by Loye, Trish
Anger seethed inside her. It was time to do something about it.
She didn’t bother cleaning off her camouflage paint, she just trotted across the landing strip, weapon still in hand, and headed for the HQ. The sun had risen and she knew the base CO would be up and working already.
One of the clerks jerked and spilled her coffee when Cat slammed inside.
“Is he in his office?” Cat asked, not stopping.
The clerk nodded. “I wouldn’t—”
She rapped hard on his door, and at his gruff reply swung open the door and stepped inside. “Sir, I need a moment of your time.”
“Casualties?” he barked.
“No, sir, but—”
“Did you complete your mission?”
“Yes, sir, but—”
“Then what’s the problem?”
She was not going to take attitude from this man. She looked down her nose at him without speaking for a moment, staring him right in the eyes. She waited until he opened his mouth to speak and then she cut him off. “We found some of those missing girls.”
He deflated in front of her eyes. His shoulders slumped and his gaze dropped from hers to the desk.
“Colonel? Did you hear me? We found some of them. We need to organize a mission to get them out.”
He started shaking his head before he’d even raised his eyes to hers, and she prepared to fight. She wasn’t going to let some old misogynist colonel keep little girls in danger just because he didn’t like Cat being in spec ops. But when she saw his eyes, hopeless and tormented, any words of anger caught in her throat.
“We’ve been told to stand down in that matter,” he said.
“You knew.” Cat took a step back. “You knew they were there.”
He held up a hand. “We suspected. Aw, hell. Yes, we knew. But there’s nothing we can do about it. We don’t have the manpower here for a major offensive. We only have a single infantry company. We’re a drone base and that’s it. Even if we did have the boots on the ground, we’d need both the U.S. Senate’s permission and Nigeria’s.” He shook his head. “We haven’t had any luck so far. The Nigerian government is corrupt and a pain in the ass to deal with. And the U.S. can’t officially do anything without their permission.” He sighed. “I have a teenage daughter. The thought of those girls gives me nightmares.”
This couldn’t be happening. “What about the Canadians?” she asked almost desperately. “Do they know?”
The colonel nodded. “I’m sure the major reported it up the line, but you know as well as I do, if the U.S. can’t get access for a mission like this, then the Canadians won’t be able to either. Go ask your major.”
“He’s not my major,” she said automatically. “And I will.”
She found Steve having breakfast. She strode up to him, still with weapon in hand. “I need to talk to you.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Well, if it isn’t GI Jane.” No one sitting near him so much as smiled. A couple even shifted uncomfortably. Maybe they’d finally realized she was a serious operator. Not that she cared.
“Now, Steve.” She turned and walked out, knowing he’d follow, but there was no satisfaction in making him do what she wanted. Her only thought was of those girls.
Outside, she only had to wait a minute before he showed.
“What’s this all about, Cat? You can’t pull that shit in front of my men—”
“Did you know some of the missing schoolgirls were in that encampment across the river?”
Steve stopped trying to talk. In fact, he froze as if she’d caught him in a lie. His gaze flicked around.
“So you did know,” she said.
He puffed up his chest. “Yes, I did. We all know. But so what? We can’t do anything about it.”
“You have a company of men here.”
He gave a short laugh. “Seriously, Cat? I’m a Canadian officer attached to an American company. I don’t have any pull. And besides, no matter what I want to do, the fact of the matter is that I have my orders. It would mean my career and most likely the lives of some of the men to rescue those girls. We’d be going in without support. Just because they should be rescued doesn’t mean they will be.”
“How can you not fight for them? Don’t you care?”
He ran a hand over his buzzed hair. “Of course I care. I’m not a monster. But the world doesn’t, Cat.”
“You mean the politicians.”
“I mean the people in charge,” he said. “Their own government knows where they are and doesn’t give a shit about rescuing them. To the world, they’re nobodies.”
He’d given up. She could see that, in the slump of his shoulders and the shake of his head. Her hands fisted. “These girls need someone to care.” She took a breath, the next words costing her some of her pride. “Please, Steve. You begged me yesterday to help.”
“Yesterday you were on a sanctioned mission to rescue an American citizen. Today you’re asking me to commit career suicide. I’m sorry, Cat. I can’t help you.” He walked back inside.
The reality of what she’d done hit her. She’d left behind innocents. She wanted to fall to her knees and scream—anything to relieve the pressure of her failure to protect those who needed protecting the most.
Instead, she gazed into the cloudless blue of the morning sky, blinking fast against the welling of tears. She swallowed hard.
She wasn’t completely out of options. E.D.G.E. and its resources were her last chance. She would deliver the senator’s son home and then she and E.D.G.E. would organize another mission. They would come back.
She hoped.
Her team waited at the edge of the tarmac, ready to return. They wore stony looks, but Cat saw the stiffness in their stances. They felt betrayed. Zach turned away from her and her hands clenched. It had been her call. He’d wanted to stay.
Marc slapped Zach on the back and spoke a few words to him. Zach shrugged him off and stormed away to the barracks. Their flight home would be in two hours. Enough time to clean up their weapons and themselves.
She watched her team disperse, not moving from her spot. Only Rhys met her gaze. He captured hers with a weight that made it hard to breathe. She looked away first, away from the absolution he offered. She didn’t deserve it.
When she finally looked back, he was gone and she was alone.
CHAPTER 13
“The senator’s son is safe at home,” Blackwell said. He sat at the head of the table in E.D.G.E. HQ, while Cat and the rest of the team sat around it. “Good work, Alpha team.”
Everyone nodded, but no one spoke.
They’d gotten back this morning and had spent the day writing reports and thoroughly cleaning their weapons. Cat wore her jeans, boots, and a black t-shirt, all of which now had smears of gun oil on them. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She was looking forward to sleeping in her own bed tonight. Looking at the others, she could tell they felt the same. This mission had left a bad feeling in all their guts.
Blackwell studied them. Cat avoided his gaze and met Rhys’s instead. He had his game face on. None of them had said much as they’d handed over the senator’s son to the CIA in Germany, nor on the transport home.
“What’s wrong?” Blackwell said. “Valkyrie, report.”
She grit her teeth, but then decided to lay it on the line. “It’s about those Nigerian schoolgirls, sir. We found some and weren’t able to extract them. It’s in my report.”
“Yes, I read that. I’ll pass the info along to the appropriate people.”
Her muscles tensed. “And nothing will happen, will it, sir?”
Blackwell sat back. “I can see how this has affected you all. Give me some time to see if I can nudge the right people into doing the right thing.”
“From what I heard, you’d have to put a gun to their heads,” Cat muttered.
Blackwell took another moment to look over each team member. “Alpha team is on leave till Monday. Go enjoy yourselves. Just don’t go too fa
r. There’s another mission on the books. Training starts Monday.”
“That’s it?” Cat asked. “We’re just supposed to forget about them?”
“I will do what I can, Valkyrie, but getting authorization for a mission like this takes time.”
“You mean a mission where there’s no Western interests at stake.”
His eyes narrowed. “Yes, Valkyrie, that’s exactly what I mean. Now be ready to train on Monday.”
Blackwell left the room.
The team stayed sitting for a moment before Marc stood up. “I’m heading to the Chien Noir,” he said. “I need a drink, or three. Anyone coming?”
“Hells yes,” Rhys said. “I’m in.”
Zach stood up, too. “You coming, Cat?”
“I’m just going to catch up on a bit of paperwork. I’ll meet you guys there.”
“Make sure you come,” Zach said. “You need a break too.”
Right, but those girls won’t be getting a break.
She pushed away from the table and strode to her office. She didn’t really have much paperwork, but she didn’t feel like hanging out in a bar, nor did she feel like going to her apartment. It felt wrong to be able to go to her safe home when she knew those girls might never see theirs again.
She sighed and half-heartedly flipped through some case files on her desk. She was reading personnel files about potential recruits when Blackwell knocked on her open door.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Just catching—”
“You hardly get any leave from this job. When you get some, you take it, or you will burn out. Are we clear?”
“Yes, sir,” she said.
“Good.” He stood at the door watching her. Then he shook his head. “Cat, I will push hard for this mission. Now go and relax.” He left her in her office.
She stood and picked up her leather jacket, her movements slow. Fatigue dragged at her, but she couldn’t face her apartment. She would go have that drink with her team. Maybe they’d forgiven her.
But could she forgive herself?
Rhys took a swallow of his beer. He stood at a high-top table in the Chien Noir. He’d been here once before and it seemed like a classier place than most bars that military folk chose, but that could be because it was a downtown Montreal bar far from any base. No one knew E.D.G.E. was military, and they kept up their covers by pretending to be normal businessmen and women.
The room was long and narrow, with a mirror behind the polished wooden bar that ran along one wall. High round tables, some with chairs, dotted the center of the room while dark booths lined the other wall.
He spotted the asshole Cat had put in a wrist lock at that fancy wine bar. The guy swayed where he stood, sloshing his martini on his business suit. Drunk on a Wednesday night. He grit his teeth. Cat would rather date an asshole like that than him?
He kept an eye on the prick. He didn’t want him to make a sneak attack if Cat showed. Some men never knew when to quit, and this guy with his liquid courage definitely showed danger signs. Cat could handle herself, but she didn’t need any bullshit after the mission.
He nursed his beer at the table they’d pulled closer to the wall, so they could stand with their backs to it. He, Marc, and Zach had attracted attention while he’d been musing. A group of four women stood not far away and eyed them discreetly. The leader of the group, tall and model-thin, pushed out her boob job when she saw him looking and fluffed the chestnut hair trailing down her back.
Exactly his type.
Cat had said no to him. More than once. He should probably leave her alone and start looking at other women. He sighed. What was wrong with him? It had been a long deployment and then he’d been shipped right away to E.D.G.E. He hadn’t had downtime in too long.
The woman smiled at him, inviting him with her eyes. He looked away and took another slug of his beer. What was with him tonight?
She isn’t Cat.
Dammit, he had it bad.
Marc met his gaze from across the small table and then looked behind Rhys’s shoulder. His small smile let Rhys know the women had finally worked up their courage to approach them.
“Ladies,” Marc said. “Care to join us?”
The tall chestnut-haired woman sidled up next to Rhys and laid a hand on his arm, just below where his t-shirt stopped. “Thank you,” she purred, her eyes only on Rhys. “I’m Tania. And who are you?”
Rhys sipped his beer and didn’t look at her. “Rhys.”
The other women divided themselves around Marc and Zach. Marc looked like he was tossing a mental coin about whether to take the Asian woman or the redhead home. A petite and curvy brunette chatted up Zach, who looked like he’d just gotten an extra piece of pie.
Tania’s fingers still trailed up and down his arm. He’d tried to move away, but they followed him. He didn’t want to be rude, and so resigned himself to the feeling of ants crawling over his arm. She chatted with him about her work—she was in sales or something.
Rhys nodded every now and then as she spoke, but really he was trying to figure out why she bored the crap out of him. She was beautiful, smart, and she obviously wanted him. But it wasn’t doing anything for him.
Someone walked in the door. His eyes snapped to her and his senses came alive.
Cat.
She stood out from the people around her. It wasn’t that she was tall, or only wearing jeans and a leather jacket; she radiated confidence and strength. Add that to her brilliant blue eyes and she struck the core of him. Her eyes still held shadows, which added a touch of sadness to her. A sadness Rhys wanted to erase.
She shrugged off her jacket and he noted she still wore the tight, faded jeans that showed off that delicious ass, as well as a black v-neck t-shirt that hinted at cleavage and showed off her sculpted arms. She pushed her bangs out of her eyes and her gaze found his.
He couldn’t help his smile and didn’t care what it meant that it had come out for her. His got wider when she smiled back at him. It had been one of the only ones he’d seen from her in the last two days.
Tiny nips on his arm pulled his attention. Tania had dug her claws in.
Cat’s smile dimmed, and then turned professionally friendly.
Rhys sighed. Probably for the best. We’re just teammates. That word was driving him crazy. He watched her graceful stride as she came toward their table, her eyes scanning the crowd. He knew the moment she spotted the asshole. She stiffened but kept walking, another layer of shadows darkening her brilliant eyes.
“Hey, Cat,” Rhys said. “Can I grab you a drink?”
Nails on his arm. He shook them off.
Cat’s eyes slid to the woman beside him. “No, I’m good. I was just stopping in to say goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” Tania murmured beside him.
Cat’s eyes narrowed and Rhys almost smiled. She didn’t take shit from anyone.
“Stay,” he said. “One beer.”
Zach moved. “I’ll get the next round. And one for our fearless leader,” he said.
Cat opened her mouth, but Zach put up a hand. “You’re staying, Valkyrie.”
“Valkyrie?” Tania said. “What kind of name is that?”
“Fine. Just one.” Cat said, ignoring Tania. “Then I’m going home.”
“Hot date?” Rhys asked before he could stop himself. She’d better not have.
Cat’s lips twisted as she slid a glance at Tania. “Something like that.”
Rhys’s eyebrows raised. Cat obviously didn’t want to say what she’d be doing in front of Tania. But from the look on her face, he’d bet it wasn’t a date—or at least it wasn’t one she was looking forward to.
Was she going out with another asshole like Liam? God, he hoped not. She deserved way better. His eyes sought out the guy who now stood alone at his table, his eyes focused balefully on Cat.
Just try something, buddy. Please.
Zach arrived with the beers, though Rhys was barely halfway through
his first. Still, he pushed it aside for the cold one. He had no desire to drown his sorrows. He had one too many friends go down that path. He twisted the cold bottle in his grip.
“What’s wrong?” Tania asked, her fingers again on his arm. “I’m pretty intuitive, you know. I can tell that something’s bothering you.”
“No shit?” Rhys said, an edge finally creeping into his voice. He moved his arm again. When would this woman get the hint?
“Lucky,” Cat said in a warning voice. “Ease off.”
Tania frowned as she looked at Cat and then back to Rhys. “Lucky? You have a nickname? Did she give it to you?” Her hand dropped from his arm.
Cat gave a small laugh and raised her hands. “It’s a work thing. We work together,” she said. “We’re just friends.”
Rhys pressed his lips together to stop the denial he wanted to shout. He took a swallow of beer. “Right, just friends.”
Tania’s hand came back onto his arm. “Well, Rhys, why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”
He shifted a few inches away and Tania followed. How was he supposed to get rid of this woman? Cat obviously didn’t want him to be mean, but he’d had enough.
Cat lifted her beer and took a sip. The drink moistened her lips, and her eyes twinkled with suppressed laughter at his situation. She was gorgeous, and he ached with the need to kiss her.
No. Just friends.
So he narrowed his eyes slightly and mouthed. “I’ll get you back.”
Cat snorted and turned away. Now his smile came out.
Marc nudged him. He leaned away from Tania to hear what Marc had to say, his eyes still on Cat as she laughed at something Zach said to her.
“Be careful,” Marc said.
His gaze jerked to Marc. “What’d you say?”
“You heard me,” Marc said. He jerked his chin toward Cat. “I’ve seen how you look at her. We all have.”
Rhys shrugged and focused on his beer. “So what? She’s a beautiful woman.”
“No,” Marc said sharply. “She’s your teammate. Don’t think of her as anything else. She’s not a player, not like you are. Don’t mess with the team, man.”