Danger Zone (Delta Force Echo: An Iniquus Action Adventure Romance Book 2)
Page 25
“True.” They sat, holding hands, saying nothing for a long time. Then she said, “I’m not letting go of you. We’re going to talk to all of our friends with traveling jobs, all our friends who live on different continents than their spouses. We’re going to come up with a game plan. We’re going to make this work.”
“We are.” T-Rex brought her hand to his lips. Then stood to help the paramedic get the stretcher back in the hole.
They got a nervous Remi strapped in, he kissed her hard. “I’ll see you real soon. We’re going to be fine. I promise.”
Shoving her out that hole, and away from him—though he knew she was heading for safety—was one of the hardest things T-Rex had ever done.
Epilogue
Remi sat on the stage, holding Senator Barb Blankenship’s hand under the hot studio lights for the Wake Up with a Smile, America! morning show.
Barb had her ubiquitous red cowboy hat covering her chemo snood. She’d whittled down to about a hundred pounds.
“Such an exciting day today, Senator,” the host began. “For everyone who didn’t happen to read about the harrowing true-life survival story last summer, I want to introduce you to Remi Taleb, war correspondent for the Washington News-Harold, last year’s recipient of the prestigious Excellence in International Journalism Award. And she just found out last night that she has been awarded a Pulitzer for her reporting on their harrowing survival story in Beirut.”
The applause was loud and long.
Remi ducked her head in a seated bow and smiled graciously.
“Senator, you had no idea at the time you left on that trip to take the two girls’ robotics teams to their home countries that you had uterine cancer. How are you doing?”
“Remarkably well,” the senator said. “I’m happy I wasn’t awake through the days we were trapped in the hotel. I’m so grateful to my dear friend, Remi, and her husband—now husband, for taking such good care of me. You know, when Remi showed me the videos of my behavior on that trip, I was horrified. I had no idea I was speaking or acting that way. But apparently, women who have uterine cancer have a small chance of developing anti-NMDA receptor Encephalitis like I did. Once the rescuers pulled me from the building—did you all see me swinging out over the debris in a basket, dangling from the crane?”
The audience clapped.
“I suggest if you try that, you be catatonic like I was.”
The hostess leaned forward. “How are you doing now? Any updates?”
“The docs say I’m in remission. I need to eat my healthy diet. Work on building up my muscles again. Do my meditations, and get back on my horse, slowly.” She adjusted her cowboy hat. “But I’ll be saddling up here in no time at all.”
“Not every story out of the Beirut blast had a happy ending. In particular, I know you dedicated your article to your friend Jean Baptiste Rujean. He survived being kidnapped and tortured by ISIS and was in the hospital where he was killed with so many others in the blast.”
Remi swallowed and nodded.
“News though about his two colleagues,” she looked down at the notes in her lap, “Éloïse Marquette and Marie-Claude de Nimoux were ransomed by their television station and are now home recuperating. Have you seen them?”
“We’ve spoken on the phone. They’re receiving the medical attention they need. I hope to see them very soon.”
“Just before arriving in Beirut, your group had already been attacked in London. Any update on who was behind the attack?” The host asked. “Why it happened?”
“Mostly, that’s being held tight to the vest by Scotland Yard and our own intelligence agencies.” Senator Blankenship said.
“We do know,” Remi added, “that arrests are ongoing, and the first three men, the ones who were involved in the elevator debacle, are scheduled for trial in two months. Senator Blankenship, her aid, Diamond Johnson, and I will be traveling to London to give witness testimony.”
“Remi, the senator mentioned your now husband. We, of course, wanted him to be here on stage with you to accept our appreciation to both of you for your efforts during that crisis. But your husband works in the security world and can’t have his image on the screen. Please convey to him our best wishes.”
“Thank you, I will.”
“When was the wedding?”
Remi smiled. “Last month.”
“Is it hard for you, out and about the way you are, going all over the world to report on hot spots, to make a marriage like that work? Are you two able to ride off into your happily ever after together?”
“Not in our line of work, but when we come home from a long ride, we have support and love, and that is one of the many miracles that emerged from the Beirut blast.”
“Nothing better.” Senator Blankenship patted Remi’s knee.
“No, ma’am, there is nothing better.”
“We need to cut to our commercial break, but when we come back, you’re going to meet Truffles, the wonder dog. Truffles and her handler, Bear MacIntosh, from Iniquus’s Cerberus tactical K9 Team Bravo, will be here to talk about their charitable work, flying on a moment’s notice to natural disasters to save lives. All that and more after this break.”
When they cut to commercial, the hostess thanked them.
T-Rex came out of the wings to push the senator’s wheelchair.
“There you are,” Senator Blankenship said. “Such a good-looking man you found yourself, Remi. A happily ever after story.”
“Oh, I’d say that after the events in Beirut, we’re entitled to a little joy,” T-Rex said.
Remi lifted her lips, and T-Rex softly kissed her.
Joy, absolutely.
The End
Coming this December, DANGER CLOSE from the world of Iniquus Security.
Pre-order your copy, and don’t miss a single second.
Turn the page to find a list of Iniquus novels in chronological order.
THE WORLD of INIQUUS
Ubicumque, Quoties. Quidquid
Weakest Lynx (Lynx Series)
Missing Lynx (Lynx Series)
Chain Lynx (Lynx Series)
Cuff Lynx (Lynx Series)
WASP (Uncommon Enemies)
In Too DEEP (Strike Force)
Relic (Uncommon Enemies)
Mine (Kate Hamilton Mystery)
Jack Be Quick (Strike Force)
Deadlock (Uncommon Enemies)
Instigator (Strike Force)
Yours (Kate Hamilton Mystery)
Gulf Lynx (Lynx Series)
Open Secret (FBI Joint Task Force)
Thorn (Uncommon Enemies)
Ours (Kate Hamilton Mysteries
Cold Red (FBI Joint Task Force)
Even Odds (FBI Joint Task Force)
Survival Instinct – (Cerberus Tactical K9)
Protective Instinct – (Cerberus Tactical K9)
Defender's Instinct – (Cerberus Tactical K9)
Danger Signs – (Delta Force Echo)
Hyper Lynx – (Lynx Series)
Danger Zone – (Delta Force Echo)
Danger Close – (Delta Force Echo 2021)
Cerberus Tactical K9 Team Bravo (2022)
Fiona Quinn’s Amazon Page Link
Acknowledgments
My great appreciation ~
To the real world Christen Davidson for our decades of friendship.
To my editor, Kathleen Payne
To my assistant, Margaret Daly
To my cover artist, David Berens
To my friend, M. Carlon, for helping me find the story.
To my Beta Force, who are always honest and kind at the same time.
To my Street Force, who support me and my writing with such enthusiasm.
Thank you to the real-world military who serve to protect us.
To all the wonderful professionals whom I called on to get the details right. Please note: This is a work of fiction, and while I always try my best to get all the details correct, there are times when it serves the story to g
o slightly to the left or right of perfection. Please understand that any mistakes or discrepancies are my authorial decision making alone and sit squarely on my shoulders.
Thank you to my family.
I send my love to my husband. Every day I wake up grateful that you grace my world. Thank you.
And of course, thank YOU for reading my stories. I’m smiling joyfully as I type this. I so appreciate you!
About the Author
Fiona Quinn is a six-time USA Today bestselling author, a Kindle Scout winner, and an Amazon All-Star.
In her Iniquus World of books, Quinn writes action-adventure, including Lynx, Strike Force, Uncommon Enemies, Kate Hamilton Mysteries, FBI Joint Task Force, Cerberus K9, and Delta Force Echo series.
She writes urban fantasy as Fiona Angelica Quinn for her Elemental Witches Series
And, just for fun, she writes the Badge Bunny Booze Mystery Collection with her dear friend, Tina Glasneck.
Quinn is rooted in the Old Dominion, where she lives with her husband. There, she pops chocolates, devours books, and taps continuously on her laptop.
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest: Fiona Quinn Books.
Copyright
Danger Zone Delta Force Echo is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
©2021 Fiona Quinn
All Rights Reserved
Fonts used with permission from Microsoft
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