24. Chase

As soon aswe entered the city, the hairs on the back of my neck rose and wouldn't go down. Something was very wrong with this, but I seemed to be the only one who felt it. I didn't want to worry Mercy, but I caught Fox's gaze in the rearview mirror and conveyed my concerns. Thankfully, he didn't voice his opinions out loud for once in his life.

"I'm just saying that there's no way I'm going to a naked meditation class," Patrick snapped at Fox.

"The only way to truly connect with yourself is to be at one with nature."

"And I'm telling you that I'm as much at peace with myself as I'm ever going to be. If you say anything about me connecting with anyone else while naked, I'll punch you in the face."

"Why did we bring him?" Nick groaned. "Just give me a gun. I'll shoot myself now."

Mercy grinned, turning in her seat. "Don't tell me I patched you up just for you to lose it over a little conversation."

Nick grunted, not bothering to look at her. "Did they tell you what I did before this?"

"No."

"I had a job as a police officer in California. I gave it all up to help Fox and his girl out of a tricky situation. So, I moved here and got a job in town with Cash's help," he grumbled. "Do I need to tell you what happened?"

Her eyes flicked to mine. "I'm guessing you lost it because of something that happened?"

He sighed heavily. "Fox was certain he was onto a lead for FNG. I believed him and look at where I am now."

"Damn straight," Fox grinned maniacally. "The team is back together again!"

"The team was never supposed to be together again," Nick retorted.

"We should really have a name for ourselves."

"We do," I interrupted. "OPS."

Fox snorted. "Not for that team. I'm talking about the Kamau, Nick, and me. Now, let's see. What's a good name for us?" He strummed his thumbs on the steering wheel as he pulled up in front of the hotel. "I've got it! The Terrific Three!"

Patrick scoffed. "It seems when you stopped eating Funyuns, the clever part of your brain went out the window along with your personality."

I opened the door and swept the street with my gaze, looking for anything unusual. So far, there were no signs of anyone dangerous around, but that didn't mean it was safe. A man on the corner sat in a squat, pulling his coat tight around him. A homeless disguise was the oldest trick in the book. Everyone ignored the homeless, so they blended into the crowd without anyone noticing. It was the best cover—and the worst now that everyone knew that particular trick.

I knocked on Patrick's window, waiting for him to roll it down. "Patrick, check out the homeless man."

"What homeless man?" he asked, scanning the sidewalk.

I turned back to the target, but he'd already moved. I checked every single person on the sidewalk, but none of them were the man I'd seen staking out the hotel. "Never mind. Guess he moved on. I'm gonna check in. Stay frosty."

Patrick nodded while ignoring Fox as he called out more horrible team names. Shutting the sliding door, I headed inside, taking a head count of all the employees and what their positions were.

A few customers roamed around the lobby, but none of them seemed particularly interested in anything other than themselves. Walking up to the front desk, I gave the name I used at all OPS hotels check-ins. The woman behind the counter gave me a once-over, then continued to look up at me as she entered my information. This was wrong. This woman was showing way too much interest in me, and I knew it wasn't because of my good looks. I'd seen women check me out before. There was a look women got when they were interested in sex. This woman was studying me like she would a target.

As soon as I walked out, she would alert someone we were here. I knew it.

"Is it just you checking in?"

I maintained eye contact, shooting her a charming smile. "And my wife."

She nodded, but as she typed, her brow furrowed. "That's a large room for the two of you. Would you like me to check if another room is available?"

"No, we like to stay in large rooms."

She shot me a smile that was way too placating. "No problem, sir. I'll just need a credit card on file."

I pulled out the card I was given from Cash when I first started at OPS. All of us had credit cards under an alias in case we needed to lay low. Handing it over, I watched as she curiously checked it over. Her eyes flicked up to mine for just a split second before she ran the card. I didn't know who she was working for, but that alias was now blown. I was sure of it.

She smiled at me as she handed the card back and slid over the keycards for the room. "You'll be staying in 418. Breakfast is served in the dining area from six until ten. Please let us know if there's anything you need."

She tapped the keycard twice and her eyes flicked over my shoulder. I didn't dare look behind me. That would only tip her off that I knew she was onto me.

Grabbing the card, I smiled at her. "Thank you."

I turned to walk out, but stuttered when I saw Patrick walking in with Nick and Mercy. He shook his head slightly as he checked out our surroundings.

"What happened?" I asked, joining the group as I showed him our room number. We headed toward the elevator, but when I pressed the button, I nodded to the door at the end of the hall.

"The police wouldn't let us wait by the curb. Fox is parking."

"We're not staying," I whispered. "Something's wrong. We'll split up."

"No, we should stay together."

"It'll look too suspicious," I countered. "Four of us walking out the back will only raise the alarm."

"Nick and I can head to the side exit. We'll meet you out back."

I nodded and dragged Mercy down the hall to the back exit just as the elevator doors opened.

"What's going on?" Mercy hissed, stumbling to keep up with me.

"We're leaving."

I heard Patrick talking to someone, but didn't dare turn around. Once we were clear of all eyes, I pulled my gun from my holster, keeping it against my leg and out of sight. I shoved the door open, peering out into the night, but couldn't see a thing. Something clanged against metal and I spun, pointing my gun in the direction of the sound. A man was taking out the garbage and watched me carefully as he headed my way.

I immediately dropped my weapon, hiding it at my side. The man continued toward me, his eyes watching me warily.

"Stay behind me," I said as we walked out the door.

I nodded to the man, getting a bad feeling as we passed. His neck was riddled with tattoos, most of them gang tattoos but that wasn't what set me on edge. The look in his eyes was one I recognized. He was preparing for battle, and there was only one way that would end. His hand moved to his side and he spun, but he never got a chance to fire his weapon.

The muzzle flash was the only warning I had before gunshots rang out across the parking lot. I shoved Mercy down and pulled my weapon, kneeling over her as I fired. I relied on my other senses as I fired into the darkness.

Mercy let out a shriek as she covered her head. "Stay down!" I shouted, pressing my hand to her back when she tried to get up.

The muzzle flash led me straight to them, but out here, we were sitting ducks. I saw the man covered in tattoos drop seconds later, and felt slightly bad that he was caught up in this when he should be safely inside the building. But I couldn't worry about him right now.

"Move!" Patrick shouted, laying down cover fire for me.

I grabbed Mercy by the arm and hauled her to her feet, shoving her over to the dumpster a few feet away. She stumbled a few times as bullets pinged around us. I shoved her to the ground and ejected my empty magazine, then reloaded.

Swinging out of hiding, I fired round after round, not stopping until the gunfire died down. Staying hidden, I waited out the silence. Just because they weren't firing didn't mean they were down. After a minute of silence, I looked over at Patrick. He was slumped on the ground unmoving.

"Shit." I turned back to Mercy, only to find her pressing her hand to her side. Blood seeped from a wound, spreading over her fingers. "Mercy!"

"I'm okay," she gasped. "It's not bad. I don't think the bullet hit anything major."

I tore my shirt over my head and pressed it to the wound, wincing as she hissed in a pained breath. I cupped her cheek in my palm, forcing her to look at me. "I'll get you out of here."

"I'm okay," she repeated shakily. "Go check on Patrick."

I didn't want to leave her, but I couldn't leave Patrick behind either. With one look his way, I knew he needed help. Turning back to her, I pressed a kiss to her lips. "I'll be back."

"I know," she said breathlessly. "Go."

I nodded and checked my weapon before taking a few quick breaths. I only took one step out from behind the dumpster when the first bullet struck me in the leg. My weight collapsed under me as I fell to my knee. Then the second bullet struck my chest and I hit the ground. As I sucked in a ragged breath, I knew this was the end. There was only one way out from here, and that was death.

Dark figures stepped out from their hiding spots, headed in my direction to finish the job. I gripped my gun tighter, determined to end this on my terms. But my arms were like lead, refusing to move even the slightest bit. As darkness swarmed me, I thought I saw someone run past me. I heard the distant sound of gunfire before everything went dark.

"Chase, wake the fuck up!"

Pain ripped through my chest as I shifted slightly. I was flat on my back, that much I was aware of, but the steady beeping beside me confused the hell out of me.

"Chase, you gotta wake up, man."

That voice. Hell, I'd recognize it anywhere, even through the heavy fog I was wading through. I peeled my eyes open and stared into the worried gaze of Asher. Behind him, lights floated, making me squint from their brightness.

"Where am I?"

"The hospital," he said, turning away from me. He tossed something on top of me, then rushed out of my line of vision. Pulling my head up as much as possible, I looked at the green scrubs sprawled over my lap. That's when I noticed the line sticking out of my hand. I raised it in the air, staring at it curiously. Then I remembered the gunfire and the blood seeping out of Mercy's body.

"Mercy," I gasped, forcing myself upright. I pressed my hand to my chest, touching the rough bandage covering it. Looking down, I remembered the final bullet that struck me and the knowledge that my life was about to end. "I'm alive."

"No shit," Asher snapped, walking back over to me. "Hurry up. We have to move."

"Where's Patrick?" I asked, remembering how he was slumped over across the parking area.

"In surgery. He took two bullets. One to the chest and one to the head."

My gaze snapped to his. "The head?"

"They don't think he's going to make it."

My world crumbled beneath my feet at his words. "What about Nick and Fox?"

"They never showed up. No idea where they are."

"What about Mercy? You still haven't said where she is."

"She's fine. We're getting her on our way out."

"Where are we going?"

He pulled me over the edge of the bed and started putting the scrubs on me like a child. "Do you want to talk about this now or get the fuck out of here?"

My brain was too scrambled to think straight. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do right now, and that probably had something to do with the drugs racing through me.

"Where are we going?"

"Chase," he said, grabbing me by the face. "They're still out there. Fuck, they almost killed you. We need to move. Now."

Finally understanding, I nodded and grabbed the scrub top, doing my best to pull it over my head. My stitches pulled painfully from the movement, but I pushed through it, tugging it down my chest.

With Asher's help, I stood, gripping his arm as I struggled not to fall over. He started guiding me toward the door at a much faster pace than my body could handle. But the more I walked, the more my mission became clear. I needed to get to Mercy and get out of here and back to OPS where I could keep her safe. Asher was right. With Patrick out of commission and close to death, and Fox and Nick missing, I only had one choice.

Asher pressed me up against the wall and forced my gaze to his again. "I'm gonna clear the floor. Stay here."

I nodded as sweat beaded on my forehead. With every breath in and out, I struggled to stay upright. It seemed like an hour passed before Asher returned, and when he did, I practically collapsed in his arms.

"Mercy is down the hall. I have a wheelchair in her room waiting for us. I'll cause a distraction. You get her and take her to the elevator. I'll meet you on the first floor."

I nodded, hoping I could do all that without passing out. "Got it."

"Chase, you can do this," he said earnestly. "I've got you."

I nodded again, feeling determination filling my veins. This was about Mercy, and nothing was more important than her. As he walked out, I followed. He led me down to Mercy's room, then slipped into the shadows. I shoved open the door and stopped, taking in her prone form. She looked so small and weak as she laid in that bed.

Hobbling over to her, I rested my hand on top of hers, giving it a slight squeeze as tears pricked my eyes. I'd failed her. I swore to keep her safe, and instead, I landed her in the hospital. Had they checked her heart? Was she well enough to leave with me? I didn't know if I could take the chance, but if we stayed, there would be no one to protect her. Even if I begged Asher, I already knew his answer. We ran or he would leave.

"Mercy," I whispered. When she didn't open her eyes, I tried again, infusing strength into my voice. "Mercy, wake up."

Her eyes fluttered slightly, and then I felt her squeeze my hand. When she finally opened her eyes enough to see me, a smile quirked at the corner of her lips. "Hey."

"Hey, baby. How do you feel?"

"I'm okay." Her brows furrowed as she stared at me. "You shouldn't be out of bed."

I waved off her concern. It's nothing to be worried about. I'm tough."

"You were shot. Twice." Her eyes filled with tears and she hastily wiped at her nose. "I watched you get shot and there was nothing I could do."

"Hey," I said in a soothing voice, trying to calm her. "It's okay. We're going to be okay, but we need to leave."

Her gaze darkened as she stared at me. "They're coming for us again, aren't they?"

There was no point in hiding it from her. I knew lying would only make things more difficult at this point. Mercy was a woman who valued honesty above everything else. "Yeah, they are. My friend is here. He's going to help get us out."

"What about Patrick and Nick? Fox?"

I couldn't tell her. I already knew what her reaction would be. She wouldn't want to leave without them. It wasn't in her nature, but if the roles were reversed, the guys would make the same decision as me. She was the client. Her needs always came first. I couldn't do anything to help Patrick, and without knowing what was going on with Nick and Fox, there was nothing I could do for them.

"They're going to meet us at OPS," I said with a smile. "It's best if we don't travel together. We'll be able to blend in more if it's just the two of us."

Her eyes drifted shut as she nodded. "Okay."

"I need to help you up. Can you do that?"

Again, she nodded and held out her hand. I took it, trying to hide how much it was costing me to make this small movement. Once she was up, I spun, trying to find something to dress her in. Luckily, Asher had thought of everything. Sitting on the wheelchair were a second set of scrubs. Hobbling over to them, I snatched them and walked back to her. She was eyeing me curiously, and I knew she wasn't going to let my condition go.

"Let's get you dressed."

"Hold on," she said, snagging the hem of my scrubs. Lifting it, she gasped at the massive bandage on my chest. "Chase…"

"I'll be fine. We need to get out of here."

"But—"

"Mercy," I growled low in my throat. "Now is not the time to argue with me. When we get out of here and get to safety, you can yell at me all you want."

She pursed her lips, but nodded, grabbing the scrubs from me. "Sit down for a minute. You look like you're about to pass out."

She didn't know how right she was. Just as I grabbed the arm of the chair and plunked down in it, a wave of dizziness washed over me. I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths until the feeling passed. I opened my eyes just as the door burst open and Asher stormed into the room.

"We need to leave now."

Mercy's eyes went wide. "Chase, who is this?"

"This is Asher, the friend I was telling you about." I shoved to my feet as Asher grabbed the wheelchair and pushed it closer. Mercy was just struggling into her pants and promptly sat in the chair, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Trust me." I repeated the same line I always told her. At this point, it would be engraved on my tombstone.

"They know you're not in your room. I caused a distraction two floors down, but we don't have much time. We need to leave now or we won't make it out."

I nodded and pushed Mercy toward the door. Asher went in front of me, nodding to me when it was all clear. I walked out as if I belonged there, leaning heavily on the wheelchair for support. My leg was throbbing and my chest ached, but we were too close to wimp out now. I pushed through the pain and the pounding in my head until we reached the elevator. Asher hit the button and stepped on, nodding to me as he turned around.

Small droplets of sweat dripped down my face from the exertion, and I leaned against the wall as the doors closed. Asher leaned in and grabbed my arm, holding me upright.

"Just another few minutes. Then we're home free."

I clung to his words like a lifeline. I needed them desperately, and I knew Asher would do anything to get me out of this. He hadn't let me down yet. As for Mercy, she was mysteriously quiet as we exited the elevator. Maybe that was her intent since we wanted to appear normal.

With every step toward the exit doors, I told myself we were going to make it. With every twinge of pain, I shoved aside the need to collapse. I could do that when we were to safety. The doors opened, but just as we were walking through, the alarms in the hospital sounded and the doors began to close. Asher spun, facing the hospital staff as I shoved Mercy through the doors. I heard gunfire just as we hit the sidewalk, and then Asher ran out, holstering his weapon.

"There!"

I picked up the pace, practically jogging as I pushed Mercy to the truck. She was out of the wheelchair before I even stopped, grabbing the handle to the back door of the truck. I ditched the wheelchair and pulled myself up into the passenger side as Asher ran around to the driver's side. My vision floated in and out as we tore away from the hospital.

"Tell me you didn't shoot any of the staff," I huffed, barely able to catch my breath.

"I did what had to be done," Asher answered, not even looking my way.

I opened my mouth to argue, but the darkness once again swooped in and overtook me.