Soldier Protector (Military Precision Heroes Book 2)

by Kimberly Van Meter

  Were Petranski and Vepp a couple? “I’m sorry if this question seems inappropriate, but do you and Jonathan have a romantic relationship?”

  “No,” Robert assured Zak with a laugh. “Just friends. Jonathan is very straight, but we like to bowl together and sometimes after work we grab a beer at the local pub. He’s a decent guy but a terrible bowler. How’s your bowling game?”

  “Haven’t bowled in years, so I’d wager a guess—probably worse than Petranski.”

  Robert chuckled. “It’s like riding a bike. I’d be happy to be your partner if you’re looking to brush up on old skills.”

  Zak just smiled and kept moving forward. “So Petranski told you about the break-in?”

  “Yes.”

  When Robert didn’t automatically elaborate, he prompted, “Do you know of anyone who might’ve wanted to get their hands on that sample?”

  “Just wagering a guess, every criminal mastermind on the planet with money to burn and a general hatred for the human race. Let’s get real, that biological agent was Armageddon in a vial. Anyone in possession of that virus would be the most powerful force in the world.”

  “And how do you feel about your part on the team?”

  “I feel pretty good. We’re the good guys. Why wouldn’t I want to be on the right side of that equation?”

  “And you feel Tessara is on the right side?”

  “Don’t you?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t have an opinion.”

  “Sure you do.”

  Zak smiled. “I’ve heard things about Tessara but it’s not my place to judge. I’m just here to find who took the sample and protect Dr. Willows.”

  Robert accepted his answer but said, “I don’t envy your job. Caitlin isn’t an easy person to get to know.”

  “She speaks highly of you, of her entire team, actually.”

  “Yeah? She’s not big on praise. Hard to tell.”

  “Do you need praise?”

  “No, of course not, but I’m not like everyone else. I’m confident in my work quality but others, such as Rebecca, could use a little pat on the back now and then.”

  “Dr. Willows is very defensive of her team. I’d say that says a lot about her faith in who works for her.”

  Robert smiled. “Indeed.”

  Zak considered the man before him, a contradiction in every way. If he’d gone off first impressions, he would’ve been wrong. “You’re an interesting guy,” he shared, cataloging every reaction. “What made you go into science?”

  “It’s what I’m good at,” Robert answered. “And, in the right labs, it pays well.”

  Zak slid his gaze to Robert, curious. “Tessara pays well, I assume?”

  “Considering you can just look in my personnel file and find out what I make a year, I’ll just go ahead and answer...yes, I’m happy with what I bring home. Tessara takes care of its employees. No complaints there.”

  “What complaints do you have?”

  “None worth sharing.”

  “Indulge me.”

  Robert laughed. “Okay, the cereal bar is never stocked with my favorite cereal, in spite of several complaints, and it seems the office manager has some kind of bias against poppy-seed muffins because they’re never available in the cafeteria.”

  “So, food complaints? That’s it?”

  “Pretty much. Like I said, Tessara takes care of its employees.”

  Zak smiled and leaned back. “Kinda rare these days, huh? Finding an employer that actually cares about its employees.”

  “The rarest.”

  A beat passed before Zak said, “So there’s no one you can think of that might have a beef with Tessara?”

  “Nothing big enough to risk their lives over.”

  “Interesting choice of words.”

  “How so?” Robert asked.

  “It implies that Tessara’s bite has teeth. Most people who work for a giant corporation have a more relaxed view of theft. I mean, who hasn’t taken home a few pens from the office supply closet, right?”

  Robert chuckled. “Tessara pays well enough that we don’t feel the need to steal pens. Or anything, for that matter. That’s all I was saying.”

  “Got it. So you can’t think of anyone who might be willing to risk everything for a potentially big payout. I mean, let’s get real for a minute, no matter how well Tessara pays, it’s not a billion-dollar payday.”

  “Some things aren’t for sale.”

  “If the number of zeroes is right...you’d be surprised how quickly people flip on their values.”

  “Speaking from experience?”

  Zak smiled, making a mental note to keep watch on Robert. “Let’s just say I’ve seen a lot.”

  “I bet you have. You’ve got the look of an all-American hero, with a SEAL-Team-Six vibe. You must be pretty popular with the ladies.”

  Interesting how Robert kept circling the conversation back to Zak. It could be classic deflection or it could be that Robert was passive-aggressively mocking him. Either way, Zak wasn’t playing. He closed his notebook, signaling the end of their conversation. “I appreciate you taking the time to chat with me.”

  Robert nodded and rose from his seat. “I’m here any time. Like most of Caitlin’s team, I pretty much live here at the lab. Who needs a social life when you’re saving the world, right?”

  Zak responded with a short smile that he immediately dropped as soon as Robert left the room.

  Time to do some research on Robert Vepp. His instincts told him that the man with the “exquisite” research might be worth watching.

  * * *

  Caitlin managed to block out the knowledge that Zak was hovering around her lab, but each time he took someone into the adjoining room for a private interview, her breath caught in her chest.

  She hated to admit that she had control issues. But there was no denying that fact, now that she was faced with situations she had absolutely no control over.

  The anxiety was crowding her brain, making concentrating difficult.

  Not to mention she was exhausted. She suddenly had a newfound appreciation for her mother’s ability to function at such a high level with so little sleep.

  Rubbing at her eyes, she tried to focus but it didn’t help that Rebecca couldn’t seem to stay on track for two seconds before she was rambling on about Zak and his physique.

  “What was it like having him stay the night? Where did he sleep? On the couch? Or in your bed? I mean, if he’s supposed to keep you safe at all times, he’d probably need to keep you within close proximity, right?”

  Caitlin didn’t want to dignify that silly question with an answer but she knew Rebecca would keep asking, so she answered with a curt “On the couch.” She then pointedly returned to her notes in the hopes that Rebecca would get the hint but, of course, Rebecca was too enthralled with the unorthodox situation to notice.

  “I’d probably insist that he sleep with me,” Rebecca said, dropping down into the lone chair across from Caitlin’s desk. “I mean, for safety purposes, it only makes sense to have him within arm’s length. What if someone sneaked into your bedroom and was hiding in your closet, just waiting for the right moment to slit your throat?”

  That was decidedly macabre imagery. She flicked her eyes to Rebecca. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “Which part? The person hiding in your closet or Zak sleeping in your bed?”

  Her cheeks flushed with heat as she replied, “Neither. Was there something work-related you needed to discuss?” Caitlin asked, bringing the conversation back to more appropriate topics.

  “No. Not really. I just can’t understand how you can be totally unaffected by the fact that a certifiable hunk is your personal bodyguard. Are you blind?”

  “Not blind, but certainly irritated,” she muttered, meeting Rebecca�
�s gaze. “However, I’m equally puzzled as to how you can be so nonchalant about the fact that we were burgled and the single most important sample in the known world was stolen. You do realize we are still on a ticking clock, right?”

  “Of course,” Rebecca said, apparently shifting with guilt. “Maybe it’s my coping mechanism. If I focus too hard on the fact that someone gained access to our lab, it sends me down a spiral that I somehow must’ve been responsible. I’ve gone over the protocols a million times since that night and even though I know I’ve followed every rule, I still worry that it’s somehow my fault.”

  “How could it possibly be your fault?” Caitlin asked, frowning. “Whoever broke in smashed the control panel to gain access, which is not something we were prepared to handle.”

  “Yes, but how’d they know which lab to target? Tessara had literally hundreds of ongoing experiments and minilabs throughout the building but somehow they knew the sample was here, in our lab. What if... I don’t know, someone hacked my emails or bugged my house and overheard me talking in my sleep about the project?” She threw her hands up, frustrated and riddled with anxiety. “I mean, there are too many variables to consider and the sheer scope of it paralyzes my brain! So, yeah, I tend to focus on things that are far less intimidating, such as your sexy bodyguard, who, if I’m totally honest, I would’ve been climbing like a tree if he were protecting me. You have the restraint of the Queen’s Guard.”

  For the first time ever Caitlin saw Rebecca in a new light. “Wow, I never thought I’d meet someone with more anxiety issues than me,” Caitlin said in a rare moment of commiseration. She understood Rebecca’s fears—even though they sounded totally irrational when spoken out loud, they were plausible. Her own apprehensions with the thinnest thread of plausibility kept her awake at night. “Look, it wasn’t you. It wasn’t anyone in our lab,” she assured Rebecca. “Zak and his team will find the thief and then life will go back to normal. Until then, we just have to fake it until we make it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, we have to keep moving forward, even if we’re not sure of what we’re doing. Eventually, everything will slip into place.”

  Rebecca remained dubious. “That’s not very scientific.”

  “No, not at all, but it does work. Mind over matter. Tessara is counting on us. The world is counting on us. Do we have much choice? Failing isn’t an option.”

  Rebecca nodded, rubbing at her nose. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s still really weird to have Zak around, though. He’s super hot. Not exactly the type we’re used to seeing running around the halls.”

  That much was true. He was a terrible distraction. “The sooner Tessara releases him, the better. I, for one, am ready for some normalcy.”

  “Just because something is what you’re used to, it doesn’t mean it’s good,” Rebecca said glumly. “Just because we’re into science doesn’t mean we have to settle for pale-faced lab rats.”

  Caitlin laughed at the absurd idea. “My parents were both lab rats as you call them and they aren’t particularly pale or unattractive. Be careful for stereotypes—they’ll bite you in the butt every time.”

  But Rebecca wasn’t ready to concede, not yet. “C’mon, be real for a minute, Caitlin. That guy is hotter than Georgia asphalt and you’d have to be blind to miss that. You can’t tell me that having him in your house isn’t a little distracting.”

  “Oh, it’s a lot distracting and I don’t like it,” she said, finally finding something she could agree with. “But it’s temporary and I can handle a little discomfort for the time being. However, I need you to focus on your work, not on the temporary distractions, okay? What we’re doing is super important and we can’t let anything stand in our way of success. Tessara is counting on us.”

  “Why are you so damn loyal to Tessara?” Rebecca groused. “Did they pay off your student loans or something? You sound like the poster child for employee gratitude.”

  Rebecca’s attitude shocked Caitlin. She’d never seen her act so churlish. It was a side to her assistant she didn’t know how to process. “I think we do good work and the work is important,” she answered. “Don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I guess. I mean, if you overlook the fact that the sample we were working on was stolen from someplace else and the rumor is that it was stolen from a Tessara lab in South America, then, yeah, I guess we’re doing good work.”

  She hadn’t heard this rumor but it made her intensely uncomfortable. “Well, we can’t put much stock in rumors.”

  “There’s a grain of truth to every rumor,” Rebecca reminded her with a small smile before rising and leaving Caitlin’s office.

  Caitlin tried to focus on work but her mind kept returning to Rebecca’s comment. What if it was true? What if the sample they’d been working on had been created in a Tessara lab and if that was true, why were two Tessara labs working against one another? It didn’t make any sense.

  Which was precisely why listening to rumors was counterproductive.

  Doubling down, she refocused and pushed all thoughts of conspiracy from her head.

  Chapter 7

  Caitlin hadn’t lied when she said she wasn’t a cook. The woman lived off Cheez-Its and apple juice with the occasional pretzel surprise thrown in.

  Her body might thrive off junk but his did not. The first order of business was stocking her house with actual food—vegetables, fruits and dairy—so he could cook something that wasn’t processed to death and had some actual nutrition.

  He wasn’t a health nut but he relied upon his body remaining strong and healthy for his job.

  Let’s face it, he couldn’t kick some ass if he was draggin’ ass.

  Caitlin surveyed the food he’d purchased with an overwhelmed expression. “Do you know what to do with all this stuff?” she asked, grabbing the spaghetti squash in total confusion. “What the heck is this?”

  “That is squash and it’s a good substitute for pasta. You can make spaghetti out of it.”

  “What’s wrong with actual pasta?”

  “Nothing, but too many carbs make you sluggish. When I’m on assignment, I need to stay light on my feet, keep my reflexes sharp.”

  “So you go low-carb when you’re on the job?”

  “Depends on the job.”

  “I would die without carbs.”

  “Carbs are delicious,” he agreed with a wink, adding, “but after you try my squash marinara, you’ll forget all about traditional pasta.”

  “Doubtful, but I appreciate your enthusiasm.”

  He chuckled. “How you operate that giant brain of yours on the crap you eat I’ll never know, but while I’m here, you’re going to try a few things different from your usual fare of convenience-store food.”

  Her cheeks flushed and she muttered, “Don’t knock convenience-store pizza until you’ve had it.”

  Zak laughed, amused at how prickly Caitlin got over the smallest things. She was wound so tightly she fairly squeaked. Zoey had been like that, too. Often he’d been the only one who could make her laugh.

  He ignored the immediate cloud that never failed to gather when he thought of his sister. There was a reason he kept that crap private. Turning so Caitlin didn’t catch his slip, he started preparing the squash, grateful to have something to focus on until he got a handle on his feelings.

  Since meeting Caitlin, he’d spent more time pushing away thoughts of Zoey than he had in years. There was just something about Caitlin that reminded him so much of his sister that the memories of Zoey kept resurfacing.

  “Do you need any help?”

  He turned to find Caitlin standing awkwardly, arms crossed, yet with an odd earnestness that seemed out of character. Not wanting to dishonor the fragile moment, he gestured toward the waiting vegetables. “You could make the salad,” he suggested, picking something easy.

  “
Salad...like lettuce and tomato, right?” she clarified.

  He nodded. “Maybe throw in a cucumber or two, if you want to get fancy.”

  “Don’t push your luck,” she grumbled but grabbed the lettuce and started preparing, albeit a little awkwardly. But Zak couldn’t care less about presentation. He just liked to eat good food; it didn’t matter to him if the dish looked like a train wreck. After a few minutes, she said, “So you’re a health nut...what else should I know about you?”

  “Is this where we bond?” he teased, trying to get her to smile at least a little bit. If he didn’t have to spend so much time fighting her on every step, maybe he’d make more progress. When she didn’t respond to his subtle teasing, he returned to his pot of shredded hamburger. “Well, what would you like to know?” he said.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never known someone like you. How did you get into the bodyguard business?” she asked. “What is Red Wolf Elite anyway?”

  Zak was relieved to talk about something other than the case. “Red Wolf is a paramilitary outfit that specializes in operations that are difficult to categorize. Shadow ops, high-profile client protection, even some jobs overseas. Basically we do anything that the government wants to be able to claim no part of.” He understood Caitlin’s pride in her job, even if others found it shady, because he was proud of his job, too.

  “Sounds very dangerous,” she murmured. He turned to find her regarding him warily. “You’ve probably killed people before, right?”

  “Yes,” he answered without equivocating. “But I can promise you, if they ate a bullet from my gun, they had it coming.”

  That broke a tiny smile. That, of all things, broke a smile? “Methinks the quiet scientist is a little savage.”

  She chuckled, admitting with the tiniest of shrugs, “Maybe a little.”

  He liked this hidden side of Caitlin. Private people were the most interesting. He preferred deep wells to shallow pools any day. “Tell me what it was like growing up in the Willows household.”

  “It was quiet. I read a lot. My parents were gone a lot.” As if to prevent any pity coming her way, not that he was about to offer any, she quickly added, “But I liked my alone time. Actually, it suited my personality very well, not having my parents hover around me all the time. Gave me the chance to develop my own set of skills and coping mechanisms without their influence. I think I’m very lucky to have grown up the way I did. Although my mother did enjoy her share of nagging.”