Page 17

CHAPTER 17

D eacon and Echo walked down the hallway toward the conference room where Flanagan was waiting. The plush carpeting muffled their footsteps, and the polished wood-paneled walls reflected the soft, ambient lighting of the upscale hotel. Once again, two men stood as silent sentinels outside the door. Their suits were immaculate, and their postures rigid. Deacon handed over his cell phone without a word. Echo didn’t have one to surrender—her device had been lost during the flood or somewhere between the mountain's bottom and top.

The door opened, revealing a sleek, minimalist conference room. A long mahogany table dominated the space, surrounded by high-backed leather chairs—the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the clean scent of the air conditioning. Supervisory Officer Timothy Flanagan rose as they entered, extending his hand to Echo and then Deacon.

“Coffee?” Flanagan offered.

“Oh, God, yes,” Echo said with a weary smile as she approached the sideboard where a tray of coffee, cream, and sugar awaited. She glanced back at Deacon, who offered her a subtle nod. They would’ve been late for the meeting if Click hadn’t checked on him this morning. The man’s voice had startled him awake. He looked at the clock and roused Echo. Neither of them had set an alarm, and it was seven-thirty when Click had reached out to him. They’d had thirty minutes to shower and get ready to meet Flanagan, which meant they could only use the instant brew pod coffee in the room.

Pouring two cups of black coffee, Echo returned to the table, set one in front of him, then sank into the chair beside him. She blew on her coffee before taking a tentative sip, the steam curling upward. She sighed in appreciation of the flavor before leaning forward again. “Were we able to save the officers in question?” Echo asked, her voice steady but her eyes searching. She raised an eyebrow, waiting for Flanagan’s response.

The officer’s face turned somber. “Yes, all but one. We have no information on his location or status.”

Echo deflated beside Deacon, her shoulders sagging as she set her cup down. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her forehead. “Is that a result of the equipment theft or the time it took us to recover it?”

“Honestly, we can’t say either event influenced it,” Flanagan admitted. “The officer hadn’t been in contact before the equipment was stolen, so there’s no way to link his disappearance to either event. Since he was working in Syria and with the government collapse, we’re assuming recent regional instability could have played a role in his disappearance. We’ve sent someone in to look for him.”

Deacon leaned back, his jaw tightening. The government in Syria had crumbled over the past six months, leaving chaos in its wake. He was grateful that Fleur and Ronan had escaped the country before the collapse, and he took comfort in knowing Ronan would soon be taking a safer position within Guardian. The Middle East was a volatile region of conflict, and Ronan’s team had faced more than their share of danger.

Flanagan leaned forward, tapping a small recording device on the table. “I’m going to take your debrief now. It will be recorded.” He looked at Echo, who nodded, and then at Deacon, who gave a nonchalant shrug. Deacon had already told Echo he wouldn’t add anything to her debrief unless absolutely necessary.

Flanagan pressed the button. “This is Supervisory Officer Timothy Flanagan. I am conducting a debriefing with Officer Echo Lashay and Guardian employee Deacon Alexander concerning Mission X2379. Officer Lashay, could you please start from the beginning and walk us through the mission without leaving out any details?”

Echo took another sip of her coffee, her expression unreadable, before launching into her report.

Flanagan turned off the recorder three hours later and leaned back in his chair. He looked at the two of them with an expression that was equal parts admiration and sympathy. “You two have been through hell.”

Deacon leaned forward. “Actually, sir, she went through hell. My team and I have been through worse missions.”

Flanagan nodded, his gaze settling on Echo. “I can assure you I’ll do everything in my power to ensure the CIA doesn’t sideline you again and takes your recommendations seriously.”

Echo smiled faintly. “Sir, with all due respect, I’d like to give you this. Sorry it isn’t typed, but I didn’t have a printer or computer.” She reached into her back pocket, producing an envelope, and slid it across the table.

Flanagan took it, his expression darkening as he anticipated its contents. “Please tell me this isn’t your resignation.”

Echo nodded. “Yes, sir, it is. I’m giving one month’s notice. That should allow enough time for me to return to Virginia, tie up loose ends in my position, and complete the paperwork. I’m within my rights to quit at any time.”

Flanagan sighed, holding the envelope as if it were heavier than it looked. “I’ll forward this to your superiors. I wish I could convince you to stay.” He turned to Deacon. “Are you offering her a job?”

Deacon shook his head. “No, she knows Guardian is always hiring quality people, but that’s not her focus right now.”

The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of the discussion hanging heavy in the air. Echo glanced at Deacon. He could see that her resolve was firm. This was her decision, and she would make the right one.

Flanagan leaned forward, his expression a mix of curiosity and admiration. “What exactly is your intent?”

Echo smiled softly, a flicker of determination in her eyes. “To figure out what I’m going to do with my life now that I’ve been given a second chance.” She shrugged lightly. “I can tell you this—it’s not going to be sitting in an office with people who are bored to death and hate their jobs.”

Flanagan chuckled, a warm sound from the all-business officer. “I can’t say I blame you.” He glanced at a notepad on the table before nodding firmly. “I’ll arrange transportation for you back to Virginia.”

Deacon shook his head. “There’s no need, sir. We have transport scheduled for tomorrow. She’ll be traveling with my and my brother’s teams. We’ll get her back to the States, and I’ll ensure she arrives in Virginia safely.”

Flanagan paused to consider this for a moment before nodding again. “That works for me.” He stood, his demeanor shifting to one of formal respect. “Echo,” he said, extending his hand. “Thank you for your service. You could’ve told us to take a hike, and the officers you saved would have remained in serious danger. You deserve a medal for what you’ve done. In fact, I plan to submit you for one.”

Echo shook his hand. “Sir, I didn’t do this for a medal. I did it because it was the right thing to do. No award means more to me than knowing those people—except for the one still missing—are alive and well.”

Flanagan’s face softened. “We’re surely going to miss you, Echo.” He released her hand and turned to Deacon, clasping his firmly. “Tell Jason I said hello.”

“Will do,” Deacon replied, his tone even as he placed a protective hand on the small of Echo’s back, guiding her toward the door.

Deacon retrieved his wallet and cell phone from the security checkpoint as they exited the conference room. They walked down the hallway, their footsteps echoing faintly in the quiet space.

“How did that feel?” Deacon asked, glancing at her.

Echo shrugged, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “Good, but weird at the same time. I know I’ll have to find another job, but right now, all I want to do is step away from the CIA and figure out what I really want. If I have to take out a loan and return to school, I’ll do it.” She paused and then laughed, the sound mixing humor and exasperation. “Part of me thinks my mom and dad have the right idea—living off the grid and off the land.” She burst into another round of laughter, shaking her head. “Oh, God, who am I kidding? I couldn’t do it. I love tech too much. But maybe something remote, like working from home? Transcription, perhaps?” She cringed. “No, I’d be bored to death. I’ll find something.”

Deacon chuckled beside her, the sound warm and reassuring. “I never did ask—what’s your degree in?”

She glanced up at him, her expression brightening. “Nanotechnology. That’s why your comm devices fascinate me so much. I’d love to take one apart and learn how to re-engineer it. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great, but all that tapping on the ear is a dead giveaway. There has to be a way to end the conversation or mute the comms vocally.” She paused, tilting her head thoughtfully. “But I guess that’s something for your people to figure out.”

When the elevator door opened, Deacon pulled her gently inside, wrapping his arms around her waist. His gaze was steady and earnest. “Or you could do that for Guardian. My uncle, also my boss, has already run your background. He’s adamant that if you want to join Guardian, there’s a place for you.”

Echo’s brows lifted slightly, and she considered his words. “It’s something to think about,” she admitted. “But we’d need to get to that point first. If I were to join Guardian, this thing between us would need to be more … permanent. I wouldn’t want to work at the same agency as someone I used to date. That could get messy. I’ve never dated within the CIA, and …” She trailed off, her voice softening. “It’s just a little early, don’t you think?”

Deacon shook his head, his expression unwavering. “No, I don’t think. I told you, I’m in this. There are feelings involved—deep feelings. At least on my side. As far as I’m concerned, there will never be a used-to-date scenario between us.”

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. He had to prove to her he was serious. Yeah, he said he’d give her time, but he wasn’t going to allow her to start to doubt what was between them. They stepped off the elevator and walked down the hall, passing the suite where his team was staying. When they reached her room, Echo handed him her keycard, and he opened the door, pausing in the doorway.

She turned to him and ran her hands up his chest and around his neck. “Just over three weeks isn’t very long to base a relationship.”

He shook his head. “You’re wrong. Just over three weeks of living in each other’s pocket, going through the landslide of emotions?—”

She interrupted, “And a real landslide. God, that was unbelievable.”

He smiled. “Add to that parachuting into the heart of Laos, discovering a cartel camp deep in the jungle, stealing a device that was taken from your organization, experiencing a flash flood, leading to you going under that water.” He refused to say dying again and quickly added, “Also, a firefight or two, the trek up the mountain, and then over it to the exfil location only to end our time with helicopter crashes and you meeting my family. Echo, we’ve lived more in three weeks than most people do their entire lives.”

She blinked and then smiled up at him. “We have done all of that, haven’t we?”

He nodded. “I think I would’ve noticed if we weren’t compatible. So would’ve you.” He lowered to kiss her just as someone knocked on the door behind them. He shook his head and continued his mission to sample the addictive taste of his woman. A harder knock pulled them apart.

“I know you’re in there, Deacon,” Ronan’s voice called from the hall.

Deacon turned and opened the door. Nine pairs of eyes stared back at them. “The guys found an awesome restaurant. We have reservations. Come on, I’m starving.”

“Be right there,” Deacon said and closed the door. “I’m starving, too, but not for food.”

“I heard that!” Ronan yelled from the other side of the door. “Come on, man! We have reservations.”

“I don’t care!” Deacon yelled back, which sent Echo into a fit of giggles. “Well, hell, that blew the moment, didn’t it?” He stared down at her, smiling as she laughed. “Are you ready?”

“With you by my side, I’m ready for anything.” She opened the door and raised her arms. “Hello, boys. Take me to your foodstuffs!”

They laughed in unison as Deacon exited the suite and shut the door behind him. Ronan walked with him as Echo and the guys traded one-liners. “She fits in. You found a good one.”

Deacon smiled broadly as Ace groaned and then grinned, dodging a half-hearted swipe from Bandit. She’d clearly outsmarted Ace with something she’d said, and Bandit was all over that shit like stink on a skunk. Ranger and Wraith chuckled as Bandit chased Ace to the stairwell. The laughter of the men echoing down the stairs was lighthearted. Echo ran to the door, flung it open, and yelled, “Charge!”

Every single one of their men dashed behind her down the stairs. It was twenty floors to the bottom. Deacon pressed the elevator button. He would let the younger ones run ahead. Ronan clearly agreed as he remained beside Deacon. He turned to his brother and smiled. “Yeah, she’s perfect.” And she was.