“Well, it is, and it isn’t,” Terk replied. “We’ve worked together as a team for a long time, and obviously we have a few new members added to our original team, but we’re adjusting.”

  “Good,” Naira said. “Thank you for giving me a place to stay while I recuperate, but do you have any idea as to who did this?”

  “Yes, we sure do,” Tasha replied. “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll show you a video we have from the hospital.”

  At that, Naira slowly made her way to her feet, then walked over and watched the screen, as it showed the woman approaching her hospital room and going inside. “That was the nurse I saw,” she noted.

  “Except she’s no nurse,” Tasha replied.

  Naira watched when the woman came back out of her room, walking calmly, until suddenly Scott appeared in the hallway. She picked up the pace and basically ran to the other end.

  “And her running away didn’t signal a problem to you?” she asked, turning to him.

  “No, because she was running to a man who is outside the view of that clip, just outside the range of the security camera,” he explained. “They did a quick lovers embrace, looking as natural as could be, and then they were gone.”

  “Ah.” Naira nodded. “That makes sense then, doesn’t it?”

  “It makes sense in that she did the job, and he was waiting for her. What we don’t know is whether she’s a part of all of this or if she was brought into it because of her position at the hospital.”

  “You said she wasn’t a nurse though, right?” Naira asked, looking back at Tasha.

  “No, but she is one of the aides who worked the floor,” Scott added. “We’re still running down hospital credentials, hoping that will give us a clue as to whether she was really part of the system or simply a pawn, but we don’t have anything for sure yet.”

  “It’s all just so fantastical to think that somebody went to these lengths trying to take me out,” Naira murmured. “Particularly considering that I don’t know anything about this.”

  “The problem is, if they took you out, in the mind of the local police, there would be absolutely no connection to our problems, and, to the killers, it would be a simple, fast job,” Scott said.

  “Agreed,” Naira muttered. “Except for you in the mix, saving me.”

  Scott shrugged. “You might have survived a little longer. I don’t know. You’re the one who pulled the needle out of your arm.”

  “Did I?” She stared at him.

  “You did.”

  “Well, maybe it was pulled out,” she suggested, “when I fell from the bed.”

  “Do you remember falling from the bed?” Terk asked, some intensity to his voice.

  She looked at him and shrugged. “I honestly don’t remember anything. I do remember that something was wrong with her, that I didn’t like something.” She frowned. “You know what? I think she said something to me, but …” Then she winced because her head throbbed. “I really don’t know what it was, but I think it surprised me somehow, and, when I reacted, when I pulled out the needle, then she hit me.”

  “And that would make sense,” Terk noted, with a smile. “It makes more sense than you probably realize, and that straightens out the mystery of the needle and the head blow.”

  “Yeah.” Naira nodded. “That would explain some of it. Yet I really don’t know what she said to me.”

  “It doesn’t matter now,” Terk noted. “You’ll remember it eventually.”

  She wasn’t so sure about that but was more than happy to have the pressure off her to try and sort it out. As she sat here and watched the security video once more, she shook her head. “It still seems a little odd.”

  “Maybe not.” Terk’s phone rang just then. He answered it. “Go ahead, Merk. I’m putting you on Speaker.”

  “Have you got Naira?” he asked, his voice tense.

  “We do. She’s right here with us.”

  “Good,” Merk replied, “because the woman in the video clip from the hospital was found in the hospital dumpster this morning. Her head had been bashed in.”

  *

  Scott heard the news like a gut punch to his solar plexus. But the shocked gasp from Naira brought him to her side. “It’s okay.”

  She stared up at him, her bottom lip trembling. “How can you say that?” she cried out. “That poor woman.”

  And he realized that it wasn’t fear for her own safety that Naira felt but shock and sorrow for the other woman, even though she had tried to hurt Naira. He sighed. “Look. I know it seems terrible and outrageous and so many other things, but, when you get in with the wrong crowd—and in this case any association appears to be the wrong crowd—it seems that, as soon as someone is involved, and they mess up, they are out. And”—he pointed—“they’re out permanently.”

  “And how is it that she messed up?” Naira asked, staring at Scott in shock.

  “Chances are it’s because she didn’t get the needle job done properly, and she had to hit you over the head—which completely changed whatever their plan was. Also they would consider her job completely messed up because you managed to leave the hospital alive and well. That kind of failure is not something these people would have tolerated.”

  “Do you think she thought it was a failure?”

  “No, she probably didn’t know at all what was coming for her,” Scott explained. “I suspect that some male deliberately seduced her, befriended her, whatever you want to call it, then convinced her to do this, either as a part of a job or out of love.” Scott paused. “There are any number of reasons why somebody would get sucked into doing something like this. And when she didn’t do the job properly, she was taken out. That way she can’t talk, and honestly, given that she was probably led in this direction right from the beginning, there was a very good chance she would have been taken out anyway, even if she had succeeded with her job. Apparently that’s been the way this whole scheme has been going.”

  Naira stared at him in shock, realizing what kind of world he lived in. “Good God,” she whispered. “She wasn’t very old.”

  “No, she wasn’t.”

  “And she was really pretty,” she murmured. “Why would she even get involved in something like this?”

  “I’m guessing her lover probably came across as her Prince Charming,” Scott replied.

  Naira winced. “Wow, women can be really pathetic sometimes, can’t they?”

  At that, Cara reached across and gently patted Naira’s hand. “We tend to be, yes, but not forever. We do come to our own senses, as we grow older and get a little experience in the world.”

  Scott realized that the women already had some rapport that he didn’t understand—and probably didn’t want to either. He took a tentative step backward and looked over at the others. “So, she’s been taken out. What do you think their next move is?”

  “Wade is on watch at the moment,” Terk noted in a harsh voice. “So you’re safe here, Naira.”

  “I would presume that the only thing they can do is come back around after us,” Scott suggested.

  “Do they know where we are?” Naira asked.

  “I don’t think they do. Otherwise they would have already attacked us here,” Terk replied.

  “And what about your brother?” Scott asked.

  “His safety is always a concern, and he would never lead anybody back here. In fact, Merk and I rarely see each other,” Terk noted, “but Merk is pretty wily.”

  “Sure, but nobody is wily forever,” Naira added, inserting herself into the conversation. She shot Terk a look, making Scott chuckle. “And, if he’s involved, you know they’ll be after him.”

  “And I can tell him until I’m blue in the face to be careful, and he would tell me that he’s fine.”

  “But he’s not fine,” Naira argued irrepressibly. “You should bring him in here.”

  “Well, I would if I could,” Terk agreed, with half a smile, “but you don’t know my brother.”

  She frowned at him. “No, but I’d like to, and, in order for that to happen, he has to survive.”

  At that, Terk burst out laughing. “I’ll tell him that you’re concerned.”

  “He doesn’t know me from Adam,” Naira replied in a dark voice, “but I don’t want him to die. Sounds like there have been far too many deaths over this nightmare.”

  “I agree with you totally,” Terk said in a mild voice, as he studied her. “Turn your attention to Scott and keep him safe,” he suggested. “As we know, your connection already works for you.”

  “What’s the point?” she asked, turning and glaring at Scott. “He won’t listen anyway.”

  Scott’s eyebrows popped up, and he stared at her. “You don’t know that.”

  She snorted. “Of course I do. You never listen to anybody.”

  He flushed, feeling all gazes in the room on him. “That’s hardly fair,” he noted.

  She just gave him a hard look, making him realize just how much they still had to discuss.

  “Obviously we’ve still got some discussions to have,” he said to the others, “but I would like to get back to sorting out a solution to our current problem.” He waved his arms around this place. “With all of us gathered here, are we not all just sitting ducks?”

  “We are in a way,” Lorelei replied.

  At that, Mariana walked in again, Little Calum in her arms. “Is it okay if we join everyone?” She smiled and walked over to Calum, who immediately held out his arms for his son. The boy dumped himself sideways, so he could be caught by his father, with laughter in his voice. Calum held him up. “There’s trouble,” he murmured, as he tossed him in the air. The little boy laughed and laughed, and Calum grinned.

  “I don’t know what to say, Calum,” Scott said to his buddy. “I didn’t see this coming. This isn’t what I thought your life outside of the team would look like.”

  “Nope, neither did I,” Cal agreed, “but I’ve got to tell you. It’s a hell of a lot better than what I ever imagined it to be.” At that, he added, “Here she is, the best answer I could have hoped for,” he stated calmly, as Mariana walked over, and he tucked her up close. “I made the mistake of keeping them away, trying to keep them safe. And you know what? They got kidnapped anyway. We had a really close call, all of us, and life feels mighty fragile right now. We need to quit wasting time and pushing away our loved ones in the name of ‘protecting them’ and start enjoying the people we love,” he murmured, then gave Mariana and Little Calum a squeeze.

  Scott had a lot to think about. Not the least of which was the woman at his side. He was still stunned at seeing how many couples had formed in the few weeks that he’d been unconscious. And maybe coupling up in bad times was a good thing; he didn’t know, but it was definitely fascinating to see the results. And, for that, well, he was happy for all his friends.

  Chapter 9

  Several hours later, after another nap and during a meal, Naira verbalized the thoughts that were in the back of her head. “Given that everybody here is wanted by whatever enemies you guys have apparently amassed, why don’t you use this facility to our advantage and set it up as a trap?”

  Silence followed, as several people put down their forks and looked around at the others.

  “I’ve been thinking about it,” Terk confirmed, “but certain dangers are inherent in that.”

  “Of course,” Naira agreed. “Clearly Mariana and Little Calum would need to leave.”

  At that, Mariana shook her head. “I can tell you that’s not happening,” she stated. “I risked a lot to get here, and I’m not interested in leaving.”

  “I understand that,” Naira replied. “However, if things are going down, you can’t help because you’ll be looking after Little Calum. So maybe it’s best that you’re not here while it’s happening.”

  Mariana looked at her. “And, of course, you’ll leave too?”

  “I’m not sure I can leave,” Naira said. “Apparently I’m still on the hit list.”

  “Everybody is,” Terk stated. “And it’s not a case of you being on the hit list or not. It’s just that you’re associated with us. And, yes, obviously we would ensure that all members of the team were safe, before something like setting a trap could happen.” He smiled at her. “It’s a discussion to be had with the whole team.”

  She nodded. “And yet I think they would defer to you.”

  “It’s not a case of deferring, Naira,” Terk explained calmly. “We are a team. Therefore, we are here for each other.”

  “Which really just means that nobody will make a decision because they’re waiting for you to do it.”

  He gave a bark of laughter at that. “And you’ve only just arrived,” Terk noted. “How do you figure that?”

  “Because you’re the boss,” she stated calmly, “even though you say it’s a team.”

  “She’s right,” Damon said, before Terk could really say much more. “We are a team, but you’re definitely at the helm.”

  Terk glared at him, but Damon just smiled back, unrepentant. “Whether you like it or not, boss, it’s always been you. All you.”

  “You’re right. I don’t like it,” Terk shared. “I have enough on my plate.”

  “Yes, and you’ll head to Texas pretty damn soon,” Damon added.

  Terk nodded grimly. “Yes, but I can’t leave you guys.”

  “Which means you have to solve this first,” Naira said calmly. At that, he glared at her again. She shrugged. “I get that you can kill with that look of yours, but it’s really not helpful right now.”

  “What are you suggesting?” he asked.

  “Whenever someone goes out for supplies again,” she offered, leaning back, “set a trap.”

  “That could be very dangerous,” he murmured. “Everybody here could die.”

  “Everybody here could die at any point in time already, as we have found out. These enemies don’t appear to have any scruples as to what they’re planning on doing.”

  “I think annihilation is their number one plan.” Terk stared at her in fascination. “Why would you want to put yourself in that position?”

  “Because I want a life after this,” she shared, “and this is not living.”

  Terk chuckled. “I don’t know about not living, but it’s definitely a different kind of living.”

  “It’s not living,” she repeated firmly. “We can’t just hide away because somebody’s after us. I understand that works for a little while, but it doesn’t work anymore. And somebody has to help the one missing—Brody was it? And you need to go to Texas for whatever reason,” she said, with a wave of her hand. “So all these other people are waiting for things to be done.”

  “I agree.” Tasha nodded. “I know Naira doesn’t understand the whole scenario here, but I think she’s right. This isn’t living, and we can’t keep this up indefinitely. We have more people now, and they are getting stronger every day. We have done all kinds of missions in secrecy and set up all kinds of operations. I think we should try that here.”

  Terk was quiet for a moment, then he spoke. “I’m not sure it’s time yet.”

  “Why not?”

  He took a long deep breath. “Because of Brody.” The men all exchanged hard glances.

  “Okay,” Naira added, “so I don’t understand who this Brody is, and why you can’t set a trap without him.”

  “That’s because you don’t necessarily understand the type of work that these guys do,” Tasha guessed. “And I’m probably not the one to tell you, but I’ll give you the short and simple version.”

  By the time she’d finished talking, all Naira could do was stare at her in shock. “You’re serious?”

  “Very serious.” Tasha nodded.

  “Which is why I’ve been trying to keep you out of all this,” Scott murmured beside her.

  She stared at him, frowning. “And you never told me after all these years?”

  “Back then I’d never really defined my skills,” he noted. “There were just things I could do, but I didn’t really tell anyone. Only since I started working with Terk here have I managed to develop them on a completely different level.”

  Naira stared at Terk. “So this is something that you’ve always been able to do?”

  He shrugged. “Since I was little, yes.”

  “And your brother?” she asked.

  “He says no,” Terk replied.

  “He says no,” she repeated, slowly questioning him. “You don’t appear to be very convinced of that.”

  “I’m not sure that I’m convinced or not,” Terk replied. “However, if my brother says that he doesn’t have these abilities, I believe him.”

  She stared at him. “That’s BS.”

  Terk burst out laughing, while the others just stared at her in shock.

  “That’s an odd way to talk to Terk,” Scott noted.

  “That’s because you guys have worked with him for years, have respect for him,” she noted bluntly. “I barely even know him. He brought me over to help with you,” she murmured. “But at no time did I feel like he was concerned about me. His concern was all about you.”

  Scott winced at that. “Terk is very protective. So, when he knew I was in trouble, he did everything he could to balance things in my favor.”

  “Right,” she agreed. “That’s what I mean now. I know that whatever he’ll do will be good for him and for you guys, but that doesn’t mean it’ll necessarily be good for me.”

  When a long silence followed, she knew she’d shocked them. She continued to play with her fork, while she waited for somebody to speak up. They all looked at each other, as if to figure out who would handle this.

  Mariana was laughing now and spoke first. “Looks like you did something that I didn’t think was possible. You stunned them into silence.”

  “I like to call a spade a spade,” Naira replied succinctly.

  “You’re quite right,” Mariana stated. “I never had any doubts that Terk was committed to the safety of his men. … And because that means he’s on the same journey as I am—as in I want to keep my beloved alive and well too—I didn’t have any argument with it. Now I presume the reason that you are having trouble with this is because, from your perspective, it appears to be your life on the line, yet nobody cares.”