by Donna Hill
“I made a promise to you, and I intend to keep it,” he said, inches away from her mouth. “Whatever I need to do to make this happen and get us out in one piece, I’m going to do.”
Eva put her hands behind his head and pulled him toward her. “Too much talking…”
Jake grinned. He pushed his hand up her dress and pulled her panties down over her hips while she tugged on his belt and zipper.
Their rapid breathing and fits of lusty words and laughter filled the room. Eva draped one leg over the back of the couch and planted the other foot on the floor for leverage. Jake put his hands beneath her and lifted her hips. The head of his penis brushed against her soft hair, and just as he was ready to dive in, the phone rang.
Neither of them moved. The answering machine kicked in, and Lenora’s voice stretched across the room.
Jake jumped up, nearly falling headfirst with his pants tangled around his legs. He grabbed the phone.
“Hello!”
“Good thing you answered, Mr. Kelly.”
Eva came up alongside him and pressed her ear to the phone, trying to listen.
“Pay close attention. Here are your instructions.…”
When Jake finally hung up, he turned to Eva. “She’s good.”
8
“Okay, so where are we” Jake asked, leaning back against the couch and taking a long swallow from his bottle of beer.
Every night after their respective day jobs were over the team met at Jake and Eva’s house to plan, bringing each other up to date on their progress and sharing any glitches they’d run into.
Eva, Rita, and Jinx sat around the living room table, photos, sketches, and schematics spread out across it.
“The uniforms are just about done,” Eva said. “I should be finished in another day or two, and then we can all have a fitting and I can make any adjustments.”
Rather than take a chance on pinching fabric from the studio, Eva made her fabric purchases from the wholesale district, using her job identification for the discounts but paying in cash. Each of them needed ship employee uniforms, and they had to be exact—down to the buttons. She worked until the wee hours of the morning sewing the uniforms.
Jake checked uniforms off his list. “What about the switch”
“The delivery is at the office. I have to find a way of getting them out without anyone noticing. It won’t be a problem.” She had yet to tell Jake that she had no clue how she was going to be able to take the time off from work. Sebastian would be furious.
Jake nodded and checked that off the list. “What about you, Rita”
She opened her leather Gucci pouch and pulled out the passports. They all reached for them.
“Wow,” Jinx said. He turned his over in his hands and flipped through its pages. “This Paul Young is a world traveler.” He grinned. The passport included stops in the Far East, London, Spain, and South America.
“You’re an international banker,” Rita said, giving him his cover story. “I’ve prepared some phony documents and letterhead just in case.” She handed him a folder that also included a driver’s license, ship identification, and a fake credit card. “I wouldn’t use that credit card if I were you.” She turned to Eva. “The only thing about you that will change is your name: Sylvia London. You’re traveling on business. Your ship ID and driver’s license are in there as well. Jake, you’re a computer salesman. All your identification is there.”
They looked over the documents, nodding their heads as Rita spoke. But Rita didn’t tell them there was a problem with the money. She’d figure it out. It wouldn’t be on her head that this job got blown to hell.
“We’re going to be boarding the ship in Brazil,” Jake said. “That gives us the entire trip to get the lay of the land, set up, blend in, and pull off this heist. I got us all hooked up with toss-away phones and headsets, real state-of-the-art shit.”
Jake had secured all the electronic equipment they would need to stay in contact with each other, from near-invisible headsets to throwaway cell phones. He was still having trouble mastering the mechanisms of the safe without setting off the security alarms. No way he would tell Eva. He was pretty sure he could get the job done. And what she didn’t know …
“Will we have any time to shop” Rita asked while she dug in her purse for a stick of gum.
“When we get out of this, I’m going on a month-long shopping spree,” Eva said before rolling her eyes at Jake.
Jake winced.
“Are we set with our rooms aboard the ship” Eva asked, switching subjects.
Jinx nodded. “I took care of it. We’ll be going economy. It was the best my buddy could do.”
“Who are these ‘buddies’ of yours anyway” Rita asked, her brow arched in question.
Jinx grinned. “Trust me, you don’t want to know. Some folks I met in the joint. Nice guys, as long as they’re on your side.”
“And you’re sure they won’t ask any questions” Jake probed.
“Naw. As long as their palms are greased, they couldn’t care less.” He’d sent a special-delivery package to his pal at the Miami PD, with enough cash to send him and his wife on a very nice holiday. He had yet to confirm how they were going to get out of Miami. But he would soon, he hoped.
“This is costing us a pretty penny,” Eva said, none too pleased. They’d spent thousands of their own money on supplies and payoffs, and they weren’t nearly done yet.
“The end result will be worth it,” Jake said.
Eva cut her eyes at him. “It better be.”
Jake rose and stretched. “I guess that should do it for tonight … unless there’s anything else.”
“I need everyone over here next Tuesday for a fitting,” Eva said, and then turned to Rita. “Maybe you can meet me at work next week, take some of the stuff out with you. Bring something that’s not too conspicuous to carry it all in.”
“Not a problem. I’ll come by on my lunch break.”
“I’ll firm up the details with my contact in Miami,” Jinx said, picking up his jacket from the back of the couch.
“I’ll be glad to get out of here anyway,” Rita said, putting on her coat. “The weather here is ready to turn any minute. And you know how much I hate winters in New York. We’ve been lucky so far.”
Jinx got up as well. “Hopefully, our luck will hold out.”
“Yeah, we’re gonna need all we can get.” Eva looked at her husband for reassurance.
“Hey, this is what we’ve spent our entire lives working toward—the big sting. We’ll be ready.”
Rita and Jinx said their good-byes, leaving Eva and Jake to face each other.
“Do you really think this plan will work” Eva asked.
“Your plan is brilliant, babe. Don’t doubt yourself.” He stepped up to her. “Or me.” He placed a soft kiss on her mouth, threaded his fingers through her hair, and held her head in his palm. “I’m not going to let you down, Eva. I promise you.”
“It was partly your idea too,” she said, her voice whisper soft. “So you can take part of the pain and the glory.”
His grin was crooked and endearing. “Absolutely.” He pulled her close and held her, inhaling her scent. “Come on, let’s go to bed. We have another busy day tomorrow, and I want to do some more research on Suarez before I call it a night.”
They walked hand-in-hand to the bedroom.
“Is he really as dangerous as they say he is”
“From everything I’ve read and the inquiries I’ve made”—he looked her in the eye—“he’s worse.”
A chill ran up Eva’s spine.
9
Lenora was on pins and needles. For days she’d been downloading her office files to her home computer. With the time off from work to pull off her plan, there was no way she was going to risk having someone else stumble across what she’d been up to. Besides, if things went as planned—which they’d better—she wouldn’t be back here anyway.
“Ms. Ingram.”
Lenora looked up. Her door was open. Virginia was in the archway.
“Yes, Virginia.” She forced a smile on her face. She couldn’t stand Virginia. She was a brownnose if there ever was one. She’d been with the bureau for eight years, and all her ass-kissing had gotten her nowhere.
“Agent Flannagan wants to see you.”
“Can you tell him I—”
“He said, ‘Now.’” She smirked. “He was just at my desk.”
Lenora muttered something unintelligible beneath her breath. She had to keep up the front to be as annoyed by Flannagan as everyone else was. “Right. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Virginia walked away.
Lenora leaned back in her seat, bit down on the tip of her pen. Why didn’t he just call if he wanted to see her, like he usually did Jerry could be so damned pompous when he wanted to be. He just had to remind everyone he was in charge.
She sighed and pushed back from her chair. Her affair with Jerry had been going on for the past two and a half years. It started out simple enough. They were working a job together, sifting through the intel following the Trade Center disaster. Daytime hours turned to evenings. Lunch turned to dinner. Dinner to drinks. Drinks to bed. Being in the spy business had worked to their advantage. Discreet was the operative word. They were never seen together outside the office under any circumstances. They would decide on a hotel, arrive separately, pay for separate rooms, get together in one room, and then leave the same way they’d arrived.
Jerry was insatiable and very creative. More important, he was important. He had the clout to get her where she wanted to go. Yes, she was good at her job, very good, but having an in with Jerry made her ascent up that ladder that much smoother. And the sexual perks were worth the ride. Since their secret affair began, she’d gotten three raises and a promotion. Until this windfall had been dropped into her lap, she’d been focused on staying on track and nabbing Suarez on her own. Then she could kick Jerry to the curb. She’d probably wind up being his boss. She smiled at the thought. But now, things had changed.
Lenora logged out of her computer and went to Jerry’s office down the hall. She knocked on his door.
“Come in.”
Lenora stepped in and closed the door behind her. “What’s going on I was kind of busy.”
Jerry looked up. He smiled. “Every time I see you, you remind me of that soap queen, um, um—” He snapped his fingers. “—Erica Kane.” He chuckled.
She faked a smile. He’d been telling her that for shit ages. “Really” But it had taken Susan Lucci—aka Erica Kane—decades to win an Emmy. Lenora, on the other hand, intended to go home with the prize sooner rather than later. She took a seat and crossed her legs, clasped her hands over her knees. “I know you didn’t call me in here to tell me how much I remind you of a television actress.”
He twitched his mouth to the left then right again. “There is always one thing about you that never fails to tick me off.”
“What’s that, Jerry”
“Your mouth. You never know when to keep it closed.”
“Is this conversation job-related or what”
“Your vacation request came across my desk this morning.”
She kept her facial expression even. “And Is there a problem I have plenty of time.”
“Actually, there is.”
Her stomach muscles clenched. She hadn’t figured on Jerry giving her a hard time about vacation. Had he somehow figured out what she’d been working on and wanted in “What I’m all caught up on my work. I’m not attached to any special detail.”
He flipped open a file on his desk. “You are now.” He turned the folder toward her. “I need you to head up the Task Force.”
She pulled the folder closer and scanned the information. Her heart jumped. She was to lead the Task Force on Border Smuggling.
“I want you to get started today. Your budget is substantial, so pull whomever you need. Overtime is preapproved. Do the research. Get the reports written and any investigations. This is a request from the Justice Department. They’ll be holding Congressional hearings in a month.”
She stared at the paperwork. Her mind worked.
“What’s wrong I’d think you’d be ecstatic. I had to pull a lot of strings to get you on this.” His cheeks flushed. His lips thinned into a single tight line.
Lenora cleared her throat and finally looked up. “It’s just so unexpected.”
Jerry stared at her for a moment. “What else is going on”
“Nothing. Nothing. Just surprised, that’s all.” She smiled. “Thanks. Really.”
His expression slowly softened. The crease between his brows began to fade. “Is that all the thanks I get” The corner of his mouth quirked upward.
Lenora licked her dry lips. She got up, locked the door, then returned to Jerry. She wiggled out of her skirt and undergarments, came around to his side of the desk.
Jerry reached out, grabbed her by the hips, and pulled her close.
While Jerry used his mouth and tongue for some deep-sea diving exploration, Lenora moaned on cue and worried about how she would make her little operation happen. This was a glitch she hadn’t bargained for.
10
Jake reviewed the ship diagrams. There was no way to be sure if Suarez would use the ship safe or keep the loot in his cabin or, worse, with one of his guards. Suarez was notorious for being a control freak. That could mean two things: either he would keep it constantly under his watchful eye and within reach or he’d keep it secure so an overzealous cleaning woman wouldn’t find it in his suite.
With those contingencies in mind, they had to plan for either event. He pulled up the ship security system that he’d downloaded onto his computer, thanks to Jinx.
Jake sighed, rubbed his eyes, and yawned. It was nearly dawn. He’d been at it for hours, but he couldn’t risk leaving anything to chance. If they got trapped on that ship …
“Baby.”
The whisper of Eva’s voice came from behind him. He turned with a slow, tired smile.
“Hey.”
The short filmy gown she wore snaked over her curves as soft light from the table lamp filtered through it.
She stepped up to him and massaged his shoulders. “You need to get some rest.”
“Hmmm,” he sighed. Her long fingers kneaded the tight muscles in his neck and shoulders. “I know. I had a few things to go over.”
She peeked at the computer screen. “Is that the security system layout”
“Yeah. It’s pretty tricky, but…”
“But But what”
“But I think we can pull it off.” He turned and looked up at her.
“Tell me about it.”
“All the doors to the suites are opened by electronic card keys. That part is a cinch. Once we board the ship, you’ll have to clip a master card key by posing as one of the cleaning crew staff.”
“That’s not a problem.”
He nodded. “Timing, of course, is key.”
“Right. We can’t leave too much time between lifting the key, getting into the room, and returning the key before discovery. If that happens, there’s sure to be a lockdown on the ship.”
“Exactly. And all of the staff, including you, would be subjected to questioning, and ultimately all the key cards would be changed to protect the passengers. The other option: if the stash isn’t in the cabin, then it has to be in the ship safe. Getting in there is just as tricky.”
Eva pressed her lips together. She released a sigh. “It’ll be all right. If not—there will be four black folks jumping ship.” She smiled a little.
Jake spun the chair around and pulled her close. He pressed his head against her taut belly.
She stroked his hair. “Are you going to upload all of the floor plans onto our PDAs”
“Yeah, right before we leave. I want to make sure they’re all synchronized, and I don’t want to upload them and then possibly have to change anything. I figure two days before we pu
ll out and we’ll do a dry run.” He paused. “Once we get out of this, babe, it’s over. I swear,” Jake said.
“We’ll go somewhere, start a new life…” She stared down at him. “Start a family…”
Jake stiffened. “A family”
Eva pulled back. Her eyes narrowed. “Yes, a family. Me, you, a baby. A family, like on The Cosby Show.”
Children. In the years that they’d been together, the kind of life they lived didn’t have room for children. They’d both understood that, and it had been a tacit agreement between them. For him, that was a good thing. Ideally, he’d hoped that his love would be enough for Eva. He couldn’t be a father. It wasn’t in the cards. Ever.
“Let’s get ourselves out of this first and then see what happens.” He stroked her hip, forced a smile.
Eva slowly backed up; disbelief and hurt rocked her. Then without a word, she walked out.
Jake hung his head.
* * *
Eva returned to the bedroom and got back in bed. She turned out the bedside lamp and closed her eyes. In the silence of the house, she listened for sounds of her husband.
She folded her hands across her stomach. Family. Since she was a kid, she never knew what that was, what it felt like to live in a loving family. The only semblance of family was what she saw on television.
When she married Jake, sure, they lived a wild life, a dangerous life. For them, children had not been realistic. But in the background, behind the scenes of their double life, there was a powerful love. She wanted to see their love made manifest in a child.
She flipped onto her side. She was getting soft and sentimental. Must be her biological clock ticking. And now was not the time. She knew that. Yet she wanted to have hope, the dream that a real life was possible for them.
Jake slipped into the room. He left the door partially open as he’d always done, an old habit he’d carried over from living alone and needing to hear if someone was coming up on him.
The right side of the bed dipped under Jake’s weight. Eva moved farther away from him. She curled into a fetal position.