Wicked Intentions (Steele Secrurity Book 4) (17 page)

“You have no idea how much I need you. You’ve always stood by me, loved me, believed in me, no matter what happened. You’ve walked through hell just to be beside me. No matter what the future holds, nothing can ever make me leave your side.” Rebel squeezed her hand in his, emphasizing his sincerity.

“I feel guilty about you leaving Steele Security, your friends. I know they’ll support you, too, but I also know how they’ve depended on you to have their backs. Will they secretly blame me for breaking up their little family?”

The concern in her eyes and her voice was sincere. The men had been through life-and-death missions together, formed bonds others couldn’t comprehend, and trusted each other implicitly. The oaths they took weren’t pledged lightly, and the code of honor directing their promises ran deep in their veins. Would they view her as the person who disrupted their carefully constructed world?

“My love and commitment to you have never been kept secret from them, Heather. They’ll all support whatever decision we make because they’re our friends and they love us. We know what’s best for our life together, and that’s all they want. It’s not like we won’t ever see them again,” Rebel assured her.

“Brax, I’m so excited about this I can hardly wait. Can’t we just go shoot Rashad and close the case right now?”

Rebel threw his head back in laughter. “I thought your martial arts training taught you to be patient, watch your opponent for weaknesses, and then use them against him to take him down.”

“It did teach me all of that, absolutely. And Rashad’s weakness is a bullet to the head. I’d like to use that weakness to take him down.”

“You’re a little too much like me, babe,” he laughed. “It’s kind of scary.”

“I haven’t been this excited to start a new chapter in my life in a long time. I never realized it, but looking forward to this makes it seem like the rest of my life has been put on hold, just waiting for this moment. I’m only trying to help it along.”

“You have no idea how much I appreciate the gesture, but we really need to get them all at once. A bullet to Rashad’s head would only give someone else a spot to move into.”

Rebel parked in the hospital parking garage, and hand in hand, they walked inside. Heather’s step had a new spring in it, her uncontainable delight bubbling over, while Rebel appeared invincible and proud to have the love of his life at his side. Heather’s coworkers stopped their activities and watched her with questioning expressions.

“You look suspiciously happy today,” Becca commented as she approached Heather. “Did you finally snap and leave all sanity behind?”

“Something like that.” She beamed. “My husband is going to move in with me permanently very soon.”

“You are one brave man,” Becca teased. “Just going out to eat with her is scary enough. I can’t imagine living with her all the time.”

“Don’t listen to her, babe. She has begged and begged to move in with me, but I won’t let her. She’s just jealous of you,” Heather commented to Rebel. Turning back to Becca, she continued. “How are my patients? Have you been mean to them while I’ve been away?”

“Of course. That’s my job, isn’t it?” she joked. “You know I’m not mean to them. They love me. Steve’s been asking about you, though. Since Sara has been staying here with him over the past week, he doesn’t get enough firsthand information about your well-being. You should probably go see him first.”

“That’s exactly where I’m headed. Have you seen any strange men hanging around the last few days? Anyone you haven’t seen before suddenly show up?”

“No. The big, scary guys parked outside Steve’s room have been pretty effective at keeping the creepers away.”

“Great, thanks. We’re going to visit Steve now. I’ll talk to you later.”

As Heather and Rebel walked away, Heather looked up at him and whispered, “That’s odd, isn’t it? He sent a letter threatening Steve’s life, then doesn’t show up here again. Do you think he’s waiting for Steve to be discharged?”

“No, I don’t. I think the letters are only mean to distract us, divide up our resources, and give his cell more breathing room. He knows we have to err on the side of caution. In fact, I think he’s banking on it.”

Heather knocked on Steve’s door and slowly pushed it open when she heard Sara call out. “How’s my favorite patient in the whole world doing this evening?”

“Better now that my favorite nurse in the whole world finally showed back up,” Steve replied weakly. “Are you finished being a slacker now?”

“Nowhere near finished. In fact, I’m getting a little too used to being off work. Think they’d pay me to stay away?”

By keeping up her normal, witty banter with him, she was able to hide her concern for his increasingly gray skin, gaunt appearance, and lackluster eyes. The nearly lethal cocktail of experimental chemotherapy drugs was taking a hard toll on his already compromised health. The treatment always affected people differently, but all of the more aggressive schedules eventually resulted in the same outcome.

“No way I’d let that happen,” Steve smiled. “They know I’m the boss around here.”

“I guess we need to get you well as soon as possible so I can kick you out of here, then,” Heather teased. “Besides, it seems unfair to pick on you while you’re a patient. It’s just too easy.”

“Don’t you worry, little girl. I’m going to beat this. One way or another.”

After a quick kiss to his cheek and a promise to visit him again soon, Rebel and Heather went room to room, checking in on her patients and visiting with her coworkers. Most asked when she’d return to work, but she had to keep her answers vague because of the potential threat to national security Rashad and his group posed. As long as he remained on the loose, she knew she had to limit her time around others so they didn’t also become a target.

“
T
his group couldn’t be
inconspicuous if we tried,” Liz commented aloud as they walked down the hospital corridor toward Steve’s room. “Look at you men. All buff, sexy, and dominant in every cell of your body. Not a single one of you blends in like I do. Face it, I was born to be a spy.”

“Liz,” Silas chastised her with the tone of his voice. “We’re not trying to blend in. We’re out in the open, in plain sight. If we didn’t want to be seen, you wouldn’t ever know we were there.”

Turning to Noah, Silas asked, “How the hell did I become her new best friend?”

“Shadow took first watch.”

“Bastard,” Silas muttered under his breath.

“I heard that,” Liz remarked. “You’ll pay for that later.”

“Sorry,” he replied begrudgingly, only because he knew Liz would make good on her threat otherwise.

When they reached Steve’s door, Noah turned and looked at the horde waiting behind him. “Maybe we should take turns going in and not crash in all at once?”

“You and Brianna go ahead,” Chaise suggested. “Let him hold Amelia while he has some energy. By the time he gets through all of us, he’ll be worn-out.”

Noah kissed her cheek. “Good thinking, little sister. Bri and I will be out in a few minutes, though I have a feeling we’ll have to leave Amelia with Mom.”

“I’m going to roam around the halls and see if I can find my son. He may still be here making rounds,” Liz announced. “I want to see how long it takes him to recognize me in this getup.”

“Don’t wander off too far,” Noah replied. “Unless you take Silas with you.”

“Ppfffttt,” Liz retorted. “He’d give me away in a heartbeat. I’ll be fine.”

Noah, Bull, and Silas all exchanged glances as Liz sauntered away, working her best masculine walk as much as she could. She had to admit, to herself if not to Silas, her disguise was just bland enough to make her nearly invisible in the crowded hallways. No distinguishing features, nothing that was particularly interesting, and nothing that anyone would remember once they’d passed her and moved on their way. The conversations she was able to eavesdrop on amazed her and made her want it even more.

She continued her leisurely stroll, glancing around for her son the doctor when she remembered her original purpose. People everywhere shared the most personal information because they didn’t realize anyone else was around. It was all far too interesting for her to ignore or resist. After a few twists and turns through the connecting hallways, she found herself in a more deserted area of the hospital. Unwavering in her quest, she continued her exploration with a relaxed casualness until a familiar face stopped her cold.

He wore a navy blue uniform that could’ve easily been mistaken for a maintenance crew worker. His ball cap sat low on his forehead, shielding the majority of his face, coupled with the fact that he kept his eyes on the floor as he walked. But the glimpse she got was all she needed. The similarity to Turan, the man who’d tried to kill her, was unmistakable. She had no doubt the man walking slightly ahead of her was his brother, Rashad.

The very man of the hour.

She slowed her pace, taking advantage of the advanced age her disguise suggested she was to avoid arousing his suspicion while she followed him. When he turned, opened a door, and disappeared into a room, she quickened her pace to read the plaque on the door.
Medical Gas Storage Room. Caution: Oxidizing Gas(es) Stored Within. No Smoking. No open flames.

A chill ran down her spine, causing her whole body to shiver from the ominous undertone of the commonplace placard. A sign anyone else would pass by without a second thought suddenly became a genuine cause for panic when an explosives expert was added to the mix. Liz slipped into a janitorial closet a few doors down and on the opposite side of the hall. She left the door slightly cracked to watch for Rashad so she could try to figure out what he had planned.

When the door to the medical gases storage room opened, Rashad pushed a large metal cart loaded with oxygen tanks, the factory seal still visible on the gauges to indicate they were completely full cylinders. The tanks weren’t secured in any discernible fashion and rocked unsteadily as he rolled the cart through the doorway. When he turned to lock the door behind him, one of the cylinders rolled off the bottom rack, making a loud clanging noise when it hit the floor.

Seizing her chance, Liz slipped out of the closet and strode up behind an anxious Rashad. She calmly picked up the wayward tank and handed it to him. “Seems like they’d make these carts to hold the tanks vertically so they couldn’t roll off and hit your foot.”

After all the years her son was in college, medical school, internship, and residency before joining his current practice, Liz knew a thing or two about hospital protocol. Like how the medical gas storage room was supposed to be locked so only personnel could access it, and the tanks were supposed to be transported in a specific vertical storage cart. Her nonchalant statement was meant to be a test of how educated Rashad was on hospital protocols.

“I should invent one and make a lot of money, huh?” Rashad replied, no hint of recognition in his eye when he briefly made eye contact. Her disguise was holding true. “It would make my job easier, anyway.”

“Yeah, and at least a computer couldn’t replace the work you do. All these high-tech gadgets the young people use today,”
Chris Evans
tsked. “Everyone’s too dependent on computers these days. Don’t you agree?”

“You’re right. Everything is electronic now.”

Liz could tell Rashad only replied with quick, noncommittal replies to be polite while avoiding prolonging the conversation. She also knew his social skills were no match for her own.

“You look like you’re fairly young, part of the Millennials who grew up with a laptop in one hand and a cell phone in the other. Think you could come to my wife’s hospital room and fix our laptop for us?”

“I’m afraid I wouldn’t be much help. My brother was the tech-savvy one in the family, but I never cared much for computers.”

“Let me guess. You were more into the outdoorsy, physical stuff?”

“Something like that.” Rashad nodded, then glanced longingly down the corridor. Away from the intruder and the conversation he wanted no part in.

“Just as well. Those techies are usually pansies. It was just a few months back when one of those wimpy boys tried to kill an old lady. You remember that? It made national news. They were somewhere in Colorado, though. Not around here. He wasn’t even man enough to kill a helpless old lady. Not that I’m condoning killing old ladies, mind you. I just mean a young man should have more gumption than an old lady has.”

Liz watched with masked amusement as Rashad worked his jaw, biting back his anger. He was desperate to retaliate, but he knew he couldn’t without giving himself away. She opened her mouth to continue her veiled assault on Rashad’s family when her cell phone began ringing. Rashad seized the opportunity to escape from his chatty captor. With a single nod goodbye to her, he quickened his stride and pushed the cart of tanks down the hall.

“Chris Evans,” Liz answered.

“Liz. Where are you?” Noah asked. “We’ve been worried about you.”

“I’ve just been talking to Rashad.”

“You what?” Noah shouted.

“He’s here in the hospital, but he’s not here for us.” Liz relayed her location and the entire interaction to Noah while he, Bull, and Silas made their way in her direction. When they reached her, she pointed down the hall. “He went that way, but I couldn’t follow him without arousing his suspicion.”

“I’ll take it,” Silas replied. “He’ll recognize anyone else. Have Roman and Blake get the ladies out of here before Rashad sees them. Make sure Rebel and Heather are gone, too.”

“They are,” Bull replied. “Rebel sent me a text a few minutes ago saying they were going back to their house in case we needed them for anything.”

“Liz, call your son and see if there’s any way we can get Dad set up in the hotel with around-the-clock nursing care. If he can be moved, we need to do it—for his safety and everyone else’s. Rashad is getting ready to make his move if he’s stealing oxygen tanks,” Silas directed.

“I don’t understand what oxygen tanks have to do with making a move soon. But I’ll call Daryl right away,” Liz agreed.

“We really need Rebel to finish deciphering those encrypted files. This piece of the puzzle may shed some light on how to decode the parts he’s having trouble with. I’ll call him on my way back and fill him in. I’ll meet you back at HQ in two hours.” Silas stopped and met Noah’s gaze pointedly. “Watch your six, little brother.”

“Copy that. You do the same.”

Noah watched his brother’s back until Silas was out of his line of sight. The sinking feeling settled like a lead weight in the pit of his stomach. “Let’s go,” he said solemnly. “It’s going to be a long night.”

On their way back to Steve’s room, Liz and Bull were each on their phones, making arrangements to keep their loved ones protected. Noah’s phone rang, and that bad feeling he’d had suddenly turned grave.

“Let’s hear it, Shadow,” Noah answered.

“Reap, it’s bad, man. Bad, bad. The residue indicates he’s been concocting a mixture of acetone, acid, and industrial-grade hydrogen peroxide. From the amount of supplies Brad has tracked and the types of containers he ordered, his group will have very deadly and portable bombs,” Shadow explained. “We need to make a move of some kind, man, or we’ll look completely incompetent when everything goes down.”

“Acetone, acid, and industrial-strength hydrogen peroxide? TATP. He just stole a large cart full of oxygen tanks from the hospital.”

“My guess is that’s where he found the high-test hydrogen peroxide, too. There aren’t many other places that would need industrial-strength peroxide. The oxygen supply is self-explanatory.”

“Silas is meeting us back at HQ in two hours. We’re heading over there now to create our battle plan. He thinks he’ll have enough intel to help Rebel piece together the last of the cipher code on those encrypted files. We can at least start contacting the cooperating agencies and arrange twenty-four-seven surveillance on all the locations we’ve identified,” Noah replied.

“I’ll be waiting for you there in twenty,” Shadow replied and disconnected.

“Daryl is on his way here to make the arrangements for Steve. He’ll be moved tonight, and two home health nurses will stay with them in one of the suites on our floor at all times. Your dad will be well taken care of, Noah,” Liz assured him. “As much as Heather loves him, I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t insist on helping too.”

“Thank you, Liz, and thank Daryl for me.” He turned to the men and continued. “We need to move now. He’s using TATP, so whatever he’s planning will happen in the next few days, if that long.”

* * *

“
H
ello
, Braxton. It’s been a while since I last saw you. How have you been?” Emmett asked as he stood to shake hands.

“I’ve been good, sir. Just very busy with work over the last few months.”

The relationship between the two men was better than when Rebel and Heather first married, but not by much. Each man tolerated the other for the sake of family, but the mutual animosity simmered just under the surface. Their contention often made their standing country club dinner reservations awkward at times.

“Too busy to come home to see your wife?”

Rebel inhaled a deep breath and kept his eyes trained on Emmett’s. “I can assure you the only reason I haven’t been home with my wife in a while is because the case I’ve been on is crucial. And top secret. But I’m confident it’ll wrap up soon.”

“Dad,” Heather interjected sternly. “I talk to my husband every single day, multiple times a day, even. Not once have I ever felt like the case came before me, nor have I ever felt the need to make him feel guilty for doing this country a great service.”

“Braxton, I’m sorry—that’s not what I meant, though I see how it could be easily misinterpreted. I know how important Heather is to you. I was only saying you must’ve been really busy if you couldn’t get home to see her,” Emmett clarified.

“No apology necessary,” Rebel replied coolly.

“We have wonderful news,” Heather stated emphatically, quickly changing the subject.

“Let’s hear it,” Kay encouraged her daughter.

“Braxton is leaving Steele Security after this case is wrapped up and moving back here permanently.”

“Oh, Braxton, that is great news. Heather is obviously ecstatic, but I’m sure your parents are as well,” Kay replied sincerely.

“I actually haven’t even had a chance to tell them yet. Moving back is something I’ve considered for quite a while, but now I know it’s time.” He reached across and took Heather’s hand in his before he continued. “My wife is more important to me than anything.”

“I’m really so very happy for you both,” Kay replied. “Have you started exploring other employment opportunities? Or will you start your own company here?”

Rebel chuckled. “We honestly haven’t gotten that far in our discussions yet. This case is demanding my full attention at the moment, so I’m avoiding anything that divides my focus.”