by Ali Vali
* * *
Hawaii, Nine Years Earlier
“Are you asking me out?” Aidan asked, shielding her eyes from the sun. The sweat from her run was dripping down her back and pooling in the waistband of her shorts. The tall pilot she’d shot down in yesterday’s exercise had stopped her, and she almost kept going because of the woman’s teasing last night about her height. It was a bad idea, but the fly god was trying extra hard to be charming.
“Are you going to report me if I say yes?”
Aidan definitely remembered the woman’s smile from the night before, and she deserved some if not all of that swagger. The woman was truly stunning. “Okay, but it’s too late in the day for coffee, so it’s either dinner or wait until morning, when I’m ready to drink coffee again.”
“Dinner it is.”
“Are you going to introduce yourself, or were you raised by wolves?”
“No wolves in my family tree that I know of, and I apologize, but maybe I was trying to wait on the chance you’d turn me in. Berkley Levine.” Berkley held her hand out.
“Aidan Sullivan.” She took Berkley’s hand, not lowering her other one since the sun was still in her eyes. “Do you know where the Beach Grove complex is?”
“No. I don’t. I got here yesterday.” Berkley moved her around before letting go of her so she’d be standing in her shadow. “Seven sound okay?”
“I get off duty at six, so seven sounds great.” The easy smile on Berkley’s face made her not only more attractive, but also kind of roguish as she took her hand and wrote her address on her palm with the pen hanging off her ID badge. “I’m in 5B.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Berkley said and saluted, which seemed strange until she saw the two officers close by. The salute was sharp, and then Berkley continued her run with a stride that made Aidan think she could keep it up for miles.
“That’s trouble all wrapped up in a gorgeous package,” she whispered as she kept to the path she was on.
That thought grew exponentially throughout the day until she drove herself nearly insane enough to call Berkley and cancel, only she didn’t have her number or any way of contacting her. She was in her underwear, trying not to freak out, when she heard a knock at the door. It was only six thirty, so no way was it Berkley, but she needed to get rid of whoever it was, not wanting company when she ditched her date soon.
“Shit,” she whispered when she looked through the peephole, finding an even better-appearing Berkley in a white shirt and jeans. She took a deep breath and pulled her robe tie before opening the door. “Hi. You’re way early.”
“I wanted to make a good impression, and these are for you.” The bouquet of tropical flowers and orchids was beautiful, and that Berkley had thought to bring them made her waver about cutting this short.
“Thank you, and please come in. I got stuck with some last-minute things today and was late getting home.” Her one and only vase was in the cabinet over the refrigerator, and Berkley got it down for her when she followed her in there. “Do you mind waiting for me a few minutes?”
“Take your time,” Berkley said, watching her deal with the flowers.
“There’s wine and beer in the fridge if you want either.” She tried to be a good hostess but quickly made it to her bedroom and closed the door before Berkley decided to follow her in there as well.
Since Berkley wasn’t in uniform, she put on a pair of shorts and a peasant blouse she’d bought in Mexico, figuring they were going somewhere casual. Berkley was sitting on one of her stools at the kitchen counter when she came back out in her bare feet, but stood and slid her hands into her pockets when she saw her.
“Do you want me to go?” Berkley asked, having lost her smile somewhere between the door and her getting dressed. She just needed to say yes, and the rest of the night would be hers problem free.
“Why do you ask?” Curiosity postponed the smart play.
“You look either nervous or apprehensive,” Berkley said softly, “and you’re probably not the type to be either. If you are, it’s me making you that way, and if I am, I’ll go.”
Anyone who thought to say something like that was someone who deserved her time and attention. “I’m nervous because I’ve never done this before.”
“You’ve never gone out on a date?” Berkley went from resigned to incredulous in a flash, which made her laugh.
“I’m not that hideous, am I?” She dropped her shoes and sat on the sofa, patting the spot next to her. “I’ve been on plenty of dates—just not many where I could get court-martialed if anyone found out.”
“No one’s getting court-martialed.” Berkley sat and leaned back, getting comfortable. “It’s only dinner, maybe a movie, and maybe…maybe a good-night kiss on the cheek like I’m your sister, if I’m lucky.”
“Are you usually lucky?” Berkley Levine was lucky in probably everything she tried, from girls to planes.
“I’m out of practice when it comes to lucky,” Berkley said, her smile back. “The military puts you through all kinds of hell before they let you take a really expensive plane out for a spin. I’ve concentrated on flying for what seems like forever, since Commander Corbin Levine would’ve been mighty disappointed if I’d failed to make the cut.”
“Your father?” Berkley nodded. “I totally understand that.”
“I doubt yours is as demanding,” Berkley said, making Aidan snort. Her date obviously didn’t know who her father was, which was refreshing. “How about some food, we skip the movie and the kiss, and you decide if we do this again?”
“Are you open to negotiation?” She folded her legs under her and smiled, deciding to gamble.
“What are your terms?”
“We order in and watch a movie here.” If they stayed in she could enjoy Berkley’s undivided attention all night.
“And the good-night kiss?” Berkley leaned toward her but stopped, leaving plenty of room between them to decide the next move without feeling pressured.
“We should get that out of the way.” She leaned in as well and knew she’d made the right decision when Berkley kissed her softly at first. Then somehow she ended up straddling Berkley when things got heated. “Are you hungry right this minute?” The question came out of her mouth, and she wondered what the hell was happening to her, but at that moment she had to be naked.
“Famished,” Berkley said and carried her into the bedroom.
* * *
“You were going to cancel on me?” Berkley picked Aiden up and carried her to the shower. The place they’d rented was small, but it had a surprisingly large bathroom, with a claw-foot tub and a rain shower coming from the ceiling.
“I thought you were a bad idea, and then I saw you.” Aidan sat on the counter while Berkley adjusted the water, and the sight of her made Berkley forget about her self-imposed timeline. “You proved my point, but you were so gorgeous I couldn’t help myself.”
“I’m happy you decided to chance it, and after we make some headway on this crap we’ve been working on, it’s time to retire.” She went back for Aidan and kissed her when she wrapped her legs around her waist. “It doesn’t matter where we live, but it’s time we get a place for our dog and the couple of kids I’m putting in an order for.”
“Really?” The way Aidan pulled her hair made her stop before getting under the spray. “You really want that?”
They’d talked vaguely about the future but hadn’t made plans other than enjoying their time together and rebuilding their relationship. Aidan might’ve left her in Hawaii to pursue her career as a naval officer, but Berkley’s heart hadn’t flinched when she’d completely forgiven her. The only way to heal the heartbreak of Aidan’s loss was to believe she was back for good.
“What, the house or the kids?” She turned the water off. “I want both, and I don’t want to wait much longer.”
“Why?” Aidan asked, squeezing her legs tighter around her.
“Because I want to experience the wonder of seeing you pre
gnant with our baby, and I want to have a place where I don’t have to hide who you are to me.” Honesty was best, her father always said, but it was a scary notion if the person you were with didn’t want the same things.
“God, yes,” Aidan said before kissing her. “We talked about it years ago, but I thought you might’ve changed your mind.”
“Let’s make a deal that we’ll talk about all this stuff from now on, instead of trying to guess what we want.” She headed back to the bedroom and sat on the bed with Aidan on her lap. “No matter our mistakes, going forward, we’ll make them together no matter what.”
“I’ll gladly agree to that deal, and I’m tired of putting my biological clock on snooze.”
She laughed and ran her hands up Aidan’s back. “Anything else on your mind?”
“We haven’t gotten anywhere with our investigation,” Aidan said, resting her head on her shoulder and sighing.
“The cockroaches have done a good job of scattering and hiding, for sure, but they’ll surface. They have too much invested to back down now.”
The initial voyage of the USS Jefferson, Aidan’s first command, had been a mission to destroy two nuclear sites in North Korea. It had also been the beginning of a mutiny by some supposed patriots, who’d formed a militia group called New Horizons, led by former Vice President Dick Chandler. The men who’d joined Chandler, and were willing to die for his cause, had stolen millions from the defense budget to finance their war to bring down the current government, and they’d recruited both retired and active military to do the job.
New Horizons and its leaders had a problem with the election of the current president, Peter Khalid, and his choice for vice president, Olivia Michaels. The changes they’d instituted, like placing Aidan at the helm of the Jefferson and her in command of the flight crew, were in their opinion the death of the America they loved.
“If NSA, the CIA, and the FBI can’t find Chandler, how the hell are we going to? We’ve given enough, honey, and I’m ready to be happy and pregnant.” Aidan was hard to argue with, but so was her dedication to duty, and Berkley hated leaving something undone.
“We have a couple of weeks off, with plenty of family time planned, so let’s talk about it.”
“You promise?”
“I do as long as you promise not to believe everything my sisters say about me.”
Chapter Two
Retired US Army General Homer Lapry sat in the fighting chair of the fishing boat he’d hired on the northern coast of South Korea and stared out at the large expanse of water. The contact had been sent to him while he was on vacation, and he’d been thrilled to finally be noticed. His retirement had been shoved down his throat, and he’d been livid from the moment he’d been escorted from his office. President Peter Khalid was on a mission to bring down every military institution and twist it into his perverted view of the future. It was sickening to watch.
“Two boats closing fast, sir,” the charter captain said as he brought the engines to idle.
Homer picked up his reel, in case it wasn’t who he thought it was, and put his cigar back in his mouth. “You sure you’ve done this before?”
“Yes, sir, and you have to go with the northern soldiers to get to who you want. That might make you nervous, but it’s the only way.”
The military boats with multiple weapons in front and back seemed to be overloaded with men, but the one alone at the back was evidently in charge. The man stood ramrod straight and issued orders as the two boats were tied together. “You come.”
Homer placed the rod in the holder and moved, the thought of how crazy this was playing in a loop in his head. They’d bombed these people the year before and destroyed their nuclear facilities, and here they were welcoming him into the country. At least, that’s what he hoped this was.
“Please sit, General,” the man said after shaking his hand.
The trip wasn’t as long as he figured, and on shore a helicopter with a sun rising over a mountain was waiting on him. He guessed it was rising and not setting, since the logo was the same as on the initial letter he’d received from what he’d believed was a new Washington lobbying group, New Horizons. The names listed as board members along the side were impressive, but now a number of them were dead or locked away for treason.
Congress had started an investigation almost from the second former Vice President Dick Chandler’s home blew up, killing the head of the FBI and four of his agents. The US government was trying to root out those loyal to Chandler and the open rebellion he was waging against what he saw as the downfall of America, being led by Khalid and his bitch Vice President Olivia Michaels.
“Sir, welcome to North Korea,” the young man with blond hair and a pristine black uniform with the logo on the pocket said as he saluted. “I’ll be your pilot today. If you’re ready, we’ll take off.”
The flight lasted only twelve minutes, but Homer realized why it was necessary as they traveled away from the coast over thick vegetation with no visible roads. “Is this the only way in?”
“There are actually two roads—one that leads to Mongumpó by the coast where you landed, and the other inland toward the capital—but it takes over an hour of rough riding.” The pilot circled the large compound and landed on one of the pads close to the forest. “Please follow me, sir.”
Over a thousand people, all wearing the same black uniform, were walking around performing different tasks, and they all appeared American. The house at the edge of the main compound was large, beautiful, and strangely out of place. By all accounts this backward country was poor and struggling under crushing sanctions, but this facility made Homer wonder about the truth of that perception.
“Sir.” He stood at attention and saluted before taking the hand Dick Chandler held out. “It’s a pleasure.”
“Thank you for coming, General. Let’s sit.” Dick led him to a beautiful table outside on the wide porch and sat. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
* * *
Gromwell Enterprises’ private jet came to a halt inside the hangar at the end of their private airstrip. According to the manifest, it was returning from their offices in Montana, so there was no need for customs agents to board. The defense contractor had been one of former President George Butler’s biggest supporters, and their loyalty and generosity to the ticket had been well compensated with enough government contracts to last years.
The CEO, Tom Bristol, was waiting for the arrival of his guests, since he was curious as to why all the cloak-and-dagger shit his old friend Dick had insisted on. He’d tried to get some information out of Marine Major Franklin Porche, who’d showed up to wait with him, but asking the man anything was like talking to a corpse.
Rachel Chandler was the first one out, followed by her brother Jeffery and a few other guys Tom didn’t recognize. “Rachel, welcome.” He held his hand out. “How’s your father?”
“He’s fine, and thank you for helping us today. Is there someplace where we can talk to Major Porche in private?”
“Sure, but what exactly is going on?”
“I’ll fill you in while my sister talks to Franklin,” Jeffery said.
He led them all to the offices, and the guy who appeared heavily armed followed them into an empty space while Rachel took the small conference room. Suddenly the small favor for an old friend didn’t seem so simple.
“What’s all this about, Jeffery? We still have government contracts, so if you’re in some kind of trouble, I can’t be involved.” All the news coverage on Dick’s crimes against the government that he’d chalked up to being farfetched had a ring of truth now that it was too late to get out of the mistake he’d made.
“Tom, I need you to sit and be quiet. By helping us get into the country illegally, you’re now complicit. That alone will get you some jail time and the loss of all your contracts.” Jeffery nodded in the other man’s direction, and the guy pushed him into a chair. “Your part is done for today, so hit the road. Think before y
ou don’t take any more calls from my father though.” Jeffery knocked on the desk with his knuckles, making him look up. “You know him well enough to realize he’ll take pleasure in destroying you.”
Rachel glanced at the door when Jeffery came in with Kevin Skinner. The trip over had been long with all the refueling stops, and they all appeared exhausted, but they didn’t have much time to finalize their plans.
“My father put the big pieces of this together,” Rachel said to Franklin Porche, and the man nodded without a hair on his head moving because of the severe marine haircut.
“I swore to Mr. Chandler he’d have my complete cooperation and loyalty, but what’s the end game?” Franklin asked, his eyes momentarily going from her to Kevin and the other man with him.
“The old ways of government are too hardwired to completely overthrow what people know, but there’s another way to replace it with something that works better.”
Franklin ran his hand over the top of his head and laughed. “That’s the kind of bull crap the recruiting office tells you, Ms. Chandler. What’s the end game?”
“This is our plan for now.” She started talking, and Franklin leaned in as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “The time for backing out is over, Franklin. You’re in this.”
“I owe a lot to your father, and I’ll spend the rest of my life paying him back. You have no worries on my end.”
“Good.” Rachel stood but didn’t head for the door. “I’ll be in touch.”
“I guess we’ll know in a few minutes how loyal these guys are,” Jeffery said and laughed. “If they get on the phone to the FBI we’re fucked.”
“Do you want to review everything before we go?” she asked, ignoring Jeffery’s sarcasm. Their brother Robyn had stayed behind to help their father, so she was stuck with the reluctant one.
“I’m a marine, remember? We’re always prepared. Besides, dear ole dad has a spare. I’m sure Robyn will be happy to pitch in if something happens to me.”
