by Christi Snow
Different scenarios barreled through Mudflap’s head about what could be happening in Lubbock that would cause the Department of Defense to come to him for help. He just didn’t see anything as a possibility, but the colonel waited for his answer. “Of course, I’ll do whatever I can to help, but I’m sorry, sir, I’m just not seeing what I’m needed for here.”
The colonel nodded. “That’s to be expected, son. You aren’t supposed to know anything yet. You’re scheduled for a briefing with our intel guys in thirty minutes. Gather your gear and we’ll head out.”
Mudflap began to leave the office, but then had another thought. “Sir, the crew will want to know where I’m going. What do I tell them?”
“Right now, your crew is in the conference room with the captain so no one will see you leave with me. Your cover story will be explained to you at the briefing.”
“Yes, sir.”
* * *
Mudflap and the colonel drove up to the gatehouse in front of a non-descript building out at the airport. It was a single building, but had a high, lethal-looking security fence all the way around it. The gate guard wasn’t dressed in a military uniform, but he had an unmistakable military bearing. The colonel showed credentials that Mudflap assumed covered both of them and the guard waved them into the compound.
Mudflap quietly followed the colonel as they entered the building, watching everything, hoping for a clue about what was happening. Inside, it seemed like a normal military office, but there was a higher than normal percentage of men and women in civilian dress. He had to wonder how many of them were actually military in civilian clothing. The few personnel he spotted in uniform were wearing the same strange patches the colonel wore. Mudflap couldn’t tell what branch of the Army the colonel worked for, but it certainly wasn’t one he’d ever heard of before.
They came to a closed doorway where the colonel placed his palm on a reader. He then turned to Mudflap. “They already have you coded into the system, so just do the same thing.”
Threads of apprehension spread down Mudflap’s spine. What the hell was going on here to require this kind of technology and security?
He placed his hand in the spot and watched as a light scanned him. The reader flashed green and the door slid open. They stepped through it, but appeared to be entering just another level of security. This was some sort of anteroom, complete with a uniformed and heavily-armed military policeman and video cameras in all four corners of the small sterile room.
The MP nodded toward the colonel, but stepped toward Mudflap. “Sir, I need any electronic devices or weapons you may have on your person.” The MP shoved toward him an open plastic bag with Mudflap’s information written on the outside of it.
Mudflap raised an eyebrow in question, but the MP didn’t seem inclined to say anything more. So he fished into his pocket for his cell phone and pocket knife and placed them in the bag.
The MP pushed a button on the wall and a hidden compartment slid out. He placed the bag into it and then it slid back into the wall. Once closed, Mudflap couldn’t see a single indication of where that door was on the wall. It was completely disguised.
The MP again stepped toward Mudflap. “Now, sir, I’ll need to pat you down.”
These guys were serious about their security. Mudflap gave a sharp nod and met the colonel’s stoic gaze while the MP made quick work of his search. Mudflap couldn’t get a feel off the colonel at all, besides the obvious fact that whatever they were doing here in Lubbock, it wasn’t a joke.
Finally, they were through all the security and the back door of the small room slid open to reveal a bustling military war room. Here, everyone was in military dress, again with the same insignia and patches Mudflap didn’t recognize. The colonel directed him to a conference room where four other men sat around a large conference table. “Have a seat, Mr. Davidson.”
Mudflap sat down and set to studying the new military insignia. The colonel stood at the front of the room and noticed his perusal. “As you’ve noticed, we work within a different branch of the Army. As of right now, so do you. But for all intents and purposes, the men and office you see here don’t actually exist. This is a black operation, as black as they get within the military. We report directly to the Pentagon, not the Army, but no one from our government will ever verify the fact that we even exist. Now, I’ll let the team fill you in on why we need your help.”
A young corporal stood up and cued the visual slide show through his computer. “The last couple of months we’ve seen increased chatter showing there’s an imminent threat to a target in Lubbock. We’ve had a hard time figuring out exactly what that target is, but this week new information came to light. It appears the threat has something to do with the Texas Tech football program.”
Mudflap’s stomach dropped to his feet. What exactly had TC stepped into when he stepped into the head coach’s position? Was this why Coach Porter quit?
The young soldier continued, “For many years, we’ve worried about a football game, either pro or college, becoming the target for a terrorist group. We now feel that’s what’s being planned here.”
The colonel took over here. “This is why we want you, Mr. Davidson. You have a sniper’s eye. You’re observant. You have a tie to the new coach. You’re also a paramedic, trained and qualified. No one will question as to why you’re on the field. Officially, you’re a new part of Coach Davidson’s staff. You’ve been hired on to work as a team trainer on the sideline. If the team is in the stadium then so are you. Unofficially, you work for us. We want you to use those skills honed by your days as a sniper, watching everything. Your job is to keep your eyes and ears open to any and all suspicious activity and report it.”
Mudflap was stunned. His thoughts immediately flew to Kyle, who bled out at his side in Afghanistan. They wanted him to be the one to protect TC and the team? He looked around the room at the expectant faces of the men surrounding him. “Does TC know about this? What the hell do you expect me to do if I see something suspicious?”
“Coach Davidson is aware of the basics of the situation and cooperating fully. He hasn’t been informed about your position in this, although we have a meeting with him this afternoon to change that. He’s not being informed to the same level that you are. He’s on a need-to-know basis only, so you are not to discuss specifics with him, ever. Today, you’ll spend the day with Corporal Timms.” He nodded toward the young corporal. “He’ll explain your chain of command, authority, and will arm you with a weapon and body armor.”
Weapon and body armor? Shit, when did West Texas football become a war zone?
* * *
By the time Mudflap made it home, TC was sitting in the kitchen, drinking a beer, staring off into space, and looking as stressed as Mudflap felt.
Could he do this? Self-doubt plagued him. He’d already had one partner die under his watch and another was in a coma. Now they wanted him to protect his brother. How would he ever face his mom again if something happened? Hell, how would he be able to face himself?
Mudflap had been instructed not to discuss the true status of the situation with anyone, including TC, even in private, so he grabbed a beer out of the fridge and sat down with him. “Hell of a day, huh?”
TC’s eyes were bleak when he looked at Mudflap. Mudflap was used to TC being completely in charge and sure about everything he approached. “Fuck, yeah. It’s hard to take over a program and step into an established situation, but I’m thankful you’re going to be part of my staff. It will help to have you on the sidelines with me.” He seemed to be measuring his words carefully. Like Mudflap, he’d probably been warned about possible listening devices. “It’s hard to determine what the best course of action is.”
Mudflap now found himself in the rare situation of having to assure his older brother. He just had to do so in the same vague terms because of security issues. “That’s when you trust the team of support staff you have behind you. They’re the best and they’re out there to protect y
ou and the program and keep every part of the football team in top shape. It’s going to be fine. You’ll see. You’re the right man for this job. Just trust your team.”
“Thanks, Mudflap. It helps to know that you’re going to be a part of that team. Thanks for being willing to help out.”
“No problem. That’s just part of my job and watching Tech trounce on the rest of their competition this year will just be a perk.”
They both took long pulls off their longnecks and continued to sit quietly, musing over the situation. Not being able to talk about this openly with TC was a pain in the ass.
Derek came bounding into the house. He practically bounced with enthusiasm. “Mudflap, call your girl. I have a great idea for your next date with Shanae. You’re going to double with Lisa and me.”
Mudflap quirked an eyebrow in question. “Oh, really?”
Derek had been fascinated with his friend, Lisa, ever since he met her two months earlier. He may be suffering from a broken heart, but this was a positive sign he was bouncing back.
“And what exactly will we be doing on this date?”
“Um, I kind of booked the three of us for an all-day golf lesson.” Lisa was a gold pro at the local country club.
It had been a stressful day, but Mudflap couldn’t stop the smile that slid across his face at Derek’s sheepish look. “Um, Derek, does Lisa realize this is a date?”
“Naw, of course not, man. I’m just there to distract her while you romance the sweet Shanae.”
“Shanae?” TC asked, turning back to Mudflap. “Who’s that?”
Again, he had no control over the grin that pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Shanae is a sweet little paramedic I met a couple of weeks ago. I’ve gone out with her once and hope to do so again soon, but that may be too difficult with my new job.” He frowned as he thought about his new job. It might be best if he stayed away from Shanae until this was all resolved. He knew the threat wasn’t focused on him, but he was quickly becoming entwined in TC’s life and the Texas Tech football program which could bring danger to his doorstep.
TC asked Derek, “When’s your date scheduled?”
“Friday, but what are you talking about? What new job?” Derek’s glance darted between the two brothers.
Mudflap met TC’s concerned gaze and began to shake his head at Derek. “I’m not going to be able—”
“Yes, you can,” TC interrupted. “We just meet for a couple of hours on Friday morning, and then let the team go so they can unwind before game day. You’ll have off that afternoon, too. I’m likely to be the only one working at the stadium and if it would make it easier, I could bring my work home.”
“Are you sure?” Mudflap was torn. He knew what his new job entailed, but he really wanted to see Shanae, too.
TC nodded, but Derek was tired of being kept in the dark. “Wait, what the hell are y’all talking about? What new job, Mudflap? What happened to your job at the fire department?”
“They gave me a leave of absence to help our new local football coach on the sidelines. For the rest of the season, I’m the new Texas Tech Team Trainer.” He grinned at the shock reverberating off Derek’s face.
“Don’t worry. It’s just for the rest of this football season. My older brother needs some propping up on the sidelines.” He might as well use this situation to give TC some hell.
“Fuck you. You just have certain skills my current staff is missing. We’ll have that fixed by next year.” TC grinned and Mudflap was happy to see him relax a bit more than he’d been all evening. It was going to be a long season at this rate.
He turned back toward Derek. “So, golf Friday?”
“Yeah, I’ll just move back our tee time to afternoon if your girl’s in.”
“I’ll give her a call. I’m not sure what her schedule is like at her job and that’s assuming she says yes.” Please let her say yes. Even with everything going on, he desperately wanted to see her again…and soon.
Shanae
Tuesday morning dawned way too early for Shanae. The LiFT team was in the process of moving all their gear into the stadium and training center and examining the ins and outs of the facility before the arrival of the football team for practice.
Shanae rounded the corner of the upper level of the stadium where she literally ran into Mudflap. His strong arms reached out to grab and steady her after she bounced off his very muscular chest.
“Whoa, there.” His hazel eyes reflected the same surprise she felt as he realized who he held in his arms. His brows lifted in question. “Shanae, what are you doing here?”
Her skin tingled across her arms where Mudflap held her in his gentle grip. “Lift EMS is the new contract medical emergency provider for the stadium, so I’m working.” She took in his black shorts and red t-shirt with the Texas Tech logo. “What about you? This is a different look for you.”
He chewed on his lip and gave her a chagrined smile. “I don’t know if you heard who the new head coach is, but he’s my brother, TC. He asked me to take a leave of absence from the fire department to come help him shore up his staff for the rest of the season as a team trainer.”
“Really?” Why didn’t LiFT know about this? “Is that normal for the coach to be able to bring in his own staff like that? Especially family?”
He shook his head. “Probably not, but with him coming in mid-season, they’re giving him lots of leeway. He doesn’t have time to concentrate on other things besides the team right now and he needs people he can trust on his staff. As for me, this is just a temporary thing. I want to help him and the team out as much as possible.”
Hmm, something still didn’t seem right about this. She looked around at where they stood. “So what are you doing up here?”
“Just getting the lay of the land, so to speak. It’s a leftover from my days in the Army. I like to know as much as I can about my surroundings.” He gave her a flirty smile. “So I guess we’ll be seeing more of each other now.”
They would. It was a weird coincidence. In Shanae’s line of work, that didn’t usually mean good things, but she couldn’t let him know that. She needed to call her boss, Daniel, and find out what he knew about this.
“We will. Oh, and I’m sorry I didn’t get to return your call last night. It was late when I got in. Did you need something?”
“I actually called to invite you out on another date. My roommate scored golf lessons with a pro at the local country club. Would you like to round out our foursome on Friday afternoon?”
“Golf? Really?” She considered her directive to get closer to him. It was an order, so she had to ignore the rolling in her stomach and the voice in her head screaming at her that she should avoid this guy if she wanted to keep her heart. She forced a smile. “That sounds fun, but you have to pay for all the balls I lose.”
“Darlin’, I’ll provide you with all the balls you need.”
* * *
Shanae opened her front door Friday afternoon and her breath caught at her first sight of Mudflap standing there in board shorts and golf shirt. It shouldn’t be anything that turned her on, but he had an aura about him that got her motor running, big time. From his tanned and heavily-veined forearms, to the hint of chest hair peeking out at top of the buttons of his shirt, to his muscular calves, this guy pushed all her buttons in the most delicious way. She’d never in her life had such an immediate visceral reaction to a guy. That was dangerous. She couldn’t let him affect her. He needed to stay firmly in her head as a target for work and only that. Ignore his charm and their chemistry.
His slow easy smile told her that he didn’t mind the way she looked, either. His gaze examined her from head to toe and he seemed pleased. She wore a fitted yellow polo top with a purple and yellow plaid kilt skirt, long enough to cover the throwing knives she had sheathed on the outside of her thighs, but not so long that it hid her toned thighs. She’d paired the outfit with white boat shoes for comfort to walk the long golf course.
“Hey,
there. You look good enough to eat,” he growled. He glanced back at his Bronco. “Unfortunately, Derek is waiting for us in the car so I can’t take a nibble.”
Her pulse skittered. That tone in his voice…yummy.
“Thanks,” she said as she leaned up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “You know how to make a girl feel good.” She lingered for a moment right below his ear to whisper, “You look pretty damn good yourself. But it’s hot and we don’t want the poor thing to suffer from heat exhaustion. I’m confused though.” She glanced at him as they walked out toward his truck. “Why would you bring your dog golfing? Are they even allowed on the course?”
He pulled her door open for her, but stalled her entrance into the Bronco. “Dog? I don’t have a dog.”
She scowled at him in confusion. “Isn’t Derek your dog?”
Mudflap burst out laughing as she sat down in the car. But it was the outraged, “What the hell did he tell you to make you think that?” coming from the backseat that told her she’d gotten something wrong.
She turned slowly to the backseat. He was a young, clean cut, extremely good-looking guy, who was not happy right now. He looked like a model from a young, hip magazine ad; well, he would if he wasn’t scowling.
Wincing, she offered her hand to him. “I guess you’re Derek, huh?”
Mudflap got into the car and continued to laugh at Derek’s expense. Derek shoved at his shoulder and muttered, “Asshole.” He took her hand. “Yes, I’m Derek. It’s nice to meet you, Shanae.” His scowl quickly morphed into a flirty smile. “Already I can tell you’re too good for this guy. I say we dump him on the back nine and you and I can make a fun day of it without him.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.
Uh oh, this guy and that mischievous smile were trouble. She couldn’t help the giggle that erupted. “Sorry about the dog comment. I misunderstood.”