operatives when the government troops arrived. He doubted Maddox would appreciate the publicity.
He drove to the rendezvous point, then followed Brody’s SUV toward the airstrip with Shadow unit’s vehicle bringing up the rear.
When the caravan parked on the tarmac, Owen breathed easier. The operatives unloaded the SUVs while Owen grabbed his gear and Gigi’s, then escorted her to the jet.
Nudging her toward the back of the cabin, he stored their bags and sat beside her. Owen wrapped his hand around hers and squeezed.
“Do you need to help the others bring their bags on board?”
He shook his head. “They’ve got it, and my priority is you.” Owen wouldn’t let down his guard until they were in the air.
Gigi leaned close and whispered, “There’s a woman with the other team.”
“Her name is Sam. She’s Shadow unit’s medic. The man next to her is her husband, Joe.”
She stared. “Fortress has husband and wife teams?”
“A few. Why?” He hoped Gigi didn’t have plans to join Fortress as an operative. Owen didn’t think he could take many close calls like they’d had tonight. He hated the prospect of his wife walking into danger on a regular basis.
“Is it wise for married couples to work together on a team?”
“They’re well trained. If they couldn’t focus on the job at hand, Maddox would assign them to different teams.” He studied her a moment. “Are you thinking of joining Fortress?”
She laughed. “Not a chance. I’ll leave the superhero routine to you and your brothers. I love my job. I was just surprised to see Sam.”
“From what I overheard at PSI, Sam is an excellent medic and a perfect fit for her team.”
“Good for her. I’m glad to know Maddox hires the best, whether they’re men or women.”
When the last of the operatives and bodyguards boarded the jet, Brody contacted the pilot and told him to take off. Soon, the jet was airborne.
Once it leveled off, Brody glanced back at Owen, Gigi, and Nico Rivera, Shadow unit’s leader. “Time to report to Maddox. After that, you can rest.”
When they were seated around the conference table, Brody tapped a few keys on the computer keyboard. Seconds later, Maddox’s face appeared on screen.
“Sit rep,” the Fortress CEO said.
“Gonzalez is in federal custody,” Brody said. “His men are either in custody or dead. The weapons Owen planned to purchase are in the hands of agents who raided the estate. We nabbed the computers and tablets from the mansion.”
“Injuries?”
“None on our side. Two agents have bullet wounds which Sam and Jesse treated. They reported the injuries weren’t life threatening.”
A nod, then, “Nico?”
“The trafficking victims were freed. The guards and trainers are dead. The feds were organizing transport of the victims to local hospitals when we left the scene. We confiscated the electronics in the buildings where the vics were held. Hopefully, Zane will be able to trace the buyers and pass that information along to the proper authorities.”
“Excellent.” Maddox turned his attention to Owen. “Should I expect a punch to the face the next time I see you?”
He frowned. “I’m still thinking about it.”
The SEAL’s lips curved. “Zane tells me he has the files from Gonzalez’s computer. Good work.”
“That’s Gigi’s handiwork. Gonzalez wouldn’t let me out of his sight. His wife took Gigi on a tour of the house which gave her the opportunity to insert the flash drive into his office computer.”
“Mission issues?”
“The feds raided the estate before I negotiated a deal for the weapons. Our host accused me of being an American agent and tried to kill us.” He relayed the conversations and confrontation with Gonzalez.
Maddox looked at Gigi. “Your turn. Tell me what happened.”
She told Maddox about the house tour and conversations with Maria. “One of the caterers needed to talk to her, so I inserted the flash drive into the computer while she and a guard were in the hallway. The program finished uploading less than 30 seconds before Maria returned to the office. After we rejoined Owen and the others on the patio, the agents moved in on the estate. Things went downhill from there. Gonzalez sent us upstairs to his office with two guards. Owen dealt with them and got us out of the house and onto the beach. We were headed to meet Brody and the others when Gonzalez and his guards came after us.”
“What did you do?”
“Owen told me to run. When I did, I saw two more guards running to cut me off. I ran to an outcropping of rocks, found driftwood to use