EDGE OF TEMPTATION

by Gennita Low

  She walked to the bed and looked down at contents in her open briefcase. She shook her head, signaling everything was left untouched. Obviously, the captured Dr. Kantor had emphasized the importance of not touching that laptop.

  “They just want you better so you could play with that stupid thing,” Walker said. “As long as you’re running a fever, you’re unable to show them what they want.”

  “I know. I’m sorry I got sick. I’m sorry they were so mean and kidnapped you too. Now we’ve missed our wedding,” she wailed, “and our friends are wondering where we are! They’re going to make police reports and everyone will be looking for us.”

  “Except they don’t know where we are,” he told her, wondering how on earth she could think up of all this stuff while efficiently closing the briefcase, then slipping on that tight blouse and arranging her clothing. She’d depressed something on one of her rings again but it wasn’t glowing. He’d no idea what she was up to.

  “Okay, I won’t thank the Russians. It’s all their fault. They made Baby Bun Bun act up. I think I’m going to be sick again.”

  “Lie down and I’ll bring some fruit and crackers and feed you like...a love slave.” He swore the pause was very, very slight.

  She sniffed. “Okay, but you must kiss me and make me feel much, much better. Maybe let me warm my cold hands in your pants.”

  Rule #7. No matter how dangerous the situation, a beautiful woman’s hands in his pants was not a good idea. But it would lull their listeners into thinking their prisoners weren’t planning anything violent.

  “Of course, anything for my Kissy Kibble Love Puddle.”

  Her eyes laughed at him and he smiled. He was actually able to say that without a pause.

  * * *

  He was her love slave and so he allowed her to tie his arms above his head, her stockings hanging loosely from the bed posts. Really, one would think this was real, the way he hesitated so long before meekly giving her his arms. . She’d made a great show of tightening the knots. He’d just stretched out on the white bed and looked back at her.

  That look promised retaliation at some future date. She smiled down seductively. She looked forward to it.

  Their little game began with her touching parts of him with her hand and telling him a story of what she was going to do to that part. She had plenty of fodder. Some of her GEM friends were very skilful and adventurous women. Each story she told really did happen and she made sure she used language Walker would understand, that what she was telling could be reenacted easily.

  He swallowed once at the story of Heather’s Love Bites, her fingers teasing certain spots of his body. He was clothed but she could see the slight tension of his stomach muscles. Then she continued with the famous GEM lore of T’s cock ring, how she’d used them on the balls of her lover.

  “I’m supposed to tighten the rings like this (she showed it like turning a key over) when you’re near orgasm. Then your balls can’t retract fully, you see, and it makes your erection lasts long and nice for me. And your orgasm would be quite explosive I heard, Honey Bun Bun. You’ll like this, I think.”

  He’d blinked at least twice at her description. And yeah, his body was saying he was kind of turned on by that story.

  The power went out just as Nadia was in the middle of telling Walker the story of Marlena’s famous pearl necklace and how it was used while making love. This one was her favorite and she felt a bit disappointed she wasn’t able to tease him with it.

  Leaning over in the dark, she pulled the knots free with expert ease and her man was released. She’d loosened his belt and she heard him quietly pulling it from the loops, readying it for use. Oh yes, he was definitely a trained warrior.

  She picked up the briefcase, joining him as he moved like a cat toward the entrance to their room. They could hear sounds around the farmhouse now—glass breaking, muffled shouts, things falling over.

  Their door was locked. Nadia nudged him aside. She pressed a button on top of her briefcase and a small stream of light shot out of a panel, giving enough to work in the darkness. She pressed another button and a blue laser beam tracked the light as she made a circle next to the door handle. There was a low hum as it went to work. Once that was done, she turned the light and laser off.

  “Nice,” Walker said, and knocked the hole out.

  “The suitcase has a GPS tracker. I’ve activated it so they know which floor we’re on,” Nadia told him. “They’ll be wearing thermal goggles as their main fashion statement.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “To get Kantor while everyone’s fighting everyone.”

  He opened the door and paused. “And how do we go about that in the dark? We haven’t been around this place to know its layout.”

  “Watch.”

  Nadia pressed the side of her briefcase. Within seconds, everywhere she’d placed one of her mini trackers lit up red. Walker’s shadow was illuminated by the tiny pin lights as he followed the trail.

  “That’s the stairs,” he said. “You were hanging on to the railings. You were tabbing them.”

  “Yeah. Put this earbud on,” she said. He did so as did she. She pressed the side of the briefcase and ordered, “Eight Ball, which target has the highest percentage of having interaction with Dr. Kantor?”

  There was the briefest of pause, then a male voice replied in her ear, its snarky tone almost endearing, “From tracking their activities all day, my Baby Sand Crab, there is a 90 percent chance of Dr. Kantor secured in a room in the South wing. Two of the targets have gone there this evening. One had run out and downstairs to join in the fight when lights went out. There’s some good fighting tonight, girlfriend. You missed out on the coolest one between Jed and Jared Westin.”

  “That’s my boss. Who are we listening to?” Walker asked. His voice was low and she could see him scouting the passages for enemies.

  “Me. I’m Eight Ball, COMCEN’s computer program. And you’re NadNad One’s man, who thought she was NadNad Two. Hope that’s all straightened out, dude. Two women who look so alike are totally an ingenious design.”

  “Oh, hush, you crazy machine. Lead the way,” Nadia ordered.

  “Follow me. Oh, you can’t. Ha. Ha. Ha. Follow my voice. Up the stairs.”

  “Wait, what about my boss? And why am I following the directions of a strange voice?” Walker asked.

  Nadia touched his arm. “Eight Ball’s been keeping tabs on all my trackers all day. He keeps everyone informed during an operation. Come on, let’s go up.”

  “Jed and Jared are good friends. No problem, man. Boys greeted each other like old buddies. Only small bruises. Turn left. But still, awesome form and technique. Like a good wave, dude, so much control in their movements.”

  “What the hell is this Eight Ball talking about?” Walker muttered. “He sounds like your crazy brother.”

  “That’s cold, man. Down to the end of the hallway. Left door.”

  Eight Ball could be overwhelming. Nadia liked the computer very much. His interface went beyond anything she’d ever worked with. She was glad Walker was taking it all in stride, listening to the GPS commands and walking in the semi-darkness like he’d done this sort of thing dozens of times before. Hmm.

  “Just follow him. Eight Ball just needs getting used to. He was answering your question. Jed is one of the commandos at COS and I guess he was having fun with your boss or something.” The reached the target door. “Weapon?”

  “Ready.”

  “Two inside, but not the targets. Probability of one being Kantor at 90 percent,” Eight Ball told them. “Both targets appear to be sitting down across from each other. Your tabbed targets A and B are running up the stairs, heading your direction.”

  Nadia was doing the same thing she had done with their locked door.

  “Okay,” she said. “Got that, Walker? The moment they come within certain distance of my ring, their tabs activate and you’ll see the pin lights.”

  “Yes, two c
oming. I don’t need any lights. I’ll cover your six,” he confirmed, “but I need to stay in the shadows. Your Dr. Kantor will recognize you, right? There are two in that room, Diya. Be careful.”

  “Yes. Okay, on two. One, two! Activate flashlight, Eight Ball.”

  This time the beam was brighter and wider. The door opened easily and Nadia kicked the door wide. Nothing.

  She peered inside and saw two figures. She shone the light on the one to her right. He was tied and gagged.

  “Dr. Kantor,” she murmured quietly.

  At the sound of her greeting, Dr. Kantor started struggling hard, talking into his gag. She quickly looked the other way. The other man was also secured and was gagged. Must be another scientist they’d taken. Behind her, she registered the Russian orders being barked. Walker would take care of them.

  She frowned as she headed to help Dr. Kantor. Why were they gagged? Why would they be afraid the scientists talk to each other? She pulled off the tape securing the gag.

  “Behind you! Cummings’s one of them!” He panted out.

  Nadia jumped to the side at the first words but not fast enough to avoid the attack. The side of a pistol whacked hard into her shoulder blade. She kept her hold on the brief case as she fell, rolling to the left, barely avoiding a leg stomp. Another foot kicked into her sides and she curled in pain.

  “I can’t kill you. I need your access to the laptop, so you’re coming with me to the ship, Miss Kincaid,” an American voice said, coldly. “Get up or Dr. Kantor here dies.”

  That hurt like the mother. Nadia forced herself to focus on getting to her knees, then slowly standing up.

  “Agent K in trouble,” Number Eight warned inside her ear. “Agent K abducted by Cummings. Scanning Cummings files. Missing CIA top level double agent who escaped Deutsche Internationale without his wife during COS operations. Number Nine is looking for him. Repeat, he’s Number Nine’s assigned target.”

  She could have told Eight Ball the information was a bit late as she was pulled by the hair and dragged to her feet, but Eight Ball was informing the other operatives in the house. So Jed was around to go after this guy. She’d wondered why he would be bothering with her little operation.

  “I’ll come with you. Let Dr. Kantor go,” she managed to gasp out, doing her best to sound commanding. It’s tough when one’s ribs felt like it’d been gored. “I have the laptop.”

  “You better do that quickly then before I decide to wait on your partner out there and shoot him.”

  The noise outside the room was horrific. She could tell a huge fight was going on. Rapid gun shots. It didn’t sound like Walker fighting two men at all.

  “How many men outside, Eight Ball?” She asked sharply, taking advantage of the fact that the other man didn’t know she had an ear piece.

  “Six currently.”

  “Cover the scientist, Nadia,” T’s voice came through. “Let Cummings go. Tell him Number Nine is coming after him.”

  Nadia gasped again as Cummings shoved the gun against her ribs. She’d better act quickly. Her darling Walker couldn’t take down so many men without her.

  “Who are you talking to?” Her new captor demanded, pulling her to the back of the room.

  “Number Nine. He’s the one who’s going to find and kill you,” she announced. “Once you give me to the Russians, you’ll be all alone on that ship.”

  Cummings opened an access nearby, some sort of escape chute. “In there,” he ordered. “I’ll take care of Number Nine when I see him.”

  Not if I took care of you first.

  He had to let go of her and move that gun away from her ribs some time in order for her to climb into the chute access. The second he did that she jabbed her elbow back hard. He tried countering with a defensive move and she put all her strength in swinging the briefcase up and against the side of his head. The momentum tipped his whole body into the chute and he slid down into the darkness, his yelp of pain growing fainter.

  “Eight Ball, assailant in chute. Report back to team. I’m off to save Walker.” She ran past Dr. Kantor, barking down at the cowering man. “Stay down and away, Dr. Kantor.”

  She could tell the power had come back on, signifying the other rooms had been secured and the teams were heading up their way. The hallway was lit up, even though the room she was in was still in semi-darkness.

  Sounds of struggles, bodies hitting walls and male grunts. She moved cautiously, going low while peering out. And stared.

  Walker was fighting two men. Four lay on the ground. They looked dead. Sergei had Walker in a backward headlock and Walker swung his body up and kicked out at Ivan, hitting the latter in the head.

  She saw the belt with the weaponry stuck to the drywall not too far from the bodies and went to retrieve it. Ivan came at her and she avoided his bear hug. Obviously, he still thought she was incapable of self-defense.

  Out of the corner of eyes, she registered Walker and Sergei on the floor, punching and scrambling after something. Must be some dropped weapon. She flung herself at the wall where the belt was. Her opponent followed, this time swinging his arm like it was a club. It came down on the drywall right next to her face.

  Nadia turned, laughed at the Russian right in his face, and kneed him between the balls. She pulled out the belt with the embedded blade, and whipped it out at Ivan’s face. His pained howls were filled with fury. He was bleeding all over his face as he fought to grab hold of her weapon. She twirled, wrapped it around his neck and pulled. The big man fell, silent.

  “Your Honey Bun Bun dies right now.” Sergei said from behind her.

  She turned slowly. The thug had a gun against Walker’s head.

  “Dammit, why does everyone threaten to kill men with me? Isn’t it weird? Shouldn’t I be the one whose head you have the gun against?” She stalked off to the briefcase set on the ground. “I’m so done. I want to go with you. Don’t you remember? You’re supposed to take me to see Kantor...or was it Vadim? I can’t remember now. And what do I get?”

  She picked the case up and turned. “Aren’t you coming? That other man and Dr. Kantor went down the chute. We need to go. Those people downstairs are coming. Is that Vadim?”

  “Diya, don’t do it,” Walker said, quiet fury in his voice.

  She was careful not to look at him. She wanted all the Russian’s attention on her. That weapon was way too close to Walker.

  Sergei shook his head. “I’m not buying your act any more, scientist or not. You and he are some kind of agents. I’m taking that laptop with me. Give me the briefcase and you get your Honey Bun Bun back.”

  “Then what? You’ll just shoot him in front of me. No, you don’t have time. Take me as hostage and we both go to the ship.” She could tell the Russian was thinking about his options. She pressed on. “Vadim isn’t here, is he? He left you high and dry and so you’re in charge. You’re one man against a bunch. I’m just me. You can handle me.”

  She used her voice persuasively. GEM negotiation technique was special and she excelled at it because of her gift. NOPAIN—Non-Persuasion and Innovative Negotiation—was her agency’s bread and butter. The only person better at it than her was her trainer and Operations Chief, T.

  Don’t interrupt, Walker babe, please don’t interrupt. For the first time since this all started, her heart was beating a little faster, knowing that any sudden interruption could be fatal for him. Her briefcase was equipped to shoot too, if necessary, but it was a bulky weapon and Walker’s body was in the way. On a table, facing the enemy, yes, it would be an ideal weapon, but at this moment, it would just have to be her voice and her mental quickness. It had to be one of her classic crazy offers.

  “I’m going to back myself slowly into the room and wait for you. You come in and we go down the chute. Without Walker. Because he’s just going to slow us down. It’s the only way. Whoever is down there is coming up and they don’t seem to be in a negotiating mood. So, is that okay with you?”

  Before Sergei could
reply, Walker surprised them both by saying, “I’m not okay with that at all.”

  That one sentence brought both her and Sergei’s focus on him. Apparently, that was exactly what he wanted.

  * * *

  Walker waited for his chance through the whole negotiation bit. Now he saw exactly what these GEM operatives do. It was a good technique but not one he wanted to happen this one time. Nope. That fucker wasn’t taking his Nadia away with him. The chances of losing her off in a ship under the Russian flag were too high.

  His training came back. He had been an arms dealer, a weapons expert, a militant camp trainer. He, of all people, knew his way around weapons. Everything was about timing and know-how.

  Sergei’s was pressing the gun against the back of his head. He leaned further back, applying pressure, so he knew exactly where it was. He slid his gaze to see which of the thug’s hand was the free one; whether it was left or right made a difference on how he would move.

  That one crucial second when he broke the Russian’s concentration, he rolled to the inside of the gunman’s shooting arm. At the same time, he jerked his inside arm facing his opponent’s body up, forcing the gun hand down. He locked Sergei’s hand under his armpit, forcing his elbow joint past its range of motion. Now his free hand went to work.

  Vicious chop to the throat. Sergei growled but didn’t release the gun. His other hand reflexively came up to grab Walker’s hold. Walker tilted the elbow out further, using his body strength against the bulky man, and with his free hand, flipped the caught elbow up and over, damaging the shoulder joint in the process. Sergei let out a howl of pain. The gun clattered onto the floor.

  The moves only took a few seconds, but that was all he needed. Disarming a man was his specialty. He picked up the gun sitting by the fallen thug, cocked and aimed it at the Russian’s head.

  Eye-to-eye. Yeah, see my monster lurking out. He wanted him to know he was playing with someone who knew how to work a weapon like no one else. Sergei’s pained gaze acknowledged this with a vicious glare.

  “Honey Bun Bun!”

  Walker gave the man one final look, then turned and walked to his woman. The look in her eyes, like he was some sort of superhero. He wasn’t. He knew he was just someone who learned how to survive in a war torn land full of different factions. But that look in her eyes made his insides coiled tight with need. And that vicious thing inside him calmed. He reached her.