Chapter 29

29

The big man dropped at Jason’s feet.

Jason stepped out of arm’s reach, just in case, and shook his hand. It had been a long time since he’d landed an uppercut with a bare fist.

The ballroom had erupted into chaos, a sea of panicked socialites and confused wait staff swirling past as they bolted for the exits. Luckily, he and Alex were on the far side of the room when the flashbang exploded. The auditory and visual effects of the blast diminished quickly with every foot from the blast. And he’d been fortunate to be facing away from the grenade, so his vision was barely impacted.

Alex was still blinking hard. She had that dulled look, as if she were having trouble deciphering communications.

A quick glance told him they’d lost their target. Sandwiched between two burly dudes, Winthrop was already halfway out the exit.

He tapped his comlink, voice low and urgent. “Heads up, team. We’ve got a situation. Target escaped. Primary objective now is retreat. Expect to spot two types of hostiles: hired muscle posing as private security, and Seven-Five operatives. Stay sharp.”

Cody’s voice crackled in his ear, calm and focused. “Copy that. I’ll keep an eye out for Seven-Five operatives. They tend to stand out in a crowd like this. Plus, the man’ll have regular, civilian security around, too.”

Jason scanned the room again, noting exits, potential weapons, and the ebb and flow of the panicked crowd. His hand instinctively reached for where his sidearm would usually be, finding only the smooth fabric of his tuxedo. He grimaced. This was going to get complicated.

Alex had helped the fallen woman to her feet just has Kate arrived to take the woman’s other arm.

Pride swelled in his chest at Alex’s quick decision to aid the innocent bystander, even as worry gnawed at him.

“Time to leave,” he barked into his comm. “Cody, bring the van around. We’re aborting.”

Jason’s muscles tensed at Cody’s urgent update crackling through the comlink.

“Heads up, we’ve got company. Two Seven-Five operatives closing in fast. Asian woman in emerald silk, coming in from your three o’clock. Gray-haired guy with a ponytail in a black tux, approaching from nine o’clock. Both converging on your position.”

“Copy that,” Jason muttered, his eyes scanning the crowd. He spotted the woman first, her emerald dress a vibrant splash against the sea of panicked partygoers. Her movements were too controlled, too purposeful to be a civilian caught in the chaos.

“Alex, we need to move.” He repeated Jason’s order. “Now.”

He saw the recognition flash in her eyes as she caught sight of the approaching threat. “Go,” Kate ordered. “I got this.”

Alex fell into step beside him as they weaved through the crowd. “Winthrop’s gone. What’s the play?”

Jason’s mind raced, formulating and discarding plans in rapid succession. “We split up. I’ll draw their attention. You get to the extraction point.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Nope. We’re in this together.”

A ghost of a smile tugged at Jason’s lips despite the gravity of the situation. “Yeah. I didn’t figure that would fly. Fine. Then let’s give them a show they won’t forget.”

The gray-haired man headed their way, ponytail swinging. The woman closed in from the opposite direction.

“Cody,” Jason spoke into his comm. “We’re going to need another distraction. Something big.”

“On it,” came the swift reply. “Give me thirty seconds.”

Jason found Alex’s hand, squeezing it briefly. “Ready?”

Her answering grin was fierce and beautiful. “Born ready.”

They faced off against the approaching operatives. Cody’s voice crackled through their earpieces, relaying real-time intel from the van.

“Female operative will reach you first.” Paige chimed in, her voice taut with concentration.

“They won’t fire weapons,” Cody added. “But be ready for tranq darts or stun guns.”

Jason prepared to spring into action.

The woman lunged straight at him. Big mistake. He feigned right, then swayed left, redirecting her momentum, using her own weight against her. She stumbled, off-balance. In the next breath, he had her arms behind her back.

“Sorry about this,” he muttered, genuine regret coloring his tone. “I really hate fighting women.”

One swift, carefully measured strike of his forearm to the pressure point at the top of her neck, just below the ear, and the woman slumped into his arms, unconscious. Jason lowered her gently to the ground.

He’d just bought them about ten seconds. “Go!” he ordered Alex. “Go. Go. Go.”

“Alex, watch your six!” Paige warned.

Jason’s heart leapt into his throat. The ponytailed man had her plastered against his chest, arm wrenched behind her back. The operative was shoving her roughly through the panicked crowd.

Jason launched himself into the last of the retreating guests. But the sea of bodies between them slowed his progress.

Suddenly, like a mountain materializing from the mist, Tai appeared behind Ponytail. “Someone order a distraction?” he asked over comms before reaching for the other man.

His massive hand engulfed the back of the man’s neck, applying precise pressure. The operative’s eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the ground, releasing Alex.

Jason caught up with them half a second later. “Nice move,” he complimented Tai before focusing on Alex. “You okay?”

She nodded, rubbing her arm. “Nothing bruised but my ego. Let’s get out of here.”

They pushed through the chaos, making their way to the exit where Kate and Fenn waited, eyes alert for any further threats.

“Any sign of Winthrop?” Jason asked, already knowing the answer from the grim set of their faces.

Fenn shook his head. “Slipped away in the confusion. We lost him.”

The mission was a bust, their primary objective lost. But as he helped Alex into the vehicle, feeling the warmth of her hand in his, he rallied.

Seven-Five might have won this round, but the war was far from over.