Sonny let loose a stream of guttural Spanish. “One minute,” he finally managed to say.
The rustling sound of footsteps and the opening and closing of a door were the only sounds she heard. Aiden had practically leapt over the bed in an effort to get to the phone.
"Hi, Daddy.” The sweet innocent voice of a child was music to Erika's ears. She handed the phone to Aiden.
"Sammy?” All of the tension seeped from Aiden's body as he spoke with his little girl. His eyes lit with a warm glow, a soft smile graced his lips. An ache built in Erika's heart, exposing an emptiness she hadn't known was there. Erika wanted to see that exact look as he gazed at her and their child. She shoved the wayward thought aside, hoping the right time and place to explore it further presented itself.
"Are you all right, sweetie?” His Adam's apple bobbed with the effort to remain in control.
"I'm fine, Daddy. I been visitin’ with you fwiend, Señor Sonny, till you come and get me."
"Señor Sonny is going to be bringing you here to meet me very soon, sweetie."
"Will Mommy be there, too?"
"I'm not sure. I'll try to make sure she meets us both, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy. I miss Mommy. Miss you, too."
"I miss you, too. I love you."
"Let me talk to my son now, Señor Greene."
Even if Erika hadn't been able to overhear the conversation, she'd have known that Sonny had taken the phone away from Samantha. Aiden's face hardened, all lines and angular planes. His eyes went flat with a controlled rage. She feared he'd say something to jeopardize all the hard work he'd accomplished.
Don't say a thing, she mouthed. She sighed with relief when he walked over and held the phone up to Antonio's ear. The conversation was conducted in rapid-fire Spanish. If Antonio intended to keep everything private, he hadn't counted on her near native fluency in the language. Not that the younger Ramos said anything that needed to be a secret. He reassured his father that he was being very well treated except for the fact the chair was uncomfortable. He proceeded to yell at his father and demand that he return the little girl to her father. No matter what Aiden had done, it did not justify harming, or even scaring, an innocent child. The discussion concluded, Aiden pushed the button to disconnect the call.
"If you'll excuse me,” Aiden dropped the phone on the bed as he brushed past her and headed out the door.
Torn between keeping an eye on Antonio and going to Aiden, she pulled Antonio's chair away from the window and in line with his back to the door. She turned on the television set, counting on the noise to block some of her encounter with Aiden. Then she headed out into the hall.
The last thing she expected to see was Aiden braced against the wall, his elbows on his knees and his head sagging down. His hair fell around his face, preventing her from really seeing him. His back moved up and down with the force of his deep breaths.
She thought she'd come quietly, but as soon as she stepped completely into the corridor, he twisted his head to look at her. Not sure what she'd expected, the sheer relief on his face wasn't it.
"She's okay.” A smile broke out on his face. “She sounded perfect.” He moved before she was even aware that he'd stood up. Scooping her in his arms, he spun her around until she was dizzy with joy, with relief, from his actions. She didn't know which and she didn't care. With her back to the wall, he stopped and focused on her lips. With a groan, he captured her mouth with his in a joyful expression of life. He kept the contact light and easy, even though she wanted to deepen the kiss. He pinned her to the wall, her body trapped between two hard objects. His soft lips tasted so sweet, she needed more. Her tongue darted out to tease him, to ask for entrance.
With a curse, he broke the kiss. “I want you.” He dropped his forehead to rest on hers.
"I want you, too."
"Will I ever stop wanting you?"
A strangled laugh escaped from her throat. “God, I hope not.” She brought up her hand, stroking the hair back from his face.
He caught her hand and pressed a warm, open-mouthed kiss to her palm. “We need to get back inside."
Yes, she had a job to do.
Why did she always forget that when he was around?
* * * *
"It's a go.” Erika wanted to dance around and laugh and cry. She wanted to throw Aiden down on the bed and make giddy, life-affirming love to him. Instead, she looked over her shoulder as Aiden read the message on the laptop screen, careful to keep all emotion from her face. The Special Tactics Team had approved the use of the field and were even now securing the area, preparing the site for a helicopter landing. An Army Ranger team would be inserted via a parachute drop within the hour. Well before the arranged nineteen hundred meeting time, everything would be in place.
Sonny had agreed to put Samantha on a private plane which would fly her to a small private airport outside of Washington, D.C. From there, they would transfer to a private helicopter with a fighter jet escort, which would bring her the rest of the way. Even now, intelligence analysts were scouring flight plans in an effort to locate Sonny before the plane took off.
She and Aiden were to arrive at the location no earlier than eighteen thirty. Aiden's ex-wife had been notified and every effort was being made to transport her safely, but only if the agents guarding her could guarantee that they weren't being followed.
After sending back a reply to the colonel with a couple of minor questions, she shut down the network connection. She still couldn't believe that Aiden's plan might actually work. She hadn't believed that Sonny would care enough about a son he hadn't seen in years to give up a surefire chance at Aiden.
Her thoughts flashed back to Aiden's revelation about his previous encounter with Sonny, how it had been so easy that they should have realized it was a set-up. Was Sonny pulling the same crap now? The notion chilled her more than a cold shower.
What had been his biggest mistake on that assignment?
He'd barged ahead without backup. In his zeal to pin down Sonny, he hadn't waited for the SEALs. Hell, he shouldn't have been there at all. He was an intelligence analyst. But he hadn't wanted to lose the opportunity. And it cost him.
They wouldn't make the same mistake. By the time they arrived, the Special Tactics Team and the Rangers would be in place, weapons at the ready. Aiden didn't know it yet, but Erika had no intention of allowing him to even show his face. He'd remain safely behind the lines while she went out to make the exchange. Sonny might trade his life for the chance to kill Aiden. She highly doubted he'd risk his neck to take her out.
But what if the informant fucked them all over?
She had to trust that the colonel wouldn't allow that to happen.
Dammit, she wanted to know who the hell it was.
"So the old man's really going to do this, si?” Antonio never sounded more like an obnoxious American teenager.
"Yes, he is. By seven this evening, you'll be back to your life, having only missed a day of classes.” She almost felt sorry for the guy, having to see his father after all this time and wondered what it must be like to have a wanted criminal—a drug lord—as a father. Her father had been a washout as a parent, but he wasn't wanted by two governments on two continents.
Her father never would have reacted to her kidnapping the way Aiden had done. Once her father learned he had a daughter instead of the all important son, he'd distanced himself emotionally from both Erika and her mother. He might as well have been an absentee parent. Hell, he hadn't even bothered to fly out to Colorado Springs when she entered the Academy. It didn't matter to him that she'd earned the prestigious appointment in a last ditch effort to prove herself to him. Never, not once, did he accept her for who she was.
He'd never told her he loved her.
The sound of Aiden's words of love to his daughter still rang in Erika's ears.
Cripes, even scum of the earth Sonny was willing to drop everything for his son.
She had to stop those thoughts before the
y gathered speed and broke the sound barrier. She'd spent too many years reassuring herself that the problem was her father's, not hers.
"Are you going to arrest my father again if you find him?"
"Yes,” Aiden answered. “He was found guilty in a court of law. And by breaking out of jail, he's added to his list of crimes. Add kidnapping to that, and he's looking at a long time in an American prison this time."
"I am nothing like my father, you know.” Antonio leveled his gaze at Aiden.
"I know. Believe me, if he hadn't involved my three year old daughter in this, I wouldn't have involved you."
Nodding, Antonio fell silent once more.
With her attention no longer drawn to the conversation, Erika focused on the information on her laptop and surveyed the map of the area. Directions to the general location had been marked, as well as directions from the closest parking lot to the site. She planned to allow forty-five minutes to get there from the hotel. The actual site lay three miles from where they'd leave the car. Miles over rough terrain, meaning she needed to allow for more time, maybe as much as twenty minutes per mile. By her calculations, they needed to be on the road by sixteen forty-five hours. They could grab something to eat along the way, if anyone had an appetite. Glancing at her watch, she realized they had almost two and a half hours to wait yet.
This was the worst part of any mission.
Every minute that passed felt like an hour. Aiden had propped himself back on the headboard to tackle the newspaper. He was still reading the section he'd started earlier, a testament that his concentration wasn't any better than hers. Antonio was reading a textbook for some sort of political science course. She tried to surf news sites on the Internet.
Instead, she found herself surfing romance sites looking for articles on “How to know if he loves you.” Part of her insisted he felt something for her or he wouldn't have broken his three year self-imposed celibacy. That had to mean something more than the man had finally reached his horny breaking point. The way he'd touched her and looked at her must count for something. Granted, she had nothing with which to compare his behavior, but she wasn't stupid. The question was whether or not she was deluding herself.
Then there were his comments. The ones about not wanting to let her go. She didn't want to let him go either, not this time. They were older now, wiser. They'd find a way to work everything out with a little compromise. She only asked that he accept her, warts and all, for who she was. Unconditionally. She wouldn't spend the rest of her life trying to live up to any man's expectations, not even the only man she'd ever loved. She'd spent too much of her childhood doing that and refused to spend any of her adulthood in the wasted effort.
Dammit, she loved him.
She continued to surf for advice, finally managing to lose track of time.
"It's four thirty.” Aiden folded the newspaper and set it on the nightstand.
"Showtime.” And Erika was as ready as she'd ever be.
* * * *
Aiden wanted to crawl out of his skin. His foot tapped, he wiggled in the passenger seat, he drummed his fingers on the window. He wanted to throw up.
What if this was a setup just like the situation in Cancuen? What if Sonny had no intention of letting Samantha go free? Hell, Sonny could shoot him if he allowed his daughter to go free. But if Sonny harmed Samantha in any way, Aiden's life wouldn't be worth living. And neither would Sonny's.
More so than ever before, failure was not an option.
With Erika at his side, he felt confident. As confident as possible, given the fact that his daughter's future hung in the balance. Erika had been amazing during this whole ordeal. No wonder Chad Monroe had said she was one of the best Air Force Security Agency officers in the field. She'd remained calm after news broke of the kidnapping. Her composure helped him maintain a facade of restraint, preventing him from rushing in like the proverbial fool. Sure, she'd disagreed with his decision to involve Sonny's son. Once he'd been given the nod, she'd maintained her objectivity and ensured the situation was properly handled. She'd done her job and hadn't let anything get in her way.
She certainly didn't seem to struggle with random, inappropriate thoughts about making love. Nothing in her demeanor hinted that she envisioned him naked or wanted to throw him down on the bed, except at appropriate times.
"We're almost there.” Erika handed him a map. “If you'll just double-check the directions for me."
Aiden welcomed the respite from his introspection. Too much more of that and he'd drive himself stark raving crazy. Erika pointed to their approximate position, giving him a fix on their location. Five minutes later, she pulled into the stone lot closest to the designated clearing.
Instinctually, Aiden began to breathe deeply through his nose, releasing the air through his mouth. In his mind, he visualized the final scene. The helicopter landed, all the Army Rangers trained their semi-automatic weapons on the door. As it opened, Samantha hopped out, followed by Sonny. His daughter responded to Erika's entreaty and ran to her, leaving Sonny open and vulnerable to weapons fire.
Except that scenario wouldn't work. No matter how much Aiden hated Sonny, he'd never wish for Antonio to witness his father's death or for his own daughter to witness a murder. Once Samantha was safely in Erika's arms, Antonio would be allowed to accompany his father as they boarded the helicopter, which would be continuously tracked.
He continued his breathing and focusing until Erika turned off the engine.
Showtime.
Erika turned to address Antonio, sitting quietly in the back seat. “I'd rather not handcuff you. I have no idea what the terrain is like and I'd hate to hinder our mobility. But the slightest wrong move, and I won't hesitate to use them. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yeah, you do. Don't worry, I just want to get this over with and get back to campus."
Her face a mask of pure concentration and determination, Erika stepped out of the car, encouraging their “guest” to follow. Aiden exited and tramped around to the others. Anxiety and trepidation gnawed at his stomach as they headed toward the sparse woods and the beginning of their three mile walk. Once this detour ended and Samantha was safe in his arms, he could refocus his efforts on bringing Sonny to justice. Maybe, just maybe, Natalie's ghost would leave him alone if he managed to avenge her death. Maybe, just maybe, he'd have the balls to visit her grave at Arlington and pay his long overdue respects.
First things first.
Erika took the lead, Antonio followed her. Aiden brought up the rear. Minimal conversation broke the silence as they hiked through the woods. The sound of twigs breaking and branches snapping punctuated the still air more often than human voices. Aiden had never been one to learn about flora and fauna, limiting his ability to identify markers they'd been given. The only trees he recognized on sight were oak, maple, pine, and dogwood. And the California redwood, but he highly doubted they'd stumble across one of those in the middle of Pennsylvania.
The sun hung low on the horizon, casting an orange glow across the sky, lengthening the shadows and hampering progress. Relying on a rapidly darkening sky had been a tactical suggestion of both the Special Tactics Team and the Rangers. It lessened the risk to Erika and Aiden by making them harder to see and identify at a distance. It provided cover to the teams charged with securing the area and the people. As much as it made sense, Aiden didn't like how it made their difficult task of locating the field even harder by obscuring the markers left for them by the Special Tactics Team.
After close to an hour of walking, Erika paused and motioned for them to be silent. They waited for the signal the Rangers had arranged to let them know they'd arrived at the correct place. A soft breeze rustled the leaves as they stood still. Even though he trusted Erika implicitly, he listened for the sound, his stomach turning somersaults as a minute stretched out forever.
And then he heard it, the warbling bird call, echoing loud and clear. She'd guided them to where they were supposed to be. Aiden brought
his watch close to his face in order to read the dial. Twenty-five minutes. An eternity to wait. He'd go mad if the helicopter arrived late.
"We might as well sit and get comfortable. We'll be able to hear the approach and have time to prepare."
Aiden knew she was right, but the restlessness in his legs refused to allow him to sit. The tingling sensation drove him to pace in small circles.
"Will you sit down? You're making me dizzy."
"Sorry."
"You're not going to do Samantha any good if you wear yourself out before she even gets here."
She was right, and he knew it. He slumped against a tree trunk, drawing one leg up to drape his arm over his knee. His foot tapped the trunk, holding still nearly impossible. His hips rocked to an unheard beat. Thoughts flitted through his mind with lightening speed, only one remaining constant. Samantha, this would all be over soon for her. He'd have her evaluated and set her back on the path of her normal life. With any luck and barring any horrific trauma, she'd forget all about this.
The rhythmic whomp-whomp-whomp of the approaching helicopter sounded in the distance, growing louder with each passing second. Every chop of the blades through the air reverberated along the length of his nerves. He refused to allow this plan to self-destruct, not so close to a successful completion. Erika reached over, lacing her fingers with his and squeezing. Accepting her offered strength, he flexed his hand and kept his thoughts on holding his daughter in his arms, of seeing her toothy smile.
Unconsciously, he timed his breathing to the beating of the helicopter blades. As the blade rotation decelerated for landing, his slowed inhalations kept him calm. As the helicopter touched down, wind whipped around him, beating down the grass and blowing back the trees, forcing him to lean forward to maintain his footing.
Erika ventured forward, her weapon within easy reach should the unthinkable occur. Aiden wanted to be the one to greet his daughter as she stepped off the chopper, and to take on Sonny if he'd been stupid enough to accompany Samantha. He was smart enough to know that Erika had been trained and retrained in all sorts of situations, preparing her for the task. The only thing he'd prepared for recently was a bunch of depositions. Not exactly the deadly briefs from his long-ago active duty days. No, as much as he wanted to control every aspect of this rescue, he realized his daughter's best hopes rested in Erika's capable hands.
The Class of '93 Trilogy: Deadly Briefs Page 20
