Edge of Control: An Edge Security Novel (Edge Security Series Book 1) (2 page)

“Bird’s coming in.” Roddy said. “ETA one minute, College. Hold on.”

“Roger that,” Jake said. “Lucky, you at the top?”

“Almost. This fucker is heavy.”

Jake continued to shoot. He noticed movement in the trees to his left. “They’re trying to flank me. Scat, you in position? Do you have a visual?”

A scream from his left answered him. “In position,” Scat said. “Tango down.”

Jake breathed a sigh of relief. Roddy and Scat had made it to his ridge and now waited at the top. He might just make it out of here.

“At the top, College,” Rhys said. “Haul ass.”

“Wilco.” Jake did a last spray of bullets into the trees, switched out his mags, and sprinted up the slope to the ridge. He could see the outline of his three team members, their rifles pointed downslope toward him. The thumping of a helicopter sounded. It must be just on the other side of the ridge.

Puffs of dust and gravel bits rained around him from the Taliban soldiers’ bullets hitting the scree. He zigzagged as much as possible while running upslope. He used his hands, scrambling over the rocks, desperate to make it to safety.

Something punched him in the thigh. He stumbled and slid back down the slope a few feet.

“Get up, Jake,” Rhys ordered over the line.

“Moving,” Jake panted, struggling to his feet. His left leg wasn’t working properly, but he forced it forward, feeling wetness soaking his pant leg.

He stumbled again. Pain burned through his thigh, and screamed at him every time he put weight on it. He slowed, but kept going. He would not give up.

Then Rhys was there. And so was a large, dark-skinned guy in fatigues without an insignia. They grabbed him under the arms and half carried him the last steps.

“Who’re you?” Jake panted even as pain gripped him.

“Let’s do the meet and greet later,” the guy said.

Six more men wearing the same unfamiliar fatigues shot their rifles downhill at the approaching Taliban. Rhys and the stranger took Jake toward a waiting helicopter, its rotor blades kicking up a dust storm.

A tall woman strode over to them, shouldering her rifle. Her helmet hid her hair, but her goggles were up, showing blazing blue eyes. “I’m Valkyrie, the team leader.” She waved a hand at the dark-skinned soldier holding him up. “Doc’s our medic, he’ll see to your leg.”

Rhys didn’t move and the woman’s face turned harsher than the mountains surrounding them. “Do you have a problem, sailor?”

She knew they were SEALs, even without identifying insignia.
 

“No, sir,” Rhys said. “I mean, ma’am.”

She rolled her eyes before facing Jake. “My team can handle this from here. Get on the bird.”

Jake shook his head in confusion, pain making his thinking slow. “You’re a woman.”

Her voice hardened. “I’m a captain, and you’re done here. This is now my mission.”

“You’re not spec ops.” Jake’s leg might be screaming at him, but no American woman was allowed in special operations.

“We’re better than spec ops,” she said. “We’re E.D.G.E. operators. Now get your ass onboard.”

She walked away.

“I think I’m in love,” Rhys said, staring after her.

Jake turned to the soldier nicknamed Doc, determined to get answers even though his leg had started to shriek with pain. “Edge?”

“E.D.G.E.,” he said, helping him to the waiting helicopter. “Elite Digital and Global Enforcement.”

“Never heard of it,” Jake said.

“That’s the idea,” the man said with a grin.

One year later…

The rhythmic slapping of Danielle Everett’s running shoes on the paved walk accompanied her deep breathing. Only one more kilometer left in her run. She stretched her pace and pushed herself to go faster, pumping her arms. The path curved through the trees, out of sight.

A tall, dark-haired man stepped into view. She stumbled, her heart stuttering as adrenaline flooded her system. She started to slow when he turned and whistled. A golden retriever came racing to his side.

Her brain switched on and she began noticing details about him. Not tall enough. And, as she jogged closer, not muscled enough, or good looking enough. Not him.

She was safe.

“Dani, you witch,” her friend, Tassia, called out from behind her before huffing a laugh. “I give up. I’m walking the rest of the way.”

Dani didn’t reply, the adrenaline leaving her shaky. She poured on the speed, sprinting on her toes and pushing hard with her quads. Her breath came in short bursts. She passed the man and his dog, determinedly not looking at him as she followed the path in Parc du Mont-Royal. Tass wouldn’t be able to see her through the trees, but Dani didn’t stop or slow even a bit.

Tassia wouldn’t get lost. Besides, even though it was early morning, lots of people were out enjoying the warm spring weather. Dani gained more speed, her long, dark ponytail swinging, tension thudding out of her with each footfall as the path lowered, coming down off the Mountain, the name Montreal natives gave the park because of its height and views of the city.

Dani couldn’t slow down. She compulsively pushed herself. She always wanted to see if she could do just a little bit more, a little bit faster, a little bit better. Besides, she needed to stay in top shape, in case her past ever caught up with her.

The path opened up onto Avenue des Pins and she dodged pedestrians as she ran toward her apartment on Rue Sainte Famille. It still amazed her she’d lucked out with such a great neighbor, one who’d turned into not just a running partner, but someone Dani could trust. Not with all her secrets, of course, but enough to call her a friend—and, at twenty-six years old, Dani had precious few friends.

She slowed as she came up to the four-story building, automatically scanning the street. A woman in a suit strode toward her and a tall guy in shorts and a hoodie jogged across the street. She ignored the woman, but kept track of the man until he turned the corner.

She’d finished stretching by the time Tassia showed up, panting and grimacing. “Seriously, woman, you are the devil.” She flopped onto the steps leading up to the glass doors of the building. “I’m taller than you, I should be able to at least keep up with you. Did you even break a sweat?”

“Come to my MMA gym,” Dani said. “Those guys’ll whip you into the best shape ever.”

“I’ll leave beating people up to you,” she said. “Though I do love dropping by and admiring the view.”

Dani chuckled as she gave her friend a hand up. “Come over for breakfast. I’ll make eggs.”

Tass frowned. “I’m not sure I have time. The Public Prosecutor’s building a big case against a company in town and I’m behind on my end.”

“There’s always time for food,” she said. There had been too many times in Dani’s life when food had been scarce. She tried to never miss a meal now.

Tassia worked long hours as a lawyer for the Office of Public Prosecution, the Quebec version of the Crown Attorney Office, and her boss was a bear of a woman. Dani, on the other hand, worked in the research department at E.D.G.E. International Security, a corporate security firm. She dug up info about potential clients or sites for the field operators, and she was always careful to do it legally.

E.D.G.E. had only hired her because of Charles Lachine, a retired cop who worked as a consultant of some kind for them. Out of respect for Chuck, she’d never been late or sick in the six months she’d worked at E.D.G.E.

She showered and dressed in one of her three secondhand suits. The cut of the suit was loose, but not too loose. Her dark hair went into a bun and she skipped makeup, since her green eyes already attracted too much attention. The whole effect made her look mousy and worn, someone most people didn’t notice.

Just the way she wanted it.

She stood at the counter making breakfast and going over what she would say today to the CEO of E.D.G.E., Adam Knight.

He had agreed to give her an interview for a field operator position. It meant travel, but she knew she could handle network security better than anyone. She was perfect for the job.

She scooped eggs onto plates. Well, she was perfect as long as they ignored her past.

“Seriously?” Tassia said when she entered the apartment and came into the kitchen, her hair still damp from her shower. “When are you gonna let me take you shopping for clothing that actually fits you?”

Dani shrugged. She knew how dowdy she looked. “I’m more comfortable this way.”

Tassia’s eyes narrowed in speculation. She opened her mouth, but Dani beat her to it.

“We’ll be late if we don’t eat now.”

They sat down to eggs scrambled with mushrooms and cheese. Fried mushrooms made everything taste better.

“So, tell me about this mysterious guy you’re going out with tonight,” Dani said, wanting to derail Tassia’s argument about her appearance.

Tassia looked away. “You can’t freak out.”

Dani’s radar went off. “Why would I freak?”

“His name is Vadim,” she said.

Dani’s gut clenched. “Like short for Vladimir?”

“No, just Vadim.” She sighed. “Look, I didn’t want to tell you anything because I know how you hate anything Russian.”

“I don’t hate anything Russian,” she said. “I’m—” Dani took a breath. She couldn’t believe she’d almost told her. “I’m not prejudiced.”

“You never want to go to that cool Russian restaurant in the Village. And you avoid anyone with an Eastern European accent or name.”

All true, but she wasn’t prejudiced. She’d need to work harder at this. Dani sighed out her tension. “What’s this guy’s last name?”

Tass waved her fork at her, and her face got a stubborn look. “Seriously, you don’t have to worry. I may not know how to fight, but I can take care of myself.”

Dani doubted that, but she only smiled and lightened her voice. “That’s not what I meant. I’m just curious. Is he cute?”

She grinned. “Gorgeous.”

Dani forced an answering smile. “So…his last name?”

Tassia pushed the eggs around on her plate with her fork. “I’m not sure I should tell you.” Her lips pressed together. “Not after what you did last time. I like this guy, Dani. Just trust me.”

“Please tell me he’s not married,” Dani said.

She frowned. “He’s not married.”

“Then what’s his last name?”

“Fine. It’s Levkov. Vadim Levkov.” She stood up. “But you are not running a background check on him. You ran off the last guy I dated with your questions and ‘concern.’” She finger quoted the last word.

“He was dating other women.”

“I don’t care. I’m a grown woman and I don’t need you playing big brother.”

“You mean big sister,” Dani said lightly, but it was too late. She’d lost her. Tassia strode away and the front door clicked shut. Firmly.

“Case closed,” she muttered.

E.D.G.E. International Security: We Go To The Edge So You Don’t Have To
.

Jake scowled at the sign on the wall before entering the large plush office in downtown Montreal, trying not to limp. His leg ached from sitting on a six-hour flight.

What the hell was he doing here? How had he gotten to this point? He cursed the mission that had gone so disastrously wrong a year ago. So wrong that even now, after a year of recovery and intensive rehab on his leg, the doctors wondered whether he could keep up with his SEAL team. He knew his men trusted him, but the higher-ups all shook their heads. His teeth ground as he remembered his CO asking—no,
telling
him—to take this interview and work with this company for the next two weeks as a trial.
 

The same company who’d rescued them from the Taliban twelve months ago. E.D.G.E. International Security. A cover for what they really were.

A damn merc company.

He hated mercenaries. They worked for the highest bidder, got in the way of real operations, and most of the ones he’d met had questionable morals.

How could his CO do this to him? To them?

He glanced sideways at Rhys. At least his buddy was with him, though he hated dragging him down the same freaking rabbit hole he’d been sent down. He’d never heard of a SEAL or any spec ops guy being sent to interview with a civilian company, let alone a company in another country.

They stood at ease in the empty office, waiting on some ex-SEAL who ran the show. It was only because the head honcho used to be a SEAL that he’d agreed to this. Once it was over, he and Rhys were hopping on the first flight to Coronado and back into training, bad leg or not. Their team was being deployed in a month. He’d prove to the brass that he could do the job.

“Do you think they’re going to offer us a gazillion dollars? Maybe we’ll get to protect supermodels,” Rhys said. He stood to the side of the window looking out over the busy street below. Neither of them would ever stand in front of an open window again, no matter what country they were in.

“Won’t matter,” Jake said. “We do our two weeks, turn down the permanent position, and then we’re out of here.”

A door whisked open and a dark-skinned, fit man in his early forties walked in. His shaved head gleamed in the overhead light.

“Gentlemen,” he said. “I’m Adam Knight. Your CO told me that you two might be interested in working with us.”

Jake squared his shoulders. Better to cut this off now. “Actually, sir,” he said with respect, “we’re not interested in working for a mercenary company.” Rhys gave a sharp nod of agreement.

Knight studied Jake. “I read the medical report on your leg. If you stay with the teams, chances are you’ll end up behind a desk.”

“Even so, sir.” Jake shrugged. “It just doesn’t sit right with me. Merc companies are either babysitters for people with too much money, or tend to do jobs that could interfere with real missions.”

Knight walked over to his desk and flipped open a file. “One of the jobs we did last year saved a SEAL’s life.”

Jake shifted his feet. “It’s the mercenary part I’m having a hard time with, sir. No offense.”

Knight sat down. “No offense taken,” he said, leaning back in his chair while a smile crept onto his face. “You’ve just confirmed that E.D.G.E.’s cover is fully in place, and I’m happy to let you know what we really do.”