It was a violation. Her home wasn’t hers anymore. Someone had snuck in and made it theirs to use against her. She’d have never known without Gabe.
When he was done, he handed her an empty duffel bag—not one of her own. “Grab some more clothes for yourself. A few things for any situation. Give them to me to check over before packing them. Once you’ve taken what you need out of the closet, I’ll do a sweep of it.”
She nodded in agreement. This process was painstakingly slow. Her nerves were wound taut and she had to deliberately stretch her jaw because she’d been clenching it without realizing. Finally, she was packed and Gabe was motioning for her to head back out to the kitchen and living areas.
Gabe led her to the foyer, tucked into the small space next to the door to her apartment. He then moved to Marc and Victoria, taking up a watchful stance as the other man headed to the bedroom. Presumably, he was going to get the two devices Gabe had located.
Moments later, Gabe caught Maylin’s attention and pointed to his watch, then held up five fingers.
Five minutes. Maylin nodded.
He gave her a brief smile and her spirits lifted somewhat. Then his gaze moved past her to the kitchen where the floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over Elliott Bay.
“Lizzy, up and over. Now!”
Lizzy responded immediately, planting her hands on the kitchen counter and hopping up onto the surface. Her left shin was bloody. Shocked, Maylin looked around wildly.
Something had torn through the lower part of the curtains in two, maybe three places. Tiny shards of broken glass glittered on the kitchen floor. Lizzy came the rest of the way over the tiny breakfast bar, grabbing Maylin’s phone off the speaker stand as she did.
“Shots fired. Shots fired. Alpha team, out now.” Even as Gabe was issuing terse commands, Lizzy was rushing to plaster Maylin against the wall. Gabe motioned for Victoria to precede him. “Marc, I’ll provide cover as you come past the kitchen.”
Lizzy grabbed Maylin. “Let me go first, but stay right behind me, you hear me?”
“Yes.” Maylin choked out the agreement as Victoria caught up to them, grabbing up the duffel bag of Maylin’s clothes.
Lizzy led the way, a small handgun out and ready as she checked the hallway. Once she motioned clear, Victoria hustled Maylin out and down to the far end of the hallway where the three of them hustled through the fire door to crouch in the stairwell. Victoria took a guarding stance as Lizzy holstered her gun and pulled a few lengths of bandage from a pouch on her utility belt. “Shit. Gabe saw it happen before I even felt it.”
“Bad?” Victoria asked.
“Nah. Minor graze. Stings is all. I’m fine.” Lizzy finished tying off the quick bandage.
“Is there something I can do to help?” Maylin asked belatedly. Everything was happening fast and she was not keeping up.
“Keep doing what you’re doing.” Lizzy took out her gun again. “Do as we say, no hesitation. You’re doing fine.”
There was a sharp rapping at the door to the stairwell in a broken staccato pattern, then Marc came through, followed by Gabe.
Even in her panic, Maylin realized Gabe had been waiting to be sure all of them had gotten out first. All of them.
Victoria gripped Maylin’s upper arm. “We’re going now. That wasn’t a lot of noise, but if any of your neighbors got concerned, someone’s going to check your apartment and find the broken glass. Best for everyone if we’re away from here so no one else gets caught up in this.”
*
Back in the car, the silence was killing Maylin. She’d huddled low in the middle seat of the SUV as they’d left the parking garage and only sat up once Gabe had given the okay.
They were out of the downtown area and on the highway before anyone spoke.
“No sign of a tail,” Marc reported from the backseat.
“Roger that.” Gabe’s acknowledgment came out harsh, angry.
The entire car was quiet again after that. Maylin watched mile markers go by, the tension inside her winding tighter and tighter. This wasn’t the way they’d come into the city. Maybe Gabe was taking them on a more roundabout way home.
She couldn’t sit still anymore. Reaching for the big, soft cooler bag she’d packed this morning, she tugged it up onto the seat next to her and started digging inside.
“Maylin, dear. What are you doing?” Victoria didn’t sound displeased but her tone was gentle, the way one would talk to somebody fragile.
Maylin wasn’t fragile. She was practical. And silence the whole car ride home was a waste of time.
She pulled out a sandwich wrapped in wax paper and held it out to Victoria.
The blonde mercenary blinked. “What?”
“It’s been hours since any of us ate. I made muffuletta sandwiches just in case we got hungry.” Maylin wiggled the package in front of Victoria. “There’s salami, ham, mozzarella, provolone, and olive salad. I raided the bigger kitchens over on the training side of the complex earlier this morning.”