His gaze snapped back to her, and she found herself wondering what color his eyes were. “I have to let go of you. Don’t fall.”

She didn’t have time to answer. He released her waist and hand and reached back for his pack. Weak, Olivia swayed on her bare feet, but her adrenaline kept her upright. Footsteps pounded above. Running. Growing louder. Growing closer. Her gaze darted toward the stairs.

The man—Miller? Had he said his name was Miller? Or had she imagined that?—pulled something from his pack. His fingers moved quickly in the dark, and then he grasped her at the wrist and pulled. “Come on.”

They were heading toward the stairs. Sweat burst all over her skin. He couldn’t possibly mean to—

They reached the base of the stairs. A body stepped into the light at the top. One she recognized. The man who’d hit her relentlessly. She tensed. Tried to pull back out of the grip at her wrist. The man yelled in that same foreign language she didn’t understand. Miller threw whatever was in his hand up the stairs.

The sound of an explosion echoed through the basement, shaking the walls. A blinding light erupted above. Miller tugged hard on her arm. “Now!”

Olivia stumbled. Gasped. Tried to keep up. He dragged her across the basement, then stopped in front of what looked like a steel door. “Turn away.”

She didn’t know what he was doing, but she listened. Two more bangs, then the sound of metal shattering. She looked back just as he was shoving his shoulder against the door. It gave with a crack. Cement steps let up to cellar doors, which he quickly pushed open. Then warm sunlight rushed over her body, warming her frigid skin and bathing her in light.

Relief trickled through every cell in her body. She sucked in a deep breath, but the grip on her hand jolted her out of any celebration she wanted to lose herself in. “No time to fuck around,” Miller said to her. “We have to keep moving.”

Bright light blinded her, but she looked his way and realized he was holding a gun in both hands, scanning the area behind them.

“Head toward the fence,” he directed.

Grass pressed against the bottom of her feet as she forced her muscles forward, running for the fence. When she reached it, her heart sank.

The thing had to be at least ten feet tall. And metal, straight up. No footholds. She’d never scale it.

A dog barked. Inside the house, voices echoed and shouted. Footsteps pounded.

“Up, let’s go, come on. We’re running out of time.” Miller holstered the gun and then leaned over and cupped both hands together, creating a step for her.

“I can’t—”

“Fuck can’t. You wanna live? Then haul ass, woman. We’ve got seconds before they’re here.”

Olivia’s heart jumped into her throat. She gripped his strong shoulders and slid her foot into his hands. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me.” He didn’t even grunt as he hefted her up. Her fingertips grazed the top of the fence, and she clawed for a tight grip. “Throw yourself over.”

Throw herself over? She managed to get one leg over the side of the fence, then made the mistake of looking back.

Three, four, no . . . five men spilled out of the house, guns drawn. Somewhere a dog snarled and barked.

“Go!” Miller screamed.

Fear froze every muscle in her body.

Gunfire erupted in the yard.


Zane’s pulse shot into the stratosphere as he slid his arms into both straps of the backpack. He’d counted four men heading toward them from the direction of the parking lot, but they were already splitting up.

Eve’s hand gripped his shirt and tugged him back into the cover of the trees.

“How many?” Carter asked.

Eve took up space near Zane, gun drawn and ready, eyes scanning the park beyond. She was in black ops mode, and all he wanted to do was shove her behind him where he knew she’d be safe, but he knew there was no way in hell she’d ever go for that.

“Four,” he answered.

“Civilians?” Natalie asked, pulling a Colt XSE from her holster.

“They’ve scattered.” Zane squinted through the trees. “I can’t see them anymore.”

“Let’s hope to God they had the sense to get out of here.” Natalie gripped the gun in both hands. “Four against four. Those aren’t bad odds.”

“Four that we can see.” Zane glanced her way. “Packing M14s and who the hell knows what else.”

She grinned. “Makes it all the more fun.”

“You should leave, Natalie.” Eve’s strained voice met Zane’s ears, but he refused to turn and look. “This isn’t your fight.”

“I’m not leaving the three of you on your own.”

Yeah, but they needed Natalie alive so she could help clear Eve’s name. “Listen,” Zane said, “maybe Eve’s right.”

Gunfire exploded in the clearing. Reflexes had Zane shoving Eve to the ground.

She grunted as her shoulder and hip hit the earth. Dirt and grass flew up around them. More gunfire ricocheted, this time from Carter and Natalie as they fired back, protected by the trees. A thud echoed to Zane’s right, and Natalie groaned. When he turned to look, bright red seeped through the white cotton at her shoulder.

Zane scrambled off Eve and rushed to Natalie. With Eve’s help, they pulled her behind another tree. From ahead, Carter hollered, “A little help here!”

Eve was on her feet in seconds, her gun drawn as she joined Carter. Tightness closed around Zane’s chest, but he knew he had to trust in her training. Had to let her do what she needed to do. He helped Natalie lean against a tree and pressed a hand over the wound.

“Shit,” she gasped. “Maybe I should have listened.”

“We’re gonna get you out of here.” He picked up her good arm and placed her hand against the wound. “Pressure here. You hear me? Don’t let up.”

She bit hard into her lip. Nodded. “Just get the fuckers.”

When Zane reached Eve and Carter, Eve was already switching magazines. Two assailants lay dead in the park, but two more were closing in fast. He skidded to his knees and quickly rummaged through the backpack until he found the flash grenades in the bottom. Jerking the pin free, he threw one into the park. “Go!”

A boom echoed, followed by a flash of light, blinding the attackers. Eve stepped out from behind the tree, lifted the gun in both hands, aimed at the man on the right, and fired. The bullet hit him in the throat. He went down like a board. She swiveled and aimed at the guy on the left and did the same. Gunfire erupted, but the man only got off two shots before he was on the ground.

“Fucking A,” Carter mumbled from yards away. “Archer!”

Lifting his Beretta again, Zane swiveled and saw what Carter was staring at.

Two more men coming from the direction of the parking lot. One carrying what looked like a rocket launcher on his shoulder.

“Fuck me,” Zane muttered.

Carter whipped around. “We need to haul ass.”

Eve stepped out and fired. Missed. Fired again. Bullets thunked against wood. She ducked back behind the tree, just barely missing being hit. “What about—?”

“I’ll get her,” Carter announced. “Just fucking go!”

He was already running for Natalie before Zane could stop him. Before he could argue. The guy with the rocket launcher lowered it to his shoulder and lined up his sights.

Grasping Eve by the collar, Zane pulled hard. “Go, go, go!”

Muscles in his legs burned as they sprinted for the far end of the park. Gunfire rang out behind him. He turned to fire one. Twice. Felt like he was in a dream. From the corner of his eye he saw Carter lift Natalie over his shoulder. Saw the blood running down her arm. Saw Carter push his legs into motion and head the other direction.

No. They were going the wrong direction. That would lead them closer to the parking lot. Where they didn’t know how many others were waiting.

He opened his mouth to yell for Carter to stop. The rocket launcher hissed.

And then the world exploded.

18

Dirt and leaves and grass filled Eve’s mouth.

She coughed, rolled to her side, and grimaced at the burn in her side. Heat spread over her skin. She pulled her eyelids apart to see the trees, the forest, everything in flames.

“Get up. Gotta keep moving.”

Zane’s hand tugged on her arm, pulling her to her feet. In a daze she tried to make sense of the explosion. Tried to see through the flames and smoke to what lay beyond. Tried to find—

“Carter!” She jerked hard on Zane’s arm, stopping him from pulling her.

“He’s dead, Eve.”

“No!” Eve struggled against his grip.

Zane’s dirt-streaked face appeared right in front of hers, his eyes wide and intense, and she registered his strong arms gripping her upper arms. “He’s dead. They both are. And we will be too if we don’t get the fuck out of here now.”

Dead. They . . . Oh shit. Natalie. Carter. Both of them.

Zane yanked her forward. Her muscles reacted even if her mind was having trouble keeping up. Gripping the gun tightly in her other hand, she ran with him through the trees, away from the carnage. Her stomach rolled. Sickness threatened, but she fought it back. Just like every other time an op had gone wrong and someone had died.

But this was Carter . . .

Don’t think about him. Don’t think about them.

They stumbled onto a golf course. Zane didn’t let up on his hold. He tugged her into the trees, around shrubs and rocks and saplings, not giving her a moment to rest. Not giving her time to think. Only time to feel.

Dead.

No . . . Not both of them. Not because of her.