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Risen To The Top CHAPTER 66
Joanne stood beneath the spray of hot water from the showerhead, hands braced on the slick fiberglass wall, her forehead resting against the backs of her fingers. A little over two hours ago she’d survived yet another bombing then listened to the sound of an innocent man’s throat being slit. The same thing that had been done to her mother and brother, maybe even by the same hands. Ever since their death she’d imagined a thousand times what they must have gone through, but hearing the real thing tonight across the phone line was too horrific to bear.Blowing out a breath, she stretched the taut muscles in her neck. It was the middle of the night. She’d woken when the team had reached Havana to change vehicles, and after that it had been a blur of traffic and hotels as they searched for a safe place to stay. Alex had checked them in and whisked her straight up to the room without saying anything to her.There were no more tears to be shed. She’d cried them out in pai
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 67
Face buried in Joanne’s neck, Alex fought to slow his thundering heart.He’d never experienced anything like that in his life. He loved sex, always had, but this was so much more than sex it had rocked him to his core.Sweet Jesus. Whatever this emotional and physical connection between them was, he wanted more of it with Joanne. As much as he could have before he put her on that plane in a few hours. Being with her was the only thing that truly eased the constant bombardment of guilt and restlessness he’d felt since the night Scottie died.She was still wound around him, holding him deep inside her and he didn’t want to break the connection. But her legs and arms were trembling with fatigue and he didn’t want her to be uncomfortable for even a moment longer.He eased out of her and gently unwound her legs from his waist, noting the wince she tried to cover when he set her feet on the shower floor. He paused again to stroke his hands through her damp hair that c
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 68
Joanne sighed softly and looped her arm around his ribs to stroke his back. Up, down, up, down, in a gentle, relaxing rhythm. He was supposed to be the one comforting her, and instead she was soothing him. He fumbled for something to say. Should he bring up what had happened in Marianao and let her talk it out, or act like it never happened?“I’m glad you’re here with me right now,” she whispered against his skin. “I feel safe with you next to me.”Ah, Jesus. Alex closed his eyes as the knife twisted harder between his ribs. After tonight he wouldn’t be there to hold her in the dark when she had nightmares. And she would have them. By taking her to Marianao tonight he’d almost gotten her killed, and for what? They’d lost the cell and the hostage.He nuzzled the top of her head, her damp curls catching on his stubble. “Good. Think you can sleep for a while now?” He hoped so, because she needed it. Plus it would spare them any more of this intense conversation he didn
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 69
Hernandez paused in the midst of yanking a handful of shirts from the shelf in his tiny closet to wipe the back of one wrist across his sweaty face. Lord, he was soaked. He dragged a small duffel bag from the closet floor and shoved the clothes inside. No matter how he tried to control it, he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking. He hadn’t been lying when he’d called in sick to work earlier. He was sick. He’d already thrown up once and his stomach still churned as if it might bring up the light breakfast he’d eaten just before sunrise. That sick feeling in his gut was why he’d decided to run. The authorities were closing in on him, he felt it. Whether it was the Americans or Cubans or the Connery family who eventually took him out was irrelevant at this point. Hernandez had no intention of suffering torture or imprisonment for his part in this operation. He’d already fulfilled his obligation to the organization behind all this and now he wanted out. But how could he do that?
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 70
Claire put on her screensaver—a picture of her, her brother and father—to cover up what she’d just found, though the image of the man was now permanently burned into her brain.Bruce Connery.She sat back and ran an unsteady hand through her hair. Her heart was racing double time because of what she’d just discovered on file. Holy shit, Marshall and the others had no idea what they were up against. She had to warn them.Claire prayed Marshall would respond to her text. Things were about to get critical for everyone involved and she didn’t want him or the others to walk into the situation unawares. And that wasn’t the only thing that made her stomach twist. By poking around in the system and coming up with Bruce Connery’s name, she’d just flagged her activities to the entire NSA network, and probably a few more three letter agencies as well.Shit, shit, shit.She stood and rubbed a hand over her face, too
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 71
Joanne was already drifting back toward consciousness when she felt Alex jerk beside her. Her eyes sprang open in the dimness to find him pushing up into a sitting position. She immediately turned onto her side and propped herself up on one elbow. He’d thrown both legs over the side of the bed and his head was cocked slightly, his body eerily still.“What is it?” she murmured, reaching out to stroke a hand down the length of his naked back. The muscles beneath her palm were rigid with tension.Then she heard it. Faint popping noises, from either down the hall or maybe the floor beneath them. Followed closely by what sounded like human screams. Joanne’s heart stuttered as she realized what it was.Gunfire. Bursts of it.Shit! She shot upright, her eyes on Alex as she lunged for her bra and panties lying on the floor beside the bed.He was already up and reaching for his jeans, his phone to his ear. “We’ve got automatic fire in the hotel,” he said to whoever h
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 72
Out in the hotel parking lot, Marshall shoved his way through the crowd of transfixed onlookers and headed straight for the armed officers maintaining the perimeter a good distance away from the hotel. The SWAT team was doing dick all, standing around the command van. A continuous stream of guests flowed out of the hotel’s ground floor exits, people in their sleepwear doubled over coughing, their clothes and skin tarnished with smoke and soot.No sign of Alex or Joanne, and neither of them had responded to the last two texts Marshall had sent. Ignoring the gestures and shouts for him to stay back, Marshall strode right up to the armed guards to find out what the hell was going on.“I’m an American military contractor, and my team leader’s inside,” he told the pissed off corporal.“No one goes in but law enforcement,” the guy told him firmly. “Get back and give us some room.”He could have tried storming past them but
Risen To The Top CHAPTER 73
At the sound of Alex’s voice Joanne closed her eyes for a second and sent up a silent prayer of thanks. She had no idea how he’d survived all that gunfire, or how she’d remained unscathed with all those bullets flying around. Pushing to her feet, she threw out a hand to steady herself when her legs wobbled. The inside of her chest burned from the smoke and her coughing had done little to clear her lungs. Her left hand gripped the railing, her right holding fast to the pistol. It felt strange against her palm but she wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger if she had to, lack of training or not.A few unsteady steps down and she craned her head around to see Alex and the two men lying crumpled on the floor. Bile rose in her throat. Her gaze swung from the bodies to Alex, taking in the rifles and—Alex was bleeding.“You were shot!” She rushed down the remaining steps, ignoring his muttered dismissal, her attention on the blood spilling down his