Chapter 38
38
The side window of the laundry room, closest to Vivian’s cabin, was boarded with wood, so Logan slipped around to the other side, some of the tension leaving his body when he saw that window only covered with a light curtain over the panes. Leaning his ear next to the glass, he heard a commotion inside. A female’s voice was close, saying, “Get what you can. We’ll take it out so we can keep an eye on the bitch. With Rashad gone, she’ll have to deal with me now, and he’s not the only one with a gun… although carving her with my knife might be fun.”
Recognizing Nafisa’s voice, he knew she was talking about Vivian. Bending slightly, he breathed a sigh of relief as his gaze found a slit at the bottom of the curtain, allowing him limited vision into the room. He spied Nafisa and Farrah working on the far side of the small room but was unable to see what was in their hands. Nafisa occasionally glanced out the door in the direction of the woods. Viv must be outside.
Wishing he could let her know he was close, he shook his head, clearing out all thoughts but what he needed to do. Cataloging the room, he noted two large industrial-sized washing machines on the far wall next to two equally large dryers. Shelves holding sheets, towels, and extra blankets lined the back wall. The two women worked near the washing machines, and as Farrah bent low to pick something up from the floor, he saw plastic bottles used for hotel cleaning.
Understanding filled him, and he realized how easy their plan was. The Inn’s housekeepers would spray liquid with the bacteria all over sinks, showers, toilets, and counters, thinking it was their cleaning product. Fuck, this would be devastating in restaurants, stores, hospitals. The terrorists would not even be in the area by the time innocent people were exposed to the bacteria. And they wouldn’t have to use a non-lethal bacterial agent… lethal ones could be developed to use with the fake solutions.
Seeing Nafisa and Farrah start to walk outside together, he leaned around and saw them stop just down the path where Vivian was seated, bound, and gagged with her back against a tree.
Calculating his options carefully, he knew he could easily kill both women. Stealthily moving to the front of the laundry cabin while staying in the shadows, he made his way forward, his footsteps silent on the forest floor, hoping to catch Vivian’s eye.
Nafisa was on Vivian's far side, behind the tree, watching Farrah gather their supplies. Just then, Vivian happened to look his way, her widened eyes indicating she realized he was there. With a nod, he burst into action.
Logan rushed forward, easily disabling Farrah and drawing Nafisa’s attention away from Vivian. Farrah screamed, dropping as he kicked her legs out from under her. Her hands flew into the air as his booted foot pressed on her back, keeping her on the ground.
Nafisa, with her gun in hand, scrambled to the side. Vivian’s hands were still bound, but she grappled with the other woman, fighting for the weapon between them.
With his foot still on Farrah and his gun now pointed at Nafisa, he shouted, “Give it up, Nafisa. You’re finished.”
Vivian was still grappling with the gun as a loud shot rang out, and Nafisa’s body jerked before going limp on top of her.
With his heart in his throat, he pressed his boot harder on a shaking Farrah and growled out the order, “Stay.”
Vivian managed to roll the bleeding Nafisa off her just as he knelt at her side. Assisting her to sit, he scanned her for injuries. “Christ, Jesus, Viv. Are you okay?”
She jerked her head up and down as her eyes latched onto his. He reached behind her head to untie the gag. “I’m okay, I’m okay,” she blurted.
She lifted her left hand, the torn rag hanging from her wrist, bruising already, turning the injured area a dark purple, still holding Nafisa’s gun in her right. His gaze moved over her body, searching as though to make sure she was not bleeding before coming back to land on her face.
When she heard a noise from behind Logan, her eyes widened, and before he had time to turn, she jerked her right hand up, pulling the trigger of Nafisa’s gun.
“Fuck!” Logan shouted, whirling around, his attention having been so riveted on Vivian’s well-being he’d ignored the threat still behind him.
The blast sent Vivian’s arm flying backward, but her aim had been true… or, more likely, pure luck. Farrah fell to her knees, blood running from her chest with an unfired gun in her hand. She dropped to the ground and lay motionless.
He vaulted over, ascertaining the two terrorists were indeed dead, before rushing back to Vivian. He noted the glazed look of shock in her eyes, her cold hands shaking. “Viv?—”
“Is she dead?” her hoarse voice whispered.
Bending, he got directly in her face, his hands clutching her bruised cheeks. “Viv, baby, look at me.”
Her blank eyes lifted to his.
“I’m so sorry, so fuckin’ sorry you had to do that?—”
Shaking her head as she stared over at Farrah’s body for a moment, she spoke so softly he had to strain to hear her. “I had…no…no choice. She was aiming at…you.”
His heart ached as he pulled her against his chest, one hand cradling the back of her head and the other wrapped tightly around her middle. He closed his eyes, willing his heart to cease its erratic pounding, but he was unsuccessful. Never…not once did I feel this out of control in the SEALs.
“Baby, I have to know that you’re okay,” he said softly, his mouth moving against the top of her head.
She leaned back against the tree trunk, her face still registering shock as she looked around at the bodies. Her voice, as emotionless as her blank gaze, said, “We need to clean up.”
“Listen to me. There’s nothing you need to do. Akran and Malik are dead. I’ll handle?—”
Her eyes widened as understanding seemed to slip through the cracks in her shock. “No. No, you’ve got to go after Rashad. I know that.” Each word seemed forced from deep within her chest and dragged over dry lips.
Standing with his help, her body quivering, she gazed around the ground again, shaking her head. “I…I have no idea…” She looked up at him. “You’ll have to tell me what to do. I don’t know how to fix this.”
His heart wanted to shelter her from this horror but warred with this head, knowing she was right. The longer it took for him to begin looking for Rashad, the more time it gave him to get away. Sighing, he said, “I’ll carry the two bodies away from here. I just need you to check the laundry room to make sure whatever they were pouring into bottles is gone.”
Vivian avoided his eyes and staggered toward the laundry cabin, his arms supporting her. Her movements were uncoordinated, almost automatic, rather than purposeful. Finally, she nodded and looked at him. “I have to focus. I have to get rid of any traces of the bacteria.”
“I’ll help?—”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t want to take a chance on your becoming contaminated. I know what to do.”
He stayed at the door, grabbing his phone while she moved to the shelves next to the washing machine. She picked up an industrial-sized bottle of bleach. Opening the lid, she sniffed, then nodded. Taking a towel from the shelf, she soaked it in bleach and began wiping down the surfaces, including the floors.
“Cole? Are you close? I need Sisco and Casper at the inn. There’s a path and a cabin. I need a disposal for two.” With Cole’s agreement, he called Landon. “Vivian is okay. All are eliminated except Rashad. Sisco and Casper will help me clean the area. Disposing two. I need Sadie to erase all security footage in the area. Viv is working on disarming the contaminants.”
Disconnecting, he watched as she bleached every surface Farrah and Nafisa might have touched. She found plastic garbage bags and dumped all the soiled towels inside. Looking up at him, she shook her head. “You can’t touch this, Logan.”
Sisco and Casper approached from the back, and he greeted them silently. Their gazes swept the area, landing on Vivian, but this was not the time for introductions. She glanced at the men, her eyes widening. “They’re with me, Viv.”
She turned her gaze to him, but her thoughts were hidden. Nodding, she walked out of the laundry room and over to where the bodies were.
Sisco and Casper quickly moved the bodies after ensuring they were protected from contamination, and Logan noted she turned her head away. The air in her rushed out, and she held on to the nearest tree for a few seconds. Then, straightening, she walked toward the plastic spray bottles still on the ground. Breathing deeply for a moment, she shook her head and bent to her task. Without gloves, she improvised with the bleach-soaked cloths, using them to hold the bottles. Pouring pure bleach into each one, she gave them a shake. “This will kill all the bacteria.”
Logan nodded, then headed into the woods after Casper and Sisco, making sure they were handling the remains. “You got this?”
“No worries,” Casper said. “We’ll carry them a few miles away, farther into the woo.”
“We’ll come back and head to the airport. Give us about an hour,” Sisco added. “I’m checking to see that Sadie erased any security footage the hotel has. It’ll be like none of us were ever here.”
Casper inclined his head back where Logan had come from. “Go take care of your girl.”
Snorting, Logan shook his head. “I’m afraid after all this, the last thing she’d ever want to be is my girl.”
Sisco held his gaze. “You can always talk?—”
“It’s done,” Logan said, his voice definitive. “Probably better this way.”
“If you believe that, you’re wrong,” Casper added. He turned away and hoisted one of the bodies over his shoulder before walking away.
Logan offered a chin lift to Sisco, then headed back toward the cabin. When he walked in, she squeaked in fright, so intent on what she was doing she hadn’t noticed him approaching.
“Did you?—”
“All done,” he clipped. His gaze drifted to what she was doing, his eyes darting around.
“I’ve wiped down the entire inside of the laundry cabin with bleach. I have the towels in there.” She pointed at the large plastic bag. “I’ve poured bleach in all of these bottles to kill the bacteria.”
“I have gloves. I’ll dispose of them,” Logan said, his eyes finally lifting to hers. Feeling uncertain, he gentled his voice, his heart aching, as he asked, “Babe, how are you doing?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he hated the question, guilt eating at him. She should have never fucking had to have dealt with any of this.
Swallowing audibly, she blinked away the sting in her eyes and licked her dry lips. “I…I killed someone, Logan.”
He immediately stepped forward, enveloping her in his arms. Holding her close, he murmured soft words as his lips pressed to the top of her head, wondering how he could ever make things right for her.