The Path to Freedom (Task Force 125)

by Pietsch, Lisa; Gerow, Tina

  He closed the file and pushed it to the side. “Okay, Stevens, here it is.” He leaned back and looked her in the eye. The full breadth of his shoulders and chest was striking. Sarah had only ever seen guys that wide with muscle in magazines. “Have you considered putting your skills to use for another government agency?”

  Sarah chuckled. “Sure, but who would take me? I’ve already been discharged from the Air Force and I’m thirty years old.”

  “Well, maybe we could help you out with that.” He left the words hanging there and watched her.

  She stood, not moving, hoping this guy wasn’t going to jerk her around. She needed a plan and she was open to just about anything at this point. Getting back into the military would be like a second chance at her life.

  A do-over?

  He raised an eyebrow. “Do you have any moral reservations about clandestine operations?”

  Sarah wanted more information on where this guy was going. “What do you mean? Could I kill someone?”

  He watched her expectantly.

  “Sure,” she answered her own question. “I trained for that in the Air Force. I expected to do it during Desert Storm but ended up waiting out the war in Turkey.”

  Turkey. What a trip! Packed up and dressed for war and what did I get? Six months of the finest shopping and partying I’ve ever done. No matter how prepared I was and no matter how good a shot I was, nobody ever wanted to send chicks into war zones back then.

  He interrupted her thoughts. “Yeah, I saw that. M-60 gunner. You’re pretty hot shit on heavy weapons from what I hear.” He straightened in his chair. “No, what I’m talking about is something more along the lines of what you did last night.”

  What is he talking about? It isn’t against the law to get laid in Vegas. Hell, it’s the rule!

  “Excuse me?” she asked. “What are you talking about?”

  He replied matter-of-factly. “You go to Vegas, party at one of the finest clubs, spend the night in a high roller’s suite and come back with your bank account untouched and nine-hundred some odd dollars stuffed in your bra.”

  How the hell do you know what’s in my bank account or how much money is in my bra for that matter? What is this place and who the hell are you?

  She stood and glared at the man. This guy knew too much about the contents of her undergarments and her hackles were up.

  He continued. “That sounds like prostitution to me.”

  That’s it. You’re way over the line, asshole!

  Sarah switched in to fight mode. Her blood boiled at this guy’s nerve.

  Screw it! They’re going to send me away anyway. This guy is just getting off on jerking me around. Big deal, so you followed me.

  Sarah was careful to keep her voice low so he wouldn’t mistake her angry tone for hysterics. “Well, it would be if I got the money from the guy I slept with, but I didn’t, and I don’t appreciate your implying I’m out turning tricks in Vegas. That’s just bad form.”

  Sarah’s hands made fists and she leaned forward with her knuckles braced on the man’s desk. “I don’t care who you are. I don’t have to take this shit from anybody so check yourself before you continue. What’s the bottom line here? I don’t know what your game is, nor do I care, so why don’t you just skip the bullshit and get to the point?”

  Is this guy just pushing me to see when I’ll push back or is he really just an asshole?

  The big man smiled a satisfied smile, leaned his elbow on the desk and locked his gaze onto Sarah’s. “Point taken. You’re absolutely right and I apologize. I wondered how long it would take to get your hackles up. I could break you like a twig, but you’re confident enough to stand up for yourself. That’s good.” He motioned to a chair and smiled. “Sit down, Stevens. You’re not going anywhere.”

  Sarah juggled intrigued, confused, pissed off and a multitude of other emotions, but what mattered most was the relief that coursed through her.

  She was staying.

  These guys are spooks of some sort. I knew there had to be an angle to this place. That’s why it’s free. This has got to be a government operation.

  He cracked his knuckles and took a sip from the coffee mug on his desk. “Here’s what we’re talking about. HUMINT. Human intelligence. Real people dealing with real people to get the information our government needs. The CIA was great at it during the cold war, but the Clinton Administration with their kind and gentle philosophy put an end to all of that and got rid of those agents that specialized in HUMINT.”

  Sarah crossed her ankles. “Why would they do that?”

  “Seems they were under the impression we could do the same thing for less with electronic intelligence. Now we’re fighting a different sort of warthe war on terrorand we need HUMINT agents again. Problem is the cold war agents are all collecting Social Security so we need to train a whole new group of operators.”

  Sarah looked around the room. “So, is that what all this is about?”

  “It takes ten years for the CIA to produce a good field agent. America just doesn’t have that kind of time. We need people with specific skills now. People who can speak several languages fluently with military experience and who understand national security issues. We need people of high intelligence who can work independently as well as with a team. We need people who can handle themselves. I’m beginning to see why you came so highly recommended.”

  Sarah didn’t let her face register the excitement pulsing through her veins.

  Highly recommended? Holy crap! Now it all makes sense!

  “This camp is a recruitment center. We use it to recover and then recruit ex military personnel for Black World Operations. ‘Black Ops’ can’t be a foreign term to a former Security Specialist.”

  Sarah nodded as he continued. She knew all about Black Ops and how it was the dirty work everyone knew had to be done but nobody wanted to acknowledge.

  “Anyway, this camp is an effective cover. We select quality people who are on their way out of the military and then give them additional physical training while our scouts monitor progress and performance. I’m sure you’ve seen our talent scouts. They’re the ones wearing all black. Do you remember how you found out about this place?”

  Sarah remembered the simple white business card her Commander had given to her. “Yes, of course.”

  “Our officers on the inside, in the services, only refer the finest recruits for our operations.”

  Sarah’s head reeled. What this guy was talking about was the kind of job she’d wanted to do when she first joined the Air Force. Things changed and she’d ended up in the mainstream with a million other Security Specialists and she’d had to revise her plans.

  Am I actually getting a second chance? To hell with caution!

  “Okay, I’m in. What’s the deal?”

  His eyes sparkled as he beamed a wide grin that showed off a perfect set of ultra-white teeth. This was clearly a man who enjoyed his job. “Everyone who is referred here has certain skills that the government would like to recover for its own use. You speak several languages, have specialized training in negotiation, you spent eight years immersed in national security issues, you’re no dummy and, as evidenced by your recent trip to Vegas, you have a particular skill set that we were unaware of but one of our teams needs immediately.”

  He leaned back in his chair. “You’ll stay here at the camp and continue your training with a few modifications. Shawn will continue to train you. You’ll have a final test in about two weeks. Providing you pass, you’ll be assigned to a special task force team and given your first assignment immediately thereafter.”

  “What kind of test? What if I don’t pass?”

  “If you don’t pass the test, you’ll be escorted back to your vehicle free to do whatever you like with the rest of your life.”

  No pressure, huh?

  Sarah grew anxious at the “all or nothing” nature of this deal but felt up to the challenge. She smiled. “Sounds fair.”

&
nbsp; “Okay, get back to your training and I’ll talk to you again after you take the test.”

  Sarah left the office in a daze and almost tripped over someone on her way out.

  “Tracey! What are you doing here?”

  The voice of the man she’d just spoken to came booming from behind her. “Same as you. Carry on, Stevens.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  For the next two weeks, Sarah had way too many things going through her mind as she trained. This was a great opportunity not to be missed.

  No slacking off, Stevens. You need this shot. This is everything you ever wanted. Failure is not an option.

  Training was modified significantly and demanded a great deal more energy than the previous phases, but there were times when the body was engaged in running or lifting and the mind took the opportunity to wander. She couldn’t help but wonder what the final test would be like. They hadn’t given her anything to study, so she assumed it would be a board style test where they would analyze responses to various scenarios. She’d been through plenty of those tests in the Air Force and was comfortable with the drill.

  When she wasn’t wondering about the job or the test, like in the shower or lying in her bunk at night, Sarah’s mind would wander to something else entirely. The idea of Vince, the guy she had walked away from at Pure, haunted her. Her instant attraction to him was so powerful it was dangerous. He had the kind of voice a woman wants to hear in the dark from the pillow next to her. He was twisted steel and sex appeal. He was too much to let in and way too much to forget, try as she might.

  The usual training schedule of running, weight training, and martial arts continued, but Shawn introduced another element to it that took up an additional two hours every day. Martial arts training was stepped up to include weapons training. When Shawn announced they’d begin training with weapons, Sarah was thrilled.

  “I love guns, what kind are we using?” she asked anxiously.

  “No guns.” Shawn shook his head. “You know enough about firearms. You need close quarters weapons training. Now you’ll learn how to effectively use every blade we’ve got.”

  That’s a switch. I’m intrigued.

  For two hours every day, Sarah trained with blades. From machetes to tiny throwing knives, she learned how to use them all and how to inflict the most possible damage with each one. The work exhausted her, but with each new skill learned, she felt more and more powerful.

  Sarah spent so much time, every day, just practicing and sparring that her fighting skills improved to a point she’d never believed possible. She found when she fought, she could focus so completely that her mind only focused on the fight. The rest of the world would disappear into a blur and time seemed to slow to a crawl. With or without knives, she felt ready to take on the world.

  One thought rarely left her mind. Just a few months ago she’d hit absolute rock bottom because she’d focused her energies on a relationship with a man and let herself go to the point where she was so fat she was invisible.

  I will never do that again. My needs come first now. I’ll fight tooth and nail to stay in control this time.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ten days after being called to the command hut and offered a job, Shawn stopped Sarah’s training at noon. “Go get cleaned up, Stevens. You’re going to take your test the day after tomorrow and you need to have a clear head. You’ve got twenty-four hours liberty in Vegas starting tonight.”

  Sarah stretched from the long hike they’d just taken over several miles of dunes. “Great. I could use a little rest and relaxation after the way you’ve been driving me.”

  “You think I’m tough?” Shawn laughed. “Just wait until you pass the test. You don’t know tough yet. Now hit the shower. We leave at eight tonight.”

  ~~~

  Sarah took a long, hot shower and then napped for several hours. Since she had nothing else to wear, she put on her black outfit and carefully placed the money from Dean in her bra so she could buy a few civilian clothes once she got into town.

  No wild night tonight. There is too much at stake. I’ll get a room, order some room service and relax. Then tomorrow I’ll do a little shopping.

  The Suburban waited outside her hut with the back, passenger side door open. Shawn sat in the driver’s seat.

  The scout in the other back seat had been one of the guys who had escorted her to the command hut the day she was offered the job. He had short dark hair with a touch of gray and mesmerizing blue eyes.

  The shoulders on the man sitting in front of her were unmistakable. It was the hot scout that always showed up in her fantasies and was showing up in person more and more during her training every day. This was the man she liked to think about when she lay in her bunk at night.

  When they reached the ridge where Sarah usually had to put on the blindfold, Shawn didn’t stop the Suburban but kept on driving.

  “Shawn, do I need the blindfold?”

  “Not tonight, Sarah. Stay alert.”

  Sarah looked for every landmark and terrain change she could find. She watched the stars and made mental notes of the positions of constellations.

  Once, Shawn looked over at the mystery scout and broke the silence in the Suburban. “Man, I’m telling you, this one is going to be good. Fight of the century, brother!”

  The mystery scout never spoke. He merely shook his head and shrugged, as though he weren’t impressed.

  Sarah assumed they were going to a fight at the MGM Grand or Caesar’s. There were major boxing matches in Las Vegas all the time.

  When they reached the city limits, Shawn announced, “Okay, rendezvous point this trip is the Stratosphere at sixteen-hundred tomorrow.”

  Sarah noticed the drive into town was different this time. They were driving through the seediest part of the city.

  Shawn pulled over. “This is your stop.” He turned in his seat and looked back at Sarah.

  “No, that’s okay. You can just drop me at the strip.” She peered out the window and winced. “There isn’t anything I want to do in this part of town.”

  “No, you don’t understand.” His voice took on more of an edge. “This is your stop. Rendezvous the Stratosphere, sixteen-hundred tomorrow. You’re on your own until then.”

  Did he just stress the words “on your own?”

  Sarah glanced at the guy in black in the other back seat.

  “Time to bounce, pork chop.” He wasn’t looking at her, but she could see a smile curl at the corner of his mouth before he turned and stared out his window.

  She had no sooner stepped out of the SUV than they sped off. Sarah looked around and assessed her surroundings.

  Now this is messed up. I’m not anywhere near the strip. In fact, I’m in a section of town that no white girl has any business being in during the light of daynever mind the dark of night.

  No good could come of this.

  Okay, Stevens, recon. No weapons, no phone. Bars on all the windows and not a light to be seen. Shit, even the streetlights are out!

  Anger began to rise within her like magma.

  I’m dressed to the nines in a mini and three-inch stiletto heels. Somebody is going to pay for this. I’m so going to kick Shawn’s ass.

  Before she could move out of the way an older model Cadillac screeched to a halt cutting off her path as she crossed an empty lot.

  Four men jumped out of the car and ran toward her.

  Oh, hell no!

  There was no time for flight. The only option was to fight. Something ugly was about to go down. Sarah braced herself for a fight. Adrenaline kicked in hard and time was marked by the heartbeats that reverberated inside her ears.

  Sarah scanned the area quickly for anything she could use as a weapon.

  Nothing. Not even a rock!

  Sarah eyed the biggest guy there. “You might take me down, but I guarantee I’ll take at least two of you down with me.”

  It all happened in the blink of an eye, but it seemed like slow motion
for Sarah.

  She was surrounded.

  Someone grabbed her around the waist from behind.

  She jammed her heel as hard as she could into the arch of his foot. Her attacker screamed and let go.

  Another man lunged at her from the side and grabbed her arm.

  She reacted automatically and threw him to the ground.

  He landed flat on his back and groaned as the breath was knocked out of him.

  Another one jumped behind her and grabbed her around the waist while the fourth came at her from the front.

  The flash of a blade registered in Sarah’s mind.

  Knife. Kill or be killed.

  Muscle memory and instinct took over and Sarah high-kicked the one with the blade, catching the knife as it was thrown from his hand.

  The man behind her let go. Sarah took advantage of the moment and turned on him with the knife in hand, ready to pounce.

  He threw up his arms and shrieked like a little girl. “This isn’t worth a hundred bucks!” He ran into the alley and disappeared, leaving the car behind with the engine still running.

  Three on the ground. One hoofed it.

  Sarah made a dash for the driver’s side of the Cadillac and hopped in.

  What are they going to do? Tell the cops? Yeah, we tried to mug a chick but she beat us up and stole our car?

  She put the car in gear and was about to drive away when she realized she was missing a shoe.

  Sarah put the car back in park and stepped out, with the knife still in her hand.

  She watched the guys lying on the ground. Waiting for one of them to blink wrong and give her another reason to kick their asses.

  No one moved enough to pose a threat.

  She walked toward the guy she’d high-kicked and picked up her shoe. As she slid the shoe on, she caught a broken nail on her nylons.

  She stared at the nail. “Damnit!” Sarah glared at the guy on the ground, who held a very bloody nose. “You made me break a nail and now my nylons are ruined. You son of a bitch!”