Blake’s directions maneuvered us through the streets of Sana’a and out of the city. A long dirt trail lay ahead of us.
“How did you get recruited?” I asked.
I needed something to fill the awkward silence; anything to stop my mind from going back to a time I’ve tried to forget, a time where the love of my life gutted me for money and power.
“I was in college. I showed potential and was approached my junior year. I went through the selection process and began training when I passed my psychological exams.”
“I’m surprised someone as well adjusted as you could pass the psych evals. The CIA tends to like to recruit people who have questionable morals, and will easily push morality aside for the greater good.”
Blake was the kindest person I knew. It was hard to believe that the studious girl I knew could begin to pass as a field agent. An analyst, sure. She was definitely smart enough.
“Funny what a person with nothing left to lose is willing to do for the greater good. Besides, it was purely selfish on my part. Joining the CIA had personal gains for me. I needed their resources. They saw a void in me that needed to be filled, and I allowed them to believe they were exploiting it,” she explained.
I wasn’t going to touch that with a ten-foot pole. She had nothing to lose? I guess not, she hadn’t lost it in the first place; she threw it away.
“How long have you been in the field?” I inquired.
“What the hell is this? The Spanish Inquisition?” She continued to look out her window, refusing to look in my direction.
As much as it hurt when her pretty eyes were cast my way, I would rather have the pain than her indifference. I was the injured party here, not her, yet she acted like I’d wronged her and she couldn’t look at me.
“I’m trying to figure out how closely I’m going to have to watch your ass so we both don’t get dead,” I lied.
Jasper had a full workup of Blake Porter once we figured out she worked for the National Intelligence Office. I didn’t have time to read the entire brief, but I did see she had several accommodations and awards. She was well respected in her office and by the director himself. In eight years she seemed to have moved up the chain fairly quickly.
“I’ve been in the field long enough to smell bullshit, Levi. I know that one of your men pulled my jacket. I know you read it. I knew that Mr. White was agency before he pulled the hood off my head and I saw a suit standing in front of me. Kidnappings are not gentle in this country, and the man didn’t have it in him to manhandle me. If I had thought for one second I was truly being taken, he would have been dead the moment the flap in my tent rustled when he entered. I think the question is, how closely will I have to watch you on this op? You’re used to your men at your six. I work alone. I’m used to slipping in and out. I don’t need someone at my back when I cut a man’s throat.” Blake called me on my bullshit.
“What makes you think I read your file?”
“Because I would’ve if I were you. You have the advantage. You know I’m capable of handling myself. I wasn’t given the same courtesy and allowed to read your file. So, Levi McCoy, how long have you been in the field?” she asked, turning the tables.
I drove in silence for a moment thinking about how much I was willing to tell her. I didn’t want Blake to know anything about my life. But she was right on one account; she did deserve to know who her partner was on a mission.
“About ten years now. The first two years of my service were tied up in training.” That small amount of information was all I was willing to share.
Blake remained quiet, and I couldn’t help but wonder what had changed so drastically for her that she would give up her dream of being a journalist to join the CIA. I guess she still got to live part of her dream, her long-standing cover was a journalist, but it was with a newspaper that was run by the CIA. I wondered if she actually got to write real articles about the faraway places she got to see. That was what Blake had always wanted to do. She wanted her words to impact people’s lives. When I walked out of my stepfather’s house, I followed my dreams. I became exactly the man I’d always knew I would become. I had everything I’d ever wanted, minus the woman I thought would be by my side.
Her life had taken a sharp left turn. I wanted to ask if her parents were okay. If something tragic had happened to one of them, I could see how that would derail her plans. Short of that, I couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t a reporter somewhere, married to a regular Joe Blow with a couple of kids running around. Shit, maybe she was married. I hadn’t read that part of her file. And even though I had access to any information I could ever want, I’d never looked her up. I admit there had been times over the years when I missed her so much I had thought about it. Then I remembered what the pain of her betrayal felt like and I didn’t do it.
“Bravo One. You’re coming up on the checkpoint,” Clark said in my ear.
“Copy that, Bravo Two,” I returned. “Did you have a spot you wanted to ditch the car?” I asked Blake.
“There will be a cut off on the left. We can walk the last three miles. There is plenty of cover on the east side,” Blake told me.
“Did you hear that?” I asked Clark.
“Copy. There will be a SWCC boat at the dock should you need a water evac. Chalk 1 will be on standby for your extraction point, five klicks due east of the American Embassy. Red smoke will call your ride. Remember Columbia?” Clark chuckled.
“How could I forget.”
The team had barely made it out of that mission alive. The helo was lifting off, and both Clark and I had grabbed the ladder to evac. Our asses were swinging in the wind until we could safely climb aboard.
“Let’s not repeat that, friend.”
“Roger that. Bravo One, out.”
I pulled my earpiece out preparing to destroy my communication device. From here on out we’d be black. Blake and I would have to work together as a team to take out Al-Hazari.
“A SWCC team has been deployed to the dock,” I explained the exit plan to Blake. She had to know as well. If I didn’t make it, she’d need to know where to go. When I was done explaining where the Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crew would be, she nodded her head.
“Good to know we’ll have a SEAL team in place if shit goes sideways. I plan on taking out Al-Hazari as soon as I get the intel about who helped him get the explosives into Oman. I want all the intel I can gather before I kill him. We’ll need to run before his men notice.”
I was going to ask why she’d have no problem with a SEAL team having her back if she needed but she was pissed my team was in place. There was no doubt the team guys were badass motherfuckers; however, my team ran ten times more ops than they did. As far as experience went, my team was far superior.
Before I could ask, she pointed to a small dirt trail on the left. “We’re here. Slow your speed. The checkpoint is around that bend, and the guards will be able to see the dust now that the sun is starting to rise.”
I did as she said and pulled off the road, finding a place to ditch the car behind a nice-sized boulder and desert shrub.
Blake knelt down, grabbed a handful of dirt and rubbed it over her face and neck. When she was done dirtying herself, she pulled her knife out and sliced through the sleeves of her long sleeve shirt, using the tip of her blade to lightly scratch marks on her forearm.
I stood, silently watching her, knowing it was essential for her to look like she had been captured but not liking it one bit. This was all wrong. I hated knowing that she had spent years likely doing just this – whatever was needed to survive. More than that, I hated knowing she had the same hash marks on her soul that I had, every kill chipping away at what used to be a complete person. Every life I had ever taken was justified, but that didn’t mean late at night when you’re left with nothing but your sins you don’t remember. There was no box tight enough for the ghosts to be confined.
Even after everything Blake had done to me, I still wanted better for her.
It didn’t matter how hard I had tried or how many years had passed; I still loved her. I would die loving her.
Chapter Six
Blake
Levi had been silent since we left the car. It was uncomfortable pretending I didn’t know him, that he hadn’t been the center of my thoughts for over a decade. He was the reason I joined the CIA. I told him a partial truth about being recruited. I was approached, that part was the truth, but I had left out why. I was caught hacking into Alister Bench’s files. I had already spent two years gathering information on Alister before the CIA recruited me. I knew all about his dirty dealings. Bench was added to a CIA watchlist when donations he had made went to a charity with known ties to terrorism.
Terrorists and war made for sensational headlines and sold newspapers and advertisements. His media group was thriving in an economy where his competitors were closing up shop. He had found a way to stay ahead of the game. His company had expanded, buying up bankrupt companies and turning them around. He was ten times more powerful now than he was when Levi was a kid. His papers broke all the big stories. Alister Bench was creating news, creating wars, and funding organizations. He was a criminal of the highest order. There was no way to calculate the number of deaths he had on his hands.
Now, the CIA watches him and uses his sloppy interactions with warlords to counteract the plots and find new small organizations to squash before they become too big. That was how we had found Al-Harazi. He was one of Alister’s newest pawns. He thought by funding them they would grow in numbers. There was no doubt he knew about the bombing and would have crews on the scene to broadcast live as the horror unfolded. He was in for a rude awakening. The bombing would not happen, and Al-Harazi would be dead.
“There’s the village, just over that ridge,” I told him.
“Is Al-Harazi there now?” he asked.
“No way to know. If he is following his initial timeline, yes. He should be getting his convoy ready to go now.”
“Perfect. Let’s start running. I want him to see us. Draw as much attention as you can. We will head to your tent. Hopefully, he stops us before we make it that far. It will be better if he comes to us. If he doesn’t, we will go to him and beg for safe passage,” Levi suggested.
“Copy.”
I didn’t wait for him before I started running at top speed. I wanted to be out of breath and flush by the time we made it to the village; it would only add to the academy award winning performance I was about to pull off. We made it over the ridge, and I allowed myself to slip and fall on my butt, sliding down the small embankment. Levi pulled me up as he passed and we continued. Just as we’d hoped, Al-Hazari was out of his tent loading his caravan. He watched us run into the village, his two guards pointing AK-47s in our direction. It was a wonder the old Russian assault rifles still worked. Al-Hazari was not a wealthy man; his weapons were bottom of the barrel junk no one else wanted.
“Halt,” his guard yelled in English.
Levi and I came to a skidding stop in front of the men. I bent at my waist and held on to my knees, exaggerating my panting.
“I’m sorry, Ahmed. Please excuse the intrusion. I only need to get my belongings so I can go,” I wheezed.
I glanced up, and Al-Harazi’s eyes widened. “Who did this to you?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I was in my bed last night. I was awoken with a hood over my head and taken to the city. I was so scared, Ahmed. They refused to tell me where I was. They wanted to record me for ransom.” Tears fell from my eyes, and I hugged my arms around my center. “They said they were going to kill me. I don’t mean you any trouble. I only need my bag with my money, so I can leave. I can’t be here. If they find me, they’ll kill me.”
“And this man?” Al-Harazi asked.
“I don’t know. He was there. I promised him I had money if he would take me with him.”
“Who are you?” Al-Harazi asked Levi.
“Oliver Smith,” Levi answered.
“Where did you come from? Why are you here?” Al-Harazi asked.
“Why would I tell you that? So you can hold me for ransom, too? Let this woman get her bag so she can give me the money she promised me.” Levi stood up straight and balled his fists, taking a defensive posture.
“You compare me to those savages?” Al-Harazi said and motioned for his men to lower their weapons. “I have never taken a person against their will. I’m here to do God’s work.”
“That’s what the last man said as he stood over me threatening to kill me if my company didn’t pay for my return. You’ll forgive me if I’m not relying on God to help me out of this situation. I only want the money the woman said she’d give me if I took her with me. I need to leave Yemen, and I need money to bribe someone to take me across the border.”
“I’m sorry to hold you up, Ahmed. Thank you for all your hospitality. I’m afraid the men took all of my equipment. I promise you I will still write the story about the good work you are doing. I remember our conversations. I wish you well in your crusade. I’m sorry to run, but I must leave. I don’t know if we were followed. I don’t want to bring trouble to your door. I owe this man my life, and I must pay him. He managed to escape and took me with him. They were going to kill me.” I added some extra tears and shaking for dramatic flair.
Al-Harazi yelled to his men to continue to load the convoy and turned back to us. “Come with me into my tent. You both need medical attention. Tell me what happened.”
“Thank you. I would love to clean off my face. Would you spare a drink of water?” I asked.
Al-Harazi and I started walking toward his tent, leaving Levi. “Ma’am, if you wouldn’t mind giving me the money so I can leave,” he demanded.
“Please, come, we’ll clean you up. I promise you safe passage away from this place,” Al-Harazi said.
We had him. Levi stood his ground, scanning the area. “Sir, Oliver, you’re safe with Ahmed. He is not like those men. He is spreading the word of God, the Bible. Those same men hurt him too. They killed his men and bombed his church.”
“Let me clean your wounds, so they don’t get infected. If you want to leave after that, I will give you what little money I can spare. We will pray about it,” Al-Harazi said.
I wanted to gag at the absurdity of the situation. I wish I could cut his throat right now. This man was disgusting, using the word of God to kill.
“I would appreciate some water and to clean up. Thank you.” Levi caught up with us in a few long strides.
We entered Al-Harazi’s tent, and it was devoid of all of his personal effects that were once scattered about. He was not planning on returning to the village.
“My apologies. We are moving today. Please stay here; I will fetch supplies.”
Al-Harazi left us alone in the tent, and I turned to Levi. “Thank you for saving my life.” I started crying again. Knowing we were being listened to, I thought I would continue the show. “I promise I will give you everything I have.”
“How do you know these men? Are you sure you’re safe? We can run together if you’d like.” Levi stopped and dropped his voice lower. “I wish I would’ve killed all of them.”
Al-Harazi reappeared a bucket of water in one hand and two bottles of water in the other. “Here. Clean up.” He motioned for me to approach. “How did you escape?” Levi remained quiet and looked around. “No judgment from me. The Bible says an eye for an eye. The ones who took you brutalized you. You have a God-given right to protect yourself and the woman.”
“With respect, I wished I could’ve killed every last one of them.” Levi turned to face Al-Harazi. “Maybe I shouldn’t be running like a coward. Maybe I should stay and make sure they never try and harm an innocent woman again.”
“That would be foolish. You’ll come with us. There are many ways to make the men who took you pay. We will talk along the way. If you don’t like what I have to say, we’ll drop you off, and you buy your way home,” Al-Harazi offered.
“Is that what
you’re doing? Making men like that pay? I’m not interested in praying for these men’s souls. I want to send them all to the hell that surely awaits them. I’m a God-fearing man; however, there are times like this I’m too impatient to wait for the wrath of God.”
I cleaned my arms with the cloth and bucket of water that Al-Harazi had provided. When I was done, I turned to Levi. “Sir? Would you like me to help you with your face?” I asked.
Levi nodded and walked to me, and I was surprised when he dropped to his knees in front of me and stared up at me with his soulful eyes. They were as unique as I remembered, light gold with a dark ring around the outside. I used to spend hours looking into those eyes; I loved those eyes. None of the pictures I had of us came close to doing the color justice. None of them made me feel the onslaught of emotions that seeing him in person had.
“Miss?” Levi called.
Shit. This was a mission, not a fairytale reunion. This time when I let the tears stream down my cheeks, they were real. I didn’t have to pretend that my heart was broken or I was scared because I was both. “I’m sorry they did this to you. I’ve never seen anyone get hit so many times.” I swiped the tears from my face and picked up the cloth, wringing most of the water back into the bucket before I pressed the soft material to his face. His head leaned into my hand ever so slightly, and I couldn’t stop the tears from forming again. Thank God we had an audience, and my tears only added to the authenticity of our cover. I went about wiping down Levi’s face and neck as quickly as I could. When I was done, I placed my palm on the side of his face. This very well could be the last time I ever get to touch him again. The first time he left, I didn’t get a chance to savor one last touch. I was going to this time. I needed to feel his flesh on mine if after this mission I never saw him again. I would remember the heat under my fingers for the rest of my life.
Finally Free (Levi): A Black Ops Romance (The 707 Freedom Series Book 3) Page 4
