Chapter 11

ZAHDA ISLAND, ABU DHABI, UAE

Darkness had never felt so heavy.

Fear and the ballistic vest strapped to Hollyn nearly suffocated her. With one hand, she clawed at the front of the Kevlar-lined straitjacket, trying to get some more space to breathe. With the other, she maintained a death grip on Davis's vest strap as they descended the stairs.

Death.

Tears burned her eyes. Not that it mattered. In the pitch-black stairwell they were racing down, she couldn't see anything anyway—terrifying, were it not for the stalwart presence of Davis. She nearly tripped a handful of times before they plowed through the side door.

Moonlight speared the dark. Breathing wasn't any easier out here. If she could just get another inch of space. But there was no time to dwell on it.

Fury led them to the back of the building. Paused for a minute in the alleyway. He sniffed back and forth as they waited, then took off like a shot.

Hollyn willed her legs to keep up with Davis and the others. Refused to be the weak link. Leila might be gone—Leila! You got her killed!—but there was still a chance to save Archie.

Please, God. We have to get to him in time!

She couldn't lose two friends in the span of minutes! She couldn't scrub the image of Leila getting shot from her mind as they darted down the alley.

A warm breeze brushed against her wet cheeks, and the contents of her stomach began to rise.

Moving in unison, the team suddenly banked left and charged toward the side door of another building. She desperately wished she knew what was going on. Had someone said something in their earpieces? Was Archie in here?

Hollyn sank low behind Davis as the men stepped inside and broke off in different directions. When the door closed behind her, she was once again engulfed in shrouding darkness. They moved quickly, and she could just make out Fury's panting over her heartbeat thundering in her ears. The feeling of someone behind her was unnerving, and she uselessly glanced back. Almost tripped.

It's just the team, it's just the team.

Then barking. Furious and strong, a rhythm that jacked her heart rate with it. Gunfire erupted along with quick flashes of light.

Hollyn screamed and ducked. Pressed her free hand against her ear to try and dampen the earsplitting shots. She tightened her fist even harder around Davis's vest strap only to get yanked forward. Her shoulder slammed a doorjamb, and she wheeled past it into the open, squinting at the sudden explosion of light. Silver rays washed over the sandy asphalt. Better than nothing, but she still had to fight for focus. Blinked several times, demanding her vision obey.

Fury rocketed ahead of them at a shocking speed, heading for an Urvan microbus parked in the alleyway. Red brake lights haloed two men, one larger than the other, inching toward the vehicle in some kind of struggle.

Archie!

At least, it appeared to be him. The back of the microbus opened, and the bigger man Archie fought shoved him inside. He slammed the door closed, and the vehicle sped off a second before Fury launched himself at the guy.

The GSD all but flew through the air and latched on to the man's arm. Screams pierced the night above the gunfire still coming from inside the building behind Hollyn.

The two figures collapsed to the ground. Rolling. Fighting.

Hollyn released her hold, and Davis raced toward them, shouting at the man to be still.

Crack! Pop-pop!

"Take cover!"

Hollyn frantically searched for somewhere to hide in the dark. Saw a stack of crates and dove behind it as booted steps thundered near.

* * *

Davis kept his M4 trained on Germaine. "Don't move!" he shouted. Heard someone approaching on his six and spun around, gun up.

"Friendly, friendly!" Nazari yelled.

Davis turned back to Germaine as the guys surrounded them.

Fury whipped his giant head back and forth, growling around the arm. Refused to let go despite the fist crashing down on his head over and over. If anything, it amped the GSD even more.

"Get him off!" Germaine screamed.

"Freeze!" Davis demanded. "Hold still, hold still!"

Fury sucked in deep breaths around his hold as the team circled them at gunpoint. He thrashed his head a few more times. Davis didn't have to have a perfect view to know his dog was using the motion to sink his razor-sharp teeth deeper into the soft flesh.

Germaine did his own growling through clenched teeth but quit hitting Fury.

"Give me a reason!" Chapel aimed his weapon when Germaine jerked away from the RMWD.

Davis grabbed Fury's collar and tugged upward to encourage the landshark to release. His shoulder roared in protest. "Fury, out-out!" he commanded.

Finally, the shepherd disengaged.

Davis drew Fury back to let the team secure their target yet stayed close in case the guy got a second wind of stupidity. After this, the landshark deserved some solid KONG time. He stepped back as Chapel and the others rushed in to cuff the piece of trash writhing on the ground in agony.

Hollyn.

He looked around. Where'd she go? Couldn't see her. He flipped down his NVGs for a better view and willed himself to find her. Pulse ticked up. "Hollyn!" he barked.

Fury strained against his collar, trying to get a second taste of Germaine, but Davis held tight. Scanned the area. "Ho?—"

Sniffs came from somewhere closer to the building. "Here." Her voice was small.

Hollyn.

Don't be hurt, don't be hurt.

He found her sitting, knees tucked up against herself, hands cradling the sides of her head as she murmured rapidly—a punch to his chest. Had she been hit in the crossfire?

Fear surged in his gut. "Fuss," he commanded the shepherd, relieved when his partner complied. He squatted at Hollyn's side. "Hey, you hurt? Did you get hit?" He reached for her. Felt for any warm liquid that shouldn't be on her. Didn't see any in the green oculars. When she didn't respond, he went to a knee. "Hol. I'm here. It's o?—"

She launched into his arms. Their helmets smacked into each other.

Worried Fury would take a piece out of her in protecting him, he stiffened. Swung out a hand to give the "stay" command. "Hey, easy. It's okay," he comforted. Wrapped an arm around her. Tugged her close, their vests pressed together keeping him from getting her as close as he would've liked.

"Davis." Hollyn clung to him like her life depended on it, then her hands patted over his shoulders and arms. "You–you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He was shocked she'd have the presence of mind to worry about him. "Do you feel any pain?"

She shook her head. "No. I just dropped down when everyone started shooting."

"Good move," he breathed out.

Thank You, Lord.

"Ledger. Let's roll," Chapel broke in.

"Yep," he acknowledged before dropping his voice lower for Hollyn. "Come on." In one fluid motion, Davis stood and took her with him.

Her fingers dug into his forearm like a vise, but he welcomed the pressure. It let him know she was with him. Alive.

"Move it." Bennion barked, coming up behind them.

Davis and Fury escorted Hollyn back to the cars. Davis kept an arm around Hollyn's waist so he could guide her past a few bodies Macklin and Hale had taken out, glad she wouldn't be able to see them in the pitch black. They hit their exfil hot. Staying eyes out, they stalked toward the waiting vehicles.

In the driver's seat of the Chevelle, Davis cast a glance at Hollyn. She looked shellshocked. Not surprising. She'd just seen her friend get taken out and been in a firefight for the first time.

They peeled away from the building behind Chapel, who drove the lead vehicle. He guided everyone back through town. Davis stayed right on their tail. E10 took them out of the city. The Al Raha Theater towered above the buildings on Davis's nine. Looked like some kind of giant blue orb and reflected the city lights in the glass sides. The UAE had some trippy architecture.

Forty minutes later they pulled onto a desolate road in the Al Bahya area. Sand crunched under the car tires as they shot down Al Kunar Street, slowing only when they neared a home at the end of the road. The open front gate let them inside tall walls and closed swiftly behind them. Davis shut down the Chevelle as Bennion and Macklin hauled Germaine into the safe house. The way they carried the body said the guy was out cold.

"Okay, come on." Davis rushed to the other side and leaned to help Hollyn out. She felt so fragile in his grasp. Hadn't made a sound since they hit the expressway—that worried him—but he'd have to focus on that once she was safe inside the house.

Fury jumped up. Hit his thigh with meaty paws, tongue flopping out in a happy pant.

"You did good, buddy." Davis tossed the landshark's KONG into the two-story plaster structure and followed his zealous beast through the front door.

Glace, Nazari, and Hale covered their six. Locked the door behind.

"Get him to the hold. Gonna have a little chat with him after debrief." Chapel nodded to Bennion and Macklin.

The men roughly hauled Germaine from the living room.

Fury barked a couple times. Pawed at Hollyn's leg. Smacked his nose under her hand.

"Hey, knock it off." He pushed the mutt off her.

"Daaavisss . . . " Hollyn wheezed.

He looked down just as her eyes rolled back in her head.

* * *

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Heavy footsteps broke through the thick fog clouding her mind, and she felt her body bounce in movement. But it wasn't her walking. She was being carried. Her head vibrated on a strong shoulder with each step. Legs dangled over an arm that flexed beneath her knees.

Hollyn tensed. Had she been captured?

Wake up!

But her eyelids weighed a thousand pounds each. Head throbbing, she instinctively reached up to grab her necklace. Groaned with the effort.

"Easy." The deep voice was warm and familiar. Like a favorite hoodie on a crisp day.

Davis. She relaxed.

Her body shifted as he adjusted his hold. Then she was being lowered. She panicked. Hand shot out to grip his shirt but found his vest first.

Don't leave me!

"You're good, Hol," he soothed her.

A cozy softness enveloped her as he laid her down on a bed. She let go of him. Used all her willpower to force her eyes open. Blinked once. Twice. Davis came into focus, hovering over her, dark features handsome as ever. But deep concern was etched into his brow.

"What happened?" Then she remembered. "Leila." She choked out the whisper. "Wh-what about Archie?"

He didn't say anything.

A mental video of her friend being shot resumed its looped replay in her head, and she wanted to vomit. Fresh tears pooled. When was this going to end?

"First things first." Davis gave her hand a soft squeeze as Fury hopped onto the bed. The giant dog spun before curling into her side. He rested his jowls over her thigh, amber gaze roaming over her. Something on his vest dug into her leg, but she stayed still. "Nora's our combat medic. She'll check you over."

Nora came into the room carrying a bag of some kind. She took out a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope.

Davis released Hollyn's hand, and she instantly missed his warm touch as he stepped away, giving his teammate room to sit down.

The lieutenant slid the cuff into place on Hollyn's arm. "How are you feeling?" Nora asked as she inflated the cuff.

"I'm . . . " Hollyn licked her dry lips. Exhaustion had finally caught up to her, and it'd come out swinging. Between what had happened and the car accident, it felt like she'd been run over by a Mack truck. "Just tired." She rubbed her face. "Why is it so hard to think?"

The last thing she remembered was Davis tugging her out of the car.

"You've been through a lot," he said, hands hooked on the neck of his vest. His attention shifted to Nora. "She good?"

"One twenty-two over eighty." Nora replaced her medical tools, then looked to Hollyn. "I'll check back in a bit, but for now, you just need to rest."

If only it were that simple. She still felt like she was in flight mode. Shame at her weakness flushed her cheeks. Nora didn't seem fazed by what'd gone down at all. Probably could have taken out bad guys all night without batting an eye. Yet here Hollyn was, passing out all over the place like a sheltered lab rat.

Endurance test: FAIL.

Hollyn looked around the unfamiliar room. It was small and sparsely furnished with only the bed she was on and a single nightstand. "Where are we?"

"Safe house," Davis answered.

Fury's paw brushed at her hand, and she slowly ran her fingers over his fur.

Nora stood, bag in hand. "If you need anything or start to feel worse, let me know, okay?"

"Sure."

The petite operator stepped out of the room.

When Davis made like he was going to follow, Hollyn snatched at his hand. "Wait!"

"Just grabbing you some water." He didn't move. "Good?"

She forced a nod, heart racing again as he disappeared down the hallway. Being alone was the last thing she wanted. At least Fury didn't seem like he had any intention of getting off the bed. He stretched his body out but kept his paw close enough for her to keep petting. His eyes drooped like she was lulling him to sleep, but the second Davis's boots thudded his approach, the dog went on alert. Lifted his head and thumped his tail against the comforter.

Davis grinned and ruffled the dog's head as he handed Hollyn a bottled water. A moment of carefree peace in the chaos.

She took a couple long swigs before capping it.

Davis sat down next to her, his presence pressing into her awareness at his very close proximity. "Feeling any better?"

"Yeah." Not wholly a lie.

His chin ticked up. "Always were a horrible liar, Holly Hobbie."

At the old nickname he'd given her, a grin tugged the corner of her lips. "Don't make me give you a wet willie like the old days." But the lighthearted feel was quickly replaced by worry over what had happened. And for Archie's wellbeing. Struggling to find the strength, she sat up. "We have to get Archie."

Davis nodded. "We will." His constant confidence proved very reassuring. Admirable. Attractive.

Wait, what?

This close to him, she couldn't think straight. All right, sitting up had been a bad decision. It put them entirely too close to each other. But she couldn't lie down again two seconds after getting up. That would be . . . weird. Her gaze dropped to Davis's mouth. His jaw twitched. She recalled how he'd kept her safe at the abandoned building. How he'd put himself between her and the madman despite the threats to their safety.

When she lifted her eyes to his again, there was something in them that hadn't been there before. An intensity. Hunger.

Stomach fluttering, Hollyn felt the hairs on her arms rising. Hands tingling, she was caught in a vortex of emotions. Leaned forward. She just wanted to be closer, to siphon more of his strength . . .

Davis didn't pull back. Instead, he slid a hand behind her head—fingers gliding into her hair, thumb brushing her cheek—and drew closer. Maybe they'd been unsure about their first kiss. But here, now, seeing the intent look in Davis's eyes . . . yeah, this one would be for real. And the thought was electrifying.

Less than a breath separated them as Hollyn's eyes slid closed. The first brush of his lips was soft and had every nerve ending buzzing. Then he deepened the kiss, and she sank into him, lost.

Never had she felt more protected or cherished. The warning bells in her head didn't get a chance to ring this time. She wouldn't have listened anyway. After surviving a car accident and a gun fight, she was all too willing to let Davis pull her into a world where only the two of them existed, if only for a few precious minutes.

Davis's other hand wrapped around her. Tugged her nearer, and she hooked her hand around the back of his bicep. Didn't want him to ever let go of her, especially when he let out a deep moan.

Someone cleared their throat from the doorway.

Davis immediately broke off.

"Hate to break it up, but Chapel wants a word," Benn said from the doorway.

Ducking to hide the heat rising into her cheeks, Hollyn swallowed, wondering how long Benn—she was seriously questioning deciding to call him that so it was less militant—had been there.

Davis held her gaze a moment before standing and roughing a hand down the back of his neck. "Nice," he muttered to Fury around heavy breaths.

Acting like he hadn't just let someone walk up without alerting them, the German shepherd whacked his bushy tail on the comforter, then rolled over onto his back.

Hollyn braved a look and saw Benn shake his head before stepping out of the doorway. She worked hard to calm her heartbeat, but the embarrassment currently surging through her made it almost impossible.

"I'll . . . be right back," Davis said to her.

"Sure."

The sudden awkwardness between them might have been comical under different circumstances. It definitely wasn't right now, though.

"Come on," Davis said to Fury. He tapped his leg before stalking out the door, and the RMWD jumped off the bed to follow.

When the three were out of sight, Hollyn buried her face in her hands and groaned.

Seriously, what was wrong with her? Falling head over heels in love and making out with the man of her dreams while Leila had just been murdered hours earlier. And Archie. He was still being held with who knew what being done to him this very minute . . .

But as guilty as she felt, she couldn't completely snuff out the spark of hope that had been reignited in her heart. There really was something between her and Davis. She wasn't just imagining things.

She reached for her necklace, and her fingers coiled around the small sparrow char?—

Sparrow!

Her pulse sped up for an entirely different reason as she recalled what the man had said before Davis's team had captured him.

Blueprints. Sparrow. Could it be . . .

In the chaos of the moment, she'd missed the connection. Now it was making sense . . . more or less. The project was safe, though. Wasn't it?

Hollyn stilled. "No," she whispered as dread coiled its way up her spine.

She needed her computer. Now.