UNDERCOVER TO MY HEART

FIRE AND ASH

The first bullet smashed through the front window before the glass even knew it was breaking.

Dozens of high-caliber automatic rounds tore through the heavy pine walls, turning the quiet living room into a storm of flying wood chips and broken glass. Splinters rained down like knives as Jack tackled Bella to the hardwood floor, shielding her head with his broad shoulders while the walls disintegrating above them.

Down! Get under the floor! Jack yelled over the deafening roar of automatic gunfire.

Where is the hatch? Bella screamed back, her fingers digging tight into his jacket as she kept her head flat against the rug.

Right here! Jack barked, kicking aside a heavy wool rug to reveal a hidden iron ring set into the floorboards.

He yanked the wooden door open, revealing a dark stone staircase leading straight down into the cold underground root cellar. Heavy bullets ripped through the ceiling right over their heads, punching clean holes through the furniture and blowing the dust off the beams. Jack grabbed Bella by the belt of her pants, guiding her down the dark stone steps first before pulling the heavy wooden hatch door shut behind them.

They are going to breach the front porch in ten seconds! Bella shouted, her pistol raised at the solid cellar door above as heavy boots thundered across the wooden porch overhead.

Not if I blow it out from under them first! Jack yelled back, grabbing a dusty glass jug filled with racing fuel and a heavy road flare from a supply shelf against the cellar wall.

What are you doing? Bella gasped, her eyes widening in the dim light of the cellar.

Buying us three seconds! Jack barked, twisting the cap off the fuel jug and splashing the liquid across the wooden underside of the floorboards directly beneath the front door.

He struck the road flare against the damp stone wall, sending bright red sparks showering into the darkness, and thrust the flame straight into the soaked wood.

A roaring wall of fire instantly erupted across the ceiling planks above. Seconds later, a heavy metal charge detonated on the front porch as Vance's corrupt agents tried to blow the front lock. The spark hit the fuel vapor, causing a massive secondary explosion that blew the entire front porch straight into the night sky. Shockwaves rattled the stone walls of the cellar, and screaming men tumbled into the burning crater where the floor used to be.

Now! Go through the rear drain tunnel! Jack ordered, kicking open a low iron grate near the back of the cellar floor.

Bella crawled through the narrow concrete pipe on her hands and knees, bursting out into a muddy ditch hidden beneath a thick patch of wild bushes fifty yards behind the cabin. Jack squeezed out right behind her, his face black with soot and his hands covered in wet mud. Behind them, the log cabin was completely engulfed in towering orange flames, sending thick columns of black smoke drifting through the rainy pine trees.

Which way? Bella asked, ducking low as distant gunshots echoed through the burning woods.

Keep to the dark tree line! Jack said, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the deep mud toward the dense pine forest. The smoke will hide our trail until we hit the old logging road.

They ran through the cold woods on foot for twenty breathless minutes, the sound of crackling fire fading slowly behind them as they put distance between themselves and Vance's strike team. Cold rain poured down through the thick canopy, washing the black ash off their faces as they finally stopped to catch their breath under a massive pine tree.

We cannot run forever, Jack, Bella said, her chest heaving as she leaned her head against the rough tree bark. Vance has the full power of the bureau, and he has the cartel's money. Every road in this state will be blocked by morning.

Then we stop running and hit him where it hurts, Jack replied, his eyes narrowing in the dark.

No, we do not hit him, Bella said, her mind working fast as she looked up at him. We trap him. Vance does not care about you or me. He only cares about the money on that drive and the cash sitting in the cartel central vault downtown.

You want to go into the central vault? Jack asked, looking at her like she had lost her mind. That place is a fortress, Bella. It is locked down tighter than a federal bank.

That is exactly why we use it, Bella said, a dark smile touching her lips for the first time all night. Vance needs to clean his ledger before Internal Affairs takes a closer look at his accounts. He is going to try to move the physical cash out of the vault before sunrise. If we beat him to the vault, we catch him with his hands directly inside the safe.

He will bring every corrupt cop he has, Jack warned, stepping closer to her.

And we will bring the truth, Bella said firmly. I still have my encrypted badge token. If I log into the vault security system from the inside, I can broadcast his private transfers directly to the main federal servers in Washington. He will not be able to cover it up.

It is a suicide run if it is just the two of us, Jack said softly, brushing a strand of wet hair out of her eyes.

Before Bella could answer, a loud electronic chirp broke the silence of the dark forest.

Jack reached into his leather vest pocket and pulled out a small, heavy tactical radio. A bright yellow light was blinking rapidly on the side panel, signaling an encrypted private frequency. He clicked the side button, holding the small speaker close to his ear as static crackled over the line.

Jack, do you copy? a low, gravelly voice rasped out from the small speaker. It was Marcus.

I am here, Marcus, Jack said into the receiver. Where are you?

We saw the fire from the highway ridge, Marcus replied, the deep rumble of heavy motorcycle engines humming faintly in the background behind his voice. We know Vance framed you. We know he set up the club at the highway ambush.

It is bad down here, Marcus, Jack said, looking over at Bella. Vance has full tactical squads on every main road.

He does not own the back roads, Jack, Marcus barked through the static, his voice filled with raw, unyielding anger. I have eighteen iron serpents sitting on their bikes right behind me in the tree line. Every single man has his vest on and his weapon loaded. You give the word, brother, and we ride with you one last time to tear that vault to the ground.