DeliciousDanger (22 page)

As if she actually understood the words, Xena pressed harder
against Rick’s legs and made a low sound in her throat.

“I swear to god she understands what we say,” Mark said,
meeting the dog’s gaze. “Listen, Xena. Just so you know. We’re keeping an eye
on things, just in case.” He looked back at Rick.“Dan assigned Alpha Team to
monitor any action in the areas where they might look for you. They just
finished turning in their latest reports.”

“And?” he pushed.

“You live in a quiet neighborhood. The traffic there is easy
to identify. Whoever’s scoping you out can’t be too smart, because too many
strange cars have been casing your house. Three or four different ones each
day. At least they’re not stupid enough to want anyone to be too familiar with
a particular vehicle.”

“Dan told our team not to stop anyone they don’t recognize,”
Mark put in. “Just see if we could track them. The cars were all switched in a
downtown parking garage but they turned out to be rentals and all the names are
fakes. We’ve got pictures for you to look at to see if you recognize anyone but
personally, I’m not too optimistic.”

“But back to stupid, the long-range cameras have also picked
up the same cars trolling the airfield,” Mike added. “Whoever it is must be as
frustrated as hell because he can’t find you and isn’t thinking too clearly.
He’s leaving too many threads dangling.”

“Which could be a factor in our favor.”Rick looked at the
pictures Mark handed him and shook his head. “Nope. Don’t recognize any of
them.” He looked up. “Why is it so important for them to get rid of me?”

“Because you know something,” Mark said, “even if you don’t
think you do. Somewhere in that brain of yours is the thread to tie everything
together and they can’t afford that to happen.”

Kelly snapped her fingers. “The accident the day after we
met.” She looked at Rick. “Remember? I think they didn’t want you going on that
trip because you have too much knowledge of the situation in Baghdad and could
possibly screw up their operation.”

Rick rubbed his forehead. “I just wish to hell I could
figure out what it is I know.”

“Maybe where Jordan would disappear to? Or who he might have
contact with?” Mike shrugged. “I don’t know but we’re pulling out all the stops
and digging into every detail. Thing is, this wasn’t just your everyday insurgent
hijacking. This was a well-planned operation. Greg Jordan’s smart but not that
smart. And he doesn’t have the clout to pull off something like this by
himself. He’s taking his orders from someone with brains, money and contacts.
Someone who made millions out of this and who was sure they’d get away clean.”

“Whoever it is,” Rick said in a thoughtful voice, “did they
think I’d be the only one to go after them? Didn’t they know if they killed me,
you guys would never rest until you found them?”

“Maybe not and that makes them pretty stupid. Meanwhile,
Janet says you can get out of here by the end of the week. That means we need
to find someplace safe to stash you.”

A determined look flashed in Rick’s eyes. “First of all, I’m
not letting them chase me out of my house again. Secondly, if I go into hiding,
we’ll never be able to draw them out and I’ll be dodging bullets forever. The
only way to get them to act is to put myself squarely in their line of
sight—and trust that you all will have my back. Don’t try to talk me out of
this.”

Kelly watched the byplay between the men with interest. She
knew Rick would prevail. She’d learned in this short time that was just the way
he was. He assessed the situation then acted and no one could deter him.

“I guess you’re right,” Mark agreed with obvious reluctance,
“although I hate putting your ass on the line like this.”

“The only way we can do it is if we set up Alpha Team on
watch for the next attempt.” He looked over at Kelly and Xena. “But if you plan
to hang yourself out there for target practice, we need to send Kelly and Xena
back home. They’ve been here for two weeks and luckily there hasn’t been an
attempt to breach the security here. But I’m sure you’ll agree we don’t need to
put them in harm’s way.”

“Wait a minute.” Kelly dropped Rick’s hand and stood up,
anger streaking through her. “I think I have a say about this.”

Rick reached up and grabbed her hand again. “Hold it, Red.
Mike’s right. There’s no way I’m taking a chance with your safety. Period.
That’s not even up for negotiation.”

She glared at him, fury making her heart race faster. “I’m
not asking you to. I’m putting myself there.” She looked from one man to the
other. “I can shoot a handgun and a rifle, I know close-quarters combat
techniques and I have a weapon that no one else does.” She pointed to Xena.
“And she becomes a protector for both Rick and me. Didn’t you want that extra
scent of danger? Isn’t that why you have us here?”

I’m not letting them shut me away from him. Not now.
The
men all looked at each other, then back at her.

Rick cleared his throat. “Listen, Red…”

“Don’t you ‘Listen, Red’ me. I’m coming home with you and
that’s final. If it was okay for me to go to Iraq, then it’s okay for me to go
home with Rick. Get over it.”

Mark and Mike exchanged a glance.

“Sounds like someone I know.” Mike’s lips twitched in a
barely concealed grin.

“All right,” Mark said. “I won’t say it doesn’t make me feel
easier to have Xena there because it does. But we set the ground rules and you
follow orders at all times. Right?”

“Absolutely.”

“And you don’t go out of the house at all. No runs with
Xena. She gets her five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night, by
herself and that’s all.”

“Agreed, agreed, agreed.” She’d agree to whatever she had
to. There was absolutely no way she was leaving him now. She dropped back down
to the couch next to Rick. “So you’re stuck with me.”

He laced his fingers through hers and lifted her hand to his
mouth, placing a soft kiss on it. “I can’t imagine anything I’d like better, as
long as
we
keep
you
safe.”

“What about your business?” Mike asked.

“I made arrangements before I came down here. I have very
good help. We finished with the dogs we had and turned them over to the
clients. Everyone’s on paid vacation right now.”

And when this is all over, that’s first on my agenda.

“The agency will cover that cost,” Rick said. “And no
arguments from you, Red,” he added when she opened her mouth to protest. “It’s
a done deal.” He pulled her against him and brushed his lips against hers.

When she sat back up, Kelly noticed that the other two men
were studiously avoiding commenting on the byplay in front of them.

“When will we be leaving here?” she asked.

“Sunday’s a good day,” Mark said. “Gives us time to check
the electronic security setup again and get Alpha Team briefed and in place.”

“All right, Sunday it is.”

* * * * *

The first raid in northern Iraq had gone extremely well.
Al-Dulami had drawn the borders of the territory he wished to recapture in
northern Iraq, then divided it into sectors. They would do this one village at
a time, setting up an outpost in each place as it fell to their control. By the
time the firefight in the first village was over, the villagers had accepted
their fate, many of them actually welcoming al-Dulami’s return and he had left
a cadre of his men in charge.

The second and third raids were equally as successful,
consolidating the area under al-Dulami’s control and invigorating his men with
the adrenaline of success.

It won’t be long now
, he told himself.
Then
they’ll see where the power is.

But something went wrong with their next foray. The
coalition forces, receiving information on the other raids, had time to plan
and prepare and were waiting for him. Rather than sacrifice his men to a losing
cause, al-Dulami had opted for a strategic retreat and time to revise his plan.

But ten of his men had been killed, a fact that depressed
him even as he was prepared for the inevitable loss of life such a campaign
produced. Ordering the others to make sure they left no weapons that could be
traced, the men managed to melt into the night like shadows, even the sound of
the Humvee covered by other noises. Somehow, though, one weapon was left
behind, hidden beneath a body. It was retrieved by one of the soldiers moving
through the village, checking for stragglers and ordering everyone into their
homes.

Al-Dulami had no idea the firestorm that weapon would
unleash.

* * * * *

Staff Sergeant Rory Karnes was tired, sweaty and dirty. They
had waited for the attack on the village two long days and nights, one of three
places their commanding officer had determined whoever was doing this would
strike next. The only thing they knew for sure was it wasn’t any of the regular
groups of insurgents they were fighting. These people were better trained, more
determined and not a breath of information about them had leaked out. But they
had obviously not expected their campaign to be shortstopped so quickly.

Karnes dismissed his men and headed for his CO to make his
after-action report. And show him the rifle he’d picked up from beneath a dead
body. Unlike most of the weapons they recovered, this one still had the serial
number visible enough to read. If they could trace where this came from, maybe
they could find out who this new group was and who was providing the weapons
for them.

Just what we need. A war on another front.

Captain John Lange listened quietly to the report and took
the weapon from Karnes. As soon as the sergeant left, he picked up his sat
phone and punched in a number.

“You need to check something for me,” he told the voice on
the other end. “We may have a lead on what happened to those hijacked weapons.”

* * * * *

The move from Virginia back to Rick’s house was made late
Sunday night, when there was very little traffic on the street so anything
unusual would be easy for the Phoenix men to spot. The partners tried once more
to get Rick to go back to the agency condo but he was having none of it.

“I can’t keep hiding,” he insisted. “And everything I need
is at my house. Besides, if I’m hidden away we can’t smoke anyone out. We’ve
already discussed this so just do what you have to do to get ready.”

“You’re still far from a hundred percent,” Dan argued.

“I’m good to go.” He looked at Kelly and Xena. “And besides.
I have my own special guard troops.”

Dan reluctantly made the arrangements. He had two cars
patrolling a six-block area, checking for anything that looked the least bit
out of the ordinary, verifying license plates on their laptops hooked directly
into the Dragon to make sure the vehicles belonged in the area.

They decided to use Kelly’s truck for the move, hoping if
someone
was
watching they’d think a stranger was visiting. Troy was
delegated to pick them up since Dan was busy handling Charlie Grainger and Mark
was heading up the investigation into the fiasco in Baghdad. The men were
calling in every favor they could and pulling contacts out of the woodwork in
their search for answers.

Troy drove with his eyes scanning every direction,
especially when they turned onto Rick’s street and pulled into his driveway. He
lifted the radio from the seat and said in a soft voice, “Check in now.”

They could hear each of the men stationed outside signal an
“all clear” and Troy clicked off. Everyone relaxed marginally when they were
all inside without incident.

“I’ll take your truck back to the city,” Troy said, “make
sure I haven’t picked up a tail and stash it in my garage. You should be set
for supplies. When we stocked your groceries we also got more food for Xena.”

“Thank you,” Kelly told him. “I was just about out.”

He looked around. “I hate to go off and leave you guys, just
in case we’ve missed something.”

“I do have a gun and I’m not completely crippled,” Rick
argued, with an edge to his voice.

“And if you can do me a favor, we’ll be even better off,”
Kelly added.

“Name it.”

“Can you get my guns out of my truck without it looking too
obvious?”

“Guns?” both men chorused and looked at her with equal
curiosity.

She huffed her impatience. “I told you at the clinic I’m an
expert with a handgun and a rifle. I always carry them with me. My father
taught me to shoot when I was twelve. It comes in handy living out in the
middle of nowhere.”

Troy snapped out of his daze. “What kind and where are
they?”

“My H&K 9mm is under the driver’s seat in a frame I had
installed for it. The rifle is under the backseat.”

The men looked at each other again as if she’d just spoken
in a strange tongue.

Kelly stamped her foot with impatience. “Weren’t you
listening to me in Virginia? Haven’t you ever met a woman who could shoot
before?”

Troy shook himself. “I’ll get them. No sweat.”

Despite what she’d said, when he carried them into the house
and, neither man could hide his surprised admiration as she expertly checked
the weapons, slipped the H&K into the small of her back and laid the rifle
on the table in the hall.

“So I shouldn’t worry if I need someone to protect me?” Rick
teased.

“Only if you’re nice to me,” she joked back.

His electric blue eyes heated, darkening. “You have no idea
how nice I’d like to be to you.”

“Later,” she whispered and turned to Troy. “Okay. I’d say
we’re good to go. What’s next?”

“I’m going to take a look at Rick’s wound one last time,
although it’s completely healed, then get out of here. I’ll check in with you
after a while. And I’ll leave my radio with you so you can communicate with the
team. I’ve got another one.” He looked at Kelly, then at Xena. “If anything
seems hinky, call me right away.”