She ran her hands down his body and heard him gasp when her fingers closed around him.
“No.” He reached down and gently moved her hand aside. “This time I want to do it right. Very, very slowly. I want to spend hours driving you absolutely crazy.”
“If you drive me any crazier, I may not recover.”
He trailed his tongue down her body. Found the heat. “Why don’t we find out?”
CHAPTER 11
Friday, February 15th, 6:31 a.m., La Paz, Baja California Sur:
No! Oh, no. David!
Snapping out of the dream, Max bolted upright. He scanned the room for danger then groaned as his memories flooded back, bringing the pain he’d feared. “Christ, no!”
“Max, what’s wrong?” Tess cried.
“David.” He buried his face in his hands. “Oh, Jesus. Why?”
“I take it your memories came back. Guess you were right about them hurting.” She knelt beside him on the bed, held him close. “You want to talk about it?”
Max lowered his hands, opened his mouth, and closed it again. What the hell could he say? If he told her he was CIA and had orders to bring her in, he’d destroy what had been building between them. Just as he would if he lied to her. And he couldn’t bear to lose her. Not now that he had his memories back and knew she was everything he’d ever wanted but had never expected to find.
Still, he had to tell her something.
“It’s a long story,” he said at last.
Her hands moved to his shoulders, and her thumbs began working the tension out of the knots in his muscles. “We’ve got time. Karl’s letter won’t get to the marina office until eight this morning.”
“Parts of it you may not want to hear.” Pulling away from her, he climbed out of bed, yanked on his jeans, and hit the lights. When he saw the panic on her face, he cursed himself and hurried back to her. “Take it easy, angel. I don’t work for Nick.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “And I’m not married.”
“Then what is it?”
“I’m not sure where to begin,” he said, trying to stall.
“Why don’t we start with your name?”
“Yeah.” He took a deep breath. Exhaled. “My name’s Allan Robert Maxwell, the Third, but I’ve been called ‘Max’ all my life. I’m thirty-four. I was born in Seattle, Washington, but my parents moved to Virginia when I was fifteen.”
“Okay.” She hesitated, her eyes full of doubts. “So what are you doing in Baja?”
He stroked her cheek with his free hand. “I’m here on assignment, part of an American paramilitary unit fighting international terrorism, looking for a group of Middle Eastern fanatics planning an attack on the U.S. in the near future.”
“You’re in the army?”
“No, not exactly.” He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “It’s, um, a federal agency designed to protect the country, but we’re not officially part of the U.S. Military.”
“Oh.” She shifted on the bed. “Go on.”
He knew his omissions and evasions would seem like lies to her when she found out the rest of it. But he didn’t have much choice. If he told her now, he’d lose her. He would tell her as soon as—later. He’d tell her everything later. When she knew him better and trusted how much she meant to him.
“I work in black ops,” he continued. At her blank expression, he added, “It means that while my organization is government funded, some of our missions don’t have authorization from the president. In fact, he doesn’t even know about them. That way, he can’t be held responsible if something goes wrong.”
“Oh.” This time the word was ripe with sardonic understanding.
“I’m here in Baja because we had an informant in Salt Lake City named Jose Vargas,” he said then nodded at her sharp intake of breath.
“But Nick’s not involved with terrorists.” She hesitated. “Is he?”
He sat down on the bed beside her. “I’m afraid so. Vargas worked for Nick, but his niece married an accountant in the—in my organization. Apparently, Vargas had an attack of conscience and told his nephew-in-law about a deal between Nick and some Middle Eastern radicals. Though the plan was in the early stages, Vargas was worried about its consequences. He was scheduled to talk to someone in Counterterrorism, but before they could meet, he was murdered.” Remembering all the months of frustrating and fruitless investigation, he grimaced. “All we knew was what Vargas had told our accountant—the deal would close in mid-February of this year, and the rendezvous would take place somewhere south of La Paz. When we couldn’t uncover any more, David and I were sent to find the terrorists.”
“David?”
He groaned. “My partner. They killed him.”
“Oh, God, Max, I’m so sorry.” She started to reach for him, then her eyes went wide. “Wait a minute. That’s why Nick’s after me. He thinks I know about this deal and I’ll tell the authorities.”
“That would be my guess, too.”
“But that makes no sense,” she said, rubbing a hand over her face. “He doesn’t have any reason to think I know anything. Until the night of the murders, all I knew was that he worked for his grandfather.” She gasped and grabbed his arm. “Oh, God. Jonas doesn’t know about the terrorists. He’d never allow the family to be a part of something like that. He couldn’t.”
Max tended to agree. From what he knew about Jonas, this was a line the old man would never cross. He opened his mouth then closed it. Tess had sounded so sad and uncertain, he wanted to reassure her, but he couldn’t. She probably knew Levi and knew he still had friends in the CIA.
Rather than chance it, Max changed the subject. “Why did you come to Baja, Tess?” he asked. “Especially, to Southern Baja where this deal is going down?”
“What the hell do you mean?” The outrage on her face made him wince. He could have fried an egg with the heat blasting from her eyes. “You think I’m in on this?” she demanded. “That I’m helping Nick and the terrorists?”
“No, of course, not,” he said hastily. “But I did think you might be trying to stop them.”
“I might have,” she confessed, apparently mollified. “If I’d known where they were and what they were up to. But I didn’t.”
“Well, you have to admit it’s a pretty big coincidence—both of you showing up here at the same time.
“Damn it, Max, I told you I didn’t even know he’d be here,” she growled. Then she sighed. “If you must know, this is the last place my father and I came on vacation before he died.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. “When I first ran from Nick, I bounced around mainland Mexico for a while, but ever since that summer when I was nine, I’ve always longed to come back here. I remembered how simple and easy the life of the people here had seemed to me when I was a child, and I—I just wanted some peace.”
“Jesus, Tess.” Torn between wanting to comfort her and shake some sense into her, he jammed his hands into his pockets. “Didn’t any of that stuff you read about surviving on the run tell you not to go to any familiar places? This was probably the first place Nick thought to look.”
“Nonsense. Nick knows nothing about my father or my life as a child. I never told anyone about this.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “If that’s true, you’ve really got shit for luck, kid, let me tell you.”
“I’m well aware of that. But then, my luck has always sucked.” She shot him a sideways glance then cleared her throat. “So how come you’re not married?”
He winced. She wouldn’t like his answer, but she deserved as much honesty as he could give her. “I’ve actually been trying like hell to avoid getting married for the past six months.” His mind cringed as the image of Monica’s face flooded it. “There’s a woman. She’s the niece of the—the head of my organization, the niece of my ultimate boss. And she, ah, Monica and I, ah, what I mean is, she claims we’re engaged.”
“Damn you, Max.” She scrambled off the bed, grabbed her panties and jeans, and began ya
nking them on.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m getting dressed. What’s it look like I’m doing?”
“It looks like you’re planning to leave.”
“I am.” She snatched up her bra and struggled into it. Slipping on her sweatshirt, she snagged her shoes off the floor then sat on the bed to put them on. “I know this isn’t your fault, since you couldn’t remember your engagement. But that doesn’t change the fact that you belong to someone else.” She got to her feet, tears shimmering in her eyes. “I have to go.”
He grabbed her by the arms. “The hell you do. Nick’s still out there, and I’m not letting you go until we have a plan to keep you safe.” Ignoring her struggles, he pulled her close and pressed her head down on his shoulder. As her tears dropped onto his bare chest, each one felt like a stab wound to his soul. “It’s not like that, angel. I’ve never had any intention of marrying her.”
She sniffled and wiped her cheeks on his shoulder. “Then why’d you propose?”
“I didn’t.” Stroking her hair, he marveled at how right it felt to hold her. “It’s another long story.” He sighed. “She’s beautiful, at least on the surface, and I was very attracted to her.”
“You’re a man, so duh.”
“Smartass.” He tugged on a lock of her hair. “Monica worked at the embassy in Mexico City,” he continued. “We were good in bed, and I enjoyed her company for a while. But then she started planning our future, just assuming I’d go along with it.”
“And you didn’t correct her assumptions?”
The censure in her voice made him feel small. “It got real complicated, real fast,” he snapped defensively. “I didn’t want to hurt her, so I started backing away slowly. Then while I was off on a mission to Afghanistan, Monica bought herself a ring and announced our ‘engagement.’ I didn’t find out until I got back to Mexico City. And the next thing I knew her uncle was on the phone, full of congratulations and plans. He seemed so delighted. And I was...I guess shocked, angry, and embarrassed about covers it. I didn’t know quite what to say to correct the situation.” Irked by his own chagrin, he resisted the urge to clear his throat. “In fact, I felt kind of like I do right now.”
She snickered. “Yes, I guess that would be kind of awkward.” Leaning her head back, she met his gaze. A hint of amusement sparkled in her eyes, mixed with the remnants of her tears. “So what was your plan? Just to stay ‘technically engaged’ until you both died of old age?”
“No, brat. That was Plan B.” When she giggled, he kissed the tip of her nose. “But she was transferred to Virginia, and I hardly ever see her anymore. So I haven’t had a chance to straighten it all out. And doing it on the phone just didn’t seem right.”
“Why don’t you want to marry her?”
“I don’t love her, for one thing. And I don’t really think she loves me. At least not enough to be faithful.” Running his fingertips down her arms, he took her hands and linked their fingers. “I hear rumors, like you did about Jonas. Only in my case, I not only believe them, I’m relieved by them.”
“Wait a minute. She tried to trick you into marriage, and now she’s cheating on you?”
“According to the gossip, she is.”
“That bitch!”
The anger in Tess’s voice convinced him to say what was in his heart. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles then, releasing her hands, slipped his arms around her again. “I know this sounds like a line, Tess, but in this case it’s true. It was never like this with her. In fact, no one’s ever gotten to me like you do.” When she blinked then beamed up at him, he growled, “You don’t have to look so damned pleased with yourself.”
She laid her head back on his shoulder. “I can’t help it. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. You’re a wonderful lover.”
Surprised at the pleasure that gave him, he buried his face in her hair. “Okay, then I guess we’re even.”
“Good.” With a wicked little giggle, she nuzzled his neck. “So, what do we do now?”
He heard the invitation in her voice and laughed. “I’d love to stay here in bed with you all day, however, we need to get some breakfast and head over to the marina.”
But he didn’t release her, wanting to hold on just a little longer. A little tighter. This time, he decided, he wouldn’t go by the damn book. No way would he turn her over to the CIA. An innocent bystander in all this, she didn’t have any information that could help them. And she was much more than an assignment to him.
I’ll find a way to stop Nick, he promised himself, and a way to keep Tess safe. Then somehow, he’d find a way to tell her everything. And he hoped to God she’d understand.
***
7:23 a.m., the country estate of Jonas McKenzie, outside Salt Lake City, Utah:
Levi hesitated at the door to Jonas’s study, rubbed his hands over his face, and rolled his shoulders. Lord, he didn’t want to do this. He hated causing the old man pain, and the news he’d brought would hurt.
Trying to relieve some of the tension, he massaged the back of his neck. It’d been a hell of a night. But his job wasn’t done. And though his heart filled with pity for Jonas, Levi knew it wouldn’t get done by standing in the hall. Wiping all emotion from his face, he opened the door.
Jonas glanced up. “You’ve got bad news,” he said immediately. He rose from his chair by the fire and hurried across the room. “I recognize that look, young man. Whatever you’ve found out, it’s not something you want to tell me.” His face paled. “Dear God, it’s about Tess, isn’t it? We’re too late.”
“No, we aren’t.” Levi let out a bone-weary sigh. “I’ll explain everything, but I think you’d better sit down first.”
As Jonas returned to his chair, Levi crossed to the hutch and poured two snifters of brandy. “About nine months ago a man named Jose Vargas was murdered, along with his wife and two daughters, ages five and eight,” he began. Handing one snifter to Jonas, he brought the old man up-to-date on everything he’d learned.
“I spoke with her attorney, Karl Parks,” he said when he’d finished. “He’s worried about her and told me what he could without breaking client confidentiality. An agent named Tanner convinced his cohorts in the FBI that Tess shot the Vargas family as well as the two FBI agents at the safe house. They’re out for blood. Parks knows she can’t run forever, but he’s afraid if we bring her back, she’ll face the death penalty.”
“Oh, sweet baby Jesus!” Jonas exclaimed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.
“According to Nick’s men, Special Agent Tanner’s on Nick’s payroll.” Levi kept his voice level, but it cost him. He hated dirty cops. “Tanner’s also gotten the CIA involved in looking for Tess.” Hesitating, he sipped his drink, but it did little to calm his rage or make the next words easier. “Jonas, Nick put a half-million-dollar contract out on her.”
“He what?”
“It gets worse.” Levi raked a hand through his hair. “The reason for the murders was that Vargas told the CIA about some of Nick’s...I guess you could call them his extracurricular activities.”
“And those would be?”
“You won’t like it.” When Jonas started to protest, Levi held up a hand. “I’m going to tell you. I just want you to be prepared. So take a deep breath and try not to let your blood pressure go through the roof.”
Jonas rolled his eyes, but he sat back and waited.
“Nick’s people weren’t eager to talk to me.” Levi said, stalling. “So I had to persuade them.” Draining his glass, he rose to pace off his frustration. “I’m afraid the penthouse is a bit of a mess. You’ll have to send a crew in to get rid of the blood and bullet holes.”
Jonas winced. “Knowing you, it was as hard on you as it was on the men you were questioning.” When Levi just shrugged, he added, “I’ll arrange for the crew. Now tell me the rest.”
With another deep breath, Levi took the plunge, blurting it out in a rush
. “Nick’s made a deal with a Middle Eastern terrorist group to exchange entry into the U.S. for drugs. Mainly heroin from Afghanistan. The rendezvous takes place tonight at a house halfway between La Paz and Cabo San Lucas. Nick had a secret compartment built on Nick’s Folly and he plans to smuggle the terrorists into the U.S. aboard the boat.”
Jonas surged to his feet, his hands clenched into fists, the veins at his temples prominent. “Drugs and terrorists! My own grandson? Where the hell was Tony in all this? I thought he was supposed to keep Nick out of trouble.”
His reaction was just as Levi had feared it would be. Alarmed, he took Jonas’s arm and eased him back into the chair. “Easy, old man. Calm down. Having a heart attack won’t make things better.” He waited until Jonas’s pulse had slowed. “Tony’s hands are dirtier than Nick’s,” he continued. “The drug scheme was his idea. He’s the contact for the terrorists and the main force behind the hunt for Tess.”
“What do you mean, the main force?”
“He told Nick that Tess knew about their plans, although I’m sure she doesn’t. If she had, she’d never have gone to Baja.”
“But why eliminate Tess?” Jonas demanded then shook his head. “Of course. She must have agreed to testify against Nick.”
“Probably. You know how she feels about kids. What would you have expected her to do?”
“I would’ve expected her to come to me—or to you.”
“Come on, Jonas. How’s she supposed to know you’d have taken her side over Nick’s?”
“Well, she knows how I feel about the murder of innocents. And she knows how you feel about her.”
“Maybe so, but apparently she didn’t trust either one of us enough to believe we’d protect her from Nick.” That still rankled, and Levi didn’t bother to hide the pain.
Jonas patted his arm. “We have to make allowances for the fact that she was scared and confused.” A spasm of fear flickered in his eyes. “You’re sure she’s okay?”
“Yes. For the moment.”
Black Ops Chronicles: Dead Run Page 16
