Page 65 of Under Fire in Big Sky

“We’re here.” The guy had a buzz cut and a crooked nose, like it had been broken once or twice, and poorly set.

Despite her attempts to question him on the ride, he only responded with silence.

The man got out and opened the sliding door for her.

She stepped outside. Squinting, she let her eyes adjust and stretched her arms.

They were on a farm. An abandoned one, judging by the state of disrepair. A few weathered, gray planks were missing from the barn and a large cabin looked as if it needed a new roof and windows. Armed men and women patrolled the grounds.

Several red jerry fuel cans sat near both the barn and house.

“Shepherd is waiting for you in there,” he said, gesturing to the cabin with his head, his hand on the hilt of his weapon holstered on his hip. “After you.”

Olivia marched up the steps and onto the porch with decaying floorboards.

“The door is open,” the man said, close behind her.

She turned the knob and stepped inside. The living room was furnished with thrift shop basics, and the smell of food lingered in the air.

“Shepherd!” The man called out. “I’ve got her.”

“I’m in the back, Brandon.” At the sound of Sean’s voice, a quiver of apprehension jolted through her.

She’d made a choice in the woods to come here for answers. No turning back now.

Brandon motioned for her to walk. “Straight down the hall. The last room on the right.”

Taking a deep breath, not knowing what to expect, she proceeded down the hall. The doors to the other rooms were closed. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Brandon watching her. No opportunity to peek inside the rooms and search for a weapon. Or a phone. She hoped neither would be necessary and that Sean would get her back to Eli once they were done talking as promised.

But something deep in her gut told her it wasn’t going to be so simple.

A metallic tang filled her mouth. Wiping her damp palms on her thighs, she moved down the hall cautiously, the old floorboards creaking under her weight with each step. She’d almost reached the last room on the right when Sean stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

His green gaze met hers, and her heart fluttered. “Olivia.” He brought her into a tight embrace.

The feel of his arms around her eased some of the tension. He was solid and warm and real. Sean was alive. She still couldn’t believe it.

As she hugged him back, her hand grazed the hilt of a gun tucked in his waistband. She tensed, muscles coiling, immediately on full edge again.

“It’s so good to see you,” he said, holding her at arm’s length and looking at her.

She pressed a palm to his beard. It was so odd, the facial hair, the glasses, the black hair, the Henley, and utility pants tucked into combat boots. He’d always preferred to be clean-shaven. An impeccable dresser, his outfit of choice trousers, a starched button-up shirt, and Italian leather shoes. “Ditto. You have no idea what it means to me, to see you, to talk to you again.” She glanced down the hallway.

Brandon remained in the living room, watching them like a silent sentinel.

“Let’s talk in private.” Giving her a gentle smile, Sean gestured toward the open door on the left, and she stepped inside.

The room had one window and was sparsely furnished: a wrought iron bed, a folding chair, and a single-drawer nightstand. Not even a lamp. Sean closed the door, the click echoing in the sudden quiet. The gun in his waistband was a cold, hard reminder of the danger that surrounded her. She watched him carefully, searching for any sign of a brewing storm beneath the calm surface.

Whatever this conversation was going to be, it was clear this reunion had the potential to turn from friendly to deadly.

Sean guided her to sit on the bed. Then he pulled up a chair in front of her.

There were so many questions spinning in her head. She barely knew where to begin. “How are you alive? You were locked in the server room while you were setting the bomb.” When she went to immobilize a security guard and drag him to safety from the eminent blast radius, the door to the server room shut. By the time she was done handling the guard, the third Aegis agent on the mission with them had completed his objective and cut the power, at the worst possible time. The electronic lock on the server room was designed as fail-secure. It required power to unlock. “I couldn’t get you out.” Every attempt was futile. She’d pounded on the glass door. Shot it but the glass was bullet resistant. “You made me leave and then the bombs went off.”

They’d placed two. One in security and one in the server room, where he’d been locked inside.

Sean nodded. “I can still hear you screaming my name. See your eyes filled with tears.” He clutched her hands. “When I made you leave, I thought for sure it was the end for me. Then the first bomb we planted in security detonated. The server room lock must’ve been linked to the building’s fire alarm or sprinkler system. It disengaged, giving me a chance to escape right as the second bomb in the server room went off.”