Page 58 of Renegade (The Santini Assassins #2)

“Okay, team,” Forrest said via video chat. “Check in with me.”

“Justice team in place.”

“State is ready.”

“Supreme Court’s here.”

“US Capitol is set.”

“CIA’s at the ready,” said the last bomb-tech lead.

“Keep your laptops open,” Forrest instructed. “We need to be in lock-step the entire time. These devices aren’t always straightforward.”

Before entering the restroom, Forrest turned back to Greystone. “You need to evacuate.”

“I’m staying.”

“This isn’t a request.”

“No,” Greystone pushed back.

“I don’t have protective gear for you,” Forrest said.

“If the building blows, that gear won’t save you,” Greystone said. “Every second counts. Let’s get to work.”

Greystone had cheated death before. He had every confidence he’d do it again. Even if he didn’t, he wasn’t going out like a coward.

He was a Santini.

Courage, determination, and grit flowed through his veins.

CAROLINE

Before Caroline sat, she asked one of the attendants to escort her around the jet.

Air Force One held seventy passengers and a crew of up to twenty-six.

The Presidential jet was sectioned off to provide the President and his team with working quarters along with a sizable office, a conference room, and sleeping accommodations for the First Family.

The front of the craft held over thirty spacious seats.

Two seats separated by an aisle, then two more seats, another aisle, and two more seats.

As she walked through, she recognized several key figures in the President’s cabinet.

The back section was a repeat of the center section, plush seats that would normally accommodate the press.

But today, it held his closest employees.

The jet was filled with political powerhouses.

While the weight of this flight could have bogged her down, it didn’t. She had one job to do. Ensure everyone on that five-hour flight landed at Area 51 in Nevada. Then, once the bombs had successfully been deactivated and the threat eliminated, she’d ensure their safe flight home.

Most of the passengers were heads down on their laptops. Several were engaged in conversations, a few talked on their phones.

When the flight attendant escorted Caroline to the front of the jet, she took her seat beside Evelyn Baker, the President’s Chief of Staff and, more importantly, Grey’s mom.

As she buckled in, she glanced at Evelyn’s laptop screensaver. Realizing she was full-on gawking, she flicked her gaze out the window.

“That’s from his winging,” Evelyn said. “It was a special day.”

“He looks different clean-shaven with short hair. Just as handsome, but different.”

“I’ve got several more pictures, if you’re interested,” Evelyn said.

“Good morning, this is Captain McAnter.” His calm voice filled the cabin.

“We’re two minutes from taxiing. The flight is a little over five hours.

Skies are clear with great visibility. Please remain in your seats with your seatbelt fastened.

As always, welcome aboard Mr. President and Mrs. Garrison. Always a pleasure.”

Evelyn had opened a folder on her laptop marked “Greystone” and had pulled up a number of photos. One of Grey at his college graduation. He stood towering over Evelyn and Sean with the biggest smile on his face while he proudly displayed his diploma.

“He graduated with honors,” Evelyn said, a prideful smile touching her eyes. “He’s not our biological son, but he’s still ours. We’re very grateful he came into our lives.”

She clicked on another picture of him dressed in a camouflage uniform, wearing sunglasses and a helmet. He was sitting in the back of an open-air Navy truck.

“This is during his SEAL training.” She smiled at the memory. “He used to text us that he was running and gunning.”

She shared a number of other photos with Caroline as the airplane taxied to the runway.

“Thank you for showing me those,” Caroline said when Evelyn finished. “He’s a one-in-a-million man.”

“I see you’re wearing the diamond earrings he gave you,” Evelyn murmured.

Caroline smiled. “They’re beautiful.”

“You’re very special to him,” Evelyn said.

“I feel the same. I loved working with him, but it was crazy stressful. He likes to push the envelope.”

As the jumbo jet raced down the runway, Evelyn chuckled. “That’s diplomatic. He’s a beast, a little insane, and very, very brave. I couldn’t do what he does.”

“Most couldn’t.”

The plane lifted effortlessly off the ground.

Here we go.

“How many jets are accompanying us?” Caroline asked.

“We’ve got two Air Force F-16s. ”

“I’m going to check in with Grey,” Caroline said before tapping one of her earbuds. “Grey, are you there?”

“I gotcha,” he replied. “What’s the word?”

“We’re in the air. The flight is full. We’ve got two F-16s accompanying us.”

“How you doin’?”

“All good. How are you ?”

“The EOD units have been deployed. The canines are walkin’ the hallways in all eight buildings. The National Guard is outside turning employees away. The team has deactivated this type of explosive before, but if they blow, they’ll take out the entire building.”

God, no.

“How’s the progress?” she asked.

“Slow.”

“Are you wearing the body armor?”

He chuckled. “Baby, that suit won’t save me.”

“You have to get out of the building.”

“Caroline, I need to see this through.”

“What’s going on?” Evelyn asked.

“Grey, I’m sitting next to your mom. She wants to know what’s going on.”

“Tell her it’s all good, and that I love her.”

Silence.

“Grey.”

“Tell her.”

Caroline relayed the message.

The color drained from Evelyn’s rosy cheeks. “Ohgod, no. Tell him to get out. Now .”

“She wants you to leave,” Caroline said.

“I got this,” he said. “I need to get back in there. Turns out, I’m a damn good helper.”

“I love you, Grey.”

“Ti amo, fidanzata. Love you, fiancée. ”

Caroline tapped the comm, regarded Evelyn. “He’s helping the bomb tech.”

“How’s it going?” Evelyn asked.

“Slow.”

Caroline’s chest hurt, the fear that the building might blow sky-high pressed in around her.

Feeling the dread in the pit of her stomach, she unbuckled and pushed out of her seat.

She stood there, her gaze floating over the President’s cabinet and closest staffers.

People were working away, like everything was A-okay.

It was anything but .

GREYSTONE

Greystone returned to the restroom, picked up the high-powered flashlight, and shone it onto the explosive device.

Forrest had been heads-down, studying the unit, then video chatting with his team. Once they’d synced up, Forrest pulled a variety of small tools from his go-bag and got to work.

Three more minutes passed while he and his coordinated teams continued disarming the units, carefully creating bypass circuits in preparation for removing certain wires.

Greystone couldn’t stop staring at the countdown timer, the seconds ticking away toward the end of his life…

the lives of everyone in these buildings.

Adrenaline pounded through him at a frenetic pace.

He was already amped up from their mission at the apartment complex, but finding out the bombs were detonating early had turned the heat up to a white-hot level.

Despite the dread flowing through him, he’d stay solid for Forrest.

“Fuck, this is gnarly, but I’ve run into this before.” Forrest stepped away, picked up his laptop, and said to his team, “I’ve gotten past the time and I’ve identified the detonator wires. Where’s everyone at?”

Each reported on their progress, matching his own. Four of the teams had heard from their canine units. To Greystone’s relief, they hadn’t found any additional bombs beyond the ones they’d already identified.

The bathroom door opened. One of the bomb techs with a canine said, “Forrest, the canine teams didn’t find any additional detection devices.”

“Good,” Forrest said. “Tell them to clear out.”

“Got it.” He and his canine left.

Forrest eyed his laptop. “Okay, team. We’ve got thirty-nine seconds. We’ve got to cut one of those wires. Which one is it, the red or the blue?”

Adrenaline surged through him. This was it.

Fuck. FUUUUUCK.

Greystone inhaled a slow, deep breath, keenly aware it could be one of his last.

“Blue,” one of them said. “I say cut the blue one.”

“Why can’t you cut both of them?” Greystone asked.

“Because there’s always a chance the designer implemented a fail-safe circuit in case both wires were cut at the same time,” Forrest replied, before eyeing his team. “Give me a few seconds.”

“We’ve only got a few seconds,” one of them said. “I’m getting a little antsy over here.”

Greystone shone the light onto the device as Forrest hovered his wire cutters over the blue and red wires.

C’mon. Pick the right one.

“It’s the red one,” Forrest said, the confidence evident in his voice. “Cut it on three.”

Greystone held his breath as Forrest reached inside. “One, two, three . ”

With a steady hand, Forrest snipped the bright red wire. The display on the timer screen went black.

Greystone released a breath with an audible sigh.

“Disarmed,” Forrest said. “Team, repeat on your additional units.”

Both men hurried to the next device. Forrest cut the red wire on the second unit. The display went dark. They repeated it for the third and fourth devices.

Silence filled the room.

“Excellent work.” Greystone turned off the flashlight. “That was intense.”

“I was sweating bullets,” Forrest said. “We had three seconds left.” He lifted his laptop. “Team, check in.”

One by one, each of them reported in. Every red wire had been severed and all the units had been successfully disarmed.

“Jesus, that’s gotta be stressful,” Greystone said.

Forrest smiled. “It’s got its moments, but I love it.”

Greystone extended his hand. “Damn good job.”

“We’re gonna be awhile,” Forrest said as he shook it. “We’ve got to remove each unit from the building.” He got on his phone, ordered his team to bring in several Total Containment Vessels to put the explosives in for transport.

“Where are you headed?” Forrest asked Greystone.