.” West headed into the other room and when he returned, he was carrying a black German Shepherd puppy, and it was the cutest thing Annie had ever seen. “This is Bomber, and he’s for you, Zane. I expect you to feed and train him, raise him up right.”
Evidently, he saw the question in Annie’s eyes, because West explained.
“Zane was Ares’ handler on our missions.” Evidently, Ares had been the name of their canine officer. The god of war, how fitting.
She’d worked with a cadaver dog a time or two. Their noses were thousands of times more sensitive than a human’s, and they could locate a body fast, even one that was hidden.
“Will do, Chief. Pleased to meet ya, Bomb.” Zane scratched the puppy under the chin and then settled it in his lap, where it promptly fell asleep.
“All right, let’s get started on a plan. We’ve already got another lead on our first fugitive.” He turned to Storm. “Have you tracked down the bartender/drug dealer from last night?”
“Yeah, I know where he lives.” Storm nodded to Nox. “Why don’t you come with me to question him? And I’ll get you up to speed on the case since you just arrived. Deal?”
“Works for me.”
“Excellent,” West said. “Once you find out where Ryder’s holed up, give us a call. Annie and I will check it out. King, why don’t you come with us?”
“I’ll bring my Narcan with me, just in case.” Narcan was used to treat an overdose and given Ryder’s habit, they might need it.
Annie was keyed up, ready to finish this thing. He was the least of her troubles, but capturing him would be a great start.
She ultimately had her sights on Turner, and she promised herself that she’d be the one to bring him to justice. The bastard had a lot to atone for. A small part of her wanted to take him out in the middle of nowhere and shoot him in the back of the head, leave him for dead. Considering what he’d done to Mike and her, it would only be fitting.
“And what about the next target? The robber?” West glanced at a file folder, paging through the papers. “What can you tell us about John Doe?” he asked Annie.
“He’s practically a ghost. They were forced to charge him as a John Doe because he refused to give them his real name.” Annie had gotten as much information about the fugitives as possible before she’d been forced out of her position. “According to his records, the cops interrogated him for days, but he never blinked, and he refused a lawyer, too. Doe represented himself, and according to the court transcripts, he did a decent job.”
“It says here, he never killed anyone at his robberies.” West frowned.
“Yeah, and he tried to run interference with Turner, when the man threatened me, which was strange.” Annie didn’t know why he’d intervened. It didn’t make much sense since she was an obstacle to his escape plan.
“It sounds like he has a conscience,” Mack said. “Since he’s such a puzzle, why don’t I dig through his court proceedings and other public records, to see what I can find?”
“He’s all yours.” West slid the folder down the table to her. “Annie, can you give her what you have as well?”
“Sure, I’ve got some material in my room you might need.” Annie was reluctant to part with her research, but she could use all the help she could get. Maybe Mack could offer a new perspective.
West continued. “Which leaves us with the serial killer. Turner stabbed two dozen women to death over a period of years. Any insights, Annie?”
“Turner sliced the women up slowly—thin, painful wounds. They bled out in a matter of hours.” Death by a thousand cuts. “You could say he’s a modern-day Jack the Ripper.”
He was a true sadist, getting off on their fear and terror. He’d raped them as well. They’d all had vaginal abrasions from rough sex, although Turner hadn’t left any semen behind. Presumably because he’d worn a condom.
“Turner’s all about control.” Nox leaned forward. “It’s an aphrodisiac to him. Everything happens on his timetable. My guess is, he’s the mastermind of this group.”
Something told her, Nox identified with Turner, at least when it came to being a control freak. He might be dangerous, but Annie didn’t have Nox pegged as a deviant or anything.
Nox turned to her, evidently sensing her thoughts. “Huntin’ bad men on the run is what I do, so I know the type. In Afghanistan, I went after terrorists who tried to evade our government and took them out when a drone strike wasn’t feasible. I’m familiar with the case because it made national headlines and I was curious, so I looked into him.”
“I came to the same conclusion.” Annie just knew he’d coordinated the escape, although she didn’t have any real proof. “And then they fled the scene without a trace.”
Nox glanced at West. “I’m bettin’ he’s kept the rest of them in line until it was safe to venture out.”
“You think he’s been bidin’ his time, too?” West asked Annie.
Annie nodded. “Maybe he has an off the grid hideout? Or some friends the police don’t know about?” In cases like these, the authorities spoke with a fugitive’s family members, friends, and acquaintances to see if anyone was helping them. “And it took me months to get a lead on Ryder, but I haven’t heard anything about the other two. They’re gonna be a lot harder to find.”
“Why don’t I see what I can find?” Storm offered. “I have access to databanks that might be useful.”
“You still have your security clearance?” West asked.
“Not exactly.” His grin was sly.
“Say no more. Work your magic and see what shakes loose. Anythin’ else we need to discuss?” West glanced around the room and everyone shook their heads. “Dismissed.”
And just like that, the chase was on.