“Mack will fill us in.” He cocked his head when Charlie came around the screen.
“He wants us on-point.” His gaze was on her again, warming her soul. "Jenna is down below with a dry change of clothes. You’re safe now. Try to relax.”
“Jenna?” Amber blinked. “Jenna Collins? That means…My dad really did send you.” Relief rushed through her veins. Dad sent the pirate. It was a miracle. Before she could stop herself she leaped into Charlie’s arms and kissed him on the lips.
Charlie seemed stunned, but only for half a second. He lifted her wet hair off her shoulders and deepened the kiss. Shifting his weight, he pulled her into him. Her breasts pressed against his solid chest. His lips were a life ring, keeping her afloat in the rushing, scary world.
“Charlie!” A voice roared through the earpiece dangling over Charlie’s shoulder.
“Dude, apparently you do remember how to hold a woman. But I’d suggest you come up for air, or Mack’s going to beat the living hell out of you,” Willy whispered.
When Charlie pulled back, she felt disoriented, lost. “You’re leaving me?”
“I won’t be far. Get dressed.” He cupped her check. “You’re safe now, Amber. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“We won’t. The whole team is ordered to bring you in safely,” Willy said.
She leaned into Charlie’s palm and searched his green eyes for the truth. “Promise?”
His full lips turned up. “Promise.”
Wowza, he was gorgeous. Once again, she wished she’d taken him up on his offer to meet earlier. “You know, I figured you’d be chubby, bald and pasty. Thank God you’re…”she let her gaze take a nice easy stroll across his chest and abs. It took a whole lot of willpower to keep her eyes from dipping lower. “…you’re definitely more than I pictured, Black Pirate.”
When his mouth dropped open in surprise, she lifted her towel up to block her face from potential spying eyes, and stepped around the protection screen. Jenna was down below. Hopefully, with answers.
“Have you two met before?” she heard Willy ask.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Dammit to hell! You two get you asses out of there. I want a sampan. Inconspicuous, plenty of cover. Can you two handle that?“
“Copy that, Mack.” Charlie’s voice came over the line.
“Good. Get it done and report back to take point.”
“Hey, Mack, Charlie’s already got a point,” Willy laughed.
Flat on his belly in the bottom of a skiff, Mack dipped the binoculars he had trained on the junk, and groaned. “Those two are slow learners.”
Tavon was on his belly too, facing the opposite direction, and scoping out potential hostiles at sea. “I know, brother. When God was handing out brains, they got in the penis line.”
“If the horny Handlys won’t keep it in their pants, we’ll be benched for eternity.”
“Okay by me. I’m retiring from the Navy. I thought maybe you would too, considering…”
Mack turned his head slightly so he could see his best friend. “What?”
The big man’s shoulders lifted and fell. “Nothing.”
Mack ran a hand through his short hair. He knew what Tavon was thinking. “I haven’t decided yet. The SEALs are in my blood, what I was born to do. I don’t know how to give it up.”
“Understood, but I’m surprised you think you can leave Jenna behind.”
Mack frowned. “She and I are talking through that.”
“Really? How’s that working out for you?” Humor rippled through Tavon’s deep voice.
“Fine. Perfect.”
“Uh-huh. I have big brown eyes that function 20/20, Riles. And my momma says I’m not stupid.”
“Point?”
“You brought Jenna on this op. Unless she’s had years of extensive field training in the last few weeks, she has no business being here. You’re in it deep, brother.”
“She has intel, knows the ins-and-outs of Hong Kong better than any of us.”
“Right. She couldn’t give us that intel before we left? She had to be present?”
“Fitz thought his daughter would be spooked if we went in without Jenna.”
“Charlie and Willy seemed to calm her down pretty quickly.” He could hear the grin in Tavon’s voice.
“Don’t remind me. Because of those horndogs, I’ve got to commission another boat. I don’t want them distracted.”
“Copy that. We wouldn’t want any female distractions.”
Mack fell silent. They both scanned the area for hostiles. So far, the triad had moved on.
“It’s me, brother. What’s really going on?”
Mack exhaled deeply. “I need to keep an eye on Jenna. That’s all.”
“Because of what happened in the jungle?”
Mack’s insides clenched. He was having trouble with what happened in Colombia and he hadn’t been beaten by the guerrillas like she had. “She says she’s fine, but you and I have seen trained men snap under less stress. I couldn’t leave her alone. She’s having nightmares.” He left off the panic attacks she was going through. Tavon didn’t need to be worried. Mack could handle it.
Tavon shook his head. “Shit, Riles, she’s a liability out here, a danger to us all. We need to get her on the next flight home.”
Mack ground his teeth. “She’s my responsibility.”
“Yes, she is. Protect her. Send her back.”
Jenna should have flown home before they rescued Amber from the yacht. He knew it at the time, but he couldn’t let her go. He lifted his binoculars again and focused on the junk. His girl was over there, helping Amber clean up. He liked breathing the same air she did, being able to touch her skin, hear her sweet, soft voice. Having her close was the only thing that truly mattered. He couldn’t take care of her if she was back home.
“Shit.” Tavon let the word drag out nice and slow and loaded it with contempt. “You watch her, I watch you, who’s watching out for me?”
Mack’s hackles rose. “Tavon, if you’ve got a problem with my authority you don’t have to stick around.”
A giant boot kicked his calf so hard that Mack knew there’d be a bruise in the morning. “Dammit, Mack! Don’t pull that rank crap on me. We’re a team. You need me so your love-hazed brain doesn’t get us all killed.”
Even though he wanted to rub the ache in his leg, he didn’t move, didn’t say a word. Tavon was probably right. It wasn’t the smartest thing to bring Jenna, even if Fitz demanded she come. There wasn’t anything he could do about it now that they were all floating in the South China Sea.
“I’d love to hear what the admiral said about this. I bet he shit a truckload of bricks when you told him you were bringing Jenna along for the ride,” Tavon said.
“I haven’t informed him of that fact yet.”
Tavon chuckled, deep and low. “Well that’s it. It was nice knowing you. I’ll be a pallbearer at your funeral.”
“Shut up.”
“I’m serious. You’ve got to get your shit together, brother. For everyone’s sakes. Including Jenna’s.”
Mack exhaled. “I know. I’m working on it.”
Amber knocked on the cabin door.
When it opened, Jenna, the petite blonde Amber had always idolized, gave her a big smile. “Amber! Thank God you’re here.” Strong arms pulled her into a fierce hug. “I was so worried. Did they hurt you?”
“I’m cold, wet, and freaked out, but I’m okay.” She held onto Jenna for several long seconds before releasing. “How’d you know where to find me?”
Jenna blinked and a tear streamed down her cheek. “Mr. Lee told us.”
Sadness twisted in her chest. Poor old man. She never meant for him to get hurt. “Is he okay? I was so worried. The triad beat him up pretty badly.”
“He went to the hospital for observation, but he seemed like he was going to be fine.”
“Thank God. He tried to hide me, but I couldn’t let the triad hurt him. He didn�
�t deserve any of that. Did Mr. Lee say…anything else?” What happened to the memory card? She had to get back to the store before anyone else found it.
Jenna frowned. “He provided a good description of the yacht and told us about the men who took you. Is that what you’re asking?”
Amber studied Jenna’s face. She seemed sincere. If Mr. Lee had given her the card, she would have said so. Relaxing a bit, she nodded.
“I’m so happy the team got there in time,” Jenna said. “I was scared for you.”
“About that. Who are these guys? How does Dad know them?”
“They’re the SEAL EXtreme Team. Named after the travel agency. Mack and I organized them last month to save some of your dad’s clients. My clients. But I didn’t expect what happened. How could I know…?” A sharp pain of darkness rolled across Jenna’s face. She gripped the back of a chair as if she’d suddenly lost her balance.
“Jenna? Are you all right?”
She sat in the chair and dropped her head between her knees. “Dizzy. Must not have my sea legs yet.”
Amber frowned. The water wasn’t choppy. She rubbed Jenna’s back. “Can I get you a glass of water?”
Jenna glanced up from under her curtain of long hair. “Just need to…breathe.” She inhaled deeply, blew out slowly. She smiled weakly. “Better.”
She didn’t look better. Her cheeks were far too pale. A prickle of uneasiness crept up Amber’s spine. Something was wrong with her. Was she sick?
“Are you sure?” She brushed a strand of hair out of Jenna’s eyes. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not now. Go take a hot shower and warm up. We’ll talk later.”
The woman was obviously worried. Who wouldn’t be? A travel agent had no business being caught in the middle of this mess. What was Dad thinking sending Jenna? Crap, had she put another woman’s life in danger? They all needed to get out of here.
She gripped Jenna’s shoulder. “The Triad 14K is looking for me. None of us are safe. Seriously. We’ve got to leave China as quickly as we can.”
“Don’t worry.” She patted Amber’s hand. “The guys are the best. You’re safe now, I promise. Get your shower and I’ll fill you in on the plan.”
“The plan had better be to get out of here. Now.”
Jenna sat up straight. She looked like the woman Amber remembered—strong, confidant, in control.
“Not yet. Mack is going to hide us in plain sight and buy us time before we move. We’ll be fine.”
Stay here and hide? That was suicidal. “You don’t understand! Those guys won’t stop. My friend was shot, Jenna. Right before my eyes. Bullet to the heart, brain. Blood everywhere, his blood soaking into my carpet…” She slammed her eyes tight, forcing the memories away, but she couldn’t stop them. Her world tipped, her body shook.
“I’m so sorry for your loss.” Jenna wrapped her arms around her. “Shh. It’s going to be okay.”
How? Nothing would ever be okay. She’d screwed up bad and people were dying because of her. Again. And if the triad got a hold of the memory card, more innocent people would be hurt.
“They want…something from me. Something they can’t have. They’ll kill me to get it.” She lifted her head from Jenna’s shoulder. “They’ll kill you, too.”
Charlie maneuvered the lifeboat next to an old sampan. A fisherman onboard eyed them. “This one looks good.”
“Old as hell. Perfect cover.” Willy agreed. “The junk is big enough for all of us. Why do you think we also need a sampan?”
Charlie shrugged, but he suspected that Mack was making him pay for kissing Amber. As if putting him on another boat would keep him away from her. Amber wasn’t like the C.O.’s daughter. She was different. Hell, she was…Hot Girl.
He still couldn’t believe it. In all the weird twists of fate, this one took the gold trophy. While he was worried about her, wondering why she hadn’t been gaming, she was in Hong Kong gearing up to pull off the hack of the Century. It made perfect sense to him that a woman who could break into the D.O.D would be the same one who clobbered his ass online. What didn’t make sense was why.
What in hell made her do it? The Hot Girl he knew, thought he knew, would never be a traitor to her country. Either he didn’t understand her at all, or she did it for a good reason. A flippin’ phenomenal reason, like she had a brain tumor, been abducted by aliens, or forced at gunpoint. The last one was iffy. He wouldn’t do what she did, even if a gun was pointed at his heart.
But, he’d get to the bottom of it, bottom of her—he grinned to himself—no matter how long it took. Not that he was complaining. He’d wanted to kiss Hot Girl since the first time he’d played against her online. Damn, the real thing blew the fantasies out of the water. He’d put his lips on her again. Soon. Mack might want him to maintain a safe distance, but he’d stay close and solve the sexy puzzle known as Amber Fitz.
In broken Cantonese, Willy asked the fisherman if they could rent the fishing boat for a week.
The fisherman leaned over the bow and quoted an astronomical price. Probably more money than the man would bring in for the year.
Willy grinned. “Mack’s paying for it, right?”
“We’ll take it.”
Amber stared out of the porthole in the bathroom while she showered. A few boats leisurely floated by—a sailboat, a fisherman’s skiff. No expensive speed boats. No men with high-powered rifles. Had she lost the triad? She shook her head at the thought. Not lost, temporarily misplaced. They’d find her. Traid 14K was powerful and had their ugly tentacles in every form of Chinese business and transportation. How could she get out of China without them finding her?
The junk would not go far. Not far enough. Think! There had to be a way.
After drying herself, she put on the black shirt and pants Jenna had laid out for her.
She stretched her neck and back. Her muscles ached in places she didn’t know she had muscles. Her head pounded from stress overload and where the triad jerk’s fists had landed.
Jenna knocked on the door. “Can I come in?”
“Sure. Thanks for the clothes.” It felt good to be out of her mini-skirt and blouse.
“I’ve washed your clothes and will throw them in the dryer.”
“Don’t bother, other than my bra and undies, you can burn the rest for all I care.” Too much had happened in those clothes. “Well, maybe I’ll keep the boots.” She had a feeling Charlie liked them. But she wasn’t wearing three-inch heels now. She needed to be able to run fast if she ever got off this junk. Thank God, Jenna had black running shoes in her size.
Jenna’s gave her a head-to-toe once-over. “Good camouflage for tonight. But your hair…”
Her hand instinctively to her ends. “The pink?”
“Has got to go.” Jenna held up a bag of supplies. “So who do you want to be? A blonde, brunette, or red head?”
She faced the mirror, taking one last look at the Amber she used to be. She didn’t want to be that scared girl anymore. “Red. And can you do something about this bruise on my cheek? Might as well cover the dark circles too. Crap, I look like hell.”
“You’re beautiful. Especially after what you’ve been through. The idea is to make you look different, though. Really different.” Jenna held up a pair of scissors. “Do you trust me?”
Amber nodded. “Do it.”
It was dark before the engine rumbled and slowed down. Amber jerked. She’d been in a chair dozing, waiting for something to happen. Praying that nothing would. “We’re stopping?”
Jenna put down a book she’d been reading. “Soon. Mack waited until he was sure the triad is no longer searching the waters for you. We’re going to Aberdeen Harbour. Bei Fung Tong Typhoon Shelter, to be exact. We should be able to stay there tonight.”
“The Floating Village?”
“With thousands of fishing boats all jammed together. It will be nearly impossible to find one junk from the others.”
“Hiding in plain sight.”
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Jenna smiled. “You got it. Charlie is monitoring communications. When he’s sure the triad has moved on, we’ll go to the next stage in the plan.”
“Which is?”
“I’ll let Mack fill you in.”
Pain pounded in her head. “Bossy Mack again. He seems pretty full of himself.”
Jenna laughed. “He is. You can count on him, Amber. He’ll get us out of here safely. ”
She couldn’t help but notice the happy little smile and the twinkle in Jenna’s brown eyes. So that’s the way it was. The workaholic travel agent was in love.
“What about Charlie?”
She wanted to believe Charlie and the rest of the team, but she was still cautious. Did these guys know what they’d gotten themselves into? Or had Dad sent them to rescue her without telling them truth. Would they still be kind to her if they knew what she’d done?
“All of the guys on the team are great at what they do. Mack says Charlie is of the best Communication Experts in the SEALs.” Jenna leaned closer and whispered, “Did he tell you about what happened to me in the jungle? Charlie saved my life.”
Amber couldn’t believe her ears. “You went with a SEAL team into the jungle? Why?”
“I shouldn’t have. I was stubborn and stupid. I thought I knew what I was doing and…and people got hurt.” Jenna swallowed hard. “I can’t…that’s hard to talk about...”
Amber remembered her as a responsible, organized office lady. Not this woman who was tearing up and emotional for no good reason. Stubborn, yes. Stupid? That didn’t sound like the Jenna she knew. Had the world gone insane?
She shook her head. “Charlie saved your life?”
“Truly, they all did. They are my guys, my team. I care for each of them. But Mack.” The corners of her lips turned up even as one tear escaped and ran down her cheek. “That hunk is mine.”
The engines sputtered and stopped.
Jenna lifted her binoculars and scanned the scene outside the porthole. “We’re here. Come see.”
When Amber first came to Hong Kong, she’d done all the touristy things, including hiring a sampan for half an hour to putter around and gape at the Floating Village of Aberdeen. She’d never seen anything like it. Sure, she’d lived on a houseboat that week she and a group of friends ditched high school to party on the Colorado River, but these were not like pontoons back home.
Lock and Load (SEAL EXtreme Team) Page 8
