Ivy
The conversation with Oscar had left me exhausted and spent, but I returned to Lola’s room before we left to tell her goodbye. She was knocked out cold, no doubt drained from our earlier conversation.
I waited for Oscar to return from making the call to Ryder to fill him in on what Lola had told us. The thought of those monsters releasing a deadly virus that targeted young people was the stuff horror movies were made of. It was hard to believe this was real life.
I found Lydia in her office, poring over files on her desk. She looked up when I entered, giving me a sweet smile.
“Hey, Lydia. I was wondering if you’d mind having food delivered tonight for Lola.” I placed some money on her desk. “I promised her that I’d bring her food, but I’m kind of beat, so I think Oscar and I are going to head back instead.”
“Of course.” She took the money and put it in her pocket. “How are you really feeling these days?”
I shrugged. “Good. Better than I should be, I guess. Still a bit tired, but nothing too terrible.”
“You’re tough. Strong.” She quirked a brow. “Good for our Oscar.”
I loved that these people had adopted Oscar as their own. It made me happy that he had been so thoroughly cared for in my absence. At least over the last two years since he’d joined SF.
“He’s good for me, too.”
“I hope that means you guys are planning to make it work?” She stood, resting one hip on the desk. It was funny to me how the SF women were so interested in the love lives of the others. So much like family.
“Yeah, I think so. I love him, and he loves me. We’ve both been waiting for the other for a long time. No more waiting.”
“There is never a perfect time or situation. We’re all expected to make the best of our circumstances, but I find that having Cruz by my side makes all the terrible things in the world much more bearable. At the end of the day, he’s where I find my rest and comfort.”
Lydia chuckled softly. “Listen to me going on and on. I wish you both all the best. You deserve each other. You deserve to be happy.”
“Thank you. And thank you for caring for me, for Cami and Lola. And for Oscar.”
“It’s my pleasure. Now, where is that man of yours?”
I glanced around and then pulled out my phone to look at the time. Thirty minutes had passed since we’d returned, and Oscar had said he’d only be a few minutes on his call to Ryder.
“I don’t know. He went out to make a call to Ryder and hasn’t returned.” My eyes darted back and forth before landing on the office door. “I’m just going to go see what’s taking him so long.”
Lydia nodded and rounded her desk, while I rushed out to the front door. I darted outside and looked back and forth, not seeing Oscar anywhere. I had a bad feeling, and panic rushed through me as I ran back inside, looking in all the rooms and softly calling his name.
Dr. Ayala, Lydia’s father, came out of his office. “Everything okay?”
I shook my head. “Have you seen Oscar?”
“No. Not since earlier. Did you talk to Lydia?”
“Yes. But she hasn’t seen him either.”
“I just got off the phone with Cruz and Levi. They ran across the street to get coffee.” Lydia’s voice came from behind me. “They haven’t seen him or heard from him. Ryder neither.”
“I don’t like this.” I pulled out my phone and dialed Oscar. It went straight to voicemail.
“No answer?” she asked.
I shook my head, fighting the tears and panic that threatened to undo me.
“Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Cruz and Levi will be back any moment. We’ll figure it out.”
Just then, both guys came through the front doors, their sheer size and bulk intimidating enough, but the murderous looks on their faces would send even the toughest scoundrel running for the hills. I rushed to meet them. “Did you find him?”
The men looked at each other, silently communicating something. Neither looked as if they wanted to share the news.
“We found blood in the alley. We think it’s Oscar’s. Someone must have gotten the drop on him, knocked him over the head, and taken him.”
“Why? And who?”
“I have video surveillance in that alley. I’ll check it now.”
Cruz stepped forward, putting his hand on Lydia’s shoulder to stop her. “The cameras were shot out. Whoever did this knew they were back there.”
“So how do we find him?” I could hear the hysteria building in my voice, but I was unable to control it.
“We need to get back to HQ. See if Ryder can tap into any surrounding cameras.”
“And if he can’t?”
Levi touched my arm. “We’ll find him. Oscar’s tough. He knows how to handle himself.”
I tried to nod, tried to portray that I was stronger than I felt. Levi hooked an arm around me and led me out to Oscar’s car.
“Dammit. Oscar has the keys.”
“Here—take mine.” Lydia handed Cruz her keys. “You can pick me up later.”
Cruz nodded and slid into Lydia’s driver’s seat. I took the back while Levi climbed in front. We didn’t talk on the way to HQ. I was too lost in my thoughts, in my fears. Terrified of what Oscar was going through at that moment. We’d just found each other again. I wasn’t about to let him go without a fight.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I took it out, not recognizing the number. Answering the call, I held the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Are you alone?” the creepy male voice asked, with a heavy Spanish accent. A voice I recognized. Santos Casas.
“No.” Cruz caught my eye in the rearview mirror, and Levi turned around in his seat. I shook my head slightly and put my finger to my lips so they’d understand not to give us away.
“Listen very carefully and do not react to these words. If you want to see your husband alive again, you will do exactly as I say. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl. You’re going to meet me tomorrow at noon in the underwater tunnel at the Georgia Aquarium. You will come alone. Is that clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Good. If you do what we say, Oscar will not be harmed, and we will leave your sister alone as well. See how easy it was for us to get to him? Think of how much easier it will be to get to her.”
My blood boiled in my veins, anger ripping through me like a wild animal. I wanted Santos Casas to pay for all that he’d put me through. I wanted him dead.
“If you so much as touch her, I swear I’ll—”
“You won’t do anything. We have your husband, and if we want your sister, it wouldn’t be too hard. Don’t waste your breath on idle threats, Ivy.”
“Fine. I’ll be there.”
“See you tomorrow. Remember, if you involve the Shadow Force team, we will find out, and Oscar will be the one to suffer for your disobedience.”
He ended the call, and Levi waited till I had checked to make sure we were disconnected.
“Who was that?” There was no levity to his voice. His focus was deadly. It was what made him such a good operator.
“Santos Casas. They have Oscar. They told me to meet them at the Georgia Aquarium tomorrow at noon in the underwater tunnel. They said I should come alone, or they’ll go after Cami and kill Oscar.”
“No one is going to get Cami, and no way in hell are you going alone,” Levi interjected. “We’ll figure this out. We need to touch base with Washington and let him know what we’ve found out. I’ve barely had time to fill him in on all the information Lola gave us, and now with Oscar missing, we need to bring him in the loop.”
“Who is Washington?”
“The president’s advisor.”
“Geez—I had no idea the Shadow Force team had that kind of reach.”
“He’s our boss, kind of. At least he’s the one who funds our program.”
I relaxed slightly knowing the SF team was the best at what they did. If anyone could get us out of the situation, it was them.
“If you hear from Santos again, you let us know. Okay?”
“Of course.”
When we arrived at Shadow Force, the team was already assembled in the conference room. Jolie stood from the table and wrapped me in a huge hug. “I’m so sorry. We’ll find him.”
I blinked back the moisture in my eyes and nodded briskly. Jolie squeezed my hand before returning to her seat.
Levi sat at the head of the table and pressed a few buttons on the phone, then put it on intercom and sat back as it rang.
“Washington.”
“Sir, Slater here along with the team. We’ve had some developments we need to fill you in on, but first, Oscar Cortada has been taken by Los Caballeros. They’re holding him in exchange for Ivy.”
“Why do they want Ivy?”
Levi filled him in on my blood and its natural immunity, as well as the plan Lola had overheard before she was rescued. It took several minutes for Levi to give him the clear picture.
“So that’s where we are.”
“Seems to me you already have a solution.’
“How’s that, sir?”
“The Cabs want Ivy. Let her go to the meeting. Then take out the bad guys and find Oscar.”
“No.”
“I’m sorry—what did you say?”
“Ivy is Oscar’s wife. We won’t use her that way.”
“Look, Slater, I don’t see that you have a choice right now. This is bigger than any one operator or his wife. If that virus is disseminated without an antidote, thousands of people could die. We need to end this and end it now.”
“I understand, sir. But Ivy isn’t a trained operator—“
“I’ll do it.” The words shot out of me without hesitation. If I had a way to save Oscar and save America’s young people from this terrible virus, I was going to do it.
“Ivy, you don’t know what you’re saying—” Levi started. I held up my hand, halting him.
“Sir, my name is Ivy Bell Cortada, and Oscar is my husband. We’ve been estranged for eleven years, and I just got him back. I’ll do this on the condition that it’s a priority that we get him out of this alive.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Cortada. I applaud your courage. And of course; the mission is clear. Get Oscar out and take the Cabs down.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Sir, I’d like to try one thing before we send her to the wolves. There’s another compound we’ve been keeping a close eye on. I’d like to infiltrate that place first before we put Ivy in danger.”
“Slater, do what you have to do to keep everyone safe. I trust you. If anyone can accomplish this, it’s your team.”
“Thank you, sir. We’ll do our best or die trying.”
“I know. But I’d rather you stay alive.”
A grin tugged at Levi’s mouth. “Yes, sir.”
The line went dead, and for a moment no one spoke.
Cade broke the silence. “Levi, Cruz, and I will take the compound tonight. Ryder, Jolie, and Ivy should stay behind and prepare her for tomorrow’s meet just in case we don’t find Oscar there.”
“I agree.” Levi stood, pacing the room. “I’ll call Johnny Carter and his team and see if they can get here by tonight. The extra manpower will help. And I’ll place a call to Will and see if we can get the FBI on standby depending on what we find there. We may be dealing with a lot more sick people.”
It was hard to hear them planning to go into danger. These people were fast becoming like family to me. I couldn’t stomach the possibility that any of them would be in serious danger.
“Ryder, what about tomorrow?” Levi asked.
“Ivy can wear a GPS tracker again as a precaution. Just in case they get the jump on us—which they won’t.” He shot me an assuring gaze. “They didn’t take it off her until she was at the location last time. We have no reason to suspect they’d check her for it this time. We’ll stay in the background, in disguise, and follow her into the tunnel. There are only two exits out of there.”
“We’ll need to have people stationed on both sides,” Cade stated. “But we definitely could use the help from Johnny’s team.”
“If they can get here in time for tonight, no doubt they’ll stay and help tomorrow if we need them. I’ll give them a call. Even if there were just two or three of them, that would give us the upper hand we need.”
“Who is Johnny?” I whispered the question to Jolie who was bouncing her knee up and down under the table.
“Friends of Levi and Cade’s. They run a team in Miami.”
“Ah.”
“Ivy, once you’re in the tunnel, I assume someone will approach you. We will have eyes on you at all times. I promise,” Ryder assured me.
I swallowed over the fear forming a lump in my throat and nodded quickly. I wasn’t an operator; I knew very little about tactical maneuvers. But I was an actress, and I could play a role like a pro.
“I’ve got it.”
“Once we have eyes on Santos or whoever is there to do the exchange, the team will move in and bring him in,” Levi added.
It seemed simple enough, but something told me it wouldn’t be as easy as they made it seem.
“I’ll take her to the mats again today and work with her on sparring, but I think she should practice against someone bigger than me. Ryder, can you spar with her later today?” Jolie asked.
“Of course.”
“And I’ll work with her on handling a gun some more too. She won’t be able to have one on her, but at least she’ll feel comfortable handling it. Just in case,” Jolie finished.
“Good idea.” Levi steepled his fingers and leaned forward. “Ivy, how are you feeling about all of this?”
“Nervous. Scared. Determined.” I lifted my chin and met their worried gazes. “I will get my husband back.”
Levi nodded. “You’ll need to stay calm but not too calm. You want them to believe that you’re terrified. Try to keep them talking as long as you can—and whatever you do, don’t go anywhere with them. Let’s just hope we find him tonight, and it doesn’t come to that.”
“I don’t think that’s too difficult of an acting job. I am terrified.” I inhaled deeply, holding it for just a moment before letting the air release and calm my nerves. “But I love Oscar. I’d do anything for him.”
Jolie slipped her hand in mine, squeezing gently to give me much-needed comfort.
“Okay, then. We’ll get started on our end. Jolie and Ryder will get you up to speed. I’ve got a call to make. Cade and Cruz, let’s start working on how we’re going to take those chicken houses.”
Jolie and I started out of the room, when Ryder halted her, whispering something in her ear. She nodded and took my arm.
“Let’s go kick some ass.”
I smiled at her positive attitude. Jolie was light and laughter even in the darkest circumstances. I could see that she was great for the entire team, keeping them balanced and on their toes all at the same time.
We changed in our rooms into workout clothes, and I stepped out into the hallway to meet her. Jolie glanced at the locket I had nestled between my breasts. “You may want to take that off today. I don’t want it to break.”
I reached for the locket, clasping it securely in my hand. “Oh. I don’t really like taking it off.”
Jolie smiled in understanding. “I get it, but we’ll be doing some grappling exercises, on the mat, rolling around. I don’t want to accidentally snag it.”
I was hesitant to take it off. The last time I had, it had been taken from me. Only in the rarest of circumstances did I remove it, unless it was absolutely necessary, but I understood the risk. If I was going to be rolling around on the floor with Jolie and Ryder, it was probably best to not worry about the locket.
I unhooked the clasp and laid it on the nightstand just inside my room. Shutting the door, I followed Jolie out to the gym.
We worked for an hour or more, and I was glad to see that my strength was returning, although I was still not one hundred percent. Jolie was able to show me some moves if someone got on top of me or grabbed me from behind. All easily understood, but not so easily executed.
Finally, Ryder sauntered in, and Jolie popped off the mat. She hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a long kiss. I turned my head away, slightly embarrassed and a little jealous. I missed Oscar so much. We’d only been separated for a few hours, but already it felt too long.
And I worried about him. What had they done to him? Were they using him for experiments too? Would they inject him with the virus? And would my blood be enough without the actual antidote to cure him if they did? Would they kill him before we could get him out of there?
I didn’t want to think about it.
“Let’s see what you’ve got, Ivy,” Ryder said after removing Jolie from his lips.
Ryder walked through all of the self-defense moves with me, giving me pointers when I needed them and praising me when I executed them perfectly. Jolie had mentioned that he’d trained her to be an operator, and it was obvious that he was good at it.
By the time we finished and moved to the gun range, I was wiped out. My muscles hurt and shook with fatigue, not only from fighting but also from holding a gun steady. My aim was improving, though, and I knew I was as ready as a person could be to go head to head with her enemies within the next eighteen hours.
I took a shower and headed back out to the gym where the guys were getting ready to walk out the door. There were four men I didn’t recognize, and I assumed that was the mysterious Johnny and his team.
“Ivy, this is Johnny Carter. He’s a good friend of mine.” Levi introduced the tall, lanky man with black-as-night hair and stunning blue eyes. He was handsome in a dark and dangerous sort of way. He held out his hand to shake mine.
“Nice to meet you, Ivy.” His voice was warm with a pronounced, southern drawl. Quite different from what I’d imagined he’d sound like with the air of trouble that stirred around him.
“You too.”
“This is Ramon Silva, Ryker Scott, and Jackson Ingram.”
I shook the men’s hands and looked to Levi. “I don’t think I can just sit here and wait on you guys. I could go and sit in the van? Just be there in case.”
“In case what? We get into trouble? Ivy, you’re safer here.” Levi smiled. “Ryder will have us on live feed. We’ve got cameras attached here.” He patted his chest. “You can sit with him and Jolie in the conference room.”
That would have to do. It was certainly better than sitting around twiddling my thumbs.
“Thanks, Levi.”
He reached down and wrapped me in a hug. “We’ll find him.”
With his very capable arms holding me, I had no doubt Levi would move heaven and earth to find his friend and teammate.
I released him and made my way to the office while the men took off to the chicken house facility the Cabs had set up. I silently prayed that they’d find Oscar and were able to rescue the hostages. The thought of other young people suffering the way I and Lola had made me sick to my stomach.
Jolie sat in a chair just behind Ryder who was, as usual, typing on a keyboard. There were several camera feeds up on the monitors.
“The compound is just twenty minutes outside the city. Get some coffee. It’s going to be a long night.” Jolie held up her mug, and I went to make a cup of my own. I knew eating was out of the question, but coffee sounded like a great idea if I wanted to stay awake long enough to watch the action.
We all sat in silence, only the sound of Ryder’s fingers tapping the keys filling the room.
“Blake, you read me?”
“Loud and clear,” Ryder answered.
“We’re in place. Heat signatures indicate we’re dealing with a mess of people. We’re splitting up. Three of us will take the building to the left, and four to the right. It’s our best chance to get the hostages out alive.”
“Roger that. Ryder typed a few things on the keyboard. Sure wish we had one of Oscar’s drones right about now.”
“Oscar has drones?” This was news to me. I knew he had a thing for explosives, but I had no idea he knew how to fly drones.
“Yep. Well, I guess they’re technically the team’s, but none of us really knows how to operate them like Oscar does.”
I was learning more and more about my husband every day.
“Going in.” Levi’s voice rang out through the speakers, and the butterflies in my belly took flight.
I watched the grainy video as they approached the chicken house on the right. “Who is that?” I pointed to the video on the screen.
“That’s Levi’s feed.”
Levi ran to stand on the side of the door. Another man moved forward, attaching something to the door handle. They all jogged backwards and hit the ground. A large explosion sounded, and I quickly looked at another camera where the other team had also set their charges off.
“Go, go, go!” Levi shouted—and things got crazy after that.
Lots of blurred images, screaming, shouting. Finally, a few rounds of gunfire and the dust settled a bit to where I got my first clear view of the building. It was an open room with curtains; no cells—just lines and lines of beds with people lying in them.
Levi took off jogging, I assumed with the team following him, and I risked a glance at the other screen, seeing much of the same view. Lines of beds; no walls.
Switching back, Levi approached a bed, and it was unbelievable that the person lying there was even alive. It was like looking at a zombie—eyes hollow, skin gray, sores all over his face.
“Glad we wore the masks. Not sure if this thing is contagious, but I can’t see us transporting these people. Get Will on the line. We need a medical team out here now.”
“On it,” Ryder answered, dialing a number on his phone.
“Will, it’s Ryder Blake. We’ve got a situation on our hands.”
I tuned him out as I scanned the video and the faces for Oscar’s. Levi made it up one side and was working his way down the other. Medical personnel lay on the floor, their hands behind their heads, as the other team members cuffed each one and stood them on their feet.
When Levi reached the end of the line, he took his camera off and stared into it.
“I’m sorry, Ivy. He’s not here.”
I felt the prick of tears behind my eyes and blinked rapidly to keep them from falling. I had to be strong. Strong for Oscar. Strong to get through tomorrow.
The other team was still clearing the room, and I anxiously waited for any news that Oscar might be in the other building.
“No sign of Oscar here either.” I recognized the southern drawl of Johnny’s immediately.
My heart sank. Oscar wasn’t there. Which meant I had an op to prepare for tomorrow. I stood abruptly, tipping over the chair in my haste to get out of there.
Jolie stood with me, reaching for me. I lifted my hands, shaking my head. “I’m fine. Just need some air.”
She nodded, understanding. “Stay inside, though, okay? It’s not safe for you to leave the building alone.”
I dipped my head in acknowledgement and left the offices, walking up and down the gym from one end to the other. The coffee had made me antsy, and I knew sleep wouldn’t come easily.
Finally, unable to put it off any longer, I went to my room, finding Cami curled up against the headboard watching a rom-com on TV.
“Hey.”
She looked up and jumped to her feet. “Ivy! Jolie told me earlier about Oscar. I’m so sorry. Any news?”
I shook my head, fighting the tears that had been building since Levi’s news that Oscar hadn’t been in the building.
Cami reached for me, pulling me into her embrace. I felt the tears fall, sliding down my cheeks onto her shoulder. We stood there for several moments before I pulled away, wiping my face with the backs of my hands.
“Sorry about that.”
“For what? Being human? Having emotions? You can’t do it all on your own, Ivy. We need each other.”
“When did you go and get so wise on me?”
“I’ve always been like this. You’re just now recognizing it.” Cami grinned and bumped her hip against mine. She took my hand and dragged me down to the bed. “Want to watch this with me?” She nodded to the TV.
“It’s not like I’m getting any sleep tonight—might as well.”
I curled up next to her on the bed, leaning against her for support. She was right. I was so used to doing things on my own that I’d never really allowed Cami the opportunity to be there for me. We were better together, and we needed each other. I needed her strength right now.
“Los Caballeros contacted me today. They’re asking for me in exchange for Oscar.”
Cami’s fingers combing through my hair stilled.
“You’re not really going to do that, though. Right?”
“Not exactly. The guys will be with me, as well as possibly four guys from another security team. They’ll cover the exits nearby and take the bad guys out. Then we’ll find where they’re keeping Oscar. I won’t be in danger.”
She sat up, turning to face me.
“Of course you will be. How do you know they won’t get to you somehow? How could you risk it? How could you do this to me?”
“I have to, Cami. I love him. I can’t live without him.”
She sighed, returning to her position next to me, playing with my hair. “It’s about damn time you realized that.”
I could hear the teasing in her voice, but I didn’t want to break the moment, so I squeezed her a bit closer to me. “I’m stubborn like that.”
“It’s the Bell women curse.”
My eyes grew heavy, and Cami turned the TV off, snuggling under the covers with me. I was almost asleep when I heard her whisper, “I’m scared, Ivy.”
“Me too. But it’s going to be okay. We’ll get him back, and all will be well. You’ll see.”
I prayed it was the truth and not just wishful thinking.