Page 24 of Deadly Hope
A ghost of a smile touched his lips with the last one, and Olivia knew he was coming back to himself. He gave her a quick nod, gratitude and something deeper flickering in his eyes before his professional mask slipped back into place.
“Kenji?” he called out, voice steady now. “What are we looking at?”
“Cameras were professionally disabled,” Kenji reported, frowning at his tablet. “This wasn’t some random hack. They knew exactly what they were doing, exactly what protocols to bypass.”
“Which means they know our systems,” Ronan added grimly. “This was an inside job, or someone with serious access.”
A chill ran down her spine. Someone who knew Knight Tactical’s security systems. Someone who could track her movements, predict where she would be.
Someone who was just getting started.
14
Axel kepthis hand at Olivia’s back as they moved through the hallway, hyperaware of every shadow, every blind corner, every potential threat point. Ronan and Griffin flanked them, while Kenji and Deke maintained rear security. Standard protective formation. Just like dozens of other missions.
Or so he’d keep telling himself.
His pulse was still running too fast, breath not quite steady after that moment upstairs. She’d talked him down with quiet expertise, and that burned both the need for it and how easily she’d read him. How she’d known exactly what he needed.
“Axel.” Her voice was low, meant just for him. “We should?—”
“Not now.” He kept his tone professional, impersonal. Kept his eyes scanning their surroundings as they approached the building’s exit. “Vehicle’s five meters ahead. Ronan, take point.”
She subsided, but he could feel her therapist’s gaze on him. Could practically hear the clinical observations formingin her mind. His jaw clenched. He didn’t need analysis right now. He needed to keep her alive.
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the parking lot as they emerged. Axel’s heartbeat kicked into overdrive—too many vehicles providing cover, too many angles of approach, too many?—
“You’re hypervigilant,” Olivia murmured. “Your breathing pattern?—”
“Doc.” He cut her off, gentle but firm. “I appreciate the concern. But until we figure out who’s targeting you and why, my PTSD is not the priority. You are.”
“The two aren’t mutually exclusive,” she argued as they reached the armored SUV. “If your symptoms interfere with?—”
“They won’t.” He opened the vehicle door, scanning the lot one more time. “I’ve managed them for years. I’ll deal with it properly once you’re safe.”
Her expression suggested this discussion wasn’t over, but she climbed into the vehicle without further argument. Smart woman. She knew when to pick her battles.
The ridiculously short drive along the runway to Knight Tactical headquarters was tense, silent except for routine communications checks. Axel kept replaying the camera shutdown, the timing, the implications. Someone had wanted them to know they could get past Knight Tactical’s security. But why show their hand?
“Izzy and Deke are doing a food run,” Ronan reported as they pulled into the hangar. “Just got off the phone with Christian. Main team’s tied up overseas for at least another week.”
“Not a problem,” Axel replied, helping Olivia from the vehicle. “We’ve got this handled.”
The command center was already humming with activity when they entered. Kenji had multiple screens displayingsecurity feeds, system diagnostics, and what looked like lines of code.
“The camera sabotage was professional grade,” he reported, fingers flying over keyboards. “Whoever did this knows our systems. Not just standard security tactics. They knew our specific configurations. Our backdoors. Our failsafes.”
“What doesn’t make sense,” Griffin added, “is the lack of other attempts. No probing of her home security, no surveillance we’ve detected. Nothing. Then suddenly this?”
“So either they’re after something specific they think she has,” Ronan mused, “or ...”
“Or they’re playing a longer game,” Axel finished. “Making sure we know they can get to her, watching how we react.” His fists clenched at his sides. “Well, they’re about to see exactly how we react. Doc, you’re staying here until further notice.”
“But my clients?—”
He exchanged a hard look with Ronan, who nodded. “We can secure the new office location, no problem. You can start seeing clients again tomorrow. That work?”
“Okay. But we need to set up the office?—”
