Page 22 of Provoking Bryan

He wasn’t asking for permission. He was staking his claim.

“Fine,” she said finally, her tone reluctant. “If you’re serious about this, we need a plan. A real one.”

Bryan nodded, gesturing to the map. “I’ve been working on it. There’s a secondary escape route along the coast. If we have to move fast, it’s the best option.”

Sara moved closer, her eyes scanning the map. He’d marked potential choke points, safe zones, and fallback positions. It was solid work—better than she’d expected.

“When did you put this together?” she asked, her voice softer now.

“While you were pacing,” Bryan replied with a faint smile. “Figured one of us should be productive.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the small smile tugging at her lips. “Not bad, Doc.”

Bryan’s smile widened slightly. “High praise from you.”

The moment of levity was short-lived. A sudden rustle outside the window snapped them both to attention. Sara’s hand went to her gun as she moved toward the sound, her pulse quickening.

Bryan was at her side in an instant, his own weapon drawn. Together, they eased the door open, stepping onto the porch in practiced silence.

The wind whipped through the tall grasses, carrying the faintest hint of something not of the natural world—oil, gunpowder, danger.

Sara crouched low, her eyes scanning the open field. “They must have gotten around the perimeter alarm. Do you see anything?” she whispered.

Bryan shook his head, his grip on his weapon steady. “No, but something’s out there.”

A sudden crack of a branch made them both spin toward the sound, their weapons trained on the shadows. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

Then came the unmistakable glint of a scope reflecting in the fading sunlight.

“Down!” Sara shouted, tackling Bryan just as the gunshot rang out. The bullet splintered the wooden railing where he’d been standing moments before.

They hit the ground hard, Bryan’s arms wrapping around her instinctively as they rolled behind cover. Her heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline surging through her veins.

“Sniper,” she hissed, her mind racing. “We need to move.”

Bryan nodded, his voice calm but firm. “Lead the way.”

Sara took a breath, forcing herself to focus. The game had changed, and now it was survival. But as they moved through the shadows, Bryan close at her back, one thought burned bright in her mind:They were out of time.

And the enemy wasn’t going to wait for them to find their footing.

7

BRYAN

Bryan zipped up his bag, glancing toward Sara as she worked, her movements precise and deliberate. The tension rolling off her was tangible, a maelstrom brewing beneath her calm exterior. She double-checked her laptop and satellite phone, securing them in her tactical bag.

“Ready?” he asked, keeping his tone steady.

She nodded, her jaw tight. “You’re sure the boats are compromised?”

“I saw them moving down the beach and another unit was moving toward the tunnels so if we don’t move, they’ll come up through the pantry.”

Sara shook her head. “Fitzwallace needs to invest in some new safe houses. Lately, it seems the bad guys know them better than we do. I swear he’s more interested in the latest spanking horse, than in our fucking safe houses.”

“You know that isn’t true,” said Bryan calmly. “And given what I know about the female operatives of Cerberus, those horses probably get worn out pretty fast.”

Sara whirled around to face him and laughed when he waggled his eyebrows at her.

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