Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
The rotors chewed through the night sky, a heavy thrum that resounded through Mason’s chest. The world below was a wash of darkness and tiny lights that appeared to be insignificant from this altitude.
But each glowing pinprick marked a home of an innocent, where people sat around dinner tables and talked about their days. Those people were the real reason they were here. The reason they rushed headfirst into danger, went balls to the wall on every op. To protect and serve.
His gaze locked on the outline of Elin seated across from him. Her head was bowed and she gripped the strap that crossed her chest, knuckles white in the light of the cockpit.
She didn’t belong here—and yet she did.
Though she wasn’t brash or loud like some of the warriors he’d known, she carried herself with the kind of grit that didn’t fade when the smoke cleared. She was so goddamn brave.
His chest swelled with it, and that lump that seemed to appear in his throat every time he looked at her grew a fraction more.
When this was over, he’d force her to listen to him even if he had to lock her in the base and barricade the exits. He would unlock the words inside him and let them flow without reserve. Because she needed to hear how he felt about her. She deserved to.
He continued to study her. The wind had loosened a strand of hair from her tight ponytail. It swung forward, brushing her delicate jaw, and he imagined reaching out to tuck it behind her ear. Imagined how silky it would feel.
He had to get his head in the game. There was zero room for errors. Charlie team crossed every T and dotted all the I’s, but every op came with variables. Shit went wrong.
He replayed the last-minute strategy call between Alpha team’s leader and Con, combining Blackout forces to infiltrate the Pentagon after-hours so Elin could copy Kent’s system.
“Send your people—we’ll get them inside.”
Mason’s gut had twisted. “Your people” meant him and Elin.
He wasn’t prepared for how goddamn real this was. If he let reality set in, it would tear at his sanity.
Elin lifted her head, and their gazes met in a steady connection. The noise in the chopper made it impossible to speak, but she looked as if she wanted to say something.
He refused to let his emotions in during the op. He was nothing more than a machine, ensuring Elin’s safety as they got in and out of Kent’s office, then protecting her while she met with the man. Did she know how close the danger loomed? He wanted to throw his arms wide, to shield her from it all.
Every flash of light across her face revealed both toughness and vulnerability, summarizing his beautiful lover perfectly.
Her chin was lifted just enough to defy fear as she headed straight into the Pentagon with a team of SEALs. And somehow, Mason couldn’t imagine going without her.
A crackle on the comms filled their ears. “Charlie, this is Alpha 1. We’ve been monitoring all the channels and have confirmed our plan is a go.”
Still holding Mason’s stare, Elin’s eyes widened. He saw her chest heave with a deep intake of air.
If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself.
The pilot’s voice cut through the headset. “Five minutes out.”
Mason nodded, his stare never leaving Elin.
He hoped to hell they were ready. More than that, he hoped she knew what she’d become to him.
His entire world.
The helicopter touched down hard, the landing gear thudding against the pad hard enough to jostle them in their seats.
He looked at Elin. She looked back.
Game on, angel.
They ducked out of the chopper. Wind whipped in the night and dust stung Mason’s face as he jumped down and reached for Elin’s hand to steady her. She took it long enough to clear the door before pulling free.
While the warmth of her fingers lingered on his fingers, he was glad for the professional distance between them. His focus tightened.
“Let’s move,” Con barked over the comms. Their small unit fell into formation with Con in the lead. Mason and Elin took the center, moving quickly to the maintenance tunnels that would get them inside unseen.
Only two steps into the narrow passage, the noise of the chopper faded, replaced by the echo of boots as two operatives from Blackout Alpha stepped from the shadows.
He felt more than heard Elin’s soft intake of air. He extended a hand toward her, but she didn’t take it.
The guys’ faces broke into grins as they greeted each other. Mason couldn’t hold back his own smile as he held out his knuckles to bump theirs. “Sparrow. Apollo. Damn good to see you.”
Their gazes shifted to Elin, and they nodded in greeting but said nothing, just turned and led them deeper into the tunnel.
Mason stuck close to Elin, though she walked a step or two behind at all times. The urge to glance at her blazed through him, but he managed to focus on what was ahead.
They reached the fork in the tunnel that Sparrow told them about. Both men stopped and turned to Mason.
“You know the way?” Sparrow asked.
He tapped a finger to his temple to indicate he had the map locked in.
Con took it from there. “You get in. You copy his system. You get out. You go to the rendezvous point.”
He nodded.
“Ten minutes in the office. No more. If we don’t hear from you or you haven’t returned by then, we’re coming in.”
“Copy.”
Mason directed a look at Elin. She responded with a short nod. Her face was pale but her eyes clear, locked on him like she was drawing strength from him. Good. He would be her goddamn rock. He’d guarantee nothing happened to her.
They split from the rest of the team and took the fork in the tunnel. The farther they went, the colder the air became, laced with the tang of something electrical. Every step felt amplified.
He motioned for her to stay close. “Silent from here.”
She nodded that she understood and touched her coat pocket where she carried the small handheld device that would copy Kent’s entire system, just like she and Dante planned.
The corridor ended at a heavy maintenance door. Mason eased it open and slipped inside first, weapon up. Elin followed, her footsteps muffled.
They crept the few steps to Kent’s office and Mason flashed an ID to gain access.
A light blinked. It was a go.
Then they slipped into the office.
“Liam,” Elin breathed his name.
He gestured for her to remain silent while he scanned for bugs, moving swiftly around the small office, sweeping the bookcase, filing cabinet and around the government-issue desk as well as a few framed commendations on the walls.
A half-empty coffee mug sat beside a monitor that was switched off, which he scanned too.
Behind him, he heard a soft rustle as Elin moved to the desk. She slipped on a pair of gloves and started connecting her cables.
The room filled with the faint hum of systems waking up.
Mason moved to the far side of the room, crouching near the filing cabinet. He ran a fingertip along the side, then checked the air vent too. Nothing.
But something about the room nagged at him, and it wasn’t the scent of stale coffee.
He straightened and turned toward the shelf near the door. A framed photo sat there—Kent shaking hands with a man in a suit.
Mason’s focus narrowed as he lifted it.
And his gut went cold.
A small pinhole glinted in the top corner of the frame. A camera lens.
“Shit.”
Elin glanced up. “What?”
He flipped the frame facedown, adrenaline flooding his chest. “We’ve been made.”
Her gloved hands paused on the keyboard. “How long?”
He was already mentally scanning the blueprint of the Pentagon and the tunnels below that he’d committed to memory. “We have to go.”
“The upload’s halfway done. I need thirty seconds.”
“Thirty seconds is too long.” He crossed to her.
“I need time.” She worked faster, fingers almost frantic as she copied files.
He took position at the door, rifle ready, his heartbeat syncing with the ticking clock in his head.
Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight.
Without a second to spare, she yanked the cables and stuffed the drive back into her pocket. “Got it. Onto the next phase.”
The next phase was for Elin to meet Kent. In person. Not alone—never alone. Mason wouldn’t be far away.
But even a foot away felt too damn far.
* * * * *
Liam wasn’t leaving the office.
Why wasn’t he leaving?
He stood frozen, head cocked as if he could hear something her untrained ears missed.
He’d gone still. Every muscle locked, his posture screaming danger.
Then she heard it too.
Footsteps. Slow and soft, coming straight toward the office.
Not a surprise walk-in. Not at this time of night.
Someone coming for them.
Her pulse kicked into a sprint.
Liam moved instantly, crossing to her side. He caught up her wrist, his grip firm but steady. “Under the desk. Now.”
Her heart stuttered. “Liam—”
He gave one sharp shake of his head. No sound.
Elin ducked down, tucking herself into the shadows beneath the workstation, her nerves clanging. From her angle, she could see his legs as he took up position by the door, gun raised, breathing controlled. When she shifted a little more, his face came into view.
He glanced back once—just long enough to make sure she was hidden—then his focus snapped forward again.
The metallic click of the lock releasing sounded as loud as a cannon blast through the room.
Liam coiled to strike.
The door swung open.
Kent stepped in, the picture of government respectability with neat hair and a bland suit. His shoulders were squared, his eyes cold.
He wasn’t surprised. He was ready.
Her heart skidded to a sloppy, rolling, flip-flopping stop.
“I was wondering when you’d show up.” His voice, though calm, pulsed with rage.
Liam didn’t answer, just held his ground. Waiting. Assessing.
Kent’s gaze cut around the office and landed on his desk. His lips curved in a smile that made her blood turn to ice. “Ah. The hacker.”
Of course. If she could see him, he could see her.
His hand blurred toward his jacket.