Page 7 of Ground Zero

Sheridan remained quiet. Then, with one hand still on her gun, she reached for her handcuff key. She began tugging at the restraints on his wrists.

“If you run,” she said through clenched teeth, “I will hunt you down myself. Do you understand?”

“If we survive this, I’ll help you do it.” Maverick replied as the cuffs clicked open.

The moment his hands were free, his instincts took over. He assessed their situation with the same analysis that had kept him alive in Afghanistan.

Four shooters with superior positioning and firepower. Limited cover. No backup coming—at least, none they could trust.

But they had advantages too. He knew this beach like the back of his hand, and Agent Mendez was proving to be confident with her weapon.

“The construction site.” Maverick flexed his now freed hands and pointed beyond the dunes.

She frowned and shook her head. “That’s thirty yards of open nothing until we reach the houses.”

“I know. But once we’re inside, we can work our way through the construction zone to where I parked.” Maverick studied the terrain, wishing he was wearing anything but this wetsuit. “The frames will give us cover, and all the building equipment will mask our movement.”

He could kiss his surfboard goodbye. His father had taught him to surf on that board, and it was one of his most prized possessions. However, if he wasn’t alive—or if he was in prison—he’d never be able to enjoy it anyway. Better to focus on his survival right now.

Sheridan glanced at him and, for the first time since she’d tackled him, he saw something other than suspicion in her eyes.

Trust. Reluctant, maybe, but real.

“On three?” she asked.

“On three.”

Before they could move, Skidmore’s voice cut through the morning air with an offer that made Maverick’s stomach drop.

“Adams! We know you’ve been trying to crack the Ground Zero files. Surrender now, and we’ll tell you what really happened to your parents.”

CHAPTER 4

Sheridan felt Maverick go rigid beside her, saw his face drain of color.

His parents? How did a terrorist organization have information about his family? She knew his parents had died when he was young, but . . .

“Don’t listen to him,” she rushed, her voice low. “It’s a manipulation tactic.”

But Maverick stared at Skidmore with an expression she’d never seen before. Not fear.

Something deeper.

Something that looked like an old wound torn open.

“My parents died in a car accident when I was twelve.” His voice was barely audible as he said the words.

The implications clicked together in Sheridan’s mind with horrible clarity.

These men were hinting that there was more to his parents’ deaths than was initially indicated. That maybe they’d even been murdered.

“The timing of their deaths was awfully convenient.” Skidmore called from the other side of the dune. “Your dad worked on some top-secret projects for the government, right?Not long after that, there was an election. Some people claim it was rigged.”

Sheridan watched Maverick’s hands clench into fists. Whatever Skidmore was implying, his words had hit their target.

“You’re lying.” Maverick’s voice shook as he crouched behind the driftwood alongside Sheridan.

“Am I? Then why don’t you look into a classified file one of your colleagues may have seen before. The one labeled ‘Darius Adams—Project Election.’”