Page 117 of Defending You

Asher did, his stomach knotting. Those taps could mean Alyssa was alive and hiding. Or they could mean an enemy had gotten ahold of her comm unit and was trying to throw them off.

Either way, Asher needed to trust Alyssa to Callan. His job was to save Cici.

He scaled the fence in one fluid motion, ignoring the fire that shot through his wounded shoulder. His boots hit the gravel with barely a whisper.

“Inside the fence,” he said into his comm. “Going in.”

“Negative.” Grant spoke with authority, as if Asher answered to him. “Hold position until?—”

“She’s out of time.” But, though it went against his every instinct, he didn’t move. He’d tried to go it alone, and where had that landed him?

Right here, with the woman he loved in the hands of a psychopath.

“Trust me, Rhodes.” Grant’s tone was mostly commanding, but Asher heard the undertone of understanding. “We need to get the power off. Bartlett, you?—”

Taps interrupted again.Tap tap tap. Pause.Tap tap tap.

They’d switched channels.

He barely knew Alyssa, but she was Cici’s sister, and from what he’d seen, cool under pressure. She wouldn’t have enemies on the team’s backup channel.

Meaning those taps were her. Meaning…

“Alyssa.” Callan sounded almost breathless. “Is that you?”

Tap tap tap.

Callan muttered, “Thank God.”

“Can you cut the power?” Grant asked. “Three taps, yes. Two taps, no.”

Tap tap tap.

“Okay, on my mark,” Grant said. “Yartym, provide cover. Rhodes, the office building is right in front of you. Get low and move around to the opposite side. Take the covered walkway. You’ll meet a guard.”

Asher wanted to sprint straight for the factory on the far side of the property, but Grant was right. Better to move stealthily. The closer they could get before they were seen, the better.

He followed Grant’s order, trying not to think about what Gagnon would do when he knew he was trapped.

Hold Cici hostage? Use her as a shield?

Kill her out of spite?

Please, God. Do Your thing. Keep her safe.

He circled the office building, catching sight of a guard clad in all black, weapon at the ready. This was no dial-a-thug. He looked formidable.

Asher tracked the guard’s focus as he scanned the overgrown landscaping between this building and the factory. When his gaze drifted in the opposite direction, Asher moved in silently.

The guard heard him coming, but he wasn’t fast enough.

Asher tackled him before he could get a shot off. His knife found its mark just below the commando’s bulletproof vest, digging into soft flesh.

The guy went down fighting, though he was easy to subdue. Asher kept his hand on the guy’s mouth to keep him from calling out, tempted to finish him off. But he got a look at the guy’s face. His eyes were wide with fear.

He looked like a farm kid from Iowa or something. Not an enemy, just a hired gun who had no idea who he was being paid to protect.

Asher lifted him just enough, then whacked his head against the cement.