by Karen Foley
Sean tapped the map. “Until yesterday. Our guys were on patrol along the wadi, here, when they were approached by a local boy. His father had been injured in a fall and was airlifted to a hospital in Kabul.”
“And?”
Rafe leaned forward. “And he was supposed to deliver a cache of weapons to Raqid, but now that’s not going to happen. None of the other men will go without him, and he’s afraid that Raqid will retaliate by coming after his family. He’s asked us to protect them.”
Chase knew the facts; he’d read the intel report. He and his team already had an approximate location for where Raqid and his men were hiding in the hills above Surobi. But those mountains were pockmarked with caves and crevasses, and Raqid could be in any one of them. Even with an approximate location it would take weeks or months to pinpoint the bastard’s exact location. But with the information about the weapons transfer, they had a real shot at finally getting him. The special ops team would move into position, and when the local tribesmen delivered the weapons, Chase and his men would intercept the transfer and, with luck, capture Raqid. In return, the villagers would get a new school and a clinic, paid for with U.S. funds.
“We’ll leave in three days. The recon team is already in place, watching the exchange point,” Sean said. “We’ll insert here,” he tapped the map, “and work our way across this mountain range to approach from the rear. Once we’re inserted, we’ll have just eight hours to get into position.”
Chase surveyed the map, noting the rough topography they would have to traverse. They’d managed worse, and so long as their position wasn’t betrayed, there was no reason to believe the mission wouldn’t be a success. If they succeeded in bringing down Raqid, they would eliminate much of the threat in the local area. Without Raqid, his followers would have a tougher time regrouping. The U.S. troops would ensure that they didn’t retaliate against the villagers.
The door exploded open in a cloud of dust and heat, and a man entered, sweeping the room with a cheerful grin. “Yo, whazzup?”
“Jesus, don’t you ever do anything quietly?” Rafe asked, annoyed.
“What, were you sleeping or something, Gunny?” the man asked innocently, but his blue eyes sparkled.
As the newest and youngest member of the special ops team, Corporal Josh Legatowicz, or Lego as the team called him, was far more cocky than he had a right to be. But his personality was so engaging and his skill with a sniper rifle so flawless that the older members of the team put up with him.
“You’re late,” Sean said, looking pointedly at his watch. “I specifically said to be here at 1300 hours.”
Lego grabbed a chair and spun it around, straddling it as he polished an apple against his jacket front and then bit into it with a loud crunch. “Sorry, I got held up. Hey, Sarge,” he said, addressing Chase. “Any chance I can do a security detail tomorrow?”
Security details weren’t something the special ops team routinely participated in, unless it was for somebody very important, like a general or a diplomat. The Tac Ops received a situation report every six hours, and Chase didn’t recall that anyone was scheduled to visit the base.
“What kind of security detail?” he asked.
Lego’s grin widened. “A most excellent female civilian needs to drive out to the drilling site, and I just thought it would be safer if she were accompanied by someone who could protect her. Someone like me.”
Chase knew he was glowering, but he couldn’t help himself. “This most excellent female wouldn’t be Elena de la Vega by any chance, would it?” But he already knew the answer.
Lego brightened. “Ah, her reputation precedes her. That’s awesome. And if you’ve seen her, then you know what I said is true.” He tucked the chair under his armpits as he leaned forward. “Man, this chick isn’t just desert hot, you know? She’s the real deal. Even if I was back in the States, I’d try to nail her. I give her two weeks before she realizes she can’t live without me.”
Desert hot was a derogatory term used by the troops to describe female soldiers who achieved a certain level of hotness simply because they were female, and not because they were exceptionally attractive. At home, these women might not have earned a second glance from most guys; here in the desert, they were often the cause of intense rivalry between their male counterparts.
“You’re not going to pull security detail for her,” Chase said easily. “In fact, you’re not going to accompany her anywhere.”
“Why not, Sarge?” Lego asked. His face expressed both dismay and disappointment.
“Yeah, why not?” asked Sean, smirking.
“Because she’s not leaving the base, that’s why,” Chase shot back.
Rafe frowned. “Now wait a minute, McCormick. First of all, she doesn’t work for you. Second of all, you can’t keep her from doing her job.”
“She can damn well do her job from inside the fence,” he retorted. “What reason does she have to go out to the drilling site? She’s a desk jockey, not an engineer. Seeing the project isn’t going to enable her to do her job better, and I’m not about to give up one of my men to accompany her on a nonessential mission.”
“That’s not your call, McCormick. Besides, the previous contract administrator visited the construction sites fairly regularly.” Rafe paused. “But then, the last contract administrator was a man. And that’s the crux of the whole issue, isn’t it? You don’t want her going because she’s female.”
“I don’t want her going because we don’t need anybody on this base taking unnecessary risks. I don’t care if they’re male, female or an alien from outer space. And for the record, the last contract administrator was sent home two weeks ago because he suffered a heart attack, which is why Ms. De la Vega was sent here to replace him. She doesn’t need the added stress of visiting the construction site.”
Even as he said it, Chase knew he was full of shit. Worse, his team knew it, too. But they were too well trained to let their skepticism show on their faces, and they tactfully said nothing. Except Lego, who hadn’t yet figured out when to keep his mouth shut.
“Well, jeez, Sarge, she sure looks healthy to me. But that’s all the more reason I should go with her,” he argued. “As long as she’s with me, she won’t be at risk. I’ll guard her with my life. And it’s not like I have anything else to do, at least not until we move out.” He followed this with another of his signature grins that made him look about twelve years old. But Chase knew better. The kid was a total chick magnet.
He also knew he had no valid reason not to let Elena leave the base. The construction site was a scant two miles outside the fence, and was as well guarded as the compound itself. Civilian contractors who were assigned to Sharlana traveled to the site without incident. There was no reason to think that Elena would be in any danger. And as much as he hated to admit it, he had little control over what she did in the normal course of her job—if she wanted to visit the drilling site, he couldn’t prevent her from going. But he could damned well make it unpleasant for her.
“I’ll go with her,” he finally said.
“Yeah, you look real reluctant about it, too,” Rafe said sardonically. “I can see it’s the last thing in the world you want to do.”
“Damn!” Lego flung himself out of the chair. “I knew it! I knew you’d take this one for yourself. Jeez. How come you always get the good assignments?”
Chase laughed. The kid looked so disappointed, he couldn’t help himself. The thing Lego didn’t know, and what he wasn’t about to tell him, was that he’d already taken Elena for himself, and he’d be damned if he’d let any other guy move in on her. As far as he was concerned, she was already his.
ELENA WAS EXHAUSTED, both physically and mentally. She didn’t mind the long work days, so maybe it was a combination of the altitude and heat, but by the time she returned to her CHU each night, she felt completely drained.
The extensive needs of those living on the base floored her, everything from supplying food and laundry s
ervices, to heavy drilling equipment and private security guards. The sheer volume of work was overwhelming, but the job was equally satisfying; what she did had an immediate and positive impact on the men and women assigned to the base. Here, there was no time for politics or red tape. The daily needs of the troops were real and urgent, and Elena found it a little daunting to know that she had the ability to authorize or deny those needs with a stroke of her pen.
She and Brad Carrington were the only contracts personnel assigned to the base. Brad had been friendly as he’d briefed Elena on the projects she would oversee, but he’d been all business. Elena was grateful for that, and she sensed that they would work well together. The last thing she needed was another overbearing soldier trying to tell her how to do her job.
After just two days of familiarizing herself with the projects she would be working on, Elena had decided to visit the construction site where a new well was being drilled. She’d heard plenty of horror stories about contracts being awarded for projects that were either unnecessary or bogus. While she doubted that was the case with this project, she wouldn’t be satisfied until she saw the ongoing work with her own eyes. Part of her job entailed verifying the progress of the construction, especially since payments were made to the contractor based on the percentage of completion. She was not going to be the contract administrator who authorized millions of dollars for bogus or unnecessary work. When she’d announced her decision to visit the drilling site, Brad had tried to argue that it was unnecessary, but had admitted that he had not seen the project and had little idea how it was progressing.
Elena felt nervous about going out there, but if her job was to oversee the construction projects, then that was what she would do. Brad might roll his eyes and think she was being overly picky, but she sensed that he also had respect for her work ethics. As long as her signature was going on the paperwork to authorize continued performance—and continued payment—she would do everything by the book. At her insistence, Brad had arranged for her to visit the drilling site the following day. She would leave just after dawn and be back on the base by lunchtime.
The sun was setting as she made her way back to her CHU, and she hoped that none of the other women with whom she shared her quarters had yet returned. More than anything, she wanted a few minutes of total quiet. While the female soldiers were respectful to her, Elena felt like an outsider. Actually, she felt like the den mother to a group of rough-and-tumble, foul-mouthed Girl Scouts. The other women could be loud and boisterous, but they were also impossibly young and desperately homesick. They were truck drivers and maintenance technicians, and although technically they weren’t in combat positions, they faced the same rigors and dangers that the men did.
Elena wondered how Chase McCormick felt about having them on the base. Just the thought of Chase made her toes curl with longing, even as her teeth clenched in frustration. She’d caught glimpses of him during the past two days and knew he was avoiding her.
Which was fine with her. He occupied her thoughts more than she liked, and the last thing she needed was to get into another confrontation with him. The man was a pigheaded misogynist and she didn’t need him distracting her.
“Hey, Ms. De la Vega!”
Elena was just approaching her CHU when the voice interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to see Mike Corrente jogging toward her.
“Hey,” she called, genuinely pleased to see him. “When are you going to start calling me Elena?”
He smiled, his teeth white in his dust-covered face. “Maybe when I’m not in uniform and I don’t have some badass special ops guy breathing down my neck.” He indicated the armful of folders and papers she carried. “Are you done for the day?”
“Yes, just a little nighttime reading. Why?”
“You’re moving to new quarters.”
“I am?” Elena couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice. She knew the housing situation on the base was cramped, at best. Where could they possibly move her to, unless it was into another CHU with a different group of female soldiers?
“Yep. I’ll wait here if you want to pack up your gear.”
Elena laughed. “I’m not going anywhere, Sergeant. My quarters are fine.”
To her surprise, he looked suspiciously smug. “Sorry, but you don’t have a choice about it.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll give you five minutes, and then I’m coming in to pack up your gear for you.”
Her eyebrows shot up at his authoritative tone and he relented. “Trust me on this, okay? You’re going to like it.”
Elena wasn’t so sure she believed him, but she was packed and back outside in just a few minutes, where he hefted her gear over his broad shoulders, leaving her no option but to follow him. He didn’t ask about Valerie, although Elena hadn’t missed how he stretched his neck to peer inside as she’d opened the door. Not that it would have done any good; the other women were still on patrol through the local villages, performing humanitarian visits.
“So we got a shipment of new CHUs about a week ago, right? And there was a lot of bickering about who was going to get these units, because they’re pretty sweet, but there’re only six of them. And one of them is yours.”
Elena stopped walking. “Mine? As in mine, alone?”
Mike grinned. “Yes, ma’am. C’mon, we’re almost there.”
He stopped in front of a CHU that looked almost identical to the one she had just vacated, except it was obviously newer. The air-conditioning unit mounted in the wall hummed invitingly, and over the door someone had hung a placard with her last name on it.
Mike opened the door and motioned for her to enter. Elena did so, and stopped just inside the dark, cool interior to stare in amazement. The CHU was the same size as the one she had shared with the other women, but it was designed for just one person. The front part of the unit was a small living area complete with a table and chair and a small desk. Somebody had placed a brightly woven rug on the floor, and tacked a paper sign to the wall that read, “Welcome home, Ms. de la Vega.” Standing neatly in a corner was a broom and dustpan.
A crudely constructed wall separated the living area from a tiny bedroom, which held a cot, built-in shelves and a small nightstand. A utilitarian wall lamp had been mounted over the bed for reading.
“What’s through here?” Elena asked, indicating a doorway that led to the rear of the unit.
“Go ahead and look,” Mike encouraged, dropping her duffel bags onto the cot.
Elena opened the door to a small bathroom. “I get my own shower?” She couldn’t keep the amazement out of her voice.
“That’s why these units are in such high demand,” Mike said. “They’re called wet chews, because they come with running water.”
Elena turned around to look at Mike in astonishment. “Why do I get one? Surely there are senior military who deserve this more than I do? I’m just a lowly civilian.”
Mike shrugged, but Elena didn’t miss the color that crept into his cheeks. “We can’t have you wandering into the men’s showers wearing nothing but a towel. It’s, um, distracting.”
Elena stared at him for a full minute, until he finally looked away. “How do you know about that?” Her voice was no more than a whisper, and she knew all the color had drained out of her face. Had Chase McCormick said something? She’d been so sure he was above bragging about his conquests. What else did Mike know about that morning?
“Pete Cleary thought he saw your gear inside the changing stall the other morning, and then he saw you come out and go into the women’s showers.” He glanced at her. “For what it’s worth, most of the guys on the base are a decent bunch, but you still have to be careful. Not to mention we have local nationals who work on the base, and if they saw you…” He let his voice trail off meaningfully.
Elena didn’t have to guess what he meant. Seeing her come out of the men’s showers clad only in a towel would undermine the progress the troops had made in gaining the trust and respect of the local men.
“It was a stupid mistake,” she mumbled, brushing a hand over her eyes. “I was tired, it was dark and I went into the wrong shower. It won’t happen again.”
“Right. That’s why we gave you this unit. So you won’t have to worry about making that mistake again.”
Was it Elena’s imagination, or did Mike refer to something beyond just walking into the wrong shower? Did he know that Chase had been in there with her? Worse, did he know what had happened between them?
Hot color flooded her face, and she couldn’t meet his eyes. “Please tell the guys thank you. I love my new digs, and I appreciate the work they did in getting it ready for me.”
“Great. I’ll let them know.” He turned to leave and then paused. “So you’re heading out to the drilling site tomorrow, huh?”
Elena nodded. “I want to see the project firsthand and get an estimate on how far they are from completion. It can’t hurt for the contractor to know that the project is being closely watched. Not for the kind of money they’re getting paid.”
“Do you have a firearm?”
“No, of course not. I’m neither trained nor authorized to carry a weapon.” Apprehension snaked its way up her spine. “Why? Do you think I’ll need one?”
“Who are you traveling with?”
Elena shrugged. “I’m not sure. I was told I’d travel with a security detail.”
Mike’s mouth tightened. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. Just stay close to your men, okay? Don’t even go to the bathroom without an escort. Promise?”
“Sure.” As if that was going to happen.
But her assurance seemed to placate him, and with a muttered good-night, he left. She watched him leave, plagued with new misgivings about her decision to leave the base. Why would she need a weapon? To protect herself from possible insurgents? Or worse, from the very men who were assigned to protect her?
9
CHASE PAUSED in front of Elena’s new housing unit, his hand poised to knock. He could still back out of this detail and give the assignment to Lego. As much as the kid liked to project an air of boyish enthusiasm for everything he did, Chase knew he took his job seriously. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said he would take care of Elena.
