by Desiree Holt
She stared back at him, her emerald eyes darkening almost to a forest green before she took a step back. “Well, then. I’ll have to start making a list.”
In the kitchen, he refilled both their glasses and carried them back out to the patio. Regan was standing there, hands in the pockets of her slacks, just staring off across the lawn much as he’d been doing before. He took a moment to study her, framed by the fading rays of the sun as she was. There was something about her he’d never seen in all the other women who had passed through his life. And that was exactly what they’d done—passed through. His choice, for sure. He hadn’t wanted depth, he’d wanted casual sex with no demands. The SEALs got all the rest from him.
But now this woman had come into his life at the exact moment when he didn’t need a distraction. He gave thanks she appeared to be a thorough professional who was as focused on this as he was. Still, with the days of playacting facing them, you never knew what could happen. He had to keep remembering all the lives in danger if he screwed up.
He nudged her arm and handed her the filled glass.
“How about we sit down at that table over there and get to know each other a little better outside of the mission parameters.”
She looked at him, her lips turned up in a hint of a smile.
“Why, Max, what an interesting proposition.”
He shook his head. “That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Although when this is over, if we survive it, we might address that very situation.”
Something heated swirled in her emerald green eyes, just for a moment, but it woke up feelings in him he didn’t know he had. How was it that now, in the midst of this crisis, he had finally met a woman that he might want to share his life with and he had to tuck it all away? Because he was a SEAL—there was no “former” about it—and that was what SEALs did. But Jesus. It was going to take every bit of discipline he had to keep his hands to himself. Would one kiss be so bad?
“We should get through this first,” she reminded him, interrupting his train of thought.
Good thing, too.
“That’s at the top of the list.” He sat down in one of the chairs and motioned her to another one. “And part of that is getting to know each other well enough to pull off our role as a married couple. Make ourselves believable. These people won’t be happy with the change, and we’ll be under a microscope. If they suspect the least little thing, we’ll be dead, and so will a lot of other people.”
“You’re right.” She took a sip of her drink and set the glass down. “Okay, Commander, fire away.”
“I’m curious. How did you get into the data mining business to begin with? It isn’t, at least in my limited knowledge, a career that’s hot in the marketplace.”
“I got lucky.” She shrugged. “I’ve always been interested in puzzles of all different kinds. I read some books about people who could listen to fractured conversations, pick out key words and discern the purpose of the dialogue. I had a double major in college, languages and computer science. And I was fascinated with the military. Always had been. A friend of a friend knew of an opening for someone with my skills. I got an interview, and that was that.”
“Where do you get the information you analyze?” He chuckled. “That is, if it’s not a national secret.”
“If Silas picked you for this mission, I think there’s very little that would be secret from you.”
“Thanks for that.”
She shifted in her chair, and, when she re-crossed her legs, Max couldn’t help noticing the flex of thigh muscles beneath the smooth fabric of her slacks. At another time he’d like to have those thighs clamped around his body, holding him in place. But this was neither the time nor the place, and he had enough discipline to put it all in a corner of his mind. At least for now.
“Some of our information comes from intercepting phone calls—and that I really can’t tell you about. But, right now, the bulk of it has been coming through what our satellites have picked up and transmitted to us.”
“You have to be damn good at what you do if you can take bits and pieces and make this kind of picture out of them.”
She grinned at him, and he noticed the faint hint of a dimple he’d missed at the left corner of her mouth.
“I am. But I have a lot of help, too, in deciphering what I come up with. It’s really a team effort.”
“Teamwork is always the best,” he agreed. “Did you get your job at Norfolk after you were married?”
She shook her head. “I was already working there. I met him through friends one night when we were all at the same bar. He asked me out to dinner, and we never looked back.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss.” He’d had to say that too many times to widows of SEAL friends, but he still never felt comfortable with it.
“Thank you. We were only married for four years when he was killed, but I was lucky to have him for the time I did.”
“There hasn’t been anyone since then?” “Just checking to see if there’s someone waiting for you to come back from this mission,” he added. “And. You know, maybe worrying about you. And that could distract you.”
Anger flashed across her face but so quickly he wondered if he’d actually seen it.
“she said carefully, “because I understand why you have to ask it. I would have thought Silas would have told you, prepping you for this mission.”
Max watched her carefully. “He did say there wasn’t anyone specific in your life, but I always like to check things myself.”
She crossed her legs, lifted her glass, and drained it. Then she turned to him.
“I hope you’re not playing games, Commander DiSalvo, but I have nothing to hide. I’ve had one or two short-lived relationships since Dylan was killed and occasional dates here and there, but that’s it.” Her look was almost defiant. “It’s hard finding someone to live up to him. And I’m told I’m very picky.”
She sat so stiffly in her chair that Max swallowed a grin. He’d been testing her, but he didn’t want to piss her off. She was ideal for this. In addition to her skills and the fact that she was a knockout with a brain, Si had told him she had an excellent memory and retained critical facts.
“So, have I passed the test?” There was a definite edge to her voice.
Max grinned. “More than. Sorry for that. I’m just used to working with the same team all the time, people I’m comfortable with and trust without question. No matter how much Si vouched for you, I had to satisfy myself. You’re bright, you’re sharp, and you don’t rattle. I just had to make sure I wasn’t missing anything.” He lost the grin. “I’ve been depending on the same group of men for so many years, I have to learn how to trust others all over again.”
The look on her face softened. “I should have remembered that. Si told me you were a
SEAL for almost twenty years.”
He nodded. “Twenty being the operative word. I actually had another eighteen months to go.”
She wet her lower lip, and he tried not to be fascinated by the quick swipe of her tongue. “He explained about your injury. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to worry about me holding my own. It might not have healed well enough to keep me in the SEALs, but I don’t miss a beat anywhere else.” He tried to keep the bitterness from his voice.
“I believe that. My turn. Anyone waiting at home for you? Or anywhere else?”
He shook his head and took another swallow of his soft drink. “The truth? I never wanted to start a relationship with anyone all that time. Everything I had belonged to the SEALs. I figured when the time came, I’d have found someone and settled into a pattern that I could just step into after retirement.”
She burst out laughing. “Spoken like a true male.”
He managed a grin of his own. “I guess. Anyway, I was out of the SEALs before I expected and, well, there it is. My friends worry I’ll turn into a grouchy old man.”
She tilted her head and studied him. “Somehow, I don’
t see that happening. I’m willing to bet there are plenty of women, maybe even a long line of them, who are ready to make sure Max DiSalvo doesn’t spend his later years all alone.”
“I think you’re imagining things. Anyway, that’s a discussion for another day. Suffice it to say, no marriages. Not even a fiancée.” After this mission was complete and he could explore those reactions his body kept having to her. He hoped things would change.
“So. Now that we’ve gotten past the You show me yours and I’ll show you mine dance, we should probably get to the things that will really matter. The things that make us who we are. Things a married couple would know about each other.”
“You’re right, even though Max Ferren and his wife have only been married for a short time. Second marriage for both of them, and long enough to know each other’s quirks and habits. Let me get the folder Si put together that gives us all that information so we can share it. And add some of our own peculiarities so we don’t get caught off guard.”
They sat there in the waning sun, throwing information back and forth about the people they were about to become, concentrating with the same intensity Regan applied to her complicated job and Max had applied as a SEAL. He thought of other people who so often used the expression life-or-death to describe situations and wondered how many of them even knew what it meant. Three days from now the two of them would face the first of their hurdles when they met Jed Whitlow at the hotel where he’d insisted they stay before heading to the meeting at the lodge. That literally would be life or death. One false step, and he and Regan would both be dead not to mention untold numbers of people who would be victims of whatever horrific event was being planned.
The sun had set and day was fading to night when Si joined them on the patio carrying his ever-present mug of coffee.
“You kids playing nice with each other?” He smiled while asking .
“Yes, Dad.” Max winked at him. “We’re sharing our toys and everything.”
‘We’ve been doing our getting-to-know-each-other thing,“ Regan assured him.
Si dropped into a chair at the table where they sat. “Glad to hear it. You’ll be walking into a group of people who aren’t even sure they trust you being there and who probably are suffering paranoia off the charts because of Bernardo’s ‘heart attack.’”
“Tomorrow, one of the things we need to prepare is the electronics,” Regan reminded him.
A slow grin spread over Si’s face. “Anxious to get your hands on those gadgets,” he teased.
“You bet.” She looked at Max. “I don’t know if Silas has told you, but he’s got special pens for us, one of which records voice and the other video. They are sound-and-motion activated.”
Max knew his eyes lit up. He, too, was big on gadgets. More than once his team had been saved by one. Then he sobered.
“They can’t be detectable,” he reminded his friend. “I assume we’ll be using them at the table or whatever while we’re meeting, and you can bet your sweet ass they’ll have all kinds of detectors in the room.”
Si nodded. “No problem. The material each of them is constructed of blocks any electronic detection. And yes, they’ve been thoroughly tested. I made sure everyone involved in this project understands the critical nature of it and that there is no room for error.”
“Good. I knew you would, but I always check things five times. What about cell phones? I don’t imagine the reception is very good there. Plus, if these weasels decide to check them, they’ll expect to be looking at the ones used by Max and Regan Ferren, not us.”
“We have them for you. They can be packed in the hard-sided compartment in your suitcase with your weapons.”
“And where will the real couple be while this is going on?”
“In the same location as Jeanne Ferren, Bernardo’s wife, far away from civilization with a full complement of round-the-clock guards. This should all be over before anyone gets suspicious.”
“Yeah, let us pray,” Regan said.
“Exactly what we are all doing,” Si assured her, “while we’re taking care of business.”
“How about reviewing these profiles with us?” Max asked. He picked up the tablet he’d carried out to the patio with him and left on the table earlier.
“That’s just what I was about to suggest. And let me mention this before we get started. It would be great for Regan to take the lead here. Most of the primary members are male, although their spouses are included and active. But Lorena Alvaro is a force of nature, and it would help all around if she had a woman at the table she couldn’t pressure or treat with disdain.”
“She sounds lovely,” Regan commented, wrinkling her nose.
“I promise you’re more than a match for her.” He looked at Max. “That okay with you?”
Max chuckled. “Whatever works. I for one think if we handle ourselves right with Jed Whitlow, it would throw some interesting dynamics into the situation. They’re probably expecting pale copies of Bernardo Ferren and his wife. If we give them just the opposite, they might end up making mistakes.”
“Good point.” Si stopped and looked from one to the other. “I know I don’t need to say this but make no mistake about this. Getting accepted into this upcoming meeting and finding a way to stop this abomination is the most important thing you will ever do. Otherwise, a great many people will die, and the fabric of this country could be ripped apart. I don’t care how you play it. I chose the two of you not just because you resemble Max Ferren and his wife but because you both have the brains and the experience to pull this off. How you play it is up to you.”
“We’ve got it, Si,” Max assured him, noting that Regan nodded her understanding. “You and I were SEALs for a long time. It’s a fact that SEALs have been involved in every kind of conflict since the beginning. We took down Osama Bin Laden, the most wanted man in the world. Rescued Captain Phillips. Did a lot of things that will never be written about. We can handle this.”
“I hear ya buddy. Just remember these are terrorists. Not just the people they are bringing into this country but the ones sitting around the table. Terrorism is a tactic, a strategy used to achieve a specific end. In this case it’s the weakening of America, by killing people and by creating disarray within the government so they can sweep in and take over. We can’t let that happen.”
“We’re smart, experienced people, Si,” Regan told him. “We know what’s at stake, and we’ll get you what you need to stop it.”
He blew out a breath. “Okay. I have faith in you two. Now. Anyone want some coffee before we get stated? No? Okay, let me get a refill, and we’ll get at it
Chapter Five
“Yes, Lorena, I’m just walking into the hotel now.”
Jed Whitlow squeezed his cell phone so hard he wondered if it might break. The woman was driving him crazy. Too many times in the past month he’d wondered if it had been a mistake to include the Alvaros in their little group. But Elias Alvaro had been the connection to the cartels, and, without him, smuggling the high-profile terrorists they were using might have been impossible. The woman was just a control freak who was getting on everyone’s nerves. That could not happen. What they had planned was only step one in their blueprint for global domination.
“So you have not met with them yet?” she asked? “Vetted them?”
“Did you just say vetted them? Lorena, this is Bernardo’s brother and his wife. For all intents and purposes, they are already vetted.”
Jed gritted his teeth. The woman had begun to get on his last nerve. With everything at stake and the target date so close, he had to get past that.
“Yes, that is exactly what I said. We cannot take any chances.”
“I told you I just arrived. Their plane only landed two hours ago. They had to get their luggage and pick up their rental car. They texted me when they were on their way. I didn’t want to be waiting at their suite with a list of questions in hand. This is not high school.”
“You’re right
, it’s not,” she snapped. “The future of this country, maybe even the world, depends on how we move forward. We can’t afford to include anyone at the last minute who might screw this up. You did speak with them on the phone, right?”
“With Max Ferren? Bernardo’ s brother? Yes, I did. And I worked the questions we agreed on into the conversation.”
“So, tell me how he sounded ?”
He wanted to tell her he’d give her a report when he had something to relate, but he knew she, like the others, was on edge because of this last-minute switch. Although he’d given them a full rundown on Max Ferren, he hadn’t seen the man in several years. When he and Bernardo got together, it was usually just the two of them. Sometimes their wives joined them, but that was it. Which reminded him that he’d better bring his own wife up to date.
This interview would be the key to deciding if everything was a go or if—unfortunately—they had to make adjustments, which would be disastrous.
“He sounded like a man trying to control his irritation at the obvious grilling.” He snapped out the words. “What would you expect?”
“And the person you have monitoring the suite?” Lorena persisted. “Did anything show up there?”
“No.” He snapped the word. “Either they know the suite is bugged, or they’re actually who they say they are. Lorena, these are not stupid people. If they are the real deal, as we believe, they could get pissed off and pull out. Where are we going to get a supplier of the quantity of arms on order plus the other items we need on such short notice?”
“I’m just being—”
“Cautious, I know.” He pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Listen. I’m in the hotel now on my way to the elevator. I’m going to hang up, and I’ll call you as soon as this meeting is over. Meantime, go have a drink and settle your nerves.”
Without waiting for an answer, he disconnected the call. Speaking of nerves, she was certainly getting on his. He was well aware of the fact she was their connection to the cartel. Without them, this operation would be far more difficult. Maybe even impossible. But sweet Jesus the woman was a royal pain in the ass. Somehow, he and the others would have to figure out how to forge a connection with the cartel that cut the Alvaros out altogether.
