Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Silence.
Nothing but her words hanging in the thick air, the odd cricket kicking up a tune as Buck stared at her, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. He glanced at Dalton, then back to her, hints of red creeping up his cheeks.
Tierney braced for the worst. The guarded stares, the carefully chosen words that clearly suggested she’d lost her mind without actually calling her crazy.
That somewhere between heading out this morning and running for her life, she’d lost her grip on reality.
Had fully succumbed to the darkness staining her soul like old blood
Buck stepped closer, took her hand in his. “Guy’s dead. I don’t care how long it takes me to track his ass down, but I won’t stop until he’s a memory you can bury.”
She stilled. Had he really just implied he believed her? No asking if she’d imagined it. If the fatigue and stress had gotten to her. Just a promise that he wouldn’t let her down. Wouldn’t stop until she was safe. She opened her mouth to check, but nothing came out.
Buck cupped her jaw, wiping away more tears. “I recognize the look, and no, you’re not crazy. And you’re not broken. You’re a survivor, and the sharpest person I know. If you think that voice is the guy who held you captive, that’s enough for me.”
Dalton shifted closer. “Take it from someone who’s been there.
Some memories hit harder than others. Smell.
Touch. Sound. Most of my time inside that compound’s a blur.
But the stench of the men? The feel of that scratchy mattress.
How they rang that fucking bell every morning?
” He rolled his shoulders. “Those never go away. We’ll find this guy. That’s a promise.”
Buck motioned toward the exit. “If going inside is too much, I’ll have the others come out here. But if you think you can tell them even a bit about this asshole, it might help break this thing wide open.”
She glanced at the door, remembering the feel of the walls closing in, the guy’s voice echoing in the air before drawing herself up, walking forward.
Her heart thrashed, a wash of panic prickling her skin until Buck pressed his palm to the small of her back, giving her a physical anchor as she stepped inside.
A blast of ozone with a hint of lemon citrus filled the air, the room seemingly twice as small as it was before.
Nick sighed when they walked back in, spearing his fingers through his hair before stepping toward her. “I’m sorry, Tierney. I never should have pushed.”
She stopped a safe distance away, wrapping her arms around her chest. “It wasn’t you.”
Bodie shouldered up beside Nick. “It’s been a long day. You two must be exhausted. We can pick this up again in the morning.”
“No, I…” She glanced up at Buck, then back at his teammates, ending on Sloane. “Sloane? Can you please play that clip one more time.”
Sloane nodded, hitting the keyboard. The audio sounded over the speakers, the guy’s voice chilling Tierney to the bone.
Buck leaned closer, brushing his lips across the shell of her ear. “Still, right here.”
She nodded, way too fast, but he didn’t call her out. She sucked in a breath, then another, trying to find the words when anything other than screaming seemed impossible.
Nick eased forward. “You recognize the voice, don’t you.”
It wasn’t really a question, more of a realization.
She shifted until her side pressed against Buck’s, the sheer strength of him quieting some of the voices still shouting in her head. “From the compound in Colombia where I was held. He was one of the men in charge.”
“Shit.” Nick scrubbed his hand down his face. “Do you know who he is?”
Memories flashed in her head. The orange glow of the lighter flame illuminating a hard jawline. The snick-clink of the matte-black Zippo sounding in the dark. The smell of cheap antiseptic and rich tobacco laced over the coppery tang of her own blood.
She clenched her jaw, fighting to hold Nick’s gaze. “They always stayed in the shadows. I only saw silhouettes and glimpses of them. Nothing concrete.”
“If we found photos, would that help?”
“Maybe.” Her shoulders drooped as she pushed out a harsh breath. “I was kept in a cellar. Isolated from the rest of the compound. If that storm hadn’t knocked out the power that night…”
She never would have escaped. Would have been sold and transported god knew where.
Nick shook his head. “It wasn’t the storm or luck that saved you, Tierney.” He kicked at the floor. “And it sure as hell wasn’t me.”
“Nick, I…” She wanted to say she hadn’t expected anything. That she would have assumed she’d been killed, too, if she’d been in his position. But the lie wouldn’t form on her tongue. Because, realistic or not, she had been waiting for a rescue.
Bodie cleared his throat. “Is there anything else you can tell us?”
She pointed to the radio. “That mark. The scythe. One of them had the same symbol etched onto a black Zippo lighter. I never saw the guy without it.”
Bodie nodded. “And we’re talking PMC. Highly trained with military-grade tactical gear, just like the group tonight?”
“Paramilitary. Cartel. Hard to say for sure, but they were skilled enough to take us down.”
Nick scoffed. “That’s never sat right with me. How the hell did they get the jump on you?”
Tierney met his gaze. “Easy, someone told them where we’d be.”
Sloane inhaled. “You think someone at Interpol sold you out?”
Tierney shrugged. “Interpol. MI6. The CIA. I don’t know who, but I heard the men talking. They were contracted to kill us.”
The room went still. Not just because of what she’d said, but because of what she hadn’t disclosed. The reason she’d been kept alive. The dirty little secret she’d never uttered aloud.
The shame that had haunted her since she’d woken in that cell.
Nick recovered first. “I’m just glad you were the exception.”
Tierney stiffened, pressing into Buck when the walls started closing in again.
He shifted his hand to her waist, pulling her gently against him. “Easy, Tier.”
His voice rolled over her, soothing the jagged parts she swore were slowly tearing her apart.
She pushed out a long breath, holding her head high. The truth would eventually come out. Better they heard it from her, where she had a slight chance of controlling the narrative. “About that… It’s not what you think.”
Nick frowned. “What do you mean?”
“The reason they didn’t kill me. It wasn’t for state secrets. They had other plans.”
He glanced at Buck, eyes suddenly going wide as he took a step back. “Shit.”
Buck tensed as his cheeks flushed. “I’ll say it again. That fucker’s a dead man walking.”
Tierney moved off a bit, needing some distance to talk without screaming. “Buck…”
“Don’t. Killing you for money is bad enough, but thinking they could sell you? Because that is what we’re talking about, right? You being worth more to them alive than whatever they got to kill the rest of your team.”
She raised a hand. “Trust me. It’s been eating me alive for the past eighteen months, and it’s not something I ever planned on sharing, but if it has anything to do with what happened tonight. If it can help find these men, then it’s worth it.”
Buck closed the distance. “None of what happened was your fault. You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Sure, in theory.”
“Nothing theoretical about it. They’re monsters. And you survived.” He let some of the tension out of his muscles. “Do they know you’re alive?”
“Hard to say. My escape was pretty… dramatic. I’d hoped they’d all thought I’d drowned in the river, but there was something about those two men. They weren’t like the others. They might have considered the possibility.”
“Which brings us to the real issue. Between the body cams and the drone, they definitely caught both our faces on live feed.” He reached for her hand, sandwiched it between his. “There’s no mystery anymore.”
Tierney froze, his words hitting her like a physical blow, purging the air from her chest, leaving her struggling to breathe.
Buck moved in close, rubbing her back. “Breathe, Tier. We’ll find a way to fix this. Promise.”
Tears burned her eyes, all the fear and pain she’d buried resurfacing. She shook her head, pushing at him until her strength waned, and she rested her cheek on his chest. “I can’t go through that again. I can’t…”
“No one’s going to get to you without going through me. Going through all of us, so… breathe. For all we know Avery and Greer already have these bastards in custody.”
“Since when did you become so damn optimistic?”
“Figured it was worth a try. And I meant what I said. You’re not alone.”
She nodded, relaxing against him, every cut and bruise burning to life.
Bodie cleared his throat, leaning against the desk when Buck turned, looked over at him. “You two need to get some rest. And no, that’s not up for debate. You can stay in the guest suite.”
She tensed. No way she’d be able to sleep down there, tonight. Not after losing it in the bathroom. With the walls a similar structure to the cellar. “I was actually thinking, I’d just go home—”
“No.” Buck cursed under his breath. “What I meant was, your place is a bit too removed considering everything that’s happened. While I know you have some decent countermeasures, I’d feel better if we weren’t that far away. Though, I also get my RV’s not the safest, either.”
Dalton stepped closer. “You two can stay at the loft, with me. Saylor’s done for the day, so it’ll just be the three of us at the marina. Zain installed a pretty kickass security system. It’s got heavy metal doors, clear sight lines, and we’re only five minutes away.”
Tierney chewed at her thumbnail, all the voices shouting at once. “I don’t want to drag anyone else into this.”
“Too, late. We’re already on board. Besides, I don’t sleep worth a damn, anyway. Might as well make myself useful and take first watch.”
She scoffed. “It’s midnight. By the time you wake us, we both know it’ll be morning.”