Exchange of Fire (32 page)

Elation and confusion swamped Sandra.
He loves me. Can’t live without me!
Holy crap. She never expected to hear those words from him. Especially after their talk last night.

An uncontrollable tremble washed through her body, forcing her to cling to Grady. This man. This amazing man rescued her, pulling her out of the nightmare loop that had refused to relinquish its grip since that fateful day in Mexico. Thanks to him, her squeamishness at holding the sniper rifle and shooting again after she vowed to never do so all melted away. The second Carlos had lined his sights on Grady’s chest, the delusion of the little girl had shattered and taking the shot was the only thing that mattered. Failure never entered her mind. Saving him dominated every single molecule.

She squeezed his forearms. She figured she’d always carry the shadow of that fourteen-year-old with her—in fact, she prayed she’d never forget these past few months, since they’d grounded and helped her realize she wasn’t invincible. But starting with Carlos, she now finally felt as if she’d earned the right to receive redemption. Peace wafted over her.

“Casper, Wraith?”
Cappy snapped.

She tore away from Grady and skipped down the steps. “We’re on our way.”

“Someone called the cops before Ted finished jamming the signals. They’re on their way,”
Cappy announced.
“I’m headed to the Security Room to get a hold of the Senator.”

A frown stole over Grady’s gorgeous face. “I’m bothered by something.” He jogged beside her down the escalator. Her heart foolishly skipped a beat at his proximity. “Where’s Henry? He would’ve called in the cavalry long before an employee did.”

“We haven’t seen him since we arrived,”
Cappy answered.
“No one was manning the Security Room either.”

“Shit. That’s exactly where he was when the laser tag competition started.” Grady swiped a hand through his hair, then followed her off the moving stairs.

“I’ll make a quick run around the building outside to see if he’s there,” Romeo offered, already moving toward the arcade.

Sandra scanned the controlled chaos. A heavyweight body lay piled near the bathroom, out of sight of the glass doors by the go-kart entrance. The information counter was destroyed, with its glass and merchandise all over the floor. Most employees sat at the tables, but a few stood along the edges. The volume and tension were steadily rising.

Sandra’s stomach knotted. “We’re missing folks.”

“Not everyone had the ability to move after being so terrified. I’ve herded them into one of the partitioned rooms in the back corner of the laser tag floor so they can’t see the gruesome scene anymore,”
Magician replied.
“The security guard Sid latched on to Allie, trying to keep her calm.”

“We have only a few minutes before the police arrive.”
A phone rang over her comm.
“Silence, people,”
Cappy demanded.

“Hello, Senator,”
Cappy said.
“We’ve got a situation we need your help with. It seems Victor tried to get revenge on us all and gave up our location to Carlos Osvaldo, head of the Osvaldo Cartel. He’s a mark who escaped from us months ago—long story I don’t have time to tell. Anyway, he came here and held the employees hostage. My sniper shot him. Me and my other operatives eliminated the three goons guarding the exits. The civilian owner of the entertainment center killed the last henchmen in self-defense.”

“Jesus Christ,”
the Senator replied.

“My thoughts exactly. The cops are seconds from arriving, and if I don’t get something in place, my people are going to be arrested and charged with murder.”

“We can’t let them investigate. That will open a shitstorm on the entire government’s head.”

“I know,”
Cappy answered tightly, pausing.
“Over the past few days, two of my operatives have taken on their FBI personas, but their cover story of investigating a drug ring is not going to hold up without some help. Shit. I see the lights racing toward us now. As soon as the police breach, the employees here are going to start talking.”

“Let me call Frank over at the Department of Defense. See what the DoD can do. In the meantime, don’t let the local authorities in.”

The Senator hung up.

“Move it, people,”
Cappy yelled.
“Bar the doors. Grady, control your staff. They’re going to riot when they see us locking the police out. Romeo, get inside, now.”

Talon ran out of the Employees Only door and disappeared down the escalator to the bottom floor.

“I found Henry behind the Dumpsters,”
Romeo said.
“Coming in now, but Ted needs to get an ambulance here ASAP. He’s been shot in the abdomen and is bleeding.”

Oh God. Her hands clenched into fists.

“Ted,”
Cappy barked.
“Get an ambulance here.”

“I heard. Already getting the message out.”

Talon reemerged, holding a pile of chains in his hands. Sandra ran forward and grabbed two sets from him. He wouldn’t look at her, but at the moment she could only focus on the clusterfuck currently happening, not the one coming down the pike.

Grady took a length from her and headed toward the set leading to the paintball arena while she ran for the front doors. She slid the links through the handles and locked them in place.

Romeo slid to a stop by Grady.
“You have keys to the dead bolt back there?”

Grady slapped the chain into Romeo’s hands and ran out of sight. By the time he reappeared, Romeo had finished the side door.

Employees rose to their feet, demanding answers and working themselves into a frenzy. Shit. With so many disturbing events in such a short period of time, they were going to hurt someone if they continued.

Grady whistled loudly.

Everyone paused and focused on him.

“Folks, calm down,” he shouted. “I know this looks bad, but we’re under orders to do this.”

Romeo held up his badge and yelled, “I’m Special Agent Stiles of the FBI. This will all be explained shortly.”

Members of the police swarmed out of their cars, sending a small squad to the main entrance first. They pulled on the doors, then pounded on the glass, shouting, “Police! Open up!”

It was like someone hit play on this fucked-up video and the staff unfroze.

“FBI’s orders?”

“Let them in!”

“I want to go home.”

The scared employees continued to shout.

“As Special Agent Stiles said, this will all be explained shortly,” Grady hollered over the hysteria. “We need to sit tight while the two jurisdictions sort this mess out.”

His staff quieted to a dull roar, and Sandra placed a hand on his back to lend her support.

“What’s going on?”

“Who was that man holding Allie?”

“We can’t answer anything yet,” Sandra responded, crossing her fingers the Senator would come through. “I promise you, you’ll know soon enough. Just be patient, then we can all go home. Safely.”

Some shot fervent glances at the doors, then at Grady, then at her team.
Shitdamnfuck.
That did not bode well. Most of the staff were kids who hadn’t yet learned that anger and force didn’t solve everything.

“Casper Grady, open up,” Officer O’Malley’s voice called from a bullhorn. “Unlock these doors or you’ll be charged with kidnapping and obstruction of justice.”

Christ.

“Did you hear that, Grady?” someone shouted from the group behind him. “You can’t keep us in here against our will.”

Always one in the local police who took things to the limit.

A helicopter flew overhead. Then another right behind it. The concussion of the rotors rumbled through the entertainment center. The first one landed in the grass just beyond the front parking lot. Five people kitted in full military SWAT gear hopped out. The chopper lifted off, then the second one landed and four more jumped out.

Holy hell.
What now?

A squad of five raced out of sight, presumably to cover the rest of the building, while the remaining arrivals slid into formation behind one man.

“Who’s in charge out here?” the lead SWAT guy shouted, the microphone on his helmet amplifying his voice.

Silence engulfed the staff as everyone jockeyed to see what new hell was about to befall them.

An older man in his sixties stepped from behind a squad car. “I am. I’m Captain Richards.”

“I’ve been ordered to tell your men to stand down and clear out. This is a federal investigation.” He thrust a white envelope at the captain, then resumed his stiff position.

The assault rifles these guys held in the rest position were intimidatingly wicked.

The captain looked up from reading, his face sour from its contents. He pulled out a cell phone and began speaking. No one inside could hear the conversation, but judging from the body language, it wasn’t going the way he hoped. He glanced at SWAT Guy’s face, but he probably couldn’t see much through the helmet. SWAT Guy didn’t so much as flinch underneath the captain’s scrutiny. Very cool and very assured of his authority.

“Fall back,” the captain shouted after he hung up his phone. “These guys have the authority. We’re to assist as needed.”

Sandra winked at Grady in relief. She swept her gaze over the employees’ dumbfounded faces.
Thank you, Senator.

“We don’t need your assistance at this time,” SWAT Guy said. “We need for you to leave the premises immediately.”

It took the police ten long minutes to reluctantly climb back into their cars and drive off. After the last car pulled out of the lot (Officer O’Malley’s), SWAT Guy took his helmet off and strode toward the door.

Cappy started laughing, and it took all of Sandra to maintain her clueless face.

“Son of a bitch,”
Cappy said between breaths.
“We’ve just been rescued by SBG. Casper, that’s Snowman from Echo Squad coming up, and I recognize Charlie Squad securing the perimeter.”

“Hope the kill-on-sight orders have been lifted,” Romeo murmured into Sandra’s ear.

Her gut twisted. Not even a little funny to contemplate.

“Yes, they have,”
Cappy answered.
“Ted received an e-mail from the Senator confirming it.”

Talon unchained the front doors and ushered Snowman in.

Romeo strolled forward and clapped the operative on the back with a wide grin. “Excellent timing, my friend.”

“Naturally,” Snowman replied, then leaned forward and whispered, but Sandra still heard through the open channel, “Ripped my heart out to receive the KOS orders on your squad. Didn’t know if I could actually go through with it.”

“Mighty glad we’ll never find out.”

The two men exchanged one of those manly looks filled with meaning, then Snowman followed Talon into the employee hallway.

“I believe we have a moment to finish our conversation,” Grady whispered.

Sandra signaled to Romeo and waited until the man reached them before asking in a low voice, “Can you take over for a minute?”

Her teammate grinned wide. “Only if you leave the comm open. You can’t shut me out of the last chapter of the novel.”

She slapped the incorrigible romantic and pulled Grady into the arcade, out of everyone’s sight. Butterflies threatened to take over her stomach.

The hopeful yet fearful expression eclipsing his face gave her courage.

She took a deep breath and rubbed her damp hands together. “Cynthia McClure.”

Grady stiffened. “Is that—”

“My birth name. Yes.” Light-headness swam through her brain at saying the name she had sworn she would never utter again.

Excitement sparked in his crystal blues. “Does that mean—”

She put a hand on his forearm. “I love you too, Casper Grady.”

His nostrils flared as he inhaled.

“I know I said last night I’m no longer Sandra or Wraith, but that’s not really accurate. I’m okay with being a blend of both. I started my dream life as Sandra. Fell in love with you as Sandra. I’d like to continue my future as Sandra, but there may be times when I have to pull out Wraith.”

“Does this mean you’re going back to Delta Squad or staying as my Operations Manager?” Every cell in his body seemed to lean forward in anticipation of her answer.

Damn. “I can’t answer that yet. I need to talk to the team. I can only promise that we’ll make the decision together.”

“I recognize you’re a badass, but don’t think you’re ever doing anything dangerous without me watching your back.”

Tears flooded her eyes, blurring his image. The vise squeezing her chest released. She hadn’t been sure if he could accept her possibly going back into her old life.

She unclasped the necklace she hadn’t taken off for a single second in the last five years. Holding it up to him, she said, “The interlocking spiral of the three dragon heads symbolize strength, courage, and wisdom. Please accept this as a token of my commitment to making this work. I love you, Casper Grady. I need you to be my third option.”

A sheen of moisture clouded his eyes and he lifted a trembling hand. Gently he took the necklace from her and clenched it in his fist. With his other hand he yanked her forward.

“I love you so much,” he whispered against her lips, then cut off her response when he molded his mouth to hers. They dueled over tasting each other, their tongues frantically intertwining. Sandra pressed as close as she could, smashing her breasts against his body.

“I think they’re in here . . .” Shriek. “Oh my God!” Loud giggle.

“You guys,” a second voice called, male. “Who had today’s square in the bet they’d hook up?”

Sandra tore her mouth away and banged her head against his laughing chest. “They bet on us?”

“You didn’t know that?” Grady asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

Sandra groaned. “No.”

He leaned down and said softly, “Since you’re going to be sticking around for a long time, I know of a great home you can live in if you don’t mind bullet holes redecorating the walls and duct-tape on the furniture.”

Sandra grinned up at him. “Deal.”