Hundreds, maybe thousands, of fishermen and their families tied junks together to live side-by-side. Ancient wooden boats came complete with washing machines, satellite TV, and internet. It was a rustic throw back to olden days mixed with the conveniences and noises of a bustling modern city. Her guide had said the boat dwellers were Tonka—people who came to Hong Kong around the 7th Century. She had been like every other carefree tourist who puttered around the village, waved at the cute Tonka kids playing video games on the decks, and then went to the Jumbo Kingdom floating restaurant for a good meal. She hadn’t come back until today.
Taking the binoculars, she pointed them out the tiny porthole. She couldn’t see Jumbo Kingdom or any other popular attractions. They were smack in the middle of Tonka alley and real fishing junks. Amber was no longer a carefree tourist.
“So we’re boat dwellers now?”
Jenna patted her shoulder. “For now.”
This was ridiculous. She had to get out of here and get back to Mr. Lee’s Teas. “How long?”
“I’ll let Mack—“
“Fill me in. I know. Where is that boyfriend of yours? We need to talk.”
Jenna let out a long breath. “Did you hear that, Mack?” Touching a hidden ear piece, she nodded. “Okay, we’ll be right there.”
Amber couldn’t hear the voices Jenna heard. She hated being out of the loop, especially because it was her life at stake. “Be right where?”
“It’s dark enough now. We can go up to the kitchen galley and grab a bite to eat,” Jenna explained.
"Finally."
Although the air coming in through the open cabin door was cool, Amber was sweating. Patience was not her strong suit. Hiding in a dark cabin while a team of alpha men decided her fate completely sucked. She itched to jump ship and book it back to Temple Street to recover the memory chip before anyone else did. But how?
"Wait." Jenna spiked up her short, red bangs and fluffed around her head. "Better."
"Thanks, Mom. Can I go now?"
Jenna stepped aside to let her pass. "Just be careful out there."
She knew Jenna meant be careful of the triad, so why did Charlie's green eyes and ripples pop into her thoughts? "I will."
As quietly as she could, Amber climbed the stairs. She held her breath at the top and slowly peeked around the corner. No bullets rang out. She exhaled. It was very dark and strangely still.
"To the right," Jenna whispered behind her, nearly giving her a coronary. "Keep moving." She crept along the hall and came to a closed door. A thin stream of light showed under the crack. "Open it. Step inside quickly."
She blinked in the sudden flood of bright light. It could have been any small kitchen and dining room except blackout shades covered the windows and what waited for her on the other side of the door was...impressive. Five muscular, extremely handsome men rose to their feet when she rushed into the room. The air pulsed with tension and battle-readiness. Wary eyes followed her movements. Hunters. Even if she hadn’t seen them in action on the yacht, she could guess they were military. Why did she feel like prey?
"Hi," she said quietly. "Um, everyone."
Charlie strode forward, his easy grin centering her. "Red, huh? I like it."
Her hand went to the back of her short hair. Jenna had given her layers and soft flips. Her eye make-up was a mixture of beige and light brown. The dark eye-liner she usually wore was long gone. Her lipstick was a muted shade of pink topped off with gloss, not her favorite kiss-me-vamp sanguine. She was shocked by how happy she was he approved. She never dressed or softened her image for a guy. Charlie got under her skin, like a sweet spot she longed to rub, over and over.
“You better like it. I can’t change it back now. I cut about four inches off.” Jenna said as she scooted past and into Mack’s arms. “Does she look different enough? Should we use colored contacts?”
“No,” Charlie said. “She’s perfect.”
Amber’s cheeks went hot. When he looked at her like that, she had to ball her fists to keep from wrapping her arms around his neck. Charlie definitely got to her.
“Yeah, you did good, babe.” Mack kissed Jenna on the lips.
“Get a room.” Tavon complained, his deep voice bouncing off the wood cabinets.
A man with a long braid, tanned, high cheekbones and gray-green eyes offered his hand. “We haven’t met yet. I’m Ty Whitehorse, Captain of this Love Boat.”
She took it. “Captain?” He looked like an Apache warrior dressed in camouflage.
“Among other things. Do you want to eat?"
“Yes, please. I’m starved.”
“Step aside,” Willy literally pushed his brother out of the way. “Come with me, sunshine. Saved you a spot over there on the couch. Next to me.”
It wasn’t really a couch. More like a loveseat, with room for two people, not three. “Um.” She cast a glance over her shoulder at Charlie. “Okay.”
“Forget about him,” Willy whispered in her ear. “He got the tiny genes, poor kid.” He held up his thumb and pointer to measure an inch. “Now I, on the other hand, got…” he used both hands to measure a good foot.
She rolled her eyes, but he made her smile.
“Willy…” Mack warned.
“What? Just ensuring our guest is comfortable.” Willy motioned for her to sit and he squeezed in beside her, making a big production of wiggling his hips to move close to her.
“Up!” Mack thumbed toward the wood ceiling. “Jenna’s going to sit next to Amber.”
“Sure. One of them can sit on my lap.” Willy flashed a huge smile.
The anger on Mack’s face scared her. She never wanted him mad at her. Ever.
Willy rose. “Jeez, Mack. You act like you can’t trust me with the ladies.”
Mack socked him in the shoulder. Hard. “I can’t. Not after what you and your brother pulled with the C.O.’s daughter.”
Amber raised her eyebrows at Charlie. Were his cheeks pink?
“Nothing. It was nothing. Can we get on with this, Mack?” Charlie pressed.
“Not until we give her something to eat.” Ty placed a plate on her lap. It was a delicious-smelling plate of fish and rice. Her stomach rumbled.
“Thank you. It looks amazing.”
The team let her eat in peace while they congregated in the corner to discuss their next moves. Deciphering the coded language while she chewed was impossible, especially with Jenna distracting her with small talk. She asked lots of questions about the jobs Amber had worked in Hong Kong, almost as if she was pumping her for information. But that couldn’t be. She’d known Jenna for years, there wasn’t a devious bone in her body. Of course, she hadn’t seen the travel agent for a while and people do change.
People try to change, she reminded herself. If she’d kept her promise to stop hacking, they wouldn’t be in this mess. Jacques would be alive. American lives wouldn’t be at risk.
Her insides hurt with grief and worry.
As she finished eating, Mack paced the small galley, and began what could only be called an interrogation. “Your father hired us to rescue you. In order to do that, you need to tell us what happened.”
All the eyes in the room were on her. The hunters were back. Yep, she was definitely the prey.
She swallowed hard, the last bite sticking in her throat. “You know what happened. I was kidnapped by the 14K and held on their yacht. You rescued me.” She liked these guys and was grateful they’d saved her, but that didn’t mean she’d tell them all of her secrets. She didn’t know who to trust with the memory card. What if they leaked the location to the bad guys? No way, she had to recover it and return it to the CIA herself, or pass it to her dad to give to the right people.
Mack’s voice had a stern edge to it. “Before that.”
“I was at my apartment, minding my own business.” She forced herself to lift her chin and look in his intense blue eyes that were trying to flay the skin off her bones.
His jaw worked as if he wa
s grinding his molars. “Before that,” he growled.
It ticked her off. Her father hired this man. He had no right to grill her.
“I was born,” she snapped.
Mack rounded on her and before she knew what happened, his strong hands on her knees. She could smell mint from his toothpaste. “Tell the truth, all of it.”
“Mack!” Jenna exclaimed.
Charlie and Willy both stepped forward. To do…what? Save her, or hold her down for Mack to beat some sense into her? Hot fingers of fear flicked inside her belly. She was no match for these guys.
“If you want us to help you, you need to tell us what we’re up against.” Mack backed off. “Or maybe you’d rather talk to the Ship Support folks in Hong Kong. We can drop you off in the morning.”
Amber chewed her lip. Who could she trust?
“All right. I’ll tell you what I know. But I need to call my dad first. Where’s the phone?”
“No,” Mack said.
“You won’t let me call my father?” Amber’s voice cracked. So much for trying to sound tough and in control.
“You can’t call him, Amber,” Jenna said softly. “His phones could be bugged. We don’t want anyone to trace us through him. You’ll have to wait to talk to him once we are back in the States. I’m sorry.”
It made sense. It was also convenient. She wouldn’t be able to ask her dad about the team. What if he hadn’t hired them? What if they really worked for the CIA or Triad 14K, or some other mean-ass group who wanted to know where she’d hidden the memory card?
All her senses tingled. Was she being paranoid? Or was this a trap?
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Amber, tell us.” Charlie drew her gaze toward him, a safe haven in a galley charged with testosterone. He leaned against the wall, one knee bent, the sole of his boot pressed into the wood paneling. His body seemed relaxed. A sailor at ease. “It’s okay, I promise.”
She spoke to him. Only him. “I was a one-time deal that was supposed to lead to a well-paying legitimate job.”
“Money. That’s why you did this?” Mack’s voice was laced with disgust.
She looked passed him, focusing on Charlie. “No. But I was promised a salaried gamer position at Global Games. Do you know how big that is? Creating the games we play?”
Charlie nodded. She’d bet he’d have fought for her for the job given the chance. Any gamer would have. And the Black Pirate was the most competitive guy she’d ever met. It was one of the things she respected about him.
“The job was to hack into Global Games to find any security holes and help them repair them. That was it. Or so, I believed.” Jacques’s words rushed back to her. I have what I needed from you and now it is good-bye. She shoved the memory down. She couldn’t think about him now. “I didn’t know what I was doing, I swear.”
“Aren’t you big-time hacker?” Tavon asked.
No need to wonder where he’d gotten that information. Charlie must have known that she was Hot Girl all along. Why had it taken her so long to figure out who he was?
“Right. How could you not know what you were doing?” Ty asked.
“I bet even Charlie would’ve figured out that he was breaking into the D.O.D.,” Willy said. “And he’s no big-time hacker. He’s no big-time anything.”
“Shut up.” Charlie punched his brother in the shoulder.
“I didn’t know because I wasn’t brought in at the beginning. Someone had already started the process and I was only hired to break through the final firewall.” I cannot go back to France. I owe money in Paris to…unsavory men. Please help me.
She shut her eyes, trying to block out Jacques’ words, blood. “It…it was difficult, but I cracked it. And then we crashed the system. A guard threw me out of the building. I had no idea what was going on.”
One word came from Charlie’s lips. “We?”
“I caught that too. Who were you working with?” Willy asked.
A lump of sadness clogged her throat. She studied her new black running shoes. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
Jenna touched her shoulder. “It might. Please, tell us.”
Amber shook her head. For some reason, she felt the need to protect Jacques. His memory, anyway.
“Are you frightened of the guy?” Ty asked. “You’re safe with us. He can’t hurt you.”
Tears welled in her eyes. Jacques would never have hurt her, even when she bloodied his nose.
“Sorry. I can’t tell you,” she said to the floor.
“Can’t? Or won’t?” Tavon’s deep voice rumbled from behind her. “Shit, woman, we’re trying to save your life.”
She warred with her emotions. No, she would not cry.
“He was your lover. Wasn’t he? The someone who started the process and set you up?” Charlie asked.
That did it. She lifted her head and tears ran down her cheeks. She thought about Jacques even as Charlie’s handsome face swam before her. He crossed his arms and waited for her to answer.
She didn’t speak. It was answer enough.
“Fine. You can tell the MP’s at Ship Support when they arrest you. I’m done coddling you, Ms. Fitz. Take her back to the cabin.”
“Mack, no. Give her a minute to calm down. She’s been through a lot,” Jenna said. “Ty, get her a glass of water, please.”
“I’m on it.” Willy went to the refrigerator and returned with a beer and a wink. “Here you go sweetness, better than water.”
She gulped it and wiped her tears with a napkin.
“So this boyfriend of yours, how can we find him?” Charlie’s voice had a sharp edge.
“We need to move fast,” Ty said. “He’s a security risk. We need to find out who he’s talked to.”
Mack placed a pad of paper in front of her with a pen. “Last known addresses, phone numbers, contacts. Anything you can remember.”
“It won’t do any good.” She pushed the pad back. “He’s dead.”
“Oh, Amber. I’m sorry.” Jenna rubbed her arm. “That’s who you told me about?”
“Convenient-story-dead or dead-dead?” Charlie asked.
He didn’t believe her?
“I watched him die.” She pressed her palms to her eyeballs in a vain attempt to stop the flashbacks. To unsee the blood soaking into her carpet.
“How?” Tavon asked. “Who killed him?”
“Three shots through my window. I didn’t stick around to find out who the shooters were.”
The guys all looked at each other as if she’d just pulled her own trigger.
“What floor did you live on?” Mack asked.
“The thirteenth, although the Chinese are as superstitious as we are about bad luck numbers and called it the fourteenth,” she said softly. “Why does it matter?”
“Pretty high up. Think. How many tall buildings were there on your street?” Charlie asked.
“I live in the tallest one. In the next block, there were at least two buildings that were taller.”
“You said three shots. How many missed?” Ty asked.
She wished they’d stop talking about it. The scene was too vivid in her mind. All that blood. She could smell it. Swallowing hard, she fought the instinct to gag. Taking another gulp of beer she whispered, “None of them missed. They hit Jacques in his chest, back, and head.”
Silence filled the galley.
“When? How soon after the hacking incident?” Tavon asked.
“I’d just gotten home. Less than an hour?” She studied the men’s faces. They were on to something.
“Long distance heart and headshots, accurate as hell. Impressive. They moved fast and got the job done. No muss, no fuss. The hostiles were not Chinese gamers,” Willy said.
“Nope. It wasn’t a member of the Triad 14K, either. Not their style,” Tavon said. “Shit woman, how many bad guys are after you?”
“Mercenary hit men?” Ty wondered.
“Or one of ours.” Tavon growled.
“Damn it to hell!”
Mack roared. He grabbed a satellite phone and stomped out of the room. “I’ll contact the admiral.”
Amber was frozen to the couch. One of ours? Had the two American men chasing her through Mong Kok been Navy SEALs? Dread filled Amber’s chest. What if all the SEALs had been ordered to kill her?
“Wait, Mack.” Jenna followed after him.
“I’ll take the sampan and scout the area,” Tavon followed after them.
“I’m coming too. I’ll go west in the skiff, you go east. If you hear anything, let me know, and I’ll circle back around,” Ty said. “Remember to stay on the down-low. The Chinese can’t know we’re here.”
Charlie was still looking at her. She wished she could read the expression on his face. More than anything, she wanted him to look at her with the same longing he’d telegraphed while they treaded water in the harbor. She needed an ally.
She couldn’t escape without him.
Charlie watched her. Hot Girl was brave he’d give her that, but she was also scared. Her blue eyes had the deer-caught-in-the-headlights look.
He pushed off the wall to go to her. Willy beat him to the punch.
“Come on, sunshine, I’ll escort you back to the cabin.” Willy offered his arm. “I’ll stay with you as long as you want.”
Like hell. He pounded Willy on the back. “I’ve got her.”
Willy grinned. “Nope. I don’t think you do, Charles.”
Amber rose to her feet, but wobbled on the standing. Charlie caught her. “Careful.”
“Thanks. It’s been a shitty day. I’m exhausted. I’d like to go the cabin and lie down. Come with me?” She looked into his eyes. Searching for…what? Hell, if he knew. He didn’t know Hot Girl as well as he’d thought.
“Sure.” His own clipped tone surprised him. He was mad, even though he had no right to be. They weren’t exclusive. They hadn’t even been on a date yet, so why did he feel like she’d cheated on him?
Lock and Load (SEAL EXtreme Team) Page 9
