Brody sat back in his chair and laced his fingers on top of his head. "No pressure there."
"I know."
Going after Jordan would put everyone in danger, and possibly get them killed. She didn't want that hanging over her, and she'd never be able to live with herself if something did happen to one of them. She'd just got them back, and she wouldn't lose them again.
Maybe it would be best to let Jordan be. He'd be gone for good, but she wouldn't be able to live with herself if these men died trying to protect her or while trying to save Jordan.
"I can't let you guys do this." All heads swiveled her way, and she pushed a lock of hair over her shoulder. "It's too dangerous."
Joe spoke in a quiet voice. "If we don't do this, then Jordan will continue to kill others, people who most likely don't deserve to die. And, he will continue to hunt me. I'm certainly not comfortable with that."
"But you're going to be hunted by that Group Nine, anyway."
Joe gazed at her steadily. "Yes, but we have the perfect opportunity to get him back right now, and I can always re-cover my tracks so Group Nine doesn't find me."
"And you all could die."
After a long moment of silence, Joe spoke again.
"If we don't go after him, he will eventually kill me, Ava. Think of a hungry dog going after a steak-he will be relentless. This is about self-preservation for me, and you getting your husband back, as well as preventing future killings."
The room went quiet as his words settled over them.
Finally, Lucas spoke as he took her hand. "Look, Ava. We love Jordan like our brother, and he needs our help. We've all agreed that we're all in on this one."
She glanced around the room. "So, it doesn't matter what I say?"
Lucas shook his head. "I'm afraid not, sweetheart. We're going after Jordan-you're outnumbered on this one. We can certainly use your help, but if you're too uncomfortable with it, then we understand. It's scary shit."
Tears pricked her eyes at the dedication these men had to each other. She couldn't allow them to go in and confront Jordan on their own. If seeing her could possibly bring back his memories, then she'd do what needed to be done.
Yet, her stomach clenched, and it seemed as if her whole body would tremble right off the couch. The thought of seeing this Jordan scared her as much as thinking about these men being hurt. But she'd pull on her big girl panties, push her fears aside, and do what she could to help.
"Okay, I'm in. But you guys better be careful."
Garrett smiled at her, his white teeth gleaming against his dark skin. "You got it, baby. We're always careful when it counts."
After dinner, she went down to the beach with Garrett, Lucas, Brody, and Zach. They all sat around on old driftwood, and Brody stacked some kindling to make a fire, but then they realized they hadn't brought down any matches to light it. It didn't seem to damper the mood, though. The men laughed hysterically as they recalled stories from their lives before the explosion.
She tried to keep her demeanor light, but her mind weighed heavy with what they would put in motion tomorrow. She worried not only about these men who wanted to help, but also for Jordan, and she hoped that they could break through whatever hold Group Nine had on his memory.
"Remember when Garrett got into that fight at the bar with that big guy?" Brody asked.
"I do." Zach chuckled. "He was so drunk, when he took a swing, he hit nothing but air."
Lucas roared. "And then fell into that table, spilling everyone's drinks. That whole table wanted to beat his ass, until they realized he'd completely passed out, his head in the plate of nachos they were sharing!"
She couldn't help but giggle, as she'd been there that night with Jordan. They'd had to get Garrett out of the bar, as well as try to calm down his attackers and make them realize they dealt with a unit of marines, not just some random drunks. Things could have gotten very ugly, very quickly, and she had been relieved when the altercation hadn't escalated.
"Yeah, sometimes, my mouth gets me in trouble," Garrett said with a chuckle. "Too bad I couldn't turn into a bear back then. I'd have kicked his ass."
Lucas rolled his eyes. "Just what the world needs to see-a drunk bear."
"Do it," Brody said, taking a long pull of his beer. "I haven't seen it yet. Turn into a bear."
Garrett stood and closed his eyes for a moment. Suddenly, a golden aura surrounded him. She startled when she heard what she thought was someone walking on sticks, then she realized the snapping and cracking came from Garrett. Could that be his bones breaking?
He fell to his hands and knees as his umber skin turned darker and his back arched. His head grew in size, and through the glow, she could see dark, thick hair sprouting. As his fingernails extended into long, sharp claws, his hands and feet widened into huge paws.
Then, the glow slowly faded.
She stared in disbelief, both horrified and fascinated all at once. Yes, she'd been told that this was the way the explosion had affected him, but hearing about it and seeing it proved to be two different things.
The bear meandered along the shore away from them, and she found herself glad the beach stood so secluded. Someone could get their rifle and start taking shots at him, or maybe even worse, take pictures of him turning into a vicious beast. Then, she'd see him on the cover of one of the trashy magazines at the checkout line in the store.
They watched Garrett roam for a few moments in silence, then Brody whispered, "Watch this," a mischievous grin on his face.
Brody began twirling his finger in a circle and a tornado of water about five feet high appeared in the ocean. It followed behind the bear along the shoreline, as if it stalked him. Garrett hadn't seen the funnel, but seemed to be very preoccupied sniffing at something in the sand.
"Things are about to get interesting," Zach said from her right, a big grin on his face.
"How do you know?"
"I saw this in the mirror this morning. Just watch."
Suddenly, the water tornado grew and then landed on top of Garrett, soaking him and eliciting a loud roar from him. He turned to them and stood on his hind legs, pawing at the air in front of him as he glared at Brody.
Brody and Lucas laughed so hard, tears ran down their faces. They reminded her of two little boys telling fart jokes to each other. When not on duty, maturity had never been any of their strong points.
She couldn't help but giggle, but then screamed in terror and scrambled backward off the log she sat on. A large fire had suddenly erupted in front of her, where the sticks Brody had gathered earlier sat.
"It's Ruben," Zach said, standing.
"Good to see you, man!" Ruben said, taking Zach into a hug.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm the fear.
A palm landed on her shoulder, and she turned to see Ruben standing above her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the sand.
"Hey, Ava. I'm sorry I scared you like that. I just figured the wet bear would want to come in and get warm once he calms down a little bit."
She glanced over at Garrett, who shook his big bear head, water flying everywhere. Lucas and Brody still laughed, and she smiled. She had always loved hanging out with these guys. There had always been silliness and good-natured ribbing, and a lot of laughs.
But now, with their abilities, things had just become a lot more interesting.
7
The next day, Jordan sat in his room at the Four Seasons, the file of his next target laid out in front of him. As he studied the man in the picture, Joe Smith, he memorized every detail about him-blue eyes, strong jaw, wide shoulders, and a small mole on his neck.
He had two days to case out the hotel, to find out where the best place to do the kill would be. Joe Smith would be holding a meeting Friday afternoon at three in a private suite on the top floor, a meeting he would never survive.
Standing, he stretched his arms above his head, then dropped to the rug for twenty push-ups.
He'd been feeling antsy since he'd arrived in Seattle yesterday afternoon, and he couldn't place his finger on the reason why. Something about this city seemed so familiar, but he'd never been here on any of his jobs. He wished he could remember his life before Group Nine, but the doctors had said that his memory probably wouldn't return.
Still irritable after the push-ups, he grabbed his card key; a walk may rid him of this extra energy.
The day was beautiful. As he strolled along the Seattle Waterfront toward Pike Place Market and enjoying the view of green islands and blue waters, the sun warmed his back while a light breeze caressed his face. Overall, he should be enjoying the sights and sounds of a summer day in Seattle, but he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that seemed to have settled all around him, like a heavy blanket.
Once he reached the market, he walked into the throngs of people, always feeling best when surrounded by crowds because he became invisible. He stopped for a few moments and watched the fish guys throw a huge, frozen salmon around for a bit as tourists took pictures and videos. He couldn't help but grin at the sight of the fish flying through the air and the excited reaction of the crowd. It all seemed so silly, but everyone loved it.