“You probably shouldn’t involve yourself in this mess, Luke. I don’t want you to get any blowback,” Gramps said as he walked across the kitchen and pulled a bottle of scotch out of a cabinet, then grabbed a couple of glasses.
“Don’t worry about me, sir. And I can get the money if we need it.” Luke smiled grimly. These were good people who didn’t deserve this shit. It didn’t make sense if they were just civilians.
Gwen’s eyes widened and filled with tears. “You’d do that?”
“Princess, I’d do anything for you. I know it seems fast, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real.”
“Thank you, Luke. But that won’t be necessary. I should be able to have the money ready today or tomorrow at the latest. I guess we need to look at flights. With the time difference, we don’t want to be late.”
“You can’t fly with that kind of money, sir. There’s a limit of ten thousand cash on commercial flights.”
“Right, damn, I knew that. I’m not thinking clearly. How are we supposed to get it there? I wonder if I can have money wired to a bank in Cairo?” Gramps ran a hand through his thinning, gray hair.
“I’m hoping none of you will have to go. But you need to trust me. Can you do that?”
All three nodded, and it filled him with relief. The last thing he wanted was Gwen in Egypt when the shit hit the fan. But if she had to go, he would damn well be at her side.
“Thank you, Luke. I don’t know what we would have done without your level head.” Gramps rose from the table.
As he approached Merlin, he figured the man would shake his hand. But when Jack hugged him instead, it surprised him.
“Whether you and Gwen work out, we’ll always consider you family. I want you to know that.” With a nod, he shuffled out of the kitchen with a glass of scotch, probably to work on gathering the money. Banks didn’t make it easy to move that amount of money quickly. It would take time. Time they didn’t have.
While making another pot of coffee, Merlin’s phone buzzed. He wasn’t surprised to see Destiny’s name. She’d made excellent time.
Destiny: I’m at the front door.
Merlin: On my way.
Gwen sat with Grams at the table, holding her hand and talking. Rather than interrupt, he went to the front door to get Destiny. It was strange how things worked out. Fate seemed to play a huge part in his life. If Zip hadn’t crashed their date, Destiny wouldn’t be there now to support Gwen.
Merlin opened the door for Destiny and hugged her.
“I can’t thank you enough for doing this. And damn, you must be taking speeding lessons from Zip,” Merlin said with a smile.
“When Trent told me what had happened, you couldn’t have kept me away. What can I do?”
“I think just be with them, listen, and if they get any other calls, let me or Zip know. I don’t want Gwen doing anything without me knowing.”
Destiny tilted her head in question. “And she will be okay with that? You guys just met, right?”
“Yes, but there’s something special between us, and I will not let her get hurt.”
“Okay, He-Man, but remember what happened when Trent tried to protect me. We’re stronger than you guys give us credit for,” Destiny said as she followed him toward the kitchen.
“Noted. Oh, and one more thing, they don’t know I’m Delta. We need to keep it that way unless something changes. Okay?”
Destiny nodded. “No mention of Delta—got it.”
“Thanks, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so…”
“Alpha?” She grinned.
“Yeah. But I have a bad feeling about this situation, and now that I’ve found her, I can’t lose her.”
Destiny laid her hand on his arm, her gaze full of understanding. “Don’t worry. You go do what you need to, and I’ll do what I can here.”
Merlin gave her another quick hug and led her into the kitchen.
“Gwen, Becca,” he said, “Destiny is here.”
Destiny brushed past him into the kitchen. “I’m so sorry. When Trent told me what happened, I came as quickly as I could.”
“Thank you, but you didn’t have to,” Gwen said as they hugged each other.
“Sure, I did. It’s what friends do for each other.” Destiny smiled at the older woman. “You must be Gwen’s grandmother. I’ve heard about you.”
“Yes, and you can call me Becca. Are you one of Luke’s friends?”
“I’m engaged to one of his teammates. If you haven’t met Trent yet, I’m sure you will soon. I’m glad Merlin met Gwen. When the team got together, I was the only female for a while. There was way too much testosterone.”
Merlin smiled as the women chatted and some tension left the room. Destiny was amazing and just what they needed. “I have to get back to post, but I’ll call you as soon as I can. I’ll be back as soon as possible. If you need anything, or if you hear from the kidnappers, call me.”
Yeah, he sounded controlling and demanding, but he couldn’t help it. Even when Destiny raised an eyebrow at him.
Then he pulled his woman into his arms. He’d only planned to give her a quick kiss, but seeing her red-rimmed eyes and flushed cheeks, he wanted to give her something else to think about. The kiss bordered on frantic as need exploded between them. He needed so much more, but they had an audience and he had work to do. With regret, he pulled his lips from hers and rested his forehead against hers.
“It will be okay, princess.”
“I trust you, Luke,” she answered as she looked into his eyes, her emerald ones wary and tired but a hint of a spark remained.
Cursing himself for not remembering to bring a uniform with him to Gwen’s, Merlin stopped at home, changed, and headed to post. His CO and the team were chatting in the briefing room when he entered. Everyone was there except Sand.
He saluted Commander Turano and sat down.
Zip pushed a cup of coffee in front of him. “I figured you might need that.”
“Thanks. Is Sand coming?” Merlin asked.
“Yeah, he should be here any time. Want to fill us in? All we know is that someone kidnapped your girlfriend’s parents in Egypt. It’s unfortunate, but what makes you think it’s involved with our mission?” Turano asked.
Merlin had to take a beat to swallow his agitation. If he thought about it from his CO’s point of view, he’d be asking the same questions. Two and two didn’t necessarily equal four, and they all knew it.
“I know, sir, but it fits. Sand said there would be a kidnapping. Then their operator goes missing. In the second packet, we discovered two other operators who missed their check-in. It didn’t make sense. Why tell us about their deep-cover operator, but not the others?”
“That’s a good point, but still doesn’t prove anything.”
“No, but first Hassan went missing. No one has seen or heard from him in three days. Maybe four by now? After he’d missed his check-in, then other agents also miss theirs? The two agents mentioned in the second packet weren’t listed as missing. But they’d missed at least one check-in. I believe the Dedmonds are CIA agents. I think the Daesh broke Hassan, and then he gave up the intel on the other deep-cover operators.”
Bruce Sand walked into the briefing in the middle of Merlin’s explanation. When he’d finished, Turano stood and confronted him.
“Glad you could make it.” Sarcasm dripped from Turano’s voice. “You heard most of what Merlin said. Can you verify any of it? Or do we have to go over your head to find out the truth?”
Sand met Merlin’s gaze with respect in his eyes for the first time. It was enough to confirm his suspicions. But they still had to hear it from him.
Sand said, “I’d like to say he’s wrong, but I can’t. We’d hoped that the Dedmonds were just out of touch. It happens more often with them because of their cover. It’s a lot harder to check in if you’re in the middle of the desert with no privacy.”
“Did you know someone had kidnapped them?” Merlin asked.
“N
o, and we don’t think they have been,” Sand replied.
“What? Then why the ransom demand? And what about the proof of life?” Woof asked.
Merlin wanted to hear that answer, too.
“Can you put the POL on the screen?” Sand asked.
It took a moment for Merlin to open his email and forward it to his CO, so he could put it on the whiteboard. It was the first time he was seeing the photo full size. And he kicked himself for not looking at it more carefully.
“That picture is from a café in Cairo. I’m not sure when it was taken, but if that’s what they sent, then there’s something else going on,” Sand stated.
“So why the ransom demand?” Woof asked again.
“Because they will use the woman as bait to grab her parents. The Dedmonds must have discovered something that Daesh doesn’t want known,” Sand said.
“Is this the kidnapping you were expecting?” Jangles asked.
“Yes and no. We weren’t sure, but it was a possibility. We think the Dedmonds know the location of the attack that will happen.”
“And Hassan?” Turano asked.
Sand shook his head. “We got word earlier today that his body was found outside of Cairo. We have verified his identity but had to do it through dental records. They beheaded him and burned his body.”
Merlin closed his eyes. Gwen would be inconsolable if the same thing happened to her parents. There was no way he could allow it to happen. “What’s the plan?”
“We need to pull the Dedmonds out. Then find out the location of the planned bombing and stop it.”
“Sure, no problem,” Zip said, his words heavily laced with sarcasm.
None of them liked Sand. He’d lied to them more than once, and there was no telling if they were getting the whole truth now, either.
“What about the ransom demand?” Merlin asked.
“My suggestion would be to send the girl in with the money to draw them out. Once we have them, we’ll find out where they are planting the bomb. Hopefully, in time to stop it,” Sand replied, his expression irritated.
“Dammit. We can’t let them carry out the attack.” Merlin was barely able to restrain his anger. What he wouldn’t give for five minutes alone with Sand.
“And it’s okay to risk the daughter’s life to find out that intel?” Turano asked.
“Yes, the good of the many is more important. You all know this,” Sand insisted.
If not for Zip’s hand on his arm, Merlin would have decked the man. This was his woman. At some point, the petite redhead had stolen his heart. There was no way in hell he was going to let anyone put her in harm’s way.
“How are we going to handle that?” Turano asked.
“We’ll give her the money and fly you all over in a private plane. After that, it’s up to your team,” Sand answered.
Merlin didn’t like it. Hell, he abhorred the idea. Just thinking about Gwen being in the middle of this made his blood run cold. Stopping the terrorists’ plot was necessary, but involving Gwen was not. If her parents were hiding to avoid capture, there was no guarantee they’d even know Gwen was there or that they’d sacrifice themselves for their daughter.
“The plane will be ready by this evening. That should give you plenty of time to work out the details. Please keep me advised, Turano,” Sand said and left before they could ask anything else.
“What the fuck?” Merlin said. “Sorry, sir, but seriously. This is his plan? He could send more agents in. Why involve their daughter and a Delta Team?”
“My guess is that we still don’t know the entire story, probably never will. But there is a valid threat out there. I don’t like involving a civilian, but I don’t think we have a choice.”
Merlin fought for composure. “I don’t know how to explain this to Gwen. She doesn’t know her parents are spies or that I’m Delta. She will lose her mind.”
“You don’t have to say anything about your status. But I’d bet she’ll figure it out. As far as her parents, I wouldn’t tell her they’re spies or that the kidnapping is a ploy to capture them,” Turano said.
“What…” Merlin opened his mouth to object, but Turano raised his hand.
“Hear me out. If she thinks it’s real, she’ll react the way the tangos expect. We won’t have to worry about her giving something away, and it could save her life. I hope the Dedmonds come out of hiding before you get there. Although, I wouldn’t count on it. They are spooks.”
Merlin considered what his CO said, and it was all true. He didn’t like it, not even a little. Gwen might not forgive him for deceiving her. But it was a chance he would have to take.
Chapter 15
Gwen would have to remember to thank Luke when he called. Asking Destiny to come was the perfect distraction. Not that her parents were ever far from her thoughts, but some of Destiny’s stories about the passengers on her flights were hysterical. It was a relief to see some tension leave Grams’ face.
After dealing with the initial shock of the kidnapping, Gwen had let Luke’s words sink in. But waiting to hear from him was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. She’d drank so much coffee if she had one more cup she’d be able to teleport to Egypt.
The worst was not knowing if her parents were okay. When she’d looked at the photo again, it looked like they were enjoying coffee somewhere and were not imprisoned. In some ways, she blamed herself. Maybe if she’d stressed the danger more, they wouldn’t have gone to Egypt. From the moment they’d brought up the idea for the trip, she’d had a bad feeling.
“Staring at the phone won’t make it ring,” Destiny said gently.
Gwen put the cell phone on the table and sighed. “I know, but sitting here, waiting, is making me crazy. I need to do something.” Luke had been right. Asking Destiny to come to the bookstore to stay with them had helped to keep Gwen from losing her shit.
“There’s really nothing to do, is there? Your grandfather is working on gathering the money. We need to trust that Merlin will find you a plane.”
“Maybe we should open the bookstore,” Grams said. “It would give us something to do.”
Gwen had considered it, but then decided against it. “I don’t know when I’ll be leaving, Grams. It will be easier if we stay closed. A few days won’t hurt anything. People can still order online.”
“Yes, I guess that’s true. Maybe I’ll dust the shelves. All this coffee is making me jumpy.”
“Wouldn’t you rather bake?” Gwen prodded to give Grams a more useful chore. “I’m sure Destiny would love some of your sour cream coffee cake.”
Destiny smiled. “That sounds delicious, and you’re right, we’ve had plenty of coffee. We definitely deserve some cake.”
Gwen sighed in relief. The more time she spent with Destiny, the more she enjoyed her company. It was too bad she lived in Dallas like Belle.
“Excellent suggestion. Especially if Luke comes back and he brings his friends. We don’t have a lot to snack on,” Grams said as she got up from the table and started pulling ingredients out of the cabinets. “Do you want to help, Destiny? Gwen doesn’t cook or bake, not unless we want the Fire Department to come over.”
“Thanks, Grams. I appreciate the vote of confidence,” Gwen said with a wink at Destiny. It was true, but her grandmother took entirely too much delight in telling everyone.
Grams nodded as she turned on the oven. “You’re welcome. Why don’t you dust while Destiny and I bake?”
“I can take a hint. Call me if you need anything,” Gwen said, tucking her phone into her slacks.
The headache that had started with the phone call still pounded in her temples. The Tylenol she’d popped hadn’t made a dent. She doubted anything would. Most of her initial panic had subsided as the morning went on, but now, the later it got, the more of her fear returned. Time was passing too quickly, and it freaked her out. What if Luke couldn’t arrange a flight? How would she get to Cairo?
She didn’t even want to contemplate the whol
e money exchange. What if the kidnappers took the ransom and didn’t release her parents? Or what if they had killed them already?
Gwen’s mouth dried out, her stomach twisted, and a wave of nausea hit her hard. Sweat dotted her forehead, and she reached for the edge of the desk. Grasping it for support, she took slow, measured breaths until the panic subsided. It had been years since she’d had a panic attack, but it looked like they were back.
Finally, her breathing relaxed. She pulled the stool out to sit down and had just rested her forehead in her hands when her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and checked the screen. Luke.
“Hi, Luke. Is everything all right? I’ve been so worried.” Words poured out of Gwen’s mouth.
“Hey, princess. Yes, everything is fine. I’m sorry it took me so long to call, but I have some good news.”
“Did you find my parents?” She tried to hold back hope.
“Unfortunately, no, but we secured a plane, and the CIA has agreed to supply the ransom money. Your family doesn’t have to worry about it.”
“Why would they do that?” Warning bells rang in Gwen’s head. The US Government had a no negotiation policy. Something else had to be going on.
“I’m not sure, but I’d rather risk their money than your family’s money.”
“Very true. I’ll let Gramps know. So when do I leave?” Just thinking about sitting on the plane by herself, and her breathing hitched. Gwen counted to ten slowly, a trick she’d learned long ago to help her stay calm. She’d have to find something to keep her busy, or by the time she landed, she’d be a basket case.
“We leave at nineteen hundred—uhh, seven.”
“We? You’re coming, too?” Relief that she wouldn’t have to go alone eased the tension in her neck. She would be strong in front of everyone else, but Luke would see right through her charade.
“Not just me, you get the entire team. You won’t be alone, princess.”
“Wow, what did you say to your boss for him to allow you all to come?”
Gwen's Delta (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Delta Team Three Book 3) Page 14
