Undercover Captor(35)

Drew’s lips were a thin, grim line. “You weren’t ever supposed to be brought into this mess. Hell, you didn’t even have a tracker on you! There was no way we thought that HAVOC would ever come after you.”

A tracker. She stiffened. Tina had placed trackers in plenty of agents. The small devices were inserted right under the skin, a precaution in case of capture. The EOD could follow the signal sent from the tracker and locate the agent almost any place.

“Once we realized Drew had left the ranch, we activated his tracker. That’s how we got to you both so fast in Lightning. Before Drew and Sarah checked in, we were already en route.” Dylan’s face tightened. “I’m sorry you were brought into this mess. It wasn’t supposed to be you.”

“But now it is.” She was tangled up in HAVOC without any chance of escape.

Dylan nodded. “And now we need your help.”

“Dylan...” A warning edge entered Drew’s voice.

Dylan’s gaze flashed. “The orders came from Mercer. As long as Devast is out there, she’s not going to be safe.” He jaw hardened as he stared at Drew. “Do you want that? Do you truly want her to be constantly at risk, always looking over her shoulder, always wondering when another attack might come?”

Drew’s hands fisted.

Tina clutched the bag of clothes a bit tighter. “What is it that you want me to do?”

Dylan focused back on Tina. “We don’t want you to run. We don’t want to hide you.”

Drew swore. “I told you already. I don’t like this plan. We have other options that can work.”

“Nothing that we can do now. Nothing that will be as effective as—”

“As what?” Tina demanded.

Dylan hesitated a moment, then said, “We want you to help us catch Devast.”

* * *

“SHE’S STILL ALIVE.”

Anton didn’t let his expression alter when he heard this news. “That is disappointing. You’d...assured me that she was on the plane.”

“That agent—he stopped her. I thought she’d already gotten on board, but the guy stopped her for some damn sweet talk.” Disgust thickened the words as they drifted over the phone line. “Those two must be involved. I don’t know how the hell I missed that.”

“Apparently, Agent Lancaster is a man who is very good at keeping secrets.” Drew Lancaster...not Stone Creed. That had just been an alias the agent used when he got close to HAVOC. Now Devast understood who the fellow truly was. And it was time to unearth every secret Drew Lancaster possessed.

Know your enemy. When you knew your enemy, it was easy to attack his weak spots.

“They took Tina Jamison to a local hospital then they cleared out of the place. But don’t worry, I’ll find them. Just give me a little time.”

Anton sighed. Why did everyone always think that he would tolerate failure? “Time isn’t on your side. You’d better find them, fast.” But he was already talking to a dead man. Whether this man delivered Tina Jamison or not, he was dead.

Anton had no use for traitors. Men like the agent on the phone...they’d sell out anyone.

He stared down at the photo on the desk in front of him.

Drew Lancaster.

He’d already managed to pull up some records on the man. Born in a small Mississippi town, abandoned by his father. The guy had been trouble as a kid, thrown in and out of juvenile halls. He was always running from the law.

Lancaster’s mother had worked herself to death.

And Drew Lancaster...he’d fought his way out of that life and joined the army.

Became very, very good at killing.

Anton hung up the phone and kept staring at Drew Lancaster’s image. A man who’d come from nothing. Who existed only to kill.

Right now, Drew Lancaster was one of Mercer’s attack dogs, but, as Anton had already discovered, some of Mercer’s men could be bought...if the price was right.

Anton was good at making the price right.

He smiled as he stared down at Lancaster. Another dead man, one who just didn’t know it yet.

But, before Drew Lancaster died, Anton planned to use him.

Use him, then dispose of him.





Chapter Seven


The Dallas skyline stretched in front of Drew. He stared at the buildings, noting the sweep of architecture as it bled into the red evening sky.

He and Tina were in a plush hotel room. Five star all the way. No dusty sheets or wobbly chairs would be found in this place. For security, Drew had requested two adjoining rooms. Dylan and Rachel were stationed right down the hall in another set of adjoining rooms.

Dylan was determined to go through with Mercer’s ridiculous plan. They wanted Tina to continue with the deception of being Mercer’s daughter. Wanted her to play that part—and to keep Anton’s focus on her—until their team could bring down HAVOC and its leader.