Digitalis (34 page)

Piper’s mouth fell open. “Datan went to synagogue—I saw him!”

“The best of men hide evil intentions behind piety.”

“So …” Max scratched the back of his head. “This man, the assassin, was at the palace. Where al-Jafari was killed.” He looked at Colton. “I’m not getting it. Why would a guy risk hundreds of witnesses to his dirty deed and then take the girl? A lovers’ quarrel?”

“That’s what we don’t know,” Daniel said. “Just before we captured the intelligence on the hotel, one of our contacts reported that she returned to her father’s palatial estate with the assassin, who killed a guard and apparently held the girl hostage.”

“So, we need to be prepared to fight an assassin.”

Daniel looked at them both. “The only way to stop an assassin is to kill him.”

Y
ou’re not going.”

Her chin tilted up, her beautiful eyes streaked with defiance. “That’s not up to you. Don’t make this personal.”

Personal? She wanted to go there? All right. “Aren’t you?”
Easy there, Cowboy. Ratchet down that pulse
. “If it wasn’t your father out there, would you be going on a black ops mission?” He arched an eyebrow. “Last I heard, you weren’t real fond of the military.”

“I spent two years in the Israeli Army, and that was more than enough for me. But this is my father’s life, and I’ll defend it to the death.” She stuffed her hands on her hips. “Do you know how to speak my language? Do you know what my father looks like?”

Colton stalked to the table, snatched up the photo, and held it up. “Yitshak Rosenblum.” He pointed to where a helicopter waited outside the building. “Pilots are Jewish, both born here. One raised in Syria and knows Arabic and Hebrew.” He bobbed his head, feeling justified and relieved he had enough ammo to keep her out of the game. “Reckon we’ll do just fine without you.”

Midas appeared beside them and handed Piper a vest and helmet. “Suit up. It’s almost time.”

Triumph stomped over her face as she took the items.

Colton rounded on Midas. Grabbed the helmet from Piper and glared at Midas.

The man stepped back with one foot, both arms drawn as if ready to fight.

“Hey!” Max shouted over the din of the chopper engines whirring into the bay.

“I said she’s not going,” Colton growled to Midas.

Palms raised, he back-stepped. “Take it up with the Old Man, dude. He said she goes on every leg.”

Colton’s heart beat a hard cadence. She couldn’t go. She’d get killed, get
them
killed. “This ain’t right.”

Midas grinned as he hooked an arm around Piper. “Maybe you’re just jealous. She traded in a cowboy for a golden boy.”

Red lit through Colton’s vision. “This is about the safety of the mission.” Fire raced through his veins, itching to pummel the surfer.

“Hey, cool. Then I’m glad.” Midas turned toward Piper, took her hand, drew her into his arms. “She’s pretty and has enough fight in her. Maybe we could go out, see where things lead.”

Crimson infused Piper’s cheeks. She tried to step back.

Midas held her.

The grunt was trying to provoke him. Why, he didn’t know. But he wasn’t going to bite. He’d ignore the howling of his pulse in his ears. Had to stay in control. Disregard the throb at the base of his skull.

“Heck, I might even go on more than one date with you, babe.”

Restraint gone. He dropped the helmet, grabbed Midas’s collar, and jerked him up on his toes. “You want me angry? Is that what this is about?”

“Yeah,” Midas grunted.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Feet raced toward them.

A circle formed around them, uncertain what to do, but ready to do something.

Max dove between them, pushing both back several steps. “What in the mad world is wrong with you two?”

“At least now we know Cowboy cares about something other than himself. I was getting sick of him being all morose and closed focused.”

Max gave Midas a shove backward. “Get your ruck ready.”

“Man.” The Kid chuckled. “Even I’m not stupid enough to start something with the Cowboy.”

Though he wasn’t looking at his friend, Colton could see the rise and fall of Max’s chest. The man was angry.

Colton glanced down at the helmet, his own chest feeling like an anchor sat on it.

“She’s going, and as of this moment, you’re officially tasked with her safety.”

Head snapped up, Colton glared. “I’m a sniper. I won’t—”

“Am. I. Clear?” Max tugged the helmet from Colton’s hands and passed it over to Piper.

Without a word, Colton turned and walked away. It wasn’t right, Piper going into combat with them. Nobody knew what they’d encounter or find. What if her father wasn’t alive?

Why did he care?

He knelt beside his pack. At the carefully placed items. Meticulously packed. Twice. Didn’t have anything better to do with the hours while they waited for nightfall. He rested a hand on it and closed his eyes. He’d never been this far out of the game.

A moment later, movement beside him drew his attention round. Behind and to his right, Piper stood in the flak vest with the helmet in her hands. “Max said I needed to stay near you.”

Why was his friend doing this? Max knew how he felt about Piper, yet he saddled him with the responsibility of seeing to her safety. Wasn’t he afraid he’d let her die or something?

“Then get that on ‘cause we’re about to board.”

She set the helmet on her head. As the dome wobbled, she fumbled with the catch. The thing nearly fell off her head.

Colton pushed to his feet and stepped closer. “Here.” He worked the straps, tightening, tugging, securing. Why a woman who’d been in the Israeli military didn’t know how to put on protective gear … He patted the top. “Looks solid.”

Her eyes rose to his.

Colton stilled. She did know how to put on a helmet. She’d wanted his help.

“Please don’t hate me.”

“Gather round,” Max shouted from the end of the bay. Within seconds, the team crouched around Max’s hand-drawn rendering. “Okay, this is the hotel. Our objective is the assassin. He is in room 166, which is on the side of the hotel with a garden patio.”

“Beach.” Midas grinned. “Sounds like my kind of place.”

“There are exits here, here, and here,” Max explained. “The interior has a peep hole, but also lots of traffic, which is why we’ll be beaching here, hoofing it down to the patio door. If necessary, we can enter through the rear access. But I’d rather it be in and out, snatch and grab.”

“Is the patio door glass?” Midas asked.

“Yes, but all images coming back show a curtain covering it. No line of sight, Cowboy.”

Not a problem. He had his thermals.

“Midas, Cowboy, you’ll insert with me. Scar and Kid, you’ll hold position near the extraction point. Legend and Squirt cover the rear entrance to the hotel in case someone does something stupid like try to run.”

“I’m all for stupid,” Midas said with a grin. “Is the assassin alone?”

“Unknown, but suspected to have the girl, possibly Rosenblum. Okay, that’s it. Let’s prep and load.” Max looked at Colton. “Cowboy’s going to pray over the mission.”

The words jerked Colton straight. “Hey.” He tried to keep his voice low. “I’m not really up to it.”

Max shrugged. “Who ever is?”

The team gathered, including the two newbies and Piper. In a huddle, they bowed their heads. Waiting. For him.

Colton yanked off his helmet and rubbed a hand over the top. “God,” he began, feeling as if he’d have more luck plucking the Golden Gate Bridge from its pylons. “Keep us all in Your arms. Safe. Grant us wisdom ….” What else? What else could he pray? Was God even listening anymore? He’d never felt so blocked.

“Bring us all home safe and with all our pieces in the right place,” the Kid added.

“And help us kill some bad guys,” Squirt said.

“Oorah!” Griffin clapped his hands as the huddle broke up. “Let’s do it!”

“All right, load up!” Max said as the rotors of the Russian helo cranked and screeched.

Colton paused and scowled at Piper. “You don’t have the experience for this.”

Her chin tilted upward. “In the Israeli Army, I faced bombs and militants every time I stepped out of my home.”

“You couldn’t even get the helmet on.” He didn’t ease up. “I’m not kidding, Piper. This is dangerous business. You shouldn’t be going. I don’t like it.”

Clearly, his words agitated her. She straightened. “You don’t like me either, so what’s the difference?”

When she tried to go around him, Colton stepped into her path. “The difference?” He looked up, swallowed, then glanced at her again. “The difference is in one, you stay alive.”

“Really?” She said, her eyes glassing over. “Because it feels like I’m already dead to you.”

He wasn’t the same man she’d met back in Virginia. Or the one she’d kissed at his house. The new version terrified her. His rock-solid focus and determination seemed blurred with his obsession of hating her. Grief circled her heart as she headed toward the chopper.

“Hey,” a voice broke into her thoughts just as a hand gripped her arm. Max tugged her to the side. “Let’s talk.”

Obediently, Piper followed him back inside, where the drone of the helicopter didn’t pound her eardrums. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, listen.” Max swiped a hand over his mouth. “Keep an eye on Colton.”

She blinked. “Me?”

“That thing with Midas—I haven’t ever seen Colton that far gone.”

A knot squirmed through her stomach. “I’ve noticed he’s … not the same. But Midas pushed him.”

“And any other day, Colton would’ve let it roll off his back.” Max gripped her shoulder. “He’s tore up—about his dad, about you, about his sister, who died here a few years back in a café bombing in Jerusalem.”

Piper’s stomach swirled. “Here?” Only then did the memory rush back to her of him telling her about his sister dying. “He told me she died, but never told me how or where. No wonder he was so furious about coming on this mission.” Did that mean he wasn’t really angry with her? No, she’d seen that clear as day.

Despite his terse behavior, Piper had this very quiet but strong voice telling her he was acting out of fear. She regretted her words to him before he got on the chopper.

Max grinned. “Don’t let the oaf fool you. He’s still got it bad for you.” Dark eyes darted to the chopper, then back to her. “Come on.”

Piper didn’t know whether to be bolstered or weighed down by the information. She couldn’t imagine Max revealing so much about his partner, but if he had, that meant he was worried. Which worried her as she climbed up the steel ramp into the back of the helicopter. She squinted into the darkness until she spotted Colton near the front. Trudging past the others, she determined to sit by him no matter what. No matter the glare. No matter the hostility.

Instead, she’d let his heart speak to her. The strength of the man within. She’d fallen in love with him because of that. It would take a lot more than angry words to push her away.

The buzz started at the back of his brain as Piper lowered her lithe frame onto the rack next to him. She darted him a furtive look, which he caught in his periphery. He wasn’t sure what made him more frustrated—the pleasure at having her close, or the anger that she was close. How could a man be so messed up?