Page 125 of Silver Fire
Sophie had never seen Derek act so savagely yet she instinctively laid a reassuring hand on his chest. “We have bigger problems, Derek. I need you to let this go.”
He stared at her for a few seconds before turning away, gripping his head in his hands in frustration. “Fuck!” he swore. He prowled the width of the alley like a caged tiger.
Morgan backed away and prepared to leave, but Marissa and Edmunds blocked him. Quint, Lockwood, and Manning and other commandos were up the other way. He was trapped.
“We can’t let you leave,” Marissa said.
Morgan sighed, his massive shoulders slumping. “Yeah, I figured as much.”
19
Derek glanced at Sophie,who was busy fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. Marissa had chewed her out severely for getting “made” on her first outing as a CIA asset. The other guys had been sniggering about it, and Derek himself found it amusing after the fact, but since the infraction reflected on her handler, Marissa was understandably pissed off. He was relieved that the incident in the alley had not attracted outside attention. He let his emotions overrule his better judgment. Derek flexed his jaw and winced at the sting of the bruise above his cheekbone. If anything positive had come out from his brawl with Morgan, it was enabling him to take that first step to overcoming his guilt about Sophie’s abduction. Morgan was right. It still ate at him that someone took her from him and that Derek could have prevented it if he had just stayed with her that night. But to have something—or in this case—someone tangible to vent his anger on still provided some sort of fucked-up therapy.
He turned his attention back to Quint, who was explaining the team division. There were six men guarding the compound at night, but they suspected a total of twenty security personnel were on site.
“Original play book and team assignments will be in effect,” Quint said. “Edmunds will lead the team over the wall. That will be our main offensive and the goal is to quickly subdue the guards without triggering the alarm at SASTac. The last man over the wall will unlock the back gate so the rest of the team can follow through.”
“You all have the map of the compound. We search the main warehouse first. Cortez, Chen, and Dr. Leroux are our specialists. There should be a protective circle around them at all times.”
“I told you before, Lt. Quint, I can take care of myself,” Chen spoke up.
“Understood. Nevertheless, you will be protected,” Quint said. Shifting his attention back to the room, he said, “We’re up against very experienced hostiles. Most of Stolz’s men are ex-military and have been known to be ruthless based on how they have been dealing with the locals. Do not ever underestimate them. You shoot them, make sure they’re dead. Ms. Cole?”
Marissa took over the floor. “We’ll be moving within the next few hours. Two transports. We’ll be parked a mile up from the compound and will make tracks to the northwest wall. We’ll maintain radio silence until the first breach. Hand signals only.”
The rest of the meeting was a re-hash of the initial playbook. After the briefing broke up, the team was handed their gear. Sophie looked balefully at the big duffle bag in front of her.
“Not what you signed up for, baby?” Derek teased.
“Shut up.” Sophie scrunched her nose. “Maia prepared me well. She said my groupings were pretty good, even during tactical exercises I managed to hit the targets.”
“Remind me not to piss you off.”
“Ha. Ha. Believe me, I won’t shoot you, I’ll just use my katana.”
That made Derek wince. “Vicious little thing, aren’t you? Whatever made me think you were as meek as a lamb?”
“My guileless eyes, maybe?” Sophie quipped. Derek chuckled, and dragged her to his side, planting a kiss on top of her head. After the experience with Justin Bishop, he had noticed a change in Sophie’s eyes. Gone was the vulnerability; in its place was a certain hardness that only the experience of fighting for your life could bring. Though he regretted the loss of that innocence in her, it brought her closer to the way of life he had led. Maybe the disparity in their world would reach a point of equilibrium.
“Keep the mushies for later,” Edmunds ragged Derek as the Guardian passed them.
“Fuck off, Edmunds,” Derek shot back good-naturedly.
“Oh my god,” Sophie whispered as the men started chucking their clothes and changing into their gear.
“Fuck,” Derek muttered as he tried to usher Sophie into another room. But she held her ground. “Marissa’s changing her clothes right here. I don’t want any special treatment.”
“I don’t want other men seeing what’s mine,” he whispered fiercely.
“Derek, I like you’re all caveman and all, but it’s nothing less than when I’m wearing a two-piece swimsuit.”
“Sophie—”
“Derek —”
“Fine!”
As Sophie started stripping out of her clothes, he did the same. Every now and then he would catch one of the commandos look over her appreciatively. Derek would make sure he’d catch the guy’s gaze and glare him off.