Delta Force Desire (14 page)

“Suddenly, I'm not hungry.” He was in a mood to ice her out, and she wasn't in the mood to oblige.

“Are you returning to the lab?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“I have to come with you.”

“I thought you said I didn't need you. If I'm safe here, then you might as well take a break.”

“Kit, don't be like this. What happened between us was great, but how long can this last? I sit in a lab and watch you work. We're surrounded by trained military men and women. Have you considered how boring that is for me?”

“Then that's the reason. You're bored here.”

He shook his head. “You've known from the beginning that my area of expertise is not in protection. I want to be placed where I can do some good.”

He was doing good. He had saved her on multiple occasions. “I don't want you to leave and take a new assignment.”

“That isn't up to you. Not entirely,” Griffin said.

“Who makes the call?” Kit asked.

“Connor West.”

Kit could call Connor and express her desire to have Griffin stay with her, but trapping Griffin wasn't in her best interest. He would resent her unless he made the decision himself. Why couldn't she convince him to stay? What were the words he needed to hear?

“I'll be safe in the lab. Please, give me some space,” she said.

She returned to the lab and didn't look back. She ignored the guard who checked her in, seeing that he was the man who had out-processed her a few minutes before.

She entered her lab and sat down at the computer.

Kit had worked long, late nights on the Locker years before. She couldn't count the number of nights she was alone in the lab, working all night, but it had to be hundreds. It was how she worked best. Now it depressed her. This wasn't the life she wanted. She didn't find constant solitude appealing.

Even working in the greenhouse had been more fulfilling. She craved privacy at times but acknowledged a difference between being alone and loneliness.

As she worked, her thoughts wandered to Griffin. Why was she pushing him for answers? Her sister had advised her to show Griffin she cared for him. She had done the opposite. He had baggage, and until he was ready to put it down, it would burden him.

She dove into her work, concentrating on the parts of the Locker she had control over. Something about this part of the Locker she was working on seemed different. As she scrolled through the code, she realized that the Locker must be housed somewhere local. The calls were over a local area network. She considered interesting possibilities.

A red light high on the wall flashed, interrupting her. She turned to the monitoring screen hung near the door. The words Unauthorized Overhead Activity scrolled across the screen with no further information given. A plane off its flight path? She had been through several false alarms in the past. When working out of a secure location, any unknown was cause for investigation. It was usually nothing.

A sense of dread washed over her when the light didn't stop after a few moments. She didn't know the policies and procedures of this base, but red flashing warnings were bad. She strode to the door and pressed her fingers over the biometric lock to open it. If the base went into lockdown mode, she didn't want to be trapped in this room alone for hours or days. She wanted to be near Griffin. The door slid open.

Griffin was sitting on the floor, and surprise shook her. He rose to his feet, and her annoyance with him dissipated.

“Overhead activity,” she said.

“I saw the alert. Couldn't get into the lab without you and the guard told me the most he'd allow was to let me wait out here. Until we know what's happening, we should move somewhere safe. The guard left his post, likely to find out what is happening.”

“It could be friendly traffic,” she said. Her experiences in the past told her it was probable.

“I don't want to wait around to find out,” Griffin said. This time he took her hand in his. She found comfort in his touch.

A shrill alarm sounded. The situation was escalating.

Chapter 12

G
riffin pulled Kit toward the exit. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” she asked. She didn't have a plan. Their apartment wasn't necessarily the best place to wait. They had little information to go on.

His face was intense, like it was every time they were in danger. “I have a plan.”

How could he think he wasn't a good protector? He took the job seriously, and he was engaged in finding a safe place for her. Kit's head spun. “We have to stay here. We can lock the door to the lab.” Panic was setting in. How close was the danger? Being in the lab with Griffin wasn't as scary as being there alone.

“I'm not locking us in a room and waiting for someone to bomb their way in and then slaughter us.”

That sobering thought cut through her panic. “Lead the way.” She had trusted Griffin before, on many levels, and she would trust him now.

They fled the lab. Outside the building, the sky was dark and quiet. Had it been a false alarm? A test?

“I'm scared,” Kit said.

“I won't let anything happen to you.” He touched the side of her face and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Her love for him and the trust she had in him swelled inside her. “I know you won't.”

* * *

Griffin hadn't liked this place from the day they'd arrived. The secret location and the lack of information had made his skin crawl. What was occurring? Did he want to know?

“We need supplies. We need the satellite phone. Connor will give us a straight answer,” Griffin said.

They ran toward their apartment. Griffin kept a backpack stocked with necessary items. If they were to survive in the wilderness for a time, he needed the bare minimum: a knife, striker and flint and a compass or his watch.

They hurried into the apartment, and Griffin grabbed his pack and his satellite phone.

Someone knocked on their door, and Griffin pointed to his bedroom. He didn't want to be taken somewhere to wait. He wanted to be free to move around at his discretion. They ran into the bedroom and climbed out through the window.

They ran. Griffin and Kit found a place to hide in the jungle in sight of the base. His first call was to Connor.

“We heard a message that the base was investigating overhead activity, and now there seems to be panic all around us,” Griffin said.

He heard Kate's voice in the background. “Let me find out what's going on. Are you and Kit safe?” Connor asked.

“For now,” Griffin said. “We're on our own, though.” As a West Company operative, he worked alone on many assignments. While he liked to assist others, he had learned not to rely on them. He could make faster, better decisions alone.

“Kate says she sees a boat moving toward the island. Not a United States vessel. And we see air traffic.”

“Where are we? I haven't tracked our location on the sat phone,” Griffin said.

“Military base on an unmapped island off the coast of southern California,” Connor said. “The base sees the approaching vessel, too. They have alerts going out for sea and air support.”

“What's my next move?” Griffin asked.

“Get Kit and yourself off that island,” Connor said. “If you can't do that before you're trapped, you'll need a place to lie low and hide out. I'll send an extraction team.”

“Ten-four,” Griffin said.

“We'll message you as information becomes available,” Connor said.

Griffin disconnected the call. He had thoughts similar to Connor's—either to run or wait for the crisis to pass. Griffin wasn't a fool. He didn't wait around for a problem to explode in his face. He knew where a few helicopters were stored, gassed and ready to fly. It would take time to get to the location, but the sooner he did, the better. He could avoid the air attacks and fly Kit to safety.

“Maybe it's nothing. I don't see anything,” Kit said. Her fingernails were digging into his arm. Some of the noise seemed to have subsided. The military on this island might react to every unknown or threat like DEFCON 1 due to the sensitive intel they were guarding.

A whistling sound cut through the air. Griffin reached for Kit, tucking her against him. That sound was too familiar. Ammunition was being fired, far enough from them to avoid the energy wave, close enough to see the fireball rise in the darkening sky.

This was not a drill. Drills didn't involve live missiles.

The base was organizing. All the soldiers knew their roles and where they needed to be. Could they counter this attack? The nearest help could be an hour or more away.

A plane roared overhead and rained bombs down. Their target was likely buildings. The jungle was safer.

“The Locker. They'll steal the rest of it,” Kit said.

“Doesn't matter. What matters is your safety,” Griffin said.

Kit jerked away from him. “It does matter. If Incognito acquires a copy of the entire system, they'll have access to every classified document the United States wants kept under wraps. We're putting people at risk—CIA agents undercover, NSA operations overseas and black ops around the world.”

They needed to focus on the life-and-death situation in front of them—namely, Kit's life. “We'll worry about it later after we get ourselves out of here,” Griffin said.

Kit's face was a mix of fear and resolve. “We'll worry about it now. I need access to the underground shelter on the west side of the island.”

He didn't know what she was talking about. “What's there?”

“An access point to the Locker. I've been remoting into it from the lab. I figured out today that the island houses a piece of the Locker that's running live. I can access it directly and maybe protect it.”

They'd have to run through the jungle to an inexact location to accomplish what she was proposing. “How fast can you work?”

He heard the rat-tat-tat of gunfire from the overhead planes and the retaliation from the ground. Shouting and blasts surrounded them. They could be caught in the middle of the attack. He hadn't decided if he should throw her over his shoulder and force her off the island or let her work on the Locker from the access point. The Locker was likely housed in a secure area. Secure enough to provide shelter during this bombing?

In the dimness of the night, Griffin glimpsed several boats gliding through the water toward the island. More assailants would be on the shore in thirty minutes. The boats could launch their own attacks against the island. Where had Incognito gained access to boats and planes for a military-style attack? With enough money, anything could be bought, but Griffin hadn't realized Incognito was that prosperous and well-connected.

“How did we not have warning about this?” Griffin asked.

“The Locker. Incognito has already hacked in, controlling what we can see. They are manipulating at least part of it. If they gain control of the final piece, we're screwed. They can manipulate our systems, and our military is heavily reliant on certain technologies to stay ahead of the enemy. If the enemy is inside, it's harder to defend.”

Terrifying implications. “If I get you to the access point, can you fix this? Can you give control of the Locker back to the Americans?” he asked.

Kit pressed her hands together and brought them to her forehead. “I don't know. I want to say yes. I know you want me to say yes. But I don't know.”

He made a quick decision based on instinct more than logic. “Only one way to find out. I'll get you there, and you'll do your best.”

* * *

Her best might not be enough. The Locker had been created and engineered by the sharpest minds in the world. It was built to prevent intrusions and stop attempts at disabling it. It had been compromised. What could she do now?

She had to shut down the Locker and keep it from being copied or used against them. But what about the files—and the people—it was protecting?

Incognito could already be copying every kilobyte of data they could access. American agencies and the Department of Defense had been relying on the Locker to handle their security threats and concerns. Without it, many people were in danger. Undercover identities and top secret missions would be made public knowledge.

It was humid, and the sounds of whistling and explosions filled the air. An airplane burst into flames overhead, debris showering down.

Griffin held her against him. “Are you sure it's worth taking the time to look for the Locker?”

Kit couldn't let the Locker be turned against them. “It's worth it.”

“Tell me what to look for,” Griffin said.

“I remember some specifications from the original design. The location won't be too close to the shoreline, because it's underground and that would make keeping it dry harder. It would pull a significant amount of power, and while it might run over a wireless connection, there will be at least some cables running to the bunker for light and air conditioning,” Kit said.

“If it needs power, we'll start at the generator. We'll follow the lines to the bunker,” Griffin said.

A great plan. “Agreed.”

The power station would be a target for Incognito to strike at, as was their modus operandi. Taking it out would result in more panic.

Kit stepped up her pace, determination driving her.

The power station was small but efficient. While generators were installed around the island, running on propane, solar and gasoline, the prime energy source was this location. The Locker would have secondary backup power sources.

Guards were on post, watching the sky. She and Griffin didn't need to get inside the power station. They made a wide perimeter around the station and found several heavy power lines leading away from it.

“Which one should we follow?” Kit asked. They were pressed for time, and making the wrong decision would cost them.

“Based on where they're leading, I'm thinking that one,” Griffin said.

The line Griffin had selected was running away from the beach. “It was my top pick, too.”

Griffin adjusted his backpack on his shoulders. “Let's go, then.”

* * *

The farther they moved through the jungle, the more Kit welcomed the coolness of the night air. If only the air wasn't so still. The power line had disappeared underground and they had continued in the same direction, hoping it led to the Locker.

Griffin handed her a water bottle. “Drink.”

She accepted it and took a long swallow. “Are you sure we aren't walking in circles?”

“Not according to my compass,” Griffin said.

“Can we take a break for a few minutes?” Kit asked. They had been keeping a relentless pace, and while Griffin seemed comfortable, Kit wasn't in nearly as good shape.

Without waiting for an answer, she sat on the ground. “Watch for fire ants,” Griffin said.

She rose quickly and brushed at her arms. “Now my skin is crawling.”

“Were you bitten?” Griffin asked.

“No. But I hate being outdoors.”

“Hadn't noticed,” Griffin said. “Focus on finding the bunker and what you'll do when we arrive. We don't know how much time we'll have. We won't be the only ones looking for it.”

Kit brushed her hair away from her face. She had been composing a list of steps and tricks to try if any of them didn't work. “Is this exciting enough work for you?”

Griffin stared at her for a long moment. “My primary concern is your safety.”

“How would I do this without you?” She needed him. She always would. Why couldn't he see that?

“We should get moving. When it gets pitch-black, it will be that much harder to search.”

He didn't want to discuss it. Point taken. Kit followed behind him, trying not to fixate on his blow-off. Why was it so hard for him to talk about problems?

The bunker announced itself with a two feet high metal gate about twenty feet in diameter. The hum of the ground near the circle indicated something was happening in this area, likely a power source, an air-conditioning unit and water control. “This has to be it,” Kit said.

“Or it's a sewage collection area and we're about to get a very disgusting surprise,” Griffin said.

Kit dug for the access panel. She had to get the bunker open. “Help me look. There should be an access panel somewhere. The lock is electronic. My prints should open it.”

Griffin helped her dig in the dirt around the perimeter, moving leaves and twigs. They found the lock two feet from the bunker, covered in layers of rotting leaves and mud. Kit twisted off the top of the panel to access the biometric reader.

She prayed it would accept her fingerprints.

“Get your hands in the air.” A voice with a thick accent.

Kit glanced over her shoulder. Not American soldiers. Three of Incognito's mercenaries had made it to the island, and they had found the bunker, too. She and Griffin were in trouble, outnumbered and outgunned.

Kit was useless in a fight, but she had to destroy the Locker. Better to disable it than let it fall into enemy hands.

“We're here for the Locker and Kit Walker. Don't make this harder than it needs to be.” The man who had issued the first threat had spoken. He was the tallest and largest in the group.

“Kit is spoken for.” Griffin sprang into action.

Kit had seen Griffin fight, but she was riveted by how he moved. He disarmed the leader first, taking his gun from him and landing several punches and kicks. The man fell to the ground. Without the instructions of their leader, one of the men rushed at Griffin and the other at her. Griffin grabbed her attacker before he could touch her, earning himself a punch to the face by the other.

“Get in that bunker and do what you need to do!” Griffin said, still wrestling with the last assailant.

Kit laid her hand over the access panel and punched in her PIN.

Griffin stumbled back, blood pouring from his cheek. Her heart twisted violently, and anger rose inside her.