Page 3 of Code Name: Phoenix

She was mine, and after the arrests were made, I was coming for her. I was going to come clean about everything. I was going to tell her I was undercover and five years older than she thought. I was going to ask her to forgive my secrets, and I was going to tell her I loved her and start earning every beautiful piece of her back.

Now she’s gone.

She’s out there somewhere, scared and cold.

Or she’s…The thought hits me like a freight train. Without warning, I lunge toward the door, pushing and forcing my way through the guys in front of me, but I don’t make it.

Anticipating the move even I didn’t know I would make, one of the men standing behind my commander steps into my path and takes me down without effort. In my haze, all my thoughts are of Jessa. Not combat. Not tactical maneuvers. And he takes advantage.

In the next breath, I’m on the floor with both of the new guys on top of me, pinning me in place, and I pivot from flight to fight. But I’ve already been immobilized.

His tactical experience level is evident by the way I hit the ground fast without feeling much pain. Or maybe I’m numb from the emotions building inside of me.

“Jack.” The sorrow in my commander’s voice is unmistakable. It isn’t his sadness he’s projecting. He’s reflecting my own misery, and I shift my gaze to the floor to see the growing pool of tears gathering underneath me. My chances of finding Jessa are slipping away. “We need to get you out of here. You’re being sent back to base for eval. You can get up on your own, or you can wake up there.” He lets his threat linger as the men shift to take full control of my person. “And, Jack, I am sorry.”

He isn’t talking about his regret at needing to restrain me.

He’s talking about Jessa.

At least a couple of hours have passed since the car went over the edge. The late spring weather has been uncharacteristically cold, and it’s made the water deadly.

She either made it out by breaking the window and swimming to shore—but no, she would have been found, cold and close to hypothermia—or she made it out and got pulled under.

Those are the only two scenarios in my head, and as I bounce between them, my commander’s voice echoes into my thoughts.

Her backpack was in the car, and the window was broken from the inside.

Their bodies are missing.

There’s my line.

I’m not going to be walking out of here today.

My body shakes, and I can’t control it. As much as I try to stop the pain from manifesting, I can’t. It’s too powerful.

I release a guttural cry. A surge of anxious energy flows through me, filling me with a toxin I can’t purge. I need to release this pressure. It’s too much to take.

As I struggle to suck in the air I just cried out, one of the guys orders the other to hold me still. It’s followed by a pinch in my arm, and my will to fight dulls.

My body relaxes then numbs as my world goes black.

CHAPTER1

JACK

PRESENT DAY

“Phoenix. What’s your ETA? Our pieces are in place, and we’re ready to roll the dice. Waiting for your go.” Grizz’s voice echoes in my earpiece as we turn down the dirt road toward our destination.

His team was the first on site, and they’ve surrounded our target, effectively caging them in in preparation for our arrival.

“We’re approaching target. Five minutes out, speed reduced. Hold tight. Approach on my mark.” I direct the rest of our team through my headset then lean forward to speak to Grey in the driver’s seat. “Slow it down. Keep the dust low.”

“Got it, boss,” Grey answers over his shoulder, dropping his speed and keeping his eyes on the road ahead. He’s the newest member of our team, barely out of college and still learning the ropes.

I look around the SUV on a status check. The rest of our guys are working on their own parts, checking their weapons and comms and monitoring other channels for any signs of communication coming from the building.

“I don’t feel good about this, Phoenix.” Logan uses my code name as he aims his disapproving glare in my direction. “I know how badly you want to nail Maxwell to the wall for what happened. We all have our reasons for wanting to put that family down, but I don’t think we have enough intel.”

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