Page 35 of Lethal Vengeance

My mouth compresses. “We’ve all picked up on things the last few days. If Rodrigo has enough pieces, he’ll find your past.”

“I admit,” she begins, almost haltingly. “Being around all of you is affecting me. For over two years, all my thoughts have centered around what I need to do. Isolating made it easier to stay focused.”

She nervously hooks a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s been me and only me for a long time. Suddenly, you four are here, plucking at invisible strings I didn’t know were there. The comradery of a team, having back-up, and being comforted…” Her gaze turns to the outside. “The memories of my family, and the reminder I’m more than a machine.” Her voice trails off for a second.

“You’re right. It’s made me careless,” she admits defensively. “But not around Rodrigo. Prior to getting this rescue assignment, I’ve only seen him a dozen times. We exchanged flash drives, not words. It wasn’t until Armando and I met in person that things changed.”

Sterling and I were the first to team up on a rescue. We clicked immediately, bringing the same sense of freedom, and understanding, so I understand why she is more relaxed with us, but it still doesn’t explain why Rodrigo is hunting her.

I grab her hand. “Maybe you were meant to find something beyond this… task you’ve set for yourself. Finding us might be fate giving you what you need.” Knowing she doesn’t want to hear these things and stopping myself from saying them are two different beasts, but when she doesn’t respond, I let it drop. “Obsessions don’t start overnight. Something must have triggered Rodrigo.”

Her slim shoulders rise and fall. “I don’t know, but I’ll deal with him when he returns. I’m done playing cat-and-mouse. And I promised Eduardo I’d get the man responsible for Lupe’s death.”

Conflicted, I shift restlessly. The idea of her dealing with that psycho on her own makes me a little crazy.

“Have you run another background check on me?” The question explodes into the silence. “It’s what I would do with more info.”

My eyes leave the road to study her face for a second. Green eyes steadily hold mine.

“It’s in progress,” I confirm.

A wry smile graces her lips. “Good to know. I hate surprises.”

“I don’t like them, either. Never have. They rarely turn out the way you expect,” I gruffly admit.

She chuckles. “What’s on the agenda for today? Are we still a go for tomorrow night?”

I nod. “I’ve got Sterling, Raider, and Cruz running through the mission now. We’ll grab some lunch and catch up when we get back.” My stomach tightens. “You know, we’ll have to alert the officials when we return and tell them about the facilities. Someone needs to rescue the rest of them.”

She looks down at her hands. “I’m counting on it.”

But where will she be?

* * *

The 3D modelof the building is displayed on the table when we return. I toss the pizzas on the kitchen counters and walk back to review their progress.

Red lines show the paths we’ve chosen for entry and exit, along with times posted for each leg. Yellow lines are the alternatives. Guard rotations are noted with times, especially for the two in the annex.

Quinn stands at my side, studying each piece of the mission. “What time are we going in?”

Sterling finishes a slice and wipes off his fingers. He points to the time in the upper right corner. “Two a.m. We considered the idea of going in when the other guard leaves to get food, but both times occur in broad daylight. The cover of night is still better.” He winks at her.

A pink blush washes over her cheeks.

Cruz takes over. “Once we have the girls, we’ll split up. Sterling and I will take one girl and Raider and Zane will take the other. We’ll regroup at our new base of operations.”

Her eyes dart to each of us. She turns to me and crosses her arms. “Zane?”

Seeing the determined look on her face, I sigh. “I originally thought to limit the mission to the four of us. We’ve been working together for a long time and can anticipate each other’s moves. Plus, we trust each other.”

She flinches at the word. “And now?”

“Without trust, we need leverage. Something you can give us that we can use against you if you turn on us.” My voice is firm when I give her my condition for joining the mission. I like her, but my men come first.

Fingers tap lightly on her arm. “How about my real name?”

“Is that something Armando would find interesting?” I counter.