Bachelor SEAL (Sleeper SEALs Book 5)

by Sharon Hamilton

  “You’re very sweet. Perhaps this is just a little letdown from the event in Los Angeles catching up with me. And Crystal says we’re sold out for the Summit, so I’ve got to start working on my notes while I’m feeling like I can tackle it. If I wait too long, there will be all those last minute details and emergencies to distract me.”

  “Exercising good self-care I see. Brava, Halley. I love that about you. You enjoy your flowers, as you work on your life’s passion. May they enhance the magic that is your countenance.”

  “What a lovely thing to say.”

  “Poetry. I stole that line from an ancient book written over a thousand years ago. I’ll bring you a copy sometime.”

  “Thank you. I’d like that.” Halley was very close to caving in to his request when she received notice that another call was coming in. “Gibril, I’m afraid I have to take another call. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

  “Tomorrow then.”

  She pressed the hangup/answer button. “This is Halley.”

  “I’m the friend of Morgan’s.”

  “Oh yes, J.J. He said you’d be calling.”

  “Well, actually, my name is Hank. Morgan takes to calling me J.J. on occasion. Thanks for picking up.”

  “No problem.”

  “Can you walk outside to finish this conversation?”

  “Outside?”

  “Yes. You have a patio, not too close to another house?”

  “This is all getting a little too surreal, J—Hank. I feel like someone is going to pop out of the closet and tell me I’ve been on a reality television show or something. Very strange for me.”

  “Just humor me a tiny bit, and I’ll get out of your hair.”

  She walked out the kitchen door into the garage and then onto her backyard patio where a fountain bubbled. “You like the sound of water? Can you hear it?”

  “That’s very nice. I’m sorry about all this.”

  “So he told you about our little conversation?”

  “Of course. And for the record, I’ve known Morgan as long, perhaps longer than you have. Everything he told you is one hundred percent true. He and I are working together on this, and, though you and I have never met, I need to get together with you as fast as you can spare the time.”

  “Are you local?”

  “Unfortunately, I’m not.” He paused. “Is there any way you could come down south?”

  “Where, Coronado?”

  “We could meet you in LA if you wanted. I don’t want to go into too much detail over the phone, but part of your discussion today revolved around the issue of proof. I can show you this proof. And I think it would be a good idea to do so outside your normal routine. Could you say you have a sick friend you needed to visit?”

  “All this clandestine stuff left me bothered all day. I don’t do spy very well.”

  “No, I imagine not. You’ll understand after we’ve had the chance to show you a few things. I’m sure we can answer most of your concerns. Just give us a little of your time, Halley. Please.”

  “Well, with the event close at hand, it’s pure folly to take a day off, I have so much to do still, but I suppose I could catch a flight to LA tomorrow. I’ll see if I can get something tonight to San Diego, if it’s easier.”

  “It would be easier, but either way. We’re easy. Just takes us about two-plus hours to drive at night. Your call.”

  “Can you arrange a motel for me to stay in and pick me up at the airport so I don’t have to do any of that?”

  “Happy to. You want me to book the flight?”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be my dying friend? Why would you pay for that? And I just don’t know if I can get it together. Let me think about that.”

  “Gotcha. Okay then, when you have it set up, text your flight itinerary to this number. We’ll be there promptly to pick you up, no matter what time. But, Halley, the sooner the better.”

  “When you say we, you mean Morgan will be there, too?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Okay then. I’m about to do something so completely out of character, I ought to see a shrink, but I’ll be there, and I’ll see if I can get a late flight out of SFO tonight. I’m hoping this is all worth it.”

  “It will be.”

  Chapter 11

  J.J. got the text that Halley was able to catch the eight-twenty nonstop direct to San Diego this evening, just as Morgan was pulling up to the house.

  “Go take a shower. You stink like hell. Then we’ll head over to the airport.”

  Morgan was glad to get out of the long-sleeved button down shirt he’d nearly tossed out the window on the fast trip up. He felt much better in his cargo pants, Gunny’s Gym long-sleeved tee, and his canvas slip-ons. With a leather jacket just in case it turned a little chilly, which wasn’t likely, they were good to go.

  “You arrange for a place for her for tonight?” he asked as they were leaving.

  “Yessir. Nice little one near the Hotel Del, not to far away. Coronado Rose.”

  “Been there. Good choice.”

  Outside, J.J. extended his palm. “Your keys.”

  “My truck, I drive.”

  “Except you’ve been driving for over seven hours. My turn,” J.J. answered him.

  “Under seven. No tickets, either.” He tossed the keys and climbed in the passenger side of the cab.

  “You have gas?”

  “Filled up before I left the freeway.”

  On the way, the two of them said little. They’d decided to do the interview at Morgan’s house—the one they owned when they were married, and that left him a little apprehensive. She hadn’t been there since. But it was easy and quick and all their stuff was safe there.

  The flight was delayed due to fog in San Francisco, which was common, but they hung outside the baggage terminal when they got notice the plane had landed.

  Morgan went inside the terminal and found Halley traveling down the hallway toward him. He remembered how she looked those first few times when she visited him before their marriage. He’d felt like the luckiest man in the airport. But this wasn’t anything like that. Same airport. Same two people. Totally different feeling and circumstance. He could never have guessed his life would turn out this way.

  She had a weekend bag slung over her shoulder, and he didn’t ask permission, just lifted it up and put it on his own.

  “Thanks for coming tonight,” he whispered by way of a greeting. He figured that was the safe way to play it. “J.J. is outside with the truck.”

  “You mean Hank?”

  “Sorry, that’s right. You’re not the only one getting used to this whole thing.”

  “I told myself I was being foolish to come down here when I have so much to do. But it was easier to just leave people voicemails and say I was gone. I’ll get the questions when I return, but by then, I hope to have some answers for them.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “I let my assistant have the day off since I didn’t want anyone at the house without me there. I feel like such an inept super sleuth. This whole thing is ridiculous. You know that, don’t you?”

  “Halley, if I was looking for a way to get you back down here so I could see you again, believe me, I wouldn’t make up such a crazy story. You’re about to get your eyes opened.”

  “Yes, around you, my whole world can overturn in a minute. Some things never change.”

  Her attitude was a bit prickly, but who could blame her? Seeing her ex twice in the same day, surrounded by a plot to blow her and all her followers up wasn’t a typical kind of day. Morgan knew her enough still to understand she was masking her insecurity. The banter and slicing little comments made it easier for her to be in his presence. He’d take what he could get. At least she wasn’t giving him both barrels between the eyes or her sharp tongue-lashing. His ego was reminding him of how wonderful and artful that tongue could be, in play.

  Idiot. You never learn, do you?

  He flushed his erotic thoughts and
addressed her comment. “At least it’s never boring.”

  Her response was unintelligible.

  The truck had just circled again, and J.J. pulled up to the curb. Morgan opened the front door of the cab for Halley, and he climbed in the second seat behind her, placing her carry-on beside him on the bench. She gave a quick glance to be sure.

  “I’m Hank,” J.J. said as he extended his hand.

  “Halley.” She didn’t extend hers. “So where are we going, or is this top secret, too? Do I wear a blindfold?”

  “No, but I can do a body search if you like. No problem, Missy.”

  “J.J. you said you were married.”

  “Yes indeed. We’re just playing here, Halley, to underscore the rules. Having a bit of fun, right?”

  “Oh yea, this is a lot of fun,” she said and turned to watch out her passenger window. J.J. made a face in the rear view mirror, and Morgan shrugged in return. It was good he could be casual with her, because Morgan thought it would ease her nerves. He knew by the way she held her head up straight and the angle when she talked she was nervous. He still knew every one of her moves.

  She was being as difficult as she could get away with. She’d change her tune once the evidence was laid out in front of her. He was glad J.J. was there to ask some of the questions that would be hot topics for her, especially coming from him. For now, they both just let Halley run her mouth and complain. They were going to make nice until they had to demand cooperation, if it got to that. This wasn’t the game she thought it was. He still wasn’t one hundred percent sure how she would react to it all once it really sank in.

  She was noting some new buildings, changes since she’d been down there. After several minutes, when neither of them commented, she shut up. When they began their troll through Morgan’s neighborhood, she turned around to look him straight in the eyes.

  “You’re not putting me up in your house!”

  “No, Halley. We wanna talk first. Then we’ll take you to the Coronado Rose. We have your room there. No worries.”

  She turned back without comment. Sitting behind her, he caught her perfume and saw the long blonde strands of her hair, and he allowed just a tiny piece of his damaged heart to get exposed to a wave of sadness at what had changed. She’d always be the one who got away, even if he was angry as hell with her. She would forever wear that label in his mind. Caution signs were flashing inside him like a freeway accident. On a mission, these were intuitive senses that could keep him safe in an ambush or firefight. He never turned them off, even though, in this case, the mission was entirely different.

  J.J. parked the truck in front of the house on Apricot. He’d gotten used to seeing the front yard needed weeding, but today it made him self-conscious. His was the house that made all the others look like perfectly manicured cut outs from a doll set. Some of those ragweeds were nearly three feet tall.

  He rolled his shoulder.

  It is what it is.

  He wasn’t here tonight to impress her. He needed to focus on the task at hand. Everything depended on her attitude, because without it, there was that nasty old Plan B.

  Morgan grabbed the bag, and Halley let herself out of the truck. She had on one of those bulky sweaters over some tank top underneath with lace that poked dangerously out here and there. But the pants were form-fitting, and it was painful walking behind her.

  He slipped ahead, unlocking the front door. That’s when he noted it also needed paint.

  She stood in the middle of the living room and did a three-sixty, giving the insides a quick rundown.

  “You haven’t done much to the place.”

  “I haven’t done anything to the place,” Morgan corrected her. “It’s fine, just the way I like it.”

  She squinted but refrained from making a comment.

  J.J. motioned for her to sit at the kitchen table while he got the manila envelope of photographs and write-ups from the Safe Stash in the master bedroom closet. They could make out one of J.J.’s legs in the doorway, indicating he was on his knees retrieving the information.

  “Still have your secret box, I see.”

  “Yup.”

  “So you never told me how long you’ve been at this.”

  They were sitting side by side, and that felt a little too close for comfort. Morgan realized he should offer her something.

  “Halley, you want something to drink? A glass of wine? Beer? Or water?”

  “I’ll take a water,” she said to his back as he headed for the refrigerator. He brought her a cold bottle, and one for both he and J.J. as well.

  Halley unscrewed the cap and took a huge gulp, returned the cap, and then hesitantly placed it on the table. There was no coaster to protect it from sweating. He reached over and grabbed a napkin from the holder and slid it over to her.

  Morgan was getting used to her pointing out all sorts of things he never paid attention to. He didn’t know better, but she was trying to keep him off-guard—her form of self-protection. He hoped that disappeared soon. It would be too much to ask for a friendship, but if she trusted him, things would be a whole lot easier.

  She got a text that she hid from his view. He’d taken the seat at the end of the table, not chancing to sit next to her again. He tried not to notice as she texted something back. Whoever it was, they were persistent, and there was a bit of back and forth, and then she shut off the notification signal.

  Finally, J.J. came in with the big folder. He spread out the paperwork like they’d discussed earlier.

  “Halley, these are dossiers on various people who attend a certain mosque in Stockton, California, led by this radical here. Imam.” He showed the picture of the handsome cleric.

  Halley’s head tilted.

  “You notice something?” Morgan asked her.

  “I’ve seen this picture before. Fairly sure I’ve not seen him in person. Has he been in the news?”

  “About a year ago. Since then, he’s kept a low profile, which is not his real M.O. He likes the spotlight. He likes to be interviewed,” J.J. answered. “But look at these photos. We believe one or perhaps many of these people have had ties to him, and may be involved. You recognize anyone here?”

  She carefully picked up each and studied them before setting them down. “Sorry. I’m afraid none of these look familiar.” She picked up the Imam’s photo again. “But this man, I know I’ve seen a photo with him in it. I was thinking he’d had his eyebrows plucked, you see?”

  Morgan had the same reaction. The well-manicured cleric was perfect—too perfect.

  “And his skin is so even—almost like he had plastic surgery or something. See how his eyes are evenly pulled back like he had a little tuck?” She motioned with her finger, and Morgan completely saw what she did.

  “That’s incredible. I’d have never picked up on that,” J.J. said with admiration. “What else, Halley?”

  “He spends a lot of time on his grooming, don’t you think? He doesn’t do this himself. He’d have an assistant, that’s all I can say.” Halley leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. “Maybe that’s helpful.”

  Halley’s instincts were spot-on. Neither he nor J.J. had picked up on that. The possibility he’d had plastic surgery to affect some facial recognition software and have more time to fly under the radar would be a smart move for a terrorist.

  “I could read all this, but what are you thinking and what are you planning?”

  Morgan looked at J.J., who nodded his agreement. “Halley, we need to ask you about your boyfriend, Gibril Messi.”

  “He’s just someone I’m seeing. He knows I’m here.”

  “He knows you’re here? Knows what we’re doing here?” Morgan was in a panic.

  “No, J.J. and I worked it out that I was visiting a friend dying of cancer. Someone from my past. You don’t happen to have cancer, do you, Morgan?”

  He wasn’t sure she was joking, but he answered anyway. “Very funny. So you told him you were here to visit a friend, then.�
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  “Yes, and that she was very ill, so I came down in a hurry to be at her side. I’ve just deflected all the questions about where I’m staying and which hospital, etc.”

  J.J. leaned forward. “But you didn’t tell him who you were meeting, right? And does he know you’re in San Diego?”

  “No, as a matter of fact, I told him Los Angeles. I figured that would be safer.”

  Morgan let out a sigh of relief.

  “Halley, is there any reason you might suspect him of any involvement in this? Think hard before you answer.” Morgan was glad J.J. had asked that question, but it didn’t stop Halley from drilling him a nasty look.

  “I don’t need time to think about it. He’s a wonderful man. I like him for his culture, his success in business, and the way he takes time to enjoy these things. He’s a gentleman. I like the respect and the way he treats me. Any woman would.”

  Morgan didn’t want to see her face as she delivered this line. He was guilty on all counts. But he was in for the short or long of it. No matter how much it hurt, if it would help get her cooperation and keep her safe, help find these cretins, he’d put up with the dredging up of his mistakes from the past. And yes, he deserved punishment for them all.

  “But you haven’t told me if you think he’s involved,” J.J. persisted.

  “You mean is he being nice to me just to con me into thinking he really cares? Like so he can jump on my bones? I’m experienced with that.”

  Morgan didn’t think she was thinking of him. Perhaps she’d had more of a rough patch than he’d realized during their years apart. He couldn’t hold back any longer. “No, Halley, so he can kill you and all the women who attend your seminars.” He didn’t smile. He wasn’t afraid of how it would make her feel. She had to get the reason they were all getting together.

  Halley swallowed, then grabbed her bottle, and drank. Morgan noticed her hand was shaking.

  “That’s a good sign, Halley,” Morgan said as he pointed to her hand. “You should be scared. You should be damned scared. You may not like it, but someone near or close to you is probably in on this plot. You cannot trust anyone.”