Page 57 of Final Sins
The big mandropped at Jason’s feet.
Jason stepped out of arm’s reach, just in case, and shook his hand. It had been a long time since he’d landed an uppercut with a bare fist.
The ballroom had erupted into chaos, a sea of panicked socialites and confused wait staff swirling past as they bolted for the exits. Luckily, he and Alex were on the far side of the room when the flashbang exploded. The auditory and visual effects of the blast diminished quickly with every foot from the blast. And he’d been fortunate to be facing away from the grenade, so his vision was barely impacted.
Alex was still blinking hard. She had that dulled look, as if she were having trouble deciphering communications.
A quick glance told him they’d lost their target. Sandwiched between two burly dudes, Winthrop was already halfway out the exit.
He tapped his comlink, voice low and urgent. “Heads up, team. We’ve got a situation. Target escaped. Primary objective now is retreat. Expect to spot two types of hostiles: hired muscle posing as private security, and Seven-Five operatives. Stay sharp.”
Cody’s voice crackled in his ear, calm and focused. “Copy that. I’ll keep an eye out for Seven-Five operatives. They tend to stand out in a crowd like this. Plus, the man’ll have regular, civilian security around, too.”
Jason scanned the room again, noting exits, potential weapons, and the ebb and flow of the panicked crowd. His hand instinctively reached for where his sidearm would usually be, finding only the smooth fabric of his tuxedo. He grimaced. This was going to get complicated.
Alex had helped the fallen woman to her feet just has Kate arrived to take the woman’s other arm.
Pride swelled in his chest at Alex’s quick decision to aid the innocent bystander, even as worry gnawed at him.
“Time to leave,” he barked into his comm. “Cody, bring the van around. We’re aborting.”
Jason’s muscles tensed at Cody’s urgent update crackling through the comlink.
“Heads up, we’ve got company. Two Seven-Five operatives closing in fast. Asian woman in emerald silk, coming in from your three o’clock. Gray-haired guy with a ponytail in a black tux, approaching from nine o’clock. Both converging on your position.”
“Copy that,” Jason muttered, his eyes scanning the crowd. He spotted the woman first, her emerald dress a vibrant splash against the sea of panicked partygoers. Her movements were too controlled, too purposeful to be a civilian caught in the chaos.
“Alex, we need to move.” He repeated Jason’s order. “Now.”
He saw the recognition flash in her eyes as she caught sight of the approaching threat. “Go,” Kate ordered. “I got this.”
Alex fell into step beside him as they weaved through the crowd. “Winthrop’s gone. What’s the play?”
Jason’s mind raced, formulating and discarding plans in rapid succession. “We split up. I’ll draw their attention. You get to the extraction point.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Nope. We’re in this together.”
A ghost of a smile tugged at Jason’s lips despite the gravity of the situation. “Yeah. I didn’t figure that would fly. Fine. Then let’s give them a show they won’t forget.”
The gray-haired man headed their way, ponytail swinging. The woman closed in from the opposite direction.
“Cody,” Jason spoke into his comm. “We’re going to need another distraction. Something big.”
“On it,” came the swift reply. “Give me thirty seconds.”
Jason found Alex’s hand, squeezing it briefly. “Ready?”
Her answering grin was fierce and beautiful. “Born ready.”
They faced off against the approaching operatives. Cody’s voice crackled through their earpieces, relaying real-time intel from the van.
“Female operative will reach you first.” Paige chimed in, her voice taut with concentration.
“They won’t fire weapons,” Cody added. “But be ready for tranq darts or stun guns.”
Jason prepared to spring into action.
The woman lunged straight at him. Big mistake. He feigned right, then swayed left, redirecting her momentum, using her own weight against her. She stumbled, off-balance. In the next breath, he had her arms behind her back.