Elite

by Joseph C. Anthony

  “Who was that?” Tiffany asked the driver as he and Daniel both climbed back into the shuttle.

  “Mi hermano,” the driver replied.

  “That was you’re brother?!” Tiffany exclaimed. Apparently growing up in Texas had taught her some Spanish.

  “These shepherds,” the driver ranted in a Latin accent, “they theenk they own all the land out here, even the rroads.”

  Daniel threw his head back in silent laughter as the driver continued his pissed off rant about his brother and the Costa Rican shepherds. Talk about family drama.

  “Bandejo,” the driver said, finally concluding his rant as he resumed flying along the narrow Costa Rican road system.

  Daniel looked over at Norma who was next to him, now turned around and bent over the seat, digging through her suitcase which was stored in the very back of the shuttle.

  She finally came up, a pistol and its harness in her hands.

  She checked the clip and shoved it back in before wrapping the harness around her waist.

  “You might want to check your bag,” she told him.

  Daniel did not question the suggestion as he turned around to dig through his bag, expecting to find a gun although he wasn’t quite sure why. He hadn’t thought to bring his Gloc on the trip, mostly because it wasn’t something he was used to thinking about, especially when getting on an airplane.

  He unzipped his luggage and there, sitting on top, was a Gloc and a holster. He picked it up and turned around with it. He didn’t have a lot of experience with his gun, and he hadn’t held many others, but something about this one made him pretty sure that it was the same one Richfield had issued to him a couple weeks prior.

  “Courtesy of Mister Richfield,” Norma stated.

  Daniel stared at the black hunk of steel in his right hand. “This was in my bag when I checked it at the airport?” he asked, suddenly concerned about something that had already occurred.

  “Nope,” Norma answered cryptically.

  Daniel stared at her, confused as she unbuttoned her pants and lifted up her shirt.

  “These holsters were designed to wear under your clothes,” she explained. “I prefer to wear mine on my lower back, but you can keep yours wherever it feels comfortable.”

  Daniel watched as she tucked her gun into her lower back, the end of the barrel extending down under the waistline of her jeans, and the rest getting covered up by the bottom of her shirt.

  “It’s a little tougher to be discreet wearing these tight fitting clothes,” she admitted.

  Daniel followed suit, strapping his holster around his waist, also deciding to keep his weapon strapped to his lower back. For him only the handle stuck out above his pants.

  “The boss is always looking out for us,” she said as the two readjusted themselves in the back seat.

  Daniel was constantly amazed by Richfield’s ability to use his old CIA connections – not to mention a little freaked out by it.

  The rest of the trip was rather docile, and almost too relaxing for someone who was supposed to be on high alert at all times. Norma kept Daniel sharp however, constantly quizzing him about their surroundings, asking what or who they should be paying extra attention to.

  Most of the time Daniel was right on top of things, which served to build more and more confidence in his ability to be a body guard. There were occasionally small details that Norma was able to pick up on that he wasn’t however, such as spotting individuals who were also carrying concealed weapons. She was able to spot little tells which gave them away, such as small gestures toward certain areas of their body, alterations in movement, or the way they wore their clothing – each indicating that there was a foreign object being held up against their body.

  “It’s not at all uncommon,” she explained to Daniel as they walked down the streets of a small village one afternoon. “You’d be surprised by the number of people that carry, especially in countries like this where you can’t always count on law enforcement to protect you. It was smart for Barstow to pay to have his daughter protected on this trip. He can afford it after all.”

  Daniel pondered the statement.

  “Yeah. His daughter’s life is worth one hundred grand to him,” he said smugly.

  “No,” Norma corrected him. “His daughter’s life is worth one hundred grand to us.”

  Daniel conceded that her argument was valid.

  “But if he wanted he could have ponied up a lot more and had someone like Titan out here to protect his daughter,” he countered.

  “No,” Norma stated, shooting him down again. “Richfield never would have even offered that. Titan doesn’t go out on basic precautionary details like this one. Top agents are used almost exclusively for high-value targets facing likely life-threatening situations – such as a foreign dignitary in a hostile country, or an influential figurehead with a mark on them. Even a bottom ranked rookie Elite agent should be able to handle protecting a wealthy businessman’s twenty-something daughter and her boyfriend from any cartel thugs who might get a clever idea about robbing or kidnapping a couple young American tourists.”

  Daniel silently accepted Norma’s explanation, not knowing whether or not he should have been offended by it. He wondered if this job was beneath her, not being a “bottom-ranked rookie agent.” This was probably less like an assignment for her and more like baby-sitting duty. Still, he was glad that she was the one Richfield had assigned to train him for more reasons than just the fact that he had grown very fond of her. She had taken the assignment seriously and had done a good job of training him out in the field. He had learned a lot in just a few days.

  Daniel was also sure to appreciate the experiences that weren’t job related, and enjoy being in such an exotic locale. This was no more possible than during their surfing lessons. Out on the ocean – just the four of them and their surf instructor Rico – the opportunity presented itself to let his guard down and just enjoy the beautiful scenery around him. There was no need for guns or constant paranoia. The only threat on the water was the ocean itself, and there was nothing a firearm could achieve in combat against Mother Nature.

  Though he had never in his life surfed before – having grown up in Indiana – he enjoyed learning. By his fourth wave he was successfully able to stand up for almost seven seconds before losing his balance and falling off his board, and those seven seconds were filled with adrenaline. Never had he felt such a thrill, riding atop Mother Ocean’s fierce current, pushing him in toward the shore.

  His favorite part of surfing though was simply sitting on his board, a hundred plus yards offshore, gazing back at the incredible view of the landscape. Mists spread across lush green jungle which ended at majestic cliffs, giving way to the white sandy beach that lead to the deep blues and greens of the Pacific Ocean.

  The only sight more appealing was Norma in her black string bikini. It was probably the most feminine article of clothing Daniel had ever seen her wear, and he very much enjoyed it. When he heard they were going to the beach he half expected to see her in a full-bodied wet suit, but he was pleasantly surprised when they arrived at the water and she stripped down to her bikini.

  She was no slouch when it came to riding the waves either. It was quite evident that this was not her first encounter with the surf when she got up on her first wave and rode it all the way in to its break point. During one of her rides she even got enough air off of the crest of the wave to do a three-sixty spin.

  She seemed like a different person out on the surf – laid back and care-free, as though for a few minutes she had finally escaped the less than spectacular world she spent most of her life living in. The smile Daniel saw on her face every time she finished riding a wave was enchanting. It was a beautiful to watch the transformation on the face of his friend as she switched from hard-ass body guard to liberated surfer girl.

  Norma’s transformation seemed to linger during their last night in Costa Rica, as the four had dinner and drinks at the outdoor tiki themed re
staurant at the resort.

  The resort was a beautiful place. Villas, pools, bars and restaurants spread out and nestled within the green, jungle landscape. There were paths everywhere leading to the beach, rivers and waterfalls. It was truly the most magnificent place Daniel had ever been to and he was sure he was going to miss it when he got back to Chicago.

  The two agents and the two lovebirds had managed to create some form of an awkward bond during their week together. Though Tiffany and Pete knew that Daniel and Norma were their body guards and were only there to protect them, acting as though they were friends and sharing in so many memorable experiences together made it impossible to not feel some form of bond with each other, and so they decided to enjoy their last night in paradise together.

  The four ate, drank, and made every effort to be merry as they sat and reminisced about their trip under the pavilion of the tiki bar. Throughout the trip, Daniel and Norma had done little to create the illusion of being a couple. Though they stayed close together, beyond that there had been little interaction to suggest there was anything more going on than a solid partnership and friendship between them.

  Tonight Norma seemed a little looser in her demeanor however. Whether it was from the surf or the alcohol, she would occasionally rest her hand on his knee, laugh a little longer at his dumb jokes, and occasionally the two would unintentionally lock eyes and hold the gaze for a half a second longer than usual. There was definitely a noticeable chemistry between them that there had not been before.

  Just after one o’clock the couple and the partners arrived at their villa with adjoining rooms and went inside. Each party said goodnight and went off to their respective rooms.

  Tiffany and Pete’s room was equipped with a sized king bed and a connecting master bath, while Norma and Daniel shared a room with two double beds and a bathroom just outside the door in the hallway.

  Daniel got undressed and threw on a pair of gym shorts while Norma got herself prepared for bed in the bathroom. After ten minutes she came out in a pair of running shorts and a sports bra, the same ensemble she had worn to bed each night that week.

  Once Norma had finished, Daniel made his way into the bathroom to brush his teeth before returning to the bedroom to a familiar sound.

  Quite clearly, coming from the adjoining room, were the sounds of a headboard banging against the wall and moans of ecstasy coming from a tall, leggy blonde that sounded an awful lot like Tiffany.

  In the nights previous, Daniel and Norma had never spoken a word about the noises. They simply exchanged similar glances as if to ask, “Really?”

  They would then turn on the TV in their bedroom and wait for the sounds to subside before turning off the television and going to sleep.

  Tonight however, it seemed Tee and Pee were putting on a grand finale performance before going back home to Texas.

  “You know, I think I’m going to miss those sounds,” Daniel kidded, climbing into his respective bed.

  Though he joked, the first night he had found himself slightly turned on by the noises. Tiffany was an attractive girl – a tall, tan blonde with blue eyes – who ironically enough looked fit for the role as a Dallas Saddle Men cheerleader. The thought of her experiencing a certain amount of pleasure in the next room was not an unattractive one.

  Over the course of a week however, the sounds of coitus had become monotonous. But something about tonight seemed different. There was an added intensity to the commotion. That added to the fact that Daniel was sharing the listening experience with a woman he found incredibly attractive in her own right, made it oddly arousing.

  Norma chuckled almost politely at Daniel’s comment.

  “They do seem to be enjoying themselves,” she added.

  Daniel turned off the light and lay on top of his sheets, listening to Tiffany and Pete going at it in the next room, slightly jealous of their enjoyment.

  Suddenly Norma sat up in her bed and looked over at Daniel in the one next to hers.

  “What is it?” he asked, slightly concerned by her behavior.

  Without a word she stood up from her bed and climbed onto Daniel’s, throwing her right leg over his body and straddling him. She looked down at his body and cocked her head, running her hands over his abs and up to his chest.

  She continued her motion until her hands slid up beyond his shoulders and onto the pillow on each side of his head. Slowly, she leaned forward, bringing her face toward his.

  “Why should they get to have all the fun?” she whispered seductively before pressing her lips against his.

  Daniel returned the kiss, feeling a tingling adrenaline rush course through his body as she pressed down with her hips, sliding her lower body down his midsection.

  Daniel’s libido took off from zero to sixty in no time flat and he threw his strong arms around her, pressing his hands into her back as the kisses grew in intensity.

  Norma ran her hands up and down on Daniel’s muscular chest. Daniel finally sat up and briskly flipped her over onto her back, taking control of the situation.

  Daniel moved his hips back and forth between her legs, gauging his partner’s level of pleasure by the way her body responded to his movements. The friction between them created enjoyable sensations within his own body, and unlike their first encounter in the shower, he felt no need to alter his body’s response.

  He began kissing her neck as she threw her head to the side, giving him clearer access. He then ran his left hand up her torso before cupping her breast, filling his hand perfectly. He squeezed and massaged her breast in his hand over her sports bra. She turned her face back toward him and resumed making out as he shifted weight onto his left arm, his right hand sliding under her sports bra, his fingers gently running over top of her nipple.

  They both sat up, Norma’s legs still wrapped around Daniel’s hips. They quickly worked together to remover her sports bra. They no longer heard the noise from the next room as they prepared themselves to create some sounds of their own.

  Both were overcome by their overwhelming attraction to one another. They could think of nothing else but pressing their bare bodies together and experiencing the mutual pleasures that their most primal desires would provide them.

  Norma planted both hands firmly onto Daniel’s chest and shoved him firmly back onto the bed as she repositioned herself over top of him. She kissed his mouth and gradually moved her lips downward, nibbling his ear, then kissing his cheek before moving down to his neck. She continued down his body, pausing to take a moment to wrap her soft lips around a nipple, sending another chill through his body. She then continued her journey downward, kissing all six abs along the way, building up incredible anticipation before reaching his waistline, and continuing downward…

  The next morning Daniel woke up to the sound of the alarm going off on Norma’s phone. He opened his eyes to see a stream of morning sunlight coming in through the window, shining on Norma who was turning off her alarm, now back in her own bed.

  He was certain that when he had fallen asleep she had been lying in his arms. Now she was back in her own bed, once again wearing her running shorts and sports bra.

  Had he only dreamt that they had sex?

  He lifted up his sheets and looked down. Nope, he was buck-ass nude.

  He let the sheets fall back down on top of him and lifted his arms over his head to stretch, smiling as he watched Norma make her way to the bathroom. Horchoff’s “experimental procedure” was the gift that kept on giving.

  Being in total control of his body functions proved to be very useful in more ways than one during his session with Norma the night before. Not only was he able to bring his partner to climax four times before letting himself have a turn, but his strength and cardiovascular stamina helped in making him a literal sex machine.

  He was able to lift Norma up and carry her to every corner of the room, putting her in positions that he had never even dreamt up before – which was surprising considering how much time he had spent in
his life thinking about sex.

  Of course a great deal of that time had been spent trying to think of the perfect way to impress Jordan with his sexual prowess. If she could only experience him now she would be enamored by his ability, he just knew it.

  As he finished the thought Norma walked back into the room, now fully dressed in yoga pants and an old t-shirt.

  “Get up!” She ordered. “We have a flight in three hours.”

  Daniel smiled as he rose from the bed and grabbed some clothes before heading into the bathroom, remaining completely naked as he did so.

  Norma just rolled her eyes as he walked past her.

  He was glad that his first time with his abilities had been with Norma. He only wanted to impress Jordan to make her regret choosing Gordon Demérs over him. He actually enjoyed pleasing Norma and the way she had wanted to please him back. Their sexual chemistry was off the charts.

  Even so, the two went about the rest of their day as if nothing had ever happened. Norma seemed to have absolutely no interest in bringing it up, and Daniel didn’t want to be the first to mention it.

  She would occasionally catch him giving her eyes, but she would return his gaze with a confused stare, as if she honestly had no idea why he was looking at her that way.

  “Leave your pistol on the bed,” she instructed him as they were getting ready to walk out the door.

  “But it’s my gun,” he countered, almost whiningly.

  “You’ll get it back,” she assured him, like a mother talking to her child.

  Daniel shook his head and did as he was told. “Crazy Richfield,” he murmured to himself.

  It felt like only the blink of an eye before they were landing back in Chicago. From the moment the wheels of the plane left the ground in Costa Rica, Norma had gone back to the quiet passenger next to him just staring out the window.