Eye for an Eye, an (Heroes of Quantico Book #2): A Novel by Irene Hannon

moved to the door to scan the parking lot. “Not in the HRT. Okay, let’s get you home.”

    As Mark lifted his finger toward the bell, Nick opened the door to Emily’s townhouse condo.
    “Everything okay?” Mark ushered Emily inside while Coop took one more look behind them before shutting the door.
    “No problems.”
    Emily paused in the small foyer and gave a contented sigh.
    “It’s good to be home.” She angled toward the shadowy living room on her left, where all the shades and drapes had been drawn. “Why is it so dark in here?”
    Mark followed her as she moved into the room, giving the space an appreciative scan. Soft white walls formed a neutral backdrop for her impressionist prints and cobalt blue couch.
    Inviting side chairs upholstered in cream, blue, and rose stripes were styled in clean, simple lines. A piece of contemporary blown-glass art in vivid jewel tones was centered on the glass-topped coffee table.
    Classy, he concluded. Just like the lady who called this home.
    As she headed toward the window and reached for the pull on the shade, he moved behind her and put a restraining hand on her shoulder. “It’s safer this way.”
    Mark watched her contented expression morph to apprehension as her illusion of home-turf safety evaporated. He wished he could restore it. Wished he could guarantee her this was a safe haven. But the only way to ensure her security was to catch the guy who’d lined them up in the sights of his rifle.
    “I put your bag in the bedroom, Emily.” Nick broke the tense silence. “We’re going to need a few minutes to sort things out here, if you want to unpack.”
    “Okay. Thanks.” Her words came out shaky. “There are sodas in the fridge if anyone gets thirsty. Did you get those prescriptions, Nick?”
    “Also in the bedroom.”
    “Thanks.”
    The three men watched her slow progress toward the steps, her fingers skimming the wall to steady herself. When they heard her door on the second floor click closed, Nick spoke.
    “She’s pretty banged up.”
    “Inside and out.” Coop frowned. “This whole situation reminds me of Monica.”
    “But that turned out okay,” Mark reminded him. And himself. “Yeah.” Coop shoved one hand in the pocket of his slacks and turned. “Okay, Nick, what have you got?”
    “The security here isn’t bad.” He settled on the edge of the couch, and the other two men sat as well. “She has a good alarm system and deadbolts on the outside doors. The windows are double-paned. She’s also got a very attentive neighbor in the attached unit, who cornered me as I was opening the door. An older woman.
    She was quite protective until I showed her my creds.”
    “That would have to be Evelyn.”
    “Evelyn Martelli. How did you know?”
    “Emily told me about her. The grandmotherly type, from what I gather.”
    “Yes. But she’s not afraid of confrontation. And it was obvious she keeps an eye out for your friend. I checked the parking situation too. Not so good. An isolated garage in back covers this whole unit. The spots are numbered, meaning it would be easy to target a car.”
    “The visitor parking in the front would be safer. Plus, there’s a lot more activity out there,” Coop noted.
    “I agree. In terms of surveillance, much as I’d like to suggest we put an agent inside—and I’d be happy to volunteer for that duty,” Nick offered with a grin, “it makes more sense to monitor the building from the parking lot. From the front we can scan the whole area and watch for anyone who might be stalking her.
    Plus, we could be at her door in seconds.”
    “Sounds like a plan,” Coop concurred.
    “I also got an update from Steve. The guy left a clear route through the woods, thanks to broken branches and trampled underbrush, but not much else. The lab’s working on what they have, but no results yet. They promised to have more by the briefing tomorrow.”
    A door opened upstairs, and Emily came down the steps a few moments