by Jet MacLeod
“Del?”
“I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have done that. It was wrong of me.”
“Del, stop,” Angie told her.
“But, Angie, it was unprofessional. I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have allowed it to happen. I don’t know what came over me. I am sorry for it.”
“I am not,” Angie replied.
“Angie…”
“Listen, Del, I know that you wanted that kiss as much as I did. Don’t apologize for it. It made you uncomfortable because of why we are here and I get that. I do. But, that doesn’t change the fact that you are a gorgeous woman and anyone would be a fool not to see that. They would also be ignorant to not see what you have to offer.”
“Angie…”
“I believe you owe me a trip to the Pony Express Museum. So, let’s get dressed and go. You can call Cole and plan our trip to Sioux Falls and beyond. I’ll be good and sit over there on the bed. I’ll read a book or something. I’ll be good,” Angie told her changing the subject before Del could even think about protesting her explanations.
Del stood there for a moment and just stared at her. She was honestly at a loss for words. The beautiful and talented blond lawyer was the first person who ever disarmed her so completely when they were near her that Del sometimes forgot to think. She would never tell Angie such a thing because she knew that Angie would use it against her. She had to find a way to make things work between them. She didn’t want awkwardness but she knew that it was bound to happen time and time again because she had allowed them to over step that invisible line.
“You promise to behave?”
“I do.”
“And, you’ll stay in the room and be quiet while I plan for tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“You won’t question me any more about where we are going?”
“Well, I might. I am human after all. But, I do believe that you told me that it would either be Seattle or somewhere in Napa Valley. As long as I get one of those, I don’t really care. I am happy to be spending time with you,” she replied.
“Angie…” Del warned.
“Look, I know that sounds cliché, and it is. But, it is also the truth. I am glad that I am with you and not with another agent or whoever. I will always be grateful for that. Now, take me to the museum or take to me bed. Those are your choices at the moment.”
“And, if I choose neither?” Del asked.
“Then, I will walk out the door and you can do whatever you think you must,” Angie stated.
“You wouldn’t dare?”
“Try me, Miss Montgomery. Just try me. You may be a woman of many talents, but you have yet to see all the talents that I possess. Princess or not, you will see that I will get my way.”
“And, if you don’t?”
“Then, there may be Hell to pay,” Angie told her.
Del got up close to her. She could feel the heat rolling off her body and she had to close her eyes and sigh to keep from throwing Angie on the bed. There was a dangerous fire in both their eyes and she knew it. It would consume her, if she let it. Silently she prayed that the next time she called in that she got a court date, because she was starting to seriously believe that Angie may be the death of her if didn’t get some distance soon.
“I’ve been to Hell, Miss March. Trust me. They don’t want me back. It ended badly for them last time,” Del explained.
“I am sure that it did, but then again, they didn’t have me then, did they?” Angie asked.
“No, Princess, they didn’t.”
Del backed away from her. The sudden loss of her heat nearby was painfully aware to her body. She had to hold the shiver and quaking of her knees. She wouldn’t let Angie see her falter more than she already had. No, she couldn’t. She couldn’t lose herself with Angie.
“Fine, do you want to shower?” Del asked her.
“No, I am fine. Do you, though? Do you want to take a shower?” Angie asked, sex dripping from every word, hinting at more than a shower, but still not knowing if Del would take the bait.
Angie figured that if she could keep Del off balance then she might have a chance to get the woman to open up more. She would tease her and flirt ridiculously if she had to, but she would get Del to open up. Angie tilted her head towards the bathroom, hinting with the fire in her eyes what would happen if Del wanted a shower, and she waited for Del’s reaction.
Del’s breath caught in her throat, but she hid it. Her eyes were burning with an unquenchable desire that she was beginning to have a problem keeping in check around the very alluring blonde. She reached around to the table and grabbed her Glock once again. She picked up her daypack and rummaged through it. She found some “credentials” and put them in her back pocket. She tucked the pistol in a clip on holster. She smiled at Angie as she took off the blazer and sat it on the table.
Angie watched her with rapped attention and Del knew it. She couldn’t tell if Del was doing it to punish her for the kiss or because she was just that damn sexy, but either way, she didn’t care. Del took two strides towards and stopped. She could see Angie’s heaving chest, waiting for something, anything that she was willing to offer.
“I need to change and then we are going to go. If you are comfortable in that, fine. If not, I’d suggest you change into something you’d be more comfortable in for a couple of hours. I am sure that we can find something to eat while we are out. Does that sound okay?”
She was all up in Angie’s personal space. She knew the effect she was having and she was enjoying it. Angie had kept her on edge for days now and she was just as happy to return the favor. She knew that this wasn’t a war between them, but she was planning every move with her like it was. It was just how she operated. She couldn’t help herself, then again, she didn’t want to. Angie was worth the fight. She was worth so much more, too.
“I’m fine,” Angie answered the huskiness in her voice evident.
“Good.”
Del stripped off the wife beater and sports bra as soon as she turned away from Angie. She heard the gasp and hung her head. She knew that her scars would look different in the bright light of the morning than it had the night before, but Angie had already seen them at harbor. She couldn’t tell if she was horrified or mortified by the sight, now that she was a little more up close and personal to Delia.
Again, not wanting to have to deal with too many questions, Del dug through her bag until she found a three quartered sleeved, thin, dressy t-shirt. She laid it on the table and began searching for a bra. When she found one, she deftly put it on and then the shirt. When she turned back around, she could see the arousal in Angie’s eyes. She swallowed hard and shifted slightly uncomfortably in her gaze.
“How do you do that?”
“How do I do what?” Del asked.
“Look like sex on stick.”
“Umm…I have no idea what you are talking about,” Del replied, furrowing her eyebrows at her.
“Sure you don’t,” Angie retorted coming over to her.
She reached behind Del and grabbed the holstered gun. Del gave her a quizzical look, but didn’t say anything. She grabbed her around the waist and pulled her flush against her own body. She felt Del’s gasp and then very gently pulled at the waist band of jeans. She felt Del’s hands moving towards her, she thought in an attempt to stop her from going any further, until she clipped the holster to Del’s side. She adjusted it until she was happy with the position of it on Del’s hip. She, then, reached around and gathered her blazer, holding it open for Del to put on.
“Angie…”
“What?”
“Where did you…”
“You aren’t the only ‘G’ woman that I’ve been with, Del. Calm down. Does having it there make you feel better?” Angie replied.
“Yes.”
“Then, let’s go,” Angie stated heading for the door.
“We will need to talk later.”
“Talk about what?”
“You know abou
t what,” Del told her.
“Frankly, Del, I don’t. I’ve already argued my case. I’ve already said all that I need to say. The prosecution rests. Now, if the defense has something to add before more cross examination, I am all ears. But, it better have a really good case, because I hate to lose. You should already know that fact, though. It is the reason that I am here in the first place. I don’t lose unless I want to, and right now, I am not sure whether or not this case is a win, lose, or draw. Do you?”
Chapter 19
They had eaten at the Cabbage Roll. It was another local favorite, a German deli that had some very good schnitzel. Del had to admit that she was impressed with the small local establishment. The museum has been interesting and Angie seemed liked she had enjoyed herself.
But, now, they were back in their suite. Del was at the table on the laptop and true to her word, Angie was sitting on the bed, reading. Every so often, Del would over the screen of her laptop to gaze at Angie, who would just return a smirk, before Del went back to her research.
“I want to do short trips and spend the night. It might take us a week or so to get to the coast. Fall is approaching, which means that we will need some warmer gear, soon. We’ll need to go shopping,” Del told her, not looking up.
“I thought that Cole was preparing you a shipment. I am sure that he’ll have plenty of things for us to look through. All of which, I am sure, will be fine,” Angie replied.
“He is shopping for you, you know?”
“Okay, and?”
“He is a man.”
“I noticed that while we were on his farm.”
“Okay, smart ass, but he is picking out your clothes,” Del stated.
“You act like they are going to be hideous.”
“You have no idea.”
Del decided to call Cole to check on the “package.” She knew that he would give her grief about calling so much, but she had to be prepared for anything. She was trying to plan their trip and she needed to make sure that everything was ready. She was at a point that she couldn’t do much else until she talked to him, and she hated to be inefficient.
She reached around the laptop to grab her bag. Remembering then Angie was lying on the bed, once again, as their eyes met and held for a few seconds. She smiled as she pulled out a burner cell. She went back to her laptop and the cell, ignoring Angie much to her dismay, as she scrolled through the numbers to Cole’s.
“Hello, Girlie.”
“Sergeant,” Del replied.
“What do you need?”
“I am calling to confirm that the package has arrived safely.”
“It has. She is loaded down for you, just the way you like it. I added something for you. Plus, I built in a hide for the M82 into the rear seat. I’ve broken it down for you and stashed it. She’s ready if you need her, but I’d leave her in the truck. She’s a little big for urban environments.”
“I know that. I wasn’t planning on using her if I didn’t need to. What about the rest?”
“I’ve put ammo in the standard locations. I’ve also added a modified M4 for you. She is tucked in above the wheel well with about six mags, stowed and more ready in the other ammo hides. I don’t know what else I could give you. You already carry a small arsenal. These are all, you know, just in case, right? You aren’t going to all crazy with this, are you? I know that you aren’t. But, Del, you have to promise me that you aren’t going to go out there guns blazing.”
“Close quarters?” she asked him, going back to the M4 he added to the mix.
“Of course, with IR sights, laser dot, M203 extension with a box of ammo and add on sight, forward hand grip specialized for close quarters, AN/PVS-l7A night vision, sound suppression kit with flash suppressor, and back up iron sights, if you want to go old school.”
“Nice,” Del told him.
“I thought that you would appreciate that. But, seriously, Lewey, why are you calling me? I know that it isn’t about the package.”
“It is and it isn’t.”
“Tell me, Girlie. I can’t help you if I don’t know what you need. What’s going on?”
“Napa numbers?” she asked vaguely.
“I ran some.”
“And?”
“It doesn’t look good for a permanent location.”
“What do you suggest?”
“You had another option?” he asked her.
“Washington,” Del answered
“State? Cause, I hope you don’t mean D.C. Please tell me that you don’t mean D.C.”
“No, state, I am not that stupid,” Del retorted.
“Good, I’m guessing somewhere nice, maybe populated, but that doesn’t matter. She gave you a suggestion of there, didn’t she? Then I am guessing she is looking for people and city life and comforts, which would mean Seattle. Am I right?” he questioned.
“Yes.”
“Not to talkative, are you today?’
“No.”
“Okay, so Seattle, it would work better. More people to hide behind, more of a city to hide within. There isn’t much cartel activity there, so you wouldn’t have to worry about the Colombians coming for her there. I’ll look into some properties for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Still planning a route to get there?”
“Yes,” Del replied.
“Take her to Tahoe.”
“Excuse me?”
“Leave Sioux Falls and head west like you are going to Napa Valley. Still take her there, but stop at Lake Tahoe. You’ll be fine. It has enough hustle and bustle for her and plenty of quiet for you. Stay there for a few days. I’ll procure you a condo or something in Seattle.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.”
“Why? What happened? What aren’t you telling me?”
“I told you to call Gregor. You didn’t, so he called me. That was not at pleasant conversation.”
“Sorry. I am sure that it wasn’t. I know that he can be…well…gruff.”
“Don’t even start. The man is an ass. I know that. You know that. He knows that. But, he did his homework. He called Sanchez, too. Guess it is a good thing you didn’t go to Chicago as planned. He is trying to locate you.”
“And, you are telling me because?”
“I am sure that he tagged the truck. Check it before you leave. Go through your gear too. He will have put a tracker on something. I threw in some extra burners for you, too. Just in case.”
“Again, thank you. Seriously, thank you for everything. I don’t know what I would be doing without your help. I know that there has to be a leak in the agency. There has to be,” Del stated.
“I am sure that there is. I managed to get the reports. Someone is leaking information to the cartels, but they weren’t expecting you in the mix. They don’t know how to cope without the constant intel coming in on Angie. My guess is that they are pressuring Gregor. He is doing his best, but he knows enough about the unit to look for me and Sanchez. Just be careful.”
“There isn’t anyone else that he could call. You und Sanchez are the only ones left from the team that is either still alive or not on at mission. If he marked the truck, then it is someone higher than him. That gives me more than enough reasons to leave now and not look back. I’ll take her to Canada if I have to. I am not going to let her die, Cole,” Del told him.
“I know that, Delia. That is why I warned you. Just remember to look over your shoulder. They don’t know where you are. Hell, I don’t even know if you are still in Saint Joseph right now. I don’t care. I just don’t want anything to happen to either of you,” he explained.
“You do, too, care.”
“So, I do. What does that matter? It doesn’t.”
“I know that, Cole, but thanks.”
“Quit thanking me, Del. Take care of her. I’ll use backups from here on out. I can’t be sure that they haven’t tapped my phone. I’m going to check the lines, but I know they can’t trace you.”
/> “Gotcha, I’ll use proxy 43 from here on out. Don’t forget to get the plans drawn up for the final product. I’ll want to start moving on it in six months or sooner, depending on…dates. I’ll give you the location as soon as I find one. Is there anything else?” Del asked him.
“Just remember to keep your head down, Girlie. I’ll see you in a few months. I’ll have the plans ready for you by then. Let me know when the court day is and I’ll meet you in New York.”
“Will do, Cole. See you then. I’ll keep in touch,” Del said ringing off.
Del immediately started planning a route to the West Coast. Cole had given her more information that she was prepared for, but it was enough to let her know what was going on with the case. They were looking for her and someone was pushing Gregor to figure out where she was, so much so that he leaned on Cole. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but knowing now that they were trying to track her would make her more vigilant in their movements.
The fact that Cole talked her out of quiet and peaceful Napa Valley meant that he had given Gregor that information. He was trying to keep Del a step ahead. They would still go, but they would wait it out at Lake Tahoe. It was only at three hour drive from the Lake to the Valley.
They could make a day trip of it and still be far enough away from anyone finding them.
“What’s wrong?” Angie asked noticing the look on Del’s face.
“Nothing that I can’t handle.”
“What is it? Did they find us? Tell me, Del. This concerns me, remember?” Angie probed.
“I do, Angie. Trust me. I do. It is why I am trying to figure all this out,” Del stated as she closed the laptop and looked over at Angie a little harder.
“What is it then?”
“Gregor is pressuring Cole to give us up.”
“Your handler is pushing Cole to tell him where we are?” Angie asked.
“He did. Cole warned me. There are new protocols that I am going to have to enforce, now.”
“Such as?” Angie asked sitting up on the bed and hanging her legs over the side.
