Page 33 of Raven’s Claw (Raven’s Cliff #2)

Chapter Sixteen

Three figures.

Standing in the shadows. Just the hint of their outlines silhouetted against a dull light burning somewhere deeper in the cave. Two heavily armed. The other…

Rook.

While Jordan couldn’t see his face, she recognized the way the air shifted. The heaviness to it as he stepped out. That sense of foreboding that sucked out all the available oxygen — made her stomach roil from the sheer thickness of it.

She stood near the edge of the shoreline, Greer and Chase on either side. Backs stiff. Weapons just a draw away. They inched closer as the men moved out from the mouth of the cave, looking as if they’d shield her if anyone opened fire. Which they probably would. Just like Kash.

Chase shouldered in closer. “Remember. Don’t engage Rook until you’ve got backup.”

Jordan smiled. “God, you sound like Kash.”

“The man’s like a brother. And it’s obvious he’s stupid in love with you so, don’t make him have to live through another loss. The last one just about broke us.”

“I wasn’t planning on dying today, Chase.”

“You don’t have to die to rip out his heart. I know you want to make the ultimate sacrifice if one needs to be made. See that it doesn’t.”

She merely nodded, drawing herself up as Rook finally moved into the glow of the helicopter’s landing light. “I thought you said you didn’t renege on your promises? Because I followed your instructions, and yet, I don’t see Atticus.”

Rook chuckled. “No, hello? How are you? Really, Ember, what would your uncle think?”

“That I didn’t leave soon enough. Or maybe he’d be disappointed I didn’t put a bullet between your eyes the moment you appeared, consequences be damned. Just like you did to him.”

Rook’s smile faltered. “Someone’s been reading up. Who’s your hacker?”

“Where’s Atticus?”

“Close. I wanted to make sure you didn’t have your team hiding nearby. That you came unarmed.”

“They’re not hiding, and I’m not stripping. You’re just going to have to take my word.” She reached into her pocket and removed the thumb drive. “Are we doing this, or what?”

Rook motioned with his fingers. “I want to make sure it’s authentic, first.”

“And I wanted to be left the hell alone, but we don’t always get what we want. You can have it once Atticus is safely on his way to the hospital.”

“And if it’s a fake?”

“Then, I guess you get to kill me.” She huffed. “It’s not fake, but that doesn’t matter because you know,” she tapped her head, “I’ve got it all up here.”

Rook laughed. “There she is. Fine.”

He snapped his fingers, his gaze still locked on her. Two more men materialized out of the darkness, Atticus slung between them. Each shouldering an arm as they dragged him toward the chopper like some drunk at a bar.

“I told you not to hurt him.”

“No, you told me to keep him alive.” He waved off her scowl. “It’s just a dose of Ketamine. The old dog wouldn’t shut up. He’ll be fine once it wears off.”

Jordan bit back her reply, waiting until the men got within twenty feet of them. “My people will take it from here.”

Rook shrugged. “Be my guest.”

Jordan nodded at Chase, and he and Greer darted over to Atticus. Chase gave the older man a quick once-over, then grabbed one arm as Greer took the other. They helped him along, finally shuffling him into the helicopter.

Chase stopped shy of getting in, looking at her across his shoulder. “Are you sure this is how you want it to go down?”

Jordan smiled. “I’m good. You just focus on Atticus.”

Chase frowned but jumped onboard, still staring at her as Mac spooled up the engines then took off, banking up and left before disappearing into the night, the flash of the nav lights quickly fading.

Rook tsked. “I have to admit. You seem to have found the kind of loyalty I’d hoped to have instilled in you. And he’s not even the dog handler.” He moved in closer. “I can’t help but notice he wasn’t part of your entourage.”

She scoffed. “Did you really think I’d bring him for you to use as leverage? If you’re going to test my skills because you’re worried several months on my own has deteriorated them, at least make the challenges worthy of my time.”

“It never hurts to ensure you’ve still got a solid foundation. I could do with a little less attitude, though.”

“Then, you shouldn’t have threatened the people I care about because you got caught with your pants down.”

The corners of his mouth quirked before he leaned in dangerously close.

“Just because I’d rather take you back alive doesn’t mean I won’t snap your neck if given the right motivation.

You’re already looking at months of retraining.

You might want to keep that in mind before you say something you’ll regret. ”

“Are we going inside or waiting on a boat?”

He held out his hand. “The intel.”

She placed it in his palm. “It’s all there. But, that’s only part of the reason we’re here. You really just hate to lose.”

He snarled then spun, waiting for her to move in beside him before heading inside like a man on a mission. The wind howled across the entrance, the roar slowly fading as they traveled farther inside. A string of lights hung from the ceiling, the bulbs dancing in the strong breeze.

She glanced over at him, noting the deep lines around his mouth. He looked older than she remembered, and she wondered if the months had taken a toll. If losing her had been a thorn in his otherwise exemplary career. “I didn’t expect the lights. How long have you been down here?”

He slowed a bit, turning right at the next junction. “Long enough to get a better understanding of who Jordan Archer is.” He cocked his eyebrow. “A waitress? Really?”

“I’m sorry, were you hoping I’d become a mercenary, instead?”

“At least, it would have put your skill set to good use. Do you even remember how to eliminate an asset?”

“Are you volunteering as a test subject?”

“I’ve already warned you about the attitude.”

“Then stop asking inane questions. If you believed I was anything less than the Ember you trained, we wouldn’t be talking.

Which brings me to the real topic. Sandman.

Does Scythe know you’re trying to oust them?

Or are you simply killing off the execs one at a time.

Like that op in Virginia you sent me on before I went to the compound. ”

The corner of his mouth twitched. Not much, but she noticed. “We’ll talk about Sandman after. First, I want to hear more about this dog handler. I have to admit, of all the rules, I never thought you’d break that one. Allow yourself to care.”

“I already told you not to waste my time with these amateure-ish games. You know exactly who he is.”

Rook studied her for a while, then sighed. “Kash Sinclair. Ex-Army Ranger and SAR specialist. He and his crew all work for Raven’s Watch. Not that I’m surprised. Atticus always drifted toward like-minded people. Tell me, how did Kash take it when he learned who you really are?”

“Surprisingly well. But then, he already suspected I was Shadow Ops. I guess I’m not as good as you at hiding who I really am.” She paused for a moment when two more men joined their procession. “Why did you create Sandman? Wasn’t running Scythe enough for you?”

“There’s no such thing as too much power. You know that. While Scythe had promise, the current administration is too weak. Too worried about protocol and accountability to do the work that needs to be done. I’m not.”

“Then, why not just tell me? You recruited me once. You could have officially brought me over.”

Rook laughed. Hard. “I think this situation speaks to the reason. You were always destined to turn on me, Ember. To outgrow your leash. I couldn’t afford to have you go rogue while under my umbrella.

This way, you’re still Scythe’s asset. And they had no problem issuing a kill order.

” He grinned. “At my insistence, of course.”

“Of course.” She shifted her gaze, checking over her shoulder. “Too bad the men they sent kept missing the mark.”

“Enough.” Rook stopped at the entrance to that large cavern. “I let you have a taste of freedom. Proof you don’t belong out here. Now, it’s time for you to come in. To come home.”

“Home? Scythe was never home. You never cared about me. Not really. You took advantage of that little girl who was so starved for attention, she didn’t care what kind she got.” She laughed, but it wasn’t because it was funny. “Like I said. You only want me back because you hate to lose.”

“You know how this works. There’s no future for you without Scythe in it. Without me.”

“Then, I guess you’re going to have to kill me, after all.”

“Something’s… off about you. And it’s more than just the taste of freedom.” His eyes widened before he laughed. “You actually fell in love with him, didn’t you? I knew you cared but…” He shook his head. “You really don’t want him to get hurt.”

She glanced into the chamber, wondering if Kash and the others were in position or if they needed her to buy more time.

If the tracker really was broadcasting her position or if their op had already gone sideways.

“If you give me your word that you’ll leave Kash and his teammates alone — that you’ll never set foot in Raven’s Cliff, again — I’ll walk out of here with you.

Spend what’s left of my life running whatever missions you want. No questions. No lies.”

“You’d do that? Just to save him?”

“Not just him. His team. Atticus, too. I want them all off-limits.” She twisted enough she could dive for cover when everything erupted into chaos. “What do you say? It’s a good deal.”

“Except where your heart wouldn’t be in it. And sooner or later, Kash would come looking for you.”

Jordan stared at Rook — at the way his left eye twitched as the corner of his mouth quirked — and she knew. Even if he’d agreed and she’d willingly walked out with him, he’d had no intentions of letting anyone on Kash’s team live.

That he’d never be satisfied until he’d broken her.