Retribution (SSU Trilogy Book 3) (The Surgical Strike Unit) by Vanessa Kier

truck’s walls. Eight unconscious men, including Nate, lay on the floor in the center of the truck. “Shit,” Rafe swore quietly.
    “Sorry, boss,” Brown murmured as he and Daniels secured the unconscious men’s hands. “But they went berserk. We had to knock them out for our own safety.”
    Dr. Montague made a soft sound of sympathy deep in her throat and Rafe glanced over at her. He was still reeling from how close he’d come to kissing her back in her bathroom. How easily he’d put aside his anger and his doubts regarding her innocence and moved her from the category of enemy to potential lover.
    “Wha—what happened to my friend?” Dr. Montague stammered. “To Laurel? She was supposed to leave with the men. And…” She nodded her head, mouthing numbers as she counted the unconscious men. “There should be sixteen more men who escaped the lab. Where are the others?”
    Daniels raised his head and met Rafe’s eyes briefly before looking at Dr. Montague. “This Laurel, did she have long, dark hair? Not very tall?”
    Dr. Montague nodded.
    “The guards shot her. She’s dead.”
    Dr. Montague winced and caught her lower lip between her teeth, clamping down hard. “And the other men?”
    “Five dead.” Daniels shrugged. “We didn’t see any others.”
    Dr. Montague’s shoulders sagged. “Then they’re still inside. Is…the lab still operational?”
    Daniels nodded.
    Dr. Montague’s breath hissed out. Her gaze lifted to Rafe’s. “The lab was supposed to be destroyed. We set chemical reactions to catch fire tonight and explode. We wanted the buildings destroyed and all the notes, too. The project was supposed to end tonight. We—”
    Bullets pinged against the raised tailgate. “Down!” Rafe ordered.
    The truck veered to the left, then slid around a curve, throwing Rafe and the others hard against the side of the truck. Dr. Montague gasped as Rafe’s shoulder collided with her chest. Once the truck’s balance returned to center, Rafe pushed away from her. “Sorry,” he said, although he’d enjoyed the brief contact with the softness of her breasts.
    Willits grabbed an automatic rifle, took aim over the tailgate and shot out the windshield of the sedan. The car swerved into a tree. Willits stayed in position, waiting for additional pursuit.
    “We can’t go back tonight for the other men,” Rafe told Dr. Montague. “It’s too dangerous.”
    She nodded, her eyes on Daniels and Brown as they finished securing the hands of the unconscious men. She rubbed her arms as if cold, even though with this many bodies in the truck the temperature was comfortable.
    “Where are we going?” she asked.
    “Headquarters is sending a plane to extract us.”
    “Headquarters? Who are you guys?”
    Rafe shot her a grin. “We’re the good guys, of course.”
    Dr. Montague rolled her eyes. “I want to check their vitals,” she said, kneeling before the first unconscious man. She took his wrist in her hand, then shook back her sleeve on the other arm so she could see her watch.
    Jurgenson started doing the same to the escapee closest to him.
    The truck made another sharp turn and Rafe darted forward just in time to save Dr. Montague from crashing to the floor. “Here, brace against me as you work.” He wrapped one arm around her waist and grabbed hold of the side of the truck with his other hand. She glanced at him in surprise and shifted her body to give her arms more access, but he was pleased she didn’t fight him.
    With her pressed against his side, he could feel how delicate she was, and feel the small tremors of exhaustion still shaking her body. He was just about to take off his jacket and offer it to her when one of the unconscious men started to gasp for air.
    Dr. Montague broke free of Rafe’s arm and slid across the truck bed to the man. “Flashlight,” she ordered, all signs of her fatigue disappearing.
    Daniels swung his light over, revealing frothy, dark liquid bubbling from the