Page 50 of Honoring Lena

Gunfire exploded the silence into chaos.

“Contact.” Sosimo’s tight voice pushed her to move faster.

Brightness filled the warehouse as the overhead lights sprung on. She slipped behind a large machine bolted in place. The scrape of a foot across the floor behind her caused her to dodge. Pain exploded through her injured shoulder, almost buckling her knees. She followed her body’s reaction and bent low, spinning on the balls of her feet in a crouch.

Her attacker’s arm skimmed the top of her helmet, knocking off the Eyes Beyond she’d pushed there. Lunging at the man, she rammed her assault rifle into his groin. She cut off his high-pitched, airy squeal by crashing the butt of her rifle to his temple.

Quickly bending to him, she yanked zip ties from her pocket, secured his hands and feet behind him, and shoved him under the machinery. She inhaled deeply to slow her breathing and rolled her aching shoulder as she scanned behind her for any other attackers. Seeing none, she continued toward the commotion.

“Jake? Bjørn?” Zeke grunted.

“Two down,” Jake answered.

Lena dashed to another piece of machinery and ran to the end of it. She peeked around the edge to the open area that had been set up with a few couches and a dining table. Zeke and Rafe fought hand-to-hand with multiple attackers. Could she take one or two out from here? She shook her head. Not without hitting her men.

Bullets pinged, and she shifted to see Gunnar and Sosimo in similar positions. Successive firing sprayed Sosimo and the man he fought. Lena tensed as Sosimo jerked and went down. Marshall darted from a shelf to Sosimo’s side, and Lena’s vision tunneled. No, he wasn’t supposed to be here, couldn’t be in the middle of all this.

“Bjørn, now!” Zeke’s yell startled Lena, causing her to focus.

A man snuck up behind Marshall with his gun raised. Lena aimed and shot in one smooth motion. The man fell without Marshall even knowing.

“Last one down.” Bjørn’s ragged voice whooshed her breath right out of her.

Gunnar finished off his attacker and rushed to Sosimo’s side. Was he already dead? Had the organization left another brokenhearted home? June was due to have her baby soon. What would she do if Sosimo was dead? Lena shook her head, scanned the area behind her, and refocused on how to proceed. As Rafe and Zeke neutralized their assailants, a man stood from the makeshift living area with his back to her.

“Enough!” His voice boomed through the warehouse, and Lena sucked in a gasp.

Where did she know that voice from? He yanked Carter from the couch and held the boy in front of him with a gun to Carter’s head. Lena barely controlled the primal urge to dash out and rip the man’s head from his body.

“Ed?” Marshall stood, his voice thick with disbelief. “What are you doing?”

Lena’s teeth clenched the inside of her cheek to bite down the anger at the backstabber. Ed Ross had been Marshall’s best friend since college. Marshall trusted Ed enough to have him run the business when they went into hiding. Lena reeled at this betrayal. What must Marshall be feeling?

“Isn’t it obvious?” Ed’s voice dripped with disdain.

“No. It’s not. Why are you with these terrorists?” Marshall moved forward with jerky movements, his hands up in surrender.

“Let’s just say their plans make sense, more so than your insipid attempts at reformation.” Ed’s hatred spewed with each word as Zeke and the team inched forward. “Stop where you are, or I’ll shoot the kid.”

“Daddy?” Carter whimpered.

“It’s okay, buddy.” Marshall’s tone roughened as his eyes narrowed on Ed. “I’m just chatting with Uncle Ed.”

Ed hadn’t turned around to check his six. She leveled her gun on him. One clean shot to the head and this would be done. Her hands trembled. If she missed, she’d shoot Carter. Could she take Ed by surprise without hurting Carter? Marshall’s step faltered as she came out from behind the machine. She snuck toward Ed, praying with each step that he wouldn’t turn around.

“Why stay with me, then? Why not just leave?” Marshall continued moving to Ed.

“My association to you has been beneficial these last three years.” Ed shrugged one shoulder. “Leaving would’ve been counterproductive, especially after you started supporting June and her endeavors. It paid to have someone on the inside, someone who could access her facilities.” He shrugged. “Someone who could compromise the quality of your product to her.”

“Three years?” Marshall’s hands dropped and his expression widened at Ed’s statement. “Amara…”

Lena gritted her teeth. Marshall’s best friend couldn’t have been a part of Amara’s murder.

“Was too easy to manipulate. You too, for that matter.” Ed shook his head and gave a humorless laugh. “She almost ruined everything. Came to me in tears about being blackmailed and how she was going to tell you. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Pounding banged in Lena’s ears. When she got her hands on this traitorous piece of dirt, she’d make him pay. She slid past furniture, Carter’s quiet sniffles galvanizing her forward. How could she get Ed to point the gun away from Carter’s head?

“We’re clear from up here.” Jake’s low tone came through the headset and eased down her spine.

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