by Bella Juarez
Rafe had fucked up using that identity. It was a red flag for MI-6 to see that name outside of Russia or Iran. JJ knew Rock had been trailing Bakri since Gavin had run into him in Virginia almost five years ago. Obviously Bakri felt it safe for Rafe to use Jobrani’s name. Jobrani himself might have suggested it to Bakri knowing MI-6 would start watching it bounce all over the globe in places it shouldn’t be.
“I’ve got to run this up the flag pole before I talk to the janitor,” JJ said.
“Be quick about it. I need to get back there with you as soon as possible. The janitor is waiting to take out the rubbish,” Mick said.
JJ returned to work and told Jake he needed to take a drive down to San Antonio. He arrived just as most of the folks were heading out for the day. He blew past Friday and straight into Rock’s office. His mind had been reeling the whole time he drove. I fucking knew it! His gut had told him from the beginning that Rafe was somehow not done yet.
“I need a fucking drink right now!” JJ demanded when he stormed inside the office.
Rock looked up and said nothing as he stood. He threw his cell phone on his desk and the two men left without another word. They drove to Shiner, Texas, this time. They found a small redneck bar and a booth where they could talk. Rock toyed with his bottle of Shiner Bock and waited for the shit storm to hit as he looked at JJ expectantly.
“I saw a ghost today, Rock,” JJ said gruffly.
“Is that why you need a drink?” Rock asked.
“Rafe is alive and is walking around using an alias that has drawn the attention of some friends of mine. They’ve invited me to come and talk to them.”
“You can’t do that, JJ.”
“Did you know he was still alive?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Okay, then I’ll make my trip and talk to my friends who asked for my help.”
“JJ, give me a couple of days. I know who’s asking to talk to you. Let me check with Dixie on a couple of ideas I have. There’s a lot more to this than you know.”
“All right, Rock,” JJ said, taking a long swallow of his beer.
They drove back to Randolph in the dark. As JJ stepped out of Rock’s truck he called to him.
“Tell that limey bastard I said fuck you,” Rock said with a knowing smile.
JJ drove back to his condo in downtown Austin instead of his office. He sat down in his big easy chair and switched on the television. He remembered he hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast this morning. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back into the cushy material of the chair. It’s too damn late to have anything now. He snapped his head up suddenly. He blinked a couple of times and realized he had fallen asleep in his chair. He switched everything off, made his way to bed, undressed, and slid between the sheets. He let his mind drift to his favorite memory of Irene. She was standing on the deck of the Lexington looking at the bay. Her golden eyes glinted in the bright sunlight. He heard one of her warm, bubbly giggles as he drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
Irene awoke with a start. She’d been dreaming but couldn’t remember about what. She switched on the low light in her room and sat at the edge of her bed. James…her heart whispered. Was that what she was dreaming about? Irene stood and walked to the kitchen for a glass of water but opted for some tea instead. She sat in the living room sipping her tea as the TV soothed her grated nerves. Whatever she had dreamt about had shaken her because she could still feel fear course through her body. She had medication that Dr. Adams had given her to fight bouts of panic and sleeplessness that started when David died. But she hadn’t needed them in some time.
Irene set her teacup on the end table beside the couch. She had to move her iPhone that was charging. She picked up the phone and thought of James. Two weeks ago he’d sent her a text message wishing her a happy birthday. He’d also sent her some flowers. Irene knew she should’ve erased the message and thrown away the flowers. She couldn’t. She was feeling a little badly about how she was treating James. No matter how hateful she was with him, he was always glad to see her and wished her well. Irene put away the phone with renewed determination. He was trying to wear her down. He’d been wrong, and until he admitted it, she wasn’t about to budge.
Irene closed her eyes and a picture flashed in her memory. She suddenly remembered what she’d dreamt about. She was sitting in church at a funeral. She watched people pass the flag-draped coffin to pay their respects. She hated reliving this memory. The coffin was open, which was strange in a church. Amy and Gavin were sitting on either side of her. Irene’s heart raced and her throat started to close, making it hard for her to breathe. She was in the middle of a panic attack. She willed herself to breathe and calm down. Irene walked with Amy and Gavin to the coffin and she deliberately kept her eyes away from the person inside. She didn’t want to see David, lying there dead. She approached the coffin and her heart stopped. It wasn’t David this time. James! Irene’s eyes flew open and she inhaled sharply. She picked up her phone and sent James a text message, thanking him for the flowers he’d sent her. She said a silent prayer for James’s safety. Something was wrong. Deep down inside Irene somehow knew he was in danger.
* * * *
JJ woke with a start. He didn’t know what had made him wake up in such a tense state. He lay still, listening. He heard his phone chime, indicating he’d received a text message. He started to reach for the phone when he heard something else. He froze and listened.
There…
The front door to his condo had opened. His door had a low squeak that needed to be fixed. Thank God he hadn’t quite gotten around to doing it. He knew he’d just enough time to reach into his nightstand and take out his pistol and hide. He moved quickly and silently as he arranged the pillows on his bed. He stood behind the bedroom door, waiting. He heard the soft, barely audible footsteps walk down the hallway to his bedroom. He saw the shadow and watched as it approached his bed. He quickly assessed his enemy and the situation. The shadow leveled a gun.
“Don’t fucking move!” JJ snarled as he put the barrel of the gun against the intruder’s skull. The gunman froze. “Get on your knees,” he ordered.
Instead, the gunman chose to fight. JJ had expected this reaction and didn’t hesitate as he met his enemy’s attempts. He’d made up his mind not to kill the man if he didn’t have to. He wanted answers as to why the man was here.
The man was taller and heavier t. JJ swiftly kicked the man’s knee, cracking it into an unnatural direction. As the man bent forward to keep himself from falling, JJ reared back and punched him in the face, breaking the man’s nose. The gun fell to the floor and he heard the man howl in pain. The gunman was lying on the ground.
“Don’t fucking move again!” JJ ordered, giving the man a swift kick to his crotch.
The man howled in pain once more and folded in half. That ought to keep him occupied for a minute. JJ quickly recovered the man’s weapon and turned on the lights. He had to kick the man a couple of times in order to keep him immobile and in pain. JJ knew that he’d probably broken a couple of ribs, his nose, and his knee. JJ was sure that the man’s testicles would remember this lesson for a while. He disconnected a cord in his room and tied the man up. He removed the ski mask the man was wearing and blinked in surprise. He knew this man. It was the landscaper for his building. What the fuck?
“What are you doing here?” JJ asked the man in Spanish.
The man looked confused at the question. He looked Hispanic. Why the hell was he looking at JJ like he didn’t understand? He took a closer look at the man on the floor. Holy crap on a cracker! He doesn’t speak Spanish? JJ realized this man was out of place here, even though the black hair and eyes fit. JJ inhaled deeply. He picked up his cell phone and called Rock. As the phone was ringing, he looked at the man lying on the floor in his bedroom.
“I speak eight languages, motherfucker. I’ll find one you understand,” JJ mumbled. He knelt in front of the man and looked directly into his
eyes. “What are you doing here?” he repeated, this time in Arabic.
The man’s eyes widened. He sure as shit understood that! Rock finally picked up the call.
“Rock, I’ve got a problem,” JJ said, looking at the man on the floor.
It took Rock and a few of his men almost two hours to get to JJ’s condo. As Rock was charging into the condo, he started reading JJ the riot act.
“What the fuck, JJ? Why didn’t you call the fucking cops?” Rock demanded.
“Because the cops won’t know how to communicate with him,” JJ said, leading them into his bedroom.
“What?” Rock asked, irritated.
“Listen to this,” JJ said turning to the man on the floor. “Who sent you?” he asked in Arabic.
“Neek Hallak! Bala’a il a’air!” the man spat.
Rock looked at JJ in surprise. “Did he just tell you to fuck off and call you a cocksucker?”
“In Arabic!” a tall African-American man with Rock said.
“Hello, Shaq!” JJ said.
“Good to see you, Master Chief. After what you put me through at SQTs, I never thought I would say those words in the same sentence,” Lieutenant JG Harman said with a smile.
“Damn it, JJ! Can’t you ever do anything the easy way?” Rock asked, irritated.
JJ snorted. “Get him out of here. I’m an old man and I need my sleep!”
“Motherfucker can’t walk, Captain,” Shaq said as he tried to help the man up.
“Oh yeah, I might have broken his knee. You may want to get Doc to look at that,” JJ said.
“Old man, my ass!” Rock grumbled as he helped Shaq lift the man. “Shit, JJ! You fucked him up pretty bad!” he exclaimed in irritation, looking over the man.
“I was defending myself. I’m a senior citizen! Cocksucker oughta be happy I didn’t call the cops and file charges of senior abuse on him!” JJ protested.
“You’re one lethal senior citizen, Master Chief,” Shaq said as he left with the man hoisted over his shoulder.
“Be at my office before ten. You need to process in because I’m activating you into the reserves. You’re cleaning up this fucking mess!” Rock snapped as JJ closed the door behind him.
JJ cleaned his room a little and slipped back into bed. He yawned and reached for his phone. Remembering he’d left it on the dresser, he got up and retrieved it. He settled into bed once more. He started to set the phone on the nightstand and remembered the chime that started this mess. He looked at his text messages and smiled. It was from Irene. You saved my life, sugar. It was almost three in the morning. He decided to reply to her later, at a more sensible hour.
JJ found Rock before ten in the morning. While he was waiting at personnel, he sent a reply to Irene. He’d already decided to find an excuse that would take him down to Victoria. He spent the afternoon with Rock. The man who had broken into JJ’s condo was in the hospital, so interrogating him right now was out of the question. The men managed to find another secure location so they could talk.
“What do I tell the limey bastard?” JJ asked.
“Dixie cleared you to tell him what you know. We’ve already received an official request and it was approved. You will be in uniform when you show up there, Master Chief,” Rock said, shaking his head.
“Rock, did you know he was still alive?” JJ asked.
“Yes, I did. Doc is working with him. He’s planning a surprise for me, but Doc hasn’t been able to tell me when and where,” Rock said.
“Do you need help?” JJ asked, rubbing his bruised knuckles.
“I was hoping you’d ask. I’ve got Shaq and Gamez working on it. Do you think you can work with them?” Rock asked.
“Shaq and Gamez are good men. I watched them really shine in Iraq. They work well together. Like you and Mac. They’re good boys and I can work with them,” JJ said.
“I want you to take them under your wing while you’re here, JJ. Actually, there’s three of them I want you to mentor, Shaq, Gamez, and Petty Officer Pentamore,” Rock said.
“Pentamore landed here?”
“I stole him from Commander Lam in Germany. In eighteen months, I want to recommend Pentamore for chief.”
“Okay, Rock. What’s the plan?”
Rock and JJ spent two hours talking and strategized potential scenarios for Rafe’s capture based on the information they had. JJ would be taking a trip with Mick next week to London. Rock was scheduled for some leave to visit Anna’s family deep in the South Texas Valley the next weekend. They’d be celebrating Thanksgiving late because Anna had arranged for her restaurant to feed most of the men and their families who would remain in San Antonio with no plans on Thanksgiving Day.
JJ finished his day and drove back to Austin. There was still work to do at BRAVO-ZULU. It was a short week and getting shorter. As he drove, he decided to call Gavin and see what the plans were for this weekend. He was sure that Irene, Amy, and Gavin would all be together on Thursday. He wasn’t interested in the actual holiday. He wanted information about the rest of the weekend and possibly fish for Irene’s plans indirectly.
Chapter Eleven
Victoria Silver Center Ballroom
Victoria, Texas
November 28, 2008/2347 Zulu
Irene sat taking tickets at the front door as members of the Victoria Senior Center gathered for the biweekly Sunday Night Dance. Since most of the members didn’t have to go to a job on Monday, the membership committee decided to start holding an old-fashioned dance on Sunday nights. Each dance had a different theme. This dance tonight was a classic ballroom dance. She looked forward to this night for a month because this was her favorite style of dance.
Irene shopped for weeks to find the perfect dress and shoes. The teal-green dress was an elegant sleeveless cocktail dress. The bust was ruched and made her look slimmer. The scoop neck of the dress accentuated her full breasts. Her shoes were silver sandaled dance shoes with rhinestone accents that she and Amy had found online. Her favorite part of the dress was the full skirt that fell to midcalf. Irene’s jewelry was elegant and accented her dress to perfection.
Cheryl had come over and fixed her hair differently. They’d managed an updo of sorts rather than the straight bob she normally wore. When she first arrived, she smiled inwardly because she was turning heads. Many of the men at the dance complimented her look and her dance card was filling up.
Irene looked at the clock over the door. The dance was scheduled to start in ten minutes. The staff member who would take tickets at the door would soon relieve her and Ida May. Irene and Ida May were chatting, waiting for the staffer to show as the last of the stragglers walked in the door. Ida May suggested that they count tickets before the staffer arrived. Translated, Irene would count the tickets while Ida May batted her eyes at all the available men walking in for the dance. She was busy counting tickets when Ida May sucked in a breath.
“Oh my God!” Ida May whispered.
“What’s wrong, Ida May?” Irene asked not looking up from her task.
“May I help you?” Ida May asked in a breathy voice.
Irene saw a ticket slide in front of her. She glanced up briefly and did a double take. Her jaw dropped slightly and she shut it quickly when she realized her mouth was open. She took the ticket and added it to the stack to be counted.
“Enjoy the dance,” Irene said shortly.
“I will,” James said.
Irene glanced at Ida May, who was drooling at James. Irene rolled her eyes and directed her attention back to the stack. She didn’t blame Ida May. It was no wonder she was falling all over the table to get to James. He was an attractive man on a normal day, but dressed in a tuxedo he was downright stunning. Irene herself fluttered with excitement when she first glanced at him. She watched as Ida May extended her hand to James.
“Ida May Sanderson, and you are?” Ida May asked.
“James Jones, Ida May,” James said with that damn sexy grin of his, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Are you new here?” Ida May asked sweetly.
“Just visiting. My boy told me about this place and I decided to check it out,” James said.
“Do you dance, Mr. Jones?” Ida May asked with a girlish giggle.
Irene had to keep from rolling her eyes, again. What the hell would he be doing here if he didn’t? Tonta! Irene wanted to bitch slap Ida May. James was flirting with this hoyden right in front of her. She was determined not to let her emotions show and ruin this evening. All his protesting that he was innocent was nothing but a load of crap as far as she was concerned now.
“A little, Ida May,” James said.
“Save one for me, Mr. Jones. I’ll be in shortly,” Ida May said, wagging a crooked finger at him.
Irene finished the count as James entered the ballroom. The staffer finally showed up, relieving the two ladies from the table. Ida May turned to Irene excitedly.
“Did you see that man! I think he likes me,” Ida May gushed.
Oh, please! “I was too busy to look. Excuse me, Ida May,” Irene said as she parted ways with the woman.
Irene watched as all the unattached women and even some of attached ones were drawn to James. She seemed to be the only woman in the room that wasn’t attracted to him. She took her first dance with an old friend of David’s, who was a widower. He’d lost his wife to cancer three years ago. She knew the man was attracted to her, but she never encouraged his attention. In truth she never wanted it. Irene’s eyes narrowed as she watched another woman introduce herself to James. Bitch!
