“Valencia. That’s a very pretty name.”
The pink on her cheeks deepened. “Thank you. Um . . . p-please have a seat, and I’ll be right . . . um . . . back.”
As the woman knocked and entered her boss’s office, Carter turned to Jordyn who was smirking at him. “You could charm the panties off a ninety-year-old woman in sixty seconds flat.”
Setting his hands on her hips, he pulled her in for a swift kiss on the lips. “The only woman I’m interested in charming out of her panties shares my bed every night.” His mouth found her ear, so he could add in a whisper, “And I don’t have to charm her at all since she sleeps naked, so I have access to that sweet pussy whenever I want.” He nipped her ear and reveled in the shiver that went through her. “Just wait until I get you alone after this is all over, love; I’m going to rock your world.”
“Promises, promises.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but Lin Zheng’s office door swung open, and the man, himself, strode out. “Mr. Burke? It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He extended his hand, which Carter shook. “I understand you have a business proposition for me.”
“Yes, I do, and please, call me Carter. I thank you for seeing me on such short notice, but time is of the essence.” He wrapped his arm around Jordyn’s waist and pulled her to his side. “This is my wife, Jordyn. Your beautiful resort caught her eye, and she insisted we come to see you before we left the island.”
Zheng took Jordyn’s hand and kissed the back of it, before releasing her. “Then it is you I must thank. I’m honored the Trade Winds is to your liking. Please, come into my office. Can I have Valencia get you some coffee, water, soda?”
Carter eyed his “wife” who shook her head. One of these days he’d convince her to tie the knot with him, but for now she was wearing an antique engagement and wedding ring set they’d purchased to use on a prior mission when they’d needed to be married for their cover. His gaze returned to Zheng. “No, thank you. We’re good.”
“Great.” He gestured for them to walk into the office ahead of him. As he shut the door again, Carter strode over to the large window overlooking the resort and ocean, while Jordyn continued perusing the photos that also hung in the man’s domain.
Zheng glanced between the two as if unsure which one he should butter up to first. Carter solved the problem for him when he shook his head and let out an appreciative whistle. “This is some view you have every day. If the majority of my business didn’t take place in urban settings in the US and Europe, I’d have an office with a view just like this.”
As he’d intended, he drew Zheng’s attention away from the door, which Jordyn subtly locked while the resort owner strode to join his potential associate at the window. Carter circled the desk and took a seat in one of the guest chairs in front of it, casually resting the ankle of one leg on the opposite knee. Zheng followed his cue and sat in the leather, executive chair across the desk from him. As Carter began his fake business-proposition spiel, Jordyn slowly worked her way around the room until she was standing at the window, just over Zheng’s shoulder. While the man was listening to Carter intently, Jordyn flicked her wrist and set the very sharp edge of her switchblade against his neck. Zheng froze, his face contorted in fear and confusion.
Carter remained seated and narrowed his eyes. “I’d keep your hands where she can see them, and your mouth shut, Mr. Lin. She’s very adept at slicing a man open before he knows what happening. Obviously, we’re not who you thought we were. Allow me to fill you in. Your father is holding a friend of ours hostage somewhere, probably with the intent to torture and kill her. We’re very fond of the woman and will do whatever it takes to make sure she’s returned to her loved ones unharmed.” Zheng’s face drained of blood, but Carter continued. “You clearly know who I’m talking about. Well, on top of taking this woman he wants revenge on, he’s also taken an innocent young lady whose own father is ready to call on the hounds of Hell to rescue them both. We will not be leaving this island without them—alive—and I personally don’t care who is left bleeding when we’re gone. Nod carefully if you understand me so far.”
Zheng’s gaze slid to the side in an attempt to see the cold steel he could feel against his skin before he slowly dipped his head once.
“Very good. Now, I’m going to ask you a few questions, which you’ll answer in a normal tone of voice. You will not do anything to alert your staff or security that there’s a problem in here. If you try, I guarantee you’ll suffer a painful death . . . after we get what we’ve come for. Understood?”
The man gulped then licked his dry lips. “Y-Yes. I understand.”
“Where would your father have taken them?”
“Please, I—I didn’t know—”
Carter’s expression grew more ruthless. They didn’t have time for the man’s begging. “Where are they? One of your properties? The warehouse? Here at the resort? Where, Zheng? Don’t try my patience.”
When Jordyn pressed the blade harder against his neck, just shy of breaking the skin, the man stuttered. “H-His estate. H-He wouldn’t have brought them here or to my home. The resort’s storage warehouse has too many people there at this time of day. The only place he could have the privacy he’d need is his estate.”
“Who else would be there?”
“H-His bodyguards. He probably gave his house staff the day off.”
“His mistress?” They knew from Reardon’s intel reports, Zheng’s mother had passed away about eighteen months ago, allowing Chao to continue the affair he’d been having for several years out in the open.
“No, she doesn’t live with him. It’s only my father, and his staff and guards there now. Please, I can help you.”
“Why?”
His brow furrowed. “Why would I help you?”
Carter nodded. He had a pretty good idea what the man would say, but he wanted to hear his version.
“Because, I may be his son, but I do not follow in his footsteps. I abhor everything he’s been involved in, everything he is. I curse the day I was born to such a vile bastard. My brother was no better. My father may have given me the money to create the Trade Winds—I couldn’t get that amount of funding without experience or backing—but I’ve paid him back. Every cent. The Trade Winds is no longer associated with blood money, and I will always regret that it was to begin with. I will help you get your friends back, but my father must never know I was involved. He won’t care that I’m his son any more than I do, and he’ll kill me. I would like to spare my wife and children from knowing my own father murdered me.”
Having interrogated hundreds of people in his career, many under torture, Carter knew when someone was lying to him. Zheng was not. Carter nodded to Jordyn, who removed the blade from the man’s neck, then stood. Zheng believed what he’d said, but Carter didn’t want him to have a change of heart somewhere down the line. “If you double-cross me, you’ll wish your father had killed you.”
Zheng had sagged back into his chair after he’d no longer been in immediate danger of having his jugular sliced open, his hand going to his neck to check for blood. “Understood.”
“Let’s go.”
Chapter Twelve
“You sure we can trust him?” Brad eyed Lin Zheng, who was tapping away on his cell phone, in distrust, not completely convinced the man would help them rescue Lori and Avery. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise to find out they were walking into a trap. While Carter and Jordyn had been doing their thing, Brad, Cameron, and Jase had checked out the warehouse, while the other two Deimos operatives had gone to Zheng’s house, which wasn’t far from the Trade Winds Resort. Brad and his team had just about confirmed the women where not at the warehouse when Jase had gotten a call from Carter telling them to respond to Chao’s residence. Minutes later, Brad’s own phone had chimed. Back in Texas, Col. Sheppard, Capt. Bryson, and Capt. Nielsen had been on speaker, checking in and seeing what they could do to help, which hadn’t been much—not from that distance. Brad had as
sured them he had backup of the black-ops variety and hopefully that would be enough. There was no way his teams could get down to Aruba in time. Chao had to know he was fighting the clock. He wouldn’t be able to keep Avery more than a few hours without risking her being found on his property. As it was, the man had no idea who he was up against—but it wouldn’t be long before he did.
“Ninety-nine percent,” Carter responded while pulling a black T-shirt over his head to cover his bare chest. He’d left his khaki pants on but changed into a pair of soft-soled military boots. A few feet away, in a grove of trees near Lin Chao’s estate, Jordyn had somehow managed to change back into her black leggings, sneakers, and T-shirt without flashing the men anything other than the back of her sports bra. Brad had never understood how some women could change outfits in the middle of a crowd without breaking any indecency laws.
“And what happens if that one percent blows up in our faces?”
Carter grinned. “Then I’ll admit I was wrong.” He clapped Brad on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll get the women out of there. Then Jordy and I will have a . . . chat with Chao. She has a new interrogation technique she’s been wanting to practice.”
Brad had no idea what intel they’d be trying to get out of the bastard, and he really didn’t care. All that mattered was getting his wife and daughter back. His brain seized. Had he really just called Avery his wife in his head? As the seconds ticked by, he realized it felt right calling her that, and when he got her back, he was going to make sure she knew it. Brad had never thought he’d get married a second time, but, then again, he never thought he’d meet a woman who could handle what he did. She knew the life he led, what he’d done on past Delta missions even if she didn’t know the specifics. They both had terrorists’ blood on their hands, yet were still able to see the good that was out there. Avery was a woman he could grow old with, who would understand when he was having a bad day and couldn’t talk about it. She was a woman who got him, and that was just what he needed.
“All right, let’s go over this. I want no screw ups.”
Carter rolled his eyes as if to say he never screwed up, but Brad didn’t care. This was a team he’d never worked with before and, for the first time in years, he was terrified to go on a mission. Thinking about any alternative to recovering both women unharmed ripped his gut apart.
Stepping over to the hood of one of the SUVs they’d driven to the estate, Carter moved a small rock that’d been holding down a piece of paper with a map of the property crudely scribbled on it. “Zheng is positive Chao wouldn’t have brought the women into the house; he wouldn’t want to soil it with their blood—it’s a religious thing, though I can’t imagine Chao being holy. So, we’re looking at this building here at the back of the property—a hurricane shelter built by the previous owners to accommodate a large family for several days. Zheng’s only been in there once or twice a few years ago. From what he can remember there’s six or seven rooms. Back then, there were some cots, shelving, and other crap, but he has no idea what’s in there now. There’s an entrance here and here,” he said, pointing to the opposite ends of the long structure, “and only two of the rooms have windows—both hurricane strength so they won’t shatter if they’re shot at with the ammo we have; they’ll only crack. Reinforced steel between the concrete is probably what’s preventing us from getting the signal from Avery’s tracker, in addition to the satellite glitch.”
“How do we know which one to enter? Or are we hitting them both at the same time?” Cameron asked.
Zheng held up his cell phone. “My father’s bodyguards might protect him, but some of them are loyal to me. The job pays well, but they hate how he looks down on them as peons. I pay a few I know I can trust to report back to me. I texted one of them.; he’s currently standing guard outside this door here.” He indicated the east end of the building on the map. “The younger woman is in this first room and unharmed, aside from some minor injuries from the accident. The other woman is down the hall and around the corner in one of these two rooms. I’m afraid my father has been . . .” He gulped then looked Brad dead in the face, his eyes filled with remorse. “He’s been extracting his revenge. She’s still alive but most certainly injured. The guard said my father and the head of his security, Shao Yan, are currently in the main house, but they’ll be returning soon.”
Brad’s hands fisted. He wanted to hit someone—anyone—but there wasn’t any time for that. He’d get his own revenge soon enough once he had Lori and Avery safe. He’d agreed to let Carter run this show, since Brad knew he was having a hard time thinking objectively—another first for a mission.
Pointing at Cameron and Kell, Carter said, “You two are in charge of getting Lori out. Zheng, you’ll get them in there, and remember my promise—you double-cross us, and you’ll beg for death.” Carter must have drilled that into the other man’s head since it didn’t seem to faze him. Anyone else in the civilian world would probably have been shaking in their boots if the spy had glared at them while issuing the unveiled threat. “Is the guard at the other entrance one of yours or Chao’s?”
Zheng shook his head. “You’ll need to take care of him; he’s a new guard and I don’t know him well, other than to know I don’t like him.”
“Fine; he’s expendable. Any guards inside?”
“No, there’s just the two on the outside. I’ll receive a text if someone goes in.”
“Okay, Troy, Jase, that guard is yours. Take him out and make sure he doesn’t come back to bite us in the ass. Brad, Jordyn, and I will take the door as soon as you’re done. After you dispose of the guard, clear the rest of the rooms, then help Brad get Avery out and to the clinic.” McDaniel had texted Carter the address of a clinic on the island with a doctor who would treat Avery and anyone else wounded in the rescue. He’d also keep his mouth shut in exchange for a large sum of money—they’d used him in the past and trusted his greed enough to use him again. “Cam and Kell, if Lori doesn’t need a doctor, get her back to the resort and lock her down until you get the all clear. Jordyn and I will deal with Chao and his right-hand man. Zheng, after they get Lori out, you’re done. Tell your guard to hightail it out of there only after your father and Shao come back and go inside—they’ll know something’s up if he’s missing before that. Then, you head back to your resort like nothing’s happened. Act surprised when the cops show up—and they will.”
Brad noticed there was no longer remorse or regret in Zheng’s eyes as he stared at Carter. There was something else—acceptance. “They’ll be informing me of my father’s death, yes?”
Crossing his arms, the spy nodded. “Yes. If you have a problem with that, tell me now. There are other ways I can make him suffer for what he’s done, but he’ll never be able to tell anyone what happened to him.”
“That would mean I’d have to take care of him until his dying day; I highly doubt he would give me the same courtesy. I will be appropriately surprised when the police arrive.” The man turned and stepped away, probably trying to come to terms with what he’d just agreed to.
“All right. Let’s do a comms check.” Carter hit the microphone on the headset he wore. Jase had brought a bunch of them with his bags of toys. If there was one thing Brad had learned about the Trident Security operatives, they came loaded for bear.
Once they were sure they were all connected, they disappeared into the heavy foliage surrounding the estate. As he followed Carter and Jordyn, Brad prayed like he’d never prayed before.
Lori sat on the hard floor, shivering despite the warm, muggy air in the darkened room. She had no idea how long it’d been since Avery had been taken. It seemed like days, but in reality it’d probably been only an hour or two. In addition to her throbbing shoulder, Lori’s throat and right hand were killing her. After the door had slammed shut, and she’d found herself alone, she’d pounded on the steel and shouted at her captors. She’d demanded to be let go, begged for Avery to not be harmed, cursed the bastards who’d elicited
the shrieks of pain from the older woman from somewhere in the building, and then prayed Avery was still alive after all had gone silent. Lori had only stopped yelling and beating on the door when it’d swung open and the tall, bald man pointed a gun at her chest. His short sentence had contained venom, glossed with the absolute truth. “Shut up or die.”
She’d complied, partly from fear, partly from the wise advice her father had given her often while she’d been growing up. “If you’re ever taken hostage, stay calm and bide your time until you can gain the advantage to escape. Look around you; find a way to alert someone. If you’re in the trunk of a vehicle, feel around for the release or kick out the brake light cover and wave your hand out the hole. Find a weapon; anything can be one if you think about it. If you have to, disable or kill the bastard. Do it, then run. Don’t look back. Don’t worry about any consequences. Then call me and let me know where the body is so I can bury it.”
Lori had always thought that last line was just her father joking, but now she wasn’t so sure. She knew who he was in the military—Bradley “Tank” Barton was Delta. That meant something to anyone who’d ever heard of the elite team of soldiers. Deltas would do whatever it took to complete their mission. They were the Army’s badass, black-ops team. The take-no-prisoners men who’d give their lives to save a teammate or an innocent. And now, as an adult, she had no doubt her father knew where some skeletons were buried, probably far more than anyone would ever know.
Daddy and Cam, please find us. I love you both so much. Please give me a chance to tell you that in person.
A faint click had her picking up her head as light filled the room again. She blinked several times until she could focus on the man who’d furtively entered. Her eyes narrowed when he held up a finger to his mouth in the universal gesture of “stay quiet.” He motioned for her to stand and walk toward him. His face was filled with kindness, sympathy, and worry—definitely not what she’d seen on the other men’s faces earlier. Lori struggled to her feet and warily closed the distance between them, keeping her left arm against her chest to ease the pain in her shoulder. She was just about to ask him who he was, hoping he was here to rescue her and Avery, but he disappeared back out into the hallway. The door opened a little wider, and she realized the man hadn’t been alone. Lori’s eyes went wide as her heart pounded in her chest. Relief coursed through her, and she couldn’t help the word that escaped her louder than she’d meant it to be. “Cameron!”
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Cheating the Devil: A Deimos/Trident Security/Delta Team Crossover (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 8