Chapter 20

The vehicle came to an abrupt stop, Lena nearly falling forward and smacking her head on the seat in front of her. They'd gagged her again after she screamed, two big men sitting on either side of her as they rode toward a loading area of a huge terminal. A massive crane was lifting another container onto the ship, but there weren't any other workers in the area they'd parked. It was secluded. Hidden. And she whimpered in fear as they pulled forward again and she saw a huge metal container forty yards away.

The final cargo was being loaded right now, and she was about to be locked away in a metal box and lifted onto a ship. Gray would never find her.

One of the men sprayed a marking on the side of the container with a can of spray paint, and she wanted to vomit. They were tagging it. Marking her location. She was being sent God knows where, and someone evil on the other end of the line would have her in their clutches.

Noise from the shipyard could be heard around them, but there was no one to see these men herding her into the steel container.

Ivan had long since disappeared, leaving his men to do his bidding. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her frantic gaze scanned the area. She saw other maintenance trucks coming and going from a distance, but no one noticed her. It was too dark, and they were too far away.

Tearfully, she spotted a security camera on the door of a small building. Sniffling, Lena looked right at it, almost willing someone to find her. Help her. Save her from this hell.

"Let's move," one of the men said. She stumbled, and he hefted her over his shoulder, laughing. Her dress was dirty and torn, her hair a mess, and she had scratches on her skin from stumbling around earlier. Now she was dangling over this guy's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Pity the boss didn't want to let us give you a proper goodbye," the man said, smacking her ass and then squeezing it. Lena's stomach roiled, and then he was walking right into the dark metal container, moving through a maze of boxes.

Another man held a flashlight, guiding their way, and she began to think she might vomit right into her gag.

The guy carrying her unceremoniously dumped her on the hard metal floor, lifting her arms forward. He secured handcuffs around her wrists, right over the zip ties, and locked her to a heavy metal chain in the back. She was locked in place before she could move, shock setting in. They'd done this before. Shipped people. Sold women.

The guy with the flashlight sneered. "You would've done good on the auction block. Plenty of men would've paid for night after night with a woman like you. Guess the boss got an offer he couldn't refuse."

The men turned, walking away, and leaving her there without so much as a backward glance. "We should hit up the hotel in Tijuana for our next assignment. I could use some fresh pussy. If you work extra shifts down there, sometimes you get to sample the goods for free."

"Fuck yeah," the other guy chuckled, their voices getting quieter. "I wouldn't mind seeing how many bitches I could tap in one night."

The light disappeared along with her captors, leaving her in the dark. A metal door slammed shut, the final nail in her coffin. Lena tried to shift positions, but she could barely move. She was literally shackled against the metal wall, cold, scared, and helpless. And the worst of it all? Gray would never find her. Never. She'd rather die than be a sex slave to some monster, but she had absolutely no choice in the matter.

***

The rotors of the helicopter nearly drowned out everything else, the thump, thump, thump matching the beating of Gray's heart. It was taking too long. They were too far away. He clicked the mic on his headset. "ETA?"

"We're twenty minutes out," the pilot said. "We'll be landing at oh-four-thirty."

Jett's voice came over his headphones. "The Baltimore PD contacted the harbor master and Coast Guard. No ships are sailing until we arrive."

"Thank God," Gray muttered.

His teammates around him shifted, growing more alert as Jett continued.

"It took more time than I'm happy about to get everything in place, but we're a go," Jett confirmed. "You'll land on a helo pad near the harbor. West informed me that security cameras spotted several men forcing a woman past some warehouses just over an hour ago. She was spotted again at terminal four shortly after, looking directly at a security camera."

"It's Lena," Gray breathed, relief coursing through him. The men forcing her to walk with them meant she was alive. Resisting. His girl was a fighter, and he was counting on her to stay safe until he got to her.

"What's the plan, boss?" Luke asked.

"A crane at terminal four was loading a massive container ship setting sail to China. The crew is eager to leave and unhappy with the delay. West is trying to gain access to all security cameras in the vicinity to determine exactly where Lena was stashed."

Gray clicked his mic, eyeing his teammates. "They must've loaded her into a metal shipping container."

Ford nodded, his gaze a mixture of sympathy and anger. None of the men would want their women to go through anything like this, and Lena? She was part of the team. Gray's girl. His buddies might've given him shit for making out with her in the armory, but damn. She was it for him, and they fucking knew it.

"We'll get her," Sam said, his eyes hard. "We're not leaving the harbor without Lena. Boone should already be in place by now. As soon as the helo lands, we'll be a go."

"Boss, what happened to the men from Andrews?" Luke asked.

"On their way to provide backup," Jett confirmed. "They'll help secure the area but are active duty. They won't engage unless lives are at stake."

"Lena's life is at stake!" Gray exclaimed.

"Understood. Their orders, however, are to provide security at the scene. They'll be working along with the Baltimore PD. Not much I can do about it unless they choose to disobey their commanding officer."

"I don't miss the military at all," Nick muttered.

Ten minutes later, the Inner Harbor came into focus in the distance, the lights from the city gleaming off the water. The earliest hints of sunrise were beginning, the dawn of a new day nearly making his breath catch. Lena had been missing since yesterday. Time felt meaningless during the long night, but she'd been gone since yesterday afternoon. He feared what condition they'd find her in and prayed she was okay and could hold on until he got to her.

The helo landed at a heliport, Jett having already smoothed the way for their arrival. As soon as the landing skids touched the ground, the men were hopping off, ducking low under the still-spinning rotor blades and moving forward.

"The container ship is on the west side," Luke said, pointing in the distance. "Shit. Look at all the police arriving. I hope if the tangos are still here, they don't panic and do something drastic."

Worry coursed through Gray. If Lena was indeed locked in a shipping container, what could they do to her now? Unless she wasn't alone yet and still had a thug guarding her. If Gray lost her when he was this close….

"Boone's in position," Jett said in a clipped tone over the headsets. "I have him in a sniper's nest above the loading zone. He'll have a view of the entire area. Nick can get in position on the opposite side. There are vehicles parked there. If Ivan or his men attempt to escape with Lena, Nick will take them out."

"Roger that," Nick said as he clicked his mic.

"Can Boone hear us?" Luke asked with a frown.

"Negative. Not over the headsets. He got here quickly and has been lying in wait," Gray said. "Jett had a hunch the cargo ship would be the likely extraction point, and the surveillance footage by the warehouse and terminal proves it. The ship is so large, nothing else is docked here, so it made sense to get him in position. Boone's got his cell if I need to reach him."

"Affirmative," Jett said. "I've been in contact with Boone since his arrival. I've sent him the surveillance footage we have, as well as descriptions of the men traveling with Lena."

Gray felt his pulse pounding, the night air washing over him. It was cold as hell with the breeze blowing off the water. He'd donned long sleeves, but that was mostly to disappear into the shadows. Ivan's men didn't know they were coming.

Suddenly, gunfire erupted from all around them, proving he'd been mistaken. Gray dove behind a parked vehicle, rolling on the concrete as his teammates also hit the ground. It almost felt like a goddamn ambush.

"Guess we've been spotted," Sam quipped.

"SITREP!" Jett barked.

"Shots fired," Luke said in a calm voice. Several more gunshots sounded, coming from multiple directions. "The Baltimore PD have engaged with two subjects. Two tangos taken out. Everyone okay?"

"Roger."

"Affirmative."

"Ready to roll. Don't suppose any of them were Ivan," Ford said.

"Nah. That'd be too damn easy," Nick countered. He pointed to an area in the distance atop a warehouse as the men all rose to their feet again. "I'll set up there. It covers the parking lot and is on the opposite side of where Boone's located. We'll have eyes on multiple areas."

Gray nodded, and then Nick was turning and jogging away, his rifle slung across his back. He spoke quietly into his headset, notifying Jett that he was getting into position.

"We're moving in," Gray said, beginning to jog toward the loading area. While the Baltimore PD had been made aware that a team of former soldiers was moving in to retrieve a hostage, he wasn't sure they knew what to make of it. Normally, the FBI would be involved in something like this. Gray wasn't even sure that Jett had notified his contacts at the Bureau. Everything about this mission was unconventional, from operating on U.S. soil to saving the woman he loved. And yes, he loved Lena without a shred of doubt in his mind. He'd been falling slowly for her ever since they met, and now it felt inevitable that she was the one. He just had to get to her in time.

His gaze scanned the area, taking in the massive crane and multiple stacks of containers aboard the vessel. He looked over the rows and rows of various colored metal boxes, all of them looking ominous in the dim morning light. It felt like Lena was inside a casket—alone and cold, no doubt in the dark, and probably without food or water. He swallowed down his fear, taking a shaky breath. They'd search them all if they had to. Failure wasn't an option.

A loud fog horn sounded, indicating a ship's eminent departure. Gray nearly stumbled, watching in shock as the massive container ship began to slowly move away from the dock. A tugboat operator began yelling from the shore, waving his hands frantically. "Someone stole my tug! Stop! Stop them!"

A police officer and harbor security ran by, walkies in hand. "Alert the Coast Guard! Repeat. Alert the Coast Guard! There's an unauthorized departure of the Container Ship Apollo from terminal four. They are not allowed to leave this area. Over."

"No!" Gray yelled, sprinting toward the massive ship. He didn't even care if he was in danger from whoever had fired at them before; he couldn't let the ship sail without him.

Gray heard static over his headset and then Nick's voice. "I'm in position. There're two tangos approaching from the south. I've got them in my sights."

Jett's command was final. "Take them out."

Two gunshots sounded, the men crumpling to the ground behind him. Had Nick taken the kill shot or Boone? Gray couldn't tell from this angle. Maybe they'd each taken out a tango. Panic rose within him as the ship began to fire its engines. This was a massively crowded harbor. If someone had commandeered the vessel, it could be dangerous to everyone around them.

Helicopters began to circle in the air, searchlights pointing down at the ship. "This is the United States Coast Guard," a voice said over a megaphone. "Cease and desist all operations of Container Ship Apollo. You do not have permission to leave the harbor. Repeat. You are not authorized to set sail."

"We're going to be too late!" Ford shouted, running at Gray's side. Gray sprinted faster, leaping through the air and landing in the icy cold water. Shock washed over him from the chill as he plunged into the icy depths, and then he pushed upward with his arms, kicking hard and resurfacing. Gray swam to the bow of the ship, forcing his body to move in the cold. He heard Ford shouting behind him, and then Jett's voice over the headset. The ship continued to move slowly away from the pier, and Gray was already climbing the ladder, his hands like ice. He nearly slipped, almost falling back into the water, but held steady.

"There's someone else on the bow," Jett said into the headsets.

"Roger that. I'll be careful." Gray climbed the rest of the way up, shaking in the cold. His body couldn't lockdown now. It couldn't. Not after he'd endured so much. Briefly, his mind flashed back to the desert. The searing pain. The whippings. The sweltering tent. It felt like a thousand tiny knives were cutting into his skin right now, prickling every nerve ending, but he pushed on, flinging himself onto the bow.

The ship was still moving as the helicopters circled. Gray clicked his mic. "Do they know who I am?"

"Affirmative. They won't be shooting at you," Jett confirmed.

"Well thank God for something going right," Gray muttered. He spotted a man's big sweatshirt in an area where some gear and equipment was stored. The ship had departed so rapidly, someone had no doubt dropped it there in the rush. Gray heaved himself over and remained low, stripping off his Kevlar vest and soaked shirt. He slid the sweatshirt on, cringing at the feel of it against his scars, then strapped the wet vest atop it. His back was the last thing he needed to worry about right now. It was surprisingly easy to ignore given how cold the rest of his body was.

Gray checked his weapon, peering around the area, and rose to his feet.

The helicopters continued circling above, the sun rising further over the harbor. It would've been a nice sight, the sun gleaming off the sparkling water, except his girl was trapped somewhere on a runaway ship. Gray took several steps as he took in the massive vessel, hopelessness battling against anger within him. There were so damn many containers. Hundreds. It would take days and the entire team to thoroughly search each one. They could've stashed Lena anywhere. And how sick did those men have to be to put a woman inside, to sell her then ship her off like an object.

He clicked his mic. "Do we have any idea what type of container Lena was loaded in? Color, description, anything?"

"Negative," said Jett. "West is working on obtaining all the footage from terminal four's loading area."

"There's a goddamn crane right there," Sam said. "Didn't the operator see anything? If they were still loading containers onto the ship, Lena must be in one on top of the stack."

"Let's question him. He might've been paid hush money, but we'll get him to talk," Ford replied.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and Gray dove to the ground. A second shot sounded, ricocheting off the metal. "I'm under fire!" he yelled. He lifted his rifle, aiming it up against an unknown enemy that was currently out of sight.

"I can see a man running toward the bow," Luke said from the pier. "White male. Dark pants, red shirt, black hair. He scaled the containers and is looking for you down below."

"I don't have a shot," Nick said, his voice strained. "Gray, I don't see you either."

"Fuck!" Gray swore, army crawling along the ship's surface as the man fired his weapon again. If Gray could get to the end of the row of shipping containers, he could get the guy in his sights and return fire. Right now, he felt like a sitting duck. "I hope like hell Boone can see him."

"Drop your weapon!" a voice from the police helicopter said over a megaphone, their floodlights turning toward the area.

"I still don't see him!" Gray yelled. "I don't have a visual!"

Suddenly, a single shot fired from the direction of the loading dock, coming from more than one hundred yards away. Gray heard a grunt and gurgle as the man fell to his death, landing far too close for comfort. The tango had practically been right above him.

"Boone took him out," Nick said calmly over the headsets.

"Thank God," Gray muttered, standing. Blood was pooling by the head of the man who'd fallen, but Gray didn't have it in him to feel any remorse. No doubt this lowlife was one of Ivan's men. The ship was still moving toward the center of the harbor, commotion surrounding them onshore as more authorities were notified of the chaos.

"They're going to try to leave the harbor and sail away," Ford said, watching from the dock. "It looks like they're attempting to turn the ship."

"It doesn't matter. I'm onboard and won't leave without Lena."

"We've got another problem," Luke said, his voice urgent over the headsets. "There's black smoke rising from the ship."

"What?"

"I don't know if it's a fire onboard or trouble with the engine, simply causing something to smoke. Either way, it doesn't look good."

"God damn it! I'm not leaving this ship without Lena!" Gray began walking down the row on the starboard side, looking up at the stacks of containers. The most recently loaded cargo was of course on top, but he still didn't know which one to begin searching. It would take hours to break into all of them—time he didn't have. Just scaling to the top was going to be a problem.

"Lena!" he shouted, his voice nearly drowned out by the helos. Damn it. Even if she was inside, he'd never hear her calling back to him.

Gray paused, carefully assessing each one. How did the Chinese buyers know which container held their merchandise? A dock worker in China had to be in on the scheme, unloading the women once they reached their destination. Was there a word or marking they'd look for? Some other indication to let them know their live cargo was inside?

"What's the status on the surveillance footage?" he asked urgently into his mic. "Do we know the container Lena was put in yet?"

"Negative," came Luke's worried reply.

Gray moved to the bow, scanning the top row there. This section of the ship seemed the most likely spot the container had been stacked given the ship's position at the dock. He could be wrong, but he had to start somewhere. Adrenaline pulsed through his veins, all his senses on high alert. Gray stood there assessing. Calculating. The sunlight warmed his face. He could smell the scent of fish and brine and water. Hear the sirens and helicopter rotors. Feel the chill from his wet pants, socks, and boots. See the rows and rows of cargo.

There. One of the containers had a marking on the side that looked like spray paint. Was it graffiti or something more?

"There's something written on the top blue container, left corner of the bow," he said, his hand on his mic.

"What's it say?" Ford asked.

"I can't make out the markings. Thirty something. Thirty-six? It might say thirty-six D."

"Thirty-six D? What the hell does that mean?" Luke asked.

Sam clicked on his mic. "Doesn't sound like any damn GPS coordinates. Maybe they're marking a woman's measurements on the side of the container. It's sick as hell, but what if it means there's human cargo inside? Those are somewhat innocuous letters and numbers unless you knew what to look for."

Gray breathed in, suddenly knowing Sam was right. It was all kinds of twisted, labeling the cargo like Lena was a fucking object, not a woman, but he was thankful this shipping container looked different than the rest. The alternative of Lena remaining trapped wasn't a thought he was going to entertain. Black smoke continued to billow in the sky. It wasn't getting worse, but it also wasn't getting better.

"I'm going up," Gray said, trying to figure out the best way to scale all the containers. His gaze landed on a coil of rope, no doubt undone from when the ship had been docked. How would he secure it to the top though? He didn't have repelling gear.

"The Coasties will give you a lift," Jett said over the headsets. Gray blinked in surprise as a helo came closer, hovering above him. The rotors blew cold air down over him, and his feet felt numb from being in wet socks and boots. His boxers and pants were frigid, and the irony that he might literally have blue balls wasn't lost on him. Gray hoped all his appendages were okay after that dip in the icy water. Saving Lena was worth it though, consequences be damned.

More sirens sounded as firetrucks began to arrive on scene, and the Apollo continued its hopeless turn, nearly getting stuck in the harbor.

"Who the hell is piloting that thing?" Sam asked over the headsets.

"Not the harbor master. He's on the dock with a tugboat driver," Luke said.

"Well fuck," Gray muttered. "Hope it's not our buddy Ivan."

He didn't have time to worry about Ivan now. A rope dropped from the helo, and Gray grabbed hold, knowing he wasn't wearing the right gear. Normally, they'd hook in with carabiners, securing themselves to the line. "Stand by," Jett ordered, his voice gruff.

"No! I'm ready to go up!" Gray yelled.

"And risk Lena when you retrieve her?" Jett asked over the headsets.

Gray muttered under his breath as the Coasties threw down a second line with two safety harnesses attached. No doubt Jett had quickly brought the Coast Guard up to speed.

Gray grabbed the harnesses, quickly stepping into the leg loops of one and securing it around his chest. While he wasn't worried about his own safety, if he rescued Lena, they'd need to be quickly extricated from the still-smoking ship. Gray tightened the harness, securing it to the line, and signaled. He clutched the second harness in his hand, and then he was rising to the top of the stacked containers. Another gun shot sounded, and he cursed, trying to duck as his heartbeat accelerated, the thumping pulsing in his ears. Maybe that sound was the helo. At any rate, Gray was dangling in the air like a fish caught on a line, the perfect target.

"Shots fired! Shots fired!" Gray yelled.

He could see his teammates running on the dock but didn't see the shooter.

"I've got him in my sights," a deep and deadly voice said over the headsets. "Taking the kill shot." A single shot rang out before Gray could process what he'd just heard. He looked around, noticing his teammates surrounding a person on the ground. "The tango is down," the sniper confirmed.

"Shit. Boone, is that really you?" Gray asked.

"Roger that, buddy. Your boys here finally brought me a headset. That's the second mofo I've taken out for you today. Guess you owe me a couple of beers for that."

Gray laughed, despite the gravity of the situation. That was Boone for you. Calm as hell, a crack shot, and with a dry sense of humor that you never saw coming. "Sure thing, man. As soon as I get my girl."

"Roger that. And hurry the hell up. My ass is freezing out here."

The helo shifted, and Gray landed on the top of the blue shipping container. He felt like he was on top of the goddamn world. His girl was hopefully within his reach. His old buddy had literally saved his hide. And Gray was about to rescue the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Gray jogged to the edge of the container, studying the door on the side. He blinked in shock. There was nothing where the padlocks were supposed to be. Either they'd loaded it so fast onto the ship that they'd forgotten to secure the damn thing, or he was in the wrong place.

Gray swung over the side, still secured by the rope on the helo. He almost felt like a fireman conducting a technical rescue, hanging from a line as he breached a vehicle. Except the metal that held Lena seemed more like a coffin. Did she have enough air? Was she coherent? Was Gray even in the right place?

He flipped the tabs back where the padlocks were supposed to be, then turned the handles ninety degrees to open the huge door. Signaling, he unclipped his carabiner and swung inside, his feet thumping on the metal as he landed. Gray slid his flashlight free from his cargo pants, turning it on and aiming it into the dark, cold space.

"Lena." His voice was low. Hoarse. He hardly dared to hope that she was actually here. The thump, thump, thump grew quieter as the helicopter hovered above, the metal from the cargo container slightly dulling the sound. Gray studied the boxes stacked in there for a moment, his mind flashing back to the armory and inventorying supplies at headquarters. "Lena!" he called out, trying to keep his hands from shaking as he aimed the light around the space. "Are you in here? It's Gray! Lena! Where are you?"

A whimper sounded from way in the back, and then Gray was shoving boxes aside, scrambling over them in his haste. "Lena!" he called again, shining his flashlight above him to light the way. His rifle was slung over his back, his Kevlar vest shielding him from any stray bullets to the chest, and his heart was thumping wildly.

More whimpers and sounds of pain made his chest clench.

"I'm coming!" He jumped over a box and jogged toward the back, his heart in his throat as his flashlight finally landed on a pale, trembling woman gagged and chained to the wall. He nearly did a double take as he realized it was Lena. She was ghostly white, in shock, wearing a pretty floral dress that wasn't at all appropriate for the winter morning. The baby shower. The abduction. The past twenty-four hours' worth of events played like a movie reel in his mind. And despite it all, she was still the prettiest damn thing he'd ever seen.

"Lena!" he yelled out again, rushing to her.

She shook, crying, seemingly not believing he was real.

"Shhhh. It's me, baby. You'll be okay now. I'm here." He gently removed the gag from her mouth and collected her in his arms as she sobbed, her body far too weak and cold. She was chained to the back of the shipping container like a goddamned animal, but she managed to clutch onto him anyway, her head against his chest.

She was alive. Breathing. Clinging onto him like he was her lifeline.

Gray clicked his mic, wondering if his comms would even work from inside the cargo hold. "This is Gray. Repeat. This is Gray. Do you copy?"

Static crackled over his headset, and then he heard Jett's voice, relief washing over him. "Roger. What's your status?"

His eyes burned with tears as he held his trembling woman, and he blinked them away, his voice hoarse. "I found her. Repeat. I found her. Lena requires immediate medical attention. Fluids. Warm clothes. Meds. We need to get her medevac'd to the nearest hospital, ASAP. They've got her chained to the wall in this goddamn thing."

"Roger that," Jett said, his voice hard yet tinged with relief. "The Coast Guard helo is standing by, waiting for extraction. Once you're both inside it, they'll give you a lift straight to the closest hospital. I'm sending up the team."

"Tell the helo to send down a basket," Gray instructed. "I don't think she's strong enough to bring up on the rope."

He set down his flashlight, leaving it on, but didn't hear Jett's next words over the headset because all of his focus was now on the woman before him.

"Gray?" she asked. "Is it really you?"

He pulled back, searching her watery gaze. Her cheek was red and bruised, like she'd been smacked, and he was almost too afraid to ask if she'd been hurt elsewhere. The chains that held her to the wall meant she'd barely been able to move while in the metal container. He couldn't imagine staying in the same position for days on end while the ship sailed around the world. His gaze had swept the ground as he'd rushed to her, and he'd seen no food. No water.

They deserved to die a slow death for leaving her like this.

"It's me, baby girl," Gray said, running a hand over her tangled hair. "It's really me."

"I thought I was dreaming. Hallucinating. They drugged me again, but you found me," she said, tears smarting her eyes. "You really found me. I tried so hard to be strong. I knew you'd come."

"Of course I would. I will always, always come for you," Gray said, his voice thick with emotion. "And I'm so sorry that I wasn't there yesterday," he added, his voice catching. "When we realized you were gone—" he cut off, choked up.

"They're the ones to blame for this, not you," Lena said vehemently. "They're animals. They've been stalking me all along like I was their prey."

"Are you hurt?" he asked, blinking away his own tears as he frantically assessed her, his big hands lightly running down her bare arms. "Damn. You're freezing," he murmured, rubbing her arms gently. Her feminine, pink dress was ripped and dirty, but she was clothed. Talking with him. Not screaming in pain. His gaze tracked down over her body, and he didn't see any blood or major injuries. The possibility of injuries he couldn't see chilled him to the bone. Had she been raped? Assaulted? He could hardly choke out the words.

"I'm not hurt. Not really. Just some bruises and scrapes. Ivan tied me up again and threatened me, but it was mostly just a big game to him. He was going to rape me, but then one of his men thought someone was coming and would find us. They drugged me again and brought me here. Where are we?" she asked. "A harbor, but where?"

"Baltimore's Inner Harbor."

"What happened to Ivan? After we got here, he left me with his men to be loaded on the ship."

"I'll explain later," Gray murmured. "Let's get you out of these chains first," he said, removing a set of lock-picking tools from his gear along with a K-Bar knife. "Are you sure that you're really okay?"

"I am now that you're here."

"Then let's get you home," he said, gently massaging her wrists before cutting free the zip ties. She was handcuffed as well, the metal rings attached to the chain on the wall. He'd have to pick the lock to remove her chain and handcuffs, but all that mattered was that she was okay.

Voices came from the front of the container, and then Gray's teammates were rushing back as well, helping him to free Lena. "Shit. Let's get you out of those," Sam said, quickly working to pick the lock on the handcuffs. Ford had an emergency reflective blanket to wrap her in as well as several bottles of water, and Luke carried the medic bag, seemingly surprised she was standing there in one piece.

"There we go," Sam said, releasing her wrists from the cuffs. He tossed them to the ground, the metal clinking on the floor.

Lena practically fell into Gray's arms now that she was free from the wall, and then he was kissing her, holding her, loving her. "I thought I lost you," he whispered almost desperately, the feeling of her body against him pure heaven. "I should've gone with you yesterday to get the food. I shouldn't have let you go alone."

"He never would've given up," Lena said. She suddenly stiffened in his embrace. "Ivan's expecting the money he demanded. He'll come after me again. He's not going to let this go."

"He's dead," Ford said quietly.

"He's dead?" she asked Gray in disbelief. Ford handed him the reflective blanket, and Gray began wrapping it around her shoulders. It did little to stop her trembling.

Gray nodded. "Ivan Rogers is dead. Boone took him out."

"Who's Boone?

"Long story. I'll explain it all to you later. Let's get you out of here and onto the helo. We're catching a ride to the hospital." The other men began to move to the front of the shipping container, holding flashlights to help guide Gray and Lena's way.

"Wait!" she said, reaching out to grab hold of Gray's arms. "What's going to happen now?"

"We'll fly to the ER and get you checked out. Probably have a hell of a story to tell the Feds. I'm sure they'll keep you overnight at the hospital, but I'll stay with you," he said, searching her worried gaze. "You won't be alone."

"But what about us?"

He quirked his brow.

"You were protecting me. Now Ivan's gone. What's going to happen to us now?"

Gray's gaze softened, taking in the achingly beautiful woman before him. She'd been through hell, and he'd reassure her as much as she needed. "You're it for me, Lena. The one. I'm not giving you up just because you don't need my protection anymore. You saved me, too, from my own demons. I'm yours as long as you'll have me."

"I'm yours, too," she said tearfully. "I've always been yours."

Gray gently palmed her cheeks, and then he kissed her in front of his buddies, slow and deep, his heart thundering against hers. Gray didn't care if the entire world saw how he felt for this woman. She was his. "I love you," Gray told her, his voice rough.

"I love you, too, Gray. I love you so much."

He kissed her again then pulled back, in awe at the strength and love emanating from Lena. He was sure the same thing reflected back in his own eyes. "Then let's get you out of here. We have our entire lives ahead of us."