Page 41 of The Flame of Carson (Blackout Security Inc. #3)

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G age sat in his truck staring up at the building before him.

He could make out lights from inside and knew that somewhere in the massive structure was his woman.

His life. Stacey. Taking a slow calming breath, he eased out of the truck and began making his way inside.

Gage recalled the file that McCandles had sent detailing Anderson’s specialties.

He had kept that in mind when he armed himself at Blackout, after receiving the address from Anderson.

The moment the address came through, he and his team had left the federal building and returned to Blackout to prepare.

“Just hang on Stacey. I’m coming babe.” Gage whispered before opening the door.

With each step he took, he felt the calmness spread.

On the drive from Blackout, he knew that he had to focus on only one thing.

Eliminating Anderson. All other emotions could be sorted out after that task was completed and not before.

Gage cautiously and silently opened the main door and stepped into the low light.

Gage focused on his senses, listening for any sound.

Any hint of traps or danger or sounds of Anderson and Stacey.

The sound of something clattering on the floor above him.

As silent as the encroaching night, he moved to the metal stairway that led to the upper floor. Five steps up, he spotted the first booby trap. Gage smirked, ‘Well played Anderson. But you tipped your hand and proved you don’t know me as well as you think.’

Gage quietly disengaged it and continued up the stairs.

Along the way he found no less than four more traps.

He took note that each trap was different and designed to injure but not kill.

Gage figured they were planted as an early warning system and to cause harm.

To hell with that. This only added to Gage and Blackout’s theory that Anderson was becoming unhinged.

It also proved to Gage that Anderson still was not completely sure he could win in a fair fight.

This could help as well as hinder. Finally, Gage reached the landing of the upper floor where he heard the sound from earlier.

He spotted Stacey first. She was still sitting, bound to the chair, her back facing him.

He then spotted Anderson typing away at a laptop that was set up with two large monitors.

‘Take your time Carson.’ He told himself, stepping further onto the floor.

On his third step, a beeping sounded, and Anderson was on his feet.

Anderson spun and faced Gage, a pistol out and aimed at Gage.

Gage could see that Anderson was surprised to see him unharmed.

“Nice booby traps Anderson, but you forgot that I have an eye for detail. Not to mention, I have training to disable them too. Oh wait, you wouldn’t know that would you?

While I was getting that training your ass was in the brig. ”

“You son-of-a-bitch.” Anderson hissed, now shifting his aim toward Stacey. “One move and I kill her.”

“I thought you wanted an audience. You were boasting how you’re the better Marine.

Who will you have to prove that to if you kill her?

I thought I was the one you wanted dead.

” Gage challenged, hoping this would cause the man to shift his attention fully back on him and not Stacey.

“You wanted this fight, Anderson. You backing out now? Like a fucking coward?”

Anderson sneered and tossed the gun. With a cry of rage, he charged Gage, not realizing he had inadvertently tossed the gun in Stacey’s direction.

Anderson only saw Gage and that was exactly what Gage wanted.

He wanted Anderson’s attention on him. Bracing himself, Gage caught Anderson around the mid-section and the two men hit the floor.

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A s the two crashed to the floor, Stacey started working the screen harder against the rope.

She had not heard Gage, and when the beeping started, she had cast a quick glance over her shoulder and saw him.

Her seasoned Marine. Face a mask of calm fury.

When he had started taunting Anderson, Stacey knew what he was doing.

Keeping Anderson focused on him and off her.

She also suspected it was to buy time for Blackout to get there.

Stacey knew Gage would not have come alone and she bet Blackout and the M.P.

’s were not far behind. Her head snapped up as she heard Gage let out a grunt of pain at the same moment the rope came free.

Not hesitating, Stacey worked the ropes off and spotted the gun Anderson had thrown in her direction before charging Gage.

She grabbed the gun and faced the two men wrestling on the floor.

“I’m going to take great pleasure in killing you, Carson.”

“Fuck you.”

Stacey raised the gun but within seconds saw she did not have a clear shot of Anderson.

He and Gage were too close. She knew she had to help Gage and buy time for Ethan and the others to get there.

Looking around, she spotted a 2 X 4. She sat the gun on the chair and ran over to it, grabbed it, and turned back to face the two men. It was then that Anderson saw her.

“You fucking bitch!” Anderson yelled and charged her.

“Bring it on mother fucker.” Stacey said, holding the lumber like a baseball bat.

When he got close enough, Stacey swung with all her might.

It was difficult with her brace, but she did it all the same.

The wood connected with Anderson’s shoulder, sending him off balance and to the floor.

Gage was on top of him, trying to restrain him, in that moment of haziness.

Securing one wrist in the zip cuffs from his pocket, Gage grabbed the other, but Anderson broke the hold and flipped Gage off him.

Stacey dropped the wood and moved in. With Anderson focused on Gage, she delivered a slap kick.

Anderson cried in pain and tumbled off balance.

Stacey, however, was not letting up. She started throwing punches and kicks at him.

Mentally, she cursed as Anderson deflected most of them.

Oh, he had done his homework on her all right.

“You’re no match for me.” Anderson taunted.

Stacey smirked, “You are a cocky shit, but that don’t mean a thing in a fight.”

During their skirmish, Gage managed to maneuver himself behind Anderson.

Silent as panther, Gage gripped Anderson in a choke hold.

Whether it was instinct or Marine training, Anderson pulled off an escape and rounded on Gage, turning his back to Stacey.

Stacey dove into action and quick as a snake, grabbed Anderson and executed a hip throw.

As one, she and Gage moved, advancing on Anderson, who was getting back to his feet.

“This is where you and your so called brother fucked up Anderson. You two didn’t factor in that Stacey and I are a unit.” Gage panted.

“Attack one, you have to deal with the other.” Stacey added.

“I’ll kill you both.” Anderson hissed, taking his fighting stance.

“I warned you when you called me asshole, this is your biggest mistake.” Stacey warned as she and Gage moved as one watching Anderson.

Anderson lunged at Stacey first. She knew he still viewed her as the weaker threat.

Stacey blocked him and as she spun away from Anderson, Gage shifted and delivered punch and kick combinations.

When Anderson was knocked off balance, Stacey moved in.

As one, Stacey and Gage kept Anderson on the defensive.

They would not give him the chance to get the upper hand.

“On your left.” Gage stated.

Stacey pivoted to her left and blocked Anderson. “Go low.”

Gage crouched and when Stacey threw her punch, he was there to come up from the ground and execute an uppercut.

Anderson hit the deck and was unmoving. While Gage rolled the dazed man onto his stomach, Stacey reached into one of Gage’s utility pockets to pull out another set of zip cuffs.

This time, Gage was able to secure the man’s wrists.

At that moment, multiple footsteps were heard on the metal stairs.

“Subject secured!” Gage called out, keeping his knee in the middle of Anderson’s back.

“You two all right?” Ethan asked as he and the others moved closer.

“Yeah. We’ll be better when we can get him in a cell, and we can go home.” Stacey sighed.

Federal Agents and MPs hauled the still dazed Anderson to his feet and started moving him toward the stairs.

Gage got to his feet and instantly pulled Stacey into his arms. The two held each other tight and let out relieved sighs.

Gage caught Tony and Danny moving over to the computer station that Anderson had set up.

Seconds later he heard Tony and Danny curse.

“Fuck! Out! Everyone get the fuck out of here now!” Danny cried.

No one questioned him and just ran for the stairs.

Not fifteen seconds after getting out of the building, the explosions began.

Gage and Grant grabbed Stacey and the two men pushed her to the ground behind one of Blackout’s SUVs, as the final explosion shook the ground.

Burning debris rained down on Blackout, the feds, and the military police.

After several minutes, everyone slowly started getting to their feet.

Looking through the smoke, dust and flames, the group turned to look at what was left of the warehouse.

“Jesus.” Stacey breathed. “Twenty seconds later and we would have been blown to the moon.”

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“Y eah. Okay, thanks Harker. Please keep us updated.” Gage said, ending the call as Stacey stepped out of the bathroom. “How are you feeling babe?”

“Human. What did Harker have to say?” Stacey answered, moving to stand in front of him in only her bathrobe.

Gage lay the phone on the bed, gripped her hips, and looked up at her, “he said it looked like there wasn’t much left after the place blew.

He said miraculously, Tony and Eli found what looked like Anderson’s laptop.

Or what there is of it. Tony and Eli are going to try and see if they can get anything from it. ”

“And Anderson?”

“He’s in a secure cell, but I don’t know where. Only Ethan, Harker, Fortner, and Major McCandles know. Speaking of the Major, he’ll be here tomorrow and wants to be there when you and I give our statements of what happened before the others got there.”

“Fine with me.” Stacey agreed. Then a thought occurred to her. “You told Ethan you found several booby traps, did you...”

Gage smiled, “Yes, I had them on me and yes, I gave them to Ethan. When I cried out in pain when Anderson and I started fighting, that’s why. I landed on one of the little boxes and it dug into my hip. Hurt like a bitch.”

Stacey giggled and ran her fingers through his hair. “Oh, poor baby. You need me to kiss it better?”

Gage laughed. “As much as I would love that, I’m exhausted. I’m sorry...”

“Gage, baby, I’m with you. Let’s get a few hours of sleep. It’s damned near midnight and Ethan and the feds want us in for our interview in like seven hours. After they’re all done with us, we can come home and then see what happens.”

“You got yourself a deal babe.” Gage agreed.

Stacey moved out of his arms and to the other side of the bed, clicking off the overhead light.

She slipped into bed and was instantly pulled into Gage’s arms. No words were spoken.

None were needed. They both just need the feel of being in each other’s arms. Both were thinking the same thing.

They could have lost each other that night.

Holding one another tight, Stacey and Gage fell asleep.

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“T hat arrogant fool .” He growled, typing away at his laptop.

Anderson had fucked up and big time. Now, he had to scramble to make sure the plan was not foiled beyond repair.

The silence of the dark room was only disturbed by the clicking of the keyboard keys and whispered muttering for the man.

Four monitors were in front of him. Two on top and two on bottom.

A horde of data scrolling up. Finally, the man sighed and leaned back in his chair.

There. The plan, his plan, had not been compromised.

Luckily, he had taken care of that before it could be.

In the glow of the multiple screens, the man smiled.

“Soon, I will get what I want. Then my fun will really begin with Blackout.”