Danger Zone (Delta Force Echo: An Iniquus Action Adventure Romance Book 2)

by Fiona Quinn

  Karen filled the empty space. “Ah, well…as the bad boys of the United States military like to say, ‘Watch your six.’ We don’t want you going kaboom!”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  T-Rex

  Thursday, London, England

  He had a small window to grab a power nap, but his mind was racing. Over the decades of military life, T-Rex had trained himself to close his eyes, order up a snooze and a specific wakeup time, and let his brain do the rest.

  But here he was, lying on his back. He’d crossed his arms behind his head while his ankles dangled off of the too-short bed. Awake.

  Remi filled his thoughts. He wanted her in his life. Wanted a last call before he went out on assignment. He missed worrying and caring about someone. He was ready. But was she interested in something like that? Because it would take a heck of a lot to make it a go.

  Special Forces relationships were tricky. He knew it from his own experience with Jess and watching his teammates navigate the issues with their wives.

  But their wives lived on base. They weren’t out traipsing the earth with a go-bag and a videorecorder, looking for a story. Honey Honig sprang to mind. A fellow Delta now retired. He was with Iniquus, working jobs all over the world. His specialty was saving kidnapped victims. Honey met his now-wife Meg in Africa, where she worked as an animal migration specialist. They’d adopted a son, Ahbou. Two different continents. They made it work. How? Honey said he, Meg, and Ahbou video chatted every day. So far, it looked like a successful marriage was possible despite their being so far apart. Sometimes life got in the way. For Honey, it was assignments that took as long as they took to resolve and get the kidnapping victims home again. For Meg, she might be out in the bush. They sent pictures, texts, kept things going…could it work for him? For them?

  Honey talked for a living. He was the voice on the radio or phone when they made contact with the kidnappers. He could read between the lines. He could pick the right words out of nowhere.

  Words weren’t T-Rex’s forte.

  But if you want something badly enough…

  He turned his head toward the door, where a light tap sounded.

  Swinging his legs off the bed, he made his way over, bent to look through the viewer to see Remi standing there, looking nervous.

  He swung the door wide, brushing a hand through the air to invite her in.

  From the tightness of her muscles and the frown on her face, this wasn’t a booty call.

  “I’m so sorry,” was her opener.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I just got off the phone with a friend of mine, Karen from the Montreal Gazette.”

  “Where’s this?”

  She put her hand on her head. “Uhm, she’s in South Africa, but it’s not about that.”

  “Do you want to sit?”

  She moved to the chair at the table and plopped down, then sprang back up.

  Okay, nerves. The least T-Rex could do was not loom. He moved back to his bed and positioned himself much like she had been when he’d visited her in her room earlier.

  “Did you hear about the DOJ arresting four men in New York over the kidnapping plot of Sima Noori?”

  “I just got off the phone with my TOC about that.”

  She exhaled deeply. T-Rex had watched Remi’s pattern breathing enough now to know it was a coping mechanism for anxiety. “I’m concerned about the Iraq layover,” she said, “retribution…”

  “A plan has already been formed. I was going to text you when I got up.”

  “You were sleeping. I’m so sorry. You don’t get to do that a lot on assignment.” She started toward the door. “We can talk—”

  “Remi, you’re always welcome. Please stay.” He waited for her to turn. “We’re going to fly straight into Lebanon. Once we get there, the plane will go on to the Jordan-Iraq border with the girls. Diamond will go and deliver the senator’s remarks."

  “Diamond’s okay with that? She was pretty freaked out by the elevator incident. The car chase, I’m sure that didn’t sit well.”

  “I think she wants to keep her job.”

  Remi leaned an ear toward her shoulder. “I guess you’ve got to do what you have to do, but if she felt unsafe—none of you three is going with them?”

  “We’re here to protect the senator.”

  Remi’s gaze settled on the carpet. T-Rex could see her mind whirring. “Okay, well, Diamond’s an adult. I guess she can make those choices for herself.” Her hand rested on his ankle. “Are you on duty soon?”

  He looked at his watch. “Cat nap, then I’m on door duty.”

  She held his eye.

  So she’d come down with an invitation, not just information swap and plan coordination. A glimmer of hope sparked for him when he read disappointment there. He reached for her hand, tugging lightly so she’d sit down closer to him. “Not tonight,” he said as she turned her hand and laced her fingers into his. “We’ll figure it out, okay?”

  “Yeah, I’d like that.” She leaned forward for a kiss.

  When their lips met, it was soft and sweet. T-Rex closed his eyes to savor it. Just a taste on his tongue. A ripple of warmth flooded through his body.

  As he blinked his eyes open, she sat, then stood, waved, and walked away.

  He wanted more. He wanted that drug in his veins for the rest of his life.

  The door clicked lightly shut behind her.

  Nope, that wasn’t a fuck-me kiss. That wasn’t lust. That was…the kiss from someone who wanted to explore a possibility.

  That kiss sealed the deal for him.

  Now, he just needed to find a way to make this work before they went their separate ways and anything else became regrets in his rearview mirror.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Remi

  Friday, London, England

  Remi finished her sorting and packing, placing everything neatly in its correct spot for easy access.

  The morning news played on the TV. They reported out the unusual occurrences in Oxford and the involvement of Scotland Yard, lauding the agency’s quick and professional actions to both secure the senator and bring justice.

  Frames from Remi’s videos were shown, the newsroom accredited Remi’s newspaper as the source. Remi would check with Liu later to make sure that had been agreed upon.

  She stopped as the perps traipsed across the screen with their T-shirts pulled up over their noses, trying to hide their faces from the cameras.

  Yup, there was Tall, and Short, and the smarmy one who dressed like a security guard down in the garage.

  “Arrested in London, in their shared flat, these men are undergoing questioning for their involvement with the rabble who swarmed the senator on her way out of the lecture.”

  So they traveled in for that event. Who was paying them? What was the get?

  And they were cooperating with investigators. Good, more perp walks to come.

  Pulling the zipper closed on her bag, Remi heard a commotion next door in the senator’s room.

  Last night, Remi had gotten little sleep. The senator was up and puking most of the night—well, puking that turned into dry heaves.

  Senator Blankenship had been complaining of a headache since Washington. Was she ill, or was that the alcohol?

  Remi wasn’t the only one with questions.

  Early this morning, Havoc must have taken over guard duty at the senator’s door. Remi had heard a clear knock at Blankenship’s door. “Ma’am? It’s Havoc. Can I help? Do you need a doctor?”

  Blankenship answered with a sailor’s string of expletives that had Remi not heard herself, she never could have imagined coming from the senator’s mouth.

  It still felt off to Remi. Something just wasn’t right about the situation. She wondered if the senator was dealing with some medical issue that she wasn’t willing to share even with her security.

  The Delta team was clearly in the dark.

  “Echo Six. Hey, T-Rex, I’m not sure what to do here, m
an.”

  Remi could just imagine T-Rex’s answer: “She’s a grown woman. She’ll ask for help if she needs it. We’re here to monitor outside threats.” Something like that. Or maybe. “Try again. See if she needs a suggestion. Work the problem.”

  “Work the problem” was one of those phrases Remi had picked up from reporting on special forces men over the years. She liked it. It gave her a sense of personal calm. Anxiety would bubble up, and she refused to give in. She’d just try to define the problem, describe what an acceptable outcome looked like, then try to connect the dots. How could she move from problem to solution?

  It was the base for many of the habits she’d developed. Her personal kit. Her way of moving through experiences like at the airport, the elevator, and then the garage.

  When she couldn’t wish it away, when she couldn’t delegate it away, when she was forced to square off with a challenge, she took a breath and told herself sternly, “Work the problem.”

  “Senator Blankenship? Ma’am, it’s Havoc. Would crackers or ginger ale help? Is there anything I can do?”

  “Go away and leave me alone.”

  So while Remi was tired from her sleepless night, Blankenship must be absolutely exhausted.

  Remi walked her bags to the door and propped them against the wall there. Then unabashedly, she crawled up on her bed and put her ear to the wall to listen.

  “I don’t want to come off as chicken shit for not going,” the senator protested.

  “Ma’am, few people know you were heading to Iraq. We can keep it on the down-low.” That was T-Rex. Steady. Pragmatic. It was probably killing him to speak whole sentences to Blankenship. He much preferred to point at things and have his men comply or stick to his four syllables.

  Was that fair? He wasn’t talkative. Definitely not a storyteller. But he communicated clearly, succinctly, honestly, and many of their interactions were heartfelt.

  Remi thought back to his hand on his heart, pain in his eyes, and his apology for leaving her behind, though, honestly, he didn’t have much choice. He didn’t roar off after the others, which had definitely happened to Remi in other circumstances.

  She actually kind of liked the way he communicated.

  Liked his innate physical and mental strength.

  Liked him. More than liked him, in fact.

  The strong silent type, she smiled with pleasure. Yeah, maybe soldier-boy was her type after all.

  That thought felt scary because she couldn’t imagine that there was growing room for those feelings. They had a couple of days. Then they’d be off running into hot spots. Each with their own missions and agendas.

  “This call isn’t coming from us,” T-Rex continued, unruffled by the senator berating them. “It’s up the chain. It’s ultimately up to you, ma’am. We can’t assure your safety. And if I might add a twist if we were to go and have to secure you with our lives, that will be reported out, and it will be wall to wall on the news. It might be viewed poorly that you were counseled but refused.”

  He didn’t mention Remi like she was the bad-guy tattle tale.

  He was right, though.

  Blankenship stopped yelling. That last argument made a difference.

  In his same even tone, he continued, “The plane will land first in Lebanon for your comfort. Then the pilot will fly to Jordan with the robotics team. The camp is sending a bus to pick the girls up at the Jordanian-Iraqi border.”

  “Can you imagine Diamond giving that address and the journalists asking, ‘Why doesn’t the senator want to be here?’ The senator most certainly does want to go there. If I walked up to the line but didn’t stick my pointy-toed boot over, it just looks like I’m chicken shit.”

  Remi couldn’t make out what the senator said next, but T-Rex responded, “Our logistics professional, Winner, is figuring that out, putting a plan in place.”

  “Winner? ‘Winner, winner chicken dinner.’” Blankenship’s tone completely changed. A complete 180. She was back to affable Senator Blankenship.

  Remi thought she might get whiplash from the senator’s sudden change of tone.

  “Do they say that from where y’all are from? ‘Winner, winner, chicken dinner’? You know that phrase came out of Las Vegas way back when. It just has a ring, doesn’t it? Just look at the time. Let’s get the show on the road.”

  Remi got off the bed. She pulled her bags into place over her shoulders and opened the door to find Diamond standing in the hall, staring at the senator’s hotel room door, looking flummoxed.

  The door opened. Havoc stuck his head out, reviewed the corridor, and opened it wide to allow the senator to exit.

  The senator caught Diamond’s eye. “I’ve had a splitting headache since those buzzards attacked the girls’ lunches. It’s like to kill me.” She put a fist over her left eye. “A hot poker run through me.”

  “Would you like to see a doctor, ma’am?” Diamond asked.

  T-Rex and Remi’s gaze caught for a brief moment, a check-in. He was laden with suitcases.

  “Me?” Blankenship reached out and patted Diamond’s arm as they walked side by side. “Naw. It’ll be fine. ‘Winner, winner chicken dinner.’ I was saying that to the boys. Now, I’m hungry.”

  “You just ate breakfast, didn’t you? The hotel brought a continental tray to my room when I set my wakeup call,” Diamond pointed out.

  “Yeah? Did I? Huh. Okay, maybe I’m just thirsty. Diamond, would you pour me a cup of joe? Black.”

  Diamond looked back at the senator’s door now closed.

  “It’s time for us to get to the airport, ma’am. I’ll put that in a to-go cup for you.” Havoc swiped a card to go back into her room.

  T-Rex dropped the bags, Remi supposed, so that his arms were free in case there was a sudden hazard in the otherwise empty corridor.

  Empty except for more men in suits, one at each exit, two at the elevator. They must be the reinforcements from Scotland Yard.

  Remi wondered if British security would follow their group all the way to the airport for takeoff.

  Would they leave England without any more mishaps?

  ***

  Remi sat in the back seat of the lead car with Ty and Rory.

  It was interesting to Remi that Ty and Rory never stood at the senator’s door. It seemed Ty was there to handle and care for Rory.

  Rory’s job seemed to be going ahead of the group to sniff out the situation. Rory was a powerful, high-energy dog. Ty ran him ten miles a day and threw a ball with him until Ty was exhausted. Rory didn’t seem like he could ever tire. Such an amazing dog.

  It was a pity Remi wasn’t allowed to snuggle with him.

  Rory had his head draped over the seat and was sniffing her. He stretched out his tongue, trying to give Remi a lick. When he couldn’t reach, Rory tried to climb over the seat.

  Ty put out a hand and commanded Rory to “leave it.” Then, “Rory likes you, ma’am.”

  “Just Remi, not ma’am, thanks. I’m sorry if that’s problematic. I don’t want to interfere with Rory’s job.”

  “I’ve got it handled. I always trust my dog. If he likes you, I like you.” Their eyes met in the rearview mirror.

  “That’s heartwarming. Thank you.”

  And that was the last Ty said until they reached the airport. Ty’s head was on a swivel. Remi noticed he made sure that when a motorcycle showed up, it got nowhere near the senator’s car.

  They pulled into the private hangar where the jet waited. There was a crowd of reporters held back behind a cordon. Officers in uniform were on site this time.

  Remi waited by the car while Blankenship slid out of her vehicle, hat in hand. When she saw the crowd, she turned and used the reflection from the car window to rake her fingers through her hair and tug her red cowboy hat into place.

  Senator Blankenship looked like shit.

  Remi put a hand to her own forehead for a quick check. No fever. Honestly, Remi had been nauseous and achy since the bird fiasco. It was hard to
tell what was nerves and what might be a bug that she’d picked up along the way. She desperately hoped she wasn’t getting ill with whatever was going on with Blankenship.

  When Remi went to see Jean Baptiste, she didn’t want to carry any germs into the hospital room with her. Remi needed to hug Jean Baptiste and tell him how glad she was that he’d survived.

  Remi wasn’t the only one who noticed that the senator didn’t look well. When they reached the press pool, the very first question from the British tabloid was if she was all right.

  “Senator Blankenship, did yesterday rattle you?”

  “Shoot, little thing like that? Now, if you ever want to know about a frightening commotion, y’all just come on out to my ranch, and I’ll show you what happens when the cattle stampede.”

  A ripple of laughter moved through the press.

  “Are you happy to be back in Oxford, senator?”

  “I loved my time here as a Rhodes scholar.” She held out a finger to point at the sun. “Though I don’t miss the rain, so I packed up some sunshine as a hostess gift.”

  Another reporter stepped forward. Uh-oh, Remi thought. There were daggers in that man’s eyes. “Senator Blankenship, why didn’t the United States act with integrity concerning your diplomats like Belgium did just yesterday?”

  Blankenship leaned toward Diamond. “What the heck is he talking about?”

  Diamond shook her head.

  The senator turned toward Remi. “Do you know?”

  Remi moved up and whispered in Blankenship’s ear. “Yesterday, Belgium recalled their ambassador from Seoul because his wife smacked a shopkeeper for the second time.”

  “The woman just hauled off and smacked someone?” Blankenship’s brows disappeared under her hat’s brim. “Why?”

  “Uhm, a cleaner let his brush accidentally touch her.”

  “That woman is plum crazy. Of course, they couldn’t allow that kind of conduct from a diplomat’s family. But what has that got to do with the United States?”