Next Exit, Dead Ahead

by CW Browning

  “And ordering pizza is going to alert him?” Angela demanded. “Don't be paranoid.”

  “You're not ordering pizza,” Michael repeated. “If you have to have it, call Lina and tell her to pick it up on her way home.”

  “I can do that,” Angela agreed, brightening considerably. “She can bring beer too.”

  “That I'll agree with,” Michael murmured, relieved to have won the argument fairly quickly. He hadn't liked the martial look that had appeared in Angela's eyes.

  Angela set her soda down and crossed into the dining room to pick up her phone. She hit speed dial and waited impatiently, watching as Michael went back to his laptop. It rang a few times before going to voicemail.

  “Voicemail,” she announced, disconnecting and dropping her phone back onto the table. “I wish I had Damon's number.”

  Michael glanced at her.

  “Why?”

  “Because then I could call and ask him,” Angela replied, looking at him as if he should have known that.

  Michael blinked and went back to his email, wondering if Angela would be so quick to call Lina and Damon for pizza delivery if she knew what they did for a living. Somehow, he didn't think it would make a difference. Angela seemed to live by her own rules.

  “This is going to be a long couple days,” Angela muttered, turning to head down the hallway. “I'm going to have a shower. If you happen to hear from her, tell her I want the usual.”

  “The usual what?”

  “Pizza!” Angela exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

  Michael watched her flounce off down the hallway, a grin tugging at his lips as she muttered to herself all the way. He caught the words 'men' and 'oblivious' before she disappeared up the stairs. Looking over at her cat, still curled up on the couch, Michael allowed himself to chuckle. Annabelle opened one eye and looked at him questioningly.

  “God help the man who gets stuck with her,” he murmured.

  Annabelle flicked her tail once, closed her eye again, and went back to sleep.

  Damon rode his motorcycle through the shallow creek separating Viper's property from state-protected game land. He had to admit that her little spread was perfect. She was surrounded by forest, and flanked on two sides by state-protected land prohibited from being developed. Her closest neighbor was not close at all, and she had her own private trail through the back to her house. Really, she could have done much worse and, coming from a country boy like himself, that was high praise indeed.

  He throttled back the engine and guided the bike carefully through thick trees and past her security perimeter before cutting the engine and getting off. Hawk glanced around and pulled a black cover out from under a huge pile of leaves mounded up between two pine trees. Shaking it out, he threw it over the bike and secured it before turning to start the mini-hike back to Alina's house. He stopped short, coming face to face with Viper.

  She was leaning against a tree, dressed in black, her hair hanging down the back of her shoulders in a braid. She had her arms crossed over her chest, a knife strapped to her ankle, and Hawk knew her .45 was nestled in the holster in the small of her back. Her dark eyes watched him silently, and her lips were pursed into a grim line.

  “We need to talk,” she told him shortly, making no move to straighten up from the tree.

  “About?” Hawk raised an eyebrow, taking a step toward her. Her next words made him stop.

  “Jin Seung Moon.”

  Hawk studied her for a moment, his blue eyes hooded.

  “The North Korean?” he finally asked.

  “That's the only Jin Seung Moon I know.”

  “Ok. What about him?”

  “I came across his name this morning when I was pulling information on Lowell Kwan,” she told him, still not moving from her position against the tree. “Kwan's an avid admirer of his.”

  “From what I understand, Moon has a lot of them,” Damon murmured, sliding his hands into his pockets and leaning back against his bike. “He's rich, fanatical, and heads an elite terrorist network for the North Koreans. What's there not to love for young, misguided activists? I'm not surprised to find out Lowell Kwan is one of them.”

  “It looks like he's more than just an admirer,” Viper told him. “Kwan has been in contact with Moon's network since he was at Stanford. When he left the University and started his own software company, guess where a lot of the profits ended up?”

  “How did you find this out?” Damon asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Viper smiled slightly.

  “If you don't ask, I won't have to lie,” she replied.

  Damon grinned.

  “Fair enough. So, Kwan was financing Moon. What does that have to do with us now?” he asked.

  “Kwan is hacking into two of the main banks on the East Coast,” Alina said. “If he was financing Moon in the past, I wouldn't be surprised to find this whole operation he has going here is for Moon.”

  “Even if it is, it's none of our business,” Hawk pointed out. “Let the Fearless Feds handle it.”

  Viper considered him silently for a moment, her face unreadable. Hawk had no idea what was going on behind that mask and he frowned slightly.

  “If Moon's behind it, they're way out of their league,” Alina finally said. “You know that as well as I do.”

  “Don't go borrowing trouble, Viper. I think they have enough to handle with the Cartel, don't you?” Damon straightened up and moved toward her. “If it turns out Moon is behind Kwan, he's too smart to do anything stupid and risk getting caught. He'll feed Kwan to the Feds, Stephanie will get her man and Moon will continue on his merry way, just as he always does.”

  Alina watched as Damon moved toward her, his blue eyes dark in the shadows of twilight. She uncrossed her arms and straightened up as he stopped in front of her.

  “I'm going to ask you this once,” Viper said softly, her dark eyes probing his, “and only once. Did you know Moon is in Manhattan?”

  “If he is, it's none of our business,” Hawk replied, reaching out and brushing a stray strand of dark hair out of her eyes. “You know the rules. Charlie won't take kindly to you getting involved in unsanctioned hits on international targets. Find Jessica Nuñez's son, protect Angela, and keep your Fearless Feds safe if you think it's necessary, but stay away from Jin Seung Moon. He's not your target.”

  Alina stared into Hawk's blue eyes thoughtfully. He was right, of course. Moon wasn't her target. Just because he was close by didn't mean he was fair game. If he was behind Kwan's hacking scheme, he wouldn't do anything too rash. If Stephanie and John got to Kwan, Moon would most likely cut him loose, as Hawk said, and disappear, taking the loss. He certainly wouldn't try to take revenge on two FBI agents on US soil. Moon was too smart to jeopardize his tenuous standing with the US. He knew each time he crossed onto US soil, he was being watched.

  “People like him are the reason we do what we do,” she said quietly.

  Damon nodded slowly.

  “We still have to work within the boundaries we're given,” he answered just as quietly. “If we don't, we're no different from him. His time will come.”

  “As will ours,” Viper murmured.

  Hawk paused, his eyes boring into hers. The stark reality was that they would meet their end sooner rather than later, and Damon was uncomfortably aware of just how long their run had been so far. They made it this far by being the best at what they do, but they both knew it couldn't last. Even the risks he took just last week in Spain could have ended differently, and regardless of how much she wanted to play dumb, Hawk knew damn well Viper had been the one to court death in that Taliban raid that had the whole Middle East buzzing.

  The sudden verbalization of the reality they lived in made Damon feel something he hadn't felt in years. A feeling akin to panic was trying to take hold, rolling over him like a massive wave, intent on crushing anything in its path. Without thinking, Hawk lowered his lips to hers, pulling her close. He needed to feel her warmth and know that,
at least for now, they were here and they were alive.

  Alina was caught by surprise when Damon suddenly pulled her into his arms. In the split second before his lips touched hers, she caught a fleeting glimpse of raw emotion in his eyes. Its intenseness made her catch her breath, and her heart jumped into her throat. It wasn't passion that had her heart pounding out of her chest, but something much, much worse. Somehow, Hawk's flash of panic had communicated itself to her and the sharp edge of fear sliced through her, fear of losing him.

  As his lips touched hers, Alina wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. She felt his heartbeat pressed against hers, his shoulders strong and firm under her fingers. He was alive, holding her close and kissing her deeply as if he wouldn't get the chance again. Alina felt a tremble go through her as she pulled him closer. She felt as if he was trying to steal her soul. Another tremble went through her as Alina realized that she was willing to give it. With that simple acceptance, Viper suddenly felt stronger than she had in weeks. This was where she wanted to be, nowhere else.

  The trees around them disappeared, and Jin Seung Moon and Jenaro Gomez faded out of consciousness as Hawk exchanged breaths with the one woman in the world who meant more to him than anything. Tomorrow wasn't guaranteed, but right now, he could feel her pulse and taste her skin and know they were alive. He knew he had taken her by surprise. He had surprised himself with this sudden need to hold her and taste her. The panic driving him was so consuming that Hawk didn't think he could have stopped himself from touching her if a bomb had gone off right beside them. It wasn't desire coursing through him, but something stronger and more compelling. It was the need to have her, if only for a few seconds. He needed to feel her soul, and be comforted by her strength.

  Damon didn't need to know why he suddenly felt this unfamiliar shaft of panic. He simply gathered Alina close and kissed her for all he was worth, trying to pour an infinite amount of emotion into one minute of contact. He felt her pull him closer, her fingers digging into the backs of his shoulders, and she seemed to sigh into him. In that instant, Hawk felt as if he could live forever. In a flash, the panic and fear disappeared, leaving an all-consuming love in their wake.

  Realizing he was all but crushing her, Damon loosened his hold slightly and lifted his head, looking down into her face. She was slow to open her eyes, and when she finally did, Alina seemed dazed. He smiled slowly and brushed his nose against hers softly.

  “Sorry,” he whispered huskily. “I couldn't help myself.”

  Alina loosened her grip on his shoulders and watched him from under her lashes, her eyes dark.

  “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

  “I am now,” Damon answered, pressing his lips against hers softly. He pulled her close again and rested his chin on the top of her head. “I am now.”

  Michael glanced at his watch when his phone started ringing. Angela was still upstairs, her cat had wandered up looking for her, and he had just closed his laptop with a loud yawn. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone, frowning when he saw Chris's number on the caller ID.

  “Hey,” he answered.

  “Are you alone?” Chris asked, his voice low.

  “I can be,” Michael said. He swung himself out of the recliner and headed for the sliding doors to the deck. “What's up?”

  “I have something for you,” Chris answered. “I got a surprise visit this afternoon as I was leaving the office.”

  “Oh yeah? Who from?”

  Michael stepped out onto the deck and slid the door closed. The sunlight was gone now and the yard was cast in long, dark shadows. Raven glided across the yard, coming to rest on the roof of the garage. He gazed watchfully with his black eyes as a bat fluttered past the deck and disappeared into the trees to the side of the house. Michael took a deep breath of fresh, crisp air and leaned on the banister to the deck, cradling the phone against his ear.

  “Someone from the CIA,” Chris told him. “You really ruffled some feathers today.”

  “What did they say?”

  “You need to back off Kwan,” Chris said bluntly. “They're concerned you may end up in the middle of something where they can't protect you.”

  Michael's eyebrows came together in a scowl and he stared out into the trees absently.

  “Since when is the CIA concerned with protecting me?” he asked.

  “Since you wandered into what seems to be the middle of a bad situation on US soil,” Chris retorted. “Let me put it this way. I was told, in no uncertain terms, to make sure you stay away from Kwan. Reading between the lines, I think they're monitoring him because he's either working for them, or they want him to lead them to someone.”

  “And they don't want me messing it up,” Michael finished.

  “I don't think it's just that.” Chris lowered his voice again. “Before I left the office, I put a call into an old friend over in Homeland Security. I didn't expect to hear back from him until tomorrow, but he called me as I was leaving Matt's game. According to him, Lowell Kwan is on their radar for ties to a North Korean regime. Guess who heads the regime?”

  “I don't have to guess,” Michael retorted, a grin breaking across his face. “You called to tell me.”

  “Jin Seung Moon,” Chris told him triumphantly.

  Michael froze and his blood ran cold.

  “Are you sure?” he demanded, all humor gone.

  “Yes. Mike, Moon is in New York,” Chris said seriously. “Now look, I don't know what's going on up there, and I don't want to know, but you know as well as I do that Moon is bad news.”

  “Well, that explains why the CIA has all the files blacked out,” Michael murmured. “Do you think they're running Kwan?”

  “I don't know,” Chris answered, “and frankly, I don't want to know. I'm telling you because I thought you should know what kind of deep shit you managed to get yourself into up there.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “You want my advice, go back to Brooklyn and play Bingo with mom and pops, and stay out of Jersey until this is all over,” Chris said.

  Michael shook his head slightly.

  “You know I can't do that,” he replied. “But don't worry. If Kwan is involved with Moon, I know I can't touch him. All I can do is make sure he doesn't come after...”

  Michael's voice trailed off as a black Jeep came around the house and pulled up outside the garage. He watched Alina open the door and climb out with two large pizza boxes. All at once, he inhaled sharply.

  Jin Seung Moon was a notorious terrorist for the North Koreans, and Interpol had spent over five years trying to prove it. He was on every list of every Western government security agency. Everyone knew he was a terrorist, but no one could do anything about it. The death toll attributed to him was staggering, yet he was so influential in the financial market that time and again, he evaded prosecution. Michael's eyes narrowed as he watched Alina lean back in and pull something out of the back of the Jeep. Moon was just the sort of person Viper hunted.

  And someone in her agency wanted him to stay out of it.

  “Mike? You still there?”

  “What? Yeah, I'm here,” Michael said. “Look, thanks for the heads-up. I have to go. I'll talk to you later.”

  “Ok. Be careful up there,” Chris said.

  “I will,” Michael assured him grimly, watching as Alina turned toward the deck with a six-pack in her other hand.

  He disconnected and slid the phone back into his pocket, moving toward the steps of the deck.

  “I guess Angela got a hold of you?” he called, going down the steps and meeting her on the grass.

  “She didn't need to,” Alina answered dryly. “As soon as I saw she called, I knew what she wanted.”

  “Wow, you know her well,” Michael said. He reached out and took the pizza boxes from her.

  “I know she doesn't cook,” Alina retorted with a laugh. “I don't buy prepared food. She probably had a heart-attack when she looked in the fridge.”

>   “Something like that,” he agreed, turning to walk with her. “You've been gone all day. Do anything fun?”

  “Just taking care of some errands,” Alina answered vaguely, moving up the steps of the deck. Michael followed her, his eyes narrowed. “They took longer than I expected.”

  “I thought maybe we scared you away from your house,” he murmured, forcing a smile.

  Alina glanced at him thoughtfully as she slid open the door to the living room.

  “It takes more than a Marine to scare me,” she informed him with a slight smile.

  Michael grinned and went into the living room. Viper watched him go, her eyes narrowing behind his back. She hadn't missed the sharp, searching look he gave her as he took the pizzas from her. He was getting suspicious, and Alina wondered what had happened to make him so.

  Before she could give it any more thought, a shiver of awareness shot down her spine. Viper turned her head and cast a searching glance across the back lawn. Her hand moved instinctively to her side, ready to reach for her weapon if needed. When the tall shadow emerged from the trees, her shoulders relaxed and the tension disappeared as her heart thumped in her chest. No matter how many times Hawk appeared out of the shadows, Alina didn't think she would ever get over the little rush of excitement that shot through her at the sight of him.

  Michael looked over his shoulder to see why she wasn't following him, only to find Alina standing at the door with her head turned toward the yard. The look on her face made him pause, and he glanced out the door into the darkness, searching for what had arrested her attention. When Damon crossed into the light, moving toward the deck, Michael glanced at Alina again. The look that caught his attention was gone, and she was smiling faintly, appearing slightly bored as she waited for Damon to cross to the deck.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “I smell sausage!” Angela sang, tripping down the hallway and into the bar area.

  Michael and Damon already had the pizza boxes open on the bar, investigating the two large pies, and Angela joined them, trying to peer between their broad shoulders. Alina glanced over her shoulder as she pulled plates out of the cabinet next to the sink, watching in amusement as Michael nudged Damon over so he could reach the beer sitting on the other side of the pizza. Damon nudged back harder, causing Michael to bump into Angela.