Blind Ambition

by Gwen Hernandez

  Alexa nodded and tried to corral her hair behind her ears. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  Six hours later they landed at Reagan National. Jason and Scott exited the general aviation building to meet their plane, laden with bags and backpacks, dressed all in black.

  Jason grinned when he spotted Tara on the tarmac next to Dan. “Tare-ahh.” He whistled. “Wow. You in that dress was worth the trip right there.”

  Scott’s cheeks flushed as he looked her over, but he didn’t say anything. Interesting. Did little Scotty have a crush?

  Tara laughed at Jason. “Move along, player.” She used both hands to wave him and Scott toward the plane Alexa had chartered to fly from Seattle.

  Dan greeted the men, took a couple of bags from the plane, and introduced Scott to Alexa.

  “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

  She nodded. “Thank you,” she looked between Scott and Jason, “both of you, for agreeing to help.”

  “You don’t even have to say it.” Jason’s expression turned solemn. “Not with one of those kids in trouble.”

  They boarded Alexa’s plane, the two newcomers settling on a leather couch that ran parallel to the fuselage. Across the narrow aisle, Dan and Alexa took the captain’s chairs with a small table between them.

  Tara stood at the front of the plane. “There’s food and drinks in the galley. The intel you requested is in the folder on the table. Caitlyn Brevard will meet you at Hewanorra Airport, and,” she looked to Jason, who nodded, “Brandon Marlowe has agreed to let us use his airfield again. There’ll be two trucks in his driveway. Keys are under the passenger floor mat. Have a safe flight and be careful.” Her gaze settled on Scott for an extra beat, then she cleared her throat and looked at Dan. “Be safe.”

  “Thanks, Tara. You’re a goddess.”

  The rest of the passengers murmured agreement.

  “No problem.” The dark-haired beauty smiled and then exited.

  Scott followed her descent through the window, then caught Dan watching him. He shrugged. “Tara said you needed a sniper to help rescue a little girl. What do we have on the meeting location?”

  Alexa sat forward as the plane taxied down the runway, picking up speed. “I have to be at the airfield outside Terre Verte at eight-thirty for Frederick’s phone call. The meeting’s at nine, so you won’t have much time to set up. I negotiated to have one person with me.” She looked at Dan.

  Smart girl, getting Frederick to agree to a bodyguard. The asshole would probably have a whole team of his own, but at least Alexa wouldn’t be going in alone.

  The plane lifted off, straining against gravity with its powerful engines. Dan flipped through the folder Tara had left behind. At Steele, she’d found her calling. The woman should have worked for the CIA. She could charm information out of just about anyone, and she’d quickly built a network of key contacts that rivaled Kurt’s. She was a whiz at research, and she seemed to think of everything they could possibly need and somehow get it all set up on short notice.

  The dossier included a list of Frederick Jeannot’s suspected holdings on St. Isidore and other islands. Clearly the rebel leader was enjoying a better lifestyle than his followers, or the people he professed to be fighting for. Maybe he had once cared about change for the island, but now he was just a power-hungry dictator wannabe who was willing to risk his soldiers and sell his country’s children to advance his cause.

  Dan scanned a satellite map with a topographic overlay on which Tara had highlighted the St. Iz locations from the list. Two were within an hour’s drive of the airstrip. “Both of these plantations probably belong to Jeannot through shell companies.” He pushed the map to the edge of the table so the others could examine it.

  “They’re too far from town,” Alexa said. “Besides, would he really want to meet on his own property?”

  “Probably not,” Dan said. “Scott, what do you think?”

  The kid—well, not really, but Dan thought of him that way—spun the map and studied Tara’s markings. “He’s going to want guys on overwatch, so he needs some high ground that provides concealment nearby.” Scott ran his finger over the map between the small runway and each of the plantations. “If I were him, I’d choose this spot.”

  Dan followed his tapping finger. “Why?”

  Jason met Dan’s gaze and raised an eyebrow. Dan gave him a look that acknowledged he’d been caught out. He shouldn’t be testing the young sniper—Jason had vetted him, after all—but he hadn’t worked with Scott before and he wanted to make sure the former Marine knew his shit.

  Scott gave him a suspicious look but then focused on Alexa and said, “Not only does it provide high ground for a lookout or sniper, but there’s only one point of ingress for anyone coming from the airfield, so it’s easy to control.” He drew a line with his finger along the road into what appeared to be an abandoned construction site. “And, they have a back door out.”

  “I agree,” Dan said, conceding that the kid was legit. “We’ll start planning around this location, but obviously, we need plans B, C, and D.”

  They developed approaches for location Alpha as well as three others, and came up with a general game plan in case Frederick threw them a curve. Plan Zulu.

  Thirty minutes outside of St. Lucia, Scott moved to another row of seats to inspect his rifle—a nice Barrett that cost a pretty penny—and other equipment. Jason followed suit, leaving Dan and Alexa alone.

  “You doing okay?” he asked.

  She rubbed her face with both hands and then placed them on the table. “I’m tired, but I’ll be fine. It feels good to have a plan.” Her tropical blue eyes focused on him. “Thank you for helping me. I know I keep saying it, but it’s more than just having backup, it’s having you here with me. On my side.”

  His stupid heart thumped hard. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he still couldn’t say no to her. He simply nodded, then leaned forward and asked, “What about the other kids? Do you know if they’re safe?”

  “Yes. As soon as we got on the plane I had an investigator verify Frederick’s story and send someone to check on the other children. They’re all still at the new home.”

  “Good.” At least he didn’t have to worry about Carter, Jazzie, Esther, and the others. He could almost feel Jazzie’s tiny, fragile body nestled in his arms, so trusting, so vulnerable, her little fist squeezing his finger.

  Alexa played with the bezel on the watch she’d picked up at the airport during a refueling stop in Chicago. “I also contacted my lawyer. I don’t know how I’m going to do it yet, but I’ll figure out a way to give those kids and their families a future.”

  “You already did. You rescued them when no one else would.”

  She shook her head. “You and your friends did that, not me.”

  “Only because you asked me to,” he said. “And you were right there in the field helping.” Sitting back, he crossed his arms and studied her. “Why do you do that?”

  She looked up. “Do what?”

  “Keep discounting yourself.”

  Her eyes lowered. “Because no matter what I do, it doesn’t feel like enough.”

  “It never will.” He caught her gaze when she raised her head, resisting the urge to take her hand. No more touching. “We already talked about this. You won’t be at peace until you forgive that fifteen-year-old girl.” He hesitated, but what the hell? “Maybe you should ask Despina what she thinks. The answer might surprise you.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  ALEXA WATCHED, SPEECHLESS, AS DAN stood and moved to the back of the plane to talk to the guys. Ask Despina? Was he nuts?

  No, she was the crazy one. She stared out the window into the dark and tracked water droplets as they slid across the plexiglass pane. What would her sister say if she could talk to her? Alexa tried to imagine herself in her sister’s position. If their fates were reversed, what kind of life would she wish upon Des?

  She thought of Flore, who reminded her of Des in many way
s. Quiet, smart, caring, a little cautious. But so much stronger than Des had been. She was a survivor, and she deserved Alexa’s best. What kind of role model would Alexa be if she let guilt rule her every action? Would she want Flore to believe that she never deserved happiness if she took a wrong turn in her life?

  The poor girl would be so afraid to make a mistake that she’d never leave the house. In small doses, guilt had its place. It helped teach children right from wrong. But it wasn’t supposed to debilitate them.

  If Alexa were in Despina’s place, she would want her sister to have a good life. To live for both of them. To be happy and whole and remember her with fondness, not guilt or regret. To not make the same error she’d made by throwing her life away without fighting to overcome her trauma.

  Alexa inhaled sharply. Shame washed through her as she realized that she’d given up on life just as surely as her sister had. But she was killing herself slowly, one small cut at a time. Yes, she’d been helping people—she could never regret that—and there had been moments of joy, but guilt had been her driving force for thirteen years. Guilt had kept her from the man she loved, and compelled her to hurt him over and over.

  But it had also brought her to him in the first place. And to Flore. She’d never change that.

  She refused to regret how she’d spent her life to this point. But, maybe, just maybe, she could change it moving forward. It wouldn’t be easy, but Dan kept telling her how strong she was. Now was the time to prove him right. It was time to fight for herself for once.

  She would always feel partially responsible for what happened to her sister. And she couldn’t imagine a life where she wasn’t helping those in need. But maybe instead of doing good as atonement for Despina’s death, she could do it in honor of Despina’s life.

  Alexa’s body lightened as if she’d shed heavy chains. She wasn’t naive enough to believe she was over her issues just like that, but for the first time, she could imagine a time when guilt wouldn’t be her constant companion.

  And that opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

  She swiveled in her seat to look behind her. Dan sat across the aisle, his posture relaxed as he talked to the other guys. Jason said something she couldn’t hear and Dan laughed, transforming his face in a way she hadn’t seen in far too long.

  He looked over and caught her watching. His smile slipped away as he held her gaze for a beat before turning back to his friends.

  Alexa’s heart twisted.

  She’d done enough damage where he was concerned. Right now, she needed to focus on getting Flore back.

  Ninety minutes later, after a quick change at Hewanorra, they hopped off Caitlyn’s plane in St. Isidore. “Thank you for doing this on such short notice,” Alexa said to the woman.

  “No problem. Call me when you’re ready to return.” She waited for them to grab their bags and enter the house, then she turned the plane and took off into the dark, misty night.

  By the time the four of them had used the facilities and eaten a snack, it was nearly two in the morning. Jason checked the trucks and declared them in working order, handing a key to Dan before heading upstairs for a nap.

  In four hours they’d be up and on their way to get Flore. Alexa dropped onto one of the couches in the dimly lit living room, but she couldn’t sit still, let alone sleep.

  After Scott disappeared upstairs to find an empty bedroom, Dan sat down across from her. “You should get some rest.”

  “I can’t.” Dan, Flore, Despina, Garfield. Thoughts whirled in her mind. “So much can go wrong today. I hate putting you guys in danger again.”

  He crossed his arms and leaned back. “We’re all volunteers here. Paid, but willing.”

  She nodded. He was right. “I wish we didn’t have to wait. I hate the thought of Flore with Frederick for even a minute longer.”

  “I know.”

  “How do you stay so calm?” She could learn a thing or two from him.

  “I’m spinning like a top inside, Alexa. I’m just better at hiding it.”

  “Thank you.” She managed a weak smile. “Even if you’re lying, it helps.”

  “I’m not.” He stared at her, his expression pensive. After several seconds, he sat forward and cursed under his breath.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He shook his head, his hazel eyes turning dark. “Lie down on your stomach.”

  Her heart skipped and she hesitated, her stomach tumbling as she tried to read his mind. “You don’t have to—”

  “It’s fine.” He hitched his chin toward at the couch.

  She removed the back pillows and stretched out on the large leather sofa that was now almost as wide as a twin bed.

  Dan crossed the space between them and the cushion dipped as he seated himself next to her hip. “Permission to touch,” he said softly.

  “Yes,” she said, breathless.

  He laid his palms on her upper back, the warmth of his hands seeping through her thin T-shirt. Her eyes fluttered closed as he dug his thumbs into the muscles on either side of her spine, working out the knots that had taken up residence.

  Her pulse spiked with his first stroke, but then slowed as she began to relax. The tornado of thoughts in her mind settled like dust over the plains, and within minutes she was fast asleep.

  The instant the alarm on his watched beeped, Dan opened his eyes and pressed the button to cut off the noise. After Alexa had fallen asleep, he’d stretched out beside her, soothed by the feel of her warmth next to his body.

  She had needed him, but he’d needed her too. Despite his outward calm, today scared the shit out of him. She would be walking right into the line of fire. Again.

  To sleep, he’d needed the comfort, the near-instant calm that came from contact with her. Well, the mental calm. Right now her rear snuggled against his crotch was far from relaxing. He did his best to ignore it.

  Under his arm, she stirred and turned to face him, her sleepy eyes blinking. “Dan?”

  “Were you expecting someone else?”

  “No.” She gave him a sheepish look and shook her head. “I just didn’t expect you to spend the night with me after…”

  I want to spend every night with you. He scooted away and rolled to a sitting position. “We both needed to sleep.”

  She sat up and scrambled to the other end of the couch, not meeting his gaze. “Well, thank you. I feel better.”

  Footsteps sounded on the stairs and he jumped to his feet, rubbing his face to wake himself up. Scott stopped on the bottom step and took in the scene without comment, then moved into the kitchen and started making coffee. “Hit the road in thirty?” he asked.

  “Roger.”

  Half an hour later, Jason and Scott took off in the first truck, heading toward the outskirts of Terre Verte, dressed as contractors for a U.S.-based company that specialized in rebuilding infrastructure. Tara had even secured magnetic signs with the company’s logo for the vehicle doors.

  Dan loaded his weapons bag into the space behind the bench seat of his and Alexa’s truck and then climbed into the driver’s side. “You ready?”

  She gave the door handle a death grip and swallowed hard. “Yes.”

  “We’ll get her back.”

  “I know.”

  He started the engine and began the long drive over winding, narrow, pothole-laden roads.

  They encountered very little traffic on their way into Sancoins. The city was still mostly asleep, the shops with their garish signs and colorful flags still closed. Only the fisherman, the homeless, and the police patrols were out as they passed through town.

  “We stick out more than I expected,” Dan said. “Which means Scott and Jason will too.”

  “I’m sure Frederick timed it this way on purpose.”

  She was probably right.

  They reached the road to the airfield outside of Terre Verte at eight-fifteen. Alexa wasn’t supposed to go down to the runway, just stop nearby. Dan turned onto the small side st
reet and whipped around so they were facing out, then cut the engine.

  “Roll down your window.” The cab had quickly turned hot. Sweat trickled down his back and along his sides as he took care of his own window. “We want to be able to hear anyone approaching.”

  She did as he advised and a warm breeze filled the truck, bringing little relief from the morning sun that glared through the windshield.

  “I hate waiting,” she said.

  He managed to keep his hands to himself by wrapping them around the steering wheel. “Almost there.”

  She nodded and looked away.

  They sat in silence, much as they had the entire morning, each lost in their own thoughts. Dan pushed all of the emotional elements of this mission out of his mind and focused on their surroundings, wary of a sneak attack.

  Nothing ever went according to plan. Nothing. But that didn’t make the process worthless. Just walking through the different approaches had forced his team to consider the tools and strategies they’d need. And if things went sideways, they’d improvise.

  He and Alexa both flinched when her phone rang, its cheerful tone out of sync with the tense moment.

  She snatched it up, fumbling with it before she hit the speaker button to answer. “This is Alexa.”

  “Drive down to the airfield. A plane will land in five minutes.” The man disconnected.

  Alexa frowned. “So much for a nine o’clock meeting.”

  “You can’t trust a guy like this.” Dan held his sat phone on his lap to keep it out of sight and dialed Scott. “Plan Charlie. Five mikes.”

  “Copy that.” The sniper hung up.

  “Look,” Dan said. “No matter what, you are not getting on that plane.”

  “Why would I?”

  “I have a feeling you’d do anything for Flore.” He softened his voice. “I understand your need to protect her, but this has trap written all over it. If she’s not on that plane, or he won’t let her off unless you board, we’re not doing the exchange. Got it?”

  Her mouth was tight, but she said, “Yes.”

  He drove them to the end of the road and parked next to the fence, where three men armed with AR-15s waited at the open gate.