by Taylor Lee
From the room ahead, she heard the soft tones of a cultured Asian voice welcoming his guests. He introduced Lt. Col. Jasper, who thanked his host for the privilege of being there, and began laying the ground rules for the evening’s entertainment. Tiffany listened in horror to him casually describe the buying process, adding that once the winner had satisfied himself with the body of the girls he purchased, he was free to offer her to the other participants for a price.
Several guards came up behind the girls cowering in the corner, and ordered them to stand up straight. In harsh whispers, the guards described what would happen to them if they cried or cowered. In chilling language they described the beatings the girls would receive if they refused to do anything that was ordered by the Lt. Col. or the men who bought them.
The Lt. Col. began introducing the girls one by one. As their names were called, one of the guards shoved a baton in the cowering girl’s back, forcing her onto the stage. Roars and whistles greeted each girl’s entrance. After each of the five girls stumbled onto the stage, Tiffany stood in the doorway ready to move forward. When the guard reached for her, his baton at the ready, she pierced him with a hard glare.
“Touch me and you will live to regret it.”
The startled man jumped back in surprise.
She tossed her head and slowly walked onto the stage. A loud gasp was the only sound that greeted her entrance. Surveying the room she saw approximately twelve men sitting in armchairs in front of the stage. On a small table next to each of them was a bidding card and what looked like a small bell. Stationed against the wall in two-foot intervals was a large group of uniformed guards. Tiffany counted no fewer than twelve members of their undercover team.
Glancing at Lt. Col. Jasper who was staring at her, his brows pinched in a tight frown, she sauntered to the edge of the stage. She made eye contact with each of the prospective buyers, who all were staring at her in disbelief. When she came to Clint, she winked at him.
There was a flurry of activity among the guards, who looked to the Lt. Col. for instructions. Before he could speak, Tiffany stepped to the center of the stage. Her voice was clear, melodic.
“Good evening, gentlemen. Please don’t be alarmed.” She grinned.
“Or perhaps it would be wise if you were alarmed. There has been a slight adjustment in tonight’s program. Perhaps it will be helpful if I introduce myself. My name is Tiffany Anderson. Captain Tiffany Anderson, U.S. Army CID investigative unit. The men who have their guns drawn and pressed into the necks of Lt. Col. Jasper’s guards are my teammates.”
At the chorus of shocked gasps, Clint rose from his chair and grabbed Sung Song by his hair. He jerked Sung’s head back, shoving an extended Sig Saur into the base of Sung’s skull. In a voice devoid of redneck overtones, he said, “Thank you, Captain Anderson. Let me introduce myself. I am Lt. Col. Clint Magnuson, U.S. Army CID. While waiting for our commander, Colonel Jake Gardner, to take the stage, let me remind you that one false move from any one of you, and I will shoot our host in the back of his head.”
A hushed silence settled over the room as Jake strode to the stage.
As Tiffany had, he looked each of the shocked patrons in the eye. His voice was quiet, almost soft, with a dangerous undercurrent.
“Gentlemen, in a matter of minutes the NPA will be here. You will be charged with human trafficking and kidnapping. With the assistance of my team, you will each be prosecuted to the full extent of Korean law. Which I understand is even harsher than you would receive in our country. In addition, we have arranged for a full contingent of international press to witness your arrest as you leave the premises. Your CNN moment awaits you, gentlemen.”
He turned to Lt. Col. Jasper, who was staring at him ashen-faced.
“The only person who will not be prosecuted by the Korean Justice system is Lt. Col. Mike Jasper, the mastermind of this hideous enterprise. Lt. Col. Jasper is being charged with five counts of murder, in addition to kidnapping and human trafficking. I can assure you, the U. S. Army will be very nearly as ruthless with the Lt. Col. as he has been with his victims.”
At that moment, a cadre of uniformed NPA officers stormed into the room and a controlled pandemonium broke out.
~~~
Several hours later, Jake met with Brady, Anthony, Clint and Tiffany. His voice was solemn, his expression stern.
“You all know how proud I am of you. It is my privilege to work with the best team of CID agents the U.S. Army has. Lt. Col. Jasper has disgraced his country, and dishonored the U.S. Army. Thanks to you, we have taken him down. I only regret that we didn’t get him before he killed five innocent young women.”
He brushed a weary hand over his stern face then let the shadow of a smile quirk his lips. Turning to Tiffany, he said, “Captain Anderson, you are a true soldier, an honorable representative of the United States of America, and a worthy member of our illustrious team. And I might add you have the finest ass any of us could hope to see. I salute you.”
Tiffany grinned as the four men cheered.
Anthony stepped forward and whispered in her ear. Tiffany nodded, her cheeks flushing with heat.
Anthony turned to the others with a soft smile.
“I trust you’ll forgive us if Captain Anderson and I skip the planned celebration. We agree that we have a number of things to discuss, that are better addressed in private.”
With that, he looped his arm around Tiffany’s waist and headed to the Jeep parked in the driveway. Looking over his shoulder, Anthony winked at his best friends, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Brady spoke for the three of them as they watched Anthony and Tiffany drive away.
“Well whadda you know? For once the nice guy finished first. And hell, what a time to win that honor. That is one righteous woman.”
Jake and Clint nodded in agreement, their fondness for the tall, solemn sergeant apparent in their gaze.
~~~
Several years later, Jake wondered if he would have said or done anything different if he had known it was the last time he would see Anthony alive. Looking back at the memory, Jake comforted himself with the knowledge that at that moment as in every other moment in their deeply entwined lives, Anthony knew that his commander loved him like the brother he never had, and that Anthony returned the favor.
~~~
Nights in White Satin
Is a short story prequel to the
Sizzling Romantic Suspense,
Bestselling Full Length Trilogy
Big Girls Don’t Cry
In the Still of the Night
Every Breath You Take (to be released Jan. 2013)
# # #
THE D.C. INCIDENT
Prologue
“Jesus God! You could have killed me, you crazy bitch!”
Nicki Powers shrugged, nonchalantly tossing her mane of red hair over her shoulder.
“If I’d wanted to kill you, you would be dead.”
The startled man clutched at the arms of the overstuffed chair, his fingers white with the strain. A ten inch stiletto blade quivered in the chair back—two inches away from his face. Frozen in place, the man’s eyes were wide with shock. Sweat beaded on his upper lip and forehead. Nicki smiled to herself. Anyone who thinks you can’t smell fear should’ve been standing ten feet from her target.
Before his lackeys could reach her, Nicki reached into her thigh-high sheath and zinged another blade across the room. This time it landed a scant inch from the other side of the man’s head.
The shocked silence in the room was deafening.
Nicki smiled at the stunned man, his head pinned between the two still-vibrating blades.
“Hmm, sorry about that. Sometimes I get a little closer than I intend. But then, Senator, like you, I live dangerously.”
In the mad rush of trembling aides scurrying to help their screaming boss, and the others advancing on Nicki, Caleb’s cool voice rang out. The extended Glock in his hand added emphasis to his understated wor
ds.
“I wouldn’t come any closer if I were you, gentlemen. You’ll have to excuse my partner. Nicki doesn’t take kindly to insults.”
Chapter 1
Rafe Boudin’s chuckle reverberated over the speaker phone.
“That’s an interesting way of making your point, Darling. But in the future you might think twice before potentially scaring our primary source to death.”
Nicki harrumphed.
“Well maybe the asshole should have thought twice before he came on to me.”
Caleb grinned at her.
“I think we can be sure he will in the future, hotstuff.” Turning toward the speakerphone, he added, “It was priceless, Rafe. Talk about grown men reduced to blithering idiots. But at least only two of them pissed their pants.”
“That you know of, Caleb.” Nicki allowed a slight smile to cross her lips. “I thought they all looked a little damp. And if you noticed, the Senator didn’t stand up before we left the room.”
“Hell, you’re right. We’ll have to see if they’ve replaced that chair the next time we meet.”
Caleb shook his head, a look of wonder on his handsome face.
“I wish you’d been there, Rafe. Jesus, man, after our little hotstuff nearly killed an incumbent United States Senator, she turned on her five-inch stiletto heels and without a backward glance sashayed out of the room as though she was the Queen of Fucking Egypt.”
Rafe’s amused voice echoed in the room.
“And I suppose you just followed her like an obedient puppy dog?”
Caleb winked at Nicki. “Hell yes. Think I’m crazy? Besides I almost peed my pants—only from laughing.”
At Nicki’s peal of laughter, Rafe broke in.
“Okay, you two. Enough hilarity for the moment. What happened to incite you Nicki? And did you get any useful information before the fucker annoyed you?”
Nicki did her best to contain her amusement. But hell it was hard to come down from an interchange like the one she’d had with the Senator. But Rafe was right. The Senator was their best source. Perhaps… she overplayed her hand a bit, but… the asshole deserved it. He was just damned lucky they needed him alive. She hadn’t been bragging; no one survived if she intended to kill him. Her father, a former volk in the Russian mafia, had given her a kama blade for her tenth birthday. He’d made her practice with it until she didn’t miss—ever.
Nicki pursed her lips focusing on Rafe’s question.
“We introduced ourselves to his gatekeeper as representatives of ISA—which got us in the door. Once we got inside, I told the Senator that our client was Representative Stephen Freeman, his opponent. And that Congressman Freeman had hired us to get information on how Senator Michaels had bought his Senate seat.”
Nicki laughed. “I thought a direct approach was best. It shocked him at first but then he and his aides seemed to think that was funny. He said anything that ‘fucking asshole Freeman’ wanted to know, he should ask.
“That was when the good Senator made his mistake. He said, and I quote: ‘So my esteemed opponent hired a hot piece of ass like you to do his dirty work? Out of curiosity, how much did he pay you for your services? Let me know. I’ve always liked natural redheads. You’d have to prove you are one first. But, if you can, I’ll pay you double what you’ve pimped yourself out for to Freeman.’ That lit my fuse, Rafe.”
Rafe’s low growl was audible over the telephone.
Caleb scowled. “Yeah, Rafe, I reacted the same way, but before I could ‘show’ my displeasure, hotstuff threw her first knife.”
Nicki smirked. “You have to admit, Sen. Michaels didn’t seem interested in my services after that.”
Rafe snorted. “Good work, both of you. Now Michaels knows that we are looking up his ass and that we won’t miss anything. In his urgency to cover his tracks, he’ll start making mistakes.”
Nicki heard Rafe’s quiet exhalation. She didn’t have to see him to know that he was smoking one of his trademark imported cigarettes. Even though his French-tinged voice was calm—as cool as ever—Nicki sensed his underlying tension. She could almost see his eyes flashing the dark emerald green that they turned when he was enraged. Or, she thought with a slight shuddering sensation between her legs, when he was preparing to make love to her.
“I’ll call the son of a bitch and commiserate with him and arrange for your next meeting. Oh, and Nicki, I’ll tell him, pleasantly of course, that if he or any of his sycophants so much as breathes on you, they will deal with me.” Rafe’s voice tightened. “Given the size of Senator Michaels’ balls, he’ll choke to death in less than a minute after I cut them off and stuff them in his mouth.”
Nicki raised an eyebrow and exchanged a confirming glance with Caleb. Neither one of them questioned Rafe’s threat. And it was a sure bet Senator Michaels wouldn’t either. Even among men as powerful as the Senator, Rafe was known and feared. The former special operative’s reputation for brutality was as well-known as his charm. No matter how influential they were, no one wanted to be on the wrong side of Rafe Boudin. And every one of the elite men who hired him and his International Security Associates gladly paid through the nose for their services. Nicki smiled, knowing that the fact that his opponent had hired ISA must be more terrifying to the Senator Michaels than the fact that she’d almost killed him.
~~~
Sipping on her glass of wine, Nicki fiddled with her napkin and tried to disguise her disgust with their host. Luckily Caleb always managed to put up with the bullshit better than she could. Charming and garrulous, Caleb kept up the conversation for both of them. He matched the repulsive man’s braggadocio stories, outdoing him every time. Glancing up at Rep. Stephen Freeman, Nicki wondered if all politicians were as disgustingly transparent as Sen. Michaels and their current client.
Even while chatting with Caleb, Freeman never took his lecherous gaze off of Nicki. Raking his eyes over her figure, he paused at every key body part, practically licking his lips. Was it their powerful positions, Nicki wondered? Or the fact that over the years they’d been taught that whatever or whoever caught their fancy, they could have. Money, influence, and especially women were theirs for the taking. It was disquieting at best that the only elected official with a worse womanizing reputation than Senator Michaels was their client, Rep. Freeman. The fact that the two of them were the golden boys in their respective political parties underscored that a moral compass was unnecessary equipment for budding presidential candidates. Which was why this race for the U. S. Senate was as important as it was. Whoever won, the lucky man was on a fast track to the presidency.
Apparently not capable of shame, Freeman interrupted his leering examination of her long enough to diss his opponent.
“So, Nicki, did that scurrilous bastard make a pass at you? I swear he can’t keep his prick in his pants around any woman. He’s like a rabid dog. Any bitch he sees, he assumes she must be in heat—for him. With someone who is as lovely as you are, his tongue must have been dragging on the floor.”
Caleb winked discreetly at Nicki confirming that the hypocrisy coming out of Freeman’s mouth was pure gold.
Freeman was too busy frowning at the imagined exploits of his opponent to notice Nicki and Caleb’s reaction. His mouth tipped up in disgust.
“It’s a good thing for Senator Michaels that womanizing is no longer considered an impediment to achieving high elected office. The public doesn’t seem to care anymore. Since Clinton’s time, the public has accepted that ‘men will be men,’ and given the pressure powerful men are under they can be forgiven the occasional indiscretion.”
Nicki was proud of herself that she managed to swallow her mouthful of salad without choking. This man truly was a piece of work. It was a good thing that Caleb was there to cover her incredulity. Nicki was usually good at masking her feelings. A poker face was a necessity in their line of work. But both Michaels and Freeman tried her sensibilities. Perhaps because one or the other of them had a sure shot at the presidenc
y. After he knocked off his opponent and won the Senate race, that is.
Apparently unaware of the disdainful glances she and Caleb were exchanging, Freeman focused a serious frown on her. At least his frown seemed genuine, not like his politician’s plastic smile that curved his lips while his eyes remained cold and banked with contempt.
“Now, my dear, please remember that our wonderfully oblivious public could care less who is fucking whom, but they do care about who is stealing from the public trough. We all know goddamned well that Michaels bought his Senate seat. And I’m convinced that his money came from very unsavory sources. Now you and your egregiously expensive company need to give me irrefutable proof. Ironclad. Please understand: as I told that arrogant boss of yours, I don’t want to beat the insufferable son of a bitch. I want to crucify him.”
His lips quirked up in a smarmy grin.
“Senator Michaels gives politicians a bad name. It’s my public duty to stop him. Crush him.”
Pinning her with a hard glare he added, “You should know, Nicki, I take my public duty very seriously.”
Nicki struggled with how to respond. If she’d heard even a sliver of irony in his self-important vow, she could almost appreciate his attempt at wit. But Freeman’s pledge was devoid of any semblance of sarcasm.
Pasting an equally disingenuous smile on her face, Nicki said, “It’s good to meet a politician who takes his public duty seriously, Stephen.”
Freeman puffed up like a peacock and nodded in agreement. His lack of humility or even an inkling that she was making fun of him confirmed that he was as soulless as he appeared.
Chapter 2
Nicki slid the keycard into the slot on her hotel suite door and walked into the dark room. Fumbling for the light, she smelled an exotic odor. Her momentary flash of fear morphed to excitement. Who else would wear Ambre Topkapi cologne at over $500 an ounce except someone who was as vain as he was gorgeous? Mixed with his unique masculine scent, the expensive cologne was intoxicating. Nicki sucked in a deep breath. Rafe’s soft command was as sexy as his smell.