Scanning the campground, Lucas watched the end on the long metal building slowly move to the side, its large, metal, gear-type wheels squealing as the metal door rolled out of the way. Inside, he saw what looked like a warehouse with tables and storage shelves. But down the center of the building was a lush garden of plants, reminding Lucas of pictures he’d seen of the Panhandle in Golden Gate Park. He counted approximately twenty men, all carrying small automatic weapons similar to their short barrel H&Ks slung over their shoulders.
Lucas heard the whir and click of the scope camera as Kyle documented everything, including the sentry. Lucas adjusted his magnification, got out his vest pocket spiral and jotted down the license plates of every van or truck he could identify. Kyle gave him a thumb’s up, adjusted his scope, and took more photos.
Boxes were being loaded onto dollies and placed inside rear doors of two trucks they’d seen earlier that day. Just before the door shut, Lucas caught a glimpse of a sandaled pair of feet peering out of a long kaftan, or robe.
He tapped Alex on the shoulder, pointing straight ahead and saw the faint nod of acknowledgement in return. Alex laid a hand gently on Kyle’s shoulder, passing the information along. Lucas could see he’d already started taking pictures of the figure in the doorway.
He wasn’t surprised when the gentleman didn’t go fully outside, but remained in the doorway. Lucas could see he had a long beard, which the goggles showed in near-perfect detail. With the man’s wire-rimmed glasses, the girth of his upper torso, his height, and the tribal cap he wore, Lucas knew he was looking at pure evil.
Fucking Sheik Hammid Rushti!
There was no doubt in his mind this was the gentleman whose picture they’d been shown yesterday. He was amazed at the quality of equipment they’d been issued and the detail it provided.
God bless the U.S. taxpayer and the United States Navy Spec Ops Command.
Surveying the rest of the area, he found someone sitting in a small sedan, under cover of a large willow tree. Once again he gave the signal to Alex, while Fredo watched from Lucas’ left side. Kyle took photos of the car.
The howl of a dog of some kind startled Lucas and nearly had him lose his footing. Pitching forward, he braced himself, which knocked a small round rock loose. It slid down the hillside, picking up steam along the way, making too much noise on its journey. The sentry turned in their direction, angling his gun to waist height. Lucas, Alex, Fredo, and Kyle stayed perfectly still, holding their breath.
Lucas wondered where the animal noise had come from since the sound reverberated all over the small canyon. Without turning his head, he glanced to the left and saw two scrawny dogs playing in the dusty campground yard below. The man in the sedan got out, whistled to the dogs who jumped to him and whined as he chained them to a metal clothesline dog run. The movement distracted the sentry, who sat with his rifle across his thighs, studying the compound below.
Kyle and the rest of them stayed calm and within seconds their infrared picked up the shape of Danny backing away from the guard not more than a few feet behind the man. Their only Native American SEAL, Danny made a habit of sneaking up on everyone on the team and playing pranks. Lucas was pretty darned glad he was part of the mission today. If need be, that guard wouldn’t have heard a thing before Danny’s blade did its job. It was reassuring to know someone so skilled was there to protect them all.
They waited until they could no longer see Danny’s outline before Kyle ordered them to get ready to return to camp. His Chief whispered something to Danny, who got out his slingshot, picked up a pea-shaped pebble, aimed without use of the IR goggles at one of the dogs. The animal yelped and started to howl, backing up in circles and trying to get loose of the chain. In the safety of the noise the commotion caused, the team retreated and was halfway down the back side of the hill before it got quiet again.
Lucas realized he’d been holding his breath nearly the whole way down.
Chapter 22
‡
THE DAY ENDED mercifully and at last Marcy got her long bubble bath She retired early, which was also something she needed. She propped up pillows and took out her favorite romance book. She loved the lavender hand and body crème she’d used; it would calmly put her to sleep. Just before cracking open the book, she checked her phone. Still no text or call from Lucas.
She fell into the love story, feeling sad she was missing Lucas. That new scratchy feeling in the pit of her stomach, indicating a new love and desire to grow and explore that love brought delicious anticipation. It was something she’d only felt a few times in her life. This was not just the lusty parts of their steamy and rather sudden crash into each other. It felt like something long sleeping had been awakened. The passion and intensity of this SEAL took her breath away. She knew a relationship with him would be a wild ride, and not all of it would be fun.
But, boy, would it be exciting.
She snuggled in bed, relaxed but unable to sleep. She could still feel his callused hands move up and down her thighs, the way his stiff fingers moved the hair around the back of her ears, or unclipped her hair to let it fall. He didn’t make love to her, he consumed her like a man who’d been starving. His neediness was something that filled a void. She also realized very few people would ever see that neediness, or how strong his desire was to love and be loved fully. Every other man she’d ever been with was a pale copy of the color and life and energy Lucas brought her. It was something the SEAL training would never drum into him. It was who he was and what he brought to the SEAL team. It wasn’t anything a man could learn.
As her eyes closed, the screaming and yelling of this afternoon faded into a sensual dream. Connie’s ugly face, the screaming baby and scared to death toddler weren’t so scary as she felt Lucas’s body behind her, warming her back, his hands around her waist, holding and protecting her, while his lips and tongue tasted the sensitive skin at the back of her neck.
It was what life was all about: the ugly and the beautiful. One woman’s horror was another woman’s lifeblood. She was sure she was the woman for him, just as she’d felt the first time she’d kissed him and her eyes opened for the very first time to what could be her new future.
THE MORNING LIGHT brought fresh appreciation for the warm glow she felt inside. She lay back in the soft pillows, hearing the diffused spray of a sprinkler outside her bedroom window. The day would be a tough one. But for right now, she was savoring one of the first mornings of her new life. Someday, she’d look back on it and remember how she felt, and perhaps she’d tell someone, perhaps a son or daughter, what it felt like to fall in love.
She held that thought, letting her heart beat faster, feeling the blood pumping all the way to her fingertips. She never wanted this feeling to end.
And then her phone rang. It was her broker, Joe Reed.
“Marcy, we need to talk. Can I buy you lunch or a cup of coffee when you can spare some time?”
“Sure, Joe. I was planning on coming in to the office in an hour or so. Have some paperwork to handle.”
“Well, you know what? I’d like to talk to you some place private. There’s a lot of stuff going on right now, and I just needed a private place to clear the air a bit. That okay with you?”
“Absolutely. The Coffee Bean near the office?”
“Maybe some place else. We’ll run into agents on their way in. I just need to talk, Marcy.”
Her stomach fell to the floor. His normal friendly tone was distinctly missing, though she could tell he was working hard to mask it. “Okay. Where and when?”
“That new place off the strand? They have ice cream, candy, and coffee? How about that one? Haven’t been in there yet and my kids are dying to go there.”
“Sounds good. In an hour?”
“Perfect.”
Marcy decided to finish shattering the rest of her bucolic morning by asking a question she didn’t want to ask. But it would prepare her for the meeting, and that was the best she could do right now. “Is the
re a problem?”
“Marcy, I like you, but yes, there’s a big problem, I’m afraid.”
MARCY FOUND A parking place for the truck in a lot behind one of the storefronts that was under remodel. She’d planned on dropping it off at Lucas’ place and then taking a taxi back to pick up her own car. Rounding the corner, she walked down the half block to the little specialty shop. She didn’t see Joe anywhere until she heard the tinkle of the front door bell and saw him standing right beside her.
Joe had been a good mentor, although they hadn’t been close. He’d helped her get started in the business and ran a very tight office for a local celebrity chef, who owned Coronado Bay Realty. One of the things Joe did exceedingly well, and the reason he was such a good manager to work for, is that he had a no-drama policy at work, and so his stable of agents weren’t going and coming like so many of the offices in San Diego. Everyone was happy, and Joe didn’t hire people without something to bring to the company. Several retired Navy veterans with heavy combat experience, pilots, and sports figures worked at the office.
“Always be the calming voice in the negotiation,” he’d taught her. Marcy knew some of the drama now occurring between her and Connie was not anything he’d be happy with. She hoped Gail had backed her up, somehow shifting some of the blame off her shoulders.
“You go get us a table. What can I get you?” he asked with a smile that looked difficult to produce.
“Latte. Medium.”
Marcy found a corner and sat against the wall, leaving the comfortable plastic padded bench to Joe. He’d put on a little weight in his middle, but he was still an attractive man with a dusting of gray hair. The office had been very busy with the uptick in sales all summer long, and she thought perhaps he’d not made the time to go to the gym.
He came back bearing two identical coffee drinks, set one down in front of her and slid into the padded seat. After his first sip, he opened his eyes and peered right into hers, slight worry lines developing between his eyebrows that all of a sudden disappeared as he began to talk.
“Thanks for coming, Marcy. I’ve been talking with Gail Burnett.”
“Yes, I met with her yesterday afternoon, and my client on Apricot came by the office. I transferred the paperwork to Gail.”
“Okay. She told me as much.” He let his fingers scratch at the brown cardboard heat sleeve on the side of the cup. “Your former client, Connie Shipley, has been very vocal, even after yesterday. She barged into the office this morning and broke up a meeting with the staff. I couldn’t get her out fast enough.”
“Where was Gail?”
“Not in yet. But Connie came in to see me. Insisted on it.”
Marcy waited for him to gather his thoughts. She knew this was difficult for Joe. Whatever he was going to say next, she wasn’t going to like.
“She’s made some rather severe accusations.” His sad eyes were apologetic. He slowly inhaled, his chest getting full and his shoulders rising. He leaned over the table and bent down, coaching his words, lowering the timbre to a whisper. “She said that you had sex with her husband, while you had the listing.” His eyes did not smile. He tilted his head in the other direction, but didn’t take his gaze from her. “We don’t do that here at Coronado Bay, Marcy. And I know you know that.”
She had wanted to return his gaze, but inside she felt ashamed. “I’m sorry, Joe. It was a mistake,” she said to the tabletop.
He sighed with the confirmation she’d given him, shook his head, and looked up to the ceiling as if he’d find an answer there. “God, I was hoping you’d say she got it wrong.” He looked out the window onto the traffic passing by on the Strand.
“I’m not going to lie, Joe. It was just plain and simple a mistake. I’m sorry.”
“Damned right it was a mistake,” he said, his temper beginning to flare. She’d never seen that in him before. “She’s talking about suing the company.”
Her steely resolve, the fantasyland that everything would turn out somehow crashed all around her like a porcelain doll. Her eyes got hot, and soon tears welled up and started running down her cheeks. Joe handed her a napkin which she used to dab her eyes with.
“What in the devil were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t. That’s the problem.”
Joe sat back and watched her work to repair her composure. With his back erect, he examined the coffee shop, making note of the clerks behind the bar and the new customers who’d entered. His eyes also lighted on the empty seat on his left. “Well, here’s the thing, your problem has now become my problem. My problem will be Guy’s problem and I don’t want to lose my job.”
He didn’t have to tell her anything more. She was going to try one more time to save the situation. “Is there something I can do to fix this?”
“Not really. I’m in damage control here. I have to tell Guy, and your little lady has a big mouth on her.”
“She’s mean and vindictive.”
“She has some choice words for you too, Marcy. Words she’s screamed all over the office. We had clients in the conference room, sitting at agent’s desks who heard all this. It was the last thing I wanted to hear at the top of her lungs. We handle a lot of divorcing couples, as you know. That’s all we need is to have some divorcing wife hear our agents sleep with their husbands. Get my drift?”
“Yes. I fully understand. I take full responsibility, Joe.”
“And you of all people. From a nice family. I mean I have gold-diggers in this office. I try to weed them out before they get hired, but you know this can be a problem. I never expected this from you. You are usually so levelheaded. What the devil got into you?”
If she was crass, she would tell him exactly what had gotten into her, or whom. Now she understood why Lucas wanted her to lie, but that wasn’t going to be the way. She knew that was wrong. Why didn’t she stop herself from making the other mistake that would, in all likelihood, cost her her job?
“Joe, tell me what I can do, and I’ll do it. Anything. You want me to talk to Guy?”
“God no!”
“What can I do to fix this situation for you? Forget about me. What can I do to make it up to you, to the company and its reputation?”
He bit his lower lip, then he smiled. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Marcy expected it, but it still didn’t take away the shock of hearing the words delivered to her. Her parents would be so disappointed in her. Every meeting she would go to from now on would be painful. She could feel the whispers behind her back, the gossip. All the embellishments to her character as salacious details were spread throughout the professional community. And it would be more vicious because of the company’s long-standing reputation for being more professional and a cut above the rest of the offices in town.
“I understand. I wish there was some way I could get a second chance. Believe me when I say it will never happen again.”
“Well, you’re right about one thing. It will never happen again at my company.” He stood, extending his hand to her. “I’m sorry, Marcy. Very, very sorry. You get your things taken care of, I want you releasing all your listings and we’ll close the escrows you have, send you a check. But after today, I’m going to ask for your key and ask you to vacate your desk.”
She shook his hand and tried to be firm about it. “Okay, I’ll get right on it today. Do—does anyone know yet?”
“The secretaries, that’s all.”
That meant Gail and the rest of the gossip crew knew every detail, and what they didn’t know, they were making up. She wanted to go home and just throw herself in her bed, but it wouldn’t get any easier than this morning, before the office got busy, to remove all her things. Someone walking out with a Banker’s Box full of stuff always indicated one thing: they were permanently leaving. And in her case, everyone would know she was fired.
Marcy watched Joe walk out into the sunlight, the glass door shutting behind him, ringing the tinkle bell. Her stomach was in knots. She
picked up her half-sipped Latte and tossed it in the garbage.
Walking toward the burgundy Hummer, her cell phone rang.
It was Lucas.
Chapter 23
‡
“WHAT’S WRONG?” LUCAS asked.
“I was asked to leave.”
“Leave? From where?”
“Basically, the company fired me, Lucas.”
Lucas knew this had something to do with Connie. Hell, it had something to do with him, too. Guilt was not an easy emotion to feel, and he found it stuck like black tar in the pit of his stomach. “What are you going to do?” He held off saying he was sorry, as that cow had already gotten out of the barn.
“You mean right now?”
He felt Marcy’s defenses rising. Perhaps his making the phone call was a bad idea. But being in town, he had to try.
“What are you going to do about your job?”
“I don’t have a job, Lucas. I’m not sure what I can do. First, I’m going to deliver your truck back to your apartment. Then go by and pick up my stuff at the office. Then look for a job, I guess.
“So this have to do with us?”
“Of course it does. Connie found out, you know.”
“Yes, that was partly why I was calling. I just discovered that out too. Jake had dated one of her friends. I think that’s how it got to Connie.”
“God, Lucas, you guys sound like a bunch of gossipy women.”
It frustrated him, too. So many uncertainties about relationships, and women were so darned complicated. He didn’t have that with any of the guys he served with. But then, it was life and death and a little screwing around in between. They got serious about really serious things. Everything else was like quicksand, something to avoid at all costs, and usually meant someone other than himself would be crying. He’d be left with that uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach that he’d been a disappointment, but was powerless to sort it out and make things right. He didn’t like not being in control.
SEAL Brotherhood Lucas Page 13
