Suspicion At Sea (18 page)

“That must have been one hell of a nightmare, do you want to tell me about it?” I ask, sitting cross-legged so I am facing him, with one hand on his back and the other on his chest. His heart is pounding so hard I can feel the thumps on my palm.

“Not really.” He takes my hand on his chest, bringing it up to his mouth, kissing the back then holds it as he stares off in the distance.

“Do you have these often?” Whatever the dream was, it has visibly rattled him even after he's awake.

“It was just a dumb dream.” He turns to me, forcing a smile. His arm goes around my waist as he forces me to lie back down in the bed, his lips on my neck. He is obviously trying to change the subject. His stubble tickles my neck as he sucks lightly under my ear. Just as a tiny moan escapes my throat, we are interrupted by my phone.

“Damn,” Justin groans, falling on his side next to me with a
humph
.

“Hey,” I answer, seeing that it is Cody.

“We are twenty minutes out, can we set up there?” he asks. This place is so secluded I had assumed we would, I just haven't asked Justin yet.

“Hang on,” I reply, putting the phone to my chest and turning to Justin. “Can we set up here temporarily?” He nods with a look that says, well duh. “Yes, do you have the coordinates?” I ask Cody.

“Yep, you know I have your phone linked to mine.” He used to hide it, but now it's like he is proud of it. As long as I have my phone, Cody will always be able to find me. It is a state of the art GPS system that Tommy made. My phone is untraceable by anyone except him and Tommy.

“Oh yeah, I forgot. See you when you get here.” I end the call and get up out of bed to get dressed.

“Where do you think you are going?” Justin pulls my naked body back down. Justin's eyes roam up and down my body and one eyebrow rises as a wicked smile comes across his face.

“Justin they are going to be here any minute.” I laugh at the expression on his face, it looks like he wants to eat me alive. I would let him if there wasn't who knows how many FBI agents about to descend on us. I get back up and barely dodge his grab for me again. I snatch my bag and get into the bathroom, shutting the door before he can catch me.

“You are going to pay for that later,” he yells through the door and I imagine the smirk on his face.

“Looking forward to it,” I yell back.

When I get done showering and dressing, I come out of the bathroom to find Justin gone. Commotion in the main part of the cabin tells me they've arrived. I tie my hair back in a ponytail and tuck my white button-up shirt into my dark gray dress pants. Looking around, I find my badge and hook it on the waist of my pants. I realize my gun is out in the main room on the table. That was just stupid, it was there all night.

“There she is,” Cody says when I emerge from the bedroom. I spot my gun and place it in the hip holster at my waist. Just as I knew they would be, the three agents standing in the main room are wearing dress pants, shirts, and ties.

“Hey, you,” I greet once I am put together, and walk to Cody, giving him a hug. Justin is in the kitchen, shirtless and wearing jeans. He looks absolutely amazing as he makes coffee. “So you met Justin?” I ask after I've said hello to the other agents in the room.

“Sort of,” Cody says, shaking his head.

“Justin, this is Cody Reed,” I introduce them when Justin comes over, putting his arm around my shoulder as if he's staking his claim.

“Good to meet you.” Cody nods politely when Justin doesn't act to shake his hand. This should be very interesting.

“Lyle Burdock.” I point out the man sitting on the sofa with papers and files in front of him. He is staring at a map of the area, but turns to us when he hears his name. Just as suspected, I feel Justin tense at the name. Lyle was one of the two agents that watched me with Chico.

“Splendid,” Justin says with disdain.

“You're the SEAL and the brother.” Lyle stands, leering, catching the contempt in Justin's voice. He is a big guy, tall and wide, and very intimidating to those who don't know he is really just a big teddy bear. Unless you cross him, then watch out. Justin doesn't seem intimidated at all, not that I would expect him to be.

“Yes, I am the SEAL and the brother.” Justin smirks at his description.

“This is SSA Denny O’Brien,” I introduce the other agent in the room. Denny has red hair, fair skin and freckles. He looks like a little boy, but is also a retired Navy SEAL. He is lethal. Denny, going through a file, looks up at the sound of his name.

“Yes, Justin Bennett, I've heard of you,” Denny says, coming over, extending his hand to shake Justin's.

“Have you?” Justin's eyebrows rise as he takes Denny's hand. “I can't say that I've heard of you, though.”

“Denny was—” Denny places his hand up in the air towards my face as if to shush me. I don't know him well, but it seems the asshole persona I've heard so much about is true.

“Operation Talamarin, was on the rescue team,” Denny says, and I turn to Justin whose eyes widen as he realizes who Denny is. I can't tell if it is a good thing or a bad thing because there are no smiles, just stares.

Chapter 38

Justin

Operation Talamarin was my last mission and I was the only survivor. And by the look of hate on his face, he thinks the same of me as so many others do.

“Do you recognize this man?” Denny says, walking around the couch to the table, picking up an eight by ten and holding it up for all to see.

“Yes, that is Alejandro Galvon.” I move in front of Ellie having the need to protect her from this information.

“No, Justin, that is Fausto Alverez,” Ellie says, stepping beside me again, a look of confusion on her face that must match mine.

“Wait...” I turn to Ellie then to Denny who lays the picture back down on the table. “That man is dead,” I exclaim with certainty.

“No, he's not, and it wasn't until all of this that we realized that they were indeed one and the same,” Denny explains, just adding more questions.

“We believe the whole reason for Fausto using your brother-in-law is, in fact, to get back at you,” Cody interjects.

“Wait a minute. So he's coming here for Justin, not Suzy?” Ellie says.

“That night you lost your whole team, that night you thought Alejandro Galvon was on the ship that blew up, it wasn't him. It was his son. That bomb killed his son, along with the five members of your team.” Denny adds the last part about my team for no other reason I can see but to get under my skin. I wince, remembering the explosion that haunts my dreams.

“What?” Ellie puts her hand on my bicep. I glance down at it, so tiny against my arm. I move my eyes to hers and there's no judgment in them, just concern and love. This whole time I've judged her, pushed her to tell me more about her when I've had one of the worst secrets there is.

“Fausto had a son?” Ellie exclaims at Cody.

“Apparently,” Cody shrugs.

“How did we not know this?”

“Well, obviously there was a lot we didn't know,” Cody answers the bore-a-hole-through-you stare Ellie is giving him.

“We need to question Justin about his involvement with Fausto,” Cody says softly as he puts a hand on Ellie's shoulder. If ever I've wanted to punch a man, it is right now.

“What are you talking about, question him? Like he's a suspect, question him?” Ellie spurs, her cheeks becoming red with anger.

“Come with me, Ellie,” Cody says, trying to direct her into the bedroom.

“Stop, Cody.” Ellie pulls away from him. That's my girl. She comes straight back, standing next to me. “What is going on, Justin?” she asks, staring up at me.

“Ellie, I'm not sure you want to hear this right now,” Cody says and again takes her arm to try and get her out of the room. This time I grasp Cody's upper arm, squeezing with just enough pressure to let him know I'm serious.

“I'm only going to say this once,” I grate through gritted teeth trying to keep my noise level down. “Do not touch her like that ever again.” Cody drops his hand from Ellie's arm. Now let the pissing contest begin.

“I don't know who you think you are, but you don't tell me what I can do. I've had Ellie's back long before you ever knew she existed, and I resent what you are trying to imply.” Cody steps up, his chest inflated.

“Stop it,” Ellie yells, stepping between us.

“Just what do you think she is going to hear? Just what in the hell do you guys think you know?” I spout at Cody over Ellie's head.

“Fine, don't say I didn't warn you, El,” Cody says, backing off when Ellie gives him a dirty look.

“What the fuck is going on? Someone better start talking.” Ellie is in feisty mode which means every man in this room better watch out.

“Obviously you gentlemen have read the top secret file, so you all know what happened that night,” I raise my voice just enough for emphasis.

“Except more than half the report is redacted,” Cody huffs, now in extreme defense mode.

“What part of top secret do you not understand?” I smart, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

“Why were you not on the boat that night with the rest of your team?” Denny starts in on me next.

“Read the report,” I say, deadpan, staring straight at the red head.

“In the report it says you got a gut feeling something was wrong and your radio jammed,” Cody says. I really don't think he could be any more condescending.

“Like I've told my superiors, it was just a feeling. I can't explain it, but it was wrong. Everything about it was wrong.”

“So you’re psychic then?” Cody scoffs.

“No, I'm not fucking psychic,” I shout to the asshat standing next to my girl. “Haven't you just ever had a gut feeling...” I stop, knowing this is falling on deaf ears.

“Yeah, I'm having one right now,” Cody burns, adding more fuel to my already flaming fire.

“You know damn well what he is talking about. When you are in the field sometimes your gut feeling is all you have,” Ellie says, defending me without even knowing what she is defending me for. I didn't do that for her, I did the opposite and thought the worst. This makes me go to her and wrap my arm around her waist. Guiding her out of the room into the bedroom, I hear objections from Cody, but ignore them and shut the door.

“I don't know how they know about Talamarin. There was no rescue team. There is something not right here,” I voice my worries aloud.

“What are you saying?”

“Like it seems to be all official in a way, but there's just too many weird coincidences. Someone is being reckless with the crayon, coloring outside the lines,” I explain, Ellie nodding her head slightly.

“I've been thinking the same thing, just didn't want to say it aloud. Who could be doing this?” she asks, but I can tell she is more thinking aloud than actually wanting an answer.

“When the boys disappeared I figured it was something they had gotten into, but never in a million years did I think they could have been connected to Alejandro...I mean Fausto.” I run my hand across my head as Ellie stares right through me, biting the inside of her cheek, her mind in overdrive.

“There was an explosion that killed your team?” Ellie questions softly, her hand reaching out for my forearm.

“We watched Alejandro for months. Never was there any suspicion of it being an alias. They were running guns and we were off the coast of Honduras tracking them coming from San Pedro Sula.”

“That is one of Fausto's known hideouts, at least we've known that for a year now.”

“All intelligence told us was that he was aboard that ship. The night of Talamarin we were all in position. The orders were to take the ship and its contents.” I've been trying to forget that night for so long. I need to try and remember every detail because now it affects so much more. If Fausto finds Ellie because of something he thinks I did...I shake my head to get the thoughts out of my head.

“Baby, I don't know what happened that night, but I do know that you had nothing to do with getting your team killed. We will figure it out, together,” she says without hesitation, reaching her hand up and cupping my face. I lean into her warm, loving touch, knowing she believes in me. She always has, and that is why she told me her past. I let her down, something I will never do again.

“I don't deserve you, angel,” I whisper into her hand.

“Probably not.” She smirks, raising an eyebrow.

I laugh, pulling her to me, hugging her so tight I hear her gasp.

Chapter 39

Ellie

“How well do you know those agents?” Justin questions me, letting me loose from his vice grip.

“Cody I trust completely. I would even say the same about Lyle, but I've not worked that much with Denny. All I know is he was also a SEAL.”

“It’s guys like him who have given us our bad reputation,” Justin sneers, looking toward the closed door.

“So let's say for a second that Denny may not be playing on our team, then what? Do you think he could work for another agency, or worse, been bought?” I shiver at the thought, a rogue agent with top level security can do a hell of a lot of damage before they are found out.