Mac opened the heavy door and walked into the Global Market House, assessing it quickly for any traps or hidden cameras. Although Dino had assured her Jamil Rashid had no idea she was with his brother when he died, it never hurt to have a backup plan. She touched the upper part of her shirt to make sure the wire was in place, then made eye contact with Rashid.
Sipping a latte at an outdoor café across the street, Griff was set up to monitor the verbal exchange. Ty and Ryan were posing as city workers repairing the traffic light on the corner, ready to rush in if they heard Mac’s distress call through their earpieces. The assistance team from the Ohio ATF was in place in various positions on the busy sidewalk, also ready to converge if Griff gave the word.
“Have you heard from Omar?” Mac asked, crossing the store to where he stood behind the counter.
“You don’t know?”
She heard the sadness in his voice. “Know what? He was supposed to meet me for dinner before I left Bucharest. He never showed.”
“Omar was killed in a robbery.” Rashid’s eyes turned angry. “A couple of street kids or something.”
Mac forced herself to remember how she’d felt watching her mother wither away with cancer when she was just a kid, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Jamil. I know how much you loved him.”
“And you, Katrina. Omar said you and he became very close while he was training you. He said I should find a girl like you for myself. Even asked me to take your name off the possible suicide candidates.”
“No!” Mac shouted, hating the way her undercover name rolled off his tongue. “Now more than ever, I want to be a part of it. I owe it to your brother—to my brother.”
Rashid walked out from behind the counter and nudged her to the back room. After checking the store again to make sure there were no customers, he whispered, “Yesterday, we received a shipment of weapons from our sources in Venezuela.”
Mac pretended elation at the news despite having to hold her breath. “All that money we raised has finally paid off?”
“It’s better than we hoped.”
She heard Griff’s sharp intake of breath through the hidden earpiece.
“That’s fantastic! When do I get to see them?”
Rashid studied her face. “Why?”
“Come on, Jamil. I worked as hard as you did to get that money. Let me enjoy the fruits of my labor, if only for a few minutes.”
He took a step closer, giving her another whiff of what must have been several days without bathing. “Do you know the area around the Rocket Mortgage Field House—where the Cavaliers play?”
She nodded, having no idea where the arena was, but it should be no problem finding it. She mentally crossed her fingers that the Cavs wouldn’t be playing tonight, since she was pretty sure Dino would give the order to destroy the cache of weapons before they left the area. A lot of innocent civilians milling around would only complicate things. “What time should I meet you there?”
He glanced at his watch. “I close in a couple of hours, but it’s not busy, so I’ll lock up earlier. There is a row of storage units down the street from the Coliseum. The Cavs are on the road tonight, so traffic shouldn’t be too bad. I’ll pick you up on the corner. Can you find your way there by seven thirty?”
“Seven thirty it is. Praise Allah.” She said goodbye on the way out and got into the cab waiting outside.
Thirty minutes later, the team hooked up in Griff’s hotel room downtown to analyze the new information. The general consensus was that Rashid either didn’t know anything about Petrović, or he was a damn good liar, although the weapons from Venezuela seemed too much of a coincidence. Normally, they would pack up and get out of town, turning over the info to the ATF guys to take care of.
But this was different. Since they’d stumbled onto a new piece of information that could lead to disastrous consequences and time was of the essence, the plan was to take out the storage building with the weapons before getting on a plane back to D.C.
Within two hours, Griff, Ty, and Ryan headed out to the north part of town to scout out the units. Their mission was to make sure the blast didn’t put any occupied buildings in harm’s way. The fact that the arena wouldn’t be packed with basketball fans was an added plus.
After hailing a cab, Mac arrived at the rendezvous point at precisely seven fifteen. She didn’t see the rest of the team but knew they had her in their sights. Testing the tiny microphone taped to her chest, she called Griff’s name.
His voice came through loud and clear in the nearly invisible microphone in her ear. “You’re in view. We’re waiting for the exact location of the weapons. You okay?”
“Yes,” she replied, reassured they had her back.
As soon as she relayed that information to the crew, Ty and Ryan would enter through a window in the back and set up enough C-4 explosives to turn the weapons into scrap steel after she was safely back in her hotel room, away from Rashid.
Standing under a streetlight on the corner, she waited, glancing frequently at her watch. Seven forty-five.
Had he figured out somehow that this was a setup?
Just when Mac decided Jamil Rashid was a no-show, a black Hummer slowly approached from a side street and stopped in front of her. The back door swung open and Rashid leaned out. “Get in, Katrina. Quickly.”
She slid across the seat to the opposite side, hating the way he lifted his body to make contact with hers as she passed. Along with the driver, there was another Middle Eastern man in the front seat. “I’m so excited,” she said, rubbing her hands together.
Rashid smiled. “Maybe after I show you the weapons, you’ll join me in a late dinner. We can talk about Omar.”
Not in this lifetime, dirtbag.
“Sounds like a plan,” she said, smiling seductively.
The Hummer inched down the paved road between the buildings before suddenly making a U-turn and heading in the opposite direction. Her heart raced when she realized they were traveling away from the arena—away from her backup.
Griff whispered, “Got eyes on you,” which had a calming effect on her. She knew somewhere out there he sat in a rented van and wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
Ten minutes later, they came to a stop in front of a huge red brick structure tucked in the middle of several others. The driver pushed a button, waited for the doors to slide open, then pulled into the belly of the oversized building that looked like an old, abandoned railroad station.
Through the darkened windows, Mac saw shipping crates stacked almost to the ceiling across both sides of the room.
“Wow! There must be over a thousand containers,” she exclaimed, making sure Griff and the others heard.
Two heavily armed, thick-necked men appeared out of the shadows and opened the back door, waiting for her and Rashid to step out.
Obviously pleased with her reaction, Rashid hurried toward her, excited. “I can’t wait to show you.”
He motioned to the hired guns to lift one of the crates off the stack and place it in front of him. After prying off the top, he flipped up the lid.
Jesus! She was expecting AK-47s and maybe a few grenades, but this was some serious killing machinery. There were rocket launchers, M16s, and surface-to-air missiles powerful enough to take down a jetliner. Where had this type of weaponry come from, and why in the world did they need it?
She whistled. “Why so much firepower, Jamil? Are you planning to take out the entire state of Texas or something?” She meant to sound impressed, hoping Griff got the message, but the minute she saw Rashid’s furrowed brow, she knew she had gone a little too far with her enthusiasm.
“Why so many questions?”
“I’m just excited, that’s all,” she said, hoping she hadn’t blown it. She leaned closer to touch one of the rocket launchers. “There are some powerful weapons here that can make a big impression with our enemies. When are we planning to use…?” She gasped as her eyes caught site of a stainless-steel canister tucked between two more launchers.
“What is it?” Rashid asked.
It was as if she suddenly had lockjaw. She attempted to speak but couldn’t. Finally, she made herself look away from the rattlesnake curled up, ready to strike, staring up at her from the steel container. She hated seeing the emblem she’d seen so many times in Petrović’s laboratory in Morocco, hated the memories it forced into her mind. Hated that just looking at it now still sent shivers up her spine and made her feel like she was under his control once again.
“What’s the matter?” Rashid stepped closer, eyeing her suspiciously.
Mac recovered somewhat and blew out a breath before she murmured, “I’m overwhelmed. It’s definitely better than we’d expected.” She hoped her voice didn’t betray her.
Rashid continued to stare a few more minutes before he grabbed the front of her blouse. With one violent jerk, he ripped it down the middle, exposing the wire taped directly above her left breast.
“You whore!” he shouted, pulling out his gun. “I’ll kill you for this.”
Before he could get off a shot, Ty ran out from behind a stack of crates with Ryan right behind him and fired off four rounds. Both of the thugs and the other Middle Eastern passenger crumpled to the concrete as Rashid grabbed his lower leg and hobbled to the car. The driver, who’d remained with the vehicle, quickly backed out with the squeal of the tires reverberating off the walls of the building. Both Ty and Ryan fired at the car but quickly discovered it was bulletproof.
Ty grabbed Mac’s arm and ran toward the back where he and Ryan had entered the building. Once they were safely outside and far enough away, Ryan positioned his finger on the detonator.
Ty’s eye lit up. “Blow, you mother.”
“Wait!”
Ryan halted as Griff’s voice rang out in all their earpieces.
“Don’t blow it up,” he said.
In a matter of seconds, a van appeared at the end of the street and raced toward them. After the vehicle screeched to a halt, Griff climbed out and shouted, “Now that there’s no longer a threat of the weapons being used, it’s a perfect opportunity for the alphabets to come in and scour through all this. Maybe some of the markings on the guns will give them a clue as to where they originated. Finding the supplier is just as important as getting these out of the hands of the terrorists. ATF is on the way with a backup team right behind them.”
When Ryan nodded and gingerly held the detonator away from his body, Griff turned to Mac, anger flashing in his eyes. “What the hell happened in there, Mac?”
“I…I was only trying to let you know—”
“Let me know what? That you blew your cover when you hesitated? You might as well have flashed your government ID.”
She lowered her head, pulling the torn edges of her blouse closer together.
“Leave her alone, Griff,” Ty said. “It all worked out. We got most of the bad guys and their toys.” He pointed to the building where an ATF unit had arrived and was rushing toward the entrance in full combat gear.
Griff ignored them for a minute and turned his rage on his youngest team member. “Damn it, Ty. She nearly got you killed. That’s not acceptable on my watch.” He walked back to the car, hesitating briefly before he slid into the driver’s seat. “And in case none of you noticed, Rashid and one of his thugs got away.”
“I’m sure Dino called in reinforcements to pick them up,” Ryan said, moving to stand next to Mac as if to shield her from Griff’s anger.
“He doesn’t know we’re here,” Griff said. “He thinks we’re somewhere behind the arena. I didn’t have time to tell him the location had changed. Get in, Mac,” he commanded. “Ryan, you and Ty stay here and disarm the C-4. I’ll see you back at the hotel.” He slammed the door after Mac climbed in, as if to emphasize how upset he really was.
The drive back to the hotel was shorter than it seemed. Mac stole an occasional glance at Griff, noticing the twitch on the right side of his face had finally settled down. But the scowl on his face left no doubt he was still really angry.
And he had every reason to be. She knew better than to react so out of character with Rashid. That was the first thing she was taught when she trained for undercover work.
What had she been thinking?
She had to tell Griff about the emblem. That Petrović was involved somehow in the weapons showing up in Cleveland. The snake was an instant giveaway and had conjured up every horrible moment she spent with him in the mountains. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
At least now she wouldn’t have to go to Dino and ask to be reassigned the way Griff suggested. After her performance tonight, it was a given that her future on this team, or any other for that matter, was no longer in her hands.
She blinked several times in rapid succession to keep the lone tear that had formed from rolling down her cheek when reality finally hit. Dammit! The last thing she needed was for Griff to see her crying, to accuse her of yet another weakness. But she couldn’t help it, and the tear trickled down her cheek.
She’d almost gone to her grave tonight because of her own mistake. But what was worse, she’d almost taken her teammates with her.
She pressed her back into the cold tiles of the shower, sliding down until she sat crouched on the floor. The hot water flowed down her face, blending with the tears. The only thing left in her life giving her any pleasure was her job, and now, even that would be gone. No one would want to work with her, knowing they’d have to worry about her getting them killed. Griff was probably on the phone right now with Dino demanding a replacement.
At the thought of Griff, she wondered what bothered her more. That he went off on her in front of the guys, or that he had every right to? The only emotion she seemed to have left him with was mistrust. For a while, she’d let herself believe maybe they could at least work together.
Who was she kidding? Working together wasn’t what she’d hoped for today. She imagined being in his arms again, especially after the almost kiss on the mat back at the training facility at headquarters. But he’d sent the message loud and clear. That would never happen. How could she expect him to love her again when she didn’t even love herself?
She grabbed the soap from the floor and scrubbed until her skin was the color of strawberries, but even then, she didn’t feel clean. She was damaged goods.
The shrill ringing of the phone snapped her back to reality, and she sprang to her feet. After several rings, it stopped. She figured it was Ryan or Ty checking on her after Griff’s verbal spanking. She’d seen the way both of them looked at her when Griff was reaming her out. She didn’t want their pity right now—or ever.
Get a grip, Mac. You’ve never been a wimp or a quitter.
She let the spray of warm water wash over her for a few more minutes before stepping from the shower. Tomorrow, she’d tell Dino about seeing the snake emblem on the canister and have a chat with him about setting her up at a desk job, or something else less likely to prove detrimental to her own health as well as that of her teammates.
Or maybe she should just head back to California and buy a little house on a private beach. At least there, she wouldn’t be responsible for getting someone she cared about killed.
And she wouldn’t have to be in the same room with Griff every day or see the disgust in his eyes when he looked at her.
But that would all happen tomorrow. Tonight, she decided she needed more than a hot shower to get past the events of the day before she could even think about tackling anything else. She walked to the minibar, pulled out two small bottles of vodka, and emptied them into a tumbler. Lifting the glass to her lips, she chugged, hoping the burning sensation would get her mind off the mess she’d made.
It didn’t.
She went back to the minibar, intent on drinking enough liquor to do the trick. Before she could decide if it was worth a trip to the ice machine, there was a knock at the door.
“Mac?”
Griff! She tiptoed to the door and peeked out. He looked so good, dressed in a navy-blue shirt and jeans, his hair still wet from his own shower. But she wasn’t about to let him come in and lecture her again. He’d already made it perfectly clear to her and the rest of the team that he found her undercover skills woefully lacking. Tomorrow was soon enough to hear any remaining thoughts he might have about her incompetence on the job or the consequences of it.
“I know you’re in there, Mac. Don’t make me pull rank and order you to open this door.” When she didn’t respond, he added, “Because I will, you know.”
Just when she thought the day couldn’t get any worse.
She grabbed the heavy white robe from the bathroom, pulled it on, and belted it as she crossed to the door.
When she finally opened it, Griff stared at her face. “You been crying?” He walked past her and plopped down on the bed.
Closing the door, she pressed against it, chewing on her lip to keep the tears from re-forming. Sometimes she hated being a girl. “Say what you came to say, Griff, then let me get back to my pity party.”
He tilted his head as if he were analyzing the situation before a hint of a smile crossed his face. Rising from the bed, he walked over to the dresser and picked up the two empty mini vodka bottles. “This your idea of a pity party?”
“Cut the small talk. You’ve already told me what a screw-up I am. I don’t need more proof.”
She expected him to react with anger and rush out. Instead, he opened the minibar and grabbed two bottles of tequila. He poured one into her empty glass and the other in a clean one from the dresser.
Carrying them to where she stood glued to the door, he handed one to her. “Drink this. It will help you sleep.” He tilted his head back and drained his. After she did the same, he took the empty glasses and put them back on the dresser. “I’ve thought about this ever since we got back. I was pretty hard on you in front of the others, but hell, Mac, I know you’re better than—”
“Petrović had something to do with the shipment,” she blurted.
His eyes softened at the mention of the guy he knew had terrorized her. “How do you know?”
She swallowed the lump in her throat, praying for the courage to tell him without her mind dragging her back to the place she had fought so hard to forget. “One of the canisters had his emblem on it. When I saw it, I froze.” She met his gaze. “I’m sorry, Griff. I know I put the team in danger, but I reacted before I had time to process it. I guess thinking I could do this mission was a big mistake. I’m sure after you tell Dino what I did, it will all be a moot point, anyway.”
He sat back down on the bed. “I talked to the guys before I came down here, and we’re all in agreement. I’m not going to tell Dino the entire truth about you blowing your cover—only that Rashid was suspicious and discovered the wire. Although we have to tell him about the emblem, he doesn’t need to know that it completely threw you off your game.”
Relief washed over her. He had just offered her life back. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself it didn’t matter if she lost the only job she’d ever loved, she couldn’t. “I don’t know what happened today, Griff. I was so surprised by what I saw…” She couldn’t finish—couldn’t tell him why seeing the snake had unnerved her so badly.
He stood and sauntered toward her, stopping a few feet from the door. “This isn’t a free pass, Mac. I’ll be watching everything you do. Fuck up one more time, and you’re off my team for good.”
He reached for the doorknob at the same time she did. When his hand closed over hers, she gasped, the electricity sending jolts all the way down to her toes.
He grabbed both her hands and entwined them with his, pinning her against the door with his body. Slowly, he inched her arms up the length of the door, over her head, until his body was so close to hers that she could feel his heart racing against her chest.
She held his steel-blue gaze until he lowered his head, pressing his forehead to hers. She felt his warm breath brush across her eyelashes, his five o’clock shadow tickling her cheeks, and every nerve in her body awakened with the sensations. She loved this man, always had.
Suddenly, he dropped her arms. “I can’t do this again.”
He pulled the door open and was gone, leaving her feeling the same way she’d felt all those months they’d been apart.
Alone and unlovable.