Isaac exhaled in relief. He knew Lizzie was going to be pissed because she was a damn good agent and in any other circumstance, he'd be glad for her to have his back. But she still wasn't one hundred percent recovered from her brush with death. She'd been through her own hell and the last thing she needed was to be right back in the line of fire. Not that Sterling would ever allow it. Lizzie's husband was one of the few men who didn't back down from her and had no problem going toe to toe with her when it came to her safety. Her being at risk was never going to be an argument she won with Sterling. The man was every bit as hot-headed, stubborn and rigid as Lizzie could be, especially when it came to anything having to do with his wife being in harm's way. Sterling wasn't above cuffing her to his wrist, a chair or his bed, because he'd unapologetically done it before.
"So what do we do in the meantime?" Isaac asked, noting every one of his teammates come to attention and focus intently on Dane. They obviously wanted to know every bit as badly as he did. They all hated just sitting around with their thumbs up their asses, waiting for the enemy to come to them.
That wasn't who or what they were. It wasn't the way they operated. Ever. They took the fight to their opponent. They called the shots. They decided when, how and where and they always opted for the element of surprise. It had certainly served them well enough in the past.
"We keep Jenna safe. We watch our sixes at all times. I don't want anyone going anywhere alone. No easy targets. If they want us, they're going to have to take us all on," Dane said.
"So we sit tight, stay here and play house and pretend we aren't being hunted and that those bastards won't try to get their hands on Jenna again," Isaac said bitterly.
The others didn't look any happier with Dane's edict. Dane gripped his nape with one hand, rubbing and squeezing, his agitation evident.
"If you think I like this any more than any of you, you're fucking wrong," he snapped. "Our primary objective is to keep an innocent woman from the hands of a goddamn monster. A man who ordered the slaughter of over one hundred people, including babies, children and women. Staying here is the very best thing we can do for the time being, until we know more about them than they do about us. If we show ourselves in public then we betray Jenna, when we've sworn to her that we'll do anything we can to make sure she's never subjected to that butcher's brutality. Does it suck? Hell yeah. It turns my fucking stomach to stand down and hide like some fucking coward and send them the message that we're afraid of them."
Dane grew even more furious, his face reddening in rage.
"We aren't afraid of inept dickheads who get off on making an innocent woman suffer. What we are is smarter. While they're running out in broad daylight and in public, we're lying low and waiting for them to fuck up and make a mistake, and that's when we nail their asses to the wall. And you know what? Let them think we're afraid. It will only make them that much more confident and bolder and since they're already stupid as fuck, they'll screw up. We just have to be patient and not be the ones to fuck up first."
"Gotta say, boss man, that's twisted yet very righteous logic," Dex said.
Zeke nodded, and then one by the one the others did as well until only Shadow and Isaac remained still.
"You're right. It sucks," Isaac bit out. "But I won't risk Jenna in any way and if that means holing up here for however long it takes until they fuck up, then that's what I'll do."
Shadow merely nodded, remaining silent, though his eyes burned with anger and frustration.
"Who are you putting on the women?" Brent asked, speaking up for the first time. "They've been through enough fear, pain and horror. This doesn't need to touch them in any way." His eyes burned with the memories of all the women who'd come to mean so much to all of DSS, not just their husbands, who had suffered but survived. He was angry, and yet there was clear worry reflected in his expression.
"They're strong, no doubt," he continued. "But even the toughest nut will crack under repeated trauma. I don't like Caleb having both Ramie and Tori to look after. His attention absolutely can't be divided, and neither woman deserves to be the one who gets the short end of the stick. Tori wouldn't . . ." He inhaled sharply. "I don't think she'd survive it again," he said quietly.
Dane's face was a mask of cold fury, his entire body tense, his jaw bulging with the strain of clenching his teeth so tightly. "I'm taking over Tori's protection. I don't have a wife, no choice to be made if the worst happens. Isaac will take the lead here and all of you will remain for his backup and above all, Jenna's protection. When I said that Tori was with Caleb and Ramie, I meant, but didn't state at the time, that it was a temporary situation until I can get as much protection in place for Ramie, Ari and Gracie as possible. But Tori will be with me and Sterling has enough manpower that he can spare the muscle to add to my protection of Tori. No one knows where I'll be taking her. It's one of the few secrets I have from Caleb and Beau, but it wasn't meant to be a safe house until now. Given the fact that no one, not even a single DSS member, knows its location, it's the obvious choice. Sterling's men are going ahead to more heavily fortify the place and then they'll take position so they completely surround the facility, and should anyone make it past them, I have an impenetrable safe room with a meticulously stocked arsenal at my disposal. No one will get to Tori on my watch."