MERCILESS

by Christy Reece

  Her eyes met his, and the love, compassion, and acceptance she saw in them gave her the courage to begin.

  Jules took in a bracing breath. They knew the basic facts of why she’d lied and deceived them. Now they needed to know the rest.

  “First, I want to apologize for the deception. I believed, still believe, I was doing the right thing. Protecting Ash and OZ, all of you, was my primary goal. Turner was not going to stop. We knew she had aspirations beyond her Senate seat, which meant she would want to rid herself of any threat against those goals. Ash has mercilessly pursued her, seeking answers.

  “She was getting desperate. And we know desperate people do desperate things. We…Kate and I…believed we could not only buy some time by creating the mercenary Jessie Diamond, but we could control whatever threats came at Ash.”

  She took another breath and added, “I’m just very sorry it involved lying to all of you. Causing problems for OZ, for any of you, was the last thing I wanted to do.”

  She deliberately looked at each person before moving on to the next operative. She had shown them she was a good liar and could only hope that she could prove that she had the honor and integrity of truthfulness as well.

  Jazz gave her a quick smile and a thumbs-up. Though she was sure the operative had kept most of the things Jules had told her to herself, she felt certain Jazz had been advocating for her.

  She shifted her eyes to Serena, who gave her a nod and a smile. Sean was seated beside his wife, and though there was no smile, he did give her a nod as well. Okay, three out of three.

  Taking a breath, she shifted her gaze and faced the man who had seen her at her worst. Gideon Wright wasn’t smiling, and there was no nod. What she did see brought a lump to her throat and a wash of tears to her eyes. She saw compassion.

  Grateful for the peace offering, she moved her gaze again and came to an abrupt stop. Eve Wells was not going to be so easy to persuade. That wasn’t a surprise. They’d barely exchanged a word with each other. All Eve knew was what she’d observed.

  “Eve, you have questions?” Ash’s voice broke through the staring contest Jules and Eve were waging.

  “Questions? No. Reservations? Yes. Lying is our business, and while I’m damn good at it, I draw the line at lying to my teammates. You crossed that line, Jules.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Your reasons were just, but the outcome could have been catastrophic.”

  She couldn’t argue with the statement, so she just waited for Eve’s judgment.

  “Very well. We don’t know each other yet, and we’ll remedy that soon. However, I trust the people in this room more than I’ve ever trusted anyone in my life. Their judgment has always been sound. If they believe in you, then so do I.”

  Jules nodded her thanks and continued to the other team members, waiting for each one’s judgment before moving on to the next. No one else objected, and Jules knew a peace she’d never experienced. This was her team…her people…her tribe.

  She was where she belonged.

  * * *

  Ash blew out a silent sigh of relief. Even though he’d been certain of the outcome, he hadn’t been sure what questions might be thrown at Jules before the team agreed to accept her explanation. Having her go into detail about what she’d gone through was not something he would allow. She had explained herself enough, but she did need to make peace with the team. As much as he wanted to shield her from any more pain, he knew she needed to do this on her own.

  He was proud of her and his team for making the right decision.

  “Now that we’re all together again, let’s take a moment, belated though it is, and give each other a big oorah for the op in Slovakia. It might not have gone completely as expected, but it worked all the same.

  “Carl Lang is being held at an unknown detention site while several countries vie for the right to decide his punishment. Not only that, we were able to identify two other up-and-coming organizations we need to keep an eye on. Plus, both the CIA and MI6 were appreciative of the intel on the winning bidders for the other weapons that were auctioned.”

  “In other words, we done good,” Jazz said.

  “Hear, hear,” Xavier added.

  “What about Turner?” Sean asked. “What’s going on there?”

  “Right now, we’re in a holding pattern. Even though we have more intel from the helo pilot, we’re still a long way from being able to make anything against Turner stick.”

  “Does he have any idea what the meeting was about?” Serena asked. “Who was involved?”

  “No. He was hired and paid through an anonymous source. Swears he never met anyone until he picked them up that day.”

  “How did he know to pick them up?”

  “He said he’d been told to fly to a certain location and wait for further instructions. He was about a mile from the meeting site when the attack came. He got a text telling him the coordinates. He picked up Turner and the others and flew them to an abandoned airstrip about twenty miles down the road. They got onto a waiting plane, and he was told to tell no one about what went down.”

  “And that’s it?”

  “Basically, yeah. He did remember a few snippets of conversation he overheard. Seems everyone was surprised at the attack, but one or two of them made accusations against each other for picking such a dangerous location for the meeting. He also said they didn’t seem to like or know each other very well. They were wary…distrustful.”

  Gideon issued a disgusted snort. “You’re right. That’s not a lot to go on.”

  “We’ve come this far. We found the pilot after all this time. We’ll keep digging. I’ve focused on Turner because she’s the only one we’ve been able to find. Hopefully, with this new intel, slight though it is, we can identify some of the other players. There are more out there, and we’re going to find them all.”

  “And in the meantime, what happens?” Eve turned her gaze to Jules. “Aren’t you supposed to carry out Turner’s orders of termination?”

  “Yes.” Jules met Ash’s eyes and smiled. “But we know how I am about orders.”

  “What will you tell her, then?” Serena asked.

  “I’m going to tell her what she wants to hear. That I followed her orders.”

  “What?” Xavier glared at them both. “How the hell is that going to help?”

  “Even though it pains me to say this, looks like…at least for a little while, Asher Drake is going to have to die.”

  Ash sent his friend a tiger-like smile and added, “Congratulations, Xavier, you are my successor.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Washington, DC

  “Drake is dead.”

  “So I’ve heard.”

  Clutching the phone in her hand, Jules met Ash’s eyes. Just those three words told them so much. Only a handful of people had been told that the leader of OZ had been killed. Which one of them told Turner?

  “Do you have proof of death?”

  “Photo work for you?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Good. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

  “What? You’re here in DC? Why? Can’t you just send it to me? Why do we need to meet?”

  “Because I have a proposition for you.”

  There was a long pause, and Jules held her breath. Their plan depended on her meeting in private with Turner. If that didn’t happen, the whole thing would go up in smoke.

  “Very well, but not at my office. There are too many eyes and ears. There’s a private club called Millie’s Spot on K Street. Meet me there in an hour.”

  “See you then.”

  Jules returned her phone to her pocket and turned to Ash. The difference between the photograph on her phone and the man standing, healthy and whole, beside her was like night and day.

  Rose Wilson’s talents were numerous, and makeup artist was one of them. After working on Ash for over two hours, Rose had called Jules in to see the results. Just thinking about it caused her to shudder. I
t had been much too realistic looking.

  But now she had several photographs showing Asher Drake lying in a filthy, damp alleyway in Madrid. Two holes in the middle of his forehead and one in his chest had ended the life of the OZ leader.

  Rose and Ash had done their jobs. Now it was up to Jules. She would weave a tale of how a cold, cunning killer had gotten the drop on Asher Drake and destroyed Turner’s archnemesis.

  “Turn around. Let’s check you out again.”

  At Eve’s words, Jules dutifully turned. If there was anyone who knew about undercover and subterfuge, it was Eve. Since learning of Jules’s plan to trap Turner, Eve had been her biggest supporter. And while she sincerely appreciated the help, as well as the turnaround in her attitude toward Jules, it wasn’t always comfortable. Eve Wells was a perfectionist.

  Jules withstood the scrutiny. Eve’s experience as a former CIA operative was invaluable. Fooling Turner would take every ounce of acting ability she possessed, and she would gladly take all the help and advice she could get. If this didn’t work, and Turner suspected she was being manipulated, Jules could be dead the moment she walked out the door of the meeting place. It was a risk she was willing to take.

  “Remember, don’t get too close to the woman, or the sound could get distorted.”

  “I’ll remember.”

  “Also, try not to touch the front of your blouse. The bug is a delicate device and will pick up even the slightest sound.”

  “Okay.”

  “What’s your distress word?”

  She sent a smile to Ash and said, “Snow.”

  “Eve, I need a moment,” Ash said.

  “Okay, but don’t muss her makeup, and for heaven’s sake, don’t dislodge the camera button.”

  Ash laughed and pushed her toward the door. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Before going out the door, Eve turned and gave Jules a brilliant smile. “Welcome to the team, Jules. Proud to have you.”

  Her heart swelled with gratitude. Even though Eve had given her approval, Jules had still felt like there was distance between them. Those words gave her the assurance that, no matter what, Eve accepted her as a trusted team member. “Thank you, Eve.”

  The instant the door closed, Ash grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, but took care not to touch her anywhere else. “We can find another way. You can still change your mind.”

  “Not going to happen. This is going to work, Ash. I feel it in my bones.”

  “Yeah, well, if you feel anything else in your bones, like danger, then you say snow, and we’ll be there.”

  That couldn’t happen. The OZ team storming into the club could have dire consequences, ruining everything. This had to work. There was no other option.

  “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

  “Promise me something else.”

  “Anything.”

  “When this is over, we’ll go away for a few days. Just the two of us.”

  “Someplace warm?”

  Ash laughed and kissed the hand he held. “Someplace so hot you’ll want to run around naked all the time.”

  “You got yourself a deal, Mr. Drake.”

  The door opened, and Eve peeked in. “Ash, she needs to get going.”

  Ash nodded, and with one more kiss on her hand, he whispered, “Go kick her ass.”

  Jules walked out of the hotel room and to the elevator. A taxi, driven by a man Ash trusted, would be waiting at the front door. She wasn’t surprised at the meeting location. Turner had been seen at the club several times. Many politicians had favorite private meeting places. As far as she knew, Turner was the only one who used Millie’s Spot, which made sense. Having clandestine meetings about murders and cover-ups required extreme privacy.

  She got into the waiting car, and it took off. If this plan worked, and she planned to make sure that it did, it would be one of the most worthwhile things she’d ever done. She would get justice for the men who had died, justice for Meg. And justice for Ash.

  And when this was over, she and Ash would be together. This might not be the fairy-tale ending most people were used to, but for Jules, it was as close as she could imagine.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Ash adjusted his earwig once more. He could hear Jules breathing, hear and see the traffic surrounding her. He wished he could talk to her, reassure her that he was right there with her. He couldn’t. They had agreed that Jules wearing an earwig was too dangerous. If Turner suspected a setup, the consequences would be fatal.

  Having Jules put herself at risk was one thing. He trusted her skills. Putting herself at risk specifically for him was another matter. If anything happened to her, he’d never recover. Losing Meg had almost killed him. She’d been his best friend for years, and even though their marriage had been on shaky ground, he had still loved her. Being responsible for her death had put him in a black hole for a long time. If he lost Jules, he’d go back down that hole again, and Ash was pretty sure he’d never come back up.

  This had to work!

  “Okay, we’re stopping in front of the club. Wish me luck.”

  Ash closed his eyes and, instead of wishing her luck, prayed for a miracle.

  Reeking of wealth and clandestine happenings, Millie’s Spot was a small and elegant private club. Jules could imagine that while sipping expensive liquor or the latest fancy cocktail and munching exotic hors d’oeuvres, bad people had conceived many illicit deals here. How many had Turner been responsible for? And how many deaths had resulted from those deals?

  Following Turner’s directions, Jules knocked on a side door. It was immediately opened, revealing Turner.

  “I hope you understand that not only is this an inconvenience, but it’s incredibly dangerous.”

  “I’ll be brief.”

  “Very well.”

  Turner backed away, and Jules walked inside. The interior was dark, allowing only glimpses of light from the low-glow light fixtures above each table. For their plan to work, the conversation required light.

  “Interesting place. Does it have to be so dark? I can barely see where I’m going.”

  Surprising her, Turner adjusted a lamp over one of the tables and said, “Have a seat.”

  Though the rest of the room remained dim, she was pleased that the small area was lit up quite nicely. Relieved, Jules settled into a chair.

  The instant Jules was seated, a man came out of the shadows.

  “What the hell?”

  “Did you think I’m going to talk with you without making sure you’re not wired or armed? I’ve been around too long to fall for that trick, Ms. Diamond.”

  “Stand up,” the man growled.

  Jules released an exaggerated sigh and stood. The man was only slightly taller than she was and on the thin side. However, he had the look of an experienced killer. Since she had no reason to fight him, Jules raised her arms and allowed him to pat her down. He removed her phone from her pocket and the gun strapped to her ankle.

  He placed the items on a nearby table and then took something from his pocket. Jules showed no outward sign of fear, but her heart rate sped up a bit. The cam/mic inside the button on her shirt was the most modern and sophisticated one in existence. It wasn’t yet on the market, and so far no scanner had been designed to detect it. Still, there was the worry.

  Seconds passed as he waved the scanner around her body. When he nodded at Turner, she smiled and said, “Wait outside for me, Ted. I’ll only be a few moments.”

  Without a word, he nodded and left the room.

  “Have a seat, Ms. Diamond.”

  Jules settled into her chair and said, “I have a proposition for you.”

  “First, show me the photographs.”

  Jules reached over and grabbed her phone from the table. “I was in a hurry so could only take a couple.” Clicking the icon, the image of Ash appeared. No matter how fake it was, the photo looked altogether too realistic to Jules.

  Apparently, Turner agreed. She let loose a delighted little l
augh. “How wonderful. If I thought I could get away with it, I’d have an eight-by-ten made for my credenza.”

  Resisting the urge to punch the woman in the face, Jules smiled. “Photography has never been my thing, but I must admit, the picture does highlight my work.”

  “How did you get away with it?”

  Jules gave a casual shrug as if it was all in a day’s work, but she added a smug smile. What killer wouldn’t be proud of such a scheme? “We were on an op in Madrid. Drake and I were chasing a slimy informant. I pretended to pull a muscle and held back a little. We got separated. He lost the suspect and came back looking for me. I was standing behind a dumpster. I came out, took the shots. Radioed in that the suspect had shot Drake and gotten away.”

  “Did he know I was responsible?”

  The gleam in Turner’s eyes was hard to stomach, but Jules held back her revulsion. “I doubt it. He was dead before he hit the pavement.”

  “Ah, well, can’t have everything.” She pushed the phone back to Jules’s side of the table and took out her own phone. Her finger clicked a couple of keys, and then she said, “Your money is in your account. That should end our business transaction.”

  “Not so fast. I have a proposition for you.”

  “Yes, so you said. However, I’m not interested in doing more business with you, Ms. Diamond.”

  “Then you don’t care that Xavier Quinn has taken over OZ and has vowed to keep the investigation on you going?”

  “Quinn? Hell, he wasn’t even there that day. Why should he care?”

  Warmth ran up Jules’s spine. It wasn’t exactly a confession, but hearing Turner indicate she knew something about the incident was definitely progress.

  Jules didn’t bother to respond to the question, allowing Turner to adjust to the new threat. Had she really believed that taking out Asher Drake would be the end of her troubles?

  “Very well, Ms. Diamond. Tell me what you know.”