by Becky Harmon
She didn’t need a woman in her life permanently. Too many complications. Tamara went home every night to her wife and they had found a way to make it work, but Vince, like her, had never shown an interest in dating. Thankfully, she had never had to have the coming-out talk with him. Tamara was a lesbian, but she had never talked to her about it either. She grew up, she liked women, and that’s the way it was. She couldn’t remember ever struggling with her sexuality. She had always felt free to be who she was.
Her mind conjured up the photo of the ambassador at the Marine Corps Marathon. The tight running clothes that left little to the imagination. The strength and the resilience that completing the grueling course attested to were traits that the ambassador would need as she faced whatever this country threw at her.
She took another deep breath. The easy teasing between them was a luxury she wished she could enjoy. But the truth was nothing had occurred between them that would make her think Ellie might be interested in her. Or in any woman, for that matter. The background file on the ambassador hadn’t mentioned any marriages or even a long-term relationship. Whatever that meant, now wasn’t the time for anything that didn’t pertain to the mission. She would file all these thoughts in the back of her mind and focus on her job.
Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Ellie.
Chapter Nine
Sunday morning arrived faster than Angel expected, and she groaned as the alarm on her watch vibrated. She climbed into the shower and took a moment to wake up under the cold spray before spinning the dial for warmer water.
Still naked, she quickly unpacked and hung her uniforms in the closet. She had brought one blue matching cargo shirt in addition to six sets of identical blue cargo pants and black polos. She preferred the dressier black shirt in this type of environment, but the cargo shirt was good for blending in with her team, if needed.
Dressed in a clean uniform, she stared at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t prone to analyzing her own looks or even comparing herself to others. Vince had told her once that she had a strong chin. Whatever that meant. To her it sounded like something you would say to a man, but she knew Vince meant it as a compliment. Her face and arms held a light tan, a benefit of living in the Sunshine State. She was fit and trim too. She worked out whenever possible, keeping her body strong and able to do what she required of it.
She guessed that some women might call her attractive, but it wasn’t a requirement in her work and that was what mattered to her most. That said, it wasn’t hard for her to find some faults. It seemed like her hair always needed cut. The longer strands were starting to fall across her face more often. Six hours of sleep had cleared the bags from under her eyes. The stiffness in her muscles as she headed out reminded her, however, that she would need to make time to visit the gym today.
She located Eric at the gatehouse as he was arriving for his shift. He looked rested and his dark eyes were clear. She leaned in the doorway and listened as the off-going shift relayed the details of their quiet night. Eric stood between the two marines he would be spending the day with. Though they each had several inches in height on him, his muscular biceps and wide chest made them look almost scrawny. Angel consulted her tablet and studied the names of the off-going shift and Eric’s two companions. When they had finished reviewing their agenda for their shift, Eric stepped outside with her.
“Everything seem okay so far?” she asked.
“Sure.” He gazed at the crowd outside the gate. “I wish our backup was closer.”
“Yeah, me too.” She didn’t have to explain why they still didn’t have what they both believed they needed.
“Sarah’s good with the layout of the embassy,” he said. “I watched the surveillance you sent from Rodriquez.”
“Good. I’ll keep sending you the footage. Call if you need something.”
She glanced quickly at Ellie’s window as she passed underneath it, recalling the way the ambassador had looked yesterday as she leaned casually against the wall while she waited for Angel to peruse her bedroom. Comparing Ellie’s calm demeanor to the nervous energy she was feeling inside, Angel hoped she would have time to hit the gym sooner rather than later.
* * *
Ellie watched the red GPS light move across her computer screen, tracking Angel’s trek from the gatehouse to the roof. She had promised herself she was not going to spend the day watching her move around the embassy, but as soon as she had seen her outside the window this morning that plan had evaporated. When Angel’s light turned toward her office a few minutes later, she quickly closed her laptop and pulled out a few files that she should have reviewed and signed off on the previous day. Her private line rang and she was relieved at the distraction.
“Ambassador Turner.”
“How’s things going?” Micalah asked.
“Everything’s fine.” Ellie strained to hear Angel’s voice as Chloe explained she was on the phone. Angel’s voice was too low for her to hear the response, but whatever she said made Chloe giggle. Ellie fought back a grimace, jealous, she realized, that Chloe was able to show her admiration of Angel so openly.
“Ellie?” Micalah said, demanding her complete attention.
“What?”
“I asked if the crowd had dissipated.”
“No.” Irritation flooded through her when Chloe giggled again. She wanted to get off the phone. “I have a briefing.”
“With Angel McTaggart?”
“Why do you ask that?”
“I’m only making an assumption since you haven’t heard a word I’ve said this entire phone call.”
“I have a security briefing. Okay?”
“Okay. Okay. Call me later?”
“Yes.” Ellie hung up without waiting for Micalah to say goodbye.
She walked to the door of her office and appraised the friendly way Angel leaned one hip against the side of Chloe’s desk. She tried to remove all emotion from her face as she interrupted their conversation. “Chloe.”
Chloe glanced at her and the smile dropped from her face. “Yes, ma’am.” She motioned at Angel. “The Angel is here for your briefing.” She giggled again before finding something on her desk that needed her immediate focus.
Ellie shook her head and motioned for Angel to follow her inside. She waited until Angel entered and then closed the door. As the click of the door latching into place resonated through her office, she wished she could open it again. She seldom closed her office door even during meetings, and she knew it would be noticed by her staff. She wasn’t even sure why she had done it, only that she wanted Angel to herself for a few minutes. Shaking her head again, she walked behind her desk. She was already out of sorts and the day had barely started.
Taking a seat in her chair, she finally glanced at Angel. There was a hint of a grin playing in her eyes and she almost expected her to wink. As anxious as she had been for Angel to arrive, now she wanted her gone. This was her terrain and Angel was an intruder. She struggled to regain control.
She removed her glasses, laying them on the desk in front of her. “I apologize for Chloe’s behavior, but something tells me this will be an ongoing thing. She seems to be quite taken with you.”
Angel shrugged.
Ellie watched her face. What did the shrug mean? She didn’t care or it didn’t matter? Or was she used to that kind of attention? Of course she was. She was beautiful. The smooth lines of her face gave way to the muscular cords of her neck. Her six-foot height gave her a strong, protective appearance.
Ellie swallowed hard, pulling her gaze away and trying to focus her thoughts on security issues and not on Angel’s hair. The wind on the rooftop had given it an adorable tousled look that Angel apparently found annoying. It was just long enough to continually drop into her face and she was constantly pushing it back with one fluid motion. A movement that Ellie was beginning to find extremely sexy.
She barely heard Angel’s briefing as she battled to keep her face unreadable. Each time she raised her eyes they connec
ted with Angel’s, and though Angel continued to talk, she had a quizzical look on her face.
When Angel finished, Ellie dismissed her with barely a nod, returning to the paperwork in front of her—and cursing her libido. To say she was displeased with her lack of professionalism would be an understatement. It had been a long time, admittedly, but this definitely was not the time or the place to be reminded of the frustrations that were an almost inescapable component of the work she had chosen.
She took a deep breath, stood, and stretched. She mentally hit reset on her day as she walked to the coffeemaker beside Chloe’s desk.
“I would have brought you a cup,” Chloe said softly.
She turned as she stirred cream into her coffee.
“I know and I appreciate it. Next time.”
She gave Chloe a sincere smile, hoping to convey that everything was okay now that she had her head on straight. Resisting the urge to check on Angel’s whereabouts, she paced and sipped her coffee. Maybe now would be a good time to visit the gym.
* * *
Angel located Miller and went over a few issues with him before returning to her room. The flight yesterday and the tension from Ellie were hitting her in waves, and she desperately needed a workout. She changed into gray cotton gym shorts and a light blue tank top. She was pleased to see she was the only one interested in working out in the middle of the day. She chose a treadmill in the corner where she had a view of the room and began a moderate walk that soon moved into a slow run.
As she settled into a comfortable pace, she thought about the look on Ellie’s face when she had interrupted Angel’s conversation with Chloe. She had seen what—possessiveness? The surprise on Ellie’s face after she closed the door had almost made Angel laugh. Maybe she wasn’t the only one battling feelings she wasn’t used to.
She had taken advantage of Ellie’s distraction by mentioning the lone man on the wall. She hadn’t made a conscious decision not to tell her, but she had planned to wait until she knew if he was the man responsible for everything or only someone hired to do a job. She hoped she would have all the answers if Ellie decided to question her later.
As she ran, she regularly glanced at the tablet propped beside her, keeping an eye on Ellie’s GPS signal. It was easy to tell herself that she was only watching to make sure Ellie remained safe. Now if she could only make the flutter in her stomach go away, she might be able to believe her intentions were pure.
She held her breath as Ellie’s light came close to the gym and then turned toward her own suite. Forty minutes would have to be enough for today. She needed to clear the floor before Ellie came back out of her room, and a nice cold shower was in her future.
* * *
Ellie pulled open the door to the gym and entered, taking in the familiar scent of sweat and cleanser. Before she could take another step, she collided with an unmovable object. Strong hands grasped her shoulders, stopping her mid-fall. And leaving her staring directly at Angel’s chest. She quickly moved her gaze from the supple mounds there to meet Angel’s eyes.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you,” she said quickly, watching the darkness in Angel’s eyes deepen.
“No problem. Have a nice workout.”
She watched Angel disappear into the stairwell, her clothing soaked with sweat and clinging to her in a way that accentuated her wide shoulders, narrow waist, and the slight curve of her tight butt. Ellie groaned as she realized her reasons for working out had just multiplied.
She took a seat on the stationary bike. Of all the equipment in the room this was her least favorite, but she really needed to sit for a few minutes. Her attraction to Angel was influencing her ability to perform her everyday functions. She needed to get her feelings under control. She tried to block the image of Angel’s sweat-soaked body from her mind and concentrate on the work she should be focusing on today, starting with security issues.
There had been no gunfire yesterday or today. Did it stop because of the arrival of Angel’s team? The crowd didn’t seem to be changing their demeanor or growing in size. Why were they there? She thought about her conversation with Sam. Someone needed to try again to find out if they had demands. She would ask Angel at their evening briefing. She was fairly sure she wouldn’t agree to let her outside the gate, but maybe Angel or someone from her team would have better luck negotiating on the embassy’s behalf.
* * *
Angel felt refreshed after her cold shower, but unfortunately it had done nothing to stop the image of the taut body covered by Ellie’s tight red workout shirt and black shorts from popping repeatedly into her mind. Forcing her mind to clear, she climbed the stairs to the roof. The transfer of leadership by the men on the wall seemed to be taking place at designated times each day and this time she wanted to see it in person.
She pushed open the rooftop door and braced herself for the pressure of the wind. It was another near-100-degree day.
She pushed her hair out of her face as she walked the perimeter of the roof before joining Rodriquez near the front. She took a seat beside him out of sight of the crowd below but close enough to the edge that they could view the man who stayed away from the embassy gates. Rodriquez wasn’t on duty, but his curiosity was as strong as hers.
“Organized enough to have a leader. What does that say to you?” he asked.
She contemplated the question that she had been asking herself too. “The crowd is not as random as it appears. Maybe they do have an agenda.”
“Someone does.” He focused his camera to catch an approaching black sedan on video.
She watched two men get out of the car. The first one started walking through the crowd, talking and shaking hands. The second one went straight to the low stone wall, taking a seat beside the man who was already there. At this point she knew he probably wouldn’t appear on any terror alert watch lists, but she wanted a record of each man that appeared anyway.
“Make sure you zoom in on both of them. It makes Duncan’s job a lot easier,” she reminded him.
“I know. Sarah already yelled at me.”
The first man returned to the car and leaned against it, waiting for the two men on the wall to finish talking. “I know the window is tinted but get the driver the best you can. Hey, wait…Shouldn’t there be a license plate on the front of the car?”
Rodriquez grunted and she took that to mean yes.
When the two at the wall had finished their discussion, they stood and shook hands. The man who had been there for the day walked to the car and climbed in. The car backed a good distance away before turning and disappearing down the street.
“From now on I want pictures of the driver and the man sent into the crowd too,” she advised Rodriquez.
He nodded to let her know he had heard her but continued to video.
She left the rooftop and went in search of Eric. She found him lying on the couch outside the barracks and dropped down beside him.
“Why is this room always empty?” she asked curiously. When she had seen the couch and television she had assumed this would be the hangout for off-duty marines.
“There’s a small room in between the male and female barracks where the marines hang out. Too much scrutiny out here.” He glanced at the camera mounted on the wall in the corner across from them.
“You were looking for solitude?” she asked.
“I was waiting for you.”
She smiled. They didn’t have an arranged meeting, but Eric knew her well enough to know she would come looking for him.
“You have an idea.” His tone made it clear this was a statement and not a question.
“I’d like to send someone into the crowd when the leadership is switching. I want to know what they’re saying.”
“I can make that happen.”
“Good. Do it.”
Angel left him to work out the details. She would fill Miller in when Eric got back with her. She was only gathering information and had no intention of telling the ambassador yet. El
lie. The two names battled inside her mind for dominance. One formal and one friendly. She wanted to think of her as Ellie and she did. Most of the time. But the professional inside her needed to keep the ambassador at arm’s length to be able to do her job.
She was growing weary with the push and pull of each interaction with Ellie. She would arrive prepared to exchange information and instead found herself providing minimal details before bolting from the room. She was giving Ellie plenty of opportunity to form the wrong opinion of her, she knew, but questioning her about what they were facing would not instill confidence either. She needed to get on solid footing with this investigation. Then she could share details with the ambassador.
Chapter Ten
Ellie motioned to the chair in front of her desk, but Angel remained standing. As Ellie knew she would. She was starting to feel suspicious about Angel’s short briefings. She hadn’t mentioned her idea to talk with the crowd to Angel last night at her briefing because Angel barely stayed long enough to say there was nothing to brief. This morning she was determined to get her to talk.
She walked around her desk and positioned herself between Angel and the door. She saw a flash of confusion on Angel’s face before she covered it. Good, she had the upper hand. She motioned Angel to begin as she leaned against the back of the couch.
“There’s nothing new at this time.”
“Good. Then I have something.”
Angel’s eyes narrowed as they met hers.
“I want to talk to the crowd.”
“No.”
“I don’t mean me necessarily. You or someone from your team.”
“No.”
“Maybe you could put an end to all of this by talking with them.”
“No.”
Her frustration erupted. “Aren’t you a negotiator? Do your job.”
A flash of something crossed Angel’s face, but her demeanor did not change.
“No embassy personnel is talking to the crowd until we can figure out what they’re up to,” Angel said firmly.
