The Temptation (16 page)

Nick, Ryan, and Zane split up to cover more of the warehouse. Nick’s heart beat faster, adrenaline pumping through his system as he continued on.

A truck’s engine rumbled to life on the other side of the warehouse. Was Lexi over there? Who had started the truck?

He eased on, not allowing the truck to distract him. His finely honed instincts told him he was close to Bachmann.

A flash of clothing vanishing around a man lift caught Nick’s attention. He crouched and eased forward around the piece of machinery. He peered around it but saw nothing. His gun raised, he swung around the man lift.

At the same time a man with a gun came around from the opposite side. In an instant, Nick realized it was Zane.

Nick indicated with his head the direction that Bachmann had gone and Zane responded with a nod.

On the other side of the warehouse, the truck’s gears grinded and its engine rumbled louder. It sounded like it was being driven.

A shot pinged off metal over Nick’s head and he ducked. Shit. That had been close. But it also told him that Bachmann was nearby. As far as he knew, they had taken out the rest of the slaver’s men and it was only a matter of time before they had Bachmann.

The engine sounded like it was being gunned. A man’s scream followed and then the voice was silence. The truck motor idled briefly then died.

Had Lexi run over one of Bachmann’s men with a truck?

Nick continued his hunt for Bachmann but was conscious of sounds coming from across the warehouse.

Then came Rori’s scream.

“Lexi’s been shot!” Rori screamed. “She’s dying!”

Nick’s heart went into overdrive and he started to run through the machinery, in the direction of Rori’s cry.

“I’ve got Lexi,” he shouted into his earpiece. “You get Bachmann. But save him for me.”

“Right,” Zane said, although he didn’t sound convinced that was what he should do. Lexi was his sister and no doubt he felt the need to go to her.

Ryan came back with an affirmative answer but sounded just as concerned as Zane had.

Nick bolted in the direction of Rori’s voice and the sound of the truck motor. He dodged through machinery and then rounded a forklift—

And came face to face with Bachmann who had his weapon pointed at Lexi’s chest. Rori was beside Lexi, sobbing and looking terrified.

Nick had his gun aimed at Bachmann’s head.

“So help me you pull that trigger and you’re a dead man,” Nick said in a near growl. “Or better yet, I know just how to shoot you so that you’ll still be alive but you’ll be a vegetable.

Bachmann paled but didn’t move his gun from Lexi who was propped up against the forklift’s tire. Her face was bruised and bloody, her skin was white, her clothing soaked with blood. She looked like she was fading, and fading fast.

The sound of sirens cut the air in the distance and Nick prayed it was the local RED agency on its way.

“It’s over, Bachmann.” Nick had to resist the urge to tackle the man and take him down. The gun might go off and the bullet could hit Lexi.

“What does it matter now?” Bachmann looked enraged yet there was almost acceptance in his words. “She has ruined everything. She’ll die soon enough of her wound or I will take care of her.”

Behind Bachmann, Zane appeared. Nick made no sign that he’d seen Lexi’s brother. He hoped that Rori wouldn’t give Zane away by looking at him.

“Your government will be down on its knees if you kill me,” Bachmann continued. “If I die photographs and recordings will be distributed to every media outlet.”

“Let’s take our chances and accept the consequences,” Lexi said weakly from where she sat, propped up against the forklift tire. “We don’t need people like that in our government. Just kill the bastard.”

Bachmann seemed to sense someone behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, distracted.

Zane knocked Bachmann’s hand up and away from Lexi’s direction. A shot went off.

Nick tackled Bachmann and slammed him to the concrete as Zane ripped the gun from the man’s grasp.

With all the power he had, Nick punched Bachmann. And he didn’t stop.

All the rage that had been inside of Nick came pouring out. For the hell Bachmann had caused Kristen. For the countless lives Bachmann had ruined. For Lexi.

Nick dragged Bachmann to his feet and punched him so hard that the man went flying. He was nothing. But he was still alive and Nick wanted him dead.

The sirens were practically on top of them.

Nick jerked Bachmann to his feet, grabbed his head in his hands, and snapped his neck.

Without another thought for Bachmann, Nick dropped the bastard’s body and went to Lexi. Rori was beside her, trying to stop the bleeding.

RED agents came pouring into the warehouse after making sure it was clear. Nick and Lexi’s brothers had to put down their weapons and raise their hands. An agent pulled Nick’s, Zane’s, and Ryan’s wallets out of their pockets, checked their credentials, and verified they were RED agents, before allowing them to arm themselves again.

The building was cleared and RED EMTs started attending to Lexi. Nick’s heart pounded in his throat as Lexi was loaded onto a gurney, an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose and an IV started. He raced with the EMTs to the door of the warehouse and then out to the waiting ambulance. Rori followed beside him.

“I love you, Lexi,” he said, as they were about to load her into the emergency vehicle. “Don’t you dare die on me.”

She raised her hand in a weak gesture. She’d heard him and she understood.

As Nick stood there, Zane came up to his side and put a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Lexi is too damned tough to die,” Zane said.

Nick gave a slow nod but the lump in his throat wouldn’t let him talk.

The moment Lexi was loaded, Nick made certain that it was clear to everyone that he was riding with her to the hospital. No damned way was he letting her out of his sight.

He squeezed her hand as the EMTs attended to her and she met his gaze. Her eyes told him everything he wanted to hear from her. They showed her love and her will to live.

But then her eyelids fluttered and her heart stopped.

Chapter 24

Angels and devils

I floated on lacy clouds in the bright sunshine. It warmed me and I relaxed. Had I ever felt this free, this alive?

My thoughts hesitated.

But was I alive?

A sense of peace filled me and I smiled. It didn’t matter whether I was alive or dead. I was forgiven. Forgiven for all the horrible things I’d been forced to do in my life. Forgiven for the mistakes I’d made.

The power of the forgiveness seeped into my pores along with a love so strong that it took my breath away.

I’d been so cynical that despite my Catholic upbringing, I hadn’t been sure God existed. But I felt the warmth of his love.

And his forgiveness.

I could be at peace now.

At peace.

Something I hadn’t felt since I was a child.

I felt as if warm, loving arms surrounded me and I wanted to stay in those arms.

But something was calling to me. Someone. Begging me to come back.

Come back?

Where?

Why would I want to leave this place of joy and peace?

“I love you, Lexi. Don’t leave me. Come back.”

Lexi? Was that my name? It seemed but a whisper on the wind that I could barely grasp onto.

Come back. Come back. Come back.

The words echoed in my mind.

I thought I recognized the voice and then my heart squeezed.

Nick.

Nick was calling to me.

I felt drawn to him.

I looked up at the blue sky and the soft clouds around me and felt the warmth on my skin. It would be cold if I left this place.

But Nick.

And then other images started to come to me. My family. My mama and daddy. Rori, Sean, Evan, Zane, Ryan, and Troy.

They needed me. I couldn’t leave them.

And Nick.

I couldn’t leave him.

I felt a rush, as if I was falling. Falling. I suddenly felt cold and afraid.

My eyelids popped open as I sucked in air and my chest hurt as if someone had been sitting on it or beating the crap out of me. Maybe both.

Disoriented and confused, I blinked away the fog in my eyes.

“Lexi, thank God.” Nick’s voice sounded harsh and gravelly.

I turned toward his voice. Nick. It was Nick. His love had brought me back.

The fear and cold vanished as I smiled at him from behind the oxygen mask.

“Don’t do that to me again.” Nick stroked hair from my brow as the sirens were cut and a few moments later the ambulance came to a stop. “Don’t ever do that again,” he said as the EMTs opened the ambulance doors to take me into the ER.

I studied him as he held my hand. His dark hair was a mess and tear tracks ran down his cheeks. I squeezed his hand in return but it wasn’t much. I was weaker than ever.

“You’re going to live.” His voice was almost harsh. “You’re too strong to let something like a little bullet get you down.”

Another smile curved my lips. He was right. I was stronger than that.

I knew I’d died but I had come back and I wasn’t leaving again.

Not for a long time.

* * * * *

The world as we knew it had changed.

I sat up in my bed in RED’s infirmary in D.C. and watched the news that had been breaking over the past forty-eight hours.

The President’s Chief of Staff was being taken away in handcuffs in one image. Congressmen and judges arrested in other newsfeeds. More and more lawmakers were being ferreted out as blackmail pictures and recordings continued to arrive at media outlets.

The foundations of our government had been rocked.

Our security as a nation had been compromised by people we had entrusted with our country.

Bachmann had made good on his promise even after his death.

Nick sat beside the bed and squeezed my hand but I couldn’t look away from the TV for a long time.

“He did this to us.” I finally brought my gaze to Nick’s. “Bachmann did this to our country.”

“If these men weren’t corruptible then it wouldn’t have happened to begin with.” Nick’s voice was low and hard. “Better we find out now than when it’s too late.”

“The President’s own security was compromised.” I shook my head. “Who knows what blackmail can make a person do.”

Nick gave a nod. “They did get SAC Carter, too, although he was credited with being an NSA agent. RED was left out of it.”

“I’m glad the bastard didn’t get away with his part in it.” I set my jaw as fury burned in my body. Men like him had been responsible for Bachmann getting away with what he had done for a long time.

I shifted on the bed and winced from the pain in my side. I’d been really fortunate—nothing major had been damaged and the bullet had gone straight through. I’d lost a lot of blood, but that had been the worst of it. I’d be healed up in no time. My face was bruised and my lip split, so I really looked like hell. All in a day’s work.

Someone knocked on the doorframe. As I turned my gaze to the door, our ASAC, Karen Oxford walked in through the doorway. I blinked. She’d come all the way from Boston to the D.C. area to see me? Or maybe she’d been needed here with all the hell that was breaking loose.

“Hello, Lexi.” Oxford walked up to the bed and sat in the chair on the side opposite from Nick. She nodded to him and he gave her a nod back.

“I’m grateful you pulled through.” Oxford never showed emotion but I thought I saw a hint of concern but that vanished. “I am sorry you had to do this alone. However, I knew if anyone could do it, it would be you and Agent Donovan.”

Surprise widened my eyes. “You knew what we’d do?”

“Why do you think I authorized your leave?” Oxford sat back in her chair. “I wasn’t allowed to let you use RED’s resources but I know you have plenty of your own.” She looked at Nick and I wondered if she knew about his war room. Nick’s expression gave away nothing.

She moved her gaze back to me. “It was obvious that something very wrong was going on in our own organization, and ultimately in our government.” Her lips thinned. “From within there was nothing I could do.”

“I understand.” I thought about the time she had told us the operation was being killed. “If you had tried to do something, you would have been booted out and then there would have been nothing you could do.”

Oxford looked from Nick to me again. “No one outside of RED and the small chain of command will ever know the part you played in rescuing our country. You realize this, of course.”

“I don’t need credit for it.” I raised my hand without the IV and brushed hair away from my brow. “I just need to know that as a country we are safer and that Bachmann is no longer a threat.”

“That you have done.” She got to her feet. “But now there are things I must attend to as your new SAC.”

“You were given Carter’s job?” I pushed myself up higher in bed and winced again. “That’s terrific. You’ll make a great SAC.” I frowned. “I just hope we get a decent ASAC to take your place.”

“I intend to make sure you do.” She looked to each of us. “Thank you, Agent Steele and Agent Donovan. We are indebted to you as a nation.”

With a nod she turned and strode out the door.

I looked at Nick and he brought his gaze to mine. The corner of his mouth turned up. “We should have known.”

With a shake of my head, I said, “I don’t think I’ll ever completely get Oxford. She’s an amazing woman.”

“Lexi?” Rori’s voice came from the door and I looked to see her, Zane, and Ryan standing in the doorway.

Rori looked a little worse for the wear. She had some bruises and scrapes, and her ankles and wrists had been rubbed raw from the restraints. Fortunately, she hadn’t endured any real physical or sexual abuse. She had, however, suffered some emotional trauma from having been kidnapped and because she had killed a man, and I knew she’d been having nightmares. The rape prior to her abduction also weighed heavily on her mind. RED had provided a psychologist to work with Rori and she was holding up really well. She was stronger than I had ever given her credit for.