Inferno (41 page)

He was beautiful. So beautiful, and he was hers.

“Such a brave girl,” he murmured. “You’re doing so good, baby. So good. I’m proud of you. You keep holding on for me, okay?”

She closed her eyes. God how she had missed the soft, silken rasp of his voice. “I’m trying.”

“Taylor…”

She frowned, her brow furrowing with confusion and pain. His voice sounded different somehow. More distant and far away.

“Taylor, listen to me.”

She fought to open her eyes, but the lids felt so heavy, like they’d been coated in lead. Someone grabbed her fingers. They peeled them back and pressed something cool and hard firmly against the palm of her hand.

“You got to suck it up. Pull yourself together right now, kid. This is the only shot you got. Do you hear me?”

She nodded mutely. Everything hurt. She wanted desperately to fall asleep. Several rough pats to her cheeks jarred her awake.

“You can’t do that. Wake your ass up and gather your strength. The gate’s unlocked, kid, but the rest is gonna be on you. Run. You run as fast and as hard as you can. Head left and don’t look back.”

~*~*~*~

Sebastian stared at the man seated across from him. The tension and loathing brewing between them was palpable, a living malevolent force all of its own. Even the waitress seemed reluctant to draw near. She lingered behind the counter, watching the scene unfold with weary eyes. Outside, Jack Gill and a van full of other federal law enforcement officers waited, though no doubt Marx had standby of his own.

This was it. The final culmination of their talks. The man had one last chance to save his skin and come clean. His eyes narrowed as he studied the commander. Small beads of sweat glistened along his forehead, shimmering beneath the restaurant lights. The man was nervous. As he should be. The time for peaceable understanding was done. He had his crew in place, and thanks to his acquisition of Blue, one-by-one, Marx’s men were starting to fall.

Just this morning, he’d taken great delight in watching Bradley’s head explode in a fireworks show of fine, red mist. He was the tenth one this week and the numbers were just going to keep coming. Every time they poked their head above the surface, he would be waiting. Things were coming together and SKALS ranks were rapidly thinning. The government was geared and ready. It was all systems go.

The only thing missing from that equation was Taylor.

Marx twisted the coffee mug between his hands and lifted his imposing gaze. “I understand your frustrations, Agent Baas. However, I’m sure you can understand my trepidation as well. Especially when I find myself staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. This war…this feud between us needs to end. I want you to come back, Sebastian.”

“I didn’t call you here to negotiate. Perhaps you misunderstood my terms. Your men took something of mine, and I want it back.”

“Why does it always come back to this? It was a horrible tragedy, Sebastian, but nothing is going to change the cold, hard fact that she’s gone.”

Sebastian forced a slight smile. “With all due respect, I don’t believe a damn thing that comes out of your mouth. You’ve already proven you are a traitorous, lying son-of-a-bitch.”

“I don’t know what else to tell you. She’s gone. You need to stop wasting time. This killing spree you’ve been on is starting to annoy me, but I am willing to look past that given your current state of mind. I am willing to let bygones be bygones here, but this is the last chance you have. Either join forces with me or perish. Those are the only options you have left. You know what I have and you know where this is going.”

His quiet laugh was dry and devoid of humor as he shook his head. Leaning over, he braced his hands against the table and stared Marx in the eye until the commander shifted in his seat. “Let me tell you something. I don’t care what you have or what you destroy. Taylor is the only thing that matters to me. I don’t want to bring this organization to its knees, Marx, but I will. That is up to you to decide. I am not going to stop. I am not going to back down. I will keep coming at you, your men, and anyone else that gets in my way until I have her back.” His eyes watered, burning with a combination of grief and rage as he leveled a finger at the startled man. “Every ounce of that hatred and bloodlust that you instilled in me…that’s all coming for you. All of it. Mark my words. You underestimated the wrong man.”

“I don’t take well to threats, Sebastian. You should know that. I’ll tell you what--”

Sebastian cut him off with a sharp slice of his hand. His hard stare narrowed as he leaned even farther across the stained Formica tabletop. “I am done bartering. There is no Blue, Marx. Not anymore. Your computer systems and access codes are all shutting down as we speak. Next, I will gather every single agency and resource I can find and use them
all
to blow SKALS headquarters clear off the map. If I still don’t have her by the end of that, I will assume she is dead…and then…if I were you, I would hit my knees and pray because there is not a single crack or crevice on the face of this earth where you will be able to hide. You have two hours.”

Marx frowned. Though he tried to mask it, Sebastian could see the faint lines of worry crawling across the director’s craggy face. A small trickle of sweat rolled down his temple, tracing his rich chocolaty skin. Exhaling slowly, he lifted his gaze. The menace in his eyes had dimmed. They were now turbulent and troubled.

“If what you say is true, and I did have your lover somewhere….”

“Two hours. Those are my terms, asshole. Consider yourself warned.”

CHAPTER 17 ~

The heavens and earth boomed, shaking the building around her. Taylor’s eyes flew open, her pulse already pounding in the base of her throat. Low, screeching sirens echoed throughout the building, the same kind that always seemed to go off in the movies whenever there was impending doom or some kind of nuclear breach. Over them, she could hear men shouting, their voices full of panic and fear. The loud, resounding roar she heard in the distance grew louder, stronger, until its heavy vibrations rattled clear through her core. Something exploded nearby. The detonation thundered throughout the building, rocking everything so hard her teeth slammed together.

Another swoop. Another explosion.

The grim reality of what was happening settled over her, blanketing her with a sickening dread. They were under attack. Someone had launched a full-blown airstrike and, if she didn’t find a way out there, she was going to die.

She screamed as another blast hit, this one landing far too close to home. The concrete itself seemed to ripple and expand beneath her, rolling beneath a wave of instability. Forget fear. Her chest felt like it was going to explode from the percussion. She rested her head against her arm for a second, trying to catch her breath. It wasn’t fair. She’d survived so much. Shootings, break-ins, neurotoxins, car accidents…the wrath of Marx himself. She’d fought so hard to hold on and sustain the child she carried. She wasn’t going to go out now. Not like this.

Her thoughts faltered when she realized she could move without any resistance. She was almost afraid to let herself feel the small twinge of hope rushing through her, but she tried again. This time, the chains wrapped around her slid free.

Beneath the sirens and alarms, she laughed, almost weeping with relief. The dream she had the night before filtered back to her, but she didn’t have time to ponder on it or dwell. The deep, rumbling roar was closing in on her again. Closing her eyes, she tried to muster the last remaining bit of her strength. It had been so long since she’d had anything but a few pieces of crusty bread to eat. Water was a rare and precious commodity, not to mention sleep, and she could feel the fevered beads of perspiration rolling down her skin. Her body was giving up. She knew that, but this was her one and only chance to make it out of here alive.

She wasn’t sure how far she would get, but she had to take that chance. There was nothing left to lose.

Rolling over, she tried to push herself up on her hands and knees. Her legs trembled and her arms shook beneath the strain. Another explosion rocked the building, this one hitting its mark and sending her sprawling on her face. Her breath came in shallow pants. One. Two. Three, before she managed to try to push herself up again. Pausing, Taylor hung her head. It was going to take everything she had, but the willpower to survive was a powerful thing.

Her heart sank when she heard the door hinges screech and the barrier fly open with enough force to bounce off the wall. Quickly, she wound the short length of chain around her wrist.

“What the fuck?”

She waited until the thudding footfalls landed right beside her. She screamed, the sound animalistic and feral, even to her own ears, as she sprung to her feet and smashed the palm of her hand upward with all her might. Unyielding steel links and the hard bone of her hand cracked against the underside of the man’s nose in an upward slant. A sickening crack filled the room, followed by the man’s scream as his hands flew to his face.

She didn’t wait to see what happened. The door was still open and she charged toward it in a mad dash for freedom. A dark, blurry form descended on her from the right. Arching her arms up again, Taylor swung wildly. One blow caught him upside the head. Another smashed into the bridge of his nose, sending him staggering. The minute he lowered his head, trying to shake the pain, she lashed out and brought her foot up hard into his groin.

Her heart thundered in her chest as she decided which way to run. A thick haze of smoke hung in the building, hindering her vision. She choked on it, running toward the glowing orange haze on the other side.

Gunshots erupted, peppering the air behind her. She could hear the metallic ping of the bullets as they buried into her surroundings. Searing fire lanced her arm, wringing a startled cry from her throat, but she didn’t dare stop moving to check it. She cried, praying as she groped her way blindly along the wall and the gunshots kept coming. They were growing closer now and shouting.

“Don’t let her get away!”

Her fingertips searched desperately, feeling for handles or seams. She could hear the men closing in on her.

Then she found it.

Freedom.

Yanking the door open, she scrambled like mad, sobbing hysterically as she wound her way through the field of fire and debris. It was a warzone. Scorched earth, twisted chunks of metal, and smoldering flames stretched as far as the eye could see, all while the menacing forms of helicopters closed in overhead.

Head left and don’t look back.

The words echoed in her memory. All she could see was vast desert looming on the other side of the wreckage. The stubby cacti and open ground wouldn’t afford her any place to hide, but that ghostly voice from last night hadn’t led her astray so far. As of now, its guidance was the only hope she had.

~*~*~*~

Sebastian hopped out of the Apache as it finished settling, his team right behind him. He paused, scanning the wreckage, his eyes narrowed against the swirling storm of dust still churning in the air. They’d spent the better part of the morning carrying out the attacks. The squat complex that had served as SKALS headquarters was now nothing more than a smoldering pile of rubble and ash. They’d leveled every black site, every hide out Marx had. All except for one. The one where he knew the son-of-a-bitch was hiding. Straightening his uniform, he glanced over his shoulder and signaled for Jackson.

The young man was at his side in an instant. Soot and sand clung to his light brown skin, but it was hard to miss the excited flush of adrenaline staining his cheeks. His smoky grey eyes boasted hints of determination and pride.

“I wasn’t too sure about you in the beginning,” Sebastian admitted once the rotating blades of the helicopter died.

“I know that, sir.”

He nodded. “You’re a good man, Jackson. Are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Vincent finished jamming a fresh clip of ammo into his rifle and tipped his chin in their direction. “Locked and loaded, boys. Let’s do this.”

It was a small group, only ten men, but it was all he needed. Most of Marx’s cockroaches had ran scuttling for the hills hours ago. Only the staunchest and most loyal would have remained, leaving Sebastian no doubt he was about to go head-to-head with the very same men he used to lead. He didn’t know if he would feel any pleasure putting them down. This was a mission and he only had one objective in mind—capturing Marx and making that sick, delusional bastard pay.

They split into two teams, flanking the modified oilrig and surrounding the perimeter. The silence and stillness was eerie and not at all what he’d expected. He would have bet money they would have landed under heavy fire, but there were no gunshots, no movements, nothing. Just the faint, sweltering desert breeze.

Pressing against the side of the building, he caught Vincent’s eye and gestured toward the front door. Nodding, the other man motioned the front end of his team forward, giving them the go ahead. They charged, ramming full force into the door with a heavy blow of the battering ram. The sound of crunching metal sounded around them as the barrier buckled and caved. Two flashbangs, one from him and one from Vince quickly followed suit.

They flooded inside, pressing close to the walls, keeping their rifles raised and trained. The thin red lines from the laser scopes filtered through the swirling air. It was hard to get a read on much of anything through the thick haze, but they didn’t have to wait long. Without warning, a heavy hail of gunfire rained down on them from overhead.

Shouting erupted among his team as the men returned fire. They took two out with the first assault, and he watched in grim satisfaction as the broken bodies tumbled over the railing to slam against the solid concrete below. Another round of gunshots retorted to their right, drawing his attention. Sparks flew as the bullets struck beside him, embedding mere centimeters from his head. The noise left his ears ringing, but finger still curled around the trigger, Sebastian opened fire and gave chase.