Page 41 of Digital Desire

Aubrey fought the cacophony of emotions that swirled through her at the mention of Mickey and his involvement with her parent’s deaths, no matter that he hadn’t been the one to do it. His guilt by association was enough for her.

“You’re wrong, the fact that he was in there proved who he was.”

“Like Will you mean? He was in jail, so he’s automatically a bad person?” he asked.

“No, that is not what I meant. Will saved himself, he was never bad. Mickey was a lost soul that needed saving, and I was never the person for that job.”

“Maybe not, detective, maybe not,” he said as he looked to the ceiling and smiled. “Time to go, let’s move,” he said as he raised the gun up and motioned for her to stand.

* * *

Will jumped out of the car as he watched a helo fly in low towards the embassy and hover. “What the fuck?”

“It’s Chopper’s men,” Jace said as they watched four men dressed in black fatigues fast rope in and land on the roof. He ducked as covering fire began to hit the bonnet of the SUV from the helicopter.

Jace returned fire as they moved for cover behind the vehicle. Will leaned in and grabbed the laptop so he could continue to monitor Aubrey and Flowers. Sitting on his ass with his back to the SUV, Will watched as Flowers pulled Aubrey through the fire exit into the back hallway that led to the roof. He locked the door in front of them and released the locks behind so Alex and Drew could follow. Jace swore beside him, and he looked up to see blood on the white t-shirt of his left bicep.

“You okay?” Will asked as Jace continued to fire up at the helo.

“Yeah, fine, it’s nothing,” he said, and Will took his cousin at his word.

An SUV pulled behind them, and he saw his brother and Liam jump out.

“Sitrep,” yelled Jack as he ran and crouched beside him while Liam took up position beside Jace.

“Tommy Flowers is Rupert Pierce, and he’s been working at the embassy. He has Aubrey, and they’re making their way to the roof. Alex can’t get close enough to make a shot without endangering Aubrey.”

“Fine, you’re doing great, Will. Just keep stalling him while Liam and I get into position.”

“Fine,” Will replied.

He watched his brother speak to Jace and Liam, but he couldn’t hear what was said. He returned his attention to Aubrey and Flowers who was using a mobile tablet to hack the doors open. He watched as they came to the final door that must lead to the roof and felt as if his whole world was about to implode.

Then out of nowhere an idea hit him. “Jack,” he called. His brother turned and moved closer, so he could hear. “I have an idea. If I hack the onboard computer on the helo, they’ll either have to land or crash but I have to do it before Aubrey gets on board.”

“Do it,” Jack said instantly.

Will began to hack and before long was inside the onboard computer. He switched off one of the engines and looked up to see the helo tilt and start to wobble. Switching back to the cameras he saw Flowers was through the door and leading Aubrey up the stairs now. The two men left alive on the roof headed for the door as it opened, and Flowers stepped through ducking his head as he shoved Aubrey at the larger man.

The helo began to tilt and spin and pulled up just as Flowers reached it to steady it. A rope ladder was thrown down, and Flowers began to climb as the helo lifted and flew away. Will reversed the commands reinstalling the engine, not prepared to kill hundreds of civilians by crashing a helicopter into the street to stop Flowers getting away.

Will stood as Jack and Jace ran in a crouch to the side of the building. Liam was already halfway up the fire exit ladder when Jack began to climb. Will had his foot on the bottom rung when he heard shots ring out on the roof above him. His body froze in fear as silence rang out.

Chapter 19

As Aubrey stood under the shower spray and watched the water run down her body, taking with it the blood of the man that Drew had shot as he held a gun to her head, she tried to fight the shakes. Her job as a detective had allowed her to see things most people never saw. She’d thought she was prepared, that she knew what to expect, but she hadn’t had a clue.

She felt no regret that the man was dead, he would have killed her without a second thought if Drew hadn’t shot him when he did. No, the shakes were from the shock of seeing another person die and being covered in their warm blood.

It made her thankful that there were men and women like the ones who worked for Fortis and Eidolon who were prepared to do what they did to keep unknowing civilians safe. The sacrifice they made was huge, and now when she looked at them all, she saw what she hadn’t seen before. Each mission took a part of them with it, each kill, each horror that they witnessed.

It was precisely as Alex had described, and she had no shame in admitting she couldn’t do it but her respect for those that could was tenfold now, and she would do whatever she could to support the strong men and women that did.

Stepping out, she grabbed the fluffy towel Will had given her before she came in to shower and wrapped herself in it. Aubrey remembered the fear she had felt as Flowers shoved her at the man with such cold eyes and told him to deal with her. Flowers had admitted he had no stomach for murder, but he also had no compunction about having her killed by someone else’s hand.

Stepping into yoga bottoms and a light t-shirt, Aubrey left her hair loose as she went to look for Will. He’d hardly left her side since he had peered over the side of the roof and seen her. The look of relief had told her he had feared the worst. Jack and Liam had stayed behind to clean up the mess, and Alex and Drew had driven back with them, while Jace drove the additional vehicle.

Aubrey stopped outside Will’s room and listened but hearing nothing, she went to turn and walk away and jumped to see him further down the hallway, leaning his shoulder against the door jam, his arms folded over his chest. He looked gorgeous, but it was the cheeky grin and saucy look in his eye that took him to devastating.