Page 114 of Silent Comrade
They had completed the mission.
Over the top of her head, Gonzo stood in thewings of stage left. A sudden scowl flashed over his face. Hestared out into the audience then back at Red. His teammate’s spinehad gone rigid. Gonzo blinked twice. Made a quick hand signal.Red’s heart dropped. Fuck. He had to be physically in contact withBritt. ASAP. Didn’t care if it broke a fashion show rule.
Keep it together. Get her to the end of thisshow. Alive.
Hurry.
He offered his arm to Britt with what hehoped was an insistent but appropriately broody-model expression.Thank God she accepted it without question, tucking her hand aroundhis elbow. He could yank her into his frame in a split-second, ifneed be.
Red’s back muscles twitched as he walkedBritt to the end of the runway. They stopped and she released hisarm to clap and wave at the audience, giving Red a chance to peeraround. Those few inches of distance made his sanity slip.
Two other men, obvious in how similarly theydressed in black, stood near the guy with sunglasses. Was that whoGonzo signaled about? Were there more?
“Two additional tangos in black, near firstone,” he muttered, transmitting to the team.
Something else niggled at Red’s memory.Something that didn’t fit. The audience members seemed out ofplace, sure. But there was more.
Red retucked Britt’s hand against his armand guided her from the end of the catwalk around to the backstagearea. She’d done it. His heart swelled with pride.
He couldn’t stop looking at her trusting,beautiful face. She was his strength. His weakness.
His concentration split.
The music continued, though not as loudly.The house lights slowly came up along with the backstage lighting.Murmurs of cheering, laughing, shimmering models and designersmixed with chattering of the members of the audience who started tofilter into the backstage area. Maddening cacophony swirled aroundhim, thick and tarry, blocking his ability to discern individualsounds. He fought for clarity. Couldn’t think.
“Britt!” Tachi waved and beckoned her totheir knot of models.
Red paused, not letting go of her.
Gonzo appeared from the stage left wing.“You want me to monitor up here?”
“Yes until we’re secure.”
“Roger that.” Gonzo turned to Britt andhugged her. “Best show I’ve ever walked in. You knocked it out ofthe park,mi fashionista!” He quickly returned to a vigilantstance.
Britt laughed, but hung onto Red’s arm. Shetugged him down the stairs, flitting through the crowd.
Something in the scene didn’t fit for Red.He couldn’t pick it out with his hearing. Too much noise. Lookingover the heads of most of the crowd, he scanned the space again andagain. Britt dropped his hand to run over and hug Tachi. He kept aneye out for the crystal-studded purple hair bobbing in the crowd.Hard to do, given her height.
Nothing seemed out of place. No targetshoned in on her.
Rodeo tugged Tachi toward the far end of thebackstage area, their heads bent toward each other in what lookedlike intense conversation, punctuated with some mutual waving ofhands.
A few minutes later Gonzo breezed by Red.“We’re going to the after-party, right?” He didn’t wait for ananswer, but beelined over to Kim and Damaris where they chattedwith Britt.
Red exhaled. The Morpheus Squad had gottenBritt to the finish line.
Mission accomplished.
His neck and back muscles relaxed.
A white gleam jogged his memory. Abroom.
Oh, shit.
All hell broke loose.
Chapter Fifty
