Fox stared at the map for a good, long time. “Snow White, north or south Nevada?”
“My gut tells me north, but that means nothing,” she answered.
The Admiral stepped to Kayla’s side. “Why, baby?”
The Admiral surprised Lumin by calling her that.
Kayla’s gaze seemed vacant for a moment. “I’m Dr. Carmichael. I’ve created an airborne plague, one I’m pretty sure they’re going to release. I want to get as far away as possible. A place where I can hop a plane to just about anywhere. If the lab is in the north, I’d go south. I’m not certain, but I think the prevailing wind direction in Nevada is westerly.”
All eyes in the room traveled northward on the map waiting for Fox. “Highway 80 intersects the northern part of the states. They’d use it to feed into secondary highways after that. We’ll need four teams set up here, here, here and here,” Fox pointed to each location on the map.
“How many men, Fox?” Tony asked him.
“Two on each point.”
“What will you look for?” Lumin spoke her thoughts out loud, and when Fox turned his attention on her, she said, “Sorry.”
Fox gave her a wink. “No law against thinking out loud. We look for anything that doesn’t fit.”
“Oh,” she breathed. To her it seemed like a needle in a haystack, but if Fox was the best, he must know how to turn the haystack into bales and find what he was looking for.
“It may not be that difficult,” Ditz said. “We’ll put a GPS tracking unit on you, Lumin.”
“What’s that?” she asked, edging into Tony.
“A very small chip and a transmitter, sweetheart,” Tony explained. “We can easily hide it in your clothes or in jewelry. Even if you disappear from our view, we’ll know where you are as long as the satellite sees you.”
“I thought that was movie BS.”
“Look at me, Lumin,” he ordered, turning her chin toward him. “This is important and you have to remember it. The range is excellent, but you have to stay visible. The satellites are roaming around up there.” He pointed upward. “I want to know where you are at all times.” His gaze strayed to her mouth and his air escaped him in a staggered breath.
Lumin looked around nervously when Tony stepped back, and she noticed Nina’s brow raised, an inquiring expression on her face.
Ghost walked up to Kayla and gazed down at the little woman who was his wife. A small grin crossed his lips and he looked like he wanted to kiss her. Kayla gave him a well-what-do-you-think-now-bigshot look. “I am so fucking glad I married you.”
The guys burst out laughing.
Ghost raised his gaze from his wife. “It’s your show, Bale. Who else do we pull into the mission?”
Tony scrubbed his chin with one hand while the men waited. “Sixteen more men. One squad for Nevada, and one for New Mexico. When does she get the next injection, Stitch?”
“We’re going to rush the process a bit. Six-hour intervals. When I say rush, I mean by a week. Lumin, if you experience any side effects you need to tell me immediately.”
“Why didn’t they take Lumin between Las Vegas and San Diego?” Mace muttered under his breath. Everyone stopped and waited.
Ed narrowed a look on her. “Good question. They trailed you. They could have taken you on one of the stops between Vegas and here, but they didn’t. Why?”
Kayla approached her. “Lumin, you said Dr. Bjornson was Dr. Carmichael’s partner. Did they say how they left the lab? Did they escape? Were they released?”
Lumin closed her eyes and tried to remember the doctor’s slurred words. Between begging for forgiveness and how he’d been tricked, he told her he and the other doctor had been held captive. Had he said how they got away?
Lumin opened her eyes when Kayla’s hand rested on her shoulder. “Was Dr. Bjornson the man who was with him in Vegas?”
Lumin shook her head. “No. The other guy was a friend, as far as I could tell. Someone he knew from Lebanon. None of it made a lot of sense to me. Once I got Dr. Carmichael settled in bed, he was delirious. He’d pass out for a few seconds and then start talking again.”
“Does it make any sense at all, that this guy would be partying in Vegas if he was trying to hide?” Ed asked the squad.
“He was nervous all night,” she said, curling her brow. “He kept looking around, and that’s what made me pay attention. That’s when I noticed the two men watching us.”
“What if they were trailing him?” the Admiral added.
“Why?” Lumin asked.
The Admiral squared a look on Kayla as if working it out. “Come on, babe, we’ve got pieces to the puzzle. What does it show us?”
“Carmichael is a viral specialist. They wouldn’t let Carmichael go unless he’d finished his job, and then they released him but gave him a slow-acting drug to kill him. It’s not the plague because Lumin would have seen the symptoms. Two men watch the doctor then trail Lumin here without taking her. They don’t try to grab her until she arrives at Tony’s.” Kayla’s gaze shot to the Admiral’s. “Bjornson got away. He didn’t finish, and they thought the other doctor would lead them to him. Carmichael spent time with Lumin. They’re trying to find him.”
The Admiral and the rest of the team nodded. “It’s plausible,” the Admiral said. “In fact, it’s likely. Lumin, when they take you, you’re going to have to keep yourself alive. Keep them dangling as if you know where Dr. Bjornson might be.”
“And you don’t think they will torture it out of her?” Tony asked sharply.
“Not at first,” the Admiral said, offering Lumin a sympathetic smile. “We won’t be far behind. We have to find the lab. We might even find who is behind this.”
“Why aren’t we having this meeting in the Base Commander’s office?” Ditz asked what Lumin had wondered all along.
The Admiral flashed a look at Captain Cobbs. “The White House believes whoever is behind this had help. You can’t walk into a drug supply store and ask for a specimen of the Plague. It had to have come from a high security lab. That can only mean intervention from the highest level,” Cobbs stated.
“Someone gave them the Plague to play with?” Mace said. “The terrorists have a high-ranking American in their back pocket?”
The Admiral nodded. “That’s why this stays within our squad. Only I give the reports to JSOC, and they will be misleading.”
“You think there’s a traitor in SPECWAROPS?” Stitch queried.
“Who knows where he or she is, but the White House is certain there is one,” Admiral Austen supplied. He wrapped an arm around Kayla and nodded. “Check your gear, men. We go hot in twelve hours. Load out. As soon as Lumin is given her second injection, we deploy.”
“Sir?” Nathan’s expression was tentative at best. “You said ‘we.’”
“You’re two men down,” the Admiral explained, sharing a look with Captain Cobbs.
Kayla groaned loud enough for everyone to hear. “Thane, you have a job. It’s in Hawaii.”
“Mrs. Austen,” the Admiral growled back. “You have a job, it’s raising our son.”
Kayla rolled her eyes, and Lumin couldn’t keep the chuckle in. Tony leaned toward her ear. “Just like old times.”
The rest of the men broke the circle, shaking their heads as they aimed for their lockers.
Kayla’s voice tightened. “I swear, if you go with the squad I will divorce you.” With her hands riveted on her hips there was no mistaking this woman was a match for the surly Admiral.
Although a foot taller, Ghost paused. “No, you won’t.”
“I sure as shit will.”
“Baby—”
“You gear up, so will I.”
“Like hell you will. You’re retired, sort of.”
“You need Nina and me on this mission. Who did we agree makes the decision on whether I retire or not?”
Ghost rolled his lips and darted a quick look around. “You do,” he said quietly.
They were sta
nding toe to toe, both glaring at each other.
“Well then?”
“What good are we to Adam if we’re both dead?” Ghost hurled at her loudly, losing his patience.
“This will be a pandemic. It will kill our son if we don’t stop it together.”
Ghost towered over her and Kayla didn’t even blink. “I—need—you—alive, woman. You can do what you need to do from Base Command. That’s as close as you’re getting.”
“Don’t count on it, Admiral.”
“That’s right,” he yelled. “I am a god damn admiral, but you seem to forget that.”
Lumin stood cemented to the spot, watching them volley back and forth. “Aren’t you concerned,” she asked Tony.
“About what?” he asked, absently watching the men.
“Them.” She motioned toward the Admiral and Kayla.
“That? Christ no, they haven’t even gotten mad at each other yet.”
Lumin cranked her head in shock. “That’s not mad?”
Tony chuckled. “Nope. That’s just posturing.”
“I’d hate to see mad.”
Tony slipped an arm around her shoulders. “You’ll know it. Kayla starts shouting in French-Canadian and if she’s really pissed she’ll chuck shit at him. Apparently, she’s got great aim. Right now she’s just annoyed, see—her hands are on her hips.”
“Wow, you guys know each other that well?”
“Those two bark at each other like dogs, but it sounds worse than it is.”
Lumin saw Mace and Nina standing beside each other shaking their heads at the same time. Mace said, “Your turn.”
“Nope,” Nina shot back. “It’s yours.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s yours,” Mace said.
“Fine.” Nina raised her fingers to her mouth and gave a short hard whistle. “Hey, anyone around here want to stop a pandemic? I know, crazy thought, but instead of bickering, why don’t we all play nice and save the world. ’K? ’K.”
Ghost and Snow White stopped arguing for a split second and glared at Nina, but it didn’t last long.
Ghost raised a finger at Snow White. “You’re not going into the hot zone.”
“I’m going where I’m needed.”
“Kayla, I’m putting my foot down this time. The last time you came on a mission, you nearly died.”
“That wasn’t my fault.”
“I don’t care whose fault it was. The Taliban almost shot you. They did shoot you. Now get your ass home.”
“My ass is going to Base Command. Come on, Nina. We have more research to do.”
“Fine, stay at Command, but you’re not coming.”
“Guess again, no-good SEAL.”
“It’s Admiral,” he shouted.
“Admiral no-good SEAL,” she shot back as the door to the Loadout room slammed shut.
Nina gave her husband a playful wink and strode after Kayla. Lumin felt a little better knowing Kayla and Nina would be close by.
Nathan hung by the Admiral’s side. “That woman never, ever listens to me. She’s the only person on the planet who doesn’t do what I say. Why is that?”
Nathan’s brow cinched up and he said slowly, “Cuzzzz she’s the only person on the planet who isn’t scared of you.”
The Admiral panned a look as if he’d just seen a purple giraffe cross in front of him.
“Come with me.” Tony tucked her under his arm, leading her toward the door.
“Where are we going now?” She clung to him because she needed the extra courage. They reached a row of buildings and he held a door open. The space was empty of human inhabitants.
“This is the teams’ Mess,” he explained, as they maneuvered around a set of weights, skirted a foosball table and he led her to a couch. A fridge and small bar sat along the far wall. “Something to drink?”
“Sure, a soda.”
He opened the fridge and twisted the top off a Sprite, handing it to her. With a gentle hand he brushed her cheek. “I will do everything I can to keep you safe. Even if you can’t see us, I’ll be close by.” She lay back against the headrest of the couch and stretched her legs out. Tony ran his hand up her calf. “You have the best legs I’ve ever seen, and I want them back.” He got up and went to a cabinet and pulled out a blanket, returning to cover her. “Try to get some rest. I’m going to head to the galley and get us something to eat. I’ll be back soon.”
“If I’m sleeping, wake me up.”
“You need to sleep.”
She sat up. “Would I sound like a silly female if I said I want to spend every second I can with you until I leave?”
“I’ll be right here.” He gently prodded her to lie back and kissed her.
She didn’t want him to go quite yet and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close. “Thank you for being my hero.”
Tony’s arms squeezed her possessively. Resting her head against his chest and listening to his heart made her feel better.
“I’m not a hero, Lumin. Just a guy doing his job.”
Her heart sank a little. “I’m a job?”
His eyes darted upwards and he shook his head. “No, you’re not. Nowhere near, but I have to think sharp the second you’re out of my hands because I want you back in my arms as soon as humanly possible.”
“I don’t have the training you have. All I’ve got are a few street smarts.”
“That’s all you need. We’ll do the rest. I believe in you, Lumin. I need you to believe in yourself.” He kissed her forehead and then her mouth. “If your gut tells you things are going in the wrong direction, I want you to run. Don’t take any more risk than necessary. Use every skill you have.”
“I wish I had the abilities Kayla and Nina have. It’s like they can see into the future.”
Tony folded her hand within his. “You have other skills. You have agility, and the skill to see and recall things. Everyone has a strength. Use yours to stay out of trouble. Now, get some rest. I’ll be back soon.”
He headed for the door. “Tony—” She paused and waited for him to turn. “I believe in you too. That’s why I called you. You might not see yourself as a hero, but you are. To me, you are.”
He hovered in the doorway. “Hard not to fall for a woman who tells you something like that,” he said, so quietly the words barely reached her.
“Do warriors believe in love?”
His shadow shifted, his shoulders straightening. “Honestly, it’s mostly lust. Least it was for me, although I thought I fell in love once before.”
Nina popped into her mind. The way she’d looked at them gave Lumin concern. “Was it Nina?”
He nodded once. “Yeah, it was Nina, but Mace and she had sparks from the word hello, and I just wanted in her pants. It wasn’t love. It was infatuation. She would have ended up on the cutting room floor like all the rest.”
“There’s something pretty amazing about her. I think I understand. Kayla too. They’re both really strong women. They fit in so well.”
In the doorway, with a muscled arm stretched above him, his hand gripped the frame. Tony’s certainty of who he was and what he could accomplish was always present. His confidence had a sexy energy, and she loved it. Honorable and brave with an addictive persona, he was everything her mind had conjured up since he’d left her in Las Vegas. Even his voice made her tremble with excitement.
Before he turned to leave, he said, “Some guys aren’t attracted to strong, Lumin. Some guys, like me, are attracted to the light.”
Chapter Seven
Callum Dafoe strode through the main underground artery that led to his quarters. The reinforced walls stopped the sand from filling in the six-foot-wide tunnel that separated the living quarters from the lab. He reached the end, and slipped his card through the lock, allowing him entry to his private domain. He needed to think, and headed for the bar, pouring himself a healthy finger of whiskey. The east wall was made of glass offering an uninterrupted view of the desert plateau. Sitting down, the co
ol leather of the chair seeped into his skin. Nestled in the center of a rug with a timber-pole side table, it was his place to reflect.
The alcohol burned its way down his throat and quieted his anger. Another day down, and no closer to finding Dr. Bjornson. Carmichael was dead, and the woman he’d spent the night with in Vegas was being held by the Navy in Coronado. He had no idea what Carmichael relayed to her before his last breath, but it could have been Bjornson’s hiding place.
A knock landed on the door. He picked up a remote control and unlocked it.
“Sir?”
“Any word, Billings?” he asked, not turning to look at his laboratory manager.
“I’m afraid not, sir. The men have reported in and advised she is still at the Naval Amphibious Base as far as they know.”
“We have to assume she knows something. She’s probably told that sailor she ran to everything.”
“We don’t know what that is,” Billings said, rounding the chair to stand in front of him.
“She’ll give us what we need, and if she knows nothing, kill her. We have kept this operation under the Americans’ noses for the last year without a leak. We are nearing completion.”
“Do you still wish to deploy the launch without Dr. Bjornson?”
“If we must. I’m not waiting a day longer than what we projected.” He clutched the glass with a death-grip, anger and hate churning in his stomach as it had for three years. “My wife and son have waited long enough for justice.”
He placed a hard gaze on Billings as he stood before him with his coke-bottle thick glasses, unruly hair, and white lab coat. The man looked the same every day of the year. “Apprehend that Vegas slut. Take her to the decoy factory and question her there.”
“You want me to do it? I’m a scientist, not an interrogator.”
“Azeel can question her, but I want you there.”
“Yes, sir.” The soft pad of Vincent Billings’ loafers and the click of the door closing told him he was alone again. He reached for the picture on his side table and stared into the face of his beautiful wife and the broad smile of his five-year-old son. “America took you from me.” He kissed the glass, as he did every night, and placed it gently beside him.
Code Name: Luminous Page 9
