Reckoning

Reckoning

Jo Leigh

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Contents

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Coming Next Month

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Nate Pratchett: Delta Force Commander—leader of the team, wanted for treason

Tamara Chen: Biochemist—tricked into creating a nightmare; forced to live a life underground…till now

Seth Turner: Delta Force Surveillance—lost his hand, but healed by the love of Harper

Harper Douglas: Physician—eyewitness to the scope of Omicron’s weapon

Boone Ferguson: Delta Force Communications—risked his life to save his best friend’s sister, Christie

Christie Pratchett: Innocent Bystander—lost her old life, but found hope and love with Boone

Kate Rydell: Forensic Accountant—the first to realize Omicron’s plan

Vince Yarrow: L.A. Homicide Detective—turned in his badge to fight for his woman, Kate

Cade Huston: Delta Force Sniper—lived silently and alone while he fought for the team and the girl he left behind

Eli Lieberman: Cub Reporter for the L.A. Times—willing to risk everything to report the truth

Leland Ingram: CEO of Omicron—the man in charge of death

Jackson Raines: Senator and guiding force behind Omicron

Omicron: A rogue CIA operation whose goal is to sell an illegal, toxic chemical weapon to the highest bidders and use the money for political gain

Prologue

ELI LIEBERMAN STARED AT the notebook in his hand, afraid to open it. He checked his front door again to make sure all the locks were in place, but what were locks? They could get past locks.

Taking a deep breath, he sat down at his kitchen table. The day had been long and frustrating. Every single lead he’d pursued on this story had dried up. No one would talk to him. The only thing he could do now was to go back to the beginning. Corky Baker’s notes.

Well, they’d become his notes after he’d found Baker dead. Baker had been the number one investigative journalist at the Los Angeles Times, while he’d just been a glorified fact checker.

He stared at it again, a small lined notebook with a blue cover. They sold for less than a buck. But inside this particular notebook was information that had already gotten one man killed, and if Eli transcribed the notes, could very likely lead to his own death.

Shit. He was only twenty-three.

He put the notebook in his briefcase, the one he’d gotten from his Uncle Morty when he’d graduated from college. Of course Uncle Morty had also told him he was a schmuck for wanting to be a reporter, that all it would bring him was headaches and overdue bills, and what girl in her right mind would want to marry a man with no money?

After a few minutes of agonizing indecision, he snatched the notebook out, but this time, Eli flipped it open to the first page. Hell, he shouldn’t be so edgy about transcribing the notes. He was already doomed. He couldn’t end up more dead. The bad guys from Omicron already knew about him and that, according to Vince Yarrow, was enough. And Vince should know—he was an L.A. homicide detective. No. Used to be. Now he worked with Nate Pratchett. Who was wanted for treason. Who led a team of ex-Delta Force soldiers, a biochemist, a doctor and an accountant, all of them on the run, all of them being hunted by the rogue CIA agents working for Omicron, all of them in possession of secrets that would turn the world of U.S. politics on its ass…. Then there was the matter of a deadly gas that could wipe people out. Big time.

He might as well transcribe the damn notes.

It probably would have been easier if it hadn’t been almost midnight. If he hadn’t been sitting in the chair that squeaked, and if he’d turned on more lights.

No, he could do this. Just reading the notebook would not put a curse on his head. It only felt as if it would.

Eli flipped open the book, squinting as he tried to decipher the almost illegible scrawl that was Corky Baker’s handwriting. Any normal person would have tossed the notebook in the trash thinking it was nonsense. But after having transcribed some of Baker’s other stories, Eli was familiar with Baker’s unique shorthand.

As he deciphered the first page, then the second, his heart beat faster, and all he wanted in this world was to write it all down. Yeah, he’d give Baker the credit, at least for the first part of the story.

As for the ending? It didn’t look good for Nate and the other fugitives. They were fighting big power and big money, and they had neither.

That’s what had made Baker pursue the story in the first place. It had all the earmarks of David versus Goliath, although it was clear Baker thought Goliath was gonna win hands down.

Eli wasn’t so sure.

1

NATE PRATCHETT stared down into hell, watching the underground lab burn. They’d found Tam. They’d either killed or taken her, and both options made him sick to his stomach. If they’d found Tam, he had to assume they’d found them all. As he was standing here, they might be at Kate and Vince’s, at his place where Cade was going over recordings from the bugs placed in the office Omicron used as a front in downtown L.A. All his friends might be dead.

He stepped back as the heat intensified, and that was lucky because something down in the lab exploded, rocking the building around him. He had to get out of here, now, before the whole place came down.

The complex itself had been an incredible find, but there had always been inherent danger. Built by Colombian drug dealers, it had been an underground labyrinth of rooms and escape routes. He’d turned it into a lab for Tam, who’d been a virtual prisoner there during the past two years as she’d worked on the antidote for the deadly gas created by Omicron. Now it was ashes and the end of hope.

There was only one chance that she wasn’t dead or captured, but he hesitated. If she wasn’t there…No, he had to go. Had to know. If she had made it out, she was probably hurt.

That thought spurred him into a run. He was halfway down the block before it occurred to him that he was heading straight for the Plan B building, and that Omicron might be watching him.

It wasn’t like him to be so careless, but shit, Tam.

He darted into an abandoned building nearby and pressed himself against a wall while his eyes grew accustomed to the dark. It was one of the many ram-shackle buildings in the projects of East Los Angeles that had once housed the poor. Even they’d moved on, except for those too whacked-out on drugs or alcohol, or who thought they could still make a buck. Mostly rats lived there. Rats and packs of dogs.

He could see now—shapes at least. There were almost no working street lights here. The city had stopped replacing them. Which made it an excellent hiding space, but damned hard to negotiate without a flashlight.

One thing in his favor, and hopefully Tam’s, was that they’d gone over this route over and over again. He’d wanted her to be able to find her way in the pitch-black night. He’d wanted her safe.

IN DARKNESS SO BLACK IT FELT like blindness, Tamara Chen touched her eyes to see if they were open. The gun in her other hand shook from her trembling, making her feel useless and petrified.

She’d just killed a man.

He’d been alive one second and dead the next, and it didn’t seem to matter that he’d tried to kill her. She’d pulled the trigger. The recoil had knocked her against the wall of the lab and hurt her wrist, but even so she’d shot him in the head. A fluke, an accident. One that had saved her life.

She curled her arm around her body, but it did nothing against the frigid January air. She’d left her coat. Her cell phone had been destroyed, along with her clothes, her pictures, her journals. Everything she had was now gone except the clothes she wore and the flash drive that hung on a long chain around her neck.

The last five years of her life were stored in it, and she could go to any computer, plug it in the USB port and there it would be. Formulas, notes, test results. Failures.

The last two weeks in the lab had been a new kind of hell for her. Nothing she’d experienced before, whether in school or at work, had prepared her for a failure of such magnitude. What in hell had made her think she could save the day? She was a biochemist. A good one. But she’d fallen so short of the mark on this one—

A sound, the crack of a branch? A backfire in the distance? She lifted the gun again, still shaking as badly as when she’d first planted herself in the corner.

They’d found her. Omicron had found her. They were clever bastards, but she’d been so careful. She never made phone calls, except with the clean cell phones Nate gave her. She hid in the basement lab, having her groceries and supplies brought to her rather than risk a trip to the market.

Nothing in her life, ever since she’d returned to the States from Kosovo, had been normal. Even her Internet connection, which she used only when absolutely necessary, had been routed through so many blind alleys and foreign ports that it would take a genius months—if ever—to pinpoint her location.

So what had gone wrong? Had they found Nate? Followed him?

The thought filled her with a whole new level of terror. If Nate had been captured, if he was dead, then she might as well give it up. There would be no winning if Nate was out of the picture. Since day one, he’d been the leader.

The first time she’d met him she’d been in Serbia, in a cramped lab, working on the development of a new chemical compound.

That seemingly dream job had come to her out of the blue. She’d just finished her final doctoral thesis and had scored a plum position working for her chemistry professor, Dr. Brennan. But Brennan had introduced her to a man claiming to be working on a secret government project. He’d offered her two hundred thousand dollars for two years of work, if she was willing to relocate to Kosovo. She wasn’t told what the project was, only her part.

While she’d known several of the other scientists who’d been approached, mostly chemists like herself, she’d had to sign a non-fraternization contract, as well as a nondisclosure agreement. One slip of the tongue, and there would be no payoff. She’d gotten a weekly per diem that took care of her necessities, and they’d provided housing, but the big money was all due upon completion. She used to spend hours at night, planning how she’d spend her two hundred grand.

How jumping on that incredible opportunity had led her to being hunted down by a rogue CIA unit was still beyond her comprehension. Those men from Omicron had destroyed the lab, trashed her personal belongings and tried to kidnap—if not kill—her. Her. Tamara Chen. Who’d been a science nerd since grade school. Who used to look forward to music night with her Mom and Dad. Who’d gone out on her first date at eighteen. Who’d never been in love.

She froze as another crack sounded. This time it wasn’t far away, and this time it was followed by footsteps coming closer, walking through the condemned building toward her.

Somehow she managed to get to her feet, then she pointed the gun in front of herself. She had no idea if she was aiming at a wall or a torn-up couch, but she had to do something. She didn’t want to die, not at twenty-eight. It was the most terrified she’d ever been, and in the last few years, she’d been shaken a lot.

She’d anxiously brooded about this moment, what it would be like to come face to face with the shadowy men of Omicron determined to kill her and her friends because of their discovery of Omicron’s deadly plans while they were stationed in Kosovo. It sucked.

NATE MOVED MORE CAREFULLY, uncomfortably aware that if Omicron was watching, they’d be using infrared. The only way to get where he needed to go was to use the buildings themselves as cover.

One room at a time, one wall at a time, he made his way block by block. He was getting closer, and his heart beat hard and heavy in his chest, dreading what he would find.

He finally reached the building, the one they’d chosen as a fail-safe. She was behind that wall or she wasn’t, and he’d have to deal with it. That’s all. He could do this.

One step, then another. The darkness here was total and there was no choice but to reach into his back pocket and take out his penlight. He looked away, turned on the thing, then followed the beam of light around the corner.

It was Tam. Bloody, shaking so hard her weapon was all over the map and filthy, but it was Tam and she was alive.

“Stop or I’ll shoot,” she said, her voice quavering, her eyes shut tight against the light.

“It’s me,” Nate said, and he had to repeat it because his voice broke. “Tam, it’s me.”

She stilled for a moment, then opened her eyes. “Nate?”

She sounded like a child. A frightened, desperate child.

He holstered his gun and crossed the distance between them. Gently pushing aside her weapon, he took her in his arms. “It’s okay,” he said, his words muffled on her hair. “I’m here.”

She dropped her gun on the floor and clutched his back. He felt her sob before he heard it, her whole chest heaving against him.

“Shh,” he said, rocking her. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head.

“Can you walk?”

A nod.

“Okay, baby, let’s take it slowly. I want to make sure there’s no one out there.”

She sniffed, then drew her head back. “I killed him,” she said.

“That was good. You did great.”

“He pointed his gun at me, but I shot first. There was no time.”

“You did the right thing,” he said. She was freaked, and he got that. Ordinary people freaked about death. About killing. They weren’t trained for anything else. “He was a bad guy, so don’t sweat it. Right now, we have to get out of here. They could come back.”

She hung on to him as he bent for her gun. He could feel her body tremble as he led her on a circuitous route through what was left of the building. It took a lot longer to get back to his truck than it had to get to her. They kept the light out for most of the journey, and toward the end she had slowed to a crawl, but finally they were in the truck and on their way.

He’d decided where to take her as they’d walked through buildings, so he knew to get on the freeway toward the San Fernando Valley. She sat close, resting her head on his shoulder.

He would have put his arm around her if he hadn’t been so worried about the rest of the team. Although it hurt him to bother her, he had her shift so he could get his cell, a new one that couldn’t be traced, and dialed Kate and Vince.

“Hello?” Kate murmured sleepily.

He had no idea what time it was, just that it was late. “Tam’s been compromised,” he said.

There was silence on the phone and when Kate said, “Where do you want us?” she didn’t sound in the least bit sleepy now.

“Meet up with Seth and Boone. We’ll follow.”

Kate hung up, but Nate knew two things. One, that she and Vince were alive, and two, that they would be out of their rented house in an hour, on their way to Nevada.

He dialed Cade’s phone. Being the soldier he was, he knew the drill, too. Only he’d have to pack Nate’s stuff as well as his own, and since Nate had the truck, he’d have to find some other transportation.

As Nate drove onto the 101 Freeway, he dialed his sister’s cell. As he’d expected, Boone and Seth were out on recon, but Christie assured him that no one had been snooping around. She promised to be vigilant and discuss the situation with the guys as soon as they returned. Harper, a doctor who’d also been in Kosovo and joined their cause, was out pulling double duty on her waitressing job.

The four of them were staying in a ratty motel in a tiny town just outside of Nellis Air Force Base. They’d wired the place like Fort Knox, so if anyone had been asking about them, they’d most likely know it. If they had the least bit of doubt, they’d pack and leave.

He got onto Ventura Boulevard then glanced at Tamara. She was sleeping, her lips slightly parted, her face smudged with dirt. Probably blood, too, but it was dark, so he didn’t have to think about that. Somehow, she still managed to look innocent.

He put the phone on the dash so he could shift her into a more comfortable position, but he picked it up again as he remembered one more call that couldn’t wait, even if it meant waking Tam.

He dialed Eli Lieberman. He was just a kid, a junior reporter for the L.A. Times, but he’d taken up their cause and was willing to run with it. Nate wasn’t sure if he was braver than hell or just nuts. The last reporter who’d tried to help them had been buried several weeks ago.

But Eli had insisted, and Nate had taken him into the fold. The kid didn’t answer right away, and after the phone switched to voice mail, Nate hung up and dialed again. He did that two more times, then heard Eli’s groggy voice.

“You okay?”

“What? Who the hell is this?”

“It’s Nate.”

“Oh, shit. Why?”

“One of the team was compromised. I wanted to make sure they hadn’t found you.”

“Oh, shit,” he repeated, more fully awake.

“You have your weapon?”

“Yeah, but I can’t hit the side of a barn door.”

“You don’t have to. You stick the gun in your assailant’s stomach and pull the trigger. Easy as pie.”

“I don’t know how to bake, either.”

“I think you’re in the clear.” Nate turned on Sycamore, then on Vanowen. “If they were going to go after you, they’d have been there by now. Just keep an eye out.”

“As if I’ll ever sleep again.”

“We’re changing our base of operations. I’ll call you in a day or two.”

“Are you leaving the city?”

“More than that. I have to go. Stay safe.” Just as Nate was hanging up, he heard Eli’s, “Oh, shit,” one last time.

There was the hotel. It wasn’t one he’d usually choose. This place had an elevator and room service. It also had a great big bathtub and beds soft as a cloud. His only problem was going to be getting Tam up to the room. He’d use the service elevator, but he hadn’t checked out the place and he wasn’t sure where it was.

He turned the truck into the underground parking, and his problem was solved almost instantly. There was a delivery truck by the restaurant back door, and Nate could see the service elevator right inside.

He parked close to the exit, and as the truck’s motor cut off, Tam woke. She blinked, looked around. “Where are we?”

“Hotel. I’m going to get a room, but you’ll need to stay in the truck while I do it.”

She looked at him with terrified eyes, but she nodded. He handed her the Glock she’d dropped back at the fail-safe, and she had enough wits about her to check the safety. “Go. I’ll keep low.”

He smiled at her, wanting to do more. Instead, he opened his door.

“Wait.”

He turned back.

She reached up and wiped his temple with the flat of her thumb. “Ash.”

He got out of the truck before he did something stupid. Like kiss her. Not that wanting to do that was anything new. But it still wasn’t right. He was responsible for her safety. How could she trust him if he came onto her? So he didn’t. Even though he wanted her as fervently as his old life.

By the time he’d spent too much on a room and returned to the car, Tam was trembling again. He’d known it would be difficult for her, but he hadn’t realized the desk clerk would move like molasses. Tam had cleaned her face a bit, but there was no way to get her in through the lobby.

There was no one near the delivery truck, so he did a very brief check, then practically carried her into the service elevator.

Though he had his gun at the ready, he doubted he’d need it. He’d know if they had been followed. At least, he had to believe that or go insane.

No one was in the hallway on the sixth floor, and he could see the relief on her face, in her body, as they entered the privacy of the room. He bolted the door, then led her to the edge of the big, king-sized bed. “I asked for two queens, but this is all they had left.”

She sat down, looking as if she’d fall over in a stiff breeze. “That’s good,” she said. “I want you to sleep with me.”

He felt his body tighten but kept his reaction from his face. “Sure. No problem. We’ll just get you in the tub first.”

She didn’t even nod or look at him. All she did was close her eyes, and he wondered if she was going to make it through a bath.

What he knew for sure is that he wouldn’t be getting any sleep. He headed for the bathroom, and as he started the water in the big tub, he whispered, “Oh, shit.”

2

BOONE FERGUSON HELD THE door open for Seth, then followed him inside the lion’s den. It was late—the graveyard shift here at Omicron’s Nevada plant—and they were dressed in blue coveralls like all the other people showing up to work. They’d stolen the uniforms three nights ago. It had taken them awhile to make their badges look legitimate. There was no reason for anyone to stop them, to question them. Unless they blew it.

All it would take was one false step and it would be over for both of them. If they were discovered, they had their instructions. No surrender. No interrogation. Period.

Boone had been a soldier for a long time and the possibility of death came with the territory. Only now, for the first time in his life, he cared. One hell of a lot.

He didn’t want to leave Christie. The thought of never seeing her again made him gut sick. He’d only just found her. In a goddamn crummy way, that’s for sure, but he figured that had helped them get closer.

Months earlier she’d been stalked to the point of abandoning her home and any life she’d known. At Nate’s request, Boone had gone to help. He’d fallen for her hard, even though he didn’t want her to be involved in this Omicron mess. It had thrown both of them when they’d discovered the stalker was actually an Omicron agent, looking for Nate. She’d been targeted, just like the rest of them. So they’d joined forces, and he’d never have guessed how it could change his life.

The irony wasn’t lost on him. He thought often about the Dickens’ quote, “It was the best of times…” Being with Christie was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Being a fugitive because of Omicron’s lies was the worst.

Tonight, he and Seth were going to be risking more than on any other foray. They were going inside, to map out the plant as thoroughly as possible. Although they hadn’t figured out what, exactly, they were going to do with the information, it was important to know what they were up against.