by S. E. Smith
Kidnapping was a huge issue for anyone in Kevin’s position. Kevin was filthy rich, listed as one of the richest men in the world for his development of security software among other business ventures. He made a nice target for anyone wanting to ransom him. He also made a nice target for anyone wanting to tap into the information stored in his brain.
Kevin made sure that there was little information about his wealth or himself out in the world. He preferred to maintain the persona of a nameless bum who was lucky enough to be living as the caretaker on a rich man’s boat. Brian and he had met during one of Brian’s first assignments three years ago. Kevin, flush with his newly acquired wealth, had been targeted by an unscrupulous organization upset by having been shut down by him.
British Intelligence, working with the US Government, had been afraid that if Kevin fell into the wrong hands, he could become a liability. The British had asked for assistance in protecting Kevin. When a report had come through that the young, wealthy software magnate had been targeted while on vacation in Thailand, the British had asked for assistance. Since Brian had previously been assigned in Thailand, Brian had shadowed him. The organization had followed through on the reported threat. Brian had thwarted the kidnapping attempt, and had ended up taking the bullet meant for Kevin.
Shortly afterward, Kevin had disappeared from the public eye, erasing or burying information about himself on the Internet until there was very little left available or discoverable about Kevin Conner or his achievements. Brian had been transferred three months after that incident to Hong Kong, but not before an unlikely and rare friendship formed between the two men. It was that friendship that had helped Brian to understand and accept the relationship that had developed between Makayla and Tyrell. Unfortunately, with that knowledge had come the understanding of just how badly he had screwed up with her, making the pain of losing her even more excruciating.
Now, he had been given a second chance. He was smart enough to know that and wasn’t about to blow it again. His biggest fear was not being able to protect her. Watching Zhang almost kidnap her and seeing the large bruise still evident on her back from where she had been shot was enough to drive him crazy if he allowed himself to dwell on it.
“Tyrell’s a cool guy,” Kevin said, turning toward the bank of computers. “I’m glad I got to meet him in person.”
“He is. He’s also a very good friend to Makayla,” Brian admitted with a deep sigh.
“That sounds like you might have a little competition,” Kevin remarked, glancing at Brian.
“Not in the way you think,” Brian replied. “I screwed up with Makayla. I’m just hoping I can fix it.”
“I hope so, too, for your sake. She seems like a pretty amazing woman. Now, where’s the image you have?” Kevin asked, sliding the cursor over the software program he had developed. “I’ll get it processing while I take a look at the flash drive you have. I’ll also run those plate numbers if you hand me the SD card from the camera.”
“Doesn’t the local power authority complain about your usage? I can’t even imagine how much broadband you use,” Brian muttered, handing Kevin all the items that he had requested.
“I’ve got my own power company set up and I use my own satellite system so no one can piggyback on me or shut me down. It can’t interfere with my games, either,” Kevin added with a grin. “You might like getting shot at in real life, but I prefer the ones where I can press a button and reset myself if I get hit. Real blood and I do not care for each other.”
“Yeah, I’ll admit getting shot hurts like hell. I need you to access the security camera databases around Graham Marketplace as well if you can and the port areas. I’m looking for this speedboat,” Brian said, showing the picture of the boat that Helen had taken. “Also, what can you tell me about Commander Yeng? He put a hit out on Helen, Makayla, and me. I want to know who he sent, if possible.”
“Anything’s possible if they put the information on a computer,” Kevin remarked, slipping the camera’s SD card into a reader.
Brian watched Kevin’s fingers which were flying across the keyboard and his gaze moved between the screens, the computer, and the scanner. Kevin clicked on the image, enlarging it and copying the license plate numbers into the Hong Kong Transportation database that he had hacked. He did the same with the partial registration number on the side of the speedboat, before typing in a more detailed description.
Brian reached into his pocket and pulled out the flash drive Makayla had found. He placed it on the desk in front of Kevin. He could feel the tension in his shoulders and rolled them. Glancing at Kevin, he sat forward in his seat.
“Thank you,” Brian said in a quiet tone. “I know every time you do anything like this, it endangers you.”
Kevin shrugged his shoulders. “I swore I’d use this weird brain of mine to help make this world a little better. I figure that was why it was given to me. I don’t like getting shot at in real life, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help out those who aren’t afraid of it. Besides, it gets boring just developing shit, playing games, and polishing wood all day. I need something that can keep my brain on edge,” he grinned before it faded. “I just hope I don’t have to blow up this boat. I’m almost finished restoring it.”
“I’ll try to make sure it doesn’t come down to that,” Brian remarked dryly, watching Kevin slide the flash drive off the desk in front of him and plug it into the port on the computer. “Harrington encrypted it. He suspected that Sun Yung-Wing might be onto him a few days ago. Our bosses were reluctant to pull him until they knew for sure that he had all the information. There was a lot riding on his ability to integrate into Sun Yung-Wing’s inner circle. It took him almost dying once to get him there.”
“What happened to him? Can’t you just ask him for it?” Kevin asked, pulling up another screen and dragging it over the box asking for the passcode.
“He’s in a coma,” Brian replied in a terse tone.
Brian glanced down at the dark screen of his cell phone. He had received a text when they were escaping the apartment, but hadn’t had a chance to respond until a short while ago. Harrington had been taken back into surgery to relieve the swelling of his brain. His contact at the hospital had told him that Harrington had begun bleeding again and that things were very grave.
“Should I know what is on this or be blissfully ignorant?” Kevin asked, frowning when he saw a message come up. “Your guy was good, he used multiple safeguards, but I’m better. This might take a little while, but I’ll get the information for you.”
Brian nodded and stretched before he tiredly ran a hand down over his face. “I’m beat,” he said with a yawn. “I’m going to go crash for a couple of hours.”
“Security is on, but I’ve set it just to alert me. I’ll keep an eye out for Tyrell. Once he is back, I’ll increase it. The damn system is so sensitive it alerts me if a fish so much as farts near this boat, so we’ll be safe,” Kevin absently mumbled.
“Thanks again, Kevin,” Brian murmured with a shake of his head and a dry laugh. He rose and slapped his friend on the shoulder before he quietly left Kevin to his computers.
Brian turned right when he exited the room and headed down the long, plush corridor toward the bow where the bedrooms were. He paused outside of the room where he had placed Makayla. A part of him was torn between finding another spot to grab a few hours of sleep or slipping in and staying with her.
His hand hovered over the doorknob for a brief second before he gripped it firmly in his hand and quietly turned it. The least he could do was check on her. Pushing the door, he glanced at the massive king sized bed where Makayla was sleeping. A frown creased his brow when he heard a soft whimper escape her and she restlessly moved under the covers.
Cursing softly under his breath, Brian pushed the door open further and stepped in before closing it. He padded across to the bed on silent feet. Kicking off his shoes and removing his jacket. He placed it across a chair in the corner. He unstrapped t
he holster and removed his gun, checking the clip and making sure the safety was on before placing it on the nightstand next to the bed.
He absently ran a hand over the bandage on his arm and rotated his shoulders to relax the tight muscles before he carefully pulled back the covers and slid in next to Makayla fully clothed. Almost immediately, she turned into his warmth and he wrapped his arms around her when she settled her head against his chest.
“Is everything okay?” She mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.
“Everything’s fine,” he whispered, stroking her side when she rolled and slid her leg over his.
“I missed you,” she admitted with a sigh before brushing her nose against the cloth of his shirt and relaxing.
Brian felt her body melt against his when she fell back asleep. His arm tightened around her and he pulled her even closer. He rested his cheek against her hair, enjoying the feel of her in his arms.
“I missed you, too, Makayla,” Brian whispered into the darkness of the room. “Far more than I ever could have imagined.”
He stared up at the ceiling for several minutes, his mind replaying their last day together over and over while mentally kicking his own ass for being such a stubborn jerk. Soon, the tension melted away and he felt himself slip into a light dream dotted with floating images of sailboats, storm tossed seas, and Makayla’s beautiful face.
*.*.*
Makayla slowly came awake and stared up at the ceiling of the cabin. She immediately realized that she wasn’t alone. The heavy weight of an arm around her waist and the soft sound of breathing near her ear told her that Brian was with her. She carefully turned her head to look at his relaxed face. His face was covered in the shadow of almost two days’ growth. His short hair was wildly tousled, reminding her of their days sailing on the Defiance.
Her fingers ached to trace his jaw. She had thought she was finally over him, but she knew now that she had just been deluding herself. Seeing him again had shaken her, and all the old feelings had rushed back through her with a vengeance. The only difference now was that they had both changed. They were older, more experienced with life, and both were focused on their own career paths.
“Good morning,” Brian murmured, slowly opening his eyes to stare back at her.
“Morning,” she whispered, staring back at him before she started to roll away.
“Wait,” he ordered in a voice still husky with sleep. “I want to hold you for a minute.”
A reluctant smile tugged at Makayla’s lips at the familiar words. “Before the world realizes that we are here,” she finished, relaxing back and allowing him to pull her close.
“Before the world knows that we are here,” he repeated, pressing his lips to her forehead and closing his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you again, Makayla,” he whispered in a rough voice. “I can’t.”
Makayla’s heart jerked at the heartfelt emotion in his voice. His strong arms were wrapped tightly around her, and, at that moment, she felt like he never would let her go. She trembled, almost afraid to believe him. Memories of how badly their last parting had hurt her swept through her. He must have felt her trying to pull away from him because his arms tightened even more.
“I’m sorry,” he said, pulling back just far enough that he could see her face. “I was an ass. I should have trusted you and been more understanding. There is no excuse for the horrible words I said, except that I was a stupid idiot.”
A reluctant smile curved the corner of Makayla’s lips. “Yes, you should have, and yes, you were,” she agreed, her gaze softening when she saw the regret flash across his face along with a touch of resignation. “We were both young. I should have trusted you as well. Tyrell gave me hell for being so stubborn. He wouldn’t have cared if I had told you what was going on. He just didn’t want the world to know. He called me a stubborn smart-ass who needed to realize that there were people who loved me and that I didn’t need to do everything on my own.”
A glimmer of amusement came into Brian’s eyes and he chuckled. “I like Tyrell even more now,” he teased.
Makayla laughed. “You wanted to kick his ass the last time you saw him,” she pointed out.
“That was when I thought I had lost you to him,” he replied. “I’ve never wanted to tear someone apart so much in my life, yet I couldn’t because I knew how much you loved him.”
“I never loved him the way I loved you, Brian,” Makayla murmured before rolling away from him and sitting up.
She glanced over her shoulder when she felt Brian move behind her. He was sitting up, but turned toward her. Their eyes locked and she felt the familiar wave of longing sweep through her again.
“Have you stopped – loving me?” He asked quietly.
Makayla stared at him for several long seconds before she finally answered him. It was a question she had been afraid to ask herself. Did she still have feelings for him? If so, how did he feel and could they make it work? There was so much about him that she didn’t know anymore. It was obvious that whatever his involvement with the government was, it was much more dangerous than simply working at the Consulate General.
“I don’t know,” she finally said, glancing away.
*.*.*
Brian’s gaze followed Makayla as she crossed the room to the attached bathroom. He raised a hand and ran it through his disheveled hair when she quietly closed the door behind her. His mind raced over the conversation. She hadn’t said she didn’t love him – just that she didn’t know if she did. That meant he still had a chance.
He dropped his hand and rolled out of the bed. Glancing back at the door, he could hear the water running. Turning away, he glanced at the clock. It was ten minutes to six in the morning. He would go see what Kevin had discovered and fix some breakfast. He had a feeling they were all going to need it.
17
Sun Yung-Wing stared out of the windows of the tall high rise, looking out over Hong Kong and Victoria Bay. In the distance, he could see the large cargo freighters that belonged to his empire – an empire that he had built with a few million dollars from his father and a cruel, iron fist. Anyone that got in his way was ruthlessly destroyed.
He lifted his hand and blotted the sweat on his brow with the fine linen handkerchief crumpled between his stiff fingers. He’d had little sleep in the last week and it was showing, not only physically, but mentally. Somehow, one of his clients had discovered that the information he had compiled on them had been stolen by a government agent. He had been given an ultimatum, retrieve the information within the next twenty-four hours and eliminate those involved or he would forfeit his own life and that of his family. His client had been very explicit that they would set an example for others to see.
Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he dialed Ren Lu’s number with trembling fingers. He wiped his forehead again while he waited for his new security chief to answer. Annoyance burned that it was taking him longer than it should.
“Yes, Mr. Sun,” Ren Lu greeted.
“Have you found it yet?” Yung demanded in a voice edged with desperation.
“I would have informed you if I had,” Ren Lu stated.
“The situation… The situation is graver than I originally thought,” Yung said, pacing back and forth in front of the window. “My clients have threatened my family and myself.”
“Do not call in anyone else. I told you I would handle this. I will see that your family is moved to a secure location,” Ren Lu replied.
“There is one man… My client was the one that hired him, not me,” Yung admitted. “I won’t call in any others, but I can’t do anything about him.”
“I will deal with him,” Ren Lu said after a slight pause. “And, Mr. Sun….”
“Yes,” Yung said, pausing to look out of the window again.
“Do not stand in front of the windows. It can be very dangerous to your health,” Ren Lu bit out before ending the call.
Yung slowly lowered the phone and stepped away from the window. Hi
s whole body was shaking now and sweat ran down from his hairline. He moved back until he was in the shadows of the office, but even there, he wasn’t confident he couldn’t be seen. His hand searched for the doorknob to his office door and he jerked it open and stepped into the outer office. Two of his bodyguards straightened and looked at him in inquiry.
“Make sure no one enters the conference room,” he ordered in a hoarse tone. “No one!”
“Yes, sir,” they both replied.
He could feel their puzzled gazes on his back when he turned and hurried down the corridor. Pressing his hand to the scanner, he pushed open the door when he heard the lock disengage and disappeared inside. Only when the door was firmly locked again did he move to the chair at the head of the long table and sink down onto the plush, black leather, his trembling legs unable to support him any longer.
*.*.*
Ren Lu dropped the cell phone he was holding onto the seat beside him. He stared down at the camera feed on the powerful tablet he was holding. His gaze moved from the figure of Sun Yung-Wing, sitting at the conference room table with his head bowed. His priority had shifted from keeping Sun alive. His focus was now on finding the information that had been stolen and the girl. Something told him if he found one, he would find the other.
Reducing the camera screen, he returned his attention to the information he had been reading on Brian Jacobs. He skimmed through the report, memorizing any information he thought would help him understand the young American better.
The man was an enigma. The information was sketchy at best, and rather disappointing. The man had never been in the military, had a degree in Political Science, and had worked as a Political Advisory at the Hong Kong Consulate for the past three years. There was nothing extraordinary there, yet something didn’t ring quite true. He had watched the man in action. Brian moved like he had military training, not like some clerk who always had his nose buried in some political report. There was also no information about Jacobs having a relationship with Makayla Summerlin, excepting their connections to her grandfather. Henry Summerlin had hinted that there had been one, several years ago, and that Jacobs had hurt Makayla deeply. Frustration burned through his gut and he minimized the report he had requested on Jacobs.
