Operation: Unknown Angel

by Margaret Kay

  Danny arrived home at four p.m. with news that his team would head out on its next mission in four days, on Tuesday, the same day she planned to go downtown to the Shedd Aquarium. He felt bad he wouldn’t be able to take her down. He couldn’t tell her where they’d be going or for how long he’d be gone.

  She accepted that this was what his job meant. She could be okay with it, she told herself. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly. “I can live with this, with your job.”

  He kissed her with deep appreciation. He knew it would take a special woman to accept him and his job and everything that came with it. Sherman had found that in Brielle and Sloan in Kaylee. Against all odds, Garcia even found that in Sienna, Doc in Elizabeth, and Jackson in Angel. He knew it could work with Annaka, and she’d have the support of the other women. His gratitude for her was evident in every stroke of his hands over her body, in every kiss his lips pressed to hers.

  They took it up to the bedroom. Clothes were quickly taken off. The love he made to her was slow, passionate, meaningful. He loved this woman, and he showed her with his actions. He brought her to three orgasms before he penetrated her. By then, he was so aroused, it didn’t take long for him to explode in a dizzying climax.

  They laid in a connecting embrace, enjoying the closeness with each other. The sky outside became dark. Mother checked his watch. It was nearly eighteen hundred hours. “Cariño, we need to get up. Our dinner guests will be here in a half hour.”

  “A half hour? Danny, I need to take a shower, do my hair, put some makeup on, and figure out what I’m going to wear. I need at least an hour.”

  Mother kissed her again. “You look beautiful just as you are. Take a quick rinse-off shower and don’t worry about what you’ll wear. Jeans or leggings are fine. It’s just pizza and beer with friends.”

  Annaka pressed a quick kiss to his lips and then rushed to the shower. She twisted her hair into a messy bun on the top of her head. That would have to do. She smoothed moisturizer over her face. She brushed on a little blush, and a rich lip gloss as Danny got into the shower. She pulled her black leggings back on and a long burgundy sweater. Then she slid on the new black booties she’d bought at the mall.

  “Wow, you look great,” Danny said, coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped low over his hips. He glanced at his watch. “And in twenty-five minutes.”

  “You look great yourself,” she said with a suggestive smile. “I’m almost sorry we have company coming. I’d like to unwrap that towel and take you back to bed.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. “I’d love that. After they leave. You can take me to bed and do whatever you want to do to me.”

  “That sounds fun.” She kissed him until the ringing of the doorbell interrupted them. “I’ll get that. Get dressed fast!”

  She hurried down the stairs and peeked out of the peep hole in the door. She saw Sherman, so she opened the door wide and stepped back. Sherman and Brielle came in first. Gary Sloan and a woman she assumed was Kaylee came in behind them.

  “Annaka, this is my fiancé, Kaylee,” Sloan introduced. She had short auburn hair, soft blue eyes, and an easy smile.

  “Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” Annaka greeted her. “Danny will be down in a minute. He’s just getting dressed.”

  Sherman and Sloan exchanged knowing grins.

  Annaka took their coats to the closet near the garage door. She hung them up. Kaylee set a wine bag onto the island. She pulled out two bottles of red. Sherman held a case of beer that he also set onto the island.

  As Mother descended the stairs, the doorbell rang again. He let Garcia and Sienna in. He greeted Sienna with a hug. “Annaka,” he called, summoning her.

  Annaka returned to the front door, evaluating the two strangers who were in the process of taking off their coats. The man was Hispanic, with short black hair. His eyes were dark, looked black and serious. He stared at her as she approached with the gaze of a hunter tracking his prey.

  “Annaka, this is Garcia and his wife Sienna.”

  An appreciative smile formed on her face. “Thank you for staying on the phone with me the other night. It’s so nice to meet you.” They shook hands.

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad it turned out well.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Sienna said.

  Annaka shifted her gaze to the beautiful woman who stood beside Garcia. She was as opposite of her husband as a person could get. She was soft and gentle looking. Her smile was gracious. She had an obvious baby bump. “It’s very nice to meet you too,” Annaka said, shaking her hand. “Let me take your coats.” She took them to the closet.

  “Would you like a glass of wine or a beer?” Kaylee offered as she passed through the kitchen.

  “Wine sounds great, thank you.”

  Brielle took four wine glasses out of the cabinet. “I’m going to have one small glass.”

  Annaka watched the other ladies greet Sienna with hugs. The men passed bottles of beer out and settled on the couches as Danny started the fire. They talked in hushed conversation, she noticed. The ladies, on the other hand, were louder. They congregated around the island.

  The doorbell rang again. Annaka watched Danny cross the room and go to the door. She couldn’t help but admire his body. He was solid and strong. He moved with confidence. He swung the door open. Elizabeth came through, an older man behind her. Danny hugged her and then clasped hands with the man. She watched them pull each other in for a shoulder bump as they talked quietly. Elizabeth greeted several of the men with hugs. Then she came to the kitchen.

  “Hi Elizabeth. It’s nice to see you again,” Annaka greeted her. “Can I take your coat?”

  “Hi Annaka, yes, thank you,” she said as she shed it and handed it over.

  “Where’s Olivia?” Sienna asked as she gave the younger woman a hug.

  “Angel is babysitting for us so we can have a night out,” Elizabeth replied.

  “Wine?” Kaylee asked, holding the bottle up.

  “A small glass, thanks,” Elizabeth said.

  Danny and the older man approached. “Annaka, this is our teammate Doc, Elizabeth’s husband.”

  Annaka closed the distance and outstretched her right hand as she neared. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “You too,” Doc said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  This surprised Annaka. “Well, only good things, I hope.” She flashed Danny a smile.

  “Absolutely all good,” Doc assured her.

  The men stepped towards the family room and Annaka turned back to the women, still gathered near the island. Kaylee got Sienna a glass of water. When all the ladies had a drink in her hand, Kaylee raised her glass. “To friends, new and old.”

  They all tapped glasses. Annaka sipped the wine, appreciating the toast. Danny had said these women were all very close. He also said they would be a great support to her when he was away on a mission. They all seemed nice, and she looked forward to getting to know them better.

  Lambchop was the last to arrive. He came through the door with a case of beer in his hand. He set it onto the island, took his coat off, and then greeted all the women with hugs, including Annaka. He went to the closet and hung his own coat before grabbing a beer and joining the men in the family room. They still talked in hushed conversations. They were all solid and strong looking, something which somehow, Annaka hadn’t noticed before. She also knew that they all carried guns. Danny had told her that they were armed at all times, a job requirement. It did bring peace and a feeling of safety to her.

  Annaka tuned back into the conversation around the island. Sienna and Kaylee were talking about school. She learned that they were teachers at the same school.

  “Madison and Cooper are looking at a house for sale in that neighborhood next to us tomorrow,” Elizabeth shared. “They want a yard for Hahna, and they want for her to be in our school district.”

  “You don’t really think Madison will have
her start school this next fall, do you? She is so tiny for her age, and just learning English. It might be better for Madison to send her to a Pre-K program next year. Besides, they really don’t know when her birthday is. She may have just turned four,” Sienna said.

  “She starts at the preschool near that neighborhood next week,” Kaylee said. “When I was researching programs for her, I was impressed with that one because it is a small setting with neighborhood kids who will most likely go to the same elementary school. They have a good Pre-K program that I think Madison is considering.”

  “And Angel is probably going to put Sammy into a preschool program there two mornings a week too. I’ve committed to helping with both kids, getting them to and from school,” Elizabeth said.

  “I can only imagine how crazy Jackson and Shepherd will be. The security checks they will put everyone who works there through will be insane. It wouldn’t surprise me if they get in there one night and mount hidden cameras and listening devices,” Sienna chimed in.

  “And Ops will monitor the feed!” Kaylee added with a laugh.

  The other women laughed as well, everyone but Annaka.

  Seeing Annaka’s expression, Brielle laughed even harder. “You don’t know Mr. Shepherd. He’s the head of the agency and he is also Sammy’s godfather. Sammy was named after him. He is so protective of that boy. Sammy starting school will be a major security issue for Shepherd and that is why we are all laughing.”

  “Shepherd can be intimidating as hell,” Kaylee added. “But he’s a good man, super smart, and he cares about everyone who works for the agency.”

  “And all of us too. That’s why we carry agency phones and have trackers,” Elizabeth said. “He knows the guys wouldn’t be able to focus and do the job they do if they were worried about their families. But, as Brielle said, he is very protective of Sammy and he will be a crazy person when he is in anyone’s care who isn’t a part of the agency.”

  If Annaka thought she understood about this agency, this conversation totally wiped that out. She was confused now more than ever. “So, Sammy hasn’t been babysat by anyone not in the agency?”

  “Well, Angel’s aunt, but at Angel and Jackson’s place with the security system. But not anyone else outside of this group. We all knew this would be an issue when they thought about sending him to preschool. Angel realizes that kids need to be with other kids. With Hahna being a bit older it pushes the issue sooner than it would have naturally come about,” Sienna said. “It’s a good thing.”

  Annaka would take her word for it. She filed the other information away. Would ask Danny about it later. “Danny told me the team is going back out next week, on Tuesday.”

  “Yeah,” Brielle said. “It’s another DEA Partner Mission. I got the invite to the briefing.”

  “Just what do you do at the agency? Or aren’t you allowed to tell me that?” Annaka asked.

  Brielle laughed. “I think it’s safe to tell you, given that you’re living with Danny. I write the DEA news releases on the missions as well as part of the mission report for Mr. Shepherd.”

  “Do you go on the missions too?”

  “No. I sit in on the meeting briefing and debrief after and I watch the footage of the operation, either live or taped.”

  “Has anything ever gone wrong while you’re watching?”

  “What do you mean gone wrong?” Brielle asked.

  Annaka dropped her voice down low. “I guess I don’t know how dangerous it is, what they do. I can only imagine. Has anything dangerous ever happened while you’re watching?”

  “Like one of our guys getting shot?” Brielle asked.

  Annaka froze for a second. “Or just the team being threatened?”

  Annaka watched the four women exchange glances. Sienna reached her hand over and took hold of Annaka’s. “Sweetie, what our guys do is dangerous. Hasn’t Danny told you about the job?”

  “Well, some. I know on the last mission he was undercover as a buyer from a known drug dealer.”

  “Did he tell you Brian took one in the vest?” Brielle asked.

  “Hey, I was fine!” Sherman called over from where he sat in the family room.

  Mother came to his feet and rushed into the kitchen area. He came up beside Annaka and slipped an arm around her. “The round hit his vest, and the team was there to take care of the bad guys. We’re never operating alone. We’ll talk about it later.”

  Annaka stared at him in surprise. “You mean that Sherman was shot last week?”

  “The round hit his bullet-proof vest,” Mother said calmly.

  “Danny, why didn’t you tell her about the job?” Sienna asked gently but her gaze reprimanded him.

  Mother felt terrible that she was hearing it this way. He had planned to talk with her more about it before he left on the next mission. “I have, somewhat.” His gaze shifted back to Annaka. “The degree of danger shifts substantially with each case. There are reasons we are always armed. I thought you understood that.”

  “Police officers carry guns, but the statistics show that most cops never draw their guns in the line of duty.”

  Mother gave her a compassionate smile. “We’re not like normal cops. We’ll have that conversation, I promise. But for tonight,” he said and paused.

  She nodded. “Should we get some pizza ordered?”

  “Yes,” he said, grateful she let it drop. “What do you like on yours?”

  “Anything, everything,” she replied.

  “Good,” he said. “I’m calling the pizza order in,” he called to the living room.

  “Make sure you get a couple of their family sized salads,” Doc said as he walked into the kitchen. He had a few empty beer bottles in his hands. He put them in the recycling bin and grabbed four more bottles of beer. He pressed a kiss to his wife’s cheek before moving back into the family room.

  Annaka took a big drink of her wine. Kaylee was there to refill it. She felt foolish that she hadn’t known how dangerous the job they did was. Her gaze met Brielle’s. How was she able to sleep at night, knowing her husband had been shot at? He didn’t come right home. He’d come to Alaska right away so she wouldn’t even have been able to see him after.

  “I have faith in the team,” Brielle said as though she could read Annaka’s thoughts. “And I get the job they’re doing, the importance of it. It helps that I get to see it and I know what’s going down. I didn’t watch the live feed last week. Brian called me after it was over and let me know what I’d see on the recording.”

  “And I have faith in God that he will keep Alexander safe,” Elizabeth chimed in. “And we both have faith in the team.”

  “And I know that there are really bad guys out there that have to be stopped by people like our guys and the rest of the team. I wouldn’t be alive right now if it weren’t for them,” Kaylee said.

  “Me either,” the other women said.

  “I’m not sure I would be either,” Annaka admitted softly, realizing that these women all spoke from a place of experience. She wasn’t sure how that could be, but it appeared it was. “But I wouldn’t have wanted anyone to risk their life for me.”

  “We all risk our lives every day we leave our houses. There are no guarantees in life,” Sienna said. “And as Kaylee said, there are some really bad people out there that have to be stopped. I’m very proud of what the agency does, what our guys do. I pray nothing ever happens to Anthony, but I accept it is a possibility.”

  “I’d rather live with that possibility than without Gary,” Kaylee said. “It’s really that simple.”

  “I was almost shot in the head at a convenience store during a robbery. I had just stopped to use the bathroom,” Elizabeth said. “I thanked God that day that Alexander always carries a gun. If he did any other job and wasn’t armed that day, I surely would have been killed.”

  “Oh, my God!” Annaka gasped. The return stare from the others showed strength. She admired all these women. She wasn’t sure she could be that okay abo
ut the job they did. The thought of Danny being shot was scary. Now she understood why Danny wanted her to get to know these women.

  “We’re a family,” Sienna said. “Because of the work they do, the guys are like brothers. I think of each of these ladies, Angel, and Madison as my sisters-in-law.” Her lips formed a smile. “And now you too.”

  “And Shepherd gets that. He treats us all like family. Early in my pregnancy with Olivia I had a bad bleeding episode. Alexander was away on a mission. I called into Ops and they sent Gary over. He stayed with me at the hospital and after until Alexander got back. I had placenta previa and had to be on bedrest for several months, but Angel and everyone on the team helped to take care of me when Alexander couldn’t be there. We are a family as Sienna said and we’re all there for each other,” Elizabeth said.