In The Trenches: An OPS Protector Romance, page 19
FOX
“You knew!” she spat as she walked away from me in the parking lot.
“Hold on,” I shouted, gripping her arm and spinning her, careful not to touch her injured side. “I knew you were innocent, which is why I put you in that room. Nothing good ever comes from hiding the truth.”
“Oh yeah?” she asked, her eyes gleaming. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re hiding?”
“Like what? I’m an open book.”
“Bullshit! We all have something we’re hiding. You’re just better at it than most. Am I really supposed to believe that you like watching musicals?”
“I do,” I countered. “I happen to love them.”
She scoffed, tossing her head back in laughter. It was the most unhinged I had seen her since she arrived at our building. “Tell yourself whatever you need to so you can sleep at night.”
“And what about you? I know you’re running from something. Fake name, no ID, scared to be in the room with any men, and that injury would have been set properly if you’d been to the doctor. I’m guessing it happened sometime in the last year, probably less since it hasn’t made your arm go completely fucking numb yet.”
“That’s my business,” she said as she turned away from me.
“The question is,” I continued, as if she was still standing in front of me. “Are you hiding anything else about the research facility? Or are you just running scared from whoever you got involved with? Or maybe it’s your daddy you’re running from.”
She whirled on me, nearly punching me as she swung. “You know nothing about my life!” Tears brimmed her eyes as she stared at me, her lower lip quivering because she was on the verge of tears. But those tears were a good sign. She held it together well the entire time she was on the OPS property. The fact that she was falling apart hinted that just maybe she was beginning to trust me. If only I could prove to her that we could help her. Or better yet…that Cash could help her.
I knew he was beating himself up right now, dying to help her in any way he could. But his pride wouldn’t allow him to go after her right now. He’d find some insane way to apologize later, but by then, it would be too late.
“Beth, I’ve been there,” I said honestly. “You may not believe me, but I understand. I can help you.”
She shook her head slightly. “After what you just put me through? I don’t want your help. I don’t want a damn thing from you.”
She started walking down the street, but I wasn’t having that. I got in my truck and pulled up alongside her. “Are you going to walk the whole way?”
“Yes,” she said sharply.
“Alright. I’ll just be right here.”
She shot me an incredulous look. “Just leave me alone. Haven’t you ruined enough of my life?”
I laughed at that. “Not even close. Trust me, when you’re looking at me like I just ate monkey brains, then you’ll know I’ve ruined your life. This is just a sampling.”
I drove along beside her, turning on my favorite CD, and cranking it up. “The Music Of The Night” from The Phantom Of The Opera started playing and I sang along, letting my voice carry through the night. Beth walked faster, trying to put some distance between us, but she was no match for my truck.
“Would you stop that?” she hissed.
“Sure, just get in the truck.”
“I’m not getting in the truck.”
“Then I’m not going to stop singing.”
I turned the music up even louder and continued singing until she finally slapped her hand against my truck and glared at me. “Fine! I’ll get in the truck, but you have to turn that off!”
I grinned and turned the music off, motioning for her to get in. In a huff, she opened the door, climbed inside, and slammed it behind her. “You’re a jackass.”
“I’ve been told, but I always get my way.”
“Why are you even doing this?”
“Because we had a thing back there.”
She glanced back at the building. “You think we had something?”
“Yeah, didn’t you feel it? You and I…we were on the verge of something great. I’m telling you, just a few more songs and we could try out for a show.”
“Wait, so you weren’t talking about…”
“Sleeping with you?” I chuckled. “Sorry, honey, but you’re already spoken for.”
“By who?”
“By whom,” I corrected. “Cash, of course.”
“He hates me,” she responded, crossing her arms over her chest. “Besides, he has a really shitty way of showing he cares if that’s how he treats all his…women.”
“Oh, that’s par for the course. I mean, obviously, the situation is heightened considering what’s going on. His protective instincts are going haywire.”
“Can we talk about something else? I really don’t want to talk about your boss.”
“Come on,” I teased her. “You can tell me. I won’t say a word. I was once held in a POW camp for four months. They wanted intel, and I wanted a glass of fucking water. Is that really too much to ask?”
“Did you tell them anything?”
I turned and grinned at her. “Why do you think I was there for four months? It wasn’t because of my winning personality.”
Her face pinched slightly as she watched me. “That must have been horrible.”
I brushed it off. “Horrible is going to the barber, only to find out he’s closed.”
“That’s worse?” she asked in disbelief.
“Hey, when you find a good barber, you don’t let him go. Yeah, it turns out he died or something. Kind of rude, if you ask me. There was no warning that he was sick or anything.”
“Did he have cancer or something?”
I looked at her funny. “No, died from a heart attack. Why?”
She shook her head. “Never mind.”
I could tell I was getting to her, which was perfect for me. A few more minutes of my charms and I’d convince her to come back to OPS and give the boss another chance.
“Right over here.” She pointed to the curb and was already unbuckling her seatbelt.
“Don’t you want to grab some dinner or something?”
“I think I’ve had enough of you for a lifetime.”
“That’s just because I haven’t grown on you yet. I’m like mold.”
She pursed her lips, nodding slightly. “That’s…I’m going home now.”
She shoved the door open and got out. I would have followed her, but I was double parked, and there were no free spots anywhere in sight. And I fucking hated dealing with the police. Cash already warned me to stay away at all costs.
“When you get to your apartment, I want you to flick your lights twice if you’re good. Three times if you’re in distress.”
“Why would I be in distress?”
I sighed heavily. “Are you ever going to do as I ask, or are you always going to argue with me?”
She slammed the door and shot me the finger. I chuckled as she walked to her building and went inside. I waited for her signal, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel as I waited for her. Flashing lights shone behind me.
“Shit,” I muttered, watching as a cop got out and made his way over to me.
I glanced back at the apartment window, still waiting for the signal, but it never came.
“Fuck. I guess I’m going to have to deal with the cops after all.”
A harsh rap on my window drew my attention away from the apartment. “Sir, you’re double parked.”
“Actually, I was just dropping off a friend and—”
“Sir, there are parking spots for you to use.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You interrupted me. Do you know how rude that is?”
“I don’t give a fuck if it’s rude. You’re double parked. Now move it, or I’ll give you a ticket.”
I waved at the crowded street in front of me. “Do you see any place for me to park?”
“I don’t give a fuck what you do, as long as you move from your current location.”
“Fine, but I need to check on my friend first. She was supposed to let me know she was okay by flickering the lights, and she hasn’t done that.”
“Flickering the lights, huh? You could have just walked her to the door.”
“Yes,” I huffed. “I could have, but I was double parked, as you already pointed out. And if I had left my vehicle, I would have gotten a ticket.”
“You’re still getting one,” he said snidely.
“Alright,” I said, shoving my door open. The time to play nice was over. I had to get to Beth, wherever the hell she was.
“Sir, get back in your vehicle.”
“No, you know what? I already told you my friend is in danger, and you’re fucking ignoring me. That really pisses me off.”
“Sir, I will tase you if you don’t get back in your vehicle!”
“Oh, yeah, sure,” I snorted. “I’d love to see you try.” He pulled his taser and I held up my hands. “You’re gonna want to think long and hard before you deploy that thing.”
“Sir! Turn around and place your hands on the car!”
That’s when I heard the scream that sent chills down my spine. The cop heard it too. “Shit! That’s her. I have to go.”
“Put your hands on the car!”
“She’s screaming for me,” I argued.
I took a step forward just as he shot the taser. The electrical wires hit me right in the chest and stunned me, but I didn’t go down. I yanked them out and grabbed his gun, shooting him with his own taser. “How do you like it, asshole?”
Tossing the taser on the ground, I took off for the building, racing around it just as I saw a trunk slammed shut and two men jumping into the car. I pulled my gun and fired multiple times, but I was too far away to stop them. I got a partial plate, but that was it. Pulling my cell, I dialed Cash.
“If you’re calling to lecture me—”
“Black sedan. Partial plate XGV. Two men in dark clothes. Beth is in the trunk,” I said as I headed back to my car.
“Fuck! How could you let this happen?”
“I was dealing with the cops.”
“The…Fox we talked about this,” I heard him say right before he rattled off my information to someone else, probably Dash. “Where is the officer now?”
I ran up to my car, looking at the officer down. “Um…he’s sort of on the ground.”
“Why is he on the ground?” he asked slowly.
“Because I shot him with his taser.” I booted his body as gently as possible away from my truck and got in.
“Fox…”
“Hey, he shot me first. It’s not my fault he went down easier than me.”
Slamming the door, I slammed my foot down on the gas, burning rubber as I took off after the car. Taking a hard right, I searched for the car, but it was nearly impossible when every fucking car in the area was black.
“Tell me you have something for me,” I snapped. Fuck, I was angry with myself for not going in with her.
“Dash is trying to pull up the feed now, but there aren’t a lot of cameras in the area. Head back here so we can put a plan together.”
“Fuck that. I’ll find them on my own.”
“Fox, you’re not going in alone. We don’t even know who has her.”
“Then I’ll just keep driving around until I find them,” I argued, knowing it was a stupid point. Still, she was my responsibility and I let her get taken.
“Fox, get your ass back here. That’s an order.”
“Yeah, I’ve never been too good at following those,” I grinned right before I hung up.
27
CASH
“It’s been two fucking hours,” I growled at Dash. “Tell me you have something.”
I was pacing the IT room, trying to keep my cool, but Betty was burning a hole in my pocket. I wasn’t sure who was responsible for snatching her, but it could be literally anyone. That asshole she worked for was practically going out of his mind when I met him. Then there were the five men she walked out of the building with. God only knows who they worked for and what they wanted. And then there was the fact that she was on the run from someone. I should have dug into that further, but I put it off because I was too focused on the disaster I was currently working. Now Beth was in the wind, and I only had myself to blame.
“The last known location of the vehicle is fifty miles south of here. But that’s taking us into the country, and there are literally a million different ways they could have taken her. Without knowing who took her and cross-referencing properties they own, I don’t know how the fuck to find her.”
“What about lo-jack?”
“Boss,” he turned to me like I was stupid. “Trust me, I’ve thought of everything I possibly could. She’s in the wind, and unless we find out who’s behind it, we’re fucked.”
I started pacing the room again, trying to figure out a way around this. “Let’s eliminate those we know about then. Have you had any luck identifying the men she walked out of the facility with?”
“A few possible hits, but not a positive identification yet.”
“Any of them matching the name Seth?”
“Nope.”
Sighing, there was only one choice. “Alright, what about the boss…Hayes?”
“Why would he take her?”
“I have no fucking clue, but he’s the only other person connected to her that we know of. Either we eliminate him or connect him to her in some way. I want you staying here digging into all property he’s connected to in any way. I’ll grab a team and head out,” I said as I rushed to the door.
“To where?”
I turned back to him as I pulled the door open. “To pay Hayes a visit.”
I walked out and shouted at Eli, who was at the end of the hall. “Round everyone up. We’re going hunting.”
A sadistic grin twisted his lips as he nodded. “On it, boss.”
I walked to my office and thought of putting Betty on the pedestal, but I always carried her with me on a mission. Instead, I walked to my personal gun safe and pulled out my rifle bag, grabbing extra ammo as I slung my case over my back. Checking the magazine on my pistol, I slammed it back into place and holstered it.
Walking back out, Eli’s team followed by Thumper’s walked with me out the front doors to the parking lot. I watched the shadows as we moved to our vehicles, but I didn’t notice anything out of place. Eli slid into the front seat beside me, handing me a comm as he slammed the door.
“Who are we hunting, boss?”
“Hayes.”
“What did he do?”
“Other than be an asshole? I have no idea, but I’m about to find out. I need Red on this one.”
He looked over at me and nodded, knowing what I was saying. Since Fox wasn’t with me, there was no one I trusted more than Red to get to the bottom of what was happening. The drive over to the office didn’t take long. I parked across the street and waited for everyone else to pull in. Eli pulled out his binoculars and scanned the building. It was running on backup power now, and I could see movement inside.
“What do we have?” I asked Eli.
“Third floor, two by the windows, and three on the top floor.”
“Top floor,” I said with a slight grin.
“Oh, man,” he laughed. “Red’s going to be pissed. You know he doesn’t like that shit.”
“But he’ll do it.” I finished wiring up my comms system as Eli did beside me. “Bullseye, comm check.”
“Copy that, Bullseye. Comms are live and clear,” Red answered.
“Thumper’s good,” Tate replied.
I shook my head at Eli. “I hate when he refers to himself in the third person.”
I shoved my door open and stepped out, leaving Sally in the truck. I didn’t think I’d need her for this. That was for after we found out where these assholes were holding Beth. If they were holding Beth.
“Eli, your team is with me. Thumper, go around back and clear the field.”
“On it, boss.”
We walked across the street casually, trying to blend in, which was comical considering how we were all dressed.
“Movement in the lobby,” Eli said as we approached. “I count five guards.”
“Pretty hefty for the middle of the night,” I answered.
“Are we doing this the easy way or the hard way?”
“Too many cameras. Let’s get inside, then we’ll make our move.”
I knocked on the front door, waiting as one of the guards approached. He warily opened the door, his hand on his gun. “The office is closed.”
I pulled out my official badge Rafe sent me, stating I was working with the alphabets to get this mess cleared up. After reading the inscription and frowning, he nodded and let us in.
“I’ll just announce that you’re here.”
“Tell Mr. Hayes that we have information for him.”
He nodded and radioed upstairs. Eli, Red, and Kavanaugh started spreading out around the lobby, making the other guards nervous. I glanced around as if I didn’t have a care in the world, but I was checking for cameras. We’d have to clean them on the way out. The sign on the wall indicated maintenance was down the hall, and that’s most likely where we’d find the control room.
I scratched my jaw, pointedly looking in that direction. Eli whistled something jaunty, making me smile. Meanwhile, Red and Kavanaugh leaned against the wall as the guards appeared even more agitated. We were definitely in the right place.
“You can go up. Sorry, you’ll have to use the stairs. The elevator is stuck in the basement.”
“Good to know,” I grinned. “Wouldn’t want to fall down an elevator shaft.”
I nodded to Eli as Red and Kavanaugh followed me upstairs. Just as the door was closing, I heard Thumper’s team come in from the back, taking out the guards. Eli would be in the control room in no time. I rushed up the stairs, knowing I didn’t have much time. I burst into Hayes’ office, glad that I caught him by surprise. He stood suddenly, stepping back when he saw us all enter.
“What’s going on?”
“That’s a good question, Adam. Do you want to tell me why your employee went missing just a few hours ago?”
