Gwen's Delta (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Delta Team Three Book 3)

by Lynne St. James

  “Sure, okay.”

  Reaching into her pocket, Gwen pulled out her phone and handed it to him to add his information to her contacts. Then he handed her his phone to add her number.

  “I’m not sure what’s going on at work, but I might be away for a bit. When I’m away, I usually can’t answer, but I promise I won’t ghost you.”

  “No problem. So, are you one of those secret soldiers?”

  Merlin smiled. He’d expected this question eventually. He couldn’t share that he was Delta Force and always kept his answers vague. “Just Army, but we get special assignments. I’ve got to go, but I’ll text you later, Gwen. Thanks again. Say bye to your grandparents for me.”

  “I will. Take care of yourself.”

  “Always,” Merlin said as he turned and headed for the door.

  The team was careful, watching out for each other’s six. But hearing her say it made it even more important.

  Chapter 3

  After Luke left for the second time, Gwen tried to focus on formatting the images in Photoshop that her parents had sent from Egypt. But her mind kept straying to the caramel-eyed man with the devastating smile.

  It had surprised her when he’d held the door for her. Had any guy she’d dated ever done that? If they had, she didn’t remember. Gramps would be pleased, and she’d tell him when Grams wasn’t around. It would be some kind of “sign” to her that Luke was the one.

  A notification popped up on her laptop—an email from her dad. It was their first time back in Cairo since the Arab Spring ten years ago. Gramps hadn’t wanted them to go. He believed it was still too dangerous, and Gwen agreed. But her parents wouldn’t listen. They’d been too excited about a lead on a collection of ancient scrolls.

  From the beginning, her grandparents had taken extra precautions to ensure that every book they purchased for the store was a legal sale. It had taken them years to accumulate enough stock to open Camelot Rare Books, but it had been a labor of love.

  But when her parents had taken over the buying, they had brought back more than books—statuary, jewelry, ancient coils, and even scrolls. They’d then updated the name to include Antiquities in the bookstore name. Gwen was young and hadn’t understood the issues with selling the other items, but as she’d gotten older and more involved in the family business, it became clear.

  After the fall of Saddam Hussein, it was more difficult to determine the provenance to ensure they were buying pieces that were legal to export. Many of the arguments between Gramps and Dad were over the antiquities portion of the business. If Gramps had his way, they’d go back to only selling rare books.

  Opening the email, Gwen expected to see more photos. Instead, he’d sent a short note, and it surprised her. Her father never wrote; neither did her mother. Any contact was about the stock for the store. They might as well have been employees and not part of the family. The only affection she received came from her grandparents.

  Gwen,

  Please don’t show this to Gramps. You know how he worries. We got a lead on another set of scrolls in a new location. I arranged for guides and should be fine, but it’ll take an extra couple of days. We’ll be in touch as soon as we can.

  Dad

  New location? They knew better than that, especially without telling her where they were going. She’d have no way to know if they were safe, but then, they rarely thought about whether she’d worry. They only thought about Gramps giving them a tough time when they returned.

  She ran her hands through her hair, then took her glasses off and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Why couldn’t they have stuck with the itinerary she’d prepared for them? She was the child, but they were the ones who acted like they were in high school. Should she tell her grandparents even though he asked her not to? The churning in the pit of her stomach only happened when she had to deal with her parents. Their focus was always on the “prize” they were trying to get.

  If she thought it would make a difference, she’d call them, but they wouldn’t answer, they never did. The same with emails. They got on the computer long enough to send photos and notes about what they’d purchased.

  It was probably too late, but she replied to her dad, hoping that for once he’d listen to her. If she was lucky, maybe he was still on the computer.

  “What’s wrong?” Gramps asked from behind her.

  Startled, Gwen jumped and dropped her glasses. She had just hit send and was staring at the screen, hoping her dad would reply. “Nothing, why?”

  “Because you’re sitting there, staring at whatever is on the screen and have been for about five minutes. Is there something wrong with it?”

  “No, nothing, I was just daydreaming.”

  “About that handsome soldier, Merlin?” Grams asked as she appeared next to Gramps.

  “He goes by either Merlin or Luke, but I think Luke fits him better.” Just thinking about him made Gwen grin. She hoped he hadn’t gotten in trouble for being late.

  “Becca, what did we talk about? If Gwen wants your help with her love life, she’ll ask for it.” Gramps winked.

  He’d been her hero her entire life, always there when she needed him. As she looked up into the gleam in his blue eyes, she smiled. Gramps was tall, like her dad, and still had a full head of hair, though it had changed from almost black to white years ago. It didn’t matter. As far as Gwen was concerned, he still looked the same as always.

  Gwen appreciated his help, but they both knew there would be no distracting Grams. If they wanted to believe she was daydreaming about Luke, she was okay with that. It was better than Gramps finding out about her parents’ change of plans.

  “Yes, Grams, because of Luke. He bought The Life of Merlin book we had in the back cabinet for years.”

  “Really?” Gramps said, raising an eyebrow. “That’s an expensive book.”

  “Yes. Apparently, collecting rare books was something he did with his grandfather. It kind of reminded me of us, you know? I guess this one was on his list after he acquired his nickname.”

  “Those were some delightful times. Looking back, though, we probably gave you unrealistic expectations of romance with all the stories about knights, kings, and princes,” Grams said.

  “Where did that come from?” Gwen asked, surprised by the comment.

  “You told us yourself, Gwen. I still remember when you called after a really bad date while you were in college. What was his name—Ronald? No, not that. Oh yeah, Randolph. You’d said he was no King Arthur, and he’d never take you to Camelot,” Grams said.

  “Are you sure you’re not making that up? I don’t remember anything like that.”

  Maybe she had; she’d thought it often enough. Gwen didn’t date much, mostly because after one or two times out, the guys showed their true selves and were complete jerks. The only reason she wasn’t a virgin anymore was because of a one-night stand in her senior year of college. It had been a horrible experience. Now, seven years later, her hymen had probably grown back from lack of use. Thank God for vibrators.

  “I’m not.”

  “Sorry, Gwenie-Bee, she’s not. I remember it, too,” Gramps said.

  “Well, if I did, you only have yourselves to blame,” she said with a grin.

  She hopped off the stool to hug them. Mid-hug, her phone pinged. She’d forgotten she’d left it on the desk after Luke added his number.

  “Who’s that? Luke?” Grams asked.

  “Becca…”

  Gwen grabbed the phone. She already knew it wasn’t an email from her dad, because that would have shown up on the computer, too. And that would have sucked. Her eagle-eyed grandparents would have noticed.

  Merlin: Hi. Thank you again for the coffee date.

  “It is him. Look at her pink cheeks,” Grams said.

  Gwen ignored her as she typed. Was she happy he’d texted? Oh, hell yeah. It was one more point in his favor. He was checking a lot of boxes on her list for the perfect man, but just because he’d acted like a gentleman an
d had been considerate didn’t mean she had to fall head over heels for him.

  Gwen: I enjoyed it. I’m glad we went. I hope you enjoy the book.

  “What did he say? Is he asking for another date,” Grams asked, sounding like a child about to get ice cream.

  “No, not yet. He just said thank you for coffee. He was called into work. I think he might have to go away for a while.”

  “Well, damn.” Disappointment made her cross her arms and pout.

  “Grams, don’t you think you’re overreacting a bit?”

  “No, not this time. There’s something about him. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel it. I saw the look on your face. It’s the Dedmond Blessing. I know he’s the one for you.”

  Gwen knew this was coming and didn’t even try to hide her eye roll. “He is nice, he was polite, and he loves books. But that doesn’t mean he’s my ‘one.’ It will take a lot more than that to convince me.”

  Merlin: I know I will. Got to go. I can’t wait to see you again. Later.

  Grams pulled her close and looked into Gwen’s eyes. It always surprised her that they were the same height, since her grandmother had always seemed larger than life.

  “I understand, but please, Gwenie-Bee, promise me you will keep an open mind and an open heart.” Determination set in Grams’ jaw.

  How could she refuse? Besides, there was definitely something between them—only the beginning of a something—but a something just the same.

  “I promise.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Now that you’ve forced her into compliance, Becca, can you let her get back to work?” Then Gramps dragged her grandmother toward the kitchen at the back of the converted store area.

  Camelot Rare Books had started out as a dilapidated farmhouse, and after years of arduous work by Gramps, it served as their home and the bookstore.

  While trying to concentrate on getting the last of the items entered into the computer, Gwen’s mind kept straying to thoughts of Luke. Was he serious about seeing her again? It seemed like it. Why would he have texted her at all if he weren’t? Shaking her head, she giggled to herself. Thinking about him made her giddy. Maybe Grams was right, and she’d really find her prince.

  After heading home to drop off the book and change into his uniform, Merlin made it back to post in less than ten minutes. He’d had to hustle since he was sure the rest of the team was waiting for him. Based on Roe’s text, it appeared they’d be heading out. He’d hoped they’d have more downtime before they had another mission. He’d been looking forward to spending the evening relaxing with the book and a beer or two. They’d only been back in Texas for two days after a rescue mission in Turkey.

  “Sorry to hold you up, Sir,” Merlin said to Roe as he entered the briefing room where the team waited.

  He grabbed the empty chair next to Trent “Zip” Dawkins and nodded to the others around the table. Merlin was the oldest by a couple of years, and the gray hair at his temples made him look even older. He was also their unofficial team leader, not only because of his age but his uncanny ability to sense danger. As he’d told Gwen over coffee, they thought he was part warlock.

  “No problem, Merlin. I was hoping not to have to call you in on your day off, but there’s been a development in Egypt.” Commander Turano stated.

  “It’s been quiet there for a while. I guess our luck ran out,” Merlin commented.

  After removing Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood from office in two thousand thirteen, the years of rebellion had finally seemed to stabilize. It figured that just in time for Ramadan, the shit would hit the fan.

  “Apparently, it’s not as quiet as we thought. The CIA contacted command and shared that one of their deep-cover agents reported a surge in activity.”

  “Fuck. Do we want to know which group he’s with?” Merlin asked. That left several choices, and they went from bad to worse, with Daesh being the worst.

  “Daesh,” Turano answered.

  Fuck. He hated being right. Even though the Daesh-Sinai had been quieter since late last year, they were gaining followers as ISIS had grown in power. Merlin had researched the distinct groups, always hoping to find out something that would help them.

  “Any idea what they’re planning?” Heath “Woof” Davis asked.

  As much as it disappointed Merlin to lose the time off, Woof had it worse. He’d planned to fly to DC to spend a week with his girlfriend, Nori. She’d tried to get time off, but her job at the State Department was too busy. He’d hoped to surprise her.

  “On the last check-in, their asset said they were planning on kidnapping an American couple,” Turano answered.

  “That’s not their usual mode of operation. Don’t they stick to military targets?” Merlin asked. His research told him they differed from how the rest of ISIS operated.

  “You’re right, but times have changed. We think they’ve brought in fresh blood from one of the ISIS groups in Syria.”

  “Have there been any kidnappings reported?” Woof asked. “Or are we just assuming it will happen based on intel?”

  “The CIA insists that their guy hasn’t been wrong yet. As of now, there have been no incidents reported. But that could change at any moment. These are some surveillance photos the CIA sent over. We believe this is their base of operations.”

  Merlin and the guys gathered around Turano as he spread the images on the table.

  “It’s barren desert,” Woof said.

  “How are we supposed to get in there without detection?” Zip asked.

  “Does the CIA know the targets?” Merlin asked, adding to the questions they hoped Turano could answer. The more he studied the photos, the less Merlin liked the thought of dropping into the middle of the Sinai with no cover.

  “Nothing so far, but their operator is supposed to check-in early morning Cairo time. I need you back here for a briefing at zero eight hundred. Stay close to post just in case the shit hits the fan.”

  “Copy that, sir,” the team replied.

  “Typical CIA shit,” Magnus “Duff” McCormick groused with his usual bluntness. While they were a tight-knit team, Duff usually kept a bit of distance, and it seemed safer that way.

  “The CIA will have a briefing packet for us. With any luck, it will be before we need to head out,” Turano said with a sigh.

  “And if not, we just drop in blind and hope we can find their operator and the HVTs?” Zip asked what they all wanted to know.

  This would be Zip’s first mission since he’d returned from medical leave. He’d almost died during an attack in Killeen after a tango had tracked him down. It was a spillover from one of their missions and never should have happened.

  Talk about a clusterfuck. The cold reality had hit them hard when they realized they weren’t as invisible as they thought. Zip and Woof worried about the women they were dating, and it had caused issues in their relationships. For Merlin, it had been another reason to remain single…until he’d had a special coffee date with Gwen. Could he put her through the worry?

  Turano said, “Most likely, except they want to keep their operator embedded.”

  “You’re telling me that the CIA doesn’t give a shit that their operator’s cover will be blown when we show up?” Merlin asked.

  “Supposedly they’ve given him an exit plan. I’m hoping to have more intel for the morning briefing.” Turano closed the lid of the laptop and gathered the images from the table. “Anything else?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Excellent. See you at zero eight hundred.”

  The door had barely closed behind Roe when Zip turned to Merlin with a devious glint in his eye. “Where the hell were you? Roe almost started without you. It was obvious he was getting impatient.”

  “If I’d known about this meeting, I would have stayed home. But since I had the day off, I drove over to Lancelot to check out a bookstore.” Merlin counted down the seconds until they started in on him. They thought it was hysterical that he collected books.
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  “That’s where you went on your day off?” The dour look on Duff’s face said it all.

  “Yeah, it surprised me to find a bookstore that sold rare books around here. So I went to check it out. It’s a tiny town, but it has excellent coffee.”

  “Maybe we should start a book club?” Woof teased.

  “I would if any of you asshats could read.”

  “Fucker,” Zip said with a laugh.

  Merlin expected worse from his brothers in arms. It was part of being a family, one that would give their lives for each other. The goal was to make sure they didn’t have to, and they’d been lucky so far. They’d had some close calls, though, like with Zip.

  “We need to go with you next time,” Woof added.

  “No way in hell,” Duff grumbled.

  “As long as you don’t start any shit. I don’t want you fucking with Gwen or her grandparents.” Damn. What was going on in his head? There had been absolutely no reason to bring up Gwen or her grandparents. Was it a subconscious need to talk to the guys? He never reacted to a woman like this, and he’d be lying if he didn’t acknowledge that scared him.

  “Wait. Who’s Gwen? And grandparents? Oh, this is good. You need to tell us everything,” Woof said. “This just got a lot more interesting.”

  “Yeah, but let’s grab some brews at the Ugly Mug,” Zip added.

  “There’s nothing to tell, so don’t get your hopes up.” Merlin groaned. He knew how to keep his mouth shut. He was as good at it as Duff but without the ornery part. So why the hell had he brought up Gwen?

  “Whatever,” Beau “Jangles” Talbot said as they headed for their vehicles. He was the pretty boy on their team. Every team had one.

  But Jangles and Merlin had stayed single along with Duff. The three bachelors needed to stick together.

  Chapter 4

  Merlin had trouble finding a spot to park in the crowded lot. After Lefty, one of the Delta Team 2 operators, had told them about the Ugly Mug, it became their go-to hangout. They’d fit right into the relaxed atmosphere. Even better, it was next door to BF’s Shooting Range. For Merlin, it was like coming home, since it reminded him of the bar he’d hang out in with his friends back in Omaha.