Forsaken Duty (Red Team #9)(96)

Half the group got in the elevator with them. Val was in the front so he could get off first. When they arrived at the warehouse floor, he opened the horizontal doors. Standing there to greet them was his dad, Jason Parker.

“Hello, son,” he said, grinning.

The team shifted fast, moving in front of Owen and Augie, blocking them. Val got off the elevator and shut the doors. The elevator started to descend. Owen didn’t know if Val had sent it away or if someone below had summoned it. They heard a shot, and then another.

Ace screamed Val’s name. She hit the button for the warehouse floor over and over.

It took forever for the elevator to go back up. When they got to the top again, Kelan held Ace back while Angel cracked the heavy doors just a bit. First thing they saw was a pool of blood. And two bodies. One prone…one sitting.

Ace shoved the doors wide and ran out. Val was leaning against a post, holding his arm. Blood was seeping between his fingers. Jason was on his back, a bullet hole in his head. The pool of blood was coming from him.

“I got to do it my way, Ace. I got to look him in the eyes.”

Ace kissed him, then kissed him a thousand times all over his face. Doc Beck cut off Val’s sleeve and applied a makeshift bandage to his upper bicep.

“Get the helicopter,” Owen said. “Kit, go with them. Ace—I want Beck to check your arm out, too. That cast’s looking a little worse for the wear. Send the helo back in case anyone else here needs it. I’ll get a car over to you when we get to Blade’s.”



“Hey, O,” Kit said via their comms a few minutes later when they were up in the helicopter.

“Go, Kit.”

“You should see this place from the air. It’s lit up like a Christmas holiday.”

Owen laughed. “Guess that’ll keep them busy for a while. You get an update from Lobo?”

“Only that the site’s under control. I’m sure he’ll swing by when he can. What about Roberta and King?”

“Dead.”

“And Santo?”

“Dead,” Ace said.

“Jafaar?”

“In FBI custody,” Rocco said.

“And Pete?”

“Lives to fight another day,” Max said.

“Call us from the hospital when you get an update on Val,” Owen said.

“Roger that,” Kit said.

On the car ride home, Addy was again stretched across the backseat, her head on Owen’s lap. This time, though, her feet were on her son’s lap. He stared at her the whole way home, holding one of her hands. Owen grew worried when she closed her eyes. He stroked her face, easing a bit of hair from her temple. She smiled without opening her eyes.

When the SUV pulled up to the front of the house, Owen thought every light in the house was on. They were going to walk into a mob of people, all of whom had become his family. He reached over and gripped his son’s shoulder. “Augie, I have to warn you, we live with a big group. They can be overwhelming. It’s a lot of families. They’re good people. They’re our family. You’ll be safe here.”

“Is Lion here?” Augie asked.

“He will be soon. My team is bringing them home.”

“Okay.”

Owen lifted Addy out of the vehicle. Selena, who’d driven them home, opened the front door. Owen carried Addy up the stairs. He heard the noise when Sel first opened the door, then heard the silence that followed. He couldn’t stop smiling as he walked inside, Addy in his arms and his boy right behind them.

As expected, they were swarmed by everyone who’d stayed behind. After a minute, they made way for him so he could set Addy down on the sofa. Augie remained standing beside her protectively. Owen put a hand on his shoulder. “Everyone, this is my son, Augie.”

Owen saw movement at the top of the stairs, then three kids charged down them and into the living room.

“Augie!” Troy shouted as he launched himself at his brother.

Augie laughed and caught him. After a long hug, he held his brother’s shoulders and pushed him back half a step. “You got big, Troy.”

Troy laughed and swiped the moisture from his cheeks. “So did you.” He looked at his mom, who was smiling. Gently, so not to jostle her, he climbed up next to her on the sofa. He touched her face. “Mom? Are you okay?”

“I will be, sweetheart. I just need a little rest.”

“Okay.” Troy looked at Owen for confirmation.

Owen nodded and smiled. “The Ratcliffs say she’s going to be fine.” He looked around at the group. The guys would have checked in already, but he wanted to give them an update and hear what happened here after they left. “Everyone here okay?”

“We are,” Greer said. “It was quiet. We were never the focus.”

“Val took a round in his arm,” Owen said. “Kit and Ace are with him at the clinic, where Doc Beck is patching him up. The rest of the team is staying to help lock down the site. King, Roberta, Santo, and Jason are all dead. The FBI has Jafaar. It’s over. For now.”

Owen watched Greer’s reaction to that news. Of course, he knew it already.

Greer ground his teeth. “The first phase is over. We still have to get ahead of these human modification formulas.”

“Indeed,” Owen said. “Greer, can you get a car over to pick everyone up from the clinic? They should be almost finished over there.”