CHAPTER SIX
Surya let Mark pull her by the arm as she got out of the boat. He steadied her while she found her footing in the wet surf. She knew someone had been following them as Mark paddled toward the beach. He’d made no attempt to turn around to stop them. There were shadows on the dunes, waiting. He didn’t seem to care he was surrounded either. She felt cold metal against her throat.
“Sorry. You have to play hostage a bit,” Mark said. “Don’t want them to start shooting yet. Damn SEALs. We’re a trigger-happy lot.”
“Thanks for using me as a shield,” she told him dryly.
“I’m hoping it won’t come to that. You’re a sexy woman, by the way. Another time, another lifetime, ah…but I’m married. I love my wife and baby. Got distracted by that perfume of yours for a second there.”
He was in remarkably good spirits for someone surrounded by people after his blood. “If you get me killed, you won’t see them again, you know.”
He was silent. “Just let me do the talking,” he told her.
They started approaching the group as the other side moved toward them. They met up midway. She heard sounds from the arriving craft behind them too.
It was an eerily quiet moment. Steely-eyed men with weapons studying them with lethal gazes. There were three figures standing a few feet in front of the group. Surya didn’t know who they were but she could tell they were in charge of the team behind them. The MacKenzies, perhaps?
“My judge and jury,” Mark said. “I knew you would be here, Declan and Shane.”
“If I’d known you were one of the traitors, I’d have killed you myself when you came to visit,” one of the men said.
Surya could feel the leashed anger in the air. So she was right. Those two standing close to each other must be the MacKenzie brothers. Who was the third one over there?
“I know, Shane. Declan. I’m very sorry. About everything. About your mother.”
“Fuck your apology! If you’re man enough, let the woman go, come here and let me show you how sorry I’m gonna make you.,” the one on the left said.
Surya felt Mark pulling her tighter against him. “Can’t do that, Shane. There’s no time left, with the clock ticking. I can’t go back with you. Look, you can shoot me here and end it but it’s not going to stop that missile. I can.”
“What are you saying?” Declan spoke up.
“Someone’s finger is on the button. The moment they see a whole team of commandos storming them, the missile goes off toward Bali, wrong time or not. The negotiation meeting you guys set up wasn’t going to stop it. They just wanted the money in their account—then everyone would die and they’d get the notoriety. The only way to stop them is if I go in alone. I’ve sent a message saying I’m coming in with Vadim’s money for the hostages. That’s Petrovich’s second. He’s the one in charge now.” Mark turned to Shane. “I’m glad you killed the son-of-a-bitch. Your mother—”
“You aren’t fit to say anything about my mother,” Shane said, his voice low and furious. “Dec, don’t listen to him. Just fucking put him down so we can go locate the rest of these terrorists.”
“Let me fucking get them for you and then you can come get me afterwards,” Mark said tensely.
“I’ll—”
Declan put a restraining arm on his brother. He turned to the figure quietly standing beside him “Jed?”
Surya frowned. Jed? As in Number Nine? She’d never met the top commando of the outfit that had merged with hers, but had heard lots of stories. The man they called Ice Man. The one who finished the job. The one who was after those who had killed their fellow operatives in that incident five years ago which had resulted in the GEM/COS merger.
“We have the scientists. Brady rescued them and is standing guard over the second traitor from your circle. As I see it, I need to stop the missile without an international incident involving unsanctioned SEALs. Let him do his job.” Unlike Shane’s, Jed’s voice was emotionless. Cold, even. “Where’s Vadim, man? I’ll take care of that loose end.”
“No, Vadim is mine,” snarled Dec.
“Fine. Vadim’s yours. Give us the info.”
Mark only hesitated a second. “Don’t know who you are, but I’m giving Surya here a piece of paper with the last known location. Also, my cell phone for you to trace the calls. All I need is Dec and Shane to agree to one thing.”
“You’re in no fucking position to negotiate about anything, asshole,” Shane said in a cutting voice.
“What?” Dec asked.
“I want you to promise to take care of my wife and kids. They’re safe right now but not for long if Vadim and his people find out what I’ve done. They’ve threatened to kill our wives and kids.”
“All you guys had to do was come to me. You made your choice,” Shane said.
