Chapter 21
CHAPTER 21
G abby followed the directions on her GPS. She'd been to the private landing strip three or four times before. Her brothers had flown in and, because of weather, were diverted there. That was a fun trip back to the city. She smiled. Deacon and Ronan were her tormentors, but she loved them to the ends of the earth. It was okay for them to pick on her because it came from a place of fun and love, but if anyone else ever tried, the twins made things very difficult for whoever was stupid enough to disrespect her.
She’d seen the twins try to protect Charley, too. Usually, Charley sucker-punched one or both of them and ran straight into whatever fight was brewing. That girl was hell on wheels—and she still was.
She drove past a van parked off the road about three miles before the turn to the airport. Four men were visible as they stared in the direction of the landing strip. A finger of trepidation went up her spine. They could be aircraft enthusiasts, but with the minimum amount of traffic at the private strip, that chance was slim to none, and none was leading the race. Gabby drove with one eye in the rearview mirror. When she turned down the access road, she leaned over and opened the glove box.
Removing a loaded Mac-10 and its suppressor, she drove with her knees as she screwed the suppressor into the barrel, chambered a round, and glanced at the rearview mirror again. It would be a mistake to try to take the plane, and it looked like whoever was waiting knew that. There were civilians there to refuel and government officials to certify customs forms and do random inspections. It wasn’t an unattended field but a proper, paved tarmac. It was also registered with the government.
Gabby pulled up to the gate, rolled her window down enough to flash her Guardian credentials, and then drove through, parking at the only parking area on the tarmac. She checked the weapon strapped to her ankle once again. Then she unsnapped the lock of her belt buckle, giving her instant access to the garrot encased in the slim leather. The heels of her boots were easy to twist and detach as long as she was able to move the stay at the hard leather sole, but she wasn’t taking any chances. She lifted one foot and then the other, sliding the stay into the open position. Her katana was strapped between her shoulder blades. Reaching into the glove box, she retrieved a bangle bracelet made of brass. The charm fit around her fist, giving her brass knuckles with a twist of her wrist. She pulled up her hair and reached into the glove box one more time, withdrawing a pair of designer sticks she cross-weaved through her hair, keeping the bun up. They were balanced, and she could throw them with an accuracy that had taken years to develop.
She glanced up just as the Guardian airplane hit the end of the runway. The tires smoked, and the engines roared in reverse. With one final glance at the rearview mirror, she stepped outside the car and waited for the plane to come to a stop.
She waited until the government officials did their job and then watched as Tango Team disembarked. The first out would be the team leader, Ranger. She lifted away from the side of her car where she’d been leaning, the position giving her a peripheral view of the access road.
Ranger walked up to her. “Authenticate warrior.”
Centurion responded, “Athena.”
Ranger stuck out his hand. “I’m Ranger. This is Giovanni, that’s Crash, that’s Dock, and the one way back there watching our six is Radar.”
She glanced over her shoulder before acknowledging what he said. “Nice to meet you, but I don’t have time for any more pleasantries. You have something for me?”
Giovanni reached down her shirt and pulled out a plastic tube with a gray top. The same size as what she’d seen on the film of the events during the masquerade ball. “We didn’t want to take any chances of someone deciding they needed to search the plane and find it.”
Gabby took the tube and nodded. “I think the plane was anticipated.” She made a motion to the access road. “A van is parked about three miles from here. Four men, from what I saw. I recommend you fuel up and get out. Archangel wants you back in France.”
“We heard. And we were followed to the airstrip. Your party probably was tracking our radar identification.” Ranger narrowed his eyes. “We can take a ride with you while they refuel.”
Gabby cocked her head at the team leader and stared at him for a moment. “I can handle the situation.” She turned on her heel and walked back to her car.
Ranger watched the woman pull a U-turn and drive away. “Do you think she’ll be okay?”
Giovanni chuckled. “Bossman, I think that woman could have killed all of us before Radar had a chance to pull his weapon and defend us.”
Dock nodded. “She was scary. Have you ever seen eyes that cold?” He shivered. “Why can’t all women be like you, G? Big ol’ softies.”
Giovanni slapped Dock in the gut as she turned. “Because some are more dangerous. Like her.”
Dock grunted and rubbed his stomach. He looked at Ranger. “Somehow, I find that hard to believe.”
Ranger chuckled. “Not in this case.” He nodded to the roadway where Centurion disappeared. “I’m pretty sure she is a Shadow.”
Dock did a double take. “No shit? Dude, no one would ever think she’s a Shadow.”
“And that’s an advantage I’m sure she uses.” Ranger turned and whistled, circling his hand over his head. His team followed his instructions and rallied back at the aircraft. They had a flight to catch, and the Shadow who’d just left was more than capable of doing her job—he hoped.
Gabby hit her earpiece as soon as she got into the car. “Centurion to CCS. I have the item.” She slipped it into the glove box and activated the locking system. It was a gun vault, and if the bastards took her down, they’d have hell to pay to get that box open. She drove with her knees and pulled on a pair of perfectly constructed gloves that gave her grip and didn’t impede her hands’ movements.
“Copy,” Con responded.
“I also have a van parked about two miles ahead.” She narrowed her eyes. That van was now parked in the middle of the road. “Four men. It’s blocking the road.”
“Stop and go another direction.” Con’s voice rose a bit in tenor.
“Not likely,” she said. “I’m going to be busy for a hot minute. I’ll get back to you.” She hit her earpiece and accelerated, which was not what the men had anticipated. They dropped into firing positions. Bullets bounced off the bulletproof glass of her car. Thank you, Daddy .
Gabby hit the button to roll down her window and grabbed the Mac 10. She hit the brakes and cranked the wheel, sliding the vehicle with her window now open toward the men with the weapons. She pulled the trigger, and the spray of forty-five caliber bullets sent the men scrambling. Gabby slammed on the brakes and opened the car door, jumping from the car and rolling into the ditch alongside the road. She was on her feet and sprinted toward the van as her car came to a rest facing the other direction.
She pulled her katana and charged up the bank as the men regrouped. The person closest to her turned at the sound of her footsteps. She jumped into the air, her katana posed perfectly to sever his head from his body. His skull bounced by her feet as she landed, and one of the men fired a shot at her. The bullet hit the van but was close enough to singe her cheek. She rolled under the van and hustled behind the tire while grabbing her ankle weapon. Without hesitation, she rounded the hood of the van and fired point-blank at the man heading in her direction.
An explosion of force of being pushed from behind her sent her to the ground. She felt someone grab at her arms. Curling in on herself, she shifted her weight, sending his center of gravity off her. She grabbed the heel of her boot and slashed back at the man. His screams told her she’d hit pay dirt. She twisted, so she could see her target and lodged the knife in the man’s chest where his heart should be. She stood up just as a fist caught her on the jaw.
Gabby saw nothing but black spots as she hit the ground. But training and instinct kept her moving. She was up and facing the man as he approached. She flicked her wrist and brought up her fists.
The bastard smiled at her. “You think you can fight, bitch?”
He swung, and she ducked, shoving a right hook into his gut with every ounce of her power behind the brass knuckle punch. When he doubled over, she whipped the garrot out of her belt and circled the man’s neck. He went to his knees and clawed at the wire, but Gabby put her knee in the man’s back and pulled as she pushed him away. The sluicing sound of tendons slicing and the release of air from the man’s lungs told her she’d killed him. For good measure, she tugged again. The wire cut its way back to the spinal column. She dropped one end, and the man sank to the ground. She coiled the garrot and looked around. Fuckers.
Patting each body down, she grabbed anything on the men and then did a quick search of the rented van before gathering all her weapons, leaving nothing to tie her to the scene. She ran back to her car, put it in gear, and carefully drove around the van, inching carefully so as not to drop into the ditch. The wheel had to be hanging on by a fraction of an inch. Once she got the nose of the car past the van, she hit the gas and flew from the location. She hit her earpiece. “CCS, I need a cleanup crew. Four dead. Three miles from turnoff to the airstrip.”
“Copy.” Con’s voice was tight.
“Sit rep,” Fury growled over the connection.
“They pulled into the middle of the road. I didn’t feel inclined to stop for them. They had guns and were trying to stop me. Justified response to their use of force.” She’d write up her report later and describe the blow-by-blow, but right then, she wanted distance between her and the scene.
“CCS, clear her route in the camera system,” Fury commanded.
“Not my first rodeo,” Con snapped at Fury.
Gabby tapped her earpiece, so she was talking to Con alone. “I’m fine.”
“I’m fucking not!” She jumped at his yelled reply.
“You will be,” she said and hit her earpiece again. She drew a deep breath and then another. She needed to slow down and drive like a normal citizen. She put the vehicle’s cruise control on and breathed through the adrenaline coursing through her veins. “Turning onto a main road in thirty seconds.”
“I’ve got you,” Con said. “You’re clear. I’ll erase you on each camera system as you pass through them. Your trip to the strip has been erased.” After he paused, he said in a steadier tone, “Archangel is online.”
“You have the device, correct?” her Uncle Jason asked.
“Yes, sir. Secure and heading to Con.”
“Were you injured?”
“A little banged up, but nothing serious.” She glanced at herself in the rearview mirror. Crap. Her cheek and jaw were turning black and blue, and there was a red mark on her other cheek. That bullet had been closer than was comfortable; that was for sure.
“I copy. Con, we have several things moving at warp speed here. I need that information as soon as you get it.”
“I can open it in real-time on a video chat, so you have it the second I do.”
“That works. What do you need from me?”
“Nothing, sir. I will set up a link when Centurion gets back with the device.”
“Include Fury, Alpha, and Jewell.”
“Affirmative,” Con said.
“Archangel clear.”
She tapped her earpiece again to talk privately to Con. “Are you more settled now?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to lose my shit. Four men with guns. You could have gone the other way.” Con sighed dramatically.
“Would Harbinger have gone the other way? What about Fury? Would he?”
“I don’t know, and I’m not falling for or having sex with that grumpy ass either,” Con grumbled. “Turn right at the next intersection. There’s an accident ahead of you.”
“Thanks.” She put on her blinker and stopped at the light.
“Holy shit. Look at your face!” Con yelled again.
“Con, I’ve got a bit of a headache.”
“You look like you’ve been through nine rounds with a heavy-weight boxer.”
Gabby cocked her head and stared at the camera on the post at the corner of the intersection. “Ah … thank you … I think?”
“That wasn’t a compliment,” Con growled. “If they weren’t dead, I’d kill them for doing that to you.”
Gabby turned and smiled, although it hurt to do so. “Are we getting protective of the assassin?”
“No, I’m getting protective of the woman I’m dating,” Con grumbled.
“Well, I guess that’s authorized.” She chuckled. “I like that by the way.”
“What? Me freaking out?” Con chuffed the response.
“No, the fact you’re falling for me.”
“I told you you’d always know where I stand. I can’t barricade my emotions out of sight of everyone.” He sighed. “You’re going to have to let me know if I’m alone in this.”
She blinked at that. “I told you my real name.”
Con was silent for a moment. “Baby, was that your way of telling me you’re all in?”
Gabby nodded, although he couldn’t see it. “I’ve made myself as vulnerable with you as I’ve ever let anyone see me. I don’t know how to tell you any clearer than that.”
“How about, ‘Con, I’m falling for you. I want you in my life. Don’t go back to the States. Stay here in London with me’.”
She blinked a couple of times, but she wasn’t misting up. No, the punch to her jaw had probably messed with her eyes, which was why she was seeing things through a haze. She swallowed hard. “Yes, that, what you just said. I want that.” She managed to articulate the words without sounding like a blabbering idiot.
Con chuckled. “You have the most beautiful way with words.” Gabby laughed, and Con joined her. “I’ll watch you all the way home. Pay attention to traffic and be careful.”
“Yes, dear,” she said, and he laughed again. She heard the tiny click indicating he’d switched back to the main comms and wiped her cheeks. Damn it, she was crying. How long had it been since she’d cried? She couldn’t remember.