Hostile Ground (The Arsenal #7) - Cara Carnes Page 0,46

father.”

Addy let the conversation between the two continue and focused on the chatter in the com about the mission. Yesim and his men were taken down without incident and the missiles were en route to the secured location at a small airport outside Moscow.

“Incoming!” Nolan shouted. “We’re under attack. Repeat, we are under attack.”

Fuck.

Only Addy’s team remained at the auction location to handle Yesim and his crew, which meant there were three Arsenal teams protecting the missiles. Who the hell was hitting them? Was Fatima a distraction? Was she involved?

“I don’t know anything else,” Fatima said.

Addy scrambled over Kristof and pinned Fatima to the rear of the seat by her throat. She straddled her and glared down into wide, frightened brown eyes. “The cargo truck was just hit by someone. Tell us who and what the fuck you have to do with it, or I’ll show you my fires of hell. Trust me, mine are way worse than anything you could ever dream of.”

“Addy,” Kristof warned.

“Don’t. She wormed her way into this car with her sob story about needing the missiles, then we’re suddenly attacked. I’m getting answers.”

“It’s not me. Kristof, please. You know me.”

“We need to know who these men are that have your father. I can’t help you unless you help us.” He made the statement, but didn’t insert himself into the physical altercation.

“Get her phone number. We can try and trace the calls,” Mary said in the com.

“Your phone number. What is it?”

The woman rattled off a number. Addy eased the pressure off her throat but held her pinned into place. Gunfire and explosions sounded in the com amongst curt orders and curses. Helplessness filled her. She should’ve been there to help.

“You’d better pray to whatever God you worship that you aren’t involved,” Addy growled.

A hiss sounded in the vehicle. Smoke spread within the confined space.

“Shit!” Kristof grabbed Addy. He banged on the glass divider separating their area from the driver’s. “Don’t breathe.”

“We’re under attack,” Addy said. “Gas in the vehicle.”

Her eyes burned. Her lungs ached. Lightheadedness assailed her as she tried the window controls. Nothing. Damn. Damn. Damn.

Then blackness.

11

Kristof came to and blinked in confusion. Pain ran down his arm and across his torso. He shifted, then froze as chains rattled with the movement.

The car.

Mildew grew on the stone walls around him. Water dripped in the distance. Pale lighting from wall sconces bathed the area in enough light for him to see Addy and Fatima on the other side of the small area.

Manacles locked his ankles together. The same restraints were on his wrists and a thicker metal band was around his throat. All of them were locked to chains mounted into the wall.

Anger rolled through him as he studied Addy’s unmoving form across the way. She’d likely inhaled more of the gas used against them than he or Fatima had. Either that or…

“You’re awake!” Fatima screamed. She crawled awkwardly toward him on her elbows and knees but didn’t make it all the way when the chains reached their stopping point.

Damn.

He was stripped bare except for his boxer shorts. Both Fatima and Addy were in bras and panties. Rage consumed him. If they hurt Addy…

How had this happened? Where were they?

“Fatima, go to Addy. There was an earpiece in her ear. See if it’s still there.”

“Kristof, I’m scared.”

“Do it,” he ordered in an angered whisper. “Quickly. We likely don’t have much time.”

“Okay. Okay.” The woman crawled toward Addy. Fortunately, the two women were closer to one another than he was to either of them.

Fatima gently brushed Addy’s long blonde hair aside, then turned her head. “I have it!”

“Good. Bring it to me. Quickly.”

She shimmied his direction in the awkward elbow and knee crawl she’d used earlier as he did the same for the limited distance his shorter chains allowed. Whoever had chained them had made a dire mistake—they’d assumed he was the biggest threat of the three.

He hoped they’d soon learn the err of that judgment.

Wake, Addy.

Fatima tossed the small device. He caught it and put it in his ear.

“Kristof,” a woman said immediately. “This is Edge.”

Relief filled him. The Arsenal knew they were taken. They’d be found. Addy would be okay. “The missiles?”

“Secure. For now.”

Good. “Addy hasn’t woken yet. I don’t know where we are.”

“We have a general location, a two-mile radius with no structures from what we’re seeing on satellite images. We aren’t getting any heat signatures,” Edge said. “You’re one hundred and twelve kilometers from where you were taken an hour ago. We