by Gennita Low
Kirk readied his weapons as Lucas paddled the watercraft closer to the boat. The SEAL controlled the movement with ease, causing hardly a ripple as his oar cut through the dark waters.
“Why do they call you Cucumber?” Kirk asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. “I know they give out the nicknames to suit the personality. For you, I’d assume something with ‘Big’ in it, like ‘Big Man’.”
“It’s for my big dick,” Lucas told him in a matter-of-fact voice, as if it was quite a normal reply.
Kirk sighed. Fucking sailors. Why did he even think there would be any other answer but an anatomical reference?
“Forget I asked,” he said.
There was a short silence as they waited. He wanted desperately to get on that boat to make sure Surya was safe. A desperate SEAL was a dangerous SEAL.
* * * *
The other SEAL came out.
“What’s going to happen to her?” he asked. “When’s Vadim arriving?”
“He isn’t.”
Surya watched as Mark silently moved from behind and smashed the butt of his weapon on the back of his friend’s head. The other man crumpled to the ground. She didn’t move as Mark efficiently tied him up. He then stood and came toward her.
“I know you have a tracker on you,” Mark said, “so you’re coming with me. Makes things easier when they know where I’m heading.”
“Why did you do that to your buddy?”
He glanced back. “He has to live to tell our side of the story, I guess.”
She didn’t like the tone of his voice. “Being all mysterious will not save you,” she told him. “If MacKenzie is on that island and you want to talk to him, just give up to the ones behind us. Isn’t that the easiest way?”
Mark laughed. “Nothing’s easy for the SEALs,” he told her. “We’re getting on this inflatable boat and heading to the island. Now, I know you’re armed and thinking about using it on me, but can you hold off until we get on land? There will be fireworks enough then to lure your terrorists out to investigate. And if you’re any good at it, I’ll need you to start shooting at them for me.”
“Why would I want to protect you?”
“Because I know where the rocket is. That’s why MacKenzie and his team are on the island, right? To take out the missile. We’re out of time. He’ll be sending his men on this boat soon. They’ll find your scientists safe and sound and my sleeping buddy will explain it all when he wakes up. Let’s go.”
Surya had to hand it to her captor. He was in full cocky SEAL mode and wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Damn it. She hadn’t even spent enough time vacationing to justify the expense of her hotel room and she was going to get killed by friendly fire. She’d been planning fun things to do with Kirk and food too.
* * * *
Kirk turned to Lucas. “Declan’s sending Brady and a few others to the boat. Get ready to—”
“Movement,” Lucas said. “Looks like our guys are leaving the boat on an inflatable.”
“How many?” Kirk asked, leaning forward.
“Two figures.”
“Just the SEALs? Where are the prisoners?”
“Not with them.”
Kirk activated his mic and related what they saw to Declan.
“Brady’s on his way,” Declan told them, “I’ve informed him to be careful of explosives, just in case. We’ll find out about the situation soon. Follow the inflatable, Cucumber.”
“Aye, aye, Sir.”
Kirk wanted to be the one going on the boat. Explosives. Please let Surya be tied up and be safe. He didn’t want her moving around.
“Wait. Surya’s GPS is beeping from the inflatable.”
What? Surya was with the rogue SEAL? Kirk tapped on his mic.
“Why is he taking her and not one of the scientists?”
“I’m thinking he knows we’ll be meeting him on the beach,” Declan said.
Kirk tapped Lucas on the shoulder as he picked up the paddle. “I want to be on that beach before any firefight, Cucumber. I want to negotiate for my girl.”
“We’ll be there,” Lucas assured him.
CHAPTER SIX
Surya let Mark pull her by the arm as she got out of the boat. He steadied her while she found her footing in the wet surf. She knew someone had been following them as Mark paddled toward the beach. He’d made no attempt to turn around to stop them. There were shadows on the dunes, waiting. He didn’t seem to care he was surrounded either. She felt cold metal against her throat.
“Sorry. You have to play hostage a bit,” Mark said. “Don’t want them to start shooting yet. Damn SEALs. We’re a trigger-happy lot.”
“Thanks for using me as a shield,” she told him dryly.
“I’m hoping it won’t come to that. You’re a sexy woman, by the way. Another time, another lifetime, ah…but I’m married. I love my wife and baby. Got distracted by that perfume of yours for a second there.”
He was in remarkably good spirits for someone surrounded by people after his blood. “If you get me killed, you won’t see them again, you know.”
He was silent. “Just let me do the talking,” he told her.
They started approaching the group as the other side moved toward them. They met up midway. She heard sounds from the arriving craft behind them too.
It was an eerily quiet moment. Steely-eyed men with weapons studying them with lethal gazes. There were three figures standing a few feet in front of the group. Surya didn’t know who they were but she could tell they were in charge of the team behind them. The MacKenzies, perhaps?
“My judge and jury,” Mark said. “I knew you would be here, Declan and Shane.”
“If I’d known you were one of the traitors, I’d have killed you myself when you came to visit,” one of the men said.
Surya could feel the leashed anger in the air. So she was right. Those two standing close to each other must be the MacKenzie brothers. Who was the third one over there?
“I know, Shane. Declan. I’m very sorry. About everything. About your mother.”
“Fuck your apology! If you’re man enough, let the woman go, come here and let me show you how sorry I’m gonna make you.,” the one on the left said.
Surya felt Mark pulling her tighter against him. “Can’t do that, Shane. There’s no time left, with the clock ticking. I can’t go back with you. Look, you can shoot me here and end it but it’s not going to stop that missile. I can.”
“What are you saying?” Declan spoke up.
“Someone’s finger is on the button. The moment they see a whole team of commandos storming them, the missile goes off toward Bali, wrong time or not. The negotiation meeting you guys set up wasn’t going to stop it. They just wanted the money in their account—then everyone would die and they’d get the notoriety. The only way to stop them is if I go in alone. I’ve sent a message saying I’m coming in with Vadim’s money for the hostages. That’s Petrovich’s second. He’s the one in charge now.” Mark turned to Shane. “I’m glad you killed the son-of-a-bitch. Your mother—”
“You aren’t fit to say anything about my mother,” Shane said, his voice low and furious. “Dec, don’t listen to him. Just fucking put him down so we can go locate the rest of these terrorists.”
“Let me fucking get them for you and then you can come get me afterwards,” Mark said tensely.
“I’ll—”
Declan put a restraining arm on his brother. He turned to the figure quietly standing beside him “Jed?”
Surya frowned. Jed? As in Number Nine? She’d never met the top commando of the outfit that had merged with hers, but had heard lots of stories. The man they called Ice Man. The one who finished the job. The one who was after those who had killed their fellow operatives in that incident five years ago which had resulted in the GEM/COS merger.
“We have the scientists. Brady rescued them and is standing guard over the second traitor from your circle. As I see it, I need to stop the missile without an in
ternational incident involving unsanctioned SEALs. Let him do his job.” Unlike Shane’s, Jed’s voice was emotionless. Cold, even. “Where’s Vadim, man? I’ll take care of that loose end.”
“No, Vadim is mine,” snarled Dec.
“Fine. Vadim’s yours. Give us the info.”
Mark only hesitated a second. “Don’t know who you are, but I’m giving Surya here a piece of paper with the last known location. Also, my cell phone for you to trace the calls. All I need is Dec and Shane to agree to one thing.”
“You’re in no fucking position to negotiate about anything, asshole,” Shane said in a cutting voice.
“What?” Dec asked.
“I want you to promise to take care of my wife and kids. They’re safe right now but not for long if Vadim and his people find out what I’ve done. They’ve threatened to kill our wives and kids.”
“All you guys had to do was come to me. You made your choice,” Shane said.
“And I’ll pay for it. You think it was easy? God knows I’ve betrayed you and my friends. I can’t betray my wife and kid, you understand? I need you to promise to take care of them, if not for me, for the sake of being a SEAL taking care of family. You have no idea, no idea at all, Shane. You’re always been the player, always able to come and go as you please. You don’t have a woman or care about someone so much that the idea of her being dead strikes fear in your soul every night you’re out on a SEAL mission.”
Shane’s mouth opened, as if he was about to give another angry reply, then his lips pursed into a straight line. “Go,” he finally said. He turned away, adding, “And you’re wrong about my not understanding. There is always another way.”
Surya didn’t want to, but she was beginning to feel sorry for Mark. Maybe he did make the wrong choice, betraying his SEAL brothers and country, but he’d been thinking about his own family’s safety.
“You swear you’ll take care of Shelly and my kid.”
“I’ll make sure they’re safe,” Declan said, quietly.
“And I’ll make sure all the other families are given protection,” Jed continued. “Now, I’m coming right behind you to make sure you do your job.”
Mark pushed Surya forward, then turned around, with her still tucked in front of him. They walked backwards slowly, away from the group. He whispered in her ear, “Goodbye, Surya.”
It was clear Mark Walters was intending to sacrifice himself tonight. In her world as a GEM operative, mingling with refugees and displaced ‘fighters’, she’d seen enough examples of men and women who had given up. There were some who just sat down and gave up. Others who became hardened about their lot in life and used their bitterness in bloodshed. Then there were those who had decided to make a last stance, sacrificing themselves for that one bit of victory.
She understood Mark’s position, even perhaps more than he did. They all lived and breathed the covert lifestyle. Each sacrifice was acknowledged, and in times of war, sometimes celebrated. Because in something lost, there was also much gained.
She turned and kissed him softly on the cheek. “Goodbye, Mark. I forgive you. Now, shove me hard onto the sand so I can get their attention off you for a few seconds.”
She felt the wetness of his cheek, as if he was crying. He pushed her hard and she yelped out loud as the others rushed forward to her. Someone pulled her to her feet. It was Kirk. She stumbled forward in surprise. He held her tighter.
“Babe, you can stop acting. I saw you kiss him goodbye.”
She wrinkled her nose at him and turned to face the others. “He has on a vest. I think it’s full of explosives.”
“Get out of here, all of you,” Jed ordered. “There will be enough uniforms out here soon and only my team has permission for this international venture. I’ll call you, Dec, when this is over. Please get my scientist back safely to Hawk, as well as the operative who was with him, if he’s still alive. Hawk knows who to contact.”
“We do not sanction suicide missions, Jed. I’m going after Mark,” Dec said.
Jed stepped in front of him. “No, we had this talk before. Nothing comes between me and saving the lives of those at the Interpol Convention. I’m giving you Vadim, who is responsible for all this. That SEAL over there? No longer your responsibility. He’s not on any authorized mission. We clear?”
“Fuck you, McNeil.” Declan said, his voice cold and deadly.
If he’d said that to Surya, she would have cocked her weapon and prepare to defend herself. It was the kind of voice that would scare the person to whom he was addressing.
But Jed just turned and started walking away. “Maybe later. You’ve plenty to keep you busy, Dec. Get off this island so I can do my job. Surya? T says you’re wasting your vacation time.” He didn’t look back as he went off in Mark’s direction.
The tension felt like an elastic band. These SEALs had a code about never leaving any of theirs behind, and now, they were going to do exactly that. Any moment now, Surya knew it could snap and someone was going to get hurt. This wasn’t the place to go psychological. Time to use her skill to distract them.
“Well.” She exhaled a sigh. “He sure knows how to chew up scenery.”
“Did Mark Walters really give you a note and his cell phone?” Kirk asked.
She nodded. She’d felt him shove something into her side pocket. “Want it now, Mr. MacKenzie?”
“Yes. We’ll all leave now and get farther out in the water.”
“Then what?” Kirk asked.
“We wait to see if he succeeds in doing what he said he would do. McNeil’s with him to make sure the job gets done, but we’re all going to watch and then we’ll sail into international waters.”
Surya slipped out of Kirk’s arms and started off. She wasn’t going to just hand over the note and not get what she wanted.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m not going with you crazy kids,” she said. “I have a dream vacay to finish. You can come with me to get that note for your boyfriends here or I can mail it, along with your stupid bags.”
Kirk stared after her. “Surya!”
She started running toward the rubber boat. Maybe she’d have a whole pack of men coming after her. That would make Jade laugh, for sure. She knew her friend would understand. This whole operation was a favor for her anyway. She didn’t have to follow any damn protocol.
Hell, she’d been hoping Kirk would follow. She really, really wanted to be with him this time. Mark’s love for his wife made her ache with need. She wanted Kirk to get to know her so well that he’d love her like Mark loved his wife.
* * * *
Kirk took a few steps, then stopped himself. He couldn’t just abandon—
“Just go, man,” Dec dismissed him. “We all do what we have to do to get the job done. I suspect your handler will call and tell you not to bother negotiating. Get in touch with me ASAP. She’ll hand over the note and cell phone once you’re out of the dark. Shane, let’s get to Brady and have a talk with Mark’s partner. Jed’s right. We’ve get out of here before the local authorities come and take him away from us.”
Kirk didn’t need to be told twice. He ran after his woman.
“Hell, his job includes a dream vacay?” he heard someone behind him grumble.
“GEM operative, dude. He won’t be dreaming or vacationing much.”
Kirk reached out and caught Surya’s hand and she turned her face toward him. The moon shone right on her expression and it made him catch his breath. They both ran, side-by-side, toward the inflatable.
“Last one in gets a spanking later,” she told him.
“Perempuan jahat,” he retorted. “Your ass is mine.”
* * * *
Mark turned to the man who had silently followed him. He’d kept up without any trouble, which told him, in spite of being a dozen or so years older, he was in top condition.
“This is it.” Mark pointed to the barricaded compound. “I know how to get in and out of there.”
�
�You lied, didn’t you? They don’t know you’re coming.”
He gave the other man credit. Not only in good shape, but had the brains to see through Mark’s desperation. What was his name again? Jed. “The woman back there. She said something earlier. We take care of our friends, she said. That’s where I’ve failed. I’ve let my friends down, men who had my back when I needed them, men who fought beside me for years. I didn’t think it through and it’s cost the life of Dec and Shane’s mother. She was the sweetest lady, after my own mother.” Mark looked away. “I’m ashamed. Yet, I’m also not. I’ve bought enough time to get my own wife and baby to safety. I’ve got your promise that they’ll be taken care of. Right?”
“Yes.”
He nodded. “I have to believe you. They’re no longer my friends, my teammates, my blood brothers, yet Surya’s words gave me hope. Because friends take care of each other, she said. Even though you and I aren’t, I have to take you at your word. This is how fucking wrong my world has become. I have to depend on strangers other than my own friends.” He took in a deep breath and continued, “I’ve been inside there before and have made sure there are places for me to sneak back in. I’m a fucking SEAL. I don’t trust any damn terrorist. I’m going in there and will take out the whole damn nest. I’ll need half an hour. Goodbye, Sir.”
The man gave him his hand. After a moment’s hesitation, Mark shook it and discovered a card in his palm.
“The world isn’t black and white, son,” Jed said, his low gravelly voice soft in the semi-darkness. “If you survive this, if you get this job done, get ahold of me.”
“And if I don’t get it done?” Mark countered. It was highly unlikely he would make it out in time. He’d already accepted that fact. But this man’s offer made him curious.
Jed cocked his head to the side. His strange light eyes gleamed in the moonlight. “I suppose a SEAL can’t always beat the odds,” he said. “Good luck.”
Mark watched him disappear into the trees. Fucking weird fuck. What kind of man would throw out a challenge like that when there was no hope? He took a deep breath and turned toward the compound.