Wintersfall

CHAPTER TWO

April 23rd, 835

Wilhelm, Gaula

Katria carefully set the black barrel of her bolt-action combat rifle-model eighteen, referred to as a BACR-18, into its padded case laying open on her hotel bed. Next, she placed the shoulder rest and then the scope into their designated spaces. She checked her rounds for the third time, ensuring she'd have enough for the night's mission, and then locked the case.

Heavy boot falls sounded outside the room she occupied in the shared suite, and by their determined, methodical pace, she knew it was Sean and not one of the other guys. For three years she'd been a sister, niece, ward, wife, cousin, and in one instance that none of them could still figure out, an aunt. Usually she was sister or niece to Mason Dandridge, ward or cousin to Kevin Merrick, and ward or wife to Sean. Thankfully the wife role had happened only twice in their three years.

Katria did not need the reminder that she couldn't have him.

A soft knock sounded at her open door and she glanced up to find him standing at the threshold. "I'm almost ready."

Sean crossed his arms over his wide chest. The rolled sleeves of his dark gray cotton shirt pulled tight, revealing the defined muscles beneath. Katria fiddled with the latches on the rifle case. Anything to keep from staring.

"Mason found the house where our suspected infectious diplomat is staying," he said.

"Good, we were cutting it a little close this time."

"Can't really fault ourselves, we just received the assignment last night."

She gave a small smile. "Well, emergencies work that way, I guess."

He pushed off the doorframe and motioned with his head toward the other room. "Come on, I'm about to go over the plan."

Katria smoothed her hand down the front of her soft black dress and followed Sean to the large living area in their two-bedroom hotel suite. Kevin looked over a map laid out on a table, motioning to an area Mason tapped his finger against. Over a head taller than the other two men, with a deceptively lean build, Kevin radiated coiled strength. Katria barely came to his chest. His gold wedding ring glinted in the dying light filtering in through the dingy third story windows. He refused to take the ring off or even pretend he and Katria were anything but relatives. Needless to say, Kevin and Mason had become the brothers she never had.

Mason glanced up when she entered the room, his silvery gray eyes showing warmth at the sight of her. He tossed his long black hair over his shoulder as he straightened. "Hey, Kat."

She smiled as she rounded the table and accepted his bear hug. "Nice map, as usual."

"Thanks, didn't have much time for this one."

Sean braced his knuckles on the table and leaned forward, looking over Mason's meticulous handiwork. "All right, this morning I was given orders for the team to evacuate a Cairoen diplomat suspected of having Human Rabies Syndrome. Mason did the recon we need for a successful extraction."

He nodded towards Mason, who returned the gesture in acknowledgement before Sean continued. "The Cairoen is here for a trade meeting and has been sick with cold-like symptoms for a week now. He's in denial. His country is in a panic. We're the only ones who can get him out, and hopefully home, without causing an international incident. Cairo will owe Sziveria, so we're under strict orders to get this handled."

Katria took a nervous breath. "An entire week. He has to be close to turning."

"Too close," Kevin chimed in. "That's why I'll be doing the extraction. If he goes, I can take care of him before he infects anyone else. If he's feeling as bad as the report claims, he should be holed up in his room. At least until the meeting."