9. Nicholas

9

NICHOLAS

"Wow," Rae said as we stormed into the hotel suite. Her eyes trailed over us. It wasn't a pretty sight. We had all been floating in the water for way too fucking long, waiting for Cash to get us.

I started stripping off my holster, taking all my gear off and setting it on the table. Chase and Patrick did the same, but Jack's team stood by as if being soaking wet didn't bother them at all.

"I take it the rescue didn't go well," Rae said, walking over to us.

"They had fucking rocket launchers."

"Well, they are drug dealers. I suppose a few rockets are all part of the evil genius thing."

"They have Raven!" I snapped, not appreciating her attempt at humor. I slid my hand through my hair, frustrated with myself for letting her down. She was on a boat right now, headed God knows where. I was pissed before when I thought she had been killed in front of me, but knowing the endless possibilities of what could happen to her now was gnawing at me, eating me alive inside. I couldn't take not knowing.

"Relax," she said, not flinching at all from my tone. "I've been tracking them. We know exactly where she is. Getting to her is going to be a problem, though."

I held my breath as she walked around the desk and opened her computer. The tracker was flashing on the screen off the coast of Mexico. "Why is that a problem?"

"Well, first of all, this is all Zavala's territory. Mexico is like a drug kingpin's haven."

"But they're in the middle of the ocean."

"He'll have Zavala at his back."

"Zavala's in the Caribbean. There's no way he can get to?—"

"All of this is Zavala's territory," she said, spreading her hand across the screen. "It doesn't matter if they're in the Pacific Ocean right now. Zavala has eyes everywhere. It's too risky to attack again."

"It's even riskier to attack when he's back on his own turf," I argued.

"I don't think you realize just how much control Zavala has. He lives and works on that island. The only reason he even left was because Rafe caused enough of a disruption to warrant him making an in-person visit. That's the kind of power this guy has."

"He could just be a buyer," I argued. "We don't know for certain that this guy is actually partnered with Zavala."

"No, but we know that he has the manpower and firepower to take on anyone who gets close to him. For the time being, we have to consider that this guy could be under the protection of Zavala, and walking into his territory is not going to be an easy thing."

"So, what are you saying? We wait?"

"Yes," Cash said from behind me. He'd disappeared as soon as we walked through the door, but now he was back and telling me there was no way to get to Raven.

"Would you wait if it was Eva?"

"What I would do is irrelevant. Eva's not in this situation, so I don't have to think about what boneheaded moves I would make. You tried to get her back and it failed. This guy—whoever he is—has money and protection. If we go before we have a plan in place, we'll only get ourselves killed. We need to know what we're up against."

"You're asking me to wait?"

"I'm telling you that if we go in now without any idea of who we're fighting, we'll only get ourselves killed. And then who will save Raven?"

I looked behind me at Chase and Patrick. They both had their heads down, which was all the answer I needed. "Jack…"

He shook his head. "You were there. We didn't even get close to the yacht."

I turned away from them. I couldn't believe they were telling me to sit on my hands and watch this all play out. I couldn't do that. I left her once and look where that got me.

"No. I'm not staying behind and waiting. I might not be able to approach right away, but I can get down there and gather intel."

"You'll need resources," Cash said. If I wasn't mistaken, it sounded like he was offering assistance. His eyes twinkled slightly and I knew I wasn't going to like whatever he had to say. "Your team can go down there with Fox's team."

"No," I said immediately. "Not a chance in hell. They'll get us all killed."

"They're still alive."

"By sheer luck and the stupidity of umbrellas," I countered.

"You'll need someone who knows the area. And while Max was drunk for most of the time he was in the Caribbean, he still has more knowledge of the area than anyone else."

"We don't know that they're headed there."

"Zavala's based out of the Caribbean. It stands to reason that if he's working with Zavala, he'll stick close by. I would say they'll cut through Panama and head that way. If not, you'll still be closer than in Kansas."

"We'll head down there too," Jack said, stepping forward. "Not that I particularly like Rafe at the moment, but he's on that fucking island for a reason. If he needs an extraction, we need to be close."

"I don't think Rafe has any intention at this time of being extracted," Cash said quietly. His brows furrowed and I could tell he was thinking something over.

"What is it?"

"Rafe…he said something about my medal of honor."

"And that's weird?"

"Rafe never gave a shit about medals. That's the second fucking time he's brought it up in the last year."

"So, he's pissed because you were a decorated sniper," Rae said, shrugging it off.

"No…there's more to it." His eyes met mine with determination. "You head down with your team. I have something else I have to do."

"That's it?" I asked. "Raven is still out there."

"And you'll get her back. You have whatever resources you need at your disposal. Except for IRIS. Leave him out of it."

I could probably use IRIS's help on this one. It figured he would bench the guy just when I needed him most.

He rushed to the door, calling over his shoulder. "Rae, lend any support you need. I have to go home."

"To OPS?"

"No, to my father's house."