Chapter One
Noah Hanover walked
through the door of the small house he shared with Mateo and paused. Silence
filled the space. Mateo should have been home from work by now. “Hello?” He
walked through the small space, glancing in each room. When he didn’t see
anyone, he shrugged. He probably had an impromptu meeting and couldn’t call.
It happened. High school
kids were more trouble than the little kids sometimes. He might have had to take
a teen who broke some rule before the disciplinary committee Mateo headed, or
something for school technology. He’d give it a few more hours before he
questioned where his husband had gone off to.
He showered while he
waited, removing the day’s grime. They were training the newbies, Calvin,
Wayne, and Paul. Each man had skills. Some were innate and others were still
being honed. He liked the guys and, after saving Asher and Rae, well, they
earned his respect, too.
As it stood right now,
Rae was considered precious cargo. Every day, she received more death threats.
The majority they kept from her. She didn’t need to see how depraved most
people were.
Asher, on the other hand,
was back to working operations. The committee inquiry for Lincoln had learned the
information about McNamara and Asher being family, but in all the cases he
worked, Asher came out above board. As of right now, he was clear to continue
with R.O.O.T. The bigger results would come within the next two weeks. So far,
rumors were saying they would end up clearing the whole team, and Asher would
continue to be their boss.
He'd been telling the
truth when he said he’d quit before he’d take the job as commander. Pretty
much, they all did. No one wanted to work for a government entity that would
change leaders because of a familial connection. Plenty of people did it. Noah
stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his hips.
And while Asher did the
heavy lifting with his uncle during those meetings, Hanover and the guys
continued their hunt for the black-market uranium Lincoln had bought. The man
had it stashed somewhere, and it was only a matter of time before they found
it. Or it ended up in the wrong hands. No, he couldn’t think about that right
now. They had to stay positive. The ramifications of not finding it could have
lasting effects globally.
Noah glanced out the
window of his bedroom and frowned. The sun had set, and Mateo still wasn’t
home. Damn. It’s not like him to not
call. He stomped to their bedroom, hellbent on calling his husband to give
him a piece of his fucking mind. The light on his phone blinked, and a wash of
relief filled him.
He picked it up and
unlocked the screen. A message waited for him with an attachment. Noah frowned.
“What the fuck?”
Tapping the screen, he
waited for the attachment to download, then sucked in a breath. At first the
screen had been blank, and seconds later a picture of Mateo tied to a lone
chair in a room filled his phone. Blood trailed down the corner of his mouth
into his beard, discoloring the hairs. His eye was split and swollen, and his
dress shirt laid against him in torn shreds. Whoever had him, his lover had fought
back. A surge of pride filled him.
“Noah Hanover. I have
what you want. You have seventy-two hours to broadcast the letter in the
message, or else I will take what you love most. Like you took what I loved. Do
not call the police. Do not tell your team. I will know if you do. I will know
your every move. Time is ticking.”
He read over the
confession and snorted. “I lied about my family. I kept secrets from the world.
I’m a licensed killer. What the fuck?” He watched the video again, to try to
find any clues of where Mateo could be. Nothing stuck out as remarkable to him.
In fact, it was all too plain.
Instead of making any
calls, he grabbed the bug detector and began the methodical search of his
apartment to be sure whoever had his husband couldn’t hear him. Once he was
sure his home was secure, he grabbed a burner and called base.
“We have a problem,” he
snarled when O’Malley answered. “I’m being blackmailed. I’m on the way in.”
The fuck he would tell
anyone about Mateo’s status. Not over the phone. He dressed quickly then took
off. If this fucker thought he would give up info on his team or make some
stupid ass statement in hopes he’d cave, the bastard had another think coming.
“Hold on, babe. I’m
coming for you.”
Noah pulled up to the
base an hour later. He placed his hand upon the biometrics pad and waited for
the gate to open. They didn’t keep actual security guards on the base.
Everything was done through a high-tech security system Murray Jacobs and Asher
Rainer installed at the inception of R.O.O.T. It made it easier on all of them
and depending on the mission, Asher could take control of the facility from the
anywhere in the world.
When the gate opened
enough to fit his pickup, he slammed on the gas and roared down the old,
decrepit runway toward the bunker hidden near the backside of the old airbase.
He hit one of the buttons on a remote he kept affixed to his sun visor and a
bay door opened in the middle of the road. The strip lowered to become a ramp,
and Noah didn't slow down as he descended into their hanger. He slid to a stop
in his normal spot and slammed the truck into park.
The elevator door opened
to his left, and Asher stepped out. Next to him, a man he hadn’t seen in years—John
“Tex” Keegan. Noah turned off his truck and stepped out. He hurried toward his
boss’s side. They didn’t have time for pleasantries or to reminisce about the “good
ol’ days.” He had to get the video on his phone analyzed and start planning how
they’d rescue Mateo.
“I need Murray, like
yesterday.” He rushed past them. “Is he at his station? I told O’Malley I was
on the way” He placed his hand on the biometrics pad and waited for the doors
to open.
“Funny you should ask,”
Asher said, joining him. “He left about two hours ago. Murray got a lead on his
sister. O’Malley sent me to meet you.”
“What?” No.
“It’s why I’m here,” Tex
said. “I heard some chatter.”
“Fuck.” Noah placed his
hands on his hips and blew out a breath of exasperation. He didn't have time
for this shit. O'Malley should have told him. Without Murray, he was sunk. If
anyone could have found Mateo, it was Murray.
“What’s wrong?” Asher
narrowed his eyes.
“Rather not say here,”
Noah grunted.
“I’m sorry, do I offend?”
Tex placed his hand to his chest.
“Not that, asshole,” Noah
grumbled. “It’s time sensitive.”
The doors to the elevator
opened on the thirteen level near C&C—Command and Control. Noah walked
through the door. Everything they did from missions to research was done there.
The clocks hanging from the wall over the multiple flat screen monitors denoted
the times on each continent. The smaller ones below were missions in play.
Right now, three were running. One in Hong Kong, one in London, and the last in
Mexico.
“Start from the beginning,” Asher said,
joining him. “Tell me everything.”
Noah pulled his phone out
of his pocket. “I need a trace. I’m being blackmailed.” He unlocked his phone
then scrolled to the video sent to him and pushed play.
He looked away. He
couldn’t stand seeing Mateo tied up. The sight of his lover’s split lip and the
cut at his brow burned him to the quick. Noah clenched his jaw. Whoever had
Mateo was a dead man. He’d never stop coming for the bastard if anything
happened to his husband.
“Shit,” Asher whispered. “See,
this is what happens when all you assholes don’t take advantage of the family
quarters.”
“Fuck you,” Noah snapped.
“You and I both know Mateo is in the dark with my job. He thinks I work for a
data security firm, not running fucking black ops.”
Tex snorted. “Damn.”
“Don't need the judgment,”
Noah snarled.
Tex held up his hands. “No
judgment.”
“Sure,” Noah snapped then
gave Asher his full attention. “I don’t even know how long Mateo has been
missing. I sent him a message this morning when we got back. Told him I’d meet
him at home. When I got there, he
wasn’t there. I figured he’d stayed after to help some kids or had been delayed
by the discipline committee.”
Home for Mateo and him
was a small safe house in Virginia Beach. Mateo worked for Princess Anne High
School as a history teacher, and he loved his kids. Most of all, he enjoyed
life. Mateo made it a point to show up to every production the drama department
put on. He volunteered to be a chaperone at the high school dances and a couple
of times during football season, Noah would join Mateo at a home football
game—however, they never showed any affection while there. It wasn’t that he
didn’t think they be accepted; he didn’t want to put Mateo into any danger.
Unfortunately, as much as
Noah had tried to keep their relationship secret so Mateo didn’t get hurt, he
failed. Somehow, someone found out about Mateo. Knew his schedule. Knew where
he worked. He or she also knew Noah didn’t keep his husband at the base under
lock and key. Where he should have been,
asshole!
“When did the text come
in?” Asher asked.
Noah shrugged. “Didn’t
even look. Just read it. You can check it.”
“I might have a solution
to your problems,” Tex said. “I know a guy, well a couple of guys.”
Noah cocked a brow. “Really?
We have several here.”
“You do. But, not a
hacker extraordinaire.”
“Clean?” Asher glanced at
Tex.
“Very. Good, too. Got
picked up by Langley at sixteen when he tried to hack NSA. Almost had it, too,
but he carried a bug on his system I don’t think he even realized it was there,”
Tex said. “Since then, he’s been on the inside. He’s been trained in all
tactical aspects along with computer analysis, warfare, and ops. His partner is
AJ. Together they are a formidable team.”
Asher scrubbed his chin. “Two?”
“Yep. Package deal,” Tex
replied. “Both are itching for work. Figured this would give them a bit of a
fix.”
“They sound young,” Noah
muttered.
“Twenty-three, give or
take.” Tex shrugged.
“Fuck.” Noah sighed. “Still
wet behind the ears.”
“If you don’t want them...”
“Bring them in,” Asher
said. “It’s the least you can do after taking Murray away from us.”
“On it,” Tex said. “They’re
in California, helping Wolf on a small project. I can get them on the next
flight out.”
“I don’t have ti—”
Asher gripped Noah by the
shoulders. “We have seventy-two hours before anything happens to Mateo. Why
don’t you grab something to eat and gather your shit? Might even want to figure
out what you’re going to tell Mateo. Hell, your team. When...” He looked to
Tex.
“Scotty,” Tex supplied.
“When Scotty and AJ get
here, all three of you can hit the ground running. We never leave anyone
behind. Not even family. This will be a team effort. Got it?” Asher gave him a
quick squeeze.
“Sure. I guess.” Noah
scrubbed his head. “I can’t believe this shit happened. We’ve always been
careful.”
“You can never be too
careful,” Tex stated.
“Too careful about what?
Did Hanover knock some chick up?” Callahan asked, taking his position at the
comms while Tex exited the area.
“No asshole,” Noah said.
“Get a call into Camp
Pendleton. Tell them we have two needing transport to Virginia asap,” Asher
said.
“On it,” Callahan stated,
placing his earpiece in.
“We’ll figure this out,”
Asher murmured. “Don’t lose your shit.”
Noah wasn’t going to.
He’d be no good to Mateo if he did. “I’ll grab a bite and be ready to roll when
help arrives.”
“One step at a time,
brother,” Asher stated.
“Wolf has them packing
now,” Tex said when he returned.
Callahan looked up from
his computer. “Wheels up in forty-five.”
“I’ll let Wolf know,” Tex
replied.
Noah stood on the tarmac
with Asher and Tex as the C-130 taxied onto the runway five and a half hours
later. The nervous energy creeping through his stomach turned into tight knots
of anxiety. He could barely keep down the sandwich he’d forced himself to eat.
Add in the coffee, and he was ready to not only puke but work through the
night. Yet, he knew he couldn't do anything until Scotty and AJ went over the
file.
Noah cursed under his
breath. He hated being out of control in situations like these. He had to rely
on people he didn’t know to have his back and Mateo’s. If they were his team at
least he knew he could count on them. What the fuck is taking so damn long?
He placed a cigarette to his lips and lit it. Bad fucking habit, but if he
didn’t get himself under control soon, he’d go hunting blind.
The plane came to a stop
fifty feet from them, and the cargo hold opened. Two people emerged, shadowed
by the interior lights of the plane. He narrowed his eyes, trying to get a
better look at them. Both carried backpacks. Both were wearing civilian
clothes. True to Tex’s estimation they were kids. They didn't look official—if
there was even a certain dress code for a hacker.
As they drew near, Noah
could finally make out their features. Scotty had red hair, freckles and wore
black, square-framed glasses. He had a rangy body—thin but still had a hint of
muscles. He stood at least six-foot-tall and wore a ripped band shirt along
with skinny jeans. His companion was a good four inches shorter than Scotty
and... A girl—woman. What the hell?
She had long chestnut hair and had an infectious smile. She slung her bag
higher and began communicating with Scotty with her hands.
Noah took a step back. What
the fuck is this shit?
“Oh, did I forget to
mention, Scotty's deaf?” Tex said as if it'd slipped his mind. “And AJ's a
girl.”
“Tex!” AJ launched
herself into his arms. “Long time no see!”
“You, too, kid,” he
replied. “How's California treating both of you?”
“Good.” She tucked a
strand of her hair behind her ear before signing, Want to make the introductions for us?
“Inside,” Tex said. “We’re
kind of on a schedule.”
She nodded. “Lead the
way.”
Asher stepped forward. “Since
you’ll be working here. I need to do one thing.” He produced the portable
biometrics palm reader from his BDU pocket. “Place your palm on the pad.” AJ
went first then Scotty. When both scans were complete, Asher motioned for them
to follow. “I will remind both of you, this is a secret facility. Not many know
about it.”
Noah trailed behind the
group, giving him a chance to observe AJ and Scotty. They carried on a
conversation none of them could hear while they walked. They were in sync with
each other. Watching them, he believed both kids had known each other for a
long time and probably got into the hacking business together.
“You can ask your
questions,” AJ said, glancing over her shoulder at Noah. “We don’t bite.”
Scotty laughed then
signed, Not too hard anyway.
“So,” Noah said. “You
translate everything we say to Scotty and vice versa?”
“Yep.” She nodded. “It’s
my job.”
Scotty nudged her. She’s
only saying that because she’s pissed, I beat her at poker on the plane.
“As if.” She stuck her
tongue out at him. “He ate all the peanuts.”
Scotty scrunched up his
face. Okay, miss-I-ate-six-packs.
They stopped before the
door that every member of the team at one point or another entered through.
It’d been where Rae, Asher’s fiancé, first discovered their base after
everything in Colombia went south a little over two months ago. Shit, feels
like a lifetime now. Since her arrival, things had changed. No one stayed
in the cabins any longer. Instead, they were used as decoy housing. Asher knew
people would try to get drone images of their compound, what a better way the
lure them in—think everyone lived above ground.
“AJ,” Asher said motioned
to the barely visible touchpad. “Why don't you step forward and give it a go?”
She stepped to the palm
pad then placed her hand on the plate. When the scan was complete, the doors
began to disengage and open. One by one, each barrier was lifted until they
stood in the warehouse section of the underground facility. AJ whistled as she
stepped inside. “Fancy digs.”
“It does the trick,”
Asher stated while motioning to the golf carts. “Come on, we have everything
set up in Command and Control. Noah, you take AJ and Scotty. Tex is with me.”
He jumped into the cart
next to Asher’s and turned the key while his new teammates got in beside him
and behind him. “Hang on.” He hadn’t really known what to expect when Tex
offered up two of his people. Seeing the kids hadn’t been what he’d been
expecting, though. He figured the hacker would have experience or at least a little
more than a couple of twenty-something millennials could.
“You’re judging us,” AJ
said as she signed.
“More like sizing you up,”
he replied.
“I get it,” she said. “We’re
young. We look like we should be on spring break in Cabo or whatever.”
“Well, the thought had
passed my mind,” Noah mumbled.
“It’s cool. Just means
we’ll amaze you.” She grinned. AJ’s confidence quailed the growing knot of doom
squeezing Noah’s stomach. “So, how long you been on the job?”
Noah snorted. “Probably
longer than you’ve been alive.”
Ancient, Scotty teased.
“I can still run circles
around the both of you,” Noah replied as they pulled up to the bank of
elevators. “This is the end of the line. From here we walk.”
Asher held the door for
him as they hustled to the waiting car. Once inside, the chatter quieted. It
gave him a chance to study the kids who’d be helping him save Mateo. Just means we’ll amaze you; AJ’s words
ran through his mind. He hoped they would. All he cared about was finding his
husband and making sure he was safe. Everything else could wait.
When the doors slid open,
they piled out and strode down the corridor to C&C. Inside, Callahan sat at
one of the computers, O’Malley sat at one of the others. On the lower screen on
the left, near the Mexico clock, was a small house in a dirty neighborhood
built into a hillside, next to it, a name—Juarez.
“Welcome to Command and
Control,” Asher said. “This is where the magic happens.”
Scotty whistled and shook
his hand. Hot. I could get used to a place like this.
“These are two of our
team members—” he pointed to Jake first then Drew— “Jake O’Malley and Drew
Callahan. If you should need anything, Jake is Second-In-Command.” Then Asher
pointed to Scotty and AJ. “This is Scotty and AJ, they’re going to help us
locate Mateo.”
Where do we sit? Scotty pulled his backpack from his shoulder.
Asher tapped the chair he
stood behind. “Noah, give him your phone.”
He didn’t hesitate. “I’m
not sure what you can get off it. There’s a video and a text.”
Leave it to the
professionals. Scotty grinned.
“Well, if you have what
you need?” Tex headed for the door. “Melody and Baby are waiting on me to get
home, and I hate to keep them
waiting.”
“Go,” Asher said with a
chuckle. “We appreciate the help. If I get any updates from Murray, I’ll pass
them along.”
“Glad I could be of some
assistance.” Tex nodded.
Noah stepped back toward
the kids. “Need any coffee or food or anything? I can get the mess to make you
something.”
Scotty pointed to the
grey can sitting next to his laptop. Energy
drink. Gives me wings. He made a fluttering motion with his hands and Noah
laughed at the kid’s absurdity.
“AJ?”
She shook her head. “I’m
good.”
Noah grabbed himself a
cup of coffee and walked back over to the station to wait. Sitting back and
allowing others to figure out the plan of attack was never his MO. He liked
being in the thick of it. He enjoyed being hands-on and in control. Letting go,
rubbed him the wrong way, in more ways than he wanted to contemplate.
“It’s not easy,” Asher
said, taking a seat beside him, “relying on others to help you.”
“Never is,” Noah grunted.
“How’d you do it with Rae?”
Asher snorted. “I fucking
didn’t have a choice.”
True, Noah didn’t either.
“It’s like I’m watching all this shit happen, and I’m helpless to make it stop.”
“Pretty much.” Asher
crossed his arms. “We both understood Mateo wasn’t a fling. Why didn’t you tell
me at least?”
Noah sighed. The million
dollar question with a two dollar answer. “I thought I was doing the right
thing.”
“Biting you in the ass
now, huh?”
He nodded. “Yep. I
figured if no one knew about us, we’d be safe.”
“I can see where you’d
think such.” Asher glanced at him. “Rae kind of fucked that up, though.”
In a way, she had. Her
testimony in Congress and subsequently in court for the criminal case against
Senator Lincoln drew a lot of unwanted attention in R.O.O.T's direction. She'd
been the first civilian to grace the base and the first civilian to land their
Commander, Asher. “Well, not like we can blame her.”
“True,” Asher said. “She
just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
What Asher didn’t say,
hung between them. Had they not been there, Rae would have ended up a
statistic. Lincoln and his Barclay team would have killed her, and the children
Rae ended up saving that day in the jungle.
“I got it,” AJ said.
“That was fast,” he
muttered, standing. He and Asher crossed the space. “What is it.”
The blank middle screen
on the wall came to life along with a map of Richmond, Virginia. A red dot
blinked over a general area. In a smaller box to the side, an enlarged photo of
the interior of two buildings along with a still from the video file sent to
Noah.
“What’s this?” He pointed
to the smaller screen.
“We think it is the
interior of the building where Mateo is being kept. If we’re right, when Scotty
is done analyzing the photos, we’ll have the address,” AJ said.
“How did you do that so
fast?” Noah said, mystified by their efficiency.
“We’re just that good.” A
hint of cockiness filled her tone. “Scotty has more hours logged than I do.
But, we’re about the same level.”
“What’s your skill set?”
Noah asked.
“Tracking and cell
pinging,” she answered. “You want the complex; Scotty is the man.”
Noah didn’t miss the
sense of awe in her voice or the way she watched her partner work. He absently
wondered if maybe she had a crush on Scotty or if they were a couple.
Scotty tapped her hand. I’ve
narrowed it down to two addresses. One is on the East side, and one is on the
West side. Scotty clicked a few keys then clapped. Bingo. I know where Mateo is. He pulled up the exterior of a brick
four-story abandoned warehouse. The windows had been covered by black plastic.
On the roof was a large For Lease
sign. Scotty pointed to the interior of the building where Mateo had been
staged for the ransom then to one that looked exactly like it in a smaller
frame beside it. See the painted wall?
Scotty expanded the picture, so it was easier to see.
Noah did. An inscription
or something had been written in white paint. He couldn’t make out exactly what
it said, but it’d been in both places. “Good job.”
“Scotty, AJ, thank you,”
Asher said. “Time for a meeting. I’ll grab Rae and Franks and meet all of you
in the conference room in fifteen. Let’s get to work, boys and girl.”
Extracting Mateo will be available in KU on July 9th 2019!
