Cover Me (Elite Force 1)

“No,” Sunny signed fast, one hand low behind her back. “Gun. Hostage. Help.”

Horror iced through Misty as her sister was loaded into a security boat tied to a mooring.

Frantically, she studied Sunny closer. The early morning sun caught a glint of metal pressed into her sister’s side. Most definitely a gun held in the mystery woman’s hand. And oh God, Flynn was actually helping by hauling Sunny along? She couldn’t wrap her brain around the possibility that he could do something so horrific, that he could be involved in this criminal nightmare…

Because it couldn’t be him. Somehow, even if it seemed impossible, that had to be Ryker. Her brain began to register the differences. Now she just had to figure out what to do next.

Misty’s chest went tight with panic, her knees wobbly, and she grabbed the nearest mooring post for support. Only a split instant to make a decision whether to press ahead and scream or slip away and search for help. And if she chose wrong, her sister would die. Others could die from the stray gunfire.

Her grip numbing as she held on to the boat for balance, she looked behind her for help, but Agent Lasky was out of sight. Everyone else at least a hundred yards away on the other side of the fence. God, why had she wandered so far away?—but if she hadn’t she wouldn’t have found her sister. And why weren’t there more police on the dock?

She made her decision. She couldn’t even waste a second for a final look, or good-bye, or I love you. But then her sister had to already know.

Misty spun on her heel and ran full out toward Agent Lasky. She didn’t have to be able to hear to know the boat carrying her sister was already roaring away.

***

Wade had once held immeasurably still for five hours in a Central American jungle after stabilizing an injured pilot who’d punched out of his F-16 doing drug interdiction patrols. Their ride out had been diverted due to antiaircraft fire, and with drug lords crawling around behind every banana tree, he hadn’t dared move.

He’d only been on this frozen rooftop a half hour, scanning the perimeter for suspicious activity, but it already seemed twice as long as that jungle stint. He would feel a helluva lot better when he had a chance to talk to Sunny, to figure out a way to sort through the anger in her eyes. Still, even knowing that the SWAT team and the local police were crawling all over the place, even sending out a boat to patrol the bay, didn’t ease the knot in his gut at the thought of her here helping.

His earpiece buzzed with chatter from the bomb squad as they discussed ways to either disable the device or contain the blast. Fire trucks and EMTs waited outside the fence. And the MH-60 was still parked right where they’d landed a couple of hours ago.

“Hurry up and wait” had never felt so damn excruciating before.

McCabe’s knees popped again as he shifted positions. “Wanna swap places? I just got a clear view of your girlfriend.”

“Where? What’s she doing?” Damn it, she should be far, far away from this place. “Hang on and I’ll be over in a second. There’s something funky going on outside the gate.”>“You’ve been protecting him for fifteen years. Some habits are hard to break.”

She wanted to throw up. How could he think that of her after all they’d shared, how close they’d been? Or maybe she’d only imagined the connection on his side. Because it was very clear right now that he wasn’t budging.

Still, she had to say her piece. “That’s totally different from this. I can love my brother without loving the choices he’s made… But I can see that you don’t believe me.”

“I can’t risk it.”

Did he believe she might try to alert her brother? Sneak him away from a military op involving enough firepower to blow them all sky-high? She shook her head in disbelief.

Her heart shattered into a thousand pieces at his words, like the final tap on a pristine sheet of ice that fractured it apart, nothing left but deathly cold water beneath.

“That’s it for us then. You go do your job, and I’ll do my best to stay out of your way. But you do not have the authority to make me leave. As long as Lasky believes I’m a valuable asset, then I’m staying right here.”

She backed a step from him, her eyes memorizing the bold, strong lines of his face. Snow flurries fell between them, melting on his hair and sleeves. Her fingers ached to test the stubble along his jaw one last time, to brush the beads of water from his head.

“Good-bye, Wade.” She forced herself to turn away fast, before she weakened and changed her mind.

Or before he saw the tears clouding her eyes.

Through the sheen, she saw Flynn in the distance, standing just past the boathouse. At least they could work together to try and make some sense of what had happened in their village. Together with Misty they could try to find the people responsible.

Before she’d made it two steps, Wade clasped her arm. “Stop. We can talk later. But for now you just can’t wander off.”

What good would talking do? She didn’t, couldn’t, face him. “I’ll stay with Flynn and my sister. We’ll stick by Lasky. Now please. Let. Me. Go.”

He held her arm so long she thought he might argue. Part of her wanted him to stay and hash this out, reassure her she’d misunderstood somehow. His fingers slid away, releasing her with his own unspoken good-bye.

Her feet moved ahead of her heart, making fast tracks across the deserted frozen lot, needing to put distance between herself and Wade. She searched, anger clouding her mind. Finally, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure outside the power plant gates. Flynn. He must have taken Misty away to find something to eat at the fishing festival.

She doubled her speed, sidling out a gate, past a guard, racing toward the dock. She glanced back over her shoulder quickly, only to find Wade stalking off into the swirling snow. Collecting his thoughts, maybe? She couldn’t blame him.