“Yes, sir.”
Cooper started to turn away, but Underwood reached out, grasped his shoulder and gave it a hard squeeze. “I don’t have to tell you what we’re up against here, do I, Cooper?”
“I know what’s at stake.”
“If those two people make it out of these mountains to a phone, if they talk to the wrong person, everything we’ve worked for goes up in smoke and we could end up spending the rest of our lives in prison. Or worse.”
Cooper swallowed hard.
“I want Zack Devlin and Emily Monroe dead before nightfall. By whatever means necessary. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
As the other man walked away, Marcus Underwood wondered if Cooper understood that his life depended on it, too. He’d decided hours ago that if Emily Monroe and Zack Devlin eluded them, Riley Cooper would be the first man to die.
ZACK HAD BEEN RIGHT ABOUT the snow making travel tough. Emily loved the out-of-doors and spent a good bit of her winter leisure time skiing and snowshoeing. But trying to walk through two feet of snow without the proper gear was next to impossible, and within an hour she was exhausted.
“Let’s walk to the ridge over there and see if the wind blew most of the snow off the rocks.”
She looked over to find Zack watching her. His breaths were puffing out in white clouds of vapor. Even though the temperature was well below freezing, sweat moistened his face. Her only thought was that he didn’t look like a convict. That he didn’t act like a convict. She wondered if those were the same thoughts that had been running through her father’s mind all those years ago when he’d crossed a line….
Zack took her hand. When she tried to loosen his grip, he shot her a sharp look over his shoulder. “It will be easier making it to the top of the rise if you let me help you.”
His hand was warm and covered hers completely as he led her up a steep incline. Emily tried hard not to think about how good that warmth felt.
Neither spoke as they made their way to the ridge. The only sound came from the hum of wind coming through the branches and the sound of their boots against the snow. But Emily’s mind was in turmoil. Not only was she attracted to this man, but she was beginning to trust him. And trust was a dangerous thing, too.
“Shouldn’t be much farther to Signal Research and Development.” Zack, who’d let go of her hand and walked a short distance ahead, paused and waited for her to catch up.
Emily couldn’t quite meet his gaze as she drew up beside him. “If we manage to get in without getting shot, what exactly are we going to be looking for?”
His mouth tightened. “I don’t want you going in with me, Emily. These bastards play for keeps, and I don’t want you in the middle of it.”
The prospect of facing armed security officers was scary, to say the least. Then she recalled all the men who’d been murdered, and the fear was tempered by a quick jab of determination. “I’m already in the middle of it,” she said.
“You’re not calling the shots,” he snapped.
“I’ve got as much at stake as you,” she shot back.
“You’re a civilian. This is my operation.”
“I have the right to clear my name!”
He looked as if he would argue, then he glanced away. When he turned back to her, his expression was grim. “If I didn’t need your help, there’s no way in hell I’d let you do this. Unfortunately for you, I need your help.”
“Once we get inside, what are we going to be looking for?” she asked.
“Anything tying Lockdown to Signal. Anything even remotely suspicious.”
“I’m assuming you have some brilliant plan that will get us inside.”
“I’m working on it.”
In the few short minutes they’d stopped to rest, Emily grew chilled. Her hands and feet were numb. The cold stung her cheeks and nose. Zack was standing a couple of feet away. She could just make out his features. His dark eyes. Chiseled mouth. Black slash of his brow. He was watching her. She didn’t have a clue what he was thinking or feeling, but she could feel herself responding to him. The memory of the way his mouth had felt against hers stealing into her thoughts…
“You’re shivering.” Taking a step back, Zack motioned ahead. “Let’s keep moving.”
Emily was still shaking when she started along the ridge. But the tremors weren’t just from the cold. Zack Devlin was affecting her in a way she’d never been affected by another man. Even faced with doing something as dangerous as breaking into a high-security research facility, she couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. She knew it was crazy, but even cold and tired and frightened as she was, the attraction was there, and growing.
“How long have you been an agent with MIDNIGHT?” she asked.
He glanced over at her, his gaze assessing. “Five years.”
“You’ve always been undercover?”