“Yes, sir,” Sara said. “I will.” She hung up and looked at Jason. “He’s calling base security. We’re to wait here until they arrive.” Her smile was wan. “I guess till then you’re under orders to help to keep me safe, notwithstanding what’s written now on my car.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Jason saluted her, hoping his sorry attempt at levity would cheer her, even just a little.
He thought—hoped—maybe a reminder of what they’d just shared would do that, too.
He considered taking her into his arms, just for a minute, to comfort her. But he’d no idea how long security would take to get here so he stayed back.
Instead, he told her about the awful added smell that hid from him the scent of whoever had done this.
It didn’t take long for a couple of guys in a marked sedan to arrive. They wore the same kind of uniforms and insignias as the guys who guarded the front gate—who hadn’t been much help when General Yarrow’s car had caught fire.
They exited their car and approached where Sara and Jason stood. “This the car?” one asked, the tall, skinny private named Kerry.
“Yes,” Sara said.
They looked at the damage, took some pictures then said to Jason, “General Yarrow said it was okay for you to drive it to the area where his Jeep is now being stored, sir. But you’re to use gloves and not touch anywhere outside the car, in case there are fingerprints.”
“Fine,” Jason said. “Thanks.”
He was not about to let Sara stay with them. Donning the rubber gloves proffered by the guards, he gingerly opened the passenger door—careful not to touch anything other than the handle since that was the side that had been damaged.
At the guards’ attempt to voice an objection, he said, “I want Lieutenant McLinder to stay with the car until I get it parked. This is the best way to let her accompany me. Her fingerprints will be on it and inside anyway, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Then he got into the driver’s seat and they drove off.
Sara had remained quiet. She didn’t say anything as he drove, either. He wondered what she was thinking.
The parking garage was nearby, and they reached it quickly despite having to maneuver a bit along the roads inside the base. Jason drove Sara’s hybrid to the enclosed area, behind which the remains of General Yarrow’s car still sat. A lone guard stood outside. After a peek to see who they were, he opened the door and allowed Jason to drive in.
He had barely parked before he saw, in the rearview mirror, the general approaching.
“Look who’s here,” he told Sara. With him were the security guards they’d left behind in the outdoor lot.
She turned, then leaped out of the car. She stood beside it, waiting for the general to reach them. “I didn’t realize you were coming here, too, sir.”
“I wanted to see the damage.” He turned to look at it then got closer. Shaking his head, he said, “This damn thing is escalating. Guess whoever it was isn’t pleased I wasn’t killed so he’s issuing more threats—including to my personal staff. We have to catch whoever it is. Fast.” He turned to the guards and began asking procedure questions.
Jason saw how Sara hung back, not offering suggestions or taking notes or acting the way she did in full general’s aide mode. Instead, she seemed to just watch and listen. And study first the scratches on her car, then the ground.
He hated to see her this way. It was as though she had turned into a different person. Quiet. Sad.
As if she had also forgotten what they had just shared.
Maybe this time it had just been a respite for her. An interlude to take her mind off what was troubling her.
Something she wouldn’t want to think about, let alone experience again.
That made him want to punch something—like whoever had done this to her car.
He had already determined to figure out who it was. That person had been crafty enough to spread some of whatever had make Jason ill at the site where the general’s car had been sabotaged, so he hadn’t been able to find the perpetrator’s scent.
He’d have to think of something else...like making the person believe that little trick hadn’t completely worked.
So far, though, he wasn’t sure how.
While the general talked to the others, he edged closer to Sara. “I’m working on some ideas,” he told her. “We can talk about them. We’ll find the guy. Count on it. For now, though, we need to make sure you stay safe.” He turned away before she could say anything.
He decided to present his idea to General Yarrow. As soon as the CO was done talking to the guards about how they’d better ensure things in this garage remained under scrutiny, he approached him.
“Sir,” he said, “I would like to volunteer to help protect Lieutenant McLinder.”
He heard a soft gasp from behind him—Sara.
“Thank you, Sergeant,” she said, “but that won’t be necessary.”
Jason saw the frozen look on General Yarrow’s aging face and groaned inwardly.
Had he made a mistake just by suggesting it?
* * *
He meant well, Sara knew. Under other circumstances she might have appreciated Jason’s protective nature.
But she had already been around while he had shifted. General Yarrow knew that, and that she had seen Jason with no clothes on.
He didn’t know the rest, at least. Even so, Sara worried about her position as the general’s trusted aide.
She moved away from Jason, close to where Greg Yarrow stood with the base’s security personnel. “I’d like to request that some members of your group be posted around the BOQ,” she said to the guards. “To keep both General Yarrow and me under your protection.”
“I’ve already got a guard contingent,” the general said. “I’ll have them keep an eye on your quarters, as well.”
“Thank you, sir.” Sara looked at her CO. She knew him well enough to recognize that he wasn’t as blasé as he acted. Not with that slight lift of his dark brows, the interest shown in his unyielding light brown eyes.
“I’d like to speak with you in private, Lieutenant,” he said, and those words made Sara tremble deep inside.
“Of course, sir.”
She accompanied him to the area beside his car’s remains.
“Sara,” he began, “I don’t have to tell you that I’m quite concerned about a lot of things going on here at Ft. Lukman. If I don’t assign you to further TDY here—and I’m inclined not to now—then we’ll be able to leave here in a few days, after the exercise the day after tomorrow where members of both units show their stuff together. But when we do, we’re likely to leave some questions unanswered—like who’s threatened both of us.”
“That’s true,” she said. “Unless...well, maybe we can get further information before we go.”
“Do you think Sergeant Connell can help with those answers?” He didn’t let her respond before continuing, “He seems very protective of you, Sara. Maybe too protective. I don’t think I have to remind you that he is a noncommissioned officer, and you’re a lieutenant who in any event is here only on temporary duty.”
Sara felt as if he was giving her advice, not only as her commanding officer but as a father figure. And friend.
She cared about Greg’s opinion. Always wanted to stay in his good graces. Intended to keep her military career spotless so she could rise someday in rank.
“I understand, sir,” she said. “And though it really wasn’t necessary, I appreciate the reminder.”
They returned to her car, where Drew Connell had just arrived, too, to survey the damage.
“I’ve called my investigative contacts again,” Drew told them. “I doubt they’ll be much help now but assured me they’ll arrive soon to look into both cars.”
While the general and Drew were talking, Sara edged her way toward Jason. “Thank you again for all your help, Sergeant,” she said. “But it won’t be necessary again.”
And then she walked off to stand beside th
e two officers in charge.
When she dared a defiant glance toward Jason, she saw him staring at her. The expression in his eyes was far different from the sexual interest he’d shown before. Or even his protective look.
Instead, he appeared disgusted and remote.
At least he apparently understood what she wasn’t saying.
And Sara suddenly felt glad...yet bereft. And alone.
* * *
They all left—except for the guards stationed to watch the cars.
As if whoever had damaged them would return in the middle of the night to do more. Or gloat.
Jason felt certain that whoever it was felt delighted to cause such concern at Ft. Lukman.
And was undoubtedly planning something else.
That’s why he stayed in the garage for a little longer. Or at least part of the reason.
Even more important was that he didn’t want to be anywhere near Sara. He wasn’t certain what General Yarrow had said to her, but her attitude, which wasn’t great with everyone around previously, had gone to crap.
It was time to move on. Or go back to being who and what he’d been before she arrived here: a guy who’d joined the military because he had to, to salvage the rest of his life.
“Hey, guys,” he said to the two guards on duty. “Just wanted to let you know I’ll hang around a little longer. You know I work on cars for Alpha Force?”
Both sentries nodded. One appeared to reposition his rifle a bit, but not in a threatening way.
“I’ll be looking over this latest damaged vehicle. Maybe I’ll recognize someone’s handwriting. What do you think?”
He grinned, and both guys grinned back.
Good. He still had the ability to jostle people’s sense of humor.
Now if only he could feel a bit humorous, too.
* * *
Sara felt furious with herself.
She should have checked before to make sure she hadn’t left anything behind in the lab, when her clothes had been strewn all over the floor.
But her keys, including those to get into her quarters in the BOQ, weren’t in her pocket.
Fortunately, she’d walked back there with the general, who’d swiped his key card to get into the building then headed for his own more elite wing without walking her to her apartment. He’d obviously not been concerned, despite the threat on her car, that someone would be stupid enough to attack her here.
Neither was she.
But when she got to her unit, neither her keys nor her cell phone were in her pocket.
She could have awakened some maintenance person and gotten inside her unit. But how would she ever explain losing the keys—and her phone? She knew where they had to be: on the floor in the lab, having fallen out of her pocket in the frenzy of stripping to make love with Jason.
She didn’t want anyone else to find them. Consequently, she decided to retrace her steps, return to the lab to retrieve them.
She doubted Jason would be there. He was probably a lot more sensible than she was and had headed back to his quarters to sleep for what was left of the night.
If she did happen to run into him...well, she’d made it clear to him that whatever they’d shared was over.
For now she stayed in shadows as she maneuvered toward the far end of the base, where the lab building and kennel were.
At least no living quarters were nearby, so even if she disturbed the dogs no one would be awakened by their barks.
She worried, though. Among what she was missing were her own key cards into the building and lab that the general had gotten for her. She’d seen that an upstairs door had been left unlocked so a shifted Jason could get into the building, but that was before. And she didn’t know where the key card to the downstairs lab was hidden—if Jason had even left it again.
If she’d had her phone, she could call him so he could let her in.
He might misinterpret that, though. No, she’d check first to see if she could somehow get inside—no matter how unlikely that was.
In the meantime, she’d stay alert. And careful.
It was late enough that she saw no one as she returned to the low, secluded building and started walking around it, testing doors.
Fortunately, a remote door to the kennel floor—not the one Jason and she had entered—was unlocked.
Which seemed strange. But maybe upstairs security was never that good.
Downstairs was a different matter.
Sara went inside. As anticipated, the dogs heard her and began to bark.
A dim security light illuminated the area, so she could see well enough without flicking any switches. She approached the nearest lush kennel areas and began talking to the dogs, including Shadow. Presumably, most Alpha Force members on duty at Ft. Lukman had brought their dogs into their quarters for the night.
So why was Shadow still here?
Sara had to hurry. Maybe Jason hadn’t yet gone to bed. If he’d left Shadow here he might return for him.
“Good night,” she said to the dogs then walked rapidly to the narrow door at the top of the stairs leading down to the lab.
Unsurprisingly, it was locked.
She closed her eyes in frustration. Where had Jason gotten the hidden key card?
She doubted there was another, easier entrance but she had to look. She walked farther along the short hallway and tried additional doors. One led into an unlocked closet that contained animal supplies. Another was also locked.
Damn.
Should she contact Jason?
But how—without her phone?
The dogs started barking again. She hadn’t said anything aloud. Maybe they were just frustrated.
She headed back to calm them while considering ways to contact Jason—and saw the reason the dogs were noisy once more: Jason was there.
He spotted her at the same time as she saw him. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, loud enough to be heard over the barks.
She approached and explained about her missing phone and keys. “A door to the kennel was already unlocked,” she finished, describing its remote location. “The door to the lab was locked, though.”
“Strange,” Jason said. “And definitely against general policy. I locked the door that had been left open for me under the unusual circumstances of a shifter having to get back inside alone. No other door in this building is ever to be left unlocked.”
He looked concerned as he pushed past her to the door down to the lab.
It again wouldn’t open—not without his key card. He had to use it twice, though, before it worked. “Did you try to force it?” he asked her.
“Of course not.”
But the skepticism on his face alarmed her. And made her feel even sadder that what they’d shared so briefly was definitely over.
He finally opened the door and they went downstairs. Sure enough, her card keys and phone had fallen beneath the sofa—the one that she would never be able to look at again without being bombarded by delightful, and now bittersweet, memories.
They left soon after. He’d gotten Shadow from his kennel, and they walked together across the base in the dark toward her quarters.
She only hoped that no one saw them and assumed they were fraternizing.
Because they weren’t. Not now. Jason was just her champion. Her guard.
And this was likely to be the last time they’d ever be alone together.
Chapter 21
The designated night had arrived. Both of the major units at Ft. Lukman were to conduct a joint final exercise to ensure they could be deployed together on the anticipated mission in sync, without conflict between them.
No matter how individual members might feel about one another.
All those to take part in the exercise had met first in the assembly room. Sara stood off to the side while the two generals greeted their respective troops as they filed in. She watched intently. As she’d figured, members of the two units acted cordial yet sometimes remote toward one a
nother. At least she saw no overt antagonism. All seemed well.
Except that, as Jason entered with Noel Chuma, he acted as if he didn’t see her.
Which was probably best...although even the USFT members seemed friendlier to the Alpha Force members that evening than Jason acted toward her.
“Everyone take your seats, please,” Sara called at General Yarrow’s nod. Compliance seemed instantaneous.
General Myars deferred to Greg Yarrow. The Alpha Force general described, at last, what their real mission was to be: to work together to rescue some U.S. government civilians who’d been taken hostage months ago by terrorists in one of the many Middle East countries once again threatened with civil war.
Interesting, Sara thought—and probably a good assignment for such a unique, combined group of elite soldiers, since it appeared that all else had already failed. She had heard of the kidnapping, and the news was periodically full of updates about attempts to save the captives. Diplomacy had failed. Military saber rattling and even attacks had been to no avail, except that one of the hostages had been killed in retaliation. Negotiations were at a stalemate. The options for saving them had become nil—almost.
The situation clearly called for something more covert and absolutely effective. Like a combined mission using the extraordinary senses and unanticipated stealth of the shifters of Alpha Force and the lethal, perfect weaponry of the Ultra Special Forces Team.
And that, apparently, was what would happen—assuming these two units truly did find their rhythm of working in harmony.
General Yarrow explained the rationale and the current status. General Myars then described how the exercises tonight would be conducted.
Then they were all ordered to go outside to their assigned areas to get ready.
The Alpha Force shifters would all change into their animal forms, with the backup of their respective aides. They would sneak into the area on base where mock civilians were being secluded in similar conditions to the real ones overseas.
They would be followed by the USFT members who would wait until military members designated to act like the bad guys were confronted by the wild animals. In the ensuing chaos, they would shoot unloaded weapons until the pseudo-civilians were rescued.
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