Page 103 of Taken By the Convicts
“Then use me to draw Hawke out. You can’t go up against Hawke without some advantage.”
“Sorry, my little bird. You’re staying here.” This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening!
“Reece?” Melina said, lifting her eyes to him, silently pleading for him to find another way.
Reece wrapped his arms around her, almost lulling her into feeling safe, except it was an illusion. He and Ivan were going out there to retrieve Jayce, without weapons, without backup or even the element of surprise. The moment Reece’s lips brushed hers, she locked her arms around his back and clutched his coat.
Even before the kiss ended, Reece had gently pried her off of him. A second quick kiss on the tip of her nose, followed by a relaxed and almost playful smile warmed her heart but didn’t calm her, not in the least.
“Go, Melina. Inside. Stay alert. Stay Safe. I’m trusting you to be here when we return.”
Melina waved her wrist tattoo over the med-center’s access panel. The door unlocked, and she held it open. Ivan and Reece wouldn’t leave until she entered and the door locked behind her.
“Be safe,” she said, her words coming out as a whisper as she disappeared inside.
When the door clicked shut, Melina slid to the floor. Her body shook with fear. She had no control over what would happen.
But that didn’t mean she didn’t have options.
“You okay?” Davies asked.
Melina pulled herself to her feet. “Fine. Just. . . I need to get back to work.” She stopped by Med Bay 1 where she had three patients recovering from serilium contamination. Their masks had failed deep in Mine #8 and they’d breathed in too much serilium dust. Two were recovering nicely. The third man needed another few days before his lungs would be clear.
With the men sleeping comfortably, she headed down to her lab. She needed to get her mind off of her men and trust Ivan. He wouldn’t put them in danger. Ivan didn’t take risks. Usually.
Hell, Ivan took risks when he had to, and she was fooling herself into thinking otherwise.
Melina laid out the plastic bags of samples of the unidentified trees in Section B she’d gathered earlier that week. Getting lost in her work was the best distraction.
The bottle of the cure for XRGN-723 sat on the metal counter, staring at her. Ivan.
And that’s when the idea struck.
* * *
REECE
Reece had triedbut couldn’t get access to his sonic rifle until third shift. Jayce wouldn’t last that long.
Ivan lay flat on his belly, watching Hawke’s camp, looking for any sign of Jayce or a way to get to Hawke. The camp was too well fortified, with at least twenty men patrolling in and outside a wall of ice. They’d used the snow to build a natural barrier that wouldn’t stop attackers but would slow them down.
Reece’s instincts said to retreat, to find another way, but Ivan was the trained soldier. He had the experience of going up against enemy forces, and he cared about Jayce enough not to give up.
“We’re going to have to wait until dark.”
Reece pointed to the paper. Ivan hadn’t told Melina about the deadline. If they didn’t hand her over by end of second shift, Hawke would kill Jayce. Hawke didn’t make idle threats.
“I’ll go down there before the deadline and stall. There’s only two of us. We don’t have another choice. I’m counting on you, Reece. You’ll have to get that rifle, break away from the guards on your hunting team, and make it back here fast.”
From Ivan’s expression, Reece could tell he didn’t think the plan would work, but they had no better option. Bringing Melina into the fray, risking her, was out of the question.
Reece nodded. He’d follow Ivan’s lead. He’d never been part of a unit before. Sure, he’d had other security personnel around when he’d guarded Crimshaw, but there was no camaraderie there. None of them would risk their lives for the other, just for the man who paid them. Ivan would risk his life for any of the people in his unit, even Reece.
“Shit,” Ivan said.
Reece spotted the dark-haired man being escorted out of the building by three of Hawke’s guards on either side and Hawke leading the way. Seven men. Ivan and Reece could take them if they could separate Jayce from the guy holding a knife to his back.
“Where are they taking him? The exchange was to take place here.”
