Reckoning

by Leigh, Jo

  “There it is.”

  She stared ahead at what could only be called a ghost town. There were some abandoned shacks on the sides of the road, and a bar with broken and boarded windows. An old grocery store, some more houses and behind a gas station that hadn’t had a customer in years was a two-story apartment building that had one window upstairs that wasn’t broken. “It’s not bad.”

  “At least it’s not summer. This place would be an oven.” Nate turned onto another pitted road while she stared at her new residence. She didn’t see any sign of the others, which was good. That meant Omicron wouldn’t see them, either.

  The truck slowed as Nate reached the far end of the building. Behind it was a parking area. None of the other trucks were there, either. “Where is everyone?”

  “Indoor parking,” he said.

  She saw what he meant. The back half of the building on the right side was open, but the roof and second floor were still intact. All the trucks were there. They’d be invisible from a helicopter. “Smart.”

  “Yep.” He pulled carefully into the last possible space, and when she got out, the others were there to greet them.

  Carrying several bags, she was led into the inner rooms. The place had been swept, but there was still dust everywhere. Without windows, the rooms were cold as hell, but there was a fire pit, and a couple of camp stoves in the remains of an old kitchen. “Vince got all this?”

  Nate nodded. “There’s more.”

  She followed him to what used to be someone’s living room where there were three tables, all of them pretty big, with mismatched chairs. On one of the tables were two computers, both of which were connected to a huge red generator.

  “It’s not on yet,” Vince said, rather proudly. “It’s pretty loud. We figured we’d wait until we’re finished setting up. Then we can plug in our cell phones, boot up the computers and even shed some light.”

  Tam saw he’d gotten a couple of standing lamps. Nothing matched, but it was all serviceable.

  “Where do I put these?” she asked, raising the duffel bags.

  “Over here.” Nate led her to a hallway, then through another door; a completely different apartment. That kitchen also had a camp stove, a cooler, a coffee pot. The living room had a table and chairs, two lamps and a loveseat. “Wow.”

  “This is our room,” Nate said from yet another hallway. She passed a bathroom she’d never enter in this lifetime to a fairly decent room that had a small closet. It hadn’t been swept yet, so she didn’t put her things down. “I’ll go find a broom.”

  “I’ll take care of this,” he said. “I need you and Kate to get together ASAP. We’ve got to get those ledgers transcribed.”

  She nodded, put the bags on the table in the living room and made her way to the computer room.

  It was good to have so much to do. She’d never been much of a camper, and she missed a decent bathroom most of all, but by nightfall, they had food, beds, drinks, lights and she and Kate were knee-deep in work.

  * * * * * *

  Nate watched his team come together and it made him proud. No one complained, not even Christie, which shocked him. He remembered her teenage years, when she’d been a regular little princess. Now she was in charge of dinner, and she was cooking up MREs like no one’s business.

  Still, something was wrong. Not just the fact that Cade wasn’t here, but the fact that no one was talking about him. Something needed to be done. Tonight.

  They ate at the big tables. Everyone pitched in, but it was too quiet. He tried several times to start conversations, but they all ran out of steam. Then he asked Kate about the ledgers. They’d be done tonight. Tomorrow, Vince would get a printer and they’d run copies. Nate just wished they had phone service out here. It complicated things, but what the hell. It would all work or it wouldn’t.

  When dinner was over, they mostly just threw stuff away and the place was as clean as it was likely to get. Before the team dispersed, he asked them each to get a flashlight and follow him.

  As if they knew this was something important, they moved quickly and quietly. Nate led them into the desert, away from what remained of the old mining town.

  It was almost a full moon, which helped them see as they walked past the scrub and the cactus. All manner of insects and lizards scurried out of their path, even a big old hare.

  He didn’t take them far, just away and when he stopped, they gathered round him in a circle. Tam was at his side, which made it all easier.

  “It’s only right and proper that we say a few words about our friend Cade. I first met him when he came over to Delta six years ago. For those of you who don’t know, getting into Delta Force isn’t an easy thing to do. You have to be smart, patient, strong and sure. Most of the men who come to visit us at Fort Bragg are in the prime of their lives. They come from every branch of the armed service, and they come decorated. But most of them wash out before they get their insignias. Being a Delta operator is an honor and a privilege known by few.

  “Cade came from the Rangers. He was an excellent sharpshooter, but he wanted to be the best there was. He ran the forty miler in twenty hours. The day he became a member of the First Special Forces Operational Detachment, Delta, was the proudest day of his life.

  “When I was asked to lead a team into Kosovo, I handpicked the men to go with me. Cade was right there in the front row. He had become the best damn sharpshooter I’ve ever known, and I’ve known quite a few.

  “When things went south, Cade never lost his faith in his country. He believed in the United States of America, and just as he had when he came into Delta, he was willing to give his all to make sure that our America was a good America. That no group of people—no matter how powerful—can take it upon themselves to disregard the Constitution. That any group of people who should do so would be brought to justice.

  “Cade Huston made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our cause. He walked into battle each day knowing he faced danger and death, and he walked in with pride in his heart and the kind of courage the men we’re fighting have never witnessed.

  “We’ve lost our brother. I will never forget Cade, and I will make sure the American people understand that Sergeant Huston was and is a hero. He will not have died in vain. We will do what needs to be done.”

  Chapter 13

  Every time Janice’s phone rang, Eli was tempted to disconnect, but he kept his cell to his ear and waited. He was finally doing it, finally calling her. Janice Tucker was the love of his life, and if he lived to be one hundred, she’d still be the woman of his dreams. Unfortunately, he hadn’t seen her since their high school graduation.

  Still he could picture her in high definition detail. Her hair was the color of sun-dappled wheat and it hung thick and straight just past her shoulders. Her eyes were green with tiny specks of gold, which he’d noticed when they were chemistry lab partners. Her skin…It was perfect and although he’d never actually touched her, he just knew it would feel like silk.

  It rang again, and he relaxed a little. She wasn’t home so he could leave a message. He’d written it out, after about twenty false starts, and he’d practiced the words enough that he thought he sounded pretty natural.

  All he had to do was not think about her body, because that flustered him every time. She was like a Playboy centerfold. Not that he’d ever seen her without her clothes, but she had a lush curvy body. And—

  “Hello?”

  It was her.

  “Hello?”

  “Janice?”

  “Yes. Who is this?”

  God, her voice was just the same. “It’s Eli. Eli Lieberman.”

  “Who?”

  “From high school? You know, chemistry? And English. You used to ask me for my notes?”

  “Oh, yeah, sure. Eli. Hi. Are you on the reunion committee?”

  “Reunion? No. I’m just calling.”

  “About…”

  “Well, we both still live in Los Angeles, and I’m working fo
r the Times now as a reporter, and—”

  “You want to interview me about the reunion?”

  “Well, no. I was wondering if you would like to get together for lunch, say at Jozu on Sunset, and then we could take a ride up the coast. I just got a new Turbo 911, and—”

  “Um, Eli?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m actually seeing someone right now. And he’s, you know, the jealous type. But hey, I’ll make sure you get an invitation to the reunion, okay?”

  “Yeah, sure,” he said, and even he could hear his pathetic disappointment. “Nice talking to you.”

  “You, too. Bye now.”

  With that, she was gone, and so was his dream. The next time she heard about Eli Lieberman, it would be on the news reporting his death. She’d be sorry then, because he’d be famous. And she could have gone out with him.

  His phone, still on, beeped with a new call. It was Nate. “What’s going on?”

  “You need to be at the meeting point tomorrow at 0600 hours.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Good job, kid. I hope this gets you your Pulitzer.”

  “Thanks,” he said, even though the Pulitzer would come way too late to make Janice feel worse, but he appreciated the thought. “Good luck. To all of you.”

  “Ten-four.”

  Eli disconnected and looked around his snazzy new apartment. It was small but it cost a fortune. Mostly for the address, but also for the décor. It was all ultra-modern by some guy who had a decorating show on HGTV. Eli liked it. Well, mostly. He was always slipping off the damn leather couch.

  He had no reservations about the car. It was pure heaven. And yeah, most of his savings was gone, but that was okay. He’d made the arrangements to complete his part of the mission, even if he was killed.

  * * * * * *

  Nate put his cell phone away and looked at his team. They were still in what Boone had called the nerve center. No electricity except for the generator, no running water. It was a hell of a place to stage a final battle.

  The memorial for Cade had done exactly what he’d hoped. He needed these people to walk into the very heart of hell. He doubted they would all live. In fact, it was highly unlikely that any of them would. They knew the odds, and they still had to carry out the complex mission without losing it. He didn’t need to tell them their lives were secondary to the main goal of preventing Omicron from ever using the gas again.

  What was so hard for him was that he needed all of them. Even the civilians. His sister. Harper. Kate. And Tam. He simply didn’t have enough soldiers to get the job done. Especially now that they didn’t have Cade.

  He kept trying to think of a legitimate reason for leaving the women behind, but the four men couldn’t possibly do everything necessary to win the day. Maybe he just wasn’t seeing things clearly. He’d go over the plan again with Boone and Seth, see if they had any ideas. He was damn sure they didn’t want Christie and Harper to face such incredible odds.

  But tonight, Boone and Seth had to go back to the plant. It was inevitable that security would have changed the timing of the patrols since they’d caught Cade. And since it was highly likely that the guards had found the breach in the gate, the men would have to make a new entrance.

  He debated going with them, but if something happened, he’d have to rethink the plan and figure out a way to save the women and Vince. It wasn’t in his nature to sit back while others did the dirty work. He’d never wanted to be the one handing out the orders. He’d trained to be a soldier, the guy in the trenches. Watching his men leave was torture.

  He’d go over the plans again, even though he knew everything by heart. When the guys came back, he’d run it through again. After that, there was no turning back, and everything would have to run like clockwork.

  He went over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup, and saw that Seth and Boone had taken Harper and Christie to other rooms. Kate and Vince were on their way out, and Tam turned to him, looking unsure and a little frightened. He put his coffee down and went to her side. “Tired?”

  She nodded. “You must be, too. You’ve had so little sleep.”

  “I’ll get some rest after the guys head out.”

  She looked at her watch. “They’ll be leaving in half an hour.”

  “I need to go over a few things, anyway. Do you want to wait, or would you be okay getting into that sleeping bag alone?”

  “I think I’ll wait, if that’s okay.”

  “Sure. You want to check out the plan with me?”

  She smiled. “I’d like that.”

  * * * * * *

  It was terrible watching Seth and Boone drive away. They were all thinking of Cade, and praying that come the dawn, they’d see these two men come back unharmed.

  Tam looked up at the night sky, and was stunned at the blanket of stars. How long had it been since she’d been so far away from civilization that she could see the Milky Way? She was so tiny, so insignificant, and yet her feelings filled her whole universe. How was that possible? Was it ego? Or was it just the human condition?

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  Though Nate was standing next to her, she couldn’t see him clearly. But she felt him. Felt the heat from his body, despite their coats. Felt the rasp of his unshaven cheek. He’d become such a huge part of her universe. By the day after tomorrow, everything would change once more. If she made it, she’d leave for home as quickly as possible. She wondered if he’d loom as large once they were out of this desert. Out of danger.

  She wondered if she’d ever stop wanting him.

  She found his hand and tugged him back into the big room. She turned off a few of the lights, then took him back to their so-called apartment.

  “I really should go over—”

  She put her fingers over his lips to stop him. “Make love to me.”

  His brow furrowed as he studied her face. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

  She nodded. “Please. Just for tonight, let’s pretend we don’t have to save the world. Let’s just be together.”

  “I’m so sorry,” he said.

  “For what?”

  “I should have found a way to make you safe.”

  “That’s exactly what you did.”

  “I don’t want you to go into that plant. We can do it without you. We’ll be fine.”

  She grasped his large hands. “We will be fine, but I’ll be there. Doing my part.”

  “Tam—”

  “Just for tonight. Please?”

  He took her by the shoulders and pulled her close. His arms went around her and she felt his chin rest on the top of her head. That always made her smile, their disparity in size, but tonight she realized it was yet another memory she’d take with her, and maybe someday it would make her smile instead of weep.

  He stepped back and lifted her chin for a kiss, and the second his lips touched hers, she knew she’d made the right decision.

  She wasn’t doing this for the good of the team. She was here because she cared deeply about this man. He’d been her world for so long. He’d given her so very much. Tonight, she’d do her best to take his mind off his burdens. She’d give him peace, even if it was only for a moment.

  She pulled back and looked at the sleeping bags on the floor. “Kind of makes you miss the Starlight Motel.”

  He smiled. “It won’t be so bad. Look.” He unrolled one of the bags and she saw there was a foam cushion wrapped with it. Not that it would be like a bed, but it would help.

  The second bag also had the foam. She pictured them sleeping on the cushions with the bags on top, but Nate did some tricks with the zippers so they had a double layer of insulation between them and the floor.

  “Not bad, Sarge.”

  “I do my best.”

  She undressed carefully, placing her clothes on top of the duffel bag. She thought about the sad little nightgown she’d bought at Goodwill. With luck, she’d have nice things again. Lingerie. Boots. Jea
ns that really fit.

  When they were naked and shivering, he maneuvered them both inside their bed. He cradled her neck on his arm, and then he kissed her. He tasted like peppermint, and he smelled like the desert itself. There simply was no better combination.

  His free hand moved down the front of her body, lingering over each breast, then down to the edge of her mound. To her surprise, he moved up again, content with the languorous massage as they kissed.

  She touched him, too. His shoulder, his arm, the curve of his chest and his hip. He’d left one light on, in the corner of the room, but in their bag it was very dark. When she closed her eyes she saw sparkling colors, so she kept them open, wanting no distractions. She just wished she could see him better. Good thing she’d memorized his face.

  As his kisses grew deeper and more intense, she found herself urging his hand to go lower. Raising her hips, spreading her legs. She wanted him intensely, and she didn’t give a damn why.

  That thought opened a floodgate of all the reasons she was being a fool, and the only way she could stop them was to take his hand from her hip and guide it where she wanted him to go. He gasped a little as she used her own fingers to demonstrate.

  Nate had always been a quick study, thank goodness. The second she felt the pad of his finger on her clit, she let him go solo. She turned just far enough to give herself access to his erection. She’d felt him rubbing against her, and it had felt so good, but it wasn’t nearly enough. She took him in hand, loving the way he jumped as she gripped him.

  This was it, the total immersion she’d been looking for. No more thinking. All thinking had ever done was get her into trouble. But feeling? Especially when the sensations were enough to drive her insane? That she could do. Hell, she could revel in those for days.

  “You drive me crazy,” he whispered. He took her earlobe between his teeth and his breath made her shiver.

  “Then I’m doing it right,” she said.

  “I’m going to have to do something about your hand,” he said.

  She stroked him all the way up, then down again, and she didn’t stop there. She rolled his sack in her hand, gently of course, but from his hiss, she knew he had no objections. If it hadn’t been so difficult to move around, she’d have gone down on him, but this would have to suffice.