Talon: Combat Tracking Team (A Breed Apart) (4 page)

    Two    

S
ay it again.”

Cardinal drew in a breath, tempering his frustration. “This isn’t my first rodeo, to borrow your phrase, sir.”

“Good. Then this should be better than expected.” Undaunted, General Lance Burnett, the deputy director of Defense Counter-intelligence and HUMINT Center, popped the top of his umpteenth Dr Pepper of the morning and slurped from the can. With a satisfied sigh, he set it down. “Begin.”

Flexing his jaw, Cardinal gave a curt nod. Practice never hurt.

Wasted time, but never hurt. “We’ll maintain my identity as Markoski.

The interview—”

“Sir,” Lieutenant Smith announced from the door. “We got Larabie on line 3.”

Amusement twinkled in Burnett’s eyes. “Let’s hope you’re as ready as you say.”

Cardinal resisted the urge to smirk. “Let the games begin.” He strode to the phone, lifted the handset, and pressed 3. “This is Dane Markoski.”

“Ah, Mr. Markoski,” her voice sailed through the receivers—his and the general’s. Cardinal kept his gaze on the old man. “This is Brittain Larabie. You’d e-mailed me about—”

“Please. Can we keep the details”—he added hesitation and concern to his voice to make this work. He’d never had a problem manipulating the media who manipulated the world. Great satisfaction could be gained from maneuvers like this— “Are you able to meet, Miss Larabie?”

“Um…yes. Yes I can. I will have a cameraman with me. You understand, for my own safety, I won’t meet strangers alone.”

“Alone, or not at all. I’m not trying to murder you, Miss Larabie. I want to tell the truth. I want to do what’s right.” That sounded all patriotic and gallant.

“Of course. What time and where?”

“Are you familiar with Reston ice-skating pavilion?”

“That’s in Virginia.”

“Correct.”

“That’s a bit out of my way, Mr. Markusky.”

“Markoski.” Why couldn’t Americans get that right? No doubt they’d butcher his real last name. “And if it’s an inconvenience, I can call—”

“No, it’s fine. When shall we meet?”

“The sooner the better. Tomorrow night?” Silence plagued the line, and Cardinal tried to ignore the general waving his hand in a circle. “I’m out of time, Miss Larabie.”

“That’s fine. I had a dinner date, but I can reschedule.”

“Eight o’clock.” Cardinal hung up and turned to the general. “Everything is in my medical and military history files?”

“You’re not the only good operative I have, Cardinal.” General Burnett had never asked for Cardinal’s true identity. But the old man probably had it locked in that steel vault he called a brain. All the same, Cardinal felt safer with the moniker than with his real name floating around in paperwork and cyberspace.

Burnett motioned to his lieutenant, who slid a file across the table. “Larabie is best friends with Courtland’s twin, Aspen.”

Why did people name their kids after cities? Cardinal retrieved the file and lifted it. “Odd. What, are they dating?” He glanced down.

“I sincerely doubt that.”

Dread poured through Cardinal’s stomach, freezing like an iceberg as he met the blue eyes of a curly haired beauty. He darted his gaze to the general. “A woman?” His pulse thunked against the possibility then spun into chaos. “Austin’s twin is a woman? How did I
not
know that?”

The lieutenant shifted, shooting a nervous glance to the general.

Burnett grinned. “Maybe you’re not as good as you thought.”

Cardinal flung the documents back. “Forget it. Deal’s off. I’m not doing this.” He stormed toward the door. “We’ll find another way.”

“Cardinal, you are U.S. Government property. You will do as ordered.”

“I won’t.” Rage flung him back around. “I won’t work this woman. Or
any
woman. Not ever. That was Cardinal Rule #1 when you came to me.” Breaths came in deep gulps. “I’ll find another way to get Courtland back.” Anger gave way to desperation. He raked a hand through his hair. “Figure something out.”

Silence hung rank and thick in the room. Burnett nodded to the others in the room. “If you’ll excuse us.” He waited for the room to clear then sat on the edge of the conference table. “Cardinal, I respect what you’re saying, but it’s impractical. Your protégé vanished two months ago in a remote village in northeast Africa—right out from under your nose. You and I both know that is trouble.
If
he is still alive, every second matters. We can’t afford to waste another minute, let alone two more months
figuring
something out when you have a working plan right here in front of you.”

Cardinal, in a half shake of his head, dragged his gaze downward. “I can’t.”

Images of innocent brown eyes…her laughter…seeing her worked over, time and again.
And then the angel flew,…

“You knew this.” His pulse thumped against his temple as he worked to restrain his temper.
“no. Women.”
Right then, an absolute certainty rushed over him. He stabbed a finger at Burnett. “You.” How had he not seen this earlier? Was he too eager to get Courtland back that he hadn’t considered all the possibilities? “You knew—you hid from me that Aspen was a woman.”

Burnett let out a long sigh. “Son, we’ve been trying since Austin vanished to find a way to track him and get him back safely. When you came up with this absolutely ingenious plan to use his dog…I had no choice.”

“We
always
have a choice.”

Shoulders slumped, Burnett crumpled his Dr Pepper can. “No, no we don’t. And right now, neither do you.”

Lips tight, Cardinal glared at him. “I’m not doing this.”

“Do this or you’re through.” He folded his arms over his chest. “Something’s haunting you, and I need you to bury that—for now—and do your job.”

“You forget,” Cardinal spat out, “I came to
you!
I offered
you
my services.”

“Yes, but now you’re owned. By us.” Burnett pushed up and moved to the other end of the table. “I consider myself a nice man who works hard at his job. But that’s just it—I have a job. I’m tasked with protecting my country and its citizens. And that means I have to do things I don’t like.”

Throw that political bull at him, but it wouldn’t work. “This isn’t my country.” Tremors rippled through his arms and legs. What choice did he have? Burnett held more dirt on him, could bury him at the bottom of the sea for ten lifetimes. Or expose his whereabouts to a certain Russian general.

I’m trapped. As always
.

Had to get out of there. Disappear. He would not do this. Could not. “I don’t owe this country anything. I don’t owe
anyone
anything.” The words were cruel. And wrong. It was the anger talking. The demons he’d inherited.

“Maybe not, but you
are
a citizen of it. We granted that, remember? And you signed on the line for this job. We own you, Cardinal.” Burnett’s eyes narrowed. “And that missing boy is your responsibility.” He smacked a hand on the table. “Now man up and do what needs to be done!”

Cardinal stormed out of the office, down the hall, the stairs, to the parking garage. In his car, he left the grounds and headed west. Though Reston was only thirty minutes away, traffic dictated the three-hour drive. Familiar with the area, he made his way to a nearby park and planted himself on a bench. He’d promised himself he’d never do this. Never become the epitome of filth and slime that had defined Cardinal’s life for twenty years.

Elbows on his knees, he stared at the ground covered in a fresh blanket of wildflowers. Cold seeped into his bones despite the summer heat, but it was nothing like the chill settling over this mission. Over his objective—getting Aspen Courtland to cooperate and think it was her idea.

“I promised,” he muttered past his hands, fingers laced and held in front of his lips.

But…Austin.

Cardinal had hand-selected the young man for the field. He’d trained him, guided him, become friends with him. The government intentionally withheld information about Austin’s family so Cardinal would not have any impetus or inclination to alter his decision or recruitment.

Nearby a horn honked and snapped him out of his somber thoughts. A quick check of his watch shoved him to his feet. He headed past the hotel, down the sidewalk, and straight toward the pavilion.

The sister—she would want to help, right? This plan he’d concocted depended on the twin’s reaction. But he’d thought he was dealing with a guy. Not a woman. A twin was a twin, right? The connection should be there. She should see the imperative nature of using the dog. At least, he hoped she did because he’d take the dog—that’d be so much easier. But they couldn’t afford the time or risk to yank the dog and force him to settle in with a new handler.

The dog was the key. And getting to the dog, the key was the sister.

Aspen.

He turned into an alley and thrust his fist in the air. “God, why must You torment me? You know what is in me. You know the blood that beats in my heart.” Fists over his eyes, he ground his teeth. “Do not…do not let me lose myself.”

Was it possible…was it at all possible to complete this mission without becoming his father?

Soulful brown eyes held hers, eagerness and willingness to go the long, hard mile for her pouring out of them. His eyebrows bounced with meaning.

“Hey, handsome.”

He scooted closer, his happy impatience melting her heart. She didn’t deserve his loyalty. His passionate attention. But he gave it all the same.

Cupping his face, Aspen smiled down at him. “You are amazing.” He smiled.

Or near enough for a Labrador retriever. Talon swiped his tongue along her face, his backside wagging so hard she thought he might wipe out. She rubbed his ears and planted a kiss between his eyes. “Thank you, boy.”

“How’s it going?”

Aspen straightened and turned toward the voice of Heath Daniels, lead trainer at A Breed Apart. His Belgian Malinois bounded into the training area with zest and zeal Aspen was convinced Talon once possessed. She eyed her blond guy. “We’re making progress.”

Heath, arms folded over his chest and hands tucked beneath his armpits, smiled at her. “You got him over the hurdles.”