Against all odds delta s.., p.18
Against All Odds (Delta Shield Security), page 18
“No.” I walked away from the breakfast bar, facing away from everyone. “I don’t believe that. If he was turning on me, he’d have told me I had to come alone.” Plus, Martín trusted he was safe, and I trusted Martín.
“All possibilities have to be on the table, including assuming he double-crossed you or that he will.” Ryder’s deep voice had me turning around, and I acknowledged his remark in the only way I could think of for now.
I conceded with a nod of surrender. As much as I wanted to believe there was no way Martín’s judgment about someone could be wrong, it was better to be safe than sorry. “So what do we do now? We’re going to Costa Rica, right?” Why’d I phrase that as a question? I should have been firm and put my foot down.
Ryder looked over at Reed. “Talk to me about Costa Rica. Bullet points,” he requested.
Is that a yes? I did my best not to run over and throw my arms around the growly man, thanking him for not making me fight him on it. He hadn’t technically agreed or answered me, so I’d wait. I was also the one who’d just said we shouldn’t get physical. So hands to myself it is. Not my favorite idea, but it was probably needed.
Reed twisted on his barstool to look back and forth between everyone, then took point on answering Ryder. “Limited extradition treaties there. Makes it a safe haven for fugitives. High number of tourists, so it’s easy to blend in. Law enforcement has limited resources there. Dense rainforests and remote areas make it easy to hide evidence. Then you have coastal access to both the Pacific and the Caribbean to smuggle goods.” He didn’t even need to pause for a breath as he sped through more details. “Plenty of jungle hideaways. Underwater stashes near the Nicoya Peninsula are known dumping grounds for evidence. And as for San José, you could easily bribe a local official to look the other way.”
“Also, neutral territory for the Sokolovs and Moraleses to meet. Martín can’t go there, either,” I let them know. “He’d be arrested the second the plane landed.”
“Why?” Ryder asked.
“He may or may not . . .” Cue awkward pause. “. . . have killed their police commissioner a few years ago.” I lifted my hand and patted the air. “In his defense, the commissioner worked for an arms dealer, so he was just taking out the trash. I don’t know if Ezra or the cartel has even connected me to Martín, but regardless, it’d make sense Ezra wouldn’t want to come to hostile Morales-controlled territory here in Mexico.”
Ryder stroked his jawline, smoothing his fingertips along the scruff, eyes on the floor. Thinking-mode activated?
“Who do we know in Costa Rica?” Alex asked. “We’re going to need a safe house, access to a helo, an armory.”
“Same man who helped us locate Seraphina is probably our best bet in helping set us up in San José,” Ryder said.
Who was this mystery person who was a mutual friend of Martín’s?
Also, I really needed to take a moment and text Martín, let him know what was going on. Had Ryder and his teammates not come to my rescue down here, what would I have done? Plan B wouldn’t have worked if it meant I had to go to Costa Rica alone. I’d have zero chance of survival.
“Carter’s in Switzerland right now at a hotel he acquired last year, but I’ll see if he can help again. He might be able to arrange safe transport for us as well, so we don’t need to fly commercial,” Ryder responded, and this was sounding more and more like a definite yes. “I also have a Seal friend I bumped into the other day who specializes in hunting drug traffickers. I’m going to reach out and see what he knows and if he can help.”
I looked out the window at the view of the city. So much for exploring the town. Not that Ryder had planned to let me, anyway. “We’re leaving today, right?”
Ryder retrieved his phone, keeping his eyes on it instead of me. “I don’t know if you should come with us.”
I probably skipped about three steps in my rush to get to him, also banging my knee into the furniture on my way, so that was great. I concealed a wince from the pain, waiting for him to acknowledge that I was standing in front of him.
“If Ezra and the cartel are in Costa Rica, it’s safer for you to stay in Mexico.” Ryder’s intense eyes breezed up to mine. “We’ll take you to Martín’s before we head there. He can protect you.”
“Like hell you’re doing that,” I rasped. “I’m coming. Ezra won’t show up unless I’m there, and you know it.”
“I’ll find them without you. All of them. It’s what I do. I find people.” His tone wasn’t authoritative or harsh—it was worse. It was numb and detached.
Two emotions I knew well, so I recognized them in others immediately. He was trying to do exactly what I asked him to do so we could focus on the mission: build a wall between us. “I’m not staying behind. You know I’ll never agree to that plan. You have to know that.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Yeah, numb and detached weren’t easy to maintain if they weren’t coming from a place of pain. He was already failing.
“What if they did connect me to Martín and they send a hit team to his place when they realize I’m not in Costa Rica? How will you feel if innocent people are killed so they can get to me? How will you feel if I die?” I swallowed the moment his hand fell and eye contact was made.
“Don’t do this to me.” His voice was rough and a little broken. Like shards of glass had scraped across both our bodies and we’d bleed out together. Right on this floor.
“Who do you trust the most to keep me safe?” I couldn’t back down—and in truth, as much as I loved Martín like family, I hadn’t felt as safe as I did being with Ryder since my father was alive to watch over me.
He quietly stared at me before saying in a low, deep voice, “You know the answer to that.”
“I hate to say this, because I don’t want to piss you off, but I think she should come with us.” Alex corralled Ryder’s attention right along with mine, and his words also helped break the staring contest we’d been engaged in. A battle of wills and stubbornness.
“I agree,” Reed tossed out without looking away from the screen. “She started this whole thing, and she should be part of it when it finishes. It’s not our place to take her revenge away from her. She knew the risks thirteen months ago, and she knows them now.”
For not being a people person, he just became my favorite one. “Thank you.”
“But for the record,” Reed continued, slowly shifting on his stool to look over at us, “the odds anything bad will happen to you have drastically decreased now that you have that man in your corner.”
“Reed’s right,” Alex said to Ryder. “You know he is. You’re a control freak for a reason, and it’s kept us all alive so far. Now, control freak your way through this new problem and find a solution that involves her coming with us.”
And I love you, too. Thank you. I couldn’t believe it, but I had his teammates on my side. Now I just needed this stubborn man to get over here, too.
Ryder’s jaw visibly clenched as he lifted his eyes to the ceiling, his arms remaining rigid blocks of muscles at his sides. “So help me . . .”
“I’ll take that as a yes, that I’m coming with you.” Not waiting for him to acknowledge me, I spun around toward my two unlikely heroes and smiled my gratitude.
“Not so fast, miss.” Ryder banded an arm around my stomach and swiftly, but somehow still gentlemanly, had me about-facing his way.
“Yes?” I breathed, meeting his eyes.
He lightly shook his head. “If you come with us, then consider yourself part of the team. Delta Four.”
“And that means?” I whispered, because I knew he wasn’t asking me to hold a rifle and engage in direct battle. Hell would have to freeze over, then the sky would have to rain puppies, before he’d allow me into a gunfight.
“It means you have to take orders from the team leader and do what he says without objection,” Reed interpreted for me in a matter-of-fact voice.
This was truly our meet-in-the-middle moment. I supposed I could place my trust in this Delta operator if he was willing to let me join his team. “Fine, you have my word.”
“You broke your word before,” he was quick to remind me.
“That was different. I’ll keep it this time.” This next part took effort, but I managed to get it out. “I’ll behave and follow orders.”
I wasn’t sure if he was ready to believe me, but instead of protesting, he took things in an unexpected route. “Alex, you’re now Delta One for this mission.” He straightened his posture, stepping away from me, putting eyes on him. “Consider yourself in charge.”
“What? Why?” Alex came over, looking back and forth between us.
“Because I . . .” Ryder shook his head. “I’m not in control of . . .” He cleared his throat. This wasn’t easy for him to say or do. “I don’t trust myself to make the right decisions, got it?” He leveled his friend with a hard look, one that said Don’t make me tell you twice or explain more.
“Yeah, okay.” Alex blinked a few times. “Well, then, my first order as your boss is to go call Carter so we can exfil out of here and get to Costa Rica A-S-A-fucking-P.”
“You’re going to enjoy this, aren’t you?” Ryder asked, a gruff tone to his voice.
Alex smirked, winked at me, then focused back on Ryder. “Absolutely.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Seraphina
In the air
I closed my eyes and prayed. Because damn. As of ten minutes ago, I’d unlocked a new fear: flying in small planes on a cloudy, windy day.
This was my first time in a plane where I could see our pilot, too. I didn’t find that comforting at all. Way too many buttons and switches in my line of sight.
“Don’t worry, we have enough chutes if we need to jump.” I had no clue if Alex was making a joke, but I couldn’t open my eyes to get a read on him.
We hit another air pocket—or whatever the technical term was for them—on our way up, and my stomach dropped yet again as we were jostled around in this toylike plane. Was this thing actually meant for jumping out of, not landing? Hell, maybe it is?
Working up the nerve, I pried open my eyes to check the window to see if we’d yet to puncture through the cloudy sky.
Nope. Since my favorite distraction wasn’t sitting next to me, I shut my eyes and tried to think about something else.
Of course my thoughts landed back on the flying death trap in the sky. The ride was courtesy of this Carter guy, but maybe flying commercial would’ve been safer, even if we ran the risk of Ezra tracking the flight.
I’d been in the middle of texting Martín about the change in plans when Ryder had returned to the living room after making his call to Carter in private. He’d let us know Carter would secure safe passage for us. But if this was Carter’s definition of safe, then what was unsafe in his eyes?
Ryder had also shared the news that Carter would set us up with transport, weapons, and a place to stay upon arrival. Who was this guy? Batman?
And it didn’t stop there.
The gifts kept on gifting.
Our mystery man—well, not a mystery to Ryder or Martín—would also work on finding a crew to send us for backup should we need an assist once in San José. Apparently, Batman was busy doing other hero-things and couldn’t come himself. It was almost too bad; I’d love to meet the man who could whip up Black Hawks out of thin air. (Did I mention he’d have one of those for us, too? Because, yup, apparently).
I’d been in a rush to change and pack, worried Ryder would switch to his default setting of overprotective and refuse to let me come, so I forgot to finish my texting conversation I’d been in the middle of with Martín. He’d called me on my way to the airport, so I filled him in then.
Martín promised I was in good hands if Carter was arranging everything for us in Costa Rica, and he agreed it was better for me to go with Ryder than stay behind, but he hated not being able to come and help. I’d keep in touch with him, updating him once we were there.
I was still in awe of how fast everything had been thrown together, not even two hours after the text from Ángel. Plan C was now in action, which was kind of perfect, given Batman’s help and his real name began with a C.
Fate. Everything is happening as ordained. I had a feeling my parents and brother were looking out for me. Sending whoever and whatever I needed my way, especially Ryder. I chose to believe that, at least. And that means we’ll survive this flight. I didn’t make it this far to die in a plane crash.
A former Navy Seal held our lives in his hands right now. Owen York happened to be on vacation with his family not far from us in Mexico, so Carter called him for the favor. Carter had even wrangled this not-so-lovely private plane for us to use.
Just like that. Done deal. All good to go.
Owen’s family stayed back at their resort, so I didn’t have a chance to meet them, but maybe one day I could thank his wife for lending us her husband on short notice.
I kept telling myself, though, that we were safe with a Seal in the pilot’s seat. But also, since when did Navy Seals fly planes?
At another hard bump that knocked us around, I squeezed my chair’s arms even tighter, gritting down on my back teeth.
Alex patted the top of my hand, which did nothing to ease my nerves.
Ryder had asked him to sit next to me when we’d boarded, continuing to honor the request I was currently regretting—to keep some distance between us.
I should’ve asked for a pause in that plan, postponing the start time until after I felt the ground beneath my shoes again. Because I really needed Ryder next to me.
“We’re good,” Alex promised. “No sweat.”
“Allll the sweat,” I cried out, my voice embarrassingly squeaking. “Can someone distract me?”
“You should open your eyes. You’re missing the view.” Alex nudged me in the side. “There’s a volcano out the window.”
“Just tell me about it instead,” I whispered, barely opening my mouth to speak. Seriously, how had I survived working for Ezra all that time, and now a small plane was what put my heart into overdrive the most? Well, second to Ryder. That man seemed to have rewired my entire existence altogether, especially my heart’s rhythm.
“Reed probably knows something about volcanoes,” Alex prompted, while I worked to steady my breathing.
“A thing or two,” Reed mumbled.
I gulped. “Anything about the ones down there?”
“There’s a legend about them, yeah. An Aztec story.” Reed was sitting next to Ryder behind us in the four-seater plane, so his voice was close.
Alex laughed. “I swear, the man knows more about the dead than the living.”
“You want a story or not?” Reed shot back.
“Yes, please,” I said before Alex could piss him off.
“Fine.” Reed was quiet for a moment, and I hoped that meant he hadn’t changed his mind. A few seconds later, he finally shared, “The story is about a princess who fell in love with a warrior, but she died from grief when she was told he was killed in battle. When Popocatépetl returned home and discovered the woman he loved was dead, he carried her to a mountain, lit a torch, and stayed with her there to watch over her forever. Whenever the volcano erupts, legend says it’s Popocatépetl remembering the woman he loves.”
“Fucking A, man. Don’t ever do story hour for kids or something. That was depressing as fuck,” Alex said with a laugh. “And how the hell do you know that? I was expecting some scientific bullshit from you.” I could feel him twisting around, probably looking back at Reed. “But a princess?” He chuckled again. “You need to get laid, I swear.”
Reed didn’t respond, but these two had managed to accomplish one thing with their joking: calming me down. “Thank you. I do feel better now.”
“So you going to open your eyes?” Alex asked me, but I kept them squeezed shut and shook my head.
“I don’t feel that much better.”
“Let the bumps put you to sleep instead of make you nervous,” he suggested. “I have a feeling we’ve got a long day ahead of us, so rest while you can.”
“Is that an order?” I teased.
Alex didn’t answer, and when a hand gently gripped my arm, I went still at the prickle of awareness that it was Ryder, reaching between the seats to touch me.
He had to be leaning forward, because I felt his breath by my ear, and my body responded, erupting in chills.
“Do what he says.” He kept hold of me and, in a much huskier voice, murmured into my ear, “And that’s an order from me.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ryder
San José, Costa Rica
Why the hell did I never learn Spanish? Am I too old to learn now? I was eavesdropping on Seraphina talking to our host as if I could actually understand instead of focusing on the conversation happening in front of me in English.
Owen was talking to Carter over the phone, so I took a moment to see if Ángel had texted Seraphina back.
Upon landing, she’d let him know we’d arrived; then I quietly opened my palm, a silent request to hang on to her phone. I also had Reed check it before we’d even left Mexico, ensuring she wasn’t being tracked by anyone.
Still nothing. It’d only been thirty minutes since the plane touched down, so I wouldn’t jump to worst-case scenarios as to why there was a delay.
I pocketed the phone, training my attention on the Balinese-style villa, Casa Paraíso, where my team would be staying for however long it took to complete our mission here. The place sat on top of a hill, with a view of Santa Ana, a province of San José, in the distance.
While Owen wrapped up his call, I stole another look at Seraphina. A goddess standing beneath the sunlight, talking enthusiastically with her hands to the hostess, someone Carter had promised we could trust.
