Archer started to turn away from her, and she held him tight.
“How long will you be gone?”
His gaze pinned her. “I can’t make promises. We have orders, we go.”
“So what do I do?”
“Stay here until someone comes to get you.” Then he dragged her in for one brutal, crushing kiss that stole any air she’d managed to regain. “I’ll come back,” he told her.
Then he was gone, leaving Jolie alone in the storage alcove, her pulse racing, body on fire with want…and alarms blaring through the tunnels.
At least she was sending the team off to battle with full stomachs.
NINE
Archer still had the taste of Jolie on his tongue when Cannon led them straight into the next mission.
The chopper debrief en route ended with more questions than answers, and before the rotors had fully spun down they were loading into a black tactical van and tearing down a dark stretch of coastal highway. The tires chewed up the asphalt while the ocean churned beyond the blackness.
Inside the van, the dashboard lights glowed over Cannon and Rome’s faces, highlighting the grim lines. They were all running on adrenaline and caffeine.
And the missions were starting to bleed together into one giant arrow pointing back to Echo team—and in turn, the terrorist who eliminated them. Cipher.
They rounded a bend and moonlight flashed across the windshield, throwing the cabin into sharp relief before darkness crashed in again.
Cannon twisted in his seat and began to brief them. “We just received orders.”
The van silenced. Behind the wheel, Rome turned his head and looked at their CO. “What do you mean just received…”
Cannon gave a swift nod. “Intel came in. At first, I didn’t think it would amount to much. Then I saw things were stirring, and I made the executive decision to deploy before the command came down from above.”
Archer had heard of a lot of things in his military career, but jumping the gun on an op was new.
“What would we do if the command never came?” he asked.
“Turn back. But it’s never happened yet.”
Yet meant Sierra had seen this before.
Cannon went on, “A fishing vessel offshore is believed to be carrying a cargo load of weapons possibly tied to the same stolen stores from Echo. If it does, this is connected to the last two ops.”
They digested that in silence but none of them took it lightly. Any mention of SEAL Team Blackout Echo was like probing a deep wound. Cipher had wiped out the entire team, save for a few. Though Archer hadn’t been Blackout at the time it happened, he was in the trenches when the fallout hit.
“Our job,” Cannon continued, “is to intercept before the handoff is completed. We secure the vessel, secure the crew, secure the cargo. Coast Guard takes possession after.”
Rome rolled his shoulders. “So we’re pirates now.”
The van took another hard turn, and the scent of salt filtered through the vents. The Pacific was close.
Townie nudged Archer. “We’ve got Mountain Monk…”
Rome picked up the thread immediately. “And now Monk at Sea.”
A few guys chuckled, and Archer shook his head, amused by the nickname that was starting to feel like his own…in a team that was beginning to feel like a brotherhood.
As they approached the marina, Rome killed the headlights. They came to a stop behind a building and threw open the doors. They rolled out fast, grabbing gear. The surf thudded against the dock and the harbor smelled of diesel and salt and fish.
Cannon made a hand gesture at the water where a ship sat three-quarters of a mile out.
