Page 22 of Atlanta Heat (Tempting SEALs 6)

Macey opened his eyes and prayed Emerson would stay asleep just a few minutes longer as he stared into the shadowed face of the admiral’s executive aide, Pierce Landry.

Hell, he had never had liked that weasely little bastard. Macey especially didn’t like him holding that automatic weapon to his head.

Macey sighed in resignation and hoped he could manage to get under the former Green Beret’s guard for a second to reactivate security and release Drack.

The anaconda could smell the weapon Pierce was carrying, and she hated guns. Hated guns so much that Macey had to bar the few friends allowed access to the basement from carrying weapons.

“How did you get past the security?” he asked, hoping to stall, to find that window of opportunity. Unfortunately, he knew Landry’s service record.

“All it took was finding the entrance; the security wasn’t that hard. After all, I’ve read most of your mission reports, March; I’ve studied your file and your abilities. Reasoning your system out wasn’t that hard.” Pierce’s gaze went to where Emerson appeared to still sleep against his chest. “You must have fucked her half to death. She hasn’t moved.”

Macey smirked. He could hear the vein of jealousy in his tone.

“What the hell are you doing here, Landry?”

“What am I doing here?” Landry’s large white teeth flashed white in the darkness of the room. The son of a bitch, Macey had always hated that smile. “Why, Macey, I’m here to carry out my assignment,” he continued. “I’m here to kill Admiral Halloran’s goddaughter since you so kindly fucked up the last plan to do so.”

Son of a bitch. He’d missed Landry. All these years, all the leaks they were searching so hard for, and he had missed Landry.

“See, this is why I didn’t just kill you when I stepped into the room,” Landry sneered. “Where would the fun have been in that? You wouldn’t have known who took the shot. Who got past your security. The admiral’s golden child wouldn’t have known who was smarter and better than he was.”

Macey arched his brow mockingly despite the violence slowly gathering inside him. Emerson had woken too and he could feel her tension, her fear.

“You must have me mistaken for someone else, Landry. If I’m anything, it’s the pain in the admiral’s ass.”

Landry chuckled at that, but the gun never wavered.

“He played you, Macey. He marked you for Miss Delaney’s bed years ago. Though, to be honest, I believe he was hoping for a wedding ring for her rather than a romp and play between the sheets.”

Macey managed to slip his hand beneath the pillows beside him to the alarm switch just below the headboard of the bed and the knife strapped to the wall. He could distract Landry, but Emerson would have to release Drack.

“The admiral’s learned to accept what he can get from me.” Macey tsked. “Too bad he didn’t know what he was getting with you.”

Macey tightened his hand on Emerson’s wrist beneath the sheets, a warning he prayed she was paying attention to. When he flipped the internal alarms, Drack’s cage would open. The anaconda would go for the gun. He hoped.

Macey tripped the switch. Immediately the raucous blare of sirens, screaming music, and flashing red lights tore through the room.

Landry jumped, and Macey knew the instant surprise was the only opening he would get. He tore from the bed and tackled the other man at the waist, taking them both to the floor as Emerson shot up from the bed.

Landry was strong and well trained. Macey had sparred with him on more than one occasion and had learned the other man couldn’t be anticipated. He was a gutter fighter, and he was mean.

But Macey was mean too. Mean enough to slam his fist into the other man’s upper thigh, his aim off just enough to distract Landry rather than curling him up in the floor.

It wasn’t enough. Landry managed to roll, kick out and throw Macey back. The gun discharged, shooting wild before Macey was on him again.

“Emerson, the cage,” he screamed out as he glimpsed her from the corner of his eye. “Open the fucking cage.”

Because Drack might be their only chance. The gun had shot wild, but Macey could feel the sting of a flesh wound in his side and the blood saturating his flesh now.

He was wounded and it wouldn’t take him long to weaken. If they were going to survive, they just might need all the help they could get.

OPEN THE CAGE? EMERSON’S panicked gaze swung to the glass-enclosed tank that held the anaconda. Over the past days the snake had stayed hidden amid the thick plants and shallow water basin in the stone floor, but it was out now, butting against the glass, tongue flickering, slitted eyes dilated. It looked pissed. It looked dangerous. And she was terrified of snakes. She hated them. But she loved Macey. Loved him. Trusted him.

The sirens and music were blaring through the cave. Red lights were streaking through the room. It was disorienting, as she was sure it was meant to be.

She scrambled across the room, shaking, shuddering. The anaconda was huge. If it managed to wrap around Macey rather than Pierce Landry, then he would be dead.

Snakes had no loyalty. They couldn’t be trained. They were driven by instinct, nothing more. It wouldn’t know to attack Landry rather than Macey.

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