Chapter 35

35

Paige's ears rang as the helicopter sped closer. She ducked instinctively, her eyes darting between the menacing aircraft and Cody's tense form beside her. This was no simulation, no exercise behind a screen. The reality of their situation hit her with brutal force.

She shoved her hand into the backpack tucked into her side. Her fingers tightened around the unfamiliar weight of the gun. She'd spent countless hours monitoring ops like this, but being in the thick of it was a different beast entirely. Doubt crept in, insidious and sharp. Her training felt laughably inadequate next to Cody's practiced movements.

She wasn't an operative; she was an analyst thrust into a field agent's nightmare. The realization that she might be more liability than asset in a firefight twisted her stomach into knots.

But there was no time for self-doubt. Their pursuers were closing in.

Cody flashed her a tight smile, his eyes intense. "We got this."

"I know," Paige responded, surprised by the steadiness in her voice that belied her inner turmoil. She lifted a silent prayer for their safety, acutely aware of how much was at stake. Despite her self-doubt, she knew, without question, that Cody would do everything in his power to get her and her father's documentation back to the team.

The tension in the car was palpable as they braced themselves for whatever attack was coming. The world outside shrank to just this moment. This threat.

A dark vehicle roared up the shoulder. A military truck, she realized. It screeched to a halt next to them, effectively blocking the helo's view. Paige blinked in surprise, her fingers still wrapped around her gun.

The driver, decked out in Delta Force fatigues with sergeant's stripes, leaned out of the window. His face was all business as he barked, "Jump in. A friend sent us. We'll get you where you're going."

Cody eyed the Hummer before leaning across her to stare up at the driver. "How about a name?"

The younger Marine grinned. "Above my pay grade, sir."

Paige locked eyes with Cody, a silent communication passing between them. Friend or foe?

Cody gave a curt nod. "I say we go."

"Copy that." It wasn't like they really had a choice.

She grabbed her pack and flung open the car door.

The driver of the Hummer saluted as she scrambled around the back of the canvas-covered truck. At least these guys were well-armed. The rifle mounted atop the Hummer could take that helo down with one shot. She had no doubt the men inside were just as heavily armed.

The acrid smell of gun oil and sweat hit her nostrils as three Delta Force operatives, their faces set in grim determination, reached out to help her and Cody aboard. Their assault rifles gleamed menacingly in the dim light filtering through the canvas.

The one closest to the front slapped the back of the cab. The truck lurched forward, throwing her off balance. She landed unceremoniously on one of the hard metal benches lining the sides of the vehicle. Cody settled in next to her, his shoulder brushing hers. The subtle contact grounded her, a human anchor amid the clinical surroundings and watchful eyes of their rescuers. Or guards. She still wasn't certain.

Cody's steady breathing cut through the sterile hum of the truck's engine, reminding her that beneath the chaos, they were still just two people caught in an extraordinary situation.

They bounced along the shoulder of the highway, the canvas walls flapped noisily in the wind. The muffled sound of traffic and the fading whir of the helicopter blended into a surreal soundtrack. She clutched her backpack tightly to her chest, hyperaware of the precious documents inside. Twenty minutes later, her butt was numb from the hard steel jump seat, but at least her heartrate had returned to normal.

One of the Delta Force guys, his eyes sharp beneath his cap, leaned forward. "ETA to the airport, three minutes. Stay low and move fast when we stop."

Paige nodded, her throat too dry for words. The short ride felt like an eternity, each second stretching as her mind raced through possible scenarios awaiting them at the airport.

Finally, the truck screeched to a halt. Before Paige could gather her wits, Cody was already moving, pulling her along with him. They burst out of the truck into the bright Florida sunlight, momentarily blinding after the dimness of the covered bed.

"There's your ride," one of the Delta Force men said, pointing to a gleaming Pilatus turbo prop already spinning up on the tarmac. "Go!"

Paige's legs carried her forward almost on autopilot, Cody's hand firm on her elbow guiding her. As they boarded the waiting aircraft, she allowed herself a fleeting moment of hope.

Her muscles began to unclench as the plane climbed into the sky, leaving the chaos of the past hour behind. "The Consortium found us. How?"

Cody turned toward her, his face a mask of exhaustion. "Who knows? They've got eyes everywhere. Literally."

"Fair enough." She sank back against the plush leather. "If I was running a cross-country search, I'd tap into every traffic cam feed I could access, starting from the embassy outward and run the results through facial recognition software. Easy to do, if you've got unlimited computing power."

Cody also leaned back, and closed his eyes. "Which they do."

"Or it could be simpler. They've probably been watching my dad's property. That guy, Bill Weathers, could be on their payroll."

"Sure." Cody shrugged. "Could have been lots of people. The pilot who flew us in. A waitress at the clam shack." He opened his eyes and caught her gaze. "No way to know."

"And it's not important now."

"And that."

The ugly thought that they'd been watched, probably since they escaped the embassy made her feel dirty. And vulnerable.

Wrapping a hand around her locket, she turned to study Cody's face, her mind whirring with thoughts of her father's letter.

His eyebrows quirked upward. "What? Tell me."

She took a deep breath, the recycled air of the small cabin cool in her lungs. "My dad left a letter in the file," she began, her voice barely audible over the drone of the engines. "He ... he thought the world of you. I thought you should know."

A flicker of emotion passed over his face, softening his usually guarded features. "I felt the same," he said, his voice rough. "I wouldn't be alive now if it weren't for him."

His words hung in the air between them, heavy with unspoken history. Cody leaned forward, his knee brushing against hers. "Can I see the letter?"

Her fingers tightened around her backpack. "I don't think that's a good idea."

A mischievous glint appeared in his eye. "Come on, Penderson. What are you hiding? Your dad's secret cookie recipe?"

She rolled her eyes, trying to mask the flutter in her stomach. "Fine, you win."

But what would he think of her dad's words? Whatever Cody's feelings for her a decade ago, who's to say he hadn't long gotten over her?

With trembling hands, she pulled out the letter and handed it over. As he read, she held her breath, mortification creeping in as she knew he was reaching those final, revealing lines.

Trust Cody. He sacrificed everything to keep you safe back in college. If he's still alive, you should know he's always loved you. You'd make a great team.

Cody looked up, his gaze intense as it locked with hers. "It's all true. Every word."