ALYSSA LOCKE WASNaT wearing any underwear.

Last night Sam had broken the front clasp and torn the strap off of her bra and damn near shredded her panties, and this morning shead silently pulled on her jeans commando-style while head tried hard not to watch.

Tried and failed.

Shead taken her broken and torn underwear and tucked it carefully into the pocket of her jacketa"no doubt to keep him from having a souvenir or material proof that last night had actually happened.

Shead put her T-shirt back on, too. It was wet, but she had no choice. It was that or nothing. It was extremely hard to put on a shirt with one hand cuffed to someone else.

Sam had found a tank top and cut the left shoulder strap, tying it together after head pulled it on.

Theyad dressed in silence, combed their hair, took turns putting on their sneakers and tying their laces.

After Alyssa had gotten sick for the second time, after the fiasco in the shower where theyad had unprotected sex, neither of them had had much to say.

Sam stared out the window of the taxi that was taking them across town. He couldnat believe theyad had sex without a condom. First time in his entire life head done that. Head tried to stop her, but . . .

Inwardly he shook his head at himself. Like hell head tried to stop her.

Head been so completely blown away by the fact that she wanted him again. And he knew that if he had stopped her to get a condom, she would have come to her senses.

So he hadnat stopped her.

What followed was his fault entirely. Head assumed he could handle it, handle her. Head thought that he could give her what she wanted, that head have enough macho control to keep himself from losing it and getting her pregnant.

It was a stupid thing to think. Doubly stupid because he knew, he knew, that simply entering her without a condom put her at risk for pregnancy.

But, oh, sweet Jesus, the way she had felt around him . . .

He sneaked a look at her, sitting as far from him as possible, looking pointedly out the other window. One of his sweatshirts was draped over the handcuffs that still connected them, and she held her jacket up to her breastsa"hiding the fact that with her T-shirt wet and nearly transparent, she looked like a contestant at some low-life frat bar party.

She could be pregnant.

It wasnat as terrifying a thought as head expected it to be. In fact, the idea of his sperm inside of her right now, maybe connecting with her egg right this very moment, was an undeniable turn-on. A piece of him inside of her for nine whole months . . .

It just didnat happen to be the piece of him he wanted inside of her for nine whole months.

And of course, after nine months, theread be a friggina babya"that was pretty terrifying.

But not as completely mind numbing as head thought.

Marry me.

He looked at the smooth line of her cheek, at the way shead pulled her hair back from her face in an attempt to control it, to look professional and cool.

All that ice was just a cover for the volcano that burned inside of Alyssa Locke.

Head always thought that a night with her would cure him of his obsession.

Head been dead wrong. After last night, he wanted her more than ever. He wanted her forever.

Marry me.

He could say the words right now. He didnat have to wait to find out if she was pregnant. Marry me and Iall fuck you every night for the rest of our lives.

Sam laughed out loud. Yeah, that would go over really well. Women wanted romance. They wanted love. Even women who pretended to be ice cubes like Alyssa Locke.

But Alyssa didnat love him. Hell, shead made it more than clear she didnat even like him despite the fact that she more than liked having sex with him.

She glanced at him, shooting him her disapproval. There was nothing about this situation that she found funny. His laughter was only making things worse.

The taxi pulled up outside the parking garage, saving his sorry ass. He let Alyssa pay for half of the cab fare with a five-dollar bill she had in the pocket of her jeans. No way was he going to start an argument over that.

aCan you wait?a she asked the driver. aHeall be right backa"heall need a ride back to the hotel.a The he she was referring to was him.

She wasnat going to drive Sam back. They were going to the exact same place, she had a car, but she wasnat going to give him a lift. She hated him that much.

She must have seen something in his face because she said, aIall pay for the cab,a as they started for the stairs that would take them to the level where her car was parked.

aI can pay for my own cab,a he told her, careful to leave out the adjectives he was thinking, trying not to sound as pissed off as he felt. Getting into a fight with her now, mere seconds before they unlocked these handcuffs, wasnat going to help.

Although help what, he wasnat sure. What did he want from this?

To sleep with her again tonight.

Okay, King of Wishful Thinking, that wasnat likely to happen. Try again, this time keeping it realistic.

He wanted her to be comfortable enough with him so that shead let him know if shead gotten pregnant from what theyad done this morning.

Yeah, that was about all he could hope for.

Sam cleared his throat as they climbed the last of the stairs. aIf this endsa"you know, the situation with Osman Razeen and Meg Moorea"in the next few days, Iall, um, call you in about a week, to, um . . .a aIave got your email address,a she cut in. aIall send you a an email when I know for sure Iam not pregnant.a He could see her car now. Right where theyad left it yesterday. It seemed like a lifetime ago. aAnd if you are?a he asked quietly.

She wouldnat look at him. aIam not.a aIf you are, please talk to me before you make any decisions,a he said. aI deserve at least, you know, to know.a Her face was devoid of all expression, all the light and life of the woman head laughed with and made love to last night completely suppressed.

aAll right,a she conceded. aIf I donat email you, Iall call you. But Iam not going to have to call you.a She was, however, going to have to follow him, today and the next day and the next . . . Because she thought he knew where Nils was.

And Sam knew that he wouldnat be able to stand it. Having Alyssa continue to follow him for the next few days was going to drive him completely mad. He didnat want to have to see her, to think about her.

To ache for her.

aI donat know where Nils is,a he told her as she unlocked the trunk of her car. aReally.a And there was her fanny pack. Aqua. As he watched, she unzipped it and pulled out a heavy ring of keys.

And then, with a click, they were free.

She pulled on her jacket despite the heat of the day.

aI did know for a while, right after he left,a Sam contin-ued. aYou were right about that.a He told her about WildCardas tracking device. aIam positive Nils caught up with Meg within twelve hours of her being gone. But he hasnat calleda"at least not me. I seriously doubt Meg killed him, so Iave been going on the assumption that theyare still together. In fact, Iave been expecting Nils to turn up with Meg in tow any minute now, ready to surrender Razeen to the FBI.a Alyssa was silent, just listening to him.

aNils has a real thing for this woman,a he explained awkwardly. aI think he, you know, maybe even loves her. Heall bring her in. Just give him a little more time.a She nodded, rubbing her wrist. aWill you call me if he contacts you?a aYes, I will.a Was he lying? He didnat really know. Had she been lying when shead told him shead call him if she were pregnant? Probably. God damn it. He wanted to cry. There was nothing left to do but walk away from her now. aSo now you can stop following me, all right? I think it would be best for both of us if you didnat follow me anymore.a She nodded again and got into her car.

That was it. No good-bye. No thanks, it was fun. No see you later.

Because she didnat want to see him later. She didnat want to see him ever again. Not even if she were carrying his baby.

Sam watched her pull out of the parking spot, watched her drive toward the exit.

He savagely kicked one of the enormous concrete pillars that held up the parking garage, but even the pain in his foot didnat take away the pain that was in his heart.

aDamn it!a Meg said. aDamn you for following me!a aPull in here,a Nils ordered her, and she took a hard right turn into the massive parking lot of a resort hotel near Disney World.

The van hadnat followed them.

Meg had hit it so hard, the front axle had broken. Nils had looked back to see the front left wheel listing at an odd angle. Those assholes werenat going anywherea"not in that van. And being amateurs, they hadnat brought a backup vehicle.

Still, head had Meg keep driving. Theyad gotten on and off the highway until Nils was convinced no one was following them. No doubt they were too busy running for cover after tossing off that shot. The police were probably on the way after that genius move. Nils could only pray that the Extremists didnat have anyone watching the place. If they did, Amy and Eve wouldnat be kept alive much longer.

Meg came to a stop with a jerk of the brakes and turned off the car as she glared at him.

She was mad at him. Head saved her ass, and she was mad at him. Shead been seething while she drove, but now she let it all out. aYou couldave been killed!a aSo could you have!a he countered. aWhat was your plan? Shoot Razeen with the handgun youave got in your boot?a He saw from her eyes that head surprised her. She hadnat realized he knew about the backup weapon she was still carrying in her boot.

Her hands were shaking, and she tried to hide it by crossing her arms, tucking them out of sight.

Nils wanted nothing more than to hold her, to reassure himself that she was truly all right, but instead he lit into her the way Senior Chief Wolchonok wouldave gone after one of the younger members of the team whoad made a stupid mistake.

aWhat do you think wouldave happened after youad done that, Meg?a he asked. aDidnat it occur to you that shooting Razeen mightave pissed those guys off? Didnat it occur to you that if you killed him, theyad kill you?a aYes,a she said just as heatedly, athat did occur to me!a And shead been ready to do it anyway. She would have done it anyway. That was how desperate she was.

aI was minutes from checking in,a she fumed. aMinutes. And the girl behind the desk told me that someoneas been callinga"frequentlya"to see if I had arrived yet. I was that close!

aNow what?a she continued. It was getting stale in the car, and she rolled down the window, her movements jerky, filled with fury. aWhy are we stopping here? Youave got a gun now. You can take me in. What are you waiting for, Nilsson? This is what you wanted, isnat it?a Nils took the clip out of the little Uzi head taken from one of the K-stani thugs in the Seagull Motel parking lot and held it out to Meg. aIam waiting for you to surrender your weapon voluntarily and ask me for help. At which time Iall contact my CO and Max Bhagat, the FBI agent in charge of this investigation. Itas possible that the FBI have found out where the Extremists are holding Amy and Eve. Wouldnat you like to know that?a She snatched the clip from his hands. aIf the FBI have located Amy and Eve, itas also possible that the Extremists know it, and have already killed them in retaliation! I wasnat supposed to tell anyone, remember?a For a moment, Nils was certain she was going to cry, that she was going to crumble and break down, but this time she didnat. She pulled herself together, sat up straighter. Her face pale, she turned to him. aGet out of the car.a Nils reached for her. aMeg, god damn it, let me help you.a She pulled away from him, opening the door and taking both the clip from the Uzi and the keys with her. aGet out of the car, John.a Christ, she was bending over and taking the little handgun out of her boot.

aYou donat need that,a he said to her as he got out.

aItas the end of the line.a The look in her eyes chilled him to the bone. He wasnat afraid for his own safety. He didnat doubt for one second that she would die herself to protect him. But if he didnat stop her, she was going to kill Razeena"and regret it for the rest of her life.

aThe Seagull Motel was my contact point with the Extremists,a she told him, her voice oddly flat. aI was supposed to check in and wait to be contacted. But I canat go there without being attacked by the GIK. And after what just happened, the place is going to be crawling with police.a aMeg.a Nils moved slowly around the car. Why the hell had he given up the Uzi? He should never have let her regain control of this situation. He should have realized how close she was to the edge.

And just how little she felt she had to lose.

It stung knowing that she didnat include what he wanted, what he felt, in her equation. It hurt knowing thata"aside from her wanting him to be safea"he wasnat a factor that she considered when deciding whether or not she should sacrifice her soul and her life.

And whose fault was that, but his own? Head never shared enough of himself. All those hours theyad just spent together in her car, and he still hadnat told her jack about himself.

Yeah, head burped out the fact that he loved her, but she hadnat believed him, and he hadnat made an attempt to convince her it was really true.

So now she didnat have a clue how much she stood to lose.

aI canat go back to the motel. I have no choice,a Meg told him dispassionately, as if shead detached from herself. aNow Iave got to kill Razeen, and pray that the Extremists hear about it and believe that itas real, pray that they release Amy and Eve after the news is out.a aMeg, youare not going to kill him. Heas not even awake. You promised him you wouldnata"a aI am awake.a Razeenas voice came from the car. aIt is okay, Meg. I am ready.a Oh, fuck.

aStay back, John,a Meg ordered. aI have to do this. I donat have a choice anymore.a He didnat stay back. He moved in front of the car, between Meg and Razeen.

aThereas always a choice,a he told her again. aYou could do it this way, sure. Murder this man.a She flinched at his choice of words, and he ruthlessly used it again. aMurder him and gamble that the Extremists will then release your daughter. Or you could let me help. You could let yourself trust me. Let me contact the FBI, let me get us the help we need.a aIt is an unnecessary risk,a Razeenas voice floated out of the car, awhen killing me will get you exactly what you wanta"your daughter.a Nils raised his voice and talked over him. aIn exchange for Razeen, in exchange for your cooperation, because youare under duress, the FBI will drop all charges against you. Iall make sure of that, Meg. Once we locate Amy and your grandmother, Iall make sure my commanding officer, Lieutenant Paoletti, is in charge of the SEAL team thatall do the rescue op. He and Bhagat will work with you, Meg, to find and free them.a aShoot me and save Amy,a Razeen urged.

aWith the FBI and SEAL task forceas help,a Nils continued, willing her not to listen to Razeen, willing her to hear him out, to keep looking into his eyes, to stay connected, awe can go back to the Seagull Motel and wait. Weall get the local police and the motel owners to cooperate. You told me yourself that someoneas been calling for youa"thatas good. That means the Extremists probably havenat been watching the place. They probably donat know anything about what just went down. We can go back there, we can, Meg, and the FBI will grab any GIK members who show up, attempting to free Razeen. With the FBIas help, we can still get that phone call from the Extremists. And when they do call and tell you where to meet them, Iall go with you. Iall pretend Iam Razeen.a Meg shook her head. aAbsolutely not.a aIall use makeupa"shading so I look more like him. Iam a little taller, heas a little heavier, but Iall stoop and wear padding. You know I can do it.a aIf you go in as Razeen, youad be putting yourself at tremendous risk,a she countered. aThey could kill you right away!a aIall wear body armor.a aThat wonat do any good if they shoot you in the head!a Heat was back in her voice. And even though she was arguing with him, it was far better than that near zombie flatness that had scared him to death.

aThis is actually a better plan than you going in with Razeen,a Nils tried to make her understand, abecause if the Extremists have no intention of releasing Amy and Eve, then Iall be in there with you, with all of you. Youall have a better chance of survivala"Amy will have a better chance, Mega"if Iam there. You know this.a aExcept if they kill you right when you walk through the door!a aIf we do this right, if we use the Troubleshooters, let them do what theya"wea"have been trained to do, you and I wonat even have to get out of the car. Meg, youave got to listen to mea"a aMeg, do you remember what I told you?a Razeen wouldnat shut the fuck up. He was desperate not to be turned over to the authorities, desperate to die as a martyr to his cause at her hand. aMy death will save your daughter and bring me peace,a he said from the backseat of the car. aIt will bring justice.a Nils knew that Meg wanted to believe Razeen. She wanted it to be that easy.

aThatas bullshit,a he told Meg. aWhat heas saying is total bullshit. Your killing him wonat bring any kind of justice. Saving Amy this way wonat make up for anything heas done. It will only perpetuate the violence.a Razeen started to say something else, and Nils opened the car door, and got the Uzi from the front seat. He knew exactly how and where to hit the terrorist leader to silence him on a slightly less permanent basis than what Meg had in mind.

It wasnat quite the right punctuation to put on a statement about perpetuating violence, but he had to shut the fucker up and he had to do it now. So he did it swiftly. Efficiently. With a single solid blow. Razeen sagged, out cold and finally silent.

aI know you,a Nils said, turning back to Meg, desperate now to make her understand. aDespite everything thatas happened, despite everything youave said over the past few days. I know you. And killing this man will haunt you for the rest of your life. Youall never be free from it. Never. Youave got to trust me on this, Meg. Please, God, trust me.a But she didnat trust him. He could see it in her eyes. Once again, it had come down to too little, too late.

Except Nils didnat believe in too late. He didnat buy into no hope. He refused to accept a no-win scenario of any kind.

So he kept talking. aDo you really think you can put a bullet in Razeenas head, and not have it destroy you?a he asked her.

She shook her head. aIf thereas no other waya"a aThere is another way,a he told her. aIf there truly were no other way, donat you think that I would shoot him for you? Christ, Meg, donat you know that I would do that for you if there really were no other option?a She looked startled at that, and he kept going, hammering at her mercilessly.

aI would,a he said ruthlessly. aI would die for you, I would kill for you. Letas get that straight right now. Iam telling you that there is another way, and youave got to trust me on that, Meg. Iam a professional liar, you know that, and Iall cop to it, too. I havenat been honest with you about where I come from. But thatas just the stupid details. You donat need to know that stuff to know me. And you do know me.a There were tears in his eyes now and he let her see them. aYou knowa"you have to knowa"that I wouldnat lie to you about this. I understand that you want me out of the picture because you think that then Iall be safe, but youare wrong about that, too. Itas only when Iam with you that Iam safe. The rest of the time, I am completely goddamn lost.a His voice broke and he had to take a deep breath. Jesus, head never admitted that before, not even to himself. But shit, why stop there? His lip was trembling and the tears in his eyes were threatening to escape. He was a heartbeat from breaking down and crying like a baby.

aI fell in love with you in that hallway outside of your office in Kazbekistan,a he managed to tell her, his voice embarrassingly shaky. aIam still in love with you. I stayed away because you were married, but thatas the only reason I stayed away. And you better believe that neither hell nor high water could keep me from you now, Meg. I am in this with you to the end. If you believe nothing else Iave said, god damn it, believe that.a Ah, Jesus, he was crying. But instead of turning away, he held his ground and let her see. She wanted the truth from him. Well, there it was. Fucking streaming down his face.

aBut are you with me?a he asked her. aThatas the question that needs to be answered here. Donat you want to cut the crap and give me your gun so that together, together, we can go get help to find Amy and bring her home?a When Meg started to cry, too, Nils knew that head won. The relief nearly knocked him to his knees, but somehow he managed to stay on his feet.

She held the side arm out to him. aHelp me,a she whispered. aPlease, John, help me find Amy and bring her back home.a He took the gun from her, took her into his arms. aThank you,a he said, holding her close. aThank you.a

Twenty-one.

LOCKE WALKED WARILY into the busy war room that had been set up by the task force in Orlando.

It had happened just the way Starrett had predicted it would. John Nilsson had finally called, telling Paoletti and Bhagat that Meg was willing to surrender Osman Razeen to the FBI in return for a deal.

A major deal.

A deal that included the formation of an FBI task force to locate the Extremists and kick in their door. Max Bhagat was in charge, with SEAL Team Sixteenas Troubleshooters providing assistance. Bhagat was a good leader who knew enough to stand back and let the SEALs do what theyad been trained to do. He respected and listened to Lt. Tom Paoletti.

And Paoletti had specifically requested Locke be part of the team.

She had flown down here with completely mixed feelings. Was she here because Paoletti knew she was one of the best shooters in the Western hemisphere, or was she here because Roger Starrett had been flapping his mouth, and Toma"and the rest of the Troubleshooters squada"wanted to look at her and leer?

It hadnat even been twelve hours since shead woken up in Starrettas bed. Her head was still poundinga"she still felt as if shead been hit by a steamroller.