Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
CASSIE
S itting in the backseat of the SUV, wrapped up in Ghost’s strong arms, the adrenaline rush from their escape began to ebb. Cassie’s head throbbed. She fought to work through the jumble of emotions coursing through her. Closing her eyes, she leaned back and tried to make sense of them all. Relief. Anger. Fear. Gratitude.
She was relieved to be free of her captors, but as she replayed the events over in her mind, the terror she’d felt at seeing Ghost shot, and lying on the ground, resurfaced. These were bad men. Dangerous criminals. And, even though Ghost’s strong arms were wrapped tightly around her, she was terrified of what was to come. What if they were attacked again? Tonight? What if they were waiting down the road to ambush them?
To top it all off she was angry, no, she was pissed the fuck off. Who did they think they were kidnapping a random American citizen like that? She was nothing more than a reader who enjoyed a good book. She didn’t deserve to be kidnapped, held hostage, and terrorized. No one did. They’d said they were coming back. They were going to make her talk. What had they planned for her?
She gripped Ghost's hand tightly, seeking reassurance in his touch as they sped away from the warehouse. Breathe. Just breathe. Focus in on what you can control. She took a deep breath and then another. Ghost grasped her chin and turned her face, so she was looking at him.
“We are okay.” He told her. “Ruby is monitoring the road with drones. No one will ambush us.”
How did he know exactly what she was thinking? She closed her eyes tightly and tried to block out the echoes of gunfire still reverberating in her mind. Her shoulders throbbed from the strain of being bound for what felt like an eternity. She opened her eyes and glanced down at her hands, still tingling from the tightness of the ropes. It felt like a million little needles were stinging her over and over again.
Ghost's concern was palpable as he checked her over. “Are you sure you’re, okay? You are being awful quiet.”
“Yeah, I'm okay,” Cassie replied, forcing a small smile. “Just glad to be out of there.” She thought it was funny how much being around Ghost had changed her. She was normally a quiet introvert, but with him, she let her guard down and turned into a babbling extrovert. Only with him. Right now, though, the last thing she wanted to do was talk. All her energy was drained completely from her body.
“Your hands bothering you?” He took them in his large ones and started to rub them. She hissed and pulled back.
“It feels like a thousand bees are stinging me,” she confessed to him.
“I know this hurts but let me rub the circulation back into them.” He took them back and continued where he left off.
The SUV swerved sharply around a corner, jolting them both and pushing Cassie further against Ghost. Her heart raced; her senses were still on high alert. She leaned into him, and he picked her up, settling her onto his lap before continuing to massage her hand and wrist. They were together now, and safe. That's all that mattered.
“Ruby, how's our exit looking?” Ghost's voice cut through the tension in the vehicle, directing their attention back to the immediate task of getting away.
“You’re clear for now,” Ruby's voice crackled over the comms. “No sign of pursuit. Hunter's leading the way. You’ll be at the safe house in five.”
Cassie started at the news. She’d prefer to return to Ghost’s house. She wanted to sit on the back porch swing and listen to the annoyingly loud crickets sing their nightly melody. She wanted to be alone with her man, not in a house full of others. But she knew she owed Elite everything and swallowed down her wants. Her wants didn’t matter in the scheme of things. The mission needed to come first. They’d put everything on the line for her. She wouldn’t make a peep of trouble for them. Wherever they told her to go, she’d go.
A wave of gratitude washed over her as they drove. These men had risked everything to save her. She owed them her life. Her thoughts drifted to Winnie, how brave she must be. She knew that her own ordeal was tiny compared to the courage Winnie had shown in waging a battle against her brother and other criminal empires. It had only taken a week to track down her location after Iris gave Ruby her phone. Iris had been correct in her deductions. Turned out, she’d been an amazing CIA agent.
Cassie, having read all of Iris’ books, now understood. The reason each story felt realistic was because they were. Having spent more time with Iris over the last week, she’d come to find out the suspense plots were based on Iris’ own experiences that she’d shared with Cassie. But the romance was all made up. Iris wanted the ending of each story to be wrapped in love and hope because in real life, many of the cases hadn’t ended up so well. She’d rewrote the outcomes the way it would have happened in a perfect world. The books, as Cassie realized, were therapeutic for Iris. She penned a new reality, one where the good guys always won. And now, it was over. They knew where both Wilson and Winnie were.
“I can't believe it's over,” Cassie murmured, more to herself than anyone else.
“Not quite yet,” Ghost replied. “We didn’t have the manpower to take out Wilson tonight. He’s still out there. We aren’t sure if he’ll try to flee the country or what. Hunter called it in, the DOJ is on the way. Hopefully, they get there before he escapes, again.”
Cassie shivered, suddenly feeling exposed despite the warmth of the vehicle. She glanced out the window, watching Charlotte’s city lights blur past.
“Do you think they’ll get to him in time?” she asked quietly.
“I called in a favor,” Hunter's voice came through the comms, his tone grim. “DOJ is moving in on him as we speak. They're taking no chances this time. As soon as we get to the safe house, we will link with their coms and see it unfold in real time.”
The remainder of the drive passed in tense silence. Cassie was relieved when they finally pulled into the driveway of a nondescript house on the outskirts of Charlotte.
“Home sweet safe house,” Dozer joked with a grim smile as he stepped out of the vehicle.
Ghost helped Cassie out, his touch gentle as he guided her towards the house. Inside, the atmosphere was subdued but welcoming. Ruby greeted them with a relieved smile and small handwave.
“You're a sight for sore eyes,” Iris said, her voice filled with genuine warmth.
“Doc, check out Cassie,” Ghost ordered. A tall, lean man came rushing forward.
“Let's get you checked out, Cassie.” He took her by the hand and led her to a small bedroom.
“I’m fine, really.” She said.
Ghost shook his head at her. “Doc is going to check you out, regardless. Be a good girl and maybe he’ll give you a lollipop.” Although he was teasing her, Cassie didn’t miss the no nonsense look he gave her. It caused her insides to flutter. Ghost’s dominance turned her on like nothing else. She didn’t mind his bossiness one bit.
“There’s no apparent nerve damage or long-term circulatory issues that I can see,” Doc said rubbing her hands. “I’d recommend a long, hot bath, several bottles of water and some Motrin. I don’t have a lollipop for you, but there are cookies in the kitchen.”
“Ranger candy for the win,” Ghost said laughing. After Doc left the room, Ghost embraced her tightly. “You did so good, baby. I’m so sorry you went through all of that. I failed to protect you.”
Cassie shook her head, reaching out to grasp his hand. “It's not your fault,” she said firmly. “I didn’t go through much. Mostly, I just sat there. You came for me. That's all that matters.”
Ghost's expression softened. “One thing is for damned sure. I'm not letting you out of my sight again.”
Cassie managed a small smile, feeling a rush of warmth spread through her despite everything they had been through. She believed him… and she didn’t want to be out of his sight ever again, either.
“Come on,” Dozer said, popping his head in the room. “Feed is live. They are getting ready to breech.” Cassie felt Ghost's protective embrace loosen as Dozer's voice interrupted their moment. Reluctantly, she followed him out of the bedroom and into the living room. The safe house buzzed with subdued activity, everyone gathered around a large screen displaying a live feed from the abandoned factory where they had just narrowly escaped.
Ghost and Cassie joined the team in front of the screen, where Hunter stood with a grim expression, his eyes fixed on the unfolding operation.
“DOJ's moving in,” Hunter announced. On the screen, tactical units clad in black gear were shown converging on the old factory from all sides. The camera panned to show snipers positioned on nearby rooftops, covering every angle.
“They're breaching now,” Ruby said, watching from her laptop on the table.
The feed switched to a split screen, showing simultaneous views from body cams of the agents storming through the corridors of the factory. Doors were kicked open, flashbangs were deployed, and shouts filled the air as the tactical teams cleared room after room.
Cassie held her breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched the operation unfold. She recognized the layout from the harrowing escape they’d just made less than an hour before. Each corner turned; each room cleared brought her a sense of closure she didn’t know she needed.
“They're on the move,” Hunter narrated, his voice crackling with tension. “Heading towards the executive office where they’d kept Cassie.”
The camera angle shifted, showing agents cautiously approaching the heavy wooden door that Ghost and Dozer had burst through not long ago. The tension in the safe house was palpable, every team member holding their breath.
And then, the moment arrived. The door swung open, and Herman Wilson emerged with his hands raised above his head, surrounded by armed agents with their weapons trained on him. His once arrogant demeanor was replaced by a look of defeat.
“Do we have confirmation?” Ghost's voice cut through the silence, his eyes never leaving the screen.
“He's in custody,” Hunter confirmed, his voice laced with satisfaction. "They got him."
Cassie felt a rush of relief flood through her, tears welling up in her eyes. It was finally over. Wilson couldn't hurt anyone else. They had won. Winnie had won. Throughout the last week, she’d learned more about Winnie and how trapped she’d been growing up in a life of crime. No one picked their parents and as Winnie got older, she’d developed a sense of morality that her father and older brother simply did not have. In part, it was due to Iris’ influence over her as a little girl. Unlike the men in her family, Winnie had empathy and compassion. She didn’t want the world flooded with untraceable weapons of war. She’d seen more pain and suffering caused at the hands of her family and other crime empires and wanted nothing to do with it. Now, all of Winnie’s sacrifices were worth it. Her brother was in custody. The empire was crumbling, and thousands of people would be safer.
Ghost turned to her, pulling her close in a fierce embrace. As the team around them erupted into subdued cheers and congratulations, Cassie felt a sense of belonging she hadn't felt in a long time. These people, this team, they were her family now. She no longer felt alone in the world.
“Let's get you that hot bath,” Ghost whispered in her ear. “And those cookies. You’ve earned them.”
Cassie squeezed his hand tightly. “Sounds perfect.”