“Potential?” How she disliked this word.
“It’s far from an exact science. Not yet. Maybe I’ll have a more complete map at some point. But it’s extensive work. Even when I’m old and decrepit, there’ll still be so much to discover.”
She loved how passion animated his face and body, and made his dark eyes bright as polished onyx. The more she learned of him, of what drove him, the more she wanted this mission to stretch indefinitely. “I’m sure more gray in your hair and beard will give you that sophisticated look I expected when I first met you.”
He winked and turned his attention to the screen. “I think we have a few options to explore right away. If you’re game for more exploration?”
Sloane felt the familiar anticipation of the forward momentum she thrived on and was about to start planning when the intercom system buzzed, and Devin’s voice came through the kitchen.
“Sloane, we need you down here. Now.”
From his succinct words, Sloane knew something was up and that the Vigilante was needed. When she went to the elevator, Luke came with her.
“Do you know what this is about?”
Sloane shook her head. “Something about the drug probably. It’s been our main focus for some time now. We’re always keeping an eye on what’s going on. We have extensive resources that keep us informed and feed us useful data on the situation.”
Down in the command center, Devin was talking with Lance. They both turned when the elevator doors opened.
“Sloane, suit up. We have information there might be a major Phantom transaction about to take place. We need your eyes on it. And if you come across some Phantom to bring back for analysis, that would be an amazing bonus.”
Luke frowned but kept quiet, following her to the dressing room. Quickly and efficiently, Sloane slid into her Vigilante suit as Luke watched.
“Are you going out there alone?”
Sloane wasn’t sure how to respond. It was like he’d tried to leave every trace of emotion from his voice and failed.
“That’s the goal, and it’s why we never have more than one Vigilante out there at a time. We’re being careful to keep the hype going and the rumors strong. If we went as a group, it would only create a situation where the bad guys loaded up on weapons like they would when confronting another gang or their enemies. That’s not our intention.”
Fastening her suit but minus her mask, Sloane grabbed her weapons and holstered them. It was bizarre to have someone there while she got ready, but when she stole a glance at Luke, it was surprising to see how intense he was.
“Remembering your time as a Marine, professor?”
When he took the few steps in her direction, Sloane wasn’t sure what to expect and was surprised when Luke pulled her against him for a hard kiss. Pleasure mixed with pain and lust exploded deep inside her belly, her suit becoming way too hot and tight.
Even if in the back of her mind she knew time was against them, Sloane indulged in one more lick before Luke released her.
“Don’t you dare get distracted in the field, babe.”
“Babe?” With a chuckle, she shook her head and went back to the command center where Lance and Devin waited.
The hacker threw her a set of keys. “Take the unmarked SUV. The Bugatti is starting to make waves on social media. I’ve programmed the best way in the GPS, which includes some off-road and the SUV has the best grip.”
Luke stood beside Lance, and she hid a smile at the sight of both men with their arms crossed.
Sloane pocketed the keys, pulled on her hood, and attached the mask.
Devin slurped from an oversize cup, the least stressed of them. “I’ll be manning the comms, unless I go get some food. There aren’t many cameras, but as Lance said, support will be on standby. I’m ready when you are, darling.”
The modulator was on when she spoke next. “I’m ready.”
Chapter 19
Deep down, Luke knew it was a bad idea to stay in the command center. Having to watch and listen as Sloane went into the field, knowing he couldn’t help if things went wrong, was a new experience for him and he didn’t like it. Not that Sloane needed his help. From what he could see, it looked more like a recon mission than anything else.
Sloan had chosen a position that gave her the best view possible, and Luke was impressed by the quality of the camera and sound. Not only could it be switched from color to night vision and thermal, but the zooming capacity was insane. All that on a small device that blended into the suit.
Devin was munching on plain nachos and Luke wondered how Devin was so ripped considering he ate like a six-year-old. Lance’s attention was on the screen, but he appeared relaxed. Luke, on the other hand, couldn’t decide how he felt. For the first time, he knew how the ones left behind felt when their loved ones were deployed. He didn’t know what was worse—not being able to see what was going on or being utterly helpless to intervene in any way. His logical mind knew Sloane could handle herself, but something in his chest tightened at seeing her alone. The Marine in him found it unacceptable as the team was everything.
“Mind if I get some work done?” His voice sounded strained, but all he wanted was to get away from the screens.
Lance seemed surprised. “I thought you’d want to be there each step of the way.”
“There’s nothing I can do here, and while she has work to do, I’ll do mine.”
Devin acknowledged him with a grunt while Lance turned to him. “As Devin is keeping an eye on things, mind if I help you?”
Luke didn’t know if it was some sort of test, but if he wanted to leave and go back underground, two were better than one.
“Ever visited the sewers before?”
Lance paled a little, but when Devin choked on his nachos, the massive man didn’t hesitate to retaliate. “I visited Devin’s office, so I’m prepared for the worst sewers Chicago can offer, lead the way.”
The thing that surprised Luke was how Lance jumped into action, took his suggestions in stride, and didn’t whine once.
The preparations moved so fast, it kept Luke’s mind from wandering to Sloane, and they were out the door before he’d had a chance to go back to the command center.
Lance even went the extra mile by suggesting they take the Bugatti and even let Luke drive. As they were headed in the opposite direction of where Sloane was, it might mess with potential onlookers when the news broke that the Vigilante and the Bugatti were in different locations.
Even though he kept the beast below breakneck speed, the ride went fast. Apart from a few pointers on where to park the car, Lance hadn’t said a word. Luke wasn’t sure if that was usual or not, but as he no longer had a deep frown on his face when he glanced in his direction, Luke didn’t mind the silence.
Deep in the Loop, the sector was calm at that time of night, and the streets were empty, apart from the nearby cameras that Devin was supposed to turn off. The winter wind was picking up and Luke was glad for his coat and gloves, both brand new from what he could smell. With a high collar, beanie, and gloves, he was ready, as was Lance who followed him.
Luke hesitated between two side streets, both having a manhole entrance. From what he remembered, one of them led to the sewer, the other led through the Pedway and a side sewer.