27. Hasty exfil
Chapter 27
Hasty exfil
TOMER
M y Redleg phone trills, causing Jaynie and me to flinch.Without warning, my consciousness is yanked back to the here and now, leaving my filthy childhood bedroom a thing of the past.
Where it belongs.
“I need to check this,” I tell her.
Scanning the screen, I quickly read Klein’s message.My pulse skyrockets.
At the start of my session, I explained to Jaynie that three peoplewould be able to get through to me on this phone in case of emergency—Big Al, Mia, and Klein. Then I placed it on the coffee table between us, just far enough away that I wouldn’t be tempted to check it relentlessly. However, I needed it close in case someone sounded the alarm, which is exactly what happened.
It’s fucking go time.
“We have a work emergency. Sorry to cut this short, Jaynie.”
Not really. I’m thrilled to cut it short.
Somehow in less than forty minutes, she’d managed to get me to talk about a whole host of shit I never intended to discuss. How she did it is unclear, but I’ll worry about that later.
For now, I need to shift into operator mode.
I’m almost to the door before she has a chance to respond. “Be careful. Good luck.”
Lettie and Sammy’s stunned faces greet me when I enter the waiting room.
“Where’s Sawyer? We need to move. Now.”
“He’s doing a perimeter check,” Sammy says, pointing behind her toward the door.
“We’re leaving,” I announce without preamble.
No time for explanations.
Lettie bounds to her feet.
However, poor Sammy tries and fails to get up from the couch, immediately sinking deeper into the cushions. “Help. Couch is swallowing me.”
Without hesitating, I swoop in and get her on her feet in two seconds flat. With one hand on Lettie’slower back, I escort her toward the door. Sammy trails a few steps—err, waddles—behind us.
Raising my hand to my shoulder, I motion to halt the girls.“Wait here while I check the hall.”
I jiggle the handle, finding the door locked. Good job, Sawyer. After unlocking it, I stick my head out into the hall, scanning from side to side. “Clear. Let’s move.”
Once we’re in the hallway, I hurry them along at a lightning pace. Poor Sammy’s struggling to keep up.
“What about Sawyer?” she rasps, sucking wind like a lifetime smoker with emphysema. “We can’t.” Deep breath. “Leave.” Another gasp. “Him.”
“We won’t,” I reassure her.
Keeping my head on a swivel, I hit the button on the side of my Redleg phone to engage the voice assistant, enabling me to call him without taking my eyes off our surroundings.
When we get into the stairwell, Lettie grabs my arm. “Is someone after us?” Her voice trembles with fear.
Aww, shit.
“No. Sorry to scare you, sugar.” I look from her to Sammy, offering what I hope is comforting support. “It’s only?—”
“What’s up, T?” Sawyer’s voice echoes around the concrete tomb of the stairwell, emanating from the speaker on my cell.
“What’s your twenty? We need to exfil and double-time to HQ. The architect replied with a meeting location and time for tonight. Lots of prep to do.”
Lettie stiffens, eyes widening and jaw dropping. She squeezes my arm, her fingernails giving me a jolt of pain. Mmm . I like that.
As soon as the thought creeps in, I banish it. Not the time.
Sawyer answers in short sentences for efficiency. “First floor near the entrance. I just finished a sweep. All clear.”
“Rendezvous in lobby in thirty seconds. I’ve got the girls coming down the stairs.”
I end the call, sliding the phone into my back pocket.
“Elevator too much to ask?” Sammy grumbles, reaching for the handrail and throwing me a death glare.
Totally earned that.
I glide over to her other side to support her on the descent. “Shit. Sorry, ladies. I went into full alert mode. We can slow down. It’s only one flight.”
“It’s only one flight,” she mimics, her voice doused with enough snark to drown the county. “You try lugging two humans around inside your gut with umpteen extra pounds of amniotic fluid, all of which is pressing on your pelvic floor. Then, and only then, you can tell me it’s only one flight.”
Despite her bitching, which is entirely justified, she’s ambling at an acceptable pace.
Eventually , we get to the first floor, and only one of us needs an oxygen mask.
Sammy flops into Sawyer’s waiting arms, still bitching and fighting valiantly for each breath. “Tomer’s trying. To kill. Me.” Bracing her hands on her thighs, she bends at the waist. Correction. She attempts to bend. “He’s probably. Still mad. About the Chuck thing.” Forcing her spine straight, she meets my eyes. “I told you I was sorry.”
My ears burn as I glance between the two pregnant ladies I just hauled through the building like it was on fire. “I apologize about the stairs, ladies. I suppose I got a little overzealous about our exit.”
Sawyer examines Sammy carefully, his gaze sweeping her from head to toe. “You okay, baby?”
“Yeah. Just out of breath,” she rasps, her mouth quirking into a grin.
“What did you do to my princess?” Sawyer smacks both my cheeks playfully as if he’s challenged me to a duel. “Pish, pish, sir,” he admonishes in a stuffy British accent. “Name your second. We shall meet at dawn.”
“Very funny.” I move us to the lobby exit. “I assume the outside was clear, yeah?”
Back in business mode, Sawyer responds. “Affirmative.”
“I’ll run ahead to check the vehicle and start it up.” I release Lettie’s hand. “Stay with Sawyer, sugar.”
After I scan the SUV for trackers and other malicious devices, I start the ignition and kick the air conditioning on full blast.
Two minutes later, we’re barreling toward HQ.
Lettie nibbles on her lower lip, staring at me with a pout that stabs straight into my heart. “Do you have to go?”
“No, I don’t. But I’m going, and I’d love it if you could accept that. This is personal.”
She wraps her fingers around the edges of my tactical vest, pulling me toward her. “I’m trying, babe. I really am.” Her chin wobbles. “What if it’s a setup? If something happens to you, I don’t know what I’ll do. Me and this little clump of cells need you.” By the time the words are out, a tear streams down her pretty pink cheeks.
Attempting to lighten the mood, I tease, “Hey, is that any way to talk about our little caterpillar?”
Her smile shines through, driving the clouds from her stormy eyes.
She rises to her tiptoes to give me her lips for a kiss. An offer I accept eagerly, claiming and worshipping her with my mouth for a few precious moments before I must break away.
Cupping her cheek tenderly with one hand, I brush my fingers through her hair with the other. “Lettie, we’ll be careful. We know it might be a setup and are prepared. This is what we do. And I’ve got the best team directing us from HQ. It’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”
She trails her fingers into my hairline at my nape. “Do you promise?”
“Yes. I promise.”
“Should I watch?”
“Whatever you want, sugar bear. I won’t decide for you unless you’re asking me to.”
“Okay. I’ll sit with Sammy and see what she does.”
“Good girl. Give me another kiss before I go.”
She presses her trembling lips to mine. The seconds tick by as I attempt to reassure her, providing the steadiness she needs from me.
Before leaving, I drop to one knee and whisper to her belly. “I’ll be back for you too, sweet caterpillar. Be good for Mama while I’m gone.”
Although the baby doesn’t have ears yet or the mental power to comprehend language, I simply want to make my sugar bear happy. As I rise to my full height, the joy and love she radiates tell me I did.
She gives me a watery smile. “I love you, babe.”
One more kiss and a whispered endearment.
And then I’m out the door, loading up with the team and preparing to meet a mystery person to receive mystery information.
Our plan better fucking work because I’ll be damned if I break my promise to my sugar bear or my caterpillar.