Wicked Hot: A MacKenzie Family Novella (The MacKenzie Family)

by Gennita Low

  “Rob, why don’t you get the other stuff from the car?” the man with the backpack interrupted. “We need to get started hiking back because we don’t want it to get too late. Know what I mean? Let me handle this.”

  His voice was firm, like someone who was in charge.

  His friend hesitated for a second. “Sure. You just get our belongings back from these thieves. Fu—”

  “No cussing in public,” the man interrupted again. “Come on, dudes, you know the rules.” When the two guys reluctantly went off, he turned back to Surya and smiled apologetically, “We’re really in a hurry, miss. Don’t be scared. My friends are just upset about their wallets. Here, see? I have some chocolate for the children.”

  Kirk watched him pull out some candy bars from his cargo pants and they were instantly grabbed by a few of the kids nearby. He noticed the quick way he swatted off a few of the hands from his body, making sure his own pockets weren’t being picked. Instead of walking any closer to the group, Kirk decided to hang back at one of the stalls and play spectator. He didn’t want to get in the way of whatever Surya was doing.

  “Okay, I’ll help because you’re a nice man,” Surya said. She turned and spoke to the kids in their language before two pulled out things from their pockets and showed them to her. She took them and examined them. “Wallet, ID, map, and flashlight. Right, mister? They say this is all the stuff but you must give them food, like you promised.”

  “Of course. Here, let me set down my backpack on the table over there so I can get the food out. Now, I don’t want any of the kids to come near me while I’m doing it, okay?”

  Again, Kirk noted the easy yet careful demeanor of the man as he stationed himself at the table, facing the kids. From his vantage point, he could see the newcomer. Probably mid-to-late twenties, dressed in a tee and cargo pants with hiking shoes, backward cap on, he looked like a regular tourist hiker, one of many in the area enjoying the trails set up for visitors. But the watchfulness in his eyes and the way he was handling the situation were telling. Even as he unzipped his backpack and pulled out food items—cans, plastic bags—his gaze never left the kids. His smile never reached his eyes.

  “Here you go, miss,” he said, pushing the items forward. “Why don’t you come get them and just set my friends’ stuff down on the table? Fair exchange, right?”

  Surya walked over after giving the kids an order. At her soft words, the latter hung back. Like him, they stood watching Surya.

  “How about a few more cans?” she asked after a moment. “You look a lot less hungry than these kids. Look at those big arms and compare them to their skinny little ones.”

  Kirk grinned. She would make a fine negotiator.

  “You drive a hard bargain, lady. You’re a good friend to have,” the younger man said as he dug in and pulled out a few more cans.

  Surya shrugged. “That’s what friends are for. We stick together, especially in times of trouble.”

  Kirk looked on thoughtfully as the man froze and there was a long moment of silence. Surya didn’t appear to notice, fiddling with the cans and throwing them one by one to the waiting kids nearby.

  “Stick together in times of trouble,” he repeated slowly.

  “True, no?” Surya asked. “Well, then, here’s your friends’ stuff. I take care of my friends and you take care of yours.”

  The man gave a short bark of laughter. It sounded humorless to Kirk. He zipped everything up and hefted the strap to the bundle onto his shoulder again.

  “Where were you when I needed to hear that?” he asked as he walked around the table. “Here come my friends.”

  “I go now,” Surya said. “I don’t like them as much as I like you. I think you’re a better friend than them. Selamat malam.”

  She walked off back in the direction of the kids. Throughout the whole incident, she did not once acknowledge Kirk, although he was sure she was aware he was within calling distance.

  The youths and kids milled around her excitedly, all of them happy with their “loot.” Kirk knew the number one problem among poor Indonesian children was malnutrition, especially in the rural areas. The food items were going to take care of some hungry kids tonight and all because of Surya being there. A wave of tenderness filled him as realization dawned. She was a GEM operative, often working among camps and international social services in Third World countries. She knew exactly how to handle this type of situation because she understood what was wanted and needed. She’d seen enough poverty to know what to negotiate for, instead of the usual shouting back at angry tourists. With just a few well-chosen words, she’d conveyed to the stranger the children’s plight and he’d willingly parted with more of his food.

  He frowned as he continued looking at the fast disappearing trio of men. They were all carrying backpacks. The two who had been more aggressive were gesturing and talking, still upset. The one who’d talked to Surya said something that appeared to shut the conversation down. As they were about to disappear into the shadows, one of them bent over, picked up what looked like a rock, and threw it back toward the kids. He shouted something Kirk couldn’t make out but he could imagine what the expletive was. Okay, maybe Surya wouldn’t have been quite as successful placating those two.

  After a few minutes, Surya waved goodbye to her new friends and started back toward the car, with Kirk following.

  When he joined her in the car, she gave him that sly smile he was now familiar with. Like the cat who stole the cream. Oh, yes, his girl had a secret. He was both intrigued and mildly amused. Here he was, on assignment, and the woman was getting in on it like a boss.

  He waved his smart phone at her. “Perempuan jahat!” he announced.

  Her grin widened. “Doing translation, eh?”

  “Since you’re doing such a good job being a negotiator, I thought I’d better brush up on my translation services,” he told her solemnly. “It says here, that’s Bahasa for ‘hellcat’.”

  She chuckled as she started up the car. “I suppose that’s one translation. Usually it means mischievous or wicked.” She stepped on the gas pedal, rumbling the engine, and gave him a teasing look. “Ready to get back on the road, scaredy cat?”

  Kirk gave her a side glance. “Wicked. Yeah, that describes you. You gonna tell me what you were up to back there with our suspects?”

  “Ahhh. You figured it out already.”

  He sniffed. “What’s hard about that? He walked like a damn military man.”

  “Mmm-hmm. Big muscular arms. And so strong. He was carrying that backpack like it weighed nothing. Too bad he’s the bad SEAL.”

  “How do you know he’s the SEAL and not one of the mercenaries?” Kirk asked, curious.

  “There was a small SEAL trident tattoo on his wrist. I saw it when he handed me the cans. The other two men were rougher and their bodies were bulkier. They do have military training, though. I can tell from the way they moved and their body language. It’s just that the SEAL was a lot more attentive to details.”

  “All that in the few minutes shouting at the first two men and another few haggling with the one who came up later, huh?”

  “Yup. But I cheated. I asked the older kids about men going in and out of the woods who were hiking with too many supplies. They told me about the tough guys bringing loads into the forest at night. They’d planned to pick their pockets for cash because they were hungry. So…” Surya shrugged. “I thought I’d help them out.”

  Kirk shook his head. She was something else. “Most people help by giving the kids cash, you know,” he said, “and not by encouraging a life of crime.”

  Surya dimpled back at him. “I wanted to see them in action. Brings back old memories.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Memories? As in…you were a child pickpocket?”

  Surya laughed softly. “Hard to believe, huh? I was the best before I was adopted.” She looked whimsical for a second. “Dirty, hungry, and needy all the time. Tourists eating left and right, tempting us with all
that cash in their pockets. It’s getting harder, you know, what with the wide usage of credit cards. Child pickpockets are now part of real gangs with head gangsters who take their stolen cards in exchange for money. The kids are often treated badly. Back in my day, you could be a lone agent, doing your own little thing. Not any more.”

  Kirk couldn’t imagine Surya as a dirty little kid, but he could see her picking pockets. She was very good at stealing his things, if memory served him right.

  “So, you got close to the people we’re looking for,” he said. “Not sure if that’s a good idea.”

  “I didn’t plan it that way. I’d actually wanted to just watch the kids steal the wallets and then take a look at what’s in them, but those men had their antennae up the moment the kids swarmed around them. I had to jump in or they would have caught the girl and who knows whether they’re the kid-beating kind of guys?” She looked angry. “I wasn’t going to see children get hurt, so I stepped in. Then that younger man appeared. He seemed in charge, so I guess that’s a good thing or they might not have listened to him.”

  She took a turn and they were on a dusty road, off the streets.

  “Where are we going?”

  She glanced at him. “Gasi’s place isn’t far. I tagged the wallet and flashlight, so we can actually trail them to wherever they’re heading. There was a map of some kind, so I’m thinking they have all those supplies because they’re heading for that forbidden territory we heard about. Do you think they have the scientists there?”

  “Wait, hold up.” Kirk pinched his nose. “That was a lot of stuff in that answer. You tagged those guys.”

  Surya grinned at him. “Yeah,” she replied. “It’s a GPS-like tag, but only sends intermittent signals to save battery and avoid detection. We can’t trail after them immediately. He’s a SEAL and besides, they’re professionals. They’ll know if we’re too close to them. Sound carries in the woods, you know. When they come to a stop, I’ll get the last signal and we can head there. That way, there’ll always be enough distance between us. So, we need Gasi ASAP.”

  Kirk shook his head. “We can’t take out that team all by ourselves, sweetheart. We have to get the SEAL team Dec MacKenzie has set up to do this part.”

  “We aren’t going to ‘take them on’. We’re just following them to get the right location for the SEAL team. How else would they know where to go? If we wait for your friends to arrive, they could be too far in that forest for us to track. This way, we follow far enough to mark the right spot. That’s why Gasi is important. He’ll know exactly how to track quickly and also give us landmarks to send to your SEALs.”

  Kirk stared out of the windshield, half-taking in the very scenic route of green, green trees in between paddy fields. Timing and planning were two very important elements of negotiations. This one was particularly tricky because the bad guys had a history of not keeping their word. They had a rocket, which they might or might not shoot, even if they received the ransom. They had hostages, whom they might or might not release, for the same reason. Usually, the terrorists only executed one threat at a time; this double threat was a bit odd, to say the least. Either one would be enough to garner attention, but they’d chosen to make this a private demand, without any news leakage. Which was fine with his side, what with an international meeting taking place.

  “What are you thinking? You’ve had that look on your face before,” Surya noted.

  “What look?” He turned his attention back to her.

  Her smile was slow, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “When I tied you up and spanked you. You have the same look now. Very determined, like a man on a mission.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “Yeah.” He remembered his exact thoughts then. “I was thinking of exacting similar revenge when I found you, with some extra punishment.”

  “It was only a couple of very light smacks!” she protested. “Your bare butt was tempting, that’s all. You should forgive and forget.”

  He put his hand on her knee and squeezed lightly. He felt her slight shiver.

  “So much to think about for after this adventure,” he said. The sexy come-hither look in her eyes made him hot again, even though the air in the car was cool. He wanted to lean over and kiss those lips. He ran his hand over her thigh before changing the subject back to their current problem. “I was wondering about the SEALs who had turned on the MacKenzies.”

  “Well, we know the one they caught—Holland, wasn’t it?—told them they were going to hurt his family. I’m assuming these turncoats are also following orders because of Petrovich’s threats. That’s why I said what I said back there, just to test his reaction.”

  He liked having a partner who could jump back and forth with his thoughts so seamlessly. He remembered how he’d missed her when she left him. That quick wit. The way she connected his ideas and also brought in her own. He wondered if she felt the same connection with him. Obviously not, because she’d disappeared. He tamped down the disappointment. He would convince her later, but now they had to strategize.

  “The thing is, these guys lured our scientists for the Russian moles, right?” he continued. “According to Declan, the current situation is their Plan B because Petrovich died without paying the terrorists off. So, why are these SEALs here, guarding prisoners, if they were no longer under threat? They have to know Petrovich is dead or the demand for ransom wouldn’t make sense.”

  “So there is a new Russian handler who took Petrovich’s place. That’s nothing new. They have been hidden in our system for at least ten years, Kirk.”

  Kirk nodded. “I know, but something still doesn’t feel right.”

  Surya chewed on her lip. After a few seconds, she said, “Agreed. Why isn’t the new Russian handler paying them off? We know the Russians really wanted the scientists.”

  “That’s exactly what’s bothering me.”

  “We’re almost at Gasi’s,” Surya said. “I’ll keep mulling this over while we get ready for our short trek.”

  “I’ll make another quick call to Dec to make sure he gets our signals to the SEALs who are waiting.”

  “Where are they waiting?” Surya asked.

  He pointed east. “It’s all islands here, babe. They’re SEALs, so they’re either on a ship or to be even closer, they’re in some kind of pod nearby.”

  She made a turn and he could see a small hut at the end of the dirt driveway. She flashed her beams several times.

  “SEALs hunting SEALs,” Surya murmured. “It’s so sad. And there’s Gasi waiting for me.”

  Kirk leaned forward to check out this guide about whom Surya kept talking. It took him a few long seconds to make out the lone figure standing on a rock. He was leaning on a very big stick, camouflaged in brown and green attire.

  Kirk turned. “He’s…ah…very short for a man nicknamed Giant.”

  Surya laughed.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Two hours later

  Perspiration popped out of Kirk, drenching his clothes. He took a swig from his container. Looking ahead, he saw his guide and his translator, moving through the forest as if they didn’t notice the humidity. Come on. Surely they felt as if their pores were the size of nostrils too.

  “Four-foot-four to your six-foot-two, sweetheart,” Surya had informed him. “Don’t bring it up or he’ll beat you with that stick. He’s very, very good with it. He knows Silat.”

  Silat was the martial art around this part of the world. Kirk recalled having seen it performed on a video before. So, that told him Gasi was in very good shape.

  So was Surya, from the way she was keeping up with the short guy. But the operative word was sweetheart. Surya had called him sweetheart.

  Right now, hiking in the dark of the jungle, with Gasi in front, poking with his big stick to make sure there weren’t any sleeping snakes, he shouldn’t be thinking about that. He should be looking for them too. He wasn’t particularly fond of snakes, especially when they were big and hungry. But she looked so tempt
ing in that brown and green outfit. It wasn’t camo gear, since they didn’t want to draw any attention. More like hiking attire. She had everything packed in the trunk, in the tire compartment, and it had only taken them half an hour to get ready at Gasi’s.

  To be honest, he hadn’t been sure whether Surya was the jungle-hiking type. He’d seen her running around in mind-boggling high heels, but roughing it? Now, here she was, moving silently in the greenery, a parang—machete—in one hand, a headlamp—which somehow managed to make her look fashionable and adorably sexy—banded around her forehead, as if she’d done this before.

  Gasi had told them, from the few pinpoints of red that pinged back from the remote tag, he knew where they were headed. It seemed that the villagers were not the only ones who set “illegal” fires in the jungle to clear land for their farming. The “forbidden territories” was just local lingo for where terrorists had taken over. The latter had cleared certain areas for their own encampments, using the area for weapons distribution and perhaps hostage prisons. Villagers avoided those areas and kept mum about them to the authorities because of the trouble these terrorists caused to their families and farmland. Besides, the government was after them for the illegal fires, so reporting on the gangsters would mean a stop to their own way of life.

  His satellite phone was high end, but it needed to be pointed to the sky to connect a call. Not possible under this green umbrella. He could make a call when they reached a clearing or a river, as Gasi said there were several nearby. He did, however, have a connected pager and it had successfully sent two quick messages for him. Dec should be tracking him through them by now and directing the SEALs coming their way. There were several big rivers in this area. He was sure the SEAL team had studied and would know the best one to take. He’d read about one of the supersecret stealth boats some SEAL teams had been using that wouldn’t register on any commercial radar. They were designed to navigate shorelines and rivers. Perhaps Hawk’s team would arrive in one of those.