Chapter 1
Prologue
Three years ago:
“Sit rep”, came the voice of INTERPOL Deputy Director Denise O’Sullivan.
“We’re in position”, Operative Katie McCabe responded into her comms piece.
“Copy that”, Denise said. “Backup team is standing by.”
“We’re ready to move in ten seconds. Over and out ”, Katie said, then looked over at her partner, Ruesha Littlejohn. “You ready, luv?” she asked.
“Born ready”, Ruesha responded.
“Okay”, Katie said. She paused for a moment and then said, “Rue - be careful.”
“I always am.”
Katie smiled slightly. “I know, but this one could get dangerous.”
“It’s always dangerous.”
“I know. I just-” Katie paused again and then said, “I wanted you to stay in analytics.”
“And I wanted to be in the field.”
“It’s safer behind a desk.”
“I know - but then I wouldn’t be with you.”
Katie looked at Ruesha. “I just - I don’t want to lose you.”
At that Ruesha smiled back slightly. “You won’t. You always say that, before every mission we go on.”
“Rue-”
“You’ll look out for me, right?”
“Right.”
“Well, this time will be no different.” She smiled to put Katie at ease and then tilted her head towards Katie. “Hey”, she whispered, and then pressed her lips against Katie’s. They stayed like that for a moment, and then Ruesha pulled back. “It’ll be fine”, she said, and smiled again.
Katie smiled back and then checked her pistol. “Okay, let’s go.” She pushed the door open and slowly crept inside, Ruesha on her heels. They were in a large open room in a barn in rural Germany.
“Katie”, Ruesha breathed out. There were stacks of crates. On each crate was stenciled in large block letters “GDX”.
“German explosives. Powerful stuff”, Katie whispered to Ruesha, then spoke into the comms piece. “Denise - there’s crates of GDX here, and a lot of them.”
“Copy that”, Denise said. “Any sign of the subjects?”
“No, but I can see some small rooms in the back. We’re going in.”
“Okay, proceed with caution. Backup team is ready to move on your command.”
“Copy that”, Katie said into the comms piece. “Let’s go”, she said to Ruesha. They moved silently towards the back rooms, and were fifteen feet away, when they heard voices. Katie held up a fist and they stopped. “Be quiet”, Katie said to Ruesha, and Ruesha nodded. They crept up towards the doorway and Katie peeked in.
“It’s Stanway”, Katie whispered. Georgia Stanway was one of the largest illegal arms dealers in Europe. “Looks like she’s talking with Kazari, the Armenian rebel leader. There are four others in the room, all armed.”
“Looks like we got ‘em”, Ruesha said. “Call Denise, send everyone in.”
“Wait”, Katie said. “Stanway and Kazari are leaving. We need to move in now.”
“We need backup”, Ruesha said.
“We don’t have time. Backup is sixty seconds out. If we don’t move now, we may lose them.”
“Katie-”
“We need to move now”, Katie said again, then spoke into the comms. “Denise - Stanway and Kazari are both here but they’re leaving. We need to move now.”
“Wait for backup”, Denise said. “We’ll be there in sixty seconds.”
“No time”, Katie said, “Rue and I need to move in now. This could be our only chance to nail them. Start moving the backup team in, we’re going in now.”
“McCabe-” Denise said, but Katie cut the comms and looked at Ruesha. “We need to move now.”
“Denise said to wait.”
“If we don’t move now, we may lose them.”
“Katie-”
“You trust me, right?”
“Of course”, Ruesha said. “You’ll look out for me, right?”
“Of course”, Katie said. “Look - we can hold them until the cavalry arrives. Let’s go”, she said, then raised her pistol and entered the room. “Freeze! INTERPOL!” she shouted, Ruesha right on her heels. Georgia and Kazari looked up.
“Drop your weapons now!” Ruesha shouted. One of the soldiers started to raise his weapon. Katie fired and put him down, but the other soldiers opened fire.
“Shite!” Katie yelled as she and Ruesha dove behind a desk. “Denise! We’re taking heavy fire!!”
“I told you to wait!” Denise yelled. “We’re thirty seconds out. Take cover until we arrive.”
“Katie!” Ruesha shouted, as bullets flew around her and Ruesha, splintering the wood in the desk. She waited for a moment and then raised her weapon and fired. Another soldier went down. Katie raised her weapon as well and fired. Two more soldiers went down. Georgia and Kazari started to head for the back door.
“Stop! Drop your weapons!” Katie yelled at Georgia and Kazari. Georgia and Kazari paused and then dropped their weapons and turned to face Katie and Ruesha. “We’ve got them”, Katie said into the comms piece to Denise.
“Copy that. Secure the room, we’ll be there in fifteen seconds”, Denise said.
“Georgia! Kazari!” Katie said. “Looks like we finally got you.”
“I think we just prevented world war three”, Rusha quipped, looking around at all the crates. She smiled at Katie and then looked back at Georgia and Kazari. “Ready to go to prison ladies?”
Georgia stared at Ruesha and Katie, then her gaze shifted slightly to the left.
“Denise-we got ‘em”, Katie said and turned, but instead saw a stunning blonde woman who was holding a pistol. “What the-” Katie started to say to herself, but the blonde woman smiled slightly and then turned her pistol and shot.
“Fuck!” Katie screamed, firing as she dove for cover. “Rue! Take cover!” she yelled. Katie squeezed off six rounds from behind a crate, and then listened as the room went quiet. She waited five seconds and then peeked up. Georgia was dead. So was Kazari. She exhaled and then heard a groan, looked over, and saw Ruesha on her back, blood coming out of her mouth. “Rue!” she screamed and ran over.
“That blonde bitch shot me”, Ruesha said through gritted teeth.
“Oh no, no no no no no no”, Katie stammered as Ruesha started to cough up blood. She could hear Denise and the backup team in the warehouse. “Denise!” Katie screamed. “Rue’s been hit!”
“Shite”, Denise said as she entered the room. “Get a medic now!” she ordered one of her men.
“Hang on Rue”, Katie pleaded.
“I don’t think Ima make it out of this one”, Ruesha breathed out.
“You’ll be okay, help is on the way”, Katie said.
“I thought you were going to look out for me”, Ruesha croaked out.
“I-I-I’m sorry, Rue”, Katie stammered.
“I-love-you-Katie…” Ruesha breathed out, then she went silent.
“Rue, no, no, no”, Katie panted, as Ruesha expelled her last breath. She pounded on Ruesha’s chest and then screamed “Nooooooooo!!!!”