Cairo was dirtier than she expected, and as they moved through the city, it was interesting to see the old and the new sections. Lost in thought, Gwen didn’t realize they’d stopped in front of the apartment building until Luke murmured into her ear.
“We’re here, princess.”
Gwen stepped out of the minivan and looked around. It was kind of exciting to know she was actually in Egypt even if it was because she had to rescue her parents. A shiver slid down her spine.
“Are you okay?” Luke asked as he took her elbow and led her into the building. The air conditioning in the lobby was a welcomed relief, although the guys didn’t seem to notice.
“Yes,” she said.
After crowding into the elevator, Zip pushed the button for the eighth floor. Woof and Jangles were the first ones out, followed by Duff and Zip. She and Luke were last. They waited by the elevator while his teammates checked out the floor and apartment. A few minutes later, Jangles signaled the all clear.
The apartment could have been in the middle of Houston and looked brand new. Not at all what she expected when they’d said safe house. Gwen had expected some little studio apartment tucked into a back alley somewhere. Like the plane had been, this was like a first-class vacation property.
Luke’s arms slid around her waist, and he pulled her against his chest as she stood in front of the large windows overlooking the city.
“Not what you expected?”
“No, not at all. You don’t even want to know what I was expecting.” Gwen leaned back into his warmth, her skin suddenly cold.
He chuckled, and she smiled at the rumble in his chest.
“Like the plane, these are not our usual accommodations.”
“I figured. But I’m grateful to whoever arranged it.”
Luke didn’t respond, but his arms tightened, and she wondered what he was thinking.
“There are two bedrooms. I’ll be staying with you, but we’ll rotate guard duty until this is over. I put your bag in the first one. There’s food and drinks in the refrigerator. You should be safe as long as you stay inside. Okay?”
“Yes. I got it. No going outside unless you say so.” Gwen turned around in his arms and looked up at him. Since they’d left Killeen, the lines in his face seemed a little deeper, and his eyes no longer smiled.
“Pretty much. I need to keep you safe. Do you need anything?”
“Water and the computer. Ever since you’d mentioned they’d probably email with the next steps, I’ve been worried. What if they sent one before we left, and I didn’t see it?”
“We’re setting up in the dining room now. You’ll be able to check in a few minutes. But remember, they don’t expect you to be here yet.”
“True, thank you. I mean it, Luke. Thank you for everything.”
His smile shouldn’t have sent shivers of desire down her spine, but it did. Then his kiss stole her breath away.
“We’re ready,” Zip said from somewhere behind them, and Gwen jumped.
“Easy, princess.”
“Sorry,” she said with a rueful smile. They were all so damn stealthy.
“Roe sent an update,” Woof said when they entered the dining room.
They’d set the table up like some kind of command center. There were five laptops and some other equipment she didn’t recognize. Then, she noticed the trunk placed against the wall. The lid was open, and it was full of weapons. No wonder she didn’t see any on the plane.
“Do you get crates of firearms in all your safe houses?”
“What?” Luke asked, then followed her gaze. “Sure, it’s part of the vacation package, ma’am.”
“That’s one perk I’ve never gotten,” she teased, trying not to let the sight of the weapons freak her out. There were more than she would expect for five men to need.
“I sure hope not,” Zip said with a smile.
“You can use this laptop while we’re here. This is the password.” Luke handed her a piece of paper with a sixteen-digit combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. They weren’t messing around with security, that’s for sure.
“Do I have to memorize this?”
“No, you don’t. But I bet you could if you needed to.”
She appreciated the vote of confidence, but she wasn’t sure. As she typed the password, her hands trembled, forcing her to start over more than once. Finally, she got the computer unlocked and typed in her email. It took longer to update than usual, but it was probably all the levels of security in the laptop.
After what felt like an hour but was probably less than five minutes, Gwen’s email loaded. And just as Luke predicted, there was a message from the same address as the proof of life. The time stamp was only from about an hour ago. Maybe they already knew she was in Cairo.
“They emailed me.” Gwen’s voice sounded wobbly. The team gathered around her. But it was Luke’s firm hand on her shoulder that gave her the strength to open it.
It is good you arrived before your deadline. Be at the Tamara Café, Abd El-Khalik Tharwat at 9 am. Place the bag under the table closest to the kitchen. Come alone. We’ll be watching. If you follow these instructions, we will return your parents to you unharmed. If you don’t do exactly as we say, the only way you’ll see them again is in pieces.
Thank God she was sitting down. As her mind absorbed the words, she trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. Who were they? How could they do this to innocent people? The only reason her parents were in Egypt was to buy pieces of art to share with the world. They didn’t deserve this. No one did.
“You were right; they were watching the airport,” Woof commented.
“It’s what I would have done in their place. I’d hoped for more time,” Luke responded.
“I have to go alone. You saw their instructions,” Gwen murmured more to herself than anyone else.
“No, you’re not going alone. But it will look like you are. They’ll never know we’re there unless we want them to.”
“But if they…” Gwen shuddered at the possibilities.
“They won’t. Trust me, this is what we do. We’re ghosts.”
She wanted to trust him, to believe him, but if he was wrong, she’d never see her parents again. As the full impact of the situation hit her, she jumped up and knocked over the chair. “Bathroom?”
“Down the hall,” Zip answered.
Running down the hallway, Gwen threw open the door and barely made it to the toilet before she vomited. She didn’t realize Luke had followed her until he held her hair and rubbed her back while she heaved. When she finally leaned back from the toilet with tears pouring down her face, he handed her a damp washcloth.
“I can’t lose them, Luke. I just can’t.”
He sat on the floor and pulled her onto his lap. Holding her close, his voice rumbled against her head. “You won’t lose them, princess.”
Turning her face into his chest, she let the tears fall. She didn’t care if she wasn’t strong. They were all in extreme danger, and it rocked her to her core.
Chapter 18
Merlin seethed with pent-up anger. The desire to end the men threatening his woman was overwhelming. Gwen had been inconsolable. He’d held her and offered what comfort he could as they sat on the bathroom floor. When her tears finally tapered off, he carried her into their room and put her in bed.
Gwen begged him to stay with her until she fell asleep, and though he had work to do, he couldn’t leave her side. As he stretched out on the bed, he pulled her against him. She rested her head on his chest and a few remaining tears dampened his T-shirt.
Torn between wanting to hunt down the tangos and stay by her side to keep her safe, Merlin’s heart warred with his head, his training—everything he’d been for the last ten years. It was the reason he’d never settled down, never opened himself up to being in a long-term relationship. But even as the thoughts flitted through his mind, he realized he wouldn’t give up one moment of life with the woman at his side. He’d ju
st have to adapt, and he did that very well.
As her breathing steadied, he slid out from under her, taking care not to wake her. Soundlessly, he closed the door behind him and went down the hall. The team was sitting at the dining room table, working on their laptops.
“How is she?” Zip asked when he noticed Merlin watching them from the doorway.
“I’m not sure. Devastated. Broken. Pick one. It’s exactly what I wanted to avoid. I swear, if I ever get my hands on Sand, I will shred him.” Merlin paced the room as he vibrated with anger.
“I get it; we all do. But it’s not his fault. It’s the op, it’s always the op,” Woof said.
It didn’t matter. Even though Woof was right, Merlin needed a punching bag, and Sand, the motherfucker, was the perfect option.
“You need to calm the fuck down. Nothing has changed except the timeline,” Duff growled. That was more than Duff usually said, and it broke through the blackness in Merlin’s head.
After a deep breath, he stalked over to the table and reread the email. They had less than twenty-four hours to put their plan into place. Merlin looked over his shoulder at the closed bedroom door. Then he locked his feelings for Gwen in a box and shoved it into the back of his brain. It was time to put all his focus into the mission. When they got back home, he’d unlock the box…if she didn’t dump him when she found out the truth that there was more to this mission.
Two hours later, they’d changed the plan to adapt to the new parameters. The drop off in the café would make it easier to monitor the surroundings. They’d have to dress as locals to blend in since members of Daesh could have identified them. Duff would take the inside surveillance as he would blend better than the rest of them.
Woof would cover the back of the building with Jangles, and Merlin and Zip would watch the front. They were the best of the best as far as teams went, but not knowing who all the players were made it more difficult. But they had prepared for every scenario they could imagine.
“I want to check out the neighborhood. Make sure we’re not missing anything,” Merlin said as he pulled out a Ka-Bar and a Sig from the weapons crate. Lifting the leg of his tan, chino pants, he slid the knife into his boot. Then he tucked the gun into his waistband. To make sure he had it concealed, he slid a khaki button-down shirt over his black tee.
“I’ll come, too,” Duff said as he loaded up with weapons from the trunk.
After an intense discussion, Zip stayed behind to watch over Gwen, and the others went with him to check out the café. Since Zip had met her more than once, they hoped she’d feel more comfortable with him. They’d tried to convince Merlin to stay with her, but he was in charge, and he needed to make sure everyone stayed safe.
The safe house was within walking distance of the café. But even in mid-afternoon, the streets were overcrowded with people and cars. As the team wove their way through the people, Merlin figured it would be the same the next morning. Rather than have Gwen struggle with the heavy bag and the crowds, she’d be better off taking a taxi to the restaurant.
Not wanting to leave anything to chance, he made a mental note to call the driver from earlier.
The men spread out once they approached the Tamara and checked out every conceivable angle of attack. Duff got the cushy job of checking out the inside and sampling the baked goods.
The closer they got to the restaurant area, the worse it got. It would be a cluster fuck at zero nine hundred. The terrorists had planned well. If the tangos escaped out either the front or back door, they’d disappear into the crowd in seconds. Their only option would be to get them before they left the café. It was also the most dangerous with the greatest likelihood of civilian casualties.
After their thorough recon of the area, they returned to the safe house. Each of them took a different circuitous route to reduce the odds of being followed. Merlin was the last to return. It surprised him that Gwen was still sleeping.
“She never woke up?” he asked Zip after checking on her.
“No. I checked on her every thirty mikes.”
“Do you think she’ll be okay tomorrow?” Woof asked.
“Fuck if I know. We don’t have any other options,” Merlin answered. He ran his hand through his hair.
“I’ll be fine; you don’t have to worry. I won’t let you down.” Gwen’s soft voice came from behind them.
Damn, if she hadn’t snuck up on all of them. Roe would never let them live it down if he found out. As she stood in the dining room doorway, she looked like a Valkyrie ready to rain fire down on her enemies. It was as if she’d undergone a metamorphosis while she’d rested.
His heart squeezed as his eyes met hers. She was stunning, radiating determination with hands clenched into fists. Her auburn hair framed her face, accentuating the anger in her emerald eyes. Gone was his gentle bookworm. Whether it was forever, he’d have to wait and see.
“Holy shit,” Zip murmured just loud enough for Merlin to hear.
Merlin wasn’t sure what to say. All he could do was stare at the woman who owned his heart. He may not want to admit it, but his heart wouldn’t let him deny it. After taking a deep breath, he stepped forward to kiss Gwen’s forehead. Expecting her to be burning hot, her cool skin was a surprise.
“I know you won’t, princess. None of us ever thought you would,” he answered. The rest of the team murmured their agreement.
“Good. From the way y’all look, I’m guessing you just got back. Is there an update for tomorrow’s plan?”
“Yes. We checked out the café, and we tweaked a few things. And added a back-up plan or three.”
“Did they send another email?”
“No, but we didn’t expect them to. They don’t want us to find out where they’re located. The more contact they have, the more likelihood that we’ll find them.”
“Okay, that makes sense. Before you explain everything, can we eat something? I’m starving.”
Damn. None of them had eaten after the snacks after takeoff. Merlin should have thought about food earlier, but the shit had hit the fan almost as soon as they’d arrived.
“We could heat up the frozen pizzas,” Zip said as he looked in the freezer. “Or there’s sandwich stuff.”
“I vote for pizza,” Gwen said, and no one objected.
While dinner baked, they sat at the table and went over Plan A, B, and C. Back up plans were mandatory in their line of work since their initial plan went sideways more often than not. Usually, they were lucky if they executed Plan C. Merlin hoped the money exchange went smoothly, but he didn’t count on it. They needed this to go off without a hitch, and that scared him the most since it rarely happened.
After dinner, they went over the plan until no one had questions. Gwen practically vibrated with tension, and Merlin wondered if she’d be able to sleep at all. When Zip pulled out the playing cards and suggested a rematch, Merlin could have hugged him.
While they played, Merlin pulled up all the intel they had and went through it one more time. The guys knew the routine. It was part of his process, and one that had saved their asses countless times. But when he didn’t come up with anything new or a reason to change their plan, he was ready to stop for the night. Just as he planned on breaking up the game, an encrypted message came in from Roe.
Skimming his CO’s email, he ground his jaw together to keep from losing it. Roe had contacted some of his connections and discovered that Sand was running a simultaneous op. There was no proof yet, but Merlin would bet his salary that it involved Gwen’s parents.
Contemplating how he wanted to reply, he looked over his shoulder at the laughing group in the next room. All except for Gwen, who met his eyes with a solemn expression. He grinned and hoped she couldn’t see the anger he struggled to swallow.
After answering Roe, he came up with a Plan D, and he prayed to God he wouldn’t need it. While they finished the game, he cleaned up from dinner, loaded the dishwasher, and then went to grab a shower.
The heat fro
m the water helped ease the stiffness in his shoulders and the frustration churning in his head. He was no stranger to messed up ops. Before he’d joined Delta Force, he’d been an Army Ranger. There had been a lot of fucked-up missions back then, and he’d lost two of his teammates during one clusterfuck mission. After that, he’d learned how to meditate, to center himself, and to focus.
Merlin closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Then he exhaled, focusing on the sound of the water. As he repeated the exercise, his focus returned, and most of the tension in his neck eased.
He turned off the water, stepped out of the shower, and grabbed a towel. After drying off, he looked for his clothes.
“Fuck. I must have left them on the bed,” he grumbled. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he walked out of the steam-filled bathroom and right into Gwen on the other side of the door.
As he grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling, the towel dropped to the floor. “I’m sorry, I didn’t expect…” he murmured as her gaze traveled over him. The longer she looked, the harder he got.
“My fault entirely,” she whispered as she met his eyes. “Do you need some help with that?” She pointed at his throbbing erection.
Oh, fuck. If she touched him, he was a goner.
Gwen couldn’t resist and slid a finger over the head of Luke’s cock and down the length. It twitched as she caressed the silky skin, slowly dragging her finger up and down his length. Luke’s groan filled her with satisfaction. She had the power this time, and she intended to use it.
She’d never given anyone a blowjob or even had a penis in her mouth, and she was curious. When a drop of moisture formed on the head, Gwen couldn’t resist bending and giving it a lick. A burst of salt hit her tongue, and she wondered if it would be the same or different when he came. But she wouldn’t find out while standing in the bathroom doorway.
Gwen's Delta (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Delta Team Three Book 3) Page 17
