Page 22 of Redeeming Meg

It wasn’t his fault; it was the Black Swan leader curled into a ball on the floor. Declan rushed to her, scanning for wounds.

Not a drop of blood marred her skin or clothes. Just a healthy amount of dirt and sweat. She shoved his roving hands away as she sat up. “Nice timing.”

“He could have killed you. Where are your weapons?”

She brushed at the dusty fragments, adding a layer of grime to her already dirty self. “He was scared but not dangerous, as evidenced by the fact he fired into that wall and not me.”

In his ear, Flynn demanded an update. The camera in the upper corner was lights out, so they didn’t have eyes on this area.

Meg responded, shooting Declan a glare. “This is Swan One, over. Swan Two has joined me, and we’re on our way to the safe.” She gestured for him to follow, and he had to stuff down all that rage, making his nerves tingle. This was no time for hurt feelings. “Is Marchetti’s office locked?”

Dell came back with an affirmative, but also reassurance. “It’s open. Although the Chief of Mission is out of town, someone has entered his office. Could be the DCM.”

Marchetti’s deputy chief. Whatever he said next was dampened by static.

“You fucking left me,” Declan snarled.

Meg muted her comm and signaled him to do the same as she headed for the office. “I made a decision. I could fit through the opening, and you couldn’t. Time is slipping away, and I knew you would catch up with me as soon as you could clear the mudslide. It wasn’t personal.”

Like hell it wasn’t. Reinstating his comm, he marched past her, finding the Chief of Mission’s corner office and flinging open the door. Seething. He was seething.

This was what she fucking did to him.

A grizzled man, whose white shirt and tie were rumpled and stained with sweat, whirled from a spot behind the desk, papers in hand. The sound of a shredder droned as it ate up documents.

His eyes darted between Meg and Declan, suspicion etched deep in his wrinkled face. “Who the hell are you?”

Meg scanned the room, dismissing him. Her comm was now active, too, but all they were getting was more static. “Where is the safe?”

Declan looked for the man’s ID. It was missing. “You the Deputy Chief?”

“I doubt that’s any of your business.” His nervous gaze took in Declan’s size and the weapon on his waistband. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“What are you doing in here?”

“Cleaning up this goddamn mess.”

Del’s voice cut through the static. “…Hagar…to breech…front…”

“Finish what you’re doing,” Megan instructed. “And hurry. Time is running out before the terrorists overrun this place.”

“Terrorists?” the man sputtered. “What terrorists?”

“State sent us,” Declan told him. “We’re here for a USB that’s inside the safe. We need access, and we need it now.”

The man’s attention flickered to a large painted picture at the far end of the room. It looked like he was about to deny knowing anything, but the sound of gunfire erupted outside, echoing like thunder in the room. He ducked behind the desk.

“Got it.” Meg marched to the credenza, removed the framed pictures, and surveyed the electronic box behind it. “Loch Ness, are you there? A retina scan and thumbprint are required for the safe.”

This time, it was Tessa who came across the comms. “Nothing to worry about. Loch Ness told me your Eagle Eyes are programmed for the retina scan, and Swan Two has a glove with the required thumbprint.”

Declan joined Meg, fishing out the glove. “Well, what do you know? All right, eye scan first.”

“Tap in this combo of numbers,” Tessa said, reeling them off, “Then hold still.”

Meg followed her instructions, and they both froze as the scanner did its thing. The light switched to green, and a soft automated female voice said, “Retina scanned confirmed. Hello, Deputy Chief. Please place your thumb on the indicated scanner.”

The man popped his head above the desk’s hiding place. “I have a bypass key.”

---