Page 33 of Atone in Darkness
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Marisol had pulled the curtains closed before going to bed last night, but enough sunlight managed to filter through the thin cotton to stab her eyes. She blinked sleepily and considered getting up, but decided she really would prefer to fall back asleep. They planned to spend another day holed up in the cabin, so there was no rush to be up and about.
But when she tried to turn away fromthe window, she couldn’t move. Something had her anchored in place. No, not something, someone. Chase’s heavy arm was draped across her waist and his big body was pressed against hers from shoulder to toes, his breath warm on the back of her neck.
Even if she had wanted to escape, which was currently up for debate, it didn’t matter. There was nowhere for her to go. Her side of the bed was againstthe wall, so she couldn’t very well slip out that way. She could crawl to the end of the bed and climb out over the footboard, but not without disturbing her still sleeping companion.
All things considered, maybe inviting him to share the bed hadn’t been a good idea, but she didn’t regret it. Having him there under the covers with her had been the difference between tossing and turning all nightand feeling warm and safe. There was just something about Chase that made her believe he really would stand between her and any danger that came at them.
She couldn’t remember ever wanting to trust anyone that much before, and wasn’t quite sure how he’d managed to slip past the walls she’d erected around her heart. Only time would tell if letting him that close was a mistake. There was no usein worrying about it now.
Although she’d originally gone to bed before Chase, she’d tossed and turned until he joined her in the bed, which meant neither of them had fallen asleep until pretty late. The other problem was that he was also still recovering from everything the guards had done to him. Their cross-country trek had taken its toll, too. No, she’d stay right where she was and let thepoor man sleep.
“You’re thinking way too hard for this early in the morning.”
Chase’s deep voice was huskier than normal, as if he was still more asleep than awake. She twisted her head to look back over her shoulder at him. His eyes were at half-mast and lacked the hard edge they often had during the time they’d spent together. It offered her a hint what he’d been like before all of this hadhappened, making him seem more approachable, even younger.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“It’s okay. Did you want me to let you out?”
After a brief hesitation, she said, “No, I’m fine. The sunshine woke me, but it’s still early.”
“Good, because I’m not done sleeping yet.” He actually snuggled closer and tightened his hold on her. “And I’m really comfortable right now.”
Come to thinkof it, so was she. There was no telling what the rest of the day would bring, but right now she’d enjoy the peace and quiet and the warmth of Chase Mosely at her back.
•••
ELI WATCHED LONZOwalk toward the burned-out shell of an old school bus. The Paladin took one look inside the vehicle and stepped back, burying his nose in the crook of his arm and gagging. “Son of a bitch. That’s bad.”
Eli didn’t blame the man for looking a bit green around the gills. He could smell the carnage even though he stood a good thirty feet from the bus.
Lonzo scanned the area. “No sign of survivors here. Let’s check the compound before we report in.”
Good idea. None of them wanted to tell the people waiting back at headquarters that they’d gotten there too late. The rest of the team immediatelyfanned out around them, their weapons drawn and ready. The gate that led into the compound proper was twisted and bent where something had crashed into it. There was just enough room for them to squeeze through the opening one by one.
Eli moved closer to Tyson. “What do you think happened here?”
The other man took a long, slow look around at thebuilding and the ground surrounding it beforeanswering. “I’d say the higher-ups decided to cut bait.”
His voice gave no overt hint as to how he felt about that or the charred bodies on the bus, but Eli recognized cold fury when he saw it. No doubt the former marine was wondering if he’d lost any friends, or at least former associates in the explosion. Short of doing DNA tests on the remains, there was no way to identify the dead.
Jarvisbrushed passed them. “Let’s check out the building.”
Considering how close Jarvis was to Chase Mosely, it wasn’t a good idea to let him take the lead. There probably wasn’t any way to convince him to stay outside and let the others go on the hunt without him. He wouldn’t appreciate them trying to shelter him from whatever horrors they might find inside the building, but at least they could try.
Eli gave Tyson a nudge. “Have you been here before?”
There was a definite chill in Tyson’s gaze as he looked around. “Yeah, briefly. I was part of the original crew stationed here back when I was still part of the spec-ops team. Then they pulled all of us out with no notice and no explanation. Looking back, I suspect that’s when the new management took over, because everything changed after that.”
Eli already knew those changes were why Tyson had walked away from his former employer. Rather than press for more details, he changed the subject. “What are we looking at here?”
He pointed at the large structure right in front of them. “That’s the main building. The motor pool and a barracks are along the back fence. You can see the guard towers on all four corners.”
Tyson started walking towardthe left side of the building, letting the others follow as they would. “The main entrance is this way. The building is C shaped. The doors open into a small lobby. To the left are more guards’ quarters and a secure area I was never allowed into. There’s a gym and some other rooms on the right. The hall leading straight back goes toward a lab, a dining room for the staff, and an apartment forthe resident scientist.”
Okay, that was unexpected. “What did they need a scientist for?”
