by Jaime Lewis
“You are something else. It makes me wonder what else you’ve been hiding all these years. Maybe you were behind my team’s murder.”
“Back off, Alex,” Bert said in warning. Oh, had she hit a nerve, or was she uncovering the truth of what happened two years ago?
“You deliberately knew the team was heading into a death trap, and you didn’t say a goddamn thing.”
“But they survived, so what is the big fucking deal? Those SEALs know what they’re getting into. They understand that every mission they go out on could potentially be their last.”
“What about the hostages? That is the reason we are even here, and you and the agency killed them! That is blood on your hands!”
She’d enough of this. “I am only going to ask you once. Release my arm and step back.”
Instead, he pulled her closer. “Come on, Alex, you know how it is in our world.” He made a move to kiss her, and she shoved all her weight into him, knocking him off balance. He didn’t fall, but he did let go of her. She went for the door, but Bert tackled her, sending them both onto the floor. She took the brunt of the fall and felt the pain in her side.
Bert tried sitting on her, but she bucked him off, and when he went to advance again, she kicked him in the groin. He shouted and grabbed himself. While on his knees, she did something she had wanted to do for a long time. Drawing her fist back, she swung with all her might hitting him square in the nose. She knew the moment she heard the crunch of bones and saw the blood splatter that she had broken his nose.
While he screamed and carried on about his nose, she made a run for it. Her first stop was the Colonel’s office.
◆◆◆
Four o’clock in the morning, and Alex was still sitting in the base command building, waiting for the team to return. She thought they would’ve been back by now, but knowing how screwed up things were, there was a good possibility they had gotten held up during their debriefing.
She had all intentions of going back to her building to get some rest, but after her altercation with Bert, she wouldn’t put it past him to come looking for her, so she opted to stay at base command where people were around. The Colonel had sent two MPs to Bert’s quarters, but he wasn’t there, and after searching the base, it was as if he’d disappeared. She tried calling Derek, but he had been on another call.
God, she felt so tired. She crossed her arms and laid her head on the table. She had just closed her eyes when her computer pinged with an incoming message via the instant messaging system. She tapped the button on the keyboard and saw it was Bowman.
“Has Derek called you? The hostages were not at the compound; you were given false Intel. A team from Force Recon has located the hostages. Ashraf was identified to be hiding out there as well.”
That news certainly perked her up, and she got a second wind. She typed back quickly.
“Where?”
“Close by, the team has already been diverted and are en route.”
That made sense considering they hadn’t arrived back yet. Damn, she really wanted to be there when Ashraf was brought in.
“Any chance I can get in on the action?”
“Knew you would ask and already taken care of.”
As she was responding, Staff Sgt. Hill appeared in the doorway, holding up a set of keys.
“I hear you need a ride.”
“How?” She smiled.
“Your friend Bowman called a few minutes ago.”
Not wanting to waste any more time, she typed a quick thanks to Bowman before grabbing her phone and gun. Damn, it would be nice to nip this shit in the bud tonight and head home tomorrow.
◆◆◆
Ace was trying to rein in his already short temper as he stood in a vacant building on base listening to the Colonel as he updated them on everything that had happened tonight, both with the mission and here at the base.
Yeah, he was majorly pissed off about the mission and was looking forward to the conversation he and Bert would be having. But what had him irate was hearing what had gone down between Bert and Alex.
“So, he fucking tried to make a move on her, and when she declined, he attacked her?”
“That and the fact that for some reason, the agency decided to cut the feed at the last minute,” the Colonel said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I can’t seem to wrap my head around any of this. Bert is MIA, but after this, I plan on having a word with Mical and Roland. They were found in the mess hall, and they claim they don’t know where Bert is either. As for Alex, she stood her ground and handled the situation. Because of her training, Bert will be seeing a plastic surgeon when he gets home. She shattered his nose.”
Ace wasn’t surprised to hear what the Colonel said about Alex. He needed to see her. In all the years in his career, he never knew what it felt like to go out on missions only to have someone other than his family waiting for him at home. Or, in this case, here at the base.
“Where is she now?” He asked the Colonel, and the Colonel grinned as if knowing what his thoughts had just been.
“She’s still over at base command. Staff Sgt. Hill and a couple of the others are with her.”
Ace went to move, but the Colonel stopped him.
“So that you know, she did sustain some injuries during the altercation.”
“How bad?”
“Nothing too bad. Some bruising on her wrists, her knuckles and hand are swollen, and possibly some bruised ribs.”
Ace took a deep breath. She should have never been put in that position in the first place.
“Go and go see her; I need to have a word with Mical and Roland. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Just then, Ace’s phone rang. It was the commander.
“Commander?”
“I just got a phone call from Mason; Bowman’s computer was hacked. Whoever did it was sending messages to Alex, telling her that they’d located Ashraf and that a team was already en route. Is she with you now?”
“No, she is over at base command. Do we know what team the message was referring to?”
“Your team.”
Ace’s grip tightened on the phone.
“Shit, someone’s trying to lure her in.”
“That’s what Mason and I think, and she is so hell-bent on catching this asshole that she won’t hesitate to go after him on her own.”
“We are heading that way now.”
“Call me when you get there.”
Ace disconnected and explained the situation to the team as they raced across the base, hoping to get to Alex in time, but the closer they got, the knot in Ace’s stomach grew larger.
◆◆◆
Alex hurried around the truck as Staff Sgt. Hill was there, holding the door open for her to slide in. Once she was securely in, he ran around to the driver’s side and got in. He turned the ignition, and the truck’s engine came roaring to life. Driving through the base was the easy part. It was the moment they drove through the gates, leaving her sense of security behind her that her heart began to beat faster as she grew more apprehensive. She started to second guess herself. Was she doing the right thing in risking her safety to join the team? Before she overthought her decision, she pushed away the negative thoughts and instead focused on the positive. Between Mason’s team of kick-ass black operatives and the SEALs, there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Ashraf would escape this time, and she wanted a front-row seat as it all went down.
She glanced over at Hill. She was glad to see him back, but he lacked his usual smile and laughter. She understood losing a parent was hard, and she hoped he could bounce back from his loss.
The longer they drove, she began to feel her eyelids get droopy. For some reason, if she wasn’t driving or in hot pursuit, the motion of a vehicle made her sleepy. She tried to make a conversation with Hill to keep herself alert, but he wasn’t in the mood to talk. She wouldn’t mind a little nap before they arrived, but the problem was every time she closed her eyes, she kept seeing Ace’s f
ace. God, tonight had been a test of her will. She wasn’t sure she wanted to work on other missions with any of them. She was better off not knowing what they were getting into.
With her head pressed against the window, she looked at her watch, they had only been on the road for about a half-hour, and she wondered exactly how far they were going. Bowman’s message made it seem like it had been nearby.
It was so dark on the roads they traveled. The headlights from the truck made a path for them as they drove. Suddenly, the truck’s right front tire exploded. She grabbed onto the handle as Hill tried to steady the vehicle while steering it off the road.
“Did we hit something?” She asked, getting out and looking at the damage.
Hill met her, then squatted down, getting a good look at the shredded tire. There was no way in hell a plug was going to fix that tire.
“I don’t know. I didn’t see anything on the road. There is a spare in the back, let me go get it, and then I’ll change it.”
Alex nodded her head, and Hill ran toward the back of the SUV. She looked around. They were in a desolate and unpopulated area surrounded by hillsides. A slight warm breeze blew in from the west, heightening the eerie feeling and putting her spidey senses on full alert. She reached behind her and felt the cool metal of her gun she had tucked in her waistband. She damned herself for not changing into pants before she left. At least with pants, she could’ve concealed another weapon on her ankle.
Hill reappeared with the spare tire and jack. She took the lug wrench from him and started to loosen the lug nuts. She was working on the last one when she felt the pinch to her neck. She looked up at Hill, who stood behind her, holding a syringe in his hand. A cold, sinful look had replaced his usual warm eyes that were once full of kindness. She tried to speak, to ask him why, but her words came out slurred. She stumbled to her feet, falling against the side of the truck as a numbness sensation started to flow through her body. As her vision started to blur, she sensed movement next to her and mustered enough energy to turn her head. Just before a fist connected with the side of her head, she heard Bert’s voice, but she never could confirm a visual because as soon as she hit the ground, her world went black.
◆◆◆
Ace barged into the war room and cursed when he found it empty.
“She must have left in a hurry; she never leaves her work in disarray like this,” Stitch said, referring to her computer and papers strewn over the table.
Ace pulled out his phone and hit the commander’s number.
“Did you find her?” Derek asked, and Ace could hear the worry in Derek’s voice.
“No. She’s gone.”
“Fuck!”
Just then, Colonel Johnson stormed into the room with Mical and Roland behind him, and going by the Colonel’s expression; he wasn’t here to pass along good news.
“Is that Derek?” He asked Ace, and Ace nodded. “Tell him to conference in through video.”
Ace relayed the message, and in less than a minute, not only was Derek on video, but Mason, Alex’s boss, was visible as well.
Ace glanced over at Mical and Roland.
“What are they doing here?”
“Agent Noon and Agent Ferrero are here to enlighten us all on the current situation.”
“Agents?” Ace questioned, wondering where in the hell this was going. He was under the impression they were newbies with the agency. Before anyone else could say a word, Mason interjected.
“Yes, Lt., meet Agent Mical Noon, and Agent Roland Ferrero, both with the CIA. It was just brought to my attention that both agencies had recruited Alex under false pretenses, and they are here to explain why.”
“How do you know about that?” Agent Noon questioned, and Ace had to bite back his smile at the glare Mason gave the spy.
“It doesn’t matter how I know, Agent Noon. All that matters is because of the lies your agency spewed, I’ve got a member of my team missing. Not to mention over the last week and a half, you have endangered not only her but the lives of the team standing before you. If I were you, I would start explaining, and you’d better be quick.”
Ace leaned against the table and crossed his arms while he watched Agent Noon shift on his feet before pushing his glasses up his nose. The guy was sweating, and Ace knew the poor agent didn’t have a leg to stand on. Yep, he was up shit creek without a paddle.
“Well, Agent Noon, we are waiting,” Derek pressed when he stalled as if he were looking for the right words to say.
“Mr. Whittmore is correct. We, the agency that is, brought in Ms. Hardesty under false claims. However, we had a good reason too.” He took a breath. “We’ve been investigating Bert McMahon for treason, aiding and abetting, along with a slew of other charges.”
“Aiding and abetting who?” Derek again questioned, and Ace could tell the commander was about to lose his shit.
“Ashraf Fayed.” The gasps circulated the room, but before anyone could speak, Agent Noon continued. “Over the course of many briefings Alex had with investigators after she returned home, some of her statements had raised eyebrows with the higher brass. Those comments, along with some circumstantial evidence, found their way to the top, and here we are now. The CIA was brought in to assist.”
Ace listened to both agents as they explained how the agency started paying more attention to Bert and his trips to the middle east. They were scrutinizing his every movement as well as investigating his finances. According to Agents, four offshore bank accounts linked to Bert had been uncovered, and there was a possibility there could be others.
“It sounds like you guys had enough to bring him for questioning. Why didn’t you, and how does Alex play into all of this?” Ace asked.
“You’re right Lt.; we could have; however, if the allegations against Bert are true, he could lead us to the ultimate catch, Ashraf himself. But to do so, we needed someone who was in tune with Ashraf. Someone who knows his history, and we needed someone to put the heat on Ashraf. Someone who would make him feel threatened. Someone who would make him reach out to Bert.”
Ace shook his head in disbelief, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I hear this correctly.”
“I think you heard me just fine,” he fired back with a bite of attitude.
“You might want to check that attitude of yours at the door, Agent Noon. From where I stand, you are on the opposite side, so if I were you, I would continue with what you have to say,” the Colonel said.
“Alex was our only hope. We knew Ashraf was getting information from someone inside our walls, and we suspected Bert, but we needed to catch him in the act.”
“If your agency had this belief, why did you let Alex walk? Surely, someone could’ve spoken with her and brought her into the loop.”
“After that last briefing with her, we knew we couldn’t convince her to stay. She is a woman of passion and loyalty when it comes to her job. Bert had thrown her under the bus.”
“And yet, they let it happen?”
“At the time, they didn’t know. Over time, the agencies started connecting some dots, and those dots led to bigger dots. We now believe Bert has been in Ashraf’s back pocket for the last four or five years.”
“Holy fuck!” Ace exclaimed, running a hand down his face. He was disgusted right now. He didn’t know who to believe anymore.
“You’re stalling, Agent Noon, get to the real issue. Please tell the team about the hoax you and your agency pulled together to assure Alex’s involvement in your scheme,” Mason said with a bite of attitude.
When the agent started to explain, Ace didn’t think he could get any angrier. He was seconds from losing his shit.
“You mean to tell me you staged a fucking hostage situation to get her to cooperate with you. You used her to bait a fucking terrorist and traitor? Do you realize I had men who could’ve been injured or killed during these missions?” Derek stated.
“We needed Bert to slip up, and since we knew it would piss him off if we brought Alex in, we
went with what we thought best.”
“Why not just tell her? Why lead us all to believe and chase down phantom hostages?” Ace paused a minute, thinking about the two videos they had gotten. Jesus, were those doctored as well, he wondered. “Did you stage those videos?”
“We couldn’t say anything because Bert might not be the only one on the inside, passing Intel, and, no, those videos were not ours. We were not able to find out where those originated from.”
“Wait, the guy who worked for Ashraf. His name was Reynolds. Could that be Bert, being cute and using an alias? Reynolds, as in Bert Reynolds.”
“Shit, that explains the few times you guys were seconds from being blown to pieces while looking for make-believe hostages. He’s been relaying information back to Ashraf this entire time,” Derek said, looking none too pleased. He seemed utterly disgusted, which matched every other guy’s expression in the room.
“You didn’t pick up on any of his activities since he’s been here?” Derek pressed Agent Noon.
“He didn’t give me any reason to suspect anything until this evening. When I overheard him on the phone with the UAV operator, telling him to cut the feed, I knew something wasn’t right. I stepped outside and made a call to Washington to confirm what Bert was relaying, and I was told that was not the case. However, it had been too late.”
“Well, congratulations, Agent, look what it fucking got you. You not only lost track of your number one suspect since he is nowhere to be found, but now it looks like you’ve handed Alex over to the enemy, as I suspect whoever was in contact with her is leading her into a trap,” Mason stated angrily.
“I believe you and your agency owe us a more in-depth explanation once my daughter is found, Agent Noon,” Derek barked at him.
Agent Noon swallowed hard. “Yes, sir. Please know the agency is doing everything possible to find Alex.”
“I don’t have much faith in either agency, so I am pulling in some of my own resources. People who I can trust and believe have mine and my team’s best interest.