Athena Force: Books 1-6

by Justine Davis, Amy J. Fetzer, Katherine Garbera, Meredith Fletcher, Catherine Mann

  “You think I don’t know that?” Her temper slipped past her defenses, thanks to exhaustion—and yeah, pain. “You’re a fine one to talk. You’ve been hiding out in the desert for three years. You work enough hours to pay your bills, but I’ve yet to see you enjoy your job. I understand you lost your dream. There are a lot of dreams a person can lose. You just have to find a new purpose.”

  “Maybe I already have.”

  His intense opaque eyes sucked her in as surely as the flight had. It was one thing to lose herself in a solo flight away from the world. But, oh, God, losing herself in a man while he lost himself right back in her…

  “No,” she whispered.

  “It’s scary as hell, isn’t it—this thing that happens when we’re together? But I’m thinking it’ll be scarier to walk.”

  She ripped her gaze from him. “I can’t deal with any of this right now.”

  He canted away, giving her a few inches of physical space, if not emotional. “I understand what it’s like to have the world rock under your feet until there’s no sense of up or down—a mental vertigo as well as physical. You’re right. I was pretty much a waste of airspace when you met me.”

  Like the video continuing in her periphery, memories scrolled through her mind of seeing him that first time. Right from the start he’d stimulated more emotion in a day than she’d allowed herself to feel in years. “Diego, I can’t think—”

  “Remember when I told you to quit thinking so much and feel the plane? Sometimes the same applies to life. We may crash and burn, but at least we’re not just taking up airspace.”

  She understood him in theory. In practice however, she couldn’t envision things being quite that clear-cut. The old Josie/Josephine war cranked into high gear within her, so she stayed silent.

  “Yeah, you’re probably thinking now that I’m a damned fine one to preach. I’m still not where I should be in life, but finally I’m feeling like I have a compass again.” He gripped her chin and turned her face toward him. “You did that for me. The vertigo that smacked my life as hard as my ears? It’s leveling back out for me since knowing you. I’d like to do the same for you.”

  He tempted her and scared the spit out of her all at once. God, this man cut her no slack.

  But then hadn’t she done the same with him?

  She wanted to lean forward and kiss him, but he’d put everything right out there in front of them until simple kisses weren’t possible between them anymore.

  Slicing the tension, whistling sounded outside the door, Diana announcing her arrival before stepping inside with three steaming cups of coffee. “Sustenance for the troops.”

  Exhaling hard, Diego stood. “I’m going to stretch my legs. Thanks for the java, little sister.”

  Diana stayed blessedly silent for once, setting the cups down silently.

  “Thanks.” Josie smiled without looking up. She feared her emotions would be visible for her sister’s agent-honed eyes to perceive. She needed time to let Diego’s words settle and, damn it all, she didn’t have time.

  Everything inside her was raw and out there, frustrated and scared that maybe, just maybe, he was right. She didn’t want to be that exposed and vulnerable. The video screen was much safer terrain at the moment. She continued to stare at the screen scrolling the Predator images from the night flight.

  And then she saw it.

  Something she’d missed before. Just a flicker of light that niggled at her. She hit review and backed up, watching slower, closer. The light grew larger, brighter, shining through a window…of the mission-planning building. Had somebody been working late or just left a light on? Such a small detail, but God, she didn’t have anything else.

  Josie clicked on the sensor operator’s second-camera view, bringing a close-up angle inside the window. Inside the room, someone sat at the AFMSS—Air Force Mission Support System. The computers for planning missions, cutting the very flight control disks that rested in her thigh pocket.

  Still could be nothing, she cautioned herself. People worked late.

  She zoomed again. What if she found Bridges there? What would that mean for Kayla and Jazz? Josie blinked to clear her vision and her objectivity, finding…

  General Quincy?

  A spider tingle started up her instincts. He had the proper clearance to be there, but no readily obvious motive for going alone so late.

  Questioning a general’s motives was scary territory. They would need serious backup before rolling out accusations. Thank God for Diana’s intelligence connections so they could dig deeper into General Quincy’s past. Luckily they would just need to shuffle across a few streets over to the intelligence building.

  “Diehard? Your security clearance is pretty high, right?”

  “You could say that.” Her wry answer bounced back.

  “Good.” Adrenaline pumped double time because, heaven help them, they were about to question a general. But before doing so, they would need some hard facts. “Because we’re going dark once the Palmdale facility quiets down tonight.”

  Chapter 19

  Dark blanketed the roads linking the Palmdale testing facility buildings.

  Urgency humming through her, Josie steered around a corner, closing in on the intelligence building. An afternoon spent crashing at her place had offered little more than restless tossing and a quick shower while they waited for Diana’s clearance to be okayed.

  They’d placed a call to Diana’s unit security manager to verify her clearance status for their unit security manager here. Since Diego had top clearance for his testing work, there would be no problem gaining access to the vault.

  Fast was good. Now was even better with Lefty and Righty sorts on their tail and God only knows who else.

  Diego sprawled in the passenger seat beside her, one foot resting on his knee. “Got any ideas why a general would be gunning for you, Buttercup?”

  “It still doesn’t make sense,” the ever-logical Josephine insisted. “Sure the man isn’t big on women in the service, but this method of dealing with things goes to the extreme. Although if he wants me out of the way, the whole unreasonable house arrest makes more sense. But why would he kill Craig?”

  “Maybe he meant to kill you,” Diana chimed from the back seat. “Remember the two-agendas theory? Bridges grounded you out of spite, not knowing someone planned to down the plane. Craig died in your place.”

  A burning started in Josie’s stomach that had nothing to do with too many cups of coffee and thirty-six hours of little sleep. The need for revenge seared.

  Diana leaned between the two seats. “If this was deliberate, how could someone shut down the entire system? I searched those codes. There’s nothing there.”

  Diego tapped his boot heel. “What about a virus?”

  Diana snorted. “That almost seems too simple. Spin the idea out more.”

  “We could have been looking too hard by assuming the bad guy here is smarter than he really is.” Streetlights glinted off his coal-black hair. “If it’s Quincy, maybe his technical knowledge is outdated from too much time at a desk. Although sometimes the simple answer can be brilliant for its sheer ease in implementation. What do you think, Buttercup? Workable?”

  “A horrific thought, but yes, it would then be possible.”

  Diana draped her arm over the seat. “How would someone place a virus in both the remote control program and on the Predator’s override control program? Logistically, that’s tougher to pull off.”

  Josie shook her head, turning into a parking spot outside the windowless brick building. “It’s the same disk.”

  “Wait.” Diana tapped Josie’s shoulder. “I thought there were two different mission data disks that went in at the start of each flight.”

  “No, there’s only one disk. In the old days, the software versions and hard drives were more complicated. But now things are more streamlined.” Josie tugged the key out of the ignition, twisting to face her sister while she explained. “The missio
n data disk is loaded first into the remote control station. Then the same disk is loaded in the test Predator so that override controls can act just as the remote would, if needed. That way we’re always certain the data is compatible. During a test, we do use a new disk for each mission though, because we’re always making modifications.”

  Diana sagged back. “So if the copies were made prior to the virus being introduced, they won’t help us. Where’s the original disk used on the last mission?”

  “It went down in Craig’s pocket. It’s the responsibility of the pilot going up in the craft to load the data.” She patted her calf. “I even still have the disk from my last saddle mission right after I returned from Red Flag tucked in my day runner.”

  Diego scrubbed a hand over his shorn head. “We have a possible who and how. Now we just need a why with some proof.”

  Josie swung wide her door, pulling up the seat for Diana to climb out. “If it’s Quincy, hopefully we’ll find those answers here.”

  Diana stretched, her hand pressed to her stomach. “I’m sorry, Josie, but I have to confess that, unlike you, I’m a mere mortal. Leftover Chinese food from your fridge just isn’t cutting it anymore. Can I have your keys? You and Diego can read up on the Quincy dude to your heart’s content while I run and grab us all a bite.”

  Diego leaned his forearms on the roof. “Think again, little sister. You’re not going out there alone.”

  Diana cranked a brow. “Excuse me?”

  Josie tipped her head toward Diana and whispered, “Thor.”

  “What?”

  “He’s gone into Thor mode. He figures we’re safer locked up here in a vault than out there alone for Lefty and Righty to pick off.”

  Little sister struck a pose in the halo of a lot light, black leather pants and silky shirt full of attitude. “If I want to ride a bicycle through land mines to buy hamburgers, I’ll do it.”

  Diego strutted around the front bumper to the two women. “I’m sure you will. But being practical, as well as Thor-like, I’ll point out that you are more adept at computer wizardry than either of us. It makes sense for you to work with Josie while I brave the land mines for our food. Or if you’re insistent, we can all go out to eat since I’m not overly pleased with leaving you two alone at all.”

  Diana’s pose and attitude melted. “Damn, Josie. Don’t you hate it when they’re right? Fine. I’ll take a double-double from In and Out Burger.”

  “Got it. Josie?”

  Josie stared at the two of them, so damn grateful for their help and humor even in the middle of this hell. They really were a lot more fun, help—comfort—than a room packed with Beanie Babies.

  “Josie? Supper?”

  “Oh. Uh. The same as Diehard, please.” She held up her car keys. He reached to take them and she curved her hand around his. “And be careful.”

  “I’m a hunter-gatherer. No problem.” He dropped a quick kiss on her mouth before prying the keys away. “I’ll meet you both inside in less than an hour.”

  She curved her fingers into her empty palm, which still carried the heat of his skin. For a guy who claimed they could steady each other’s worlds, Diego sure shook her foundation on a regular basis.

  “Earth to Josie?”

  She startled. “Yeah? I’m here.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Foreboding gripped her as she watched her Mustang disappear around the corner. Damn it, he was just going for hamburgers. She would see him again in an hour or so. Wasn’t she the one who’d insisted she could think better without him around?

  She’d just proved herself wrong.

  They couldn’t afford to be wrong about this. Josie tucked beside Diana in the elevator descending to the basement vault. If the lead on Quincy turned into a dead end, they were screwed, with no other options and nothing to look forward to but possibly a never-ending search while watching over her shoulder for Lefty and Righty sorts.

  Diana and Diego would have to go back to work soon. So would she, for that matter. God, when had she become so defeatist? They would find something here.

  Ding. The elevator jolted. Expectancy tingled along exhausted nerves.

  The doors swished open to the hall and Muzak. The low-playing music was ever-present in high security areas as an additional safeguard to mask conversations from listening devices.

  She stepped into a hall empty but for the unit security manager. She strode toward the mammoth safe door leading into the SCIF—special compartmentalized information facility.

  “Good evening, Sergeant.” Signing in, Josie added to the manager, “Lieutenant Lockworth’s unit security manager’s okay should be on your screen now. Of course I’ll vouch for her, too.”

  The unit security manager checked the laminated IDs clipped to Josie and Diana. “Working late hours, aren’t you?”

  “So we don’t have to fight for the computer.”

  The unit security manager laughed. “Where’s the third party you mentioned?”

  “He went out for supper. He’ll check in with security when he gets back.”

  “In and Out Burger?”

  “You know it.”

  “Hope he brings an extra double-double.”

  “You can be sure to search him.” Josie keyed in the cipher lock code and opened the vault room.

  Cinder block walls absorbed noise, a sound sweeper also at the bottom of every door. Computers and screens filled the room, some data stored on hard drives, some on the disks filling cabinets in the pristine room.

  With a low moan of appreciation, Diana settled behind the mainframe. She stroked the keyboard like a lover. “Oh, baby, with a setup like this, finding what we need will be a piece of cake since we know where to start looking. My guess, we’ll be ready for a celebratory feast before Diego gets back with those burgers.”

  After the endless night before spent poring over tapes and readouts for a lone clue, they could use speedy results for a change.

  Diana clicked in codes and passwords, bringing up the secured green screen. “What do you want to try first?”

  Josie leaned closer. “Let’s go for what seems obvious. Start with John Quincy’s bio.”

  Diana typed. The screen filled with lists.

  “Ugh. He’s been a busy man. Refine the search to…” Josie closed her eyes and thought, scrolling through everything she’d learned about Quincy over the past months. Her mind hitched on the night at the bar, when she’d seen Quincy in the parking lot with Bridges. What had the general said?

  He used to work tests at Palmdale back in the Dark Ages.

  “Close in on his testing experience a couple of decades ago.”

  “Done.”

  The computer searched and…

  “Hmm…I’ve got an interesting hit.” Diana scanned the screen. “Quincy used results from something called Cipher in his testing.”

  Josie angled over her sister’s shoulder. “But wait, the guy who killed Rainy is also called the Cipher.”

  “Yeah, too damned coincidental for my peace of mind.” Diana’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “And it also refers to the lab numbered thirty-three that I had so much trouble tracking down before. This mentions experiments with audio frequencies and how when Quincy transferred here, he applied the results to conventional tests.”

  Josie sagged back against the workstation. Well hell. Another snippet to pass along to Kayla that might help them discover why Rainy had been murdered. And another sign that Quincy wasn’t squeaky clean after all.

  “Ohmigod,” Diana gasped, pointing to the screen. “Look at the dates. He worked tests here the same time as our mom.”

  Working with acoustics and audio frequencies. Their mother’s specialty.

  A dark premonition crept up her spine. “When he mentioned being stationed at Edwards and also running tests out of the Palmdale facility, I never considered he would have been stationed with Mom, and he didn’t mention knowing her, much less working projects together. You’d think he would mention
that.”

  “That is strange. Could be something. Could be nothing.”

  A swish and rustle alerted Josie a second before a voice—

  “Or it could be exactly what it looks like, ladies.”

  Josie shot from her chair, Diana launching to her feet, as well. General Quincy stood in the open doorway, the unit security manager nowhere in sight.

  Ah, crap. The premonition exploded into all-out certainty.

  The general’s eyes darted around with frenetic speed, his gray-blond hair spiky as if from harried fingers. An automatic pistol with a silencer shook in his hand. “You Lockworth sisters are almost as good at sniffing out things as this old birddog. But then I guess that’s how I got my call sign.”

  Birddog. General. Killer. It didn’t matter which she called him. He had a gun trained on her and a crazed look to him, as certifiable as anything she’d seen in the hospital ward where the military had once tried to lock away her mother.

  Any thoughts about not hitting a senior officer went out the window—well, if there had been one in this dark room in the bowels of intelligence. Her only concern was how to stop the maniac without him shooting her or Diana.

  Quincy advanced a step deeper into the vault room. “I’m sorry to have to do this to Zoe Lockworth’s beautiful daughters, but I’m afraid you must be silenced. Both of you.”

  Feigning submission, Josie dropped back into her chair, letting her arm fall to her side. If only she could get to the knife in her boot. Diana gripped the edge of the table. To steady herself? Or search for the alarm?

  Quincy tut-tutted. “You can forget about activating the alarm. I disabled it and sent security off. I’m a general, after all. I can redirect as many people as I want to any area.”

  He patted the land mobile radio sticking out of his pocket. His flight suit looked unusually wrinkled, as if he’d slept in it. “And this will alert me should anyone report suspicions to the SPs. Granted, I didn’t have much time to plan, thanks to your eluding my gunmen friends. But then, a gifted leader adapts and takes decisive action quickly. Important in battle, don’t you agree?”