Boots kicked at some pebbles on the sidewalk. “Ethan asked me to keep an eye on the other guys.”
Luke tried not to smile. Maybe he and Ethan weren’t as different as he thought. That had been his first priority, to find a spy within.
“So what have you figured out?”
“I ditched Rodgers in Afghanistan and made it here before everyone else. I’ve been watching the target. I managed to plant a bug on his driver. They don’t sweep the driver like they do Azizi.”
Luke raised a brow. It was a great idea, one he had considered but then dismissed because it was unlikely to yield useful information.
“The driver was in range when the target was talking on the phone. He said, ‘Don’t worry, your boy Ethan is safe, I keep him close to me.’”
Luke’s blood ran cold. While it was great to hear that Ethan was alive, that he was being held like that meant that they planned to use him as collateral for something. He needed to get to his brother.
“I followed Azizi and I’m near certain I saw Ethan in the house where we almost got ambushed. That’s why I sent you the text.” A tide of relief washed over Luke. He wasn’t crazy; Ethan really was alive. But unease also tugged at him.
Boots kicked at another pebble. “There’s one more thing.” He swallowed. “I saw Alessa and Rodgers together a couple of days ago. They looked close. Be careful what you tell her—I think she’s on his side.”
Luke’s chest burned. He wasn’t a jealous man by nature, but he hadn’t stopped wondering why Alessa had waited so long to tell him about Julia being missing and Rodgers’s involvement. Luke thought they finally had trust and rapport between them, yet she’d kept something important to her from him. It wasn’t the first time a woman had chosen another man over him, so why was his heart in such a twist? Had he finally let himself dream of a having a family? He knew there was nothing romantic between Alessa and Rodgers—she herself described him as a brother—but Rodgers had something Luke didn’t: Alessa’s faith and trust.
“You need to come back into the team.”
Boots frowned. “But...”
“You can just say that it took you a while to get across the border. The rest of this stays between us. I need you to keep an eye on everyone from the inside. Including Parrino. I’ll start compartmentalizing information.”
An hour later his phone buzzed. It was Alessa calling. He didn’t pick up but responded with a text.
Boots is back with the team.
Good. Keep an eye on him.
Right now, Luke didn’t know who he could trust.
* * *
THE SATELLITE IMAGES floated in front of her eyes. Luke’s face when she told him about what happened with Julia kept blocking them out. He’d been hurt that she had turned to Rodgers instead of him, but what choice did she have?
Once again, she wondered whether she should have allowed herself to get close to Luke. After what had gone down with Aidan, any leaks of what had happened between her and Luke would be devastating. He wasn’t worth the risk. Was he?
She thought about their kiss and the moment he’d admitted that he wanted to be with her. He made her feel something she’d never felt in her entire life. Safe. Loved. That moment was the first time she’d understood what love was. Her mother claimed to love her father, but Alessa knew that was just fear. While Aidan had never proclaimed love, he had intimated that he cared for her deeply. At the time, the words had meant something to her, but when she’d found how he’d been using her, her affection had turned to anger. With Luke it was a whole new level. It wasn’t just the way he said the words, or the look in his eyes when he said them. When he touched her hand, she felt connected to him at a cellular level.
But something had changed between them. She’d seen it in his eyes when she told him about Julia. She shook her head to bring things into focus. She was looking at images taken earlier this morning at various houses Azizi had been known to frequent to see if she could detect activity in any of them. Her pulse kicked up a notch as she zoomed in on a particular picture. She stared at it for several minutes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Yep, that’s Azizi. The time stamp was from six hours ago, which meant there was a good chance he was still there.
She called Luke, who was surveilling the house they’d almost broken into yesterday.
“Stay at the apartment, I’ll mobilize the guys and we’ll gear up.”
“I’m ready to go and your bag is ready, too.” She had been packing as she talked to him. They couldn’t exactly roam the streets with guns and bombs in their arms so everyone would have to come back to the safe house to gear up for an assault. “I’ll go ahead and do recon on the location. It hasn’t been on our list. I’ll have info for you when you get there.”
“Alessa, I don’t want you going alone.”
“I can handle it,” she said dismissively and hung up. She wasn’t going to waste precious time arguing with him and risk losing Azizi. The sooner they wrapped up this mission, the faster she and Luke could uncomplicate their relationship.
She took a rickshaw to the house in the satellite picture. On the way, she thought about what it would mean if they found Azizi and Ethan in that house. The mission would be over, Ethan would regain command of the unit and Luke would leave the army. The two of them could finally be together.
She asked the rickshaw driver to drop her off a block from the house. It was on a busy road but had a long driveway that led to a secluded area covered by brush and trees. The house was surrounded by a five-foot-tall concrete wall and there were houses on either side. The only way in was through the front door. There was no guard at the gate and when she walked up to it, she opened it easily.
She had a cover story in case someone questioned her. Her backpack held some gear, but she was dressed in a salwar kameez. Sometimes the best option was the most direct one. She got all the way to the front door before encountering a guard. He yelled at her and she stopped, then in halting Urdu said, “I’m coming to ask if they have a job. For a maid.”
The guy shook his head but she kept insisting and begging, repeating the same phrases. “Please, I am very good. I need money to feed my children. Let me talk to the woman of the house.”
Alessa wanted to make a fuss to draw out the other guards, but only the one guy remained. He eventually got frustrated with her and came close, grabbing her by the elbow to escort her off the property. She whirled and delivered a blow to his head, knocking him unconscious. Then she made her way to the front door, keeping an eye out for any other guards. Seeing none, she knocked, but there was no answer. The door was locked. It was a heavy wood door; she wasn’t going to be able to kick it open, so she opted for a walk around the periphery.
The house seemed deserted. Then she heard it, a footfall behind her. She turned to find a man pointing a gun at her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
LUKE’S PHONE BUZZED and he wanted to ignore it. Maybe even throw it into oncoming traffic. The only thing he could think about was finding Alessa. They’d arrived at the new house to find one guard lying unconscious by the front door and Alessa’s backpack on the ground. Tire treads and fresh footprints indicated that a bunch of people had driven away in a hurry. The team had spread out to find her, and Luke had decided to stay close to the house in case she was nearby.
He fished out the phone to see that an unknown number was calling him. He frowned. The only people who had this number were his teammates. He had a separate phone to call and communicate with Washington. A phone that was well hidden inside the seams of the mattress in the safe house with the SIM card in Luke’s pocket. One advantage of the unit was that he chose when to call the Pentagon. They couldn’t reach him for status updates. That was Ethan’s design, to let the unit operate without influence or interference.
He hit the answer button, needing to know wh
o had managed to breach unit security.
The voice that greeted him on the other made him stop dead. “Luke, m’boy.”
“Dad?”
“I’m callin’ to see how you’re getting along.”
His father was originally from Georgia and had never lost his Southern twang.
“How did you get this number?”
“Oh, you know, I got my ways.”
“No, really, Dad. This is a matter of operational security. How did you get this number?”
“I’m a four-star in the army, son. Now, assuming you’re in the thick of things and don’t have time to grill your dad, how ’bout I get to the point.”
Luke resumed walking, eyes peeled for Alessa. His dad was infamous for charmingly dodging questions. It was part of the reason he’d risen through the army ranks so well. The brass knew they could put him in front of a congressional committee and his father would give away nothing, yet leave the inquirers smiling at the end.
“Now, I realize I’m not supposed to know what your mission is, but y’know, I helped Ethan start the unit. If you’re thinkin’ like your brother, I got a pretty good guess where you’re at. I have a lead I’m running down at the Pentagon and I need you to tell me if you got your target.”
Luke sighed. The package he’d sent his father wasn’t supposed to be delivered for another week. That meant his father had figured it out on his own. He wasn’t surprised that he’d put two and two together, but that meant others would, too. The intelligence agencies weren’t officially aware of the unit, but stuff like this didn’t need official channels to become well-known.
“No, Dad, we haven’t, but we’re close.”
Or so he hoped. He was running out of time. Every minute the unit stayed in the country, their lives were even more in jeopardy.
Where are you, Alessa?
The thought of her possibly being kidnapped gripped his heart so tightly that he could barely breathe. He missed what his father said next.
“Sorry Dad, I lost you for a second. What did you say?”
“I said you be careful, m’boy. More than a few people know where you are now. I lost one son to this mission—I don’t want to lose another. I suggest you give up on this and come on home.”
His father disconnected and Luke stared at the phone in his hands. It was no secret that Ethan was the golden child where his father was concerned. Ethan had dragged Luke kicking and screaming to West Point. Ethan had progressed up the army career ladder the way their father wanted. Ethan was the one who spent evenings drinking whiskey and discussing army matters with their dad when they were both in town. Luke, on the other hand, had never connected with his father. The general always joked that he’d been too much of a mama’s boy. Maybe that was true. Luke had felt his mother’s pain in a way Ethan never seemed to.
He passed by a park and stopped, then turned back. If she wanted to hide, the park would be a good location. As he scanned for Alessa, a boy with ragged, dirty clothes came up to him and tapped his arm. He looked down at the boy and reached into his pocket for some bills. It was a bad idea to hand out money in situations like this and especially notes rather than coins because it didn’t take long to get swarmed by a dozen kids. But something in the boy’s eyes tugged at Luke’s heart.
The boy took the notes than tapped Luke again and motioned for him to follow. Luke frowned but decided to trail the boy anyway. The boy turned a corner and Luke’s heart leapt into his throat. Alessa was sitting at the bottom of a tree, holding a brown scarf to her head which was obviously bleeding. He raced over to her and nearly collapsed with relief when she looked up at him with clear eyes.
“Luke!”
She sat up a little straighter. “Ow.” She rubbed her head.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Back at the house, a guard held a gun to me and forced me into a car. When we got out onto the road, I got the better of him and rolled out while the car was moving. I hit my head on the sidewalk.” She pointed to a corner a few feet away. “Right around there. I was a little dizzy so thought it best to come and rest.”
“What were you thinking coming to the house on your own? You could’ve been hurt or killed.”
She blinked at him, her eyes wide. “I wanted so badly to find Azizi and to confirm Ethan is alive. One way or another, we need to finish this mission.” He already knew Ethan was alive from what Boots had said. He was so close to telling her. Then she added, “So we can be together. I want us to be together...”
The words were whispered with such softness, her face so open and inviting that his heart went wild. All thought left his brain as he bent his head and brought his lips down on hers. She put her good arm around his neck and she tilted her head upward, giving him full access to her lips. Everything he had tried to push away came crashing down on him; the kickass way she’d caught his attention, the strength and character that made her fight for herself. Alessa was the woman he’d been looking for all his life, and she was his. In this moment, in the here and now, she was his. She’d be his equal in every sense of the word. She’d be able to handle everything life threw her way. But was he going to be able to deal with what she wanted from life?
She was the one to break the kiss. Eyes shimmering, her lips were slightly swollen and a rosy pink tinged her cheeks. He placed a light kiss on her forehead.
A small tear escaped from her long lashes. He kissed it, letting the salty drop wet his lips.
“Thank you for that. I need your love.” Her lips trembled and her voice was so hoarse, it cracked.
The depth of pain in her tone squeezed his heart so hard, he thought it would shatter into a million pieces.
“I love you more than anything in this world, Alessa.” He meant every word, and he knew he could count on her.
Another tear rolled down her cheek, her eyes telling him that she believed what he said and felt it right back. She leaned forward and he didn’t hesitate to kiss her again. More gently this time, letting her feel the love in his heart.
“Can we work things out?” she whispered. This time her eyes were so full of sadness that a sharp pain cut through his chest. He wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life making her happy. He could be an army husband, couldn’t he? For her?
“After this mission, I’ll resign from the army.”
She smiled. “Are you sure you want to give up the unit?” Her tone was teasing but Luke paused. Was he? Luke had never enjoyed being in the army. Until now. The unit felt like the right fit. But it didn’t belong to him. And the only thing he knew for sure was that he loved Alessa. Her eyes widened slightly, the panic so clear that he shook his head vehemently.
“I was going to leave the army before Ethan died. I want to spend my life doing something more meaningful. I was thinking of working with an NGO.”
“You want to save the world.” His father had said the same words to him, but there was no sarcasm in her voice, just awe and hope.
He smiled. “Something like that. I want to wake up in the morning and know that I’ve done something to better the world.”
“You know we’re saving lives in the army, too.”
He knew what she meant, but he didn’t agree. Having served in Iraq and Afghanistan, he wasn’t convinced that he was doing any good. But this was not the time to get into a philosophical argument about US defense policy. This was a moment they’d remember for the rest of their lives, the time when they’d discovered true love.
The sound of laughter pulled their attention to the homeless kid who began dancing and blowing them kisses. He’d been standing there watching the entire time and Luke realized just how exposed they were, sitting in the park like that. They were in a relatively secluded area surrounded by tall trees. There weren’t any other people around. It was early afternoon, a time when almost everyone wa
s at work. Yet Luke should have been more careful, a little more aware. The second he’d seen Alessa, all other thoughts became secondary. He hadn’t done a proper sweep of the area.
He stood and held out his hand for her. She took it and stumbled slightly.
“You okay?”
She nodded. “Just a little dizzy from the bump. I guess I’m not completely back to normal.” She adjusted the scarf so it covered her head.
“Let’s get you to the doctor and have you checked out.”
She shook her head. “I’m okay.”
Luke didn’t like it but he knew better than to argue with her now. He’d watch her carefully. They began walking and Luke noticed the homeless kid following them. He turned and pulled out a packet of stapled notes. The little boy’s eyes became saucers. Luke held out the notes but the boy stood frozen. It was probably more money than he’d ever seen in his life. From the country briefings, he knew that gangs of adults ran little kids as beggars as a moneymaking racket. There was strict protocol not to give out money, which could encourage further exploitation of kids and pose a security risk. But Luke was pretty sure the kid had pulled Alessa away from the road where she’d tripped, and there was always the small hope that he would take the money and use it to run away, start a new life.
Alessa put a hand on the boy’s shoulder and nodded. He held up a hand in a “wait” gesture, then took off at a run. Luke and Alessa looked at each other in confusion. Luke put the money away. They watched as the boy went to an overflowing garbage can and rummaged through it before racing back holding a filthy plastic bag. When he saw Luke’s empty hands, his face fell. Luke brought out the stack of notes again. This time, the boy snatched the notes from Luke, put the wad to his nose, thumbed through the stack, then put it in the plastic bag. He grinned at Alessa and Luke, then darted away.
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