Edge of Control: An Edge Security Novel (Edge Security Series Book 1) (25 page)

She didn’t know how to check how many bullets were left in her gun and was afraid that even if she could get the magazine out, she wouldn’t be able to put it back in. She had another gun.

She jumped up and fired once without even aiming at anything and then cursed herself for wasting a bullet. At least the thugs had hunkered down again.

She did the same, feeling a bit like one of those pop-up ducks at a kid’s carnival shooting game. Hopefully, no one would win a prize. She almost giggled and knew stress was making her lose it. She had to gain control.

She popped up, fired twice, and managed to hit one man in the leg. The second time she pulled the trigger, her gun clicked ominously in the sudden quiet of the barn.

She dropped down and snatched up the next gun before leaping up again. Sure enough, Vladimir’s men ran toward her position, thinking she was an easy target.

Point. Aim. Shoot.

One man clutched his chest, falling to the ground, but she moved on. The other two dove to the side.

She stayed standing, watching the fallen man struggle to breathe. Dragging her eyes away, she looked for her next target.

“Enough!” Vladimir stood up by the back barn door. “Danika, my
Kotyonok
, let us talk reasonably,” Vladimir called out.

Point
. She kept her arms steady and swung her weapon in his direction.

Aim
. His chest was broad, but didn’t seem like a big enough target, especially since he now walked slowly toward her with his hands in the air.

Shoot
. Her finger tightened on the trigger.

“I’m unarmed, Danika,” Vladimir called out. “You would murder a man in cold blood?”

Her breathing hitched and her finger froze on the trigger.

The sound of an engine roaring to life behind her almost startled her into pulling the trigger.

Vladimir looked beyond her, his scowl fierce. “Stop them!”

Shots rang out and some of Vladimir’s men raced after the van, but Dani kept her weapon trained on Vladimir. She took a step back. The van’s engine revved again. She’d better get back there now. About to drop her weapon and run, instead she froze when the van’s tires squealed as it tore out of the barn and away from her.

Jake had left her
.

Vladimir’s enraged scowl focused on her and whatever he saw in her face made him throw his head back and laugh. “You should see your face, Danika,” he said. “Why are you so shocked that no one wants you?”

She trembled with the need to pull the trigger.

His laughter died and a coldness settled over him. “It’s over, Danika. Drop the gun.”

She shook her head. “No freaking way.”

He stopped about twenty feet from her, his hands by his sides as he glanced at her weapon. “Your arms are shaking. You’ve held that gun a long time now. Heavy, isn’t it?”

She narrowed her eyes. She could hit him from here.

“You need to learn when to quit. Your friend, if you can call him that, left you here to die.” He sighed, his voice compassionate. “I won’t kill you,
Kotyonok
. I have to punish you for what you’ve done, but I still want you.” Warmth crept into his face and voice. “I think we will do well together.”

Dani considered her options. She could surrender and hope Vladimir didn’t kill her, or she could try to shoot her way out. This wasn’t a video game, and the stakes were her life. Did she have the courage to fight?

She looked at Vladimir, the easy way out. Maybe not easy, but at least she would survive the night. Her gun weighed her arms down and they dropped slightly.

A footstep behind her had her swinging her arms back up into position. She hadn’t realized how far they’d dropped.

Boris stepped into her peripheral vision, his gun pointed right at her. “Mr. Rusakov?” his gruff voice called.

“Don’t shoot yet,” Vladimir answered. “
Kotyonok
?”

She raised her arms again. The gun felt like it was twenty pounds. “Don’t call me that,” she said.

His eyebrows arched. “But you’re exactly like a kitten hissing in the corner, trying to bite the hand that feeds you.”

Her lips firmed. She couldn’t go back to Vladimir. She wouldn’t help him traffic women and sell them into slavery, she’d rather die. A deep breath in. She knew as soon as she pulled the trigger, Boris would kill her.

At least she’d helped the women escape, and if she could take Vladimir with her, then it was worth it.

His easy smile faded, almost as if he heard her thoughts. He looked to Boris and opened his mouth.

Jake leapt from behind a crate, his gun pointed at Boris. “Shoot, Dani.”

Even in the depths of this hellish situation, Dani’s body jolted with joy. He hadn’t left her.

Boris swung his weapon toward Jake, but too late. Jake shot him in the head and he fell backward. Vladimir’s eyes widened and he pulled a pistol from behind his back, aiming for Jake.

She pulled the trigger.

Vladimir staggered back, clutching his stomach.

She’d done it. She’d shot him. He dropped his gun and slumped to his knees.

She stalked over to him, still keeping her pistol trained on him, trusting Jake to watch her back.

“
Kotyonok
?” Vladimir said hoarsely. Blood trickled between his fingers.

“I told you not to call me that.” She held her gun to his temple. What if he lived and came after her again, or worse, started selling women again? She should finish him off. Her hands shook.

A large, warm hand covered hers and pushed her weapon down.
Jake
. He stood there, calm and steady, a rock in the midst of her tossing storm. “He’s finished, Dani. You don’t need to do this.”

She stared into his gray eyes and nodded, lowering her gun. “I thought you’d left.”

He frowned. A muscle jumped in his jaw. “You thought I’d leave you behind?”

Her mouth opened. Now that he said it like that, she realized Jake had way too much integrity to ever leave anyone behind.

She shook her head and then shrugged. Too many emotions swirled in her.

The thumping sound of a helicopter coming close to the barn made them both raise their heads.

“We’ll talk later,” Jake said. He checked the rounds in his magazine. “Time to go.”

Rapid gunfire outside made them tense.

Vladimir gurgled a laugh from where he kneeled near them. Blood soaked his hands and shirt and pooled around him. “I called for reinforcements. You’ll both be dead soon.”

Jake cursed and grabbed her hand. They ran to the wide-open front of the barn where they could see what was happening outside.

A helicopter landed in one of the fields just beyond the main house. Muzzle flashes sparked from a machine gun pointing out of one of the open doors. The rapid bark of gunfire ripped through the night. Answering muzzle flashes lit the scene, making everything surreal, as if it were a real war zone.

“I don’t get it,” Dani panted, preparing her body to run. “Why are they shooting at each other?”

Jake grinned. “Because that’s not Vlad’s helicopter. The cavalry has finally arrived.”

Within a minute, Rhys and Cat showed up, decked out in fatigues, assault rifles in hand. Rhys ducked into the barn with them while Cat crouched in the shadows by the door, her weapon up, scanning for targets.

“It’s good to see you, College,” Rhys said, gripping Jake’s shoulder before nodding at Dani. “And you too, chère. Sorry we’re late.” He handed Jake a pistol and an extra magazine.

“Where the hell have you been?” Jake said.

Rhys shrugged. “Long story, man. They must have suspected you being at Dani’s place was a trap. They had three cars set up, just like the one they’d shoved you into. We got duped in a bad way.” He jerked his chin at the door. “It’s thanks to Cat we’re here at all. She immediately got on the horn with the local police. With her help, they found and tracked your car out to this area. Then it was just a matter of circling our bird until the infrared lit up.”

“How’d you know it would light up?” Dani asked.

Rhys grinned. “I’ve known this guy a long time. There’s no way he’d be able to get out of here without a firefight of some sort.”

Jake grunted. “Plan?”

“Hold tight,” Rhys said. “Backup is coming.” He scanned the bodies sprawled throughout the barn. “Though it looks like you guys have it covered.”

Dani sat in the war room with the rest of the team, staring at her hands gripped in her lap, knowing the others watched her, their gazes almost a physical weight.

Knight and Blackwell stood at the front of the room.

“I’m sorry, Dani,” Blackwell said. “But—”

Dani stood up. “Wait,” she said. “I need to say something first.” She looked at the E.D.G.E. team sitting around the table.

Jake watched her closely from his seat opposite her. He still had on the ripped black t-shirt, his muscular biceps tensed as he waited for her to speak. They hadn’t had much of a chance to talk on the way back from the farm. Police and CSIS had swarmed the area. The E.D.G.E. team had pulled out as soon as the reporters had shown up.

She wanted badly to work with these people. To be a part of something bigger, to finally do something worthwhile with her life. In order to do that, though, she had to come clean.

“I need to apologize for lying to you all. I did it because I had been running for so long, that hiding was easier for me than admitting the truth. I was ashamed of who I’d been and I never wanted anyone to find out.” She took a deep, cleansing breath.

“I want to be a team member, but I know I need to earn your trust first. You know all my secrets now. I have no reason to hide anymore. I want to work at E.D.G.E., and if that means starting in Research again then I’ll do it, but I think that would be a waste of my talents. I can—”

“Enough, Danika,” Blackwell said, holding up his palm, his face grim. He looked over at Knight, who nodded.

She kept her gaze on Blackwell, whose dark eyes studied her as if looking for weakness. She vowed he wouldn’t find any.

He crossed his arms. “I had planned on firing you.” Her stomach clenched, but she didn’t flinch outwardly.

“But,” he continued, “you’ve shown an impressive amount of ability under pressure, and incredible loyalty to your team member.” He nodded at Jake, whose eyes radiated approval when she looked at him. Pleasure curled in her and somehow strengthened her, before she once again focused on Blackwell.

“You are correct. You do have a skillset we could use.” Blackwell smiled, which softened the harsh lines of his face. “It’s hard to find IT people of your caliber who can handle this type of work. Welcome to the team, Danika.”

After the debrief, Jake waited with her at the elevator.

“How’s your friend?” he asked.

“She’s still in the hospital, but she’ll recover. She’s strong. And I’ll help her through this.” Tassia had had a horrifying experience and Dani would make sure she got all the support she needed to live her life again.
 

“Good.” He shifted his feet. “So what are you going to do now?”

“Home. Long shower. Much sleep,” she said. Her insides twisted. “You? Are you heading back to San Diego soon?”

Jake nodded. “Rhys and I are due back in two days.”

Her stomach fell and she studied her toes. She wanted to ask him to stay. “Will you be deployed immediately when you get back?”

“I’ll have a couple of weeks before I leave.”

She peeked up at him and found herself caught in his molten gaze. It seared her insides with its intensity. “Oh,” she said. Then his words caught up with her. He was being deployed. “So…I probably won’t see you again?”

He smiled. “Well, not for a couple of weeks anyway.”

She frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“I’ve accepted the position Knight offered. I like what E.D.G.E. does. I’ll always be a SEAL, but this might be a new way for me to serve. I’m starting in two weeks.” The elevator doors chimed and opened. He stalked toward her, a devious grin on his face, as she backed into the empty compartment. The doors closed and he pressed her against the wall, his chest against hers. His hands came up to cradle her face.

His lips claimed hers in a kiss that scattered her thoughts and sent need ripping through her. She gripped his shoulders, loving the contained strength under her fingers. He nuzzled that spot behind her ear that sent electricity shooting through her.

Breathless though she was, she wanted more from him. “Is that the only reason you took the job?” she asked.

His eyes searched hers and his head gave a little shake. “No. I’m coming back for you, hacker girl. I’ll always come for you.”

Her heart swelled in her chest and a smile bloomed on her face. Her life had changed an impossible amount in the last two weeks. She’d gone from living in fear to living life to the fullest. She pulled Jake’s head down for a kiss. “And I’ll never hide again.”
 

The second book in the EDGE Security series will be released in the summer of 2015.

Edge of Reason
features Rhys and Cat and a deadly rescue mission.
 

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