Operation: Endgame (34 page)

Chris and Pete were still in the chairs in the center of the room with a man standing guard on each side of them. Chris’ head was hung down on his chest and Cassie quickly formulated a plan. Ricky had hold of her arm in a punishing grip, but she turned to him and pressed her hand up against his chest in a lingering touch, “I know you have plans for tonight, but may I please check on my brother first, then I promise not to interfere?”

Ricky gave a victorious look at Jake whose eyes were darting between her and the men in the chairs. “See, she already wants to please me. Of course, Professor, you may go check on him.”

She knew Jake had just been taken by surprise with the mention of her brother, but she hoped he wasn’t so shocked he missed her signals. As she walked to Chris, she extended the first finger on her right hand and slowly swirled it which meant “Be Ready” in the signals they’d used as children. She only hoped Jake, standing behind her, saw the signal.

Chris was sitting on the left of Pete who was watching her closely. Their armed guards stood on the outside of each of them with their guns at the ready. She sat down on her haunches on the outside of Chris’ chair between him and his guard and leaned down as if to check his temperature. As she did so, she reached into the inside of her boot, grabbed the knife, and whispered to Chris, “Be Ready.”

She came up in an arcing movement and stabbed the guard over Chris straight through the throat with the knife. She saw the shock and horror in his eyes as she yanked out the knife and the blood from his jugular vein started spraying. She quickly yanked the gun out of his hands and turned the gun towards Ricky.

He had a gun trained on her, but didn’t move against her. Instead he smiled and said, “Darling,” and started to swing the gun towards Chris. It took mere seconds from one action to another, but it felt like a lifetime. She shot Ricky straight through his forehead before he had time to make another move.

Jake and Pete both realized she was up to something so they’d been prepared. Jake had taken down one of his guards with a roundhouse kick which enabled him to punch and disarm his other guard. Pete had come up from his seated position using his head to throw his guard off balance. That worked as a momentary distraction until Cassie could reach his side and train her gun on the guard. “Drop your weapon, or I’ll shoot.” He quickly complied.

Jake was holding both of his guards under gunpoint, so she yelled at him, without looking away from the man she had under gunpoint. “Jake, are you okay?”

“Affirmative.”

“There’s a room in the back corner which can be locked from the outside with no other ways to get out. Move them in there and then come help me find the keys so we can get Chris and Pete uncuffed.”

Jake made quick work of locking them in the room, and then he rushed back over to her side. He quickly reached up and brushed a kiss against her temple before moving over to the man she held at gunpoint and rifled through his pockets. He found the keys and started to rush towards Chris, but Cassie said, “No, remove Pete’s cuffs first and stick them on this guy. Then Pete can watch over him while we take care of Chris.”

Once Pete was unlocked, he took over holding a gun on Ricky’s man. This allowed her to drop her combative pose and rush over to Chris’ side. He’d barely moved during the fight. Jake was removing his cuffs with shaking hands. He looked at Cassie as she rushed up; his eyes filled with confusion and unshed tears. “How?”

“It’s a long story, but he needs an ambulance. He’s in bad shape. Be careful with him. His knee is shattered and I’m pretty sure he has a couple of broken ribs, maybe even a punctured lung.”

Jake lowered the unconscious Chris out of the chair and onto the ground where he could examine him better. “Cass, hand me your watch.” He reached up to her to take the watch and started checking Chris’ vital signs.

She glanced around the warehouse. “There was still at least one guard outside. I wonder where he went.”

“I don’t know, but the police should be here soon. I’ve got a gps microchip in my thigh so they know where we are. They’ll bring an ambulance. Chris, can you hear me? He’s coming around.”

Cassie could hear the approaching sirens, but she didn’t want to look away from Chris’ feverish eyes. “Cass?” he started coughing.

“Shh, the ambulance is on the way. We’re all okay. Jake’s here.”

He looked over at Jake and gave him an incredulous look. “Never thought I’d see you again,” he rasped out with a grimacing smile.

“Damn, man, I’ve never been so happy to see anyone alive as I am to see you.”

“You saved us.”

Jake looked at Cassie and smiled, “No, she saved us. You have an incredible sister.”

Chris smiled at them. “Bout time you figured that out. You…good together.” He started coughing again, but this time he couldn’t seem to stop. A trickle of blood trailed out of the corner of his mouth.

“Jake?” Cassie looked up at him alarmed.

“I know, I see it, but his pulse rate and blood pressure are okay. They aren’t good, but there’s no reason to get alarmed yet.” Although even as he said that, Chris faded into unconsciousness again, and that did worry him.

Suddenly, the SWAT team swarmed into the building. Pete quickly informed the leader of the team, “The building’s secured. Three detained. Two down. There’s one missing who was on the exterior of the building.” He glanced over to where Jake was monitoring Chris, “and we need an ambulance.”

The team leader responded, “We got the guy outside. He was running away as we drove up. He’s already in custody.”

As the SWAT team leader started talking into his radio, Jake added, “Tell them we need Detective Brian Barnes and Colton Robertson on the scene as soon as possible. Both of his siblings are headed to the hospital.”

Cassie looked up startled, “Colt’s here?”

Jake nodded. “He came home as soon as he heard you’d been kidnapped. He’s worried sick about you, but he’s in for a shock.” He glanced back down at Chris.

“It’s a shock for everyone.” Cassie reached down and brushed Chris’ shaggy hair off his forehead. The inside of the warehouse was getting crazy with activity, but finally the paramedics showed up and started working on Chris, pushing Cassie out of the way.

Shortly behind them came Colton. When he saw her, he rushed over to her side and gathered her up in a huge hug. “Are you and Jake okay? They said you’re both going to the hospital via ambulance.” He looked over with confusion at Jake who was ticking off Chris’ vital signs and injuries to one of the paramedics. With all the flurry of activity around Chris, Colton couldn’t see him.

“Colt, we’re both fine,” she started to talk, but Jake came up behind her and gently ran a probing hand around her jaw and head.

“Actually, they’ve agreed. You’re going in the ambulance too. I want you to get your head checked and make sure you don’t have another concussion. That way you can stay with Chris too.”

Colton’s eyes widened with shock as he whispered, “Chris?” He whipped around to where the paramedics were working just a few feet away. He looked back questioningly at Cassie before he rushed over to see the man on the stretcher. “Oh my God, how’s this possible?”

Cassie reached up and put a soothing hand on his arm. “Ricky’s had him this whole time.” She swallowed hard. “He’s not in good condition, but he’s alive. We’re all alive.” She gathered both of them into a group hug and they turned to watch as the paramedics prepared the stretcher to go out to the ambulance. “We’re all going to be okay.”

Cassie stood at her French doors watching huge fluffy flakes drift down past the window panes into the drifts below. The scene was magical as was the scene inside her home. All her guys were home and it was Christmas.

Colton was reading a novel on the couch in front of the fire. Chris had been released from the hospital earlier today. He was already in bed for the night, but he was here and right now she was so thankful for that. Jake walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her as he whispered into her ear. “Let’s go for a walk. I love it when it snows.”

They bundled into boots, coats, hats, and gloves and headed out into the hushed world beyond. As they walked with arms interlinked, Cassie marveled at the simple quiet of the falling snow. She could hear the quiet rat-tat-tat of the snowflakes falling on the branches of the trees like a quiet romantic symphony just for the two of them. They wandered down her street in the quiet and headed over to the campus without even discussing it. At this very moment in her life, everything was perfect.

They continued to walk on and as they reached the edge of Memorial Circle, Jake started talking. “Cassie there’s something I need to tell you.” They were standing under the arches of the Chemistry building looking out over the lit buildings of the campus as the snow continued to fall.

Cassie turned to Jake and he wrapped his arms around her waist. “What is it?” Her stomach went to fluttering. With everything going on, they hadn’t yet discussed Jake’s return to Arizona, but she knew it loomed on the horizon for both of them.

“After we thought Chris died, I lost my passion. I’ve always been completely devoted to the PJ’s, but when I couldn’t even save my best friend, I lost that. I couldn’t commit to the mission anymore. Before I left, my commander told me to take this time at home to decide whether or not I really want to continue with the PJ’s or not.” As he spoke, he’d been staring off into the snow.

Now he refocused on her. “Since being here, I’ve found my passion again, but it has nothing to do with the military. This is where my home truly is, where my heart truly resides. My passion is you, Cass. I love you. I don’t see the PJ’s as my future anymore. I want my future to be with you.” He dropped to one knee and Cassie felt her eyes well with tears. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a tiny box. As he opened it, a gorgeous solitaire engagement ring, sparkled in the reflection of the Christmas lights surrounding them. “Cass, I don’t know what I’m going to do for the rest of my life, but I know I want to do it here with you. You’ve always been the one for me. My best friend. My other half. My passion. Will you marry me?”

She reached down to pull him up to her, “Yes. Oh my God, yes! I love you, Jake. Now and forever.”

T H E E N D

Texas Tech University is a real school and Lubbock, TX is a real town. In fact, that’s where I graduated from college and have amazing memories from there. As a result, when I sat down to write my first book, I wanted to pay homage to that school and town I love so much.

I probably wasn’t thinking that through when I decided to create all the murder and mayhem of this trilogy in that locale. Don’t let the events in these books influence your perception of either the school or the town. While the places are real, the events absolutely are NOT.

I took great liberties in the layout of the campus, the kinds of activities the University would allow, how campus professors act, Lubbock PD, and some of the surrounding businesses. Please don’t hold it against them or me! But really, wouldn’t it be cool if there really was an escape tunnel under Memorial Circle?

This is a work of fiction and should be looked at in that light.

Book #2 in the
When the Mission Ends Trilogy

Releases January, 2013

As an avid reader my entire life, I’ve always dreamed of writing books that brought to others the kind of joy I feel when I read.

But…I never did anything about it besides jot down a few ideas and sparse scenes.

When I turned 41, I decided it was time to go after my dream and started writing. Within four months, I’d written over 150,000 words and haven’t stopped since. I’ve found my passion by writing about sexy, alpha heroes and smart, tough heroines falling in love and finding their passion. I’m truly living the dream and loving every minute of it.

My tagline is…

Passion and adventure on the road to Happily Ever After. I have to admit, I am loving this adventure!

www.Christi-Snow.com