Chapter Nineteen

A t the mention of his father, Ryland’s curse came through the comms loud and clear, and Inda couldn’t blame him. Until recently, Ryland had believed his father was dead. The bastard had let him, his sister Addison and their mother think he’d died while on a mission with his former SEAL team. But, really, he’d gone deep undercover, working for the government. Now, however, no one knew where his true allegiance lay. Inda had a feeling Cross was loyal to only one person. Himself.

“Can you take the cameras offline?” she asked Lucas, who sat next to her with his laptop open.

“Of course, I can. Shouldn’t we wait to see what Braxton says?”

Normally, she would. But the urge to follow those two and find out exactly what they were up to was a temptation too strong to resist. “I’m going in,” she murmured, standing up. “So either take them offline or I’ll put them out of commission myself.”

She laid a hand over her nunchucks making her intentions crystal clear. She had no problem busting those cameras apart with a swing. Lucas knew she wasn’t messing around, so he nodded and started tapping away on his keyboard.

Two minutes later, he looked up, intelligent blue eyes twinkling. “I’ve got all the security cams on a loop,” he stated. “As long as no one figures it out, they’ll stay that way.”

“Roger,” she whispered. When he stood up, ready to go with her, she frowned. “Stay here. I shouldn’t be—”

“No way. I’m going in with you.”

“Like hell you are,” she hissed.

He crossed his arms stubbornly. “You’re not going in alone. What if you need backup? I can help you.”

Inda sighed, wanting to argue, but there wasn’t time. Plus, she could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t budging. When a truck rolled up to the dock, providing the cover she needed, she knew it was now or never. With no time to convince him otherwise, she hissed, “Let’s go! And stay close or I will knock you out with my nunchucks and stash you in the bushes til I’m done in there.”

He chuckled. “God, I love you.”

She froze. What the what? Her eyes darted over to meet his, and the sonofabitch winked. He freaking winked at her!

“C’mon, before you go getting all mushy on me,” he teased.

“I do not get mushy,” she retorted.

“We’ll see.”

Love. Oh, God help her.

With a huff and a small smile, she started forward, keeping along the edge of the woods, hidden from view. She really hoped Lucas would be able to keep up with her and that Braxton wouldn’t rip her a new one for going in hot and telling him after the fact. But her gut was screaming for her to move and not let the opportunity pass by. They needed to find out what Cross and Selma were up to so they could stop them. This was their chance and she was going to take it.

Once they were at the edge of the treeline, right near the truck, Inda motioned for Lucas to follow her. They jogged forward, using the truck for cover, and crept up alongside the front passenger wheel. She peered around the corner and didn’t see anyone.

“C’mon!” She hurried forward, Lucas right on her heels, and grabbed the door handle, carefully pulling it open. No one was in sight, so she stepped into the long hallway lined by endless doors. She had no idea where Cross and Selma had gone.

Until she heard voices not far away.

Inda grabbed Lucas’ arm and they ducked into the nearest room. Luckily, it was an empty office and she pulled the door nearly closed, listening intently as the voices moved by. As soon as they passed, she cracked the door open and saw Cross, Selma and a man in a white lab coat turn the corner.

Once the trio was out of sight, Inda stepped back into the hallway, motioning for Lucas to follow her. They quietly made their way forward and she peered around the corner where there were several observation windows. Cross and company had to be in one of the rooms.

She and Lucas stalked forward, and her senses were so focused on figuring out which room they’d gone in, she nearly missed the scientist who came walking out of another lab.

Seconds before the man would’ve seen them, Lucas yanked her through the first doorway, keeping them both safely out of sight. He pressed a finger to his lips and she gave him a grateful nod as the scientist passed by their hiding place, none the wiser.

“Thanks,” she whispered, glad he was with her.

“Welcome,” he responded, his lips practically brushing her temple.

They were in a small, dark closet that smelled like disinfectant. Breathing hard, pressed against him, she inhaled his pine scent. A tremble shot through her at his nearness, but now wasn’t the time.

Inda took an unsteady step back and her heel bumped into a bucket. She couldn’t see a damn thing and she reached out, searching for a light switch. There was a soft click and she saw Lucas had pulled a string attached to a light bulb above them.

Soft light illuminated the tiny maintenance closet and Inda looked up, past the bare light bulb, and studied the ceiling panels above them.

“Give me a boost,” she whispered. Lucas hesitated briefly then reluctantly bent forward and linked his fingers. Grabbing his shoulders, she stepped onto his hands, pivoted and lithely brought her leg around. Once she was sitting on his broad shoulders, he straightened up and she easily reached the ceiling.

The panel popped loose with a little push. Grabbing the edge, she pulled herself up, and Lucas’ hands wrapped around her calves to steady her as she stood. Her head and upper body breached the empty space between the roof and drop tile ceiling, and she surveyed the tangle of ductwork, piping and cables.

A quick examination of the galvanized metal frame assured her it would hold her weight. But Lucas? Probably not. She looked down at him staring up at her, face full of concern.

“I’m going over to listen in,” she said in a low voice.

“Be careful,” he mouthed, and she gave a sharp nod.

“Careful is my middle name. Remember?”

“What is it? Really?” he asked, locking eyes with her.

For a brief moment, she hesitated. Then, in a soft voice, she said, “Léa.”

“Inda Léa Diaz, you be careful.” When he grinned up at her, yeah, her heart may have melted. Just a little.

Okay, it was go time. Inda carefully crawled forward, moving along the edge of the metal grid. The dust and dirt made her eyes itch and nose tingle, and she had to pause to plug her nose and stifle the sneeze that threatened. No way was she going to accidentally sneeze and give herself away. Once the urge passed, she continued forward, heading toward the sound of voices.

When she was directly above them, she lowered her ear to the ceiling tile and listened. The voices below were slightly muffled, but she could still make out what they were saying.

“Is this batch correct?” Cross asked.

“It hasn’t been tested yet,” a male voice answered. The Russian accent told Inda it must be Dr. Ivan Zaitsev.

“You said you had the formula,” Cross snapped.

“I said it’s been forty years, but I thought I could still create it.”

“I told you we should’ve spirited Dr. Orlov away,” Selma said irritably, presumably talking to Cross. “But, you didn’t listen, did you? Now we’re stuck with him because you dragged your feet and that gave Ex Nihilo enough time to take Orlov out. Bravo, Cross. Great decision.”

Whoa. Trouble in paradise. Except we didn’t eliminate Orlov, Inda thought, frowning. So if The Agency didn’t kill Orlov, and her team didn’t, then who the hell had?

“I have a very good feeling the good Doctor here won’t disappoint,” Cross said smoothly, completely unperturbed. Selma made an impatient, very annoyed sound.

“I believe you will be happy with the results,” Dr. Zaitsev said hurriedly.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Cross asked.

“The test labs are in the basement. Follow me.”

The moment their footsteps faded, Inda hit her comms. “Pharaoh, we’re inside.”

There was a slight rustle then, “Goddammit, Bruja.”

“I saw an opportunity and had to take it. They’re about to test the Novichok in the basement. Heading down there now. Lucas has the security cams looping.”

“Saint and Rip, go down to the basement for backup,” Brax said. “Demon and I are right behind you.”

“Roger that.”

Inda turned around and crawled back over through the dust and cobwebs to the hole in the ceiling above the janitor’s closet. “Hey,” she said, looking down at Lucas. “Help me down.”

He lifted his arms and she carefully stepped back onto his shoulders, grasped his hands, and her foot slipped. But he held on and their eyes locked as she slowly slid down the front of his hard body, savoring every delicious point where they came into contact. When her feet hit the floor, he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers.

A door slammed somewhere not far away and they jumped apart, back to business.

“C’mon, we’re going to the basement.”

He nodded. “Is this a typical day in the field for you?”

“No. Normally, I’m not babysitting a civilian.” She smiled then pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Not that I’m complaining. Just stick close.”

“Like glue,” he murmured, mouth edging up.

After checking to make sure the coast was clear, they ignored the elevator and hustled over to the stairwell. The basement was only one flight down and they took the steps quietly and quickly.

Inda carefully pushed the exit door inward. It was much cooler down there, slightly musty-smelling, and she saw another long hallway of white walls with several doors. No sign of the nefarious trio, though, and quieter than a church at midnight. Where had they gone?

Stepping into the hall, they crept forward. It was eerily silent, and when they reached the first door, she paused, making sure to stay out of sight. There were three rooms in a row with large observation windows, most likely airtight, sealed to prevent any gas or spill from leaking out. That would also make them soundproof, which meant they wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop.

So now what? They couldn’t exactly look through the glass and watch. Unless the test labs each had an observation window looking into the other rooms as well as the hallway. It was a decent possibility and she’d seen a similar setup before. It was especially likely if multiple experiments were occurring at once and the scientists could communicate through an intercom system.

Going with that hypothesis, Inda dropped down out of sight then dared a quick peek in the first lab, confirming its occupants—Cross, Selma and Dr. Zaitsev. Carefully and quietly, they crept past the second lab and stopped in front of the last room. After she verified it was empty, they slipped inside, pulling the door shut.

Staying low to avoid being seen from both the hallway and through the lab’s window, her gaze swept their surroundings. There was a desk with multiple monitors, some chemistry equipment, speakers, and a control panel with random buttons and switches.

The panel was exactly what she was looking for—a way to communicate between the three separate, soundproof rooms. If she pressed the correct button, it was possible to talk through the speaker. Or, she could simply listen by turning on the audio for the desired room.

The switch for room number one clicked softly when she flipped it, and Cross’ loud voice boomed through the speaker.

“How long is this going to take?” he asked.

“It’s imperative that I follow strict procedures while handling the Novichok,” Dr. Zaitsev said. “It’s a dangerous chemical, as you well know.”

Cross sighed and Selma said, “Don’t keep us waiting. Which delivery method have you whipped up for us, Doctor? Liquid? Powder? Aerosol?”

She sounded almost giddy and Inda exchanged a look with Lucas. “She’s psychotic,” Inda murmured.

“Yeah, she sounds a little too excited about this.”

“I developed a gas,” Dr. Zaitsev said. “But, again, I’m not exactly sure how lethal its effect will be. I was never part of the test phase when I worked on this in Russia.”

“So how does it work exactly?” Cross asked. “You spray it?”

“For safety’s sake, we need to move into the next room,” Dr. Zaitsev told them. “Then I will show you.”

Inda wasn’t sure why, but the more he spoke, the more nervous—skittish, even—the doctor sounded.

“What’s going on with him?” Lucas asked, clearly picking up on it, too. “He sounds weird. Anxious about the testing. Fuck, can this shit explode?”

“No, it’s a neurotoxin, not a bomb. But, you’re right. Something is definitely off.” She reached over and clicked the sound on for the middle room. “Just stay out of sight.”

They were pressed against the cool tile wall, directly below the window, when they heard Cross say, “Selma, dear, why don’t you go ahead and get situated next door. I have a few more questions for Dr. Zaitsev.”

Uh oh . Inda wasn’t sure what kind of questions Cross had, but she felt a prickle on the back of her neck. While Selma walked out, she and Lucas waited to see what Cross would do. Meanwhile, since Inda had already flipped the speaker on for lab two, they could hear Selma. Her heels clicked across the floor and she sighed in annoyance.

Inda and Lucas waited, both of them on edge. Ready to bolt if need be.

“So, Doctor,” Cross said, “remind me again how potent this neurotoxin actually is.”

Zaitsev cleared his throat, sounding more and more uncomfortable. Dammit, Inda wished she could see what was happening. The chance of Cross or Zaitsev seeing them through two different windows and across the second lab was slim. But, unfortunately, Selma might catch sight of her if Inda risked peering through the glass above them. No, for now, it was best to stay below the observation window and bide her time.

“Well, Russia has produced several versions of Novichok. It belongs to a broad class of compounds called cholinesterase inhibitors, which are used in a wide range of medicines as well as poisons. They attack the normal ebb and flow of neurotransmitters, chemicals in the body that nerve cells use to regulate essential functions.”

“And what would that look like to an outsider?” Cross asked, even though they all knew the answer.

Inda held her breath. Something bad was coming. She could feel it.

“Um, well, the poison causes muscle spasms that can stop the heart. The resulting death easily escapes scrutiny because it looks like a fatal heart attack.”

“Very good, Doctor. Now, why don’t we test that batch you’ve created? Lock the rooms.”

A click sounded and Inda’s head jerked over. Their door had just locked.

“Shit,” she hissed and scrambled over, wrenching down on the handle. It didn’t budge.

“We’re sealed in?” Lucas asked, eyes widening. “What about the control panel?”

He hurriedly moved past her and studied the panel.

“Can you hack it and open the door?” she asked.

“I can sure as hell try,” he said and ripped the cover off, exposing a colorful bundle of wires.

Fuck. How could she have screwed up so badly? They must’ve known her team was there and that she’d followed them inside. But how?

Oh, God. She hit her comms. “Pharaoh, we’re locked in the third lab in the basement. I think they’re about to release the Novichok into our room.”

After a cursory inspection, Lucas swore under his breath. “I’m gonna need time. And a knife.”

They both knew Inda had the knife in her boot, but when a hissing sound began to fill the room, it was clear their time had run out.

Inda’s gaze collided with Lucas’ and her heart fell. She didn’t want to go out this way and she was furious with herself for allowing Lucas to die on her watch. How had Cross and Selma realized they’d been followed?

“I’m so sorry, Lucas,” Inda whispered.

He closed the gap between them in two long strides and dragged her into his arms. “Not your fault,” he said simply. Then he caught her mouth in a goodbye kiss.