Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Love (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Saints Protection & Investigations Book 7)

by Maryann Jordan

  “Same as always,” Chris replied. “Man named Ed. He’s the plant manager or somethin’ like that.”

  Ed? Evie almost choked on her coffee but knew that Ed would have been the one to call. Her stomach twisted again, the coffee now tasting bitter. Why did it not dawn on me that I’d possibly be hearing things I’d rather not hear?

  “Okay, go on, please,” Patrick encouraged, his eyes jerking to Evie’s. Offering her a questioning gaze, he nodded when she gave a halfhearted smile.

  Chris leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hand over his face, exuding frustration. Sighing heavily, he finally leveled his gaze toward Patrick and said, “I didn’t do nothin’ wrong. Swear to God, I wish now I’d never answered the fuckin’ phone. Because of the mess, I won’t be gettin’ any more business from GMS and that’s fine by me. It’s less money, but I’m sticking to the Driveway’s business and not messing around with sub work.”

  “What happened, Chris?” Evie asked, her voice soft and encouraging.

  “By the time I got to GMS, the other trucks were already gone. I just signed off on whatever paperwork was put in front of me and that’s not uncommon. I’m not there when the shit…uh, sorry ma’am…when the stuff is loaded into the trucks. I was given the directions but they’d been programmed into the GPS that was in the truck cab. So I just climbed in, and started driving.”

  “What time was this?” Patrick asked.

  “ ’Bout nine-thirty in the morning. The other trucks had long since gone.”

  Patrick knew the other trucks had left GMS at almost eight o’clock and had made their deliveries by nine-thirty. This would have left Chris completely on his own with the delivery.

  “I followed the directions and ended up at some warehouse near the docks. I got out and talked to a couple of the men who were standing around. They invited me inside so I could check my directions and, honestly,” he looked embarrassed, “I needed a pis…um, needed to use the restroom. I swear I was only inside for probably about twenty minutes. I used the men’s room, went to an office and called GMS back to check on the address. I was told they screwed up and gave me the wrong one. They gave me the correct delivery location and I headed back out.”

  “Did you notice anything different about the truck? Doors open, truck moved…anything?” Patrick prodded.

  Shaking his head, Chris confirmed, “Nope. Keys were still in the ignition, truck still where I left it.”

  “Chris, could anyone have gotten inside and taken some of the equipment while you were inside the building?” Evie queried.

  Sighing heavily, Chris drained his mugful of coffee. He nodded slowly and admitted, as he ticked off points on his fingers, “Yeah, I guess. But they’d have to have known I was coming and had men and forklifts ready. They’d have to have known what was in the truck and they’d have to have worked fast.” He looked up at them and said, “It’s possible, but damn, it would have to be organized.”

  Patrick had watched soldiers in the field unload huge, heavy equipment with record speed when necessary and knew it was more than possible. As Chris described what happened when he arrived at the Army’s base, Patrick already knew this part of the story but let him talk anyway.

  Finally, Patrick and Evie thanked Chris and the three walked back toward his Jeep. Approaching where the lawnmower was being worked on, Patrick stopped, glancing down. “You need some help?”

  “You know anything about small engines?” Chris asked, his voice laced with a mixture of doubt and hopefulness.

  Chuckling as he squatted, Patrick nodded. “I figure my Gramps and I took apart, then put back together, quite a few in my younger days.”

  “Well, sure,” Chris acknowledged. “I was cleaning a few parts, but am having a bit of trouble getting ’em back together.”

  For the next twenty minutes, Patrick and Chris worked side by side, re-assembling the old mower. With a couple of pulls on the starter cord, it roared to life. Chris shook Patrick’s hand before moving it across the grass next to the driveway.

  Evie had watched the men working while sitting in a nearby lawn chair in the shade, fascinated at the glimpse of Patrick in this environment. He was at ease…comfortable. A flashback, of her father mowing their small yards on the military bases, flew through her mind. Different years…different yards to mow. But always home. Her parents always made each place they lived feel like home.

  Walking over, Patrick could tell Evie was lost in thought and, by the gentle smile on her face, he hoped she was thinking about him. Her gaze jumped to his as he approached and her smile widened. Well, if she wasn’t thinking about me, that’s still a great reaction.

  Saying nothing on the drive home, they headed into her condo after picking up hamburgers at a drive-through. Evie grabbed plates and put the burgers and fries onto them, squirting the ketchup into a little pile by the fries. Patrick grinned down at the neat presentation of fast-food hamburgers.

  Looking up, she cocked her head to the side. “What are you grinning at?”

  Stepping forward, he kissed the top of her head, controlling his desire to pull her into his arms. “Just think you’re cute, that’s all. Never seen anyone spend so much time making burgers and fries from a drive-through look so fancy.”

  “Hmph,” she groused, pretending to be offended while secretly loving the show of affection. It was so hard battling her growing feelings for him. Oh, why does he have to be moving away?

  After the lunch was consumed, the two settled back on her sofa again and began to dissect Chris’ accounting of the delivery.

  “You don’t believe him?” Evie asked in surprise.

  “Didn’t say that, but just because he reported that he was given the wrong address doesn’t mean he was.”

  “Oh,” she said, confusion marring her expression. “Then how do you know what’s real and when someone is lying if nobody wants to tell the truth?”

  Laughing, he said, “This is part of the puzzle solving. I think this is why I’d like the investigating side of things.”

  “But puzzle solving with materials is easier,” she complained. “Measurements, equations, the mathematics, the physics of a problem will eventually present the solutions. People?” she huffed. “They don’t fit the same structural dimensions.”

  “No, they don’t,” he agreed, still smiling as he watched her adorable face trying to puzzle out the solution.

  “So what’s next?” she asked. “How do we find out whether or not Chris was telling the truth?”

  Sobering, Patrick thought for a moment. “Well, I can ask the Saints for any assistance in getting into files and records of the shipment. Monty told me that Luke, their computer guru, can get all the info needed from a computer, but it requires someone to insert a specialized thumb drive first.”

  “I could do that,” Evie enthused, sitting up straighter.

  “Oh, hell no,” Patrick growled. “No fuckin’ way!”

  Slumping back down, she said, “Then what’ll we do?”

  Pulling out his phone, he sent a text to Monty and within a few minutes received a call. He went over the interview with Chris and then listened as Monty gave him new instructions. Disconnecting, he turned back to Evie, a wide grin on his boyish face.

  “Seems the Saints can find out all sorts of things. Can I borrow your laptop, babe?”

  Evie nodded and walked over to her small desk and picked it up. Babe. She had to admit the endearment made her smile. Turning back to him, she handed him the laptop. “What are you going to do?”

  “Gonna send Monty the names of some people at GMS and Luke can start checking their computers. He can’t get as much info as if we had direct access, but it’ll give us something.”

  Evie rattled off the few names she knew from the plant, including Ed’s. Patrick looked up, asking about the people she worked with.

  Her eyes widened with the implication that someone in the military sales department would be involved in theft. Her face fell, as she considered the though
t. Her shoulders drooping, she said, “This really could have been an inside job, couldn’t it?”

  Patrick set the laptop on the coffee table, moving closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her into his warmth. She mumbled into his chest, but the words were indiscernible. Pushing her back ever so slightly, he peered questioningly into her eyes.

  “I hate the thought that it could be someone I know,” she repeated, as he nodded, silently agreeing.

  She became aware of his arms around her, the feel of his strength seeping in. Her soft curves crushed against the hard planes of his body. This feels right. This feels good. This feels…the way it should. Heaving a sigh, she pushed herself away and settled back against the sofa cushions, forcing herself to remember that he was leaving. Her hand moved toward her chest, rubbing gently. Why does this hurt now? Blinking, trying to overcome the sting of tears, she fought to maintain her composure, but the answer was staring her in the face. It hurts because we’re already friends. And could be more…if only.

  “You okay, babe?”

  Nodding quickly, she offered a wobbly smile. “Yeah, just overwhelmed, that’s all.”

  “Investigating someone close to you isn’t easy,” he conceded.

  She knew he thought she was referring to the investigation…when it was her heart she was battling. “Yeah…” Sitting up straighter, she said, “Okay, Captain Courageous, what do I need to do?”

  Laughing, they settled in to finish the list for Luke and continued planning. The afternoon weaved its way into the evening and she fixed a quick dinner, insisting he stay. The conversation was lively…the silences were easy.

  As he walked to the door, when the evening was over, he turned and gazed at her standing in the living room. Their eyes locked. Longing…and hoping…passed between them. Slowly he opened his arms wide, the invitation stated.

  She hesitated for a moment, warring between staying professional and safe…or possibly opening herself to heartbreak. It only took a moment, then her body acted on its own…tired of waiting on her mind. She rushed over, throwing herself into his arms, feeling them wrap around her, pulling her tight. Holding on…saying nothing.

  He kissed the top of her head, murmuring, “Tried to stay away, babe. But what we have is special…it’s something we could build on.”

  “How, when you’re leaving?” she whispered, her eyes tearing once more as she peered up into his. She felt her body move as he heaved a huge sigh.

  “Don’t know. I fuckin’ don’t know. I just know that I want you in my life,” he vowed honestly.

  She nodded against his chest as he kissed her hair once more. Offering him a watery smile, she watched as he walked out her door. Closing it softly, she allowed the tears to slide down her cheeks.

  Chapter 10

  Rolling over in bed, Evie looked at the clock. Another sleepless night had her restless…and needing advice. She knew her mother rose early each morning. A habit born out of necessity from years of being an Army wife, where she made sure to awake with her husband to prepare him a hearty breakfast before he left in the pre-dawn hours to go to work when he was stationed stateside.

  “Hey, Mom,” Evie greeted, having made the decision to call.

  “Sweetie! How are you?”

  Evie reveled in the familiar sound…the warmth…the joy of hearing her mother’s voice. Suddenly, missing her, she choked, “I need to talk, mom.”

  “Oh, honey, what’s going on?”

  Sucking in a deep breath, Evie sat up in bed and pushed the pillows behind her. Sniffing, she asked, “Mom, how hard was it…with dad? You know…moving all the time…never knowing where you’d end up.”

  Silence greeted her for a moment before her mother replied, “It was good sometimes…” and with a small chuckle, she added, “and really bad sometimes. Just like you and your sister, I had to make new friends, keep changing my job, trying to make each place a home. But then I had the chance to visit some amazing places…meet people that I would have never met if I’d stayed in my little hometown.” She was silent for a second and then asked, “What’s got you thinking about that so early this morning?”

  “I don’t know…” she lied, trying to figure out what she wanted to say.

  “I think you do,” her mother interjected, “and I have a feeling it must be because you met someone.”

  Snorting, Evie said, “Yeah…I should have known you’d see through this.”

  “Well, tell me all about it,” her mother prompted.

  Evie began, hesitantly at first, then with more depth, about meeting Patrick, going from not liking him, to their budding friendship, to their investigation, and finishing up with him moving to Virginia.

  “I agree, honey. That’s tough and you know I can’t tell you what to do, especially when you’re about to land the job you’ve been waiting for. But, I will just say that I knew being a military brat was harder on you than the rest of us. I understand how much you longed to put down roots and stay in one place, so I’m not about to tell you to move to the other side of the country for this man. Unless you love him…and then, only you can decide if it’s worth picking up your life and moving.”

  “Mom, I’ve got a good job here. I…well, I don’t have a lot of friends…but I like my job…well, I should like it when I move into the engineering position next month. And I like my place…well, I’m only subletting, but I know I’ll like making my own home when I get it.” Hearing herself say the words out loud, she hung her head. “Oh, mom, I don’t sound very sure, do I?”

  Her mother’s smile could be felt through the phone, as she said, “It’s okay, Evie. You’re young. You don’t need to have your whole life planned right now. You always wanted everything outlined so that you wouldn’t be surprised by anything. That was the budding engineer in you. But life is full of surprises…new adventures…new trails to blaze…new people to meet. You always saw change as a bad thing, something to fear. But sometimes, change opens us up to adventures we never knew we could experience.”

  “Did you ever regret choosing dad?” she asked tentatively.

  “Oh, no, sweetie. Yes, there were challenges and there was heartache. And losing your dad on his last tour was the biggest heartache of all. But I accepted him for who he was—he was a soldier. So I accepted all that went with it.”

  A thoughtful silence settled between mother and daughter, each to their own thoughts for a moment, before her mom continued, “I’m not telling you to give up your life in California for this man. I’m only telling you that you have to make the choice. If staying in California is what you want to do, then by all means do that. But if you have feelings for this man, and staying in California is only a safe choice…then maybe you need to step out of your comfort zone. Safe can be good…but it can also keep you from the adventures that are waiting out there for you. I never regretted the adventures with your dad, sweetie.”

  “I love you, mom,” Evie said, new tears sliding down her cheeks.

  “And I love you, baby girl,” came the familiar reply.

  Disconnecting, Evie looked at the rising sun and wished for answers to the swirling questions in her mind to simply appear.

  A text sounded and she smiled as she looked down, seeing Patrick’s name. Morning beautiful. Spent all night thinking of you.

  Me too, she texted back.

  Can I see you tonite?

  Grinning, she could not deny her heart leaped at the thought. Absolutely!

  Pick u up at 6. Be safe today.

  Leaning back on the pillows, the sun was now peeking over the tops of the trees, illuminating her bedroom in a soft pink glow. Smiling, she thought, Maybe, just maybe…

  * * *

  Determined to discover if she could find out more, Evie began to check on the past year’s requisitions made to the Army Corps of Engineers, then expanded her search to others. While transoms and side panels were large items, there were other shipments of much smaller items packed in boxes. Easy for someone to m
iss in a shipment. What she found astounded her. There had been five large claims of missing items from a variety of clients over the past eighteen months. And no one is following up on this? What the hell is going on?

  With righteous indignation, she stormed out of her office and down the hall to Saul. Entering without knocking, she plopped down in his chair, tossing the files on his desk.

  He looked up in surprise, saying, “Well, hello to you too! Whatcha got there?”

  “I want someone to explain why this company is dealing with theft and no one is asking the tough questions.”

  He scanned the reports and looked up, a curious expression on his face. “Evelyn, I’ve got to ask, why are you checking into these? This was before you were hired.”

  “I just want to do what’s right, Saul. Is there a theft problem?”

  Sighing, he said, “Look, I realize you’re an engineer and not trained in sales, but you need to understand that every company has a certain amount of loss due to theft, misdirected shipments, breakage, damage, order error…lots of reasons.”

  “And is there not a way to check into these things?” she pushed.

  “Of course,” he replied. “I know for damage and breakage, depending on where it occurred, Ed is in charge of getting the reports to quality control. For shipments, he deals with the paperwork for that as well. Thefts…well, if it can be determined that there is a culprit, then we would let them go.”

  Shock flashed across her face as she asked, “Just let them go? What about the fact that they committed a crime”?”

  Saul blushed and rushed to say, “Well, we’d also turn them over to the police, of course.” Sighing heavily, he ran his hand over his face before looking directly at her again. “Honestly, Evelyn, I’ve never had to deal with something like this before.”

  Evie was silent for a moment as her mind continued to process the problem. “Has anyone even checked with the warehouse that the sub driver ended up going to mistakenly?”

  Saul looked up, eyes narrowed, “How do you know about that?”

  The two sat silently, staring at each other before jumping when Gary entered the room. He sat down in the chair next to Evie and glared at both of them for a moment. She cocked her head to the side in question before glancing between the two brothers, sensing a silent communication. Running her tongue over her suddenly dry lips, she waited to see what Gary wanted.