20. Nora
Chapter twenty
Nora
I push the chair back and run my hands through my hair multiple times. What are you doing, Nora? All that’s in the past. I look at the TV mounted on the wall, the same images on my laptop. They must be live streaming. If this place was attacked, the entire world would see it.
Chase loves me.
He loves me.
And I was too afraid to tell him that I love him, too.
The door bursts open, and there is Lena, trying to catch her breath.
“Hey, what is it?”
“As we were going through the area, we found a body; one of the guards. He looks as if he’s been shot recently. We’ve contacted the paramedics, and they’re on their way.”
“Where was the body found?”
“Under the bushes, close to a garden in the back. Can you access the cameras there? See if you can find something.”
“Sure. Accessing… Here. I’ll go back a few minutes… it’s most likely recent.” A young man appears on screen and sits beside an elderly man reading a magazine. After a few minutes, he hands him a briefcase.
“Do you think there’s a way we can hear what they’re saying?”
I shake my head. “I’ve been trying to get into their system to eavesdrop on their conversation, but it’s not working.”
“Try again. I’ll play the footage again to see if I find anything. I’m more curious about what’s in the briefcase. Do you think it’s a bomb? I need to alert the commander.” Lena switches on her radio multiple times waiting for someone to pick up.
“Mark, Joseph, anyone?”
“It’s Mark. We’re in the hall. The summit is going well. There’s currently no trouble. What about your end?”
“There’s trouble, Mark.” The radio glitches intermittently, breaking her words and she redials.
“Mark, do you copy? There’s a suspicious briefcase…”
She stops talking as we watch a security guard approach the young man asking him about the briefcase. He slowly places it on the floor and fumbles with the lock.
“Hey Lena… I can hear you, now.” All of a sudden, the elderly man lowers his magazine, brings out a gun and shoots the security guard. The young man stands up and walks into the building like nothing happened.
“Mark, there’s big trouble. Come to Chase’s room now!”
“I’m on my way!” Mark replies.
“They just killed that man without any remorse.” I whisper. I knew that things like this happened—I saw the guards killed that day with Chase. But it still hits me. I’m not used to being in the field.
“That’s how they are, Nora. Welcome to our world.”
“Wait, go back.” I point to a specific section on screen. “Stop. Right there. I noticed an earpiece in his ears. It means they are communicating in some way. I’m going to see if I can get in.”
The air in the room starts to feel suffocating when all my attempts to infiltrate their network are blocked every time. “I can’t believe they killed that man. They know we’re here.”
“Of course, they do. I wonder what’s holding the guys back.”
I follow the instructions provided by the algorithm and paste the encrypted messages. After a few minutes, I check for any errors and run the sequence again.
“Here,” my voice is filled with excitement as I point to a sequence of characters on the screen. “I think I've found something.”
Suddenly, a voice crackles to life through the encrypted channel, sending a jolt of adrenaline through my veins. “We've connected and tapped into their communication network.”
We listen intently as they discuss their plans. “They’re already in the hall.” An elderly man’s voice joins the conversation giving them instructions calling out names, but only one rings a bell.
“Maxwell,” Lena whispers, her voice barely above a whisper. “He's part of this.”
My blood runs cold at the mention of Maxwell's name.
Chase was right.
He’s going to be heartbroken.
“The same guy who attacked Chase is here? This screams big trouble.”
“Do you know Maxwell?” Lena asks, her eyes widening
“No, but Chase told me about him.”
“You know what? I should go and meet them. Look through the hall; see what you can find.” I look through each camera and pause when I see the same man sitting on the last row but without the briefcase.
“That's him, but the briefcase isn't with him. We have to go.”
“Wait. They're leaving the hall.” I look through the brochure handed to us and check for the next activity. “There's a thirty-minute break. That's why they're leaving the hall.”
“That's enough time for us. Come on. We need to warn Chase.”
“Hold, on. I think I brought a knife. Just for protection.” I tuck the knife into my boots, and we rush to the hall to see it’s almost empty without any of the seals in sight or Maxwell either.
“Where do you think they are?” My phone buzzes in my denim jacket and I remove it. “Who is that?”
“It's Joseph.” I swipe up and put the call on speaker.
“Nora, is Lena with you?”
“Yes. She is. Where are you?”
“We're in the garden. Tell her to head to the top floor and get ready to take the shot if things go wrong. I have to go now.”
“I'm going to the top floor. You can head back to the room and monitor things from there. Let me know what you find.”
“Okay. Stay safe.”
Lena runs out through the opposite door, and I take the same route back to the room. I walk a few steps away from the room and something glints under the staircase. I see the briefcase. It’s open with a time bomb inside.
I panic, calling Chase. He doesn’t answer, so I call Commander Keith, who is working operations at the office. Bomb squad arrives in no time, already hiding out in the crowd. An undercover agent who is trained for this finds me in no time, though the ticking seconds on the bomb makes it feel like forever.
When the bomb is finally defused, I breathe out a sigh of relief. The bomb squad guy asks if he should take me outside, but I shake my head.
These guys did not just bring this bomb to put it underneath a staircase. They must have something bigger up their sleeves.
A loud gunshot comes from outside and I grab my knife tightly in my hand. A hand grabs me from behind and covers my mouth when I try to scream.
“Hey, it's me!” Chase half yells.
“Chase?” I whirl around to see he’s wearing a mask and fully geared up.
“Why do you have a mask?”
“So, no one would recognize me. You know Maxwell's after me.”
I feel my eyes sting with tears. “Chase, I was so afraid—”
My eyes widen with fear as I watch a man approach from the back. He makes a gesture by putting a finger on his lips telling me to be quiet. At first, I think it’s Joseph.
“I've got you, Nora. There's no reason to be scared,” Chase reassures me.
Suddenly, every single doubt I had feels stupid and small. “Chase, I’ve got to tell you. I—"
The man is still creeping forward. I realize his build doesn’t match Joseph at all. My heart pounds in my chest as the man cocks his gun.
“No. Chase, watch out!” I cry out, my hand reaching to pull him down, the bullet whizzes over our heads and pierces the wall.
“Maxwell,” Chase says, his voice low and dangerous. “You don't have to do this. We can end this peacefully.”
Maxwell's responds with a scornful laugh, his voice dripping with contempt. “You think you can stop me, Chase? You think you can bring me to justice? You're a fool if you believe that. I have the power and the resources to do whatever I want. And nothing—not you, not anyone—will stand in my way.”
“What does Dallas have to do with any of this?” Chase exclaims, throwing a hand up.
Maxwell glowers at him, and I inhale sharply. “All I care about is ruining your life. I don’t care how that is accomplished.”
A loud blow comes fast and hard, sending Chase crashing to the ground with a grunt of pain.
“Chase!” I scream, my voice filled with panic as I watch him scramble to his feet. Maxwell hits him again, but Chase dodges the next blow and tackles him to the ground.
“You! You ruined my life and now you have to pay!” Maxwell screams, grappling for control and trying to shoot his gun. They wrestle with the gun until a deafening bang echoes through the hallway and both men go still.
I drop the knife with trembling hands and stay rooted in place. Tears start forming in my eyes at the scene. Have I lost Chase?
“Chase?” Blood gurgles out of Maxwell's mouth as he crumples to the ground. Chase and I stay rooted in place looking at the scene in front of us.
Maxwell becomes still.
The rest of the team gathers around followed by a paramedic. They wrap Maxwell’s body in a bag and wheel him outside. I remain on the same spot trying to block the image from my mind repeating one sentence. I could have lost Chase; I could have lost him, and we would never have had a chance at something.
Snap out of it, Nora. Chase barks some orders to his team and they move in different directions to carry them out. I move closer to him and put my hand on his shoulder.
“Chase, are you okay?”
“I'm okay, Nora,” he reassures me, his voice strained but firm.
“I was so scared I lost you.” I whisper, my eyes shining with unshed tears as I pull him into a hug.
“I'm fine Nora. Nothing happened. I'm safe. In fact, I should be thanking you for saving all of us.”
“Us?” I ask, feeling confused.
“Yes.” He points to the silver briefcase being carried out. “The bomb. If that thing had gone off, we'd all be dead. And you saw Maxwell before he shot me or you.”
Tears slip down my face, and he wipes them away. “Oh, Nora. Don't cry. It's all over now.”
“I love you,” I blurt out. He freezes, and it spurs me on. “I’m in love with you. I’m sorry I was too afraid to say it before. But—”
Chase grabs me close, kissing me hard. “I love you,” he groans, and I throw my arms around him.
We’re still hugging when the rest of the team bursts in, and looks around, baffled by the scene.
Laughing, Chase pulls away, though he leaves a hand on me. “We dealt with Maxwell.”
Joseph looks between us and the dead body and the bomb. “Seems like it.”
“We found the old man and his accomplice,” Lena says, reporting to Chase. “They’re being shipped back to base now. As far as we can tell, it was just the three of them.”
Chase grins at me. “So it’s over?”
“Not quite,” Joseph adds. We all tense up. Joseph gives Chase a wink. “Someone’s gotta talk to the news vans outside.”
Chase groans. I laugh at him, and he gives me a playful growl before kissing the side of my head. Lena’s eyes widen, but Joseph elbows her first.
“I should get my things from the room,” I say softly.
“Okay.” He squeezes my hand firmly as if reassuring me that he's here before letting go. “Let's meet in twenty minutes.” I see Commander Keith coming in from the entrance with a proud look of achievement on his face, and Chase walks up to him. I couldn't be happier for Chase knowing that he will sleep easy now.
I leave the stairway. A few reporters are already recording, pointing their cameras at me, but I get away as quickly as I can and go back to the hotel room.
I start closing all the programs on my laptop. I won't be opening them for a while. I glance at the TV showing the news live with Chase being interviewed and I couldn't be prouder. He has finally redeemed his reputation! Nationally at that!
While engrossed in the TV news, my phone buzzes with an incoming call; they must have seen the news. I answer the call and settle into a chair to watch the headlines.
“Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad.” I am practically vibrating with excitement, unable to contain the joy within me.
“Hi, sweetie. We saw the news. Your father's been wanting to talk with you, but I told him to calm down and give it time.”
“I'm sorry I haven't called you. This mission took up a lot of my time.”
“We can see that. It's all over the news. We saw you on TV.”
“Oh, you did?” I flash back to when the reporter came onto the crime scene.
“Mom, Dad, there's something I need to tell you,” I begin, my voice steady but filled with emotion.
“We're listening, sweetheart,” my mom says, her tone filled with concern.
“I've found love, Mom and Dad,” I say, my eyes filling with unshed tears again.
“That's beautiful, Nora. Who is it?”
“His name is Chase,” I answer, feeling warmth spreading through me. The programs stop running, and I shut down the laptop.
“Wait, they're talking about a Chase Steele. Is it him?” Her voice carries a hint of recognition.
“Yes, he's the one.” I confirm more to myself, dissolving all the doubts I had about him earlier. I want to spend the rest of my life with him and I'm glad life has given me that chance.
“That's lovely, Nora. We're here for you, Nora, no matter what you choose. Let us know when you two can visit,” Dad says, his voice filled with warmth and acceptance already.
“Okay. I will. Maybe sometime next week.” I put the phone on speaker and arrange the laptops in the briefcase, zipping it shut.
“I'm glad you've found love with someone I'm sure is a good man, unlike that scumbag Ethan. Did you know he came here to make a scene? He said you were married and broke his heart. He said a lot of things. Your dad decided to stop supporting him and then he came back begging.”
“Oh, I see. He came to my workplace apologizing and that was after he caused a scene. Wait, did you say he told you I was married?”
“Yes. We paid him no attention. He's crazy! I'm glad you left him. How would our daughter get married, and we’d know nothing about it?”
“About what Ethan said....” I start, my voice trailing off as I struggle to find the words to explain. “I did tell him I got married. To Chase.”
“What?!” They scream into the phone, and I wince.
“But it was a lie! Or not really. But it wasn’t a legal marriage. We had an undercover wedding. It was for this mission, but also because Ethan kept disturbing me. I sent him the pictures of the fake wedding. We only took pictures because we had to convince people that we were really married.”
“That's a very absurd way to solve a mission, Nora, but if that's what you had to do, we understand.”
“Thanks, Mom. You two are the best.” I strap the bag on and switch off the TV and lights before locking the room. I look down the hallway and see Chase waiting for me with his signature smile, and I return it with one of my own.
“Stay away from Ethan, Nora,” Mom says firmly, her voice filled with concern. “He's not the person you thought he was. He was really out of his head that day. To think we suggested you marry him.”
“I understand, Mom,” I reply, my voice filled with gratitude as Chase pulls me closer to him. “I have to go. I'll call you later.”
“Alright, bye dear. Take care of yourself.” She ends the call and I take a deep breath of fresh air the moment we step outside.
Now that the mission is successfully completed, I find myself unable to shake off the nagging thoughts. I need to talk to him, to confront these feelings that have been swirling inside me for so long.
“Chase, can we talk?” I ask hesitantly, my heart pounding in my chest.
He nods, his expression curious yet attentive. “Of course, Nora. What's on your mind?”
I take a deep breath, summoning all the courage I can muster. “I... I need to tell you something,” I begin, my voice barely above a whisper. “I need to say it now, when no one’s scaring us. I just… I love you, Chase. And I don't want to waste another moment pretending that I don't. Life has given me a chance to have something real and I don't want to waste it. I don't want to be held back by the past.”
His eyes widen in surprise, but there's something else there too—a glimmer of hope, perhaps? “Nora, I...” he starts, his voice trailing off as he fumbles for the right words.
Before he responds, I close the distance between us, pressing my lips against his softly at first, feeling my entire body tingle. His hands hold my cheeks, and he deepens the kiss, so I’m feeling every inch of his lips.
Life has given me a second chance at love, and I'm determined to seize it with both hands. I break away with a gasp, gulping for air.
“I love you, Chase,” I declare again, my heart overflowing with emotion as I gaze into his eyes.
“I love you too, Nora,” he replies. “Let's go home, shall we?” He opens the door for me before going around to the driver's seat. “We'll have a party to celebrate my birthday tomorrow.”
“That's true. It's going to be a full house tomorrow, and Javier will make every dish known to man! And tonight, if Rogue isn't too tired, we'll have that Name That Tune challenge.”
“Oh, no,” he groans. “You still remember that?”
“Come on, it'll only be six songs. Nothing more. Just make sure you don't lose or else be prepared to sing tomorrow!”
“I won't be singing.”
“We'll see, we'll see.” I say in a sing-song voice as he starts the car.
As we pull up to the house, I glance over at him with a mischievous grin. He rolls his eyes, but he can't hide the small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Once inside, the air is filled with the delicious aroma of food cooking.
“Hmmm... Javier, what's that smell?” Lauren places some dishes on the table, grinning from ear to ear.
“I saw the news. Congratulations to you two and the team.” Lauren says grabbing a bottle of red wine and some wine glasses from the kitchen. She sets them on the table.
“Hey, brother. Congratulations!” Lauren beams, her eyes sparkling with pride. “I see you've busted the bad guys again.”
“Yes, I have, sis. Thanks to everyone's love and support.” She hands him the wine, and he accepts the bottle with a grateful nod, his smile widening as he pulls the cork out with a satisfying pop, the sound echoing in the room.
A chorus of claps and cheers fills the room as he fills each glass. With glasses in hand, each of us raise them high, ready to make a toast.
“To Chase and Nora and their team.” Lauren announces chuckling.
“And to love,” Chase adds with a wink, making me blush. The clinking of glass against glass fills the air and everyone takes a long sip, savoring the taste of the wine.
“We have an assortment of cured meats, olives, cheeses, nuts, bread, and crackers, as much as you can eat. There’s also a savory charcuterie board to go with the wine.” Javier gestures to the table. “And of course, my signature cheese sauce.”
“That's a perfect menu for the challenge, Javier, thank you. Right, Chase?” I glance at him, and he nods, a smile spreading across his face. “Let's get right into it. Lauren can be the referee. Don't worry, I've made sure it's random songs, both old and new. My friend shared it with me so there's no way I would cheat.”
“What challenge?” Lauren looks puzzled.
“It's a name that tune challenge between Chase and me. Something to lighten him up a bit. The winner gets to send the loser on any errands throughout the day and the loser has to deliver a silly singing telegram physically or online.”
Lauren’s eyes light up.
“Now, that's interesting. Can we start?” She grins, rubbing her hands together.
“Yes, we can. I'll connect the speakers to my phone. We’ll play snippets of songs, and we'll take turns guessing the song title and artist within ten seconds.” I hand Lauren my phone and she plays the first song and pauses it after a few seconds.
“That's not even a common song.”
“Really, Chase? We listened to this a lot back in high school.”
“We did?”
“Five seconds, Chase.”
“Hmmm... Shake it off by Taylor Swift.” He answers with a sly smile before taking some of the crackers. “This is actually easy.”
“I told you it was.”
“Nora, it's your turn now.” She plays the next song mouthing the words out loud.
“Don't say it out loud, it'll give her an advantage over me.” Chase wags a finger at her, and she puts a hand over her mouth.
“Umbrella by Rihanna.” I shrug grabbing a handful of the nuts.
“See, I told you it'll give her an unfair advantage. She answered in a second.”
“Oops, sorry. Next song, Chasey.”
“Chasey,” I snicker then continue, “I like that.” He rolls his eyes playfully, and Lauren plays the next song.
“This is classic rock, Chase; you've got to get this one.”
“I'm thinking. I'm thinking...” The answer is Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin.
“Yes!” She gives him a high five and Javier whistles.
“Wow. Okay, okay, everyone's cheering for Chase. That's fine. Let's have the next song, Lauren.”
“ I Just Called to Say I Love You by Stevie Wonder?” I ask, unsure.
Lauren mimics my expression looking disappointed. “I'm sorry, Nora but I'm afraid... you got the answer.” She burst out laughing.
“That's not very funny, you know.”
“It is funny actually. Let's play the next song. Aww... this is a love song but it's really old. Your time starts now.”
“Drake? Madonna?”
“Really, Chase? I said it's really old.”
“I have no idea.” He shrugs in defeat motioning to Lauren to play the next song.
“Yes. I win. I win. It's Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. Everyone knows the song. I'm surprised you don't.”
“Not so fast, Nora, there's one last song, and I'm playing it right now.” I start dancing to the song as soon as she plays it and she drops the phone, raising her hands in surrender.
“ I got it all by Paul Damixie.” I clap my hands and do a little dance.
“She wins, Chase. You're going to run errands throughout tomorrow, and it's your birthday! I'm going to my room. I can't witness this.” She grabs some snacks from the table and heads to her room.
Chase looks at me with a scowl as I sing the song one more time.
“Ooh, I know I got it all, I'm on top of the world yeah, I got it all. Happy Birthday in advance Chase,” I lean closer, only an inch apart and watch his chest rise and fall faster than normal. “I can't wait to see you perform tomorrow,” I tease, “for all of us.” I trail my fingers from his face down to his neck and stop right on his heart. “This is going to be fun.” I grab my wine glass and head upstairs chuckling to myself.