35. Found
Found
The rear door shuddered in its frame.Chris Walker raised the rifle.“Camila, go.”
She didn’t move.Of course she didn’t.The woman had ignored him when armed men were chasing them through a hotel.Ignored him when he’d told her to stay inside a crashed SUV.Ignored him approximately every time he’d given her a direct order since the day Mateo assigned him to drive her.But tonight was different.Ten minutes ago, Chris had learned there was a baby growing inside her.His baby.That changed everything. “Camila.”
Another impact struck the door.The frame cracked.She flinched.Chris crossed to her quickly.“Bedroom. Reinforced bathroom. Lock the door.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll handle this.”
“You don’t even know how many—”
“I don’t care.”
“Chris.”He caught her face with one hand.
“Listen to me.”Something in his expression silenced her.He looked different.Not the controlled agent she’d watched during the warehouse raid.Not the man who’d laughed with tears in his eyes when she’d told him he was going to be a father.This was both men at once.Agent.Protector.Father.
“You don’t leave that bathroom unless I come for you. ”
“What if you don’t?”His jaw tightened.“I’m coming.”
“You can’t promise—”
“I am.”Another crash.Closer to giving way.Chris turned toward the concealed cabinet.
He opened it.Camila’s eyes widened when he removed a handgun.He checked it.
Then held it toward her.She stared.“No.”
“Yes.”
“Chris, I don’t—”
“You’ve been around guns.”
“Being around them isn’t the same as—”
“I know.”His voice softened.“This is last resort only.”Camila looked at the weapon.
Then at him.Chris hated this.Hated putting it anywhere near her hands.Hated that the first night he knew about their child had already become this.But he hated the thought of her trapped defenseless even more.He placed it carefully in her hands.“Keep it with you.”
Her fingers curled around it uncertainly.Chris covered them.“You don’t go looking for anyone.”“I wasn’t planning to.”
“You stay behind the locked door.”
“Chris—”
“You hear something, you stay.”
“What if I hear you?”His eyes met hers.
“If I need you, I’ll call your name.”The rear door slammed again.The alarm screamed.
Camila’s breath trembled.Chris touched her stomach.It was instinctive.His palm rested there for one second.Nothing to feel.No movement.No bump.Still—his child.His expression changed.
“Two of you now.”Camila froze.Chris looked into her eyes.
“I have two of you to protect.”Her throat closed.There it was.Already.He’d known for minutes.And somehow the baby had already found a place inside every decision Chris made.She caught his wrist.
“You matter too.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“Because you have a bad habit of treating yourself like you’re expendable.”Chris almost smiled.“You’ve known the real me for about a day and you’re already criticizing my work habits.”
“I knew that part before the badge.”Fair.Chris kissed her.Hard.Quick.Desperate enough that she understood what he wasn’t saying.Then he pulled back.
“Go.”This time—Camila went.Chris waited until he heard the reinforced bathroom door lock.Then he became Special Agent Walker.The emotional part of his brain shut down.Almost.He moved away from the obvious sightline of the rear entrance and keyed his radio again.
“Safe House Three to command. Multiple perimeter breaches. Communications intermittent.”Static.Then finally—“Walker, copy.”Mercer.Chris exhaled. “Thank fuck.”
“Status?”
“North and west sensors triggered. Exterior lights disabled west side. Rear door under forced entry.”A pause.“Protectee?”
“Secure.”
“Your status?”
“Armed.”
“Backup moving.”
“How long?”
“Ten.”Chris looked toward the door.The frame groaned.“Make it five.”
“Walker—”The door burst inward.Chris dropped the radio.Movement.
Dark figures.“FBI!”Gunfire shattered the room.Chris moved behind cover.
Glass exploded from a window.A round struck the kitchen wall.Another destroyed a lamp.Chris returned fire toward the armed intruders long enough to force them back outside.Then silence.Temporary.Chris breathed.One.Two.Listen.Footsteps outside.At least two directions.This wasn’t random.Someone knew the property.Or had enough information to understand its weaknesses.Which meant either Diego had gotten very lucky—or someone had leaked more than the FBI wanted to admit.Chris grabbed the radio.
“They knew the layout.”Mercer answered immediately. “What?”
“They’re splitting entry points.”
“Could be reconnaissance.”
“Could be a fucking leak.”
“Focus on surviving first.”
“Excellent suggestion.”Even now.Chris Walker was defending a safe house from armed cartel men and still being sarcastic with his boss.Mercer actually said:“Seriously?”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“That’s my word.”
“Walker.”Another window shattered.Chris moved.“Gotta go.”Inside the bathroom, Camila sat on the floor behind the tub.Both hands around the gun.Her entire body was trembling.
Gunshots erupted from somewhere beyond the bedroom.She flinched.“Chris.”No answer.
She covered her mouth.Don’t call him.Don’t distract him.He’d told her exactly what to do.
Stay.Wait.Trust him.That last one had become considerably more complicated lately.Yet here she was.Trusting him with everything.Her life.Her baby’s life.Her heart.Another burst of gunfire.Camila shut her eyes.“Please.”Her hand moved instinctively toward her stomach.
She was pregnant.The thought remained almost impossible.Somewhere inside her was a tiny piece of Chris.A tiny piece of her.And outside that door, Chris was fighting men who wanted to hurt them because he’d done his job.Her eyes filled.
“This is your father’s fault,” she whispered toward her stomach.Another gunshot.She immediately regretted it.
“I’m kidding.”Then she laughed through the fear.
“Oh God. I’m talking to an embryo.”Chris had apologized to it less than an hour ago.Apparently insanity was contagious.A crash came from the bedroom.Camila froze.Footsteps.Close.Not outside.Inside.She gripped the gun tighter.
“Chris?”Nothing.Her pulse thundered.She remembered his instruction.You don’t leave unless I come for you.Another sound.Bedroom door.Someone was moving around out there.Camila slid farther behind the tub.Her breathing became shallow.Footsteps approached the bathroom.Slow.One.Two.Three.Camila lifted the gun.Her hands shook so badly she hated herself for it.The door handle moved.Locked.Stopped.Then moved again.
Camila stopped breathing.A voice whispered outside.“Camila.”Her heart nearly exploded.
Chris.She lowered the weapon instantly.“Chris?”
“It’s me.”She scrambled toward the door.Then stopped.No.He’d taught her better than that.“Say something.”Silence.“You stole my sunglasses six times.”Her knees almost buckled with relief.“Eight.”A pause.“Seriously?”
“Open the door and we can argue.”
“Open.”Camila unlocked it.Chris came through quickly and immediately locked it behind himself.She stared.Blood along his arm.Not much.Enough.“Chris.”
“I’m okay.”She glared.He sighed.“Right. Banned phrase.”
“What happened?”
“More than one.”
“How many?”
“Enough.”
“That’s also a terrible answer.”Chris took the gun gently from her.“Any movement back here?”
“No.”
“Anyone touch the door?”
“You did.”
“Before me?”
“No.”
“Good.”He checked the small reinforced window.Nothing.Then Camila saw the blood again.“Were you shot?”
“No.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
“Then where did that come from?”
“Glass.”He showed her a cut on his forearm.Camila exhaled shakily.“That’s still bleeding.”
“I’ll survive.”She stared.Chris closed his eyes.“Sorry.”Despite herself, she nearly laughed.
Then another heavy impact sounded from the far side of the house.Chris’s humor vanished.He looked toward the door.“They’re still coming.”Camila grabbed his shirt.“No.”
Chris looked down.“You stay here.”
“No.”
“Camila.”
“You just came back.”
“And I’m going out again.”
“Why?”
“Because if they reach this room, our options get worse.”Her face crumpled.Chris touched her cheek.“Backup is coming.”
“How long?”
“Not fast enough.”
“Then wait.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
“Camila.”
“Chris!”Her voice broke.For a second, everything stopped.Chris looked at her.She swallowed.“I just told you you’re going to be a father.”His face softened.“I know.”
“So stop acting like getting yourself killed is acceptable.”
“It isn’t.”
“Then stay.”He leaned down.Forehead against hers.“I need to keep them away from this room.”Tears slid down her cheeks.“I hate this.”
“I know.”
“I hate your job.”
“Beginning to develop that impression.”She laughed once through the tears.Chris kissed her forehead.Then her lips.“I love you.”
“I love you.”His hand covered her stomach again.“And you.”Camila cried harder.“Jesus, Chris.”“What?”
“You’re making it impossible to yell at you.”
“Strategic advantage.”
“There he is.”Chris smiled.Then the radio crackled.“Walker.”Mercer.Chris grabbed it.“Go.”
“Teams three minutes out.”Chris closed his eyes.Three.Better.“Perimeter?”
“Agents approaching from south. Do not engage them by mistake.”
“Copy.”Then another voice cut through.“Walker, thermal shows movement west side. Four possible hostiles.”Four.Chris’s expression hardened.Camila watched.“How many?”He didn’t answer.“Chris.”
“Enough.”
“That word again.”He kissed her once.“Lock it.”Then he left.The door shut.Camila locked it behind him.Chris moved through the hallway.The house was dark now.Someone had hit the power.Emergency lighting glowed faintly near the floor.He could smell broken drywall.