AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She’d refused to talk to him about it, knowing he’d try to talk her out of it.
All he wanted was to keep her safe.
He was a SEAL, not a spy. This kind of op had never agreed with him. SEALs were direct. They HALOed or HAHOed in and did the job. Capture or kill. Secure the target. Rescue the hostage. None of this subterfuge bullshit.
He wasn’t frigging James Bond, and worse, neither was Diana.
He was on the radio with Freya as he drove with Rand into the city, and said as much.
“She has trained for this, Flyte. She was damn good, and I have no doubt she’d be in the CIA now if she hadn’t been injured in that car accident.”
“But she was, and now she can barely even walk.”
“My point is, she’s mentally prepared, and she knows the stakes better than anyone.” She paused. “Our plan is good, and we can protect her. You can protect her. We aren’t law enforcement. We’re not bound by the need for warrants. But also, you and Lieutenant Commander Fallon were issued orders to capture or kill Makram Rafiq before you embarked on the raid in October, correct?”
“Of course.”
“Well, then, you’ll be doing your duty and carrying out those orders, which, I believe, were never rescinded.”
“It doesn’t really work that way,” Chris said. “For starters, we’re on American soil.”
“I’m cool with it,” Rand said. “The brass won’t balk when we bring in Rafiq.”
Chris thought of Diana’s desire to return home with him when this was over. “They better not balk at extending our leave, then. I’ve got plans for Christmas.”
Chapter Sixty-One
Her ankle hurt. She wasn’t sure if it was the boot, stabilizer, or the joint, but she guessed it was the fact that the metal rods in the stabilizer weren’t standard issue with the changes she’d made.
She should have thought of this, but it was too late now. She shifted the weight to the cane and tested the joint to make sure her reaction time would still be there.
Morgan had a similar injury, once upon a time, and she’d talked about how even now, her martial arts reflexes were sometimes slower on that side of her body, even though the pain was a distant memory.
The joint remembered. The joint was slower to respond. Anything that interrupted the muscle memory was an inhibitor, and she couldn’t afford that kind of mistake today.
Not now, when she was taking this awful risk.
It would be worth it. The plan was solid.
They’d never see Diana coming.
Timing was crucial. And trust.
It was strange to trust Albrecht, but he had everything to gain by helping them all now. He was going to prison either way, but he had a much better chance of striking a deal that would limit his time inside if he performed his job today.
Betraying them to Rafiq wasn’t an option. He’d get a death sentence from both sides if he tried that.
She continued down the block, limping and glad for the wool scarf she’d wrapped around her head and neck. She wore sunglasses against the bright nearly winter sun on the crisp, cold December morning. The wool scarf was so very American, but still reminded her of long hot days wearing a headscarf in the summer sun.
That life was lost to her now, and she’d eventually accept that, but first she had some atoning to do.
She took a deep breath as she timed her steps. It was her fault Kira had been taken. With this act, she’d be doing her part to make up for that.
She reached the intersection, and there, a block away, was the SUV.
She paused, waiting for the flashing white walk light to turn orange. The countdown timer showed five seconds when she stepped into the roadway.
As arranged, the SUV sped up. She braced for impact. Tires squealed, and the bumper lightly kissed her right knee. She launched herself with the booted foot and flew through the air. She landed hard, splaying on the cold asphalt.
