Commander

by Sienna Snow

  “It’s not that easy. I can’t be part of Solon and first lady.”

  “Yes, it is, but you refuse to see it.”

  My fingers closed around the levered handle of the metal door, and I closed my eyes. Could I do both roles?

  I shook the thought from my head.

  Kartik saw my reaction and shook his head. “Stubborn.”

  Pushing open the door, I entered into the kitchen of the house and was bombarded with the scent of simmering food and spices.

  It always felt so comfortable here. Kartik had turned this place into a home. A home for all the agents who constantly passed through, with a hot meal and a comfortable bed available at all times. He’d lost the only woman he would ever think of marrying and the consolation was a hodgepodge of men and women from all over the world he cared for as his family.

  I’d heard the longing in his voice when he’d mentioned Tazia, and it felt like as if his words were a foreshadowing of my future.

  A life without Ashur made my stomach hurt and a wave of nausea bubble up.

  “Kar?” I said.

  “Yes.”

  “I guess it’s too late to go back home?” I knew the answer but asked anyway.

  “Yes.”

  “Then I’ll do as you suggested. I’ll coordinate from the trucks.”

  “I’m glad you came to your senses. I’ll relay the change to the team. You have exactly eighteen minutes to get changed and grab a bite to eat before we make the drive to the monitoring point.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  I wiped my forehead for the tenth time in less than an hour as I scanned the cliffs near the compound where Ameera was held. The informant we had inside the stronghold had confirmed Ameera’s presence about an hour earlier, and he knew that there was a plan to move her. This made it even more urgent to get her out.

  My decoy had been spotted on the road to Karachi and would arrive in time for the scheduled meeting.

  I climbed down from the roof of the military surveillance truck I was using to command the mission and entered the cab. This technically wasn’t a truck, it was what I would call the result of a wild threesome between a hummer, a van, and a tank. It was armored in a way to keep the cab safe from gunfire with a painted exterior that camouflaged into the dusty, desert like, mountainous landscape of the area. The interior had two compartments, one for the driver and a separate space that housed ammo, surveillance monitors, and two small chairs.

  I slid into a seat that gave me a view of the screens monitoring each of our team members and the windows outside the vehicle.

  “Commander, here you go.”

  I took my canteen from Kade, the operations lead. Kade was a thirty-something former marine who preferred the life of Solon agent to a life behind the desk of his family’s Fortune 500 company. His sandy-blond hair was cut military short, and his physique was that of a man who spent hours in the gym, all ripped muscles and bulk.

  I liked to think of him as the Hulk without the green coloring.

  Lifting the bottle to my lips, I gulped down a large quantity of water, hoping the cool liquid would settle my stomach. I’d felt this uneasiness from the moment we’d gotten into the desert trucks, and it had gotten more intense over the last half hour.

  “Do you get the feeling this isn’t going to go according to plan?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Something seems off. I’ve informed the lookout to keep a vigilant eye for anything unusual. I have two posted outside the truck and there are four positioned at various points within a half-mile perimeter.”

  I was glad I wasn’t the only one restless. But that only added to my worry. If this went wrong, I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain it to Ashur or even Tyler. I almost cringed thinking about how pissed Tyler was going to be once he learned I’d deliberately kept him in the dark about my plans.

  Yep, I sucked at letting go of the reins.

  “Contact the on-ground team lead. See what’s going on.”

  He nodded, pulling out a satellite phone.

  As he talked, I noticed on the screen vehicles a few miles away coming in our direction from one of the roads leading out of the cliffs.

  Oh fuck. No one was supposed to be on this road. All the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

  “Kade. We’ve got unidentified vehicles approaching.”

  He pulled the phone from his ear. “We’ve got another problem.”

  “What?”

  “The team just penetrated the compound and Ameera isn’t there.”

  “What?” My gaze went to the fleet coming down the dirt road along the cliffs. “Fuck, that has to be her in the Hummer. I need a closer look.”

  I shifted to a computer connected to a positioning satellite and began keying codes that would give me detailed images of the area.

  As the visuals came through, it was clear the group coming toward us was protecting a Hummer in the center of their convoy of large supply trucks.

  There was no doubt Ameera was being moved.

  Immediately, I sent warnings to the team and Kartik. He’d have copters in the air within minutes. He may no longer be an active part of the organization, but it wouldn’t stop him from joining in when a mission was in his backyard.

  Once I received the green light that we would have support within a few minutes, I released the breath I hadn’t known I was holding.

  “Commander, we have to get you out of here.”

  “What? Hell no. Ameera’s in there. If the team doesn’t get here, we have to stop them.”

  “There are only six of us here. There’s no way to handle the situation.”

  “Are you kidding me? We’ve handled bigger situations than this.”

  “Yes.” He sighed. “But circumstances are different. Your value as a hostage is a hundred times greater than Ameera’s.”

  “This isn’t your call.” I grabbed the rifle from the storage case. I would snipe every one of the motherfuckers before they got past us with Ameera. I will not let the sister of my heart live another day as a prisoner.

  “But it’s mine.” Tyler’s very pissed-off voice came over the communications speaker.

  “Not on your life.” I gathered my pack and slung it over my shoulder as I moved to climb on top of the truck. “Shouldn’t you be at an important meeting or something? I’m busy right now, Tyler. Get lost.”

  “I would be at a meeting, but my hard-headed director decided to play vigilante and leave the country without telling anyone. I had to find out from the board. Are you fucking crazy?”

  “I don’t have time for this. I have a convoy coming toward us and a mission to lead.”

  “Negative, ghost rider. Your ass should be on American soil instead of in Asia. I’d order you home if I thought there was any chance you’d listen.”

  “I don’t take orders from you, so can it. I outrank you.”

  “Not for this one.”

  “You don’t.”

  “I do.”

  My heart stopped. The only way he’d have rank on me was if the board assigned him the lead.

  “Dammit, Tyler. I will get her back.”

  “Not at the cost of your life. The report says there are five armed trucks. Even if you went G.I. Jane, you wouldn’t be able to win.”

  “I can snipe each of them before they know what happened. If you remember, I’m a ten times better shot than you.” As I turned, Kade blocked my way to the door, crossing his tree-trunk arms.

  “Sorry, Commander.” I tried to shove him, but he barely budged. “I have orders. Including the use of force to keep you safe.”

  “Tyler, tell Kade to move or I won’t hesitate to shoot him.”

  “Not going to happen. You aren’t thinking straight, and that is a surefire way to endanger Ameera’s life. Do you think they’ll hand her over without a fight? They’d put a bullet in her head before we even get within yards of her. What would you do if it were any other agent in your situation?”

  The fight left my body. I w
asn’t calm enough to handle this. I was too close to the situation. I’d pull anyone else from the assignment if they had a personal connection to the target.

  “What am I supposed to do here, Tyler?” I kept the quiver from my voice, but barely. “She’s within reach.”

  “Exactly what you told me when she went missing. You said I had to think logically. Any wrong move could mean her life.”

  I had used those words to keep Tyler from resigning from his role in Ashur’s admiration. Now I heard the same words.

  Think, Tara. This isn’t only about Ameera. It is about Ashur and you too.

  “I hate it when you’re right. I’ll wait for backup.”

  “No, Tara. You are not part of this at all.”

  “Dammit, Tyler. I will not sit by and let the men save the fucking day.”

  “This has nothing to do with men and women. Hell, the team is half female. This has to do with the fact you are the first lady and you have a duty to our country, whether you like it or not.”

  “I hate you so much right now.” I let my shoulders sag.

  I’d wait until the team arrived and then make the call whether I was part of the operation or not.

  “Don’t even think about it, Tara.”

  “What?”

  “I know you. We were partners for years on different assignments. Kade has orders to tie you down if you even think of stepping off the truck.”

  I glared at the smirk on Kade’s face. “I’ll do it, Commander.”

  There was no way that I could take him, even on my most fit of days. The guy was built like a tank and probably outweighed me by a hundred and fifty pounds.

  “Stop calling me that,” I gritted out, threw my rifle on the floor, and sat down on the chair near a bank of monitors, folding like a pissed-off toddler. Yes, it was childish but fuck, I was useless.

  He laughed. “You’re kind of cute when you’re annoyed.”

  “Kade, I should warn you, she will find her revenge. Be prepared for an assignment following some pretty playboy through the Thai underground.”

  The change in Kade’s face had me almost losing my irritation at being useless. I’d never put a beast of a man in a situation where he wouldn’t have any hope of blending in.

  My phone buzzed, and I glanced down. It was a text from Ashur. Of all the times to hear from him, it was now.

  Hello, First Lady, heard you aren’t well. I’ll call later tonight to check on you.

  I texted back.

  I’m okay, just feeling a bit trapped and irritable.

  A second later his response came.

  If it’s any consolation, I’d rather be in bed next to you making sure you’re getting rest, rather than here. Miss you.

  A huge wave of guilt hit me. I’d lied to leave and now I’d lied to Ashur. I was digging a bigger and bigger hole for myself.

  “Ty, how’s Ashur doing?”

  “As well as can be expected when dealing with countries who are still upset by his predecessor’s decisions.”

  I knew any trade agreements would be long fought. The tariffs President Edgar had enacted had caused a major economic ripple effect throughout the world, including manufacturers and farmers in the US who conducted business with international companies. It had been a huge cluster of unhappiness that resulted in mass layoffs around the world and the closing of many businesses. Hopefully the Oslo Summit would have some compromises and restore relationships with trade partners.

  I didn’t envy Ashur the task he had.

  All of a sudden, the whole truck jerked, and my chair slammed into the side wall. I staggered to stand and checked for Kade. He was already outside.

  “Ty. Can you hear me?”

  There was no response—the communications satellite was probably damaged.

  The sound of gunfire echoed all around me. I grabbed my pistols, tucked them into the front and back of my pants and under my shirt and then inserted my communications earpiece. I hoped Kade had had enough time to put his in. As I checked to make sure my guns were concealed, I paused. I could swear I heard Ameera’s voice.

  My heartbeat accelerated at a deafening pace.

  My girl was here. I pushed open the door.

  A second before I jumped, I screamed into the empty truck, “Ty. If you’re hearing this, Ameera’s here. Get word to Kartik and the team that we’re under fire.”

  After a quick prayer, I dropped to the ground. I searched the area, trying my hardest to see and breathe through the haze of dust in the air. I pulled a scarf from the back pocket of my mission pants and wrapped it around my nose and mouth.

  I maneuvered around the side of the surveillance vehicle and noticed a truck similar to the supply trucks within the convoy had crashed into us. How the hell could they have gotten here so fast? We still had a good twenty minutes before they could maneuver the cliffs to reach us.

  As I moved forward, I noticed bodies everywhere. Thank God none of them were my team, but they weren’t Awan’s, either. The uniforms were too formal and noticeable. Awan’s men went out of their way to remain inconspicuous.

  I scanned the area for other trucks but only found a high-end luxury Hummer. This could only belong to someone who had money and status and needed others to know it.

  Hamir Ustaf.

  Dear God, the convoy had been a decoy. How the hell had the satellites not picked this up? Then it hit me. They’d come through the underground tunnels near the base of the mountain. According to reports, an earthquake had caused the tunnels to cave in, but it looked like in the past few years Awan had rebuilt them.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck. Hamir must have found out I was meeting with Awan. The only reason he’d be here was to pick up Ameera.

  “Kade,” I whispered into my wrist mic, “do you copy?”

  A faint static came through my earpiece.

  “Copy. You need to return to the truck. There are men circling the area. We’ve taken down twelve, but there are two at large.”

  “Do you have a visual on Ameera?”

  “Negative. I repeat, return to the safety of the truck.”

  “Not going to happen.”

  “I insist.”

  “Your insistence is noted.”

  A growl of frustration came over my earpiece. “From my spot I have a visual on you but there are a few blind spots. Be careful.”

  I smiled—I was probably frustrating the hell out of Kade. He was such a by-the-book kind of guy—like Ashur. It was probably the military aspect of their training.

  Thoughts of Ashur began to bombard me. We’d moved to such a nice place in our relationship, but I’d built it all on a lie. How was I going to explain this?

  I pushed the worry aside. I had more important things to think about, like putting a bullet in Hamir Ustaf’s head and ridding his daughter and the world of his presence.

  Just as I moved to the side of the truck that had collided with ours, I heard footsteps.

  I whirled and quickly crouched down and slowly moved backward toward my truck.

  “We know you are there, First Lady. Come out now, or your precious friend is guaranteed to die,” a man said in heavily accented English.

  I saw the shadow of two sets of feet.

  “Don’t listen to them, T. My bastard brother thinks he can auction you to Ashur. The first chance you get, put a fucking bullet—” The words were muffled by a cry and then a grunt as one of the shadows fell to the ground.

  Anger roared in my ears. I would kill the motherfucker if it was the last thing I did. Tarik Ustaf would have a target on his head until the job was done. I’d make sure of it. Hopefully I’d get father and son at the same time. Nothing like getting two rotten birds with one stone.

  “Stay right there, First Lady.” The Urdu words were accompanied by a barrel of a gun pressed into the back of my head.

  Oh God. I was so angry that I hadn’t noticed someone coming from behind me. I knew better than to let my temper get the best of me. I was losing my edge.

&
nbsp; I lifted my arms and turned slowly, making sure to move in a way not to reveal I had guns tucked into my waistband.

  I stared at Hamir Ustaf, the man who’d caused this mess. He wore a scarf covering his face, but those eyes gave him away: crystal blue, the exact shade of Ameera’s. He was dressed in combat gear that was too over the top and shiny to be anything but for show.

  This man had serious small dick syndrome.

  “What kind of piece of shit father allows his daughter to be beaten?”

  “The kind that prefers women to know their place. She could have killed Tarik in the crash. She needs discipline.”

  “Too bad it was my truck and not you she hit.” I spit in his face. “You’re filth in shiny clothing.”

  Hamir lifted his hand to slap me but stopped the instant he heard his son’s voice.

  “No, Abbu. You can’t hurt her. The world will turn against us if they see any marks on her body. Remember she is a means to an end.”

  Tarik came into sight with Ameera.

  Oh God, what had they done to her? Her signature locks were cropped so close that it looked as if someone had taken a razor to her head. Ameera cradled the side of her face, where I assumed Tarik had punched her, and blood seeped from wounds on the side of her mouth and her left ear.

  I clenched my fists.

  She’d lost a lot of weight but didn’t look malnourished. As I examined her closer, I noticed her injuries were fresh, more than likely sustained in the last twenty-four hours. This would be a constant in her life if Hamir had had a chance to get her out.

  “Where are your men?”

  Hamir brought my attention back to him, but before I turned my gaze to him, I saw Ameera tap her stomach.

  Sneaky girl. She knew I was armed. It was something we’d learned to do when we were in field training. If I could get close enough we could take these assholes down.

  “I could ask you the same question.”

  “Don’t play games. You’ve cost me too much. You have exactly one minute to tell me.”

  “Or what?”

  He turned his gun to Ameera. “I will shoot her. You risked your life and your husband’s career for her. I’m sure you’d do anything to protect her.”