by Sharon Kleve
CHAPTER SIX
Quinn watched the fluid swirl from the motion his hand created when he moved the glass. He sensed Marcus beside him. Quinn could smell the man’s cheap cologne a mile away.
“We have a problem, boss.” Marcus leaned in to Quinn and spoke quietly.
Quinn didn’t say a word. He set his drink down on the bar, and then reached for cash inside of his jacket. He laid it on the bar and stood. Marcus led the way. He knew not to say a word, not even in the private elevator to the penthouse suite.
Quinn stood for a moment at the tumbled chair, and then he went into the bedroom. There was no sign of his assistant. He listened as Marcus explained. “I was gone about fifteen minutes. I needed a few supplies for the chat.” Quinn knew damn well he meant his torture tools. He wasn’t about to argue with Marcus. Quinn knew the man had his orders to retrieve what she knew and if she’d given it to anyone.
“Shit!” He wondered who she was, but more so; if she’d shared the information.
“Call your contacts at the airport with her description.”
“Already did,” Marcus confirmed.
“Then get the plane ready.”
“For Dublin?” Marcus inquired.
“No, you idiot! I’m not going back for an arrest. To the Caribbeans.”
Quinn reached for his phone to call the last number on it when Marcus turned to leave. He watched his friend’s finger reach for the elevator button when it opened. Four SWAT team officers stood with their assault rifles pointed at him.
“Hands in the air.”
Quinn stood handcuffed and listened to an agent make a call.
“O’Neill and his side-kick are in custody. No sign of her, but signs of a struggle.”
Fuckin’ Hell. Quinn cursed under his breath. His intuition had been confirmed. That bitch I hired was an agent. He glared at Marcus. His loyal friend hadn’t done a thorough check on Ms. Shana Redmond.
****
Revealed
The only word Maya messaged to Blue. He’d know her identity had been jeopardized. She knew she was to ditch the device once sent. But she needed to hear from him. Maya wanted to say goodbye to him. She knew there was a chance they’d never meet. The one person she knew she allowed herself to get close to, was the one person she’d never met. She had to leave him behind in Ireland.
Maya boarded the flight back to Dublin. She’d only stay long enough to collect her passport from the safety deposit box, change her hair color, and then return to the States. Those were the rules. She at least planned to follow those ones. She closed her eyes as the plane took off. Her heart raced but she remained calm. Maya had wanted danger added to her lifestyle. The thrill of searching Quinn’s office had been dangerous. Her mere survival of a close-call with death made her wonder if she wanted that much danger. Her thoughts drifted to her life years before.
Maya thought back to the Halloween dance with her sister. The last time they’d had fun before Marie got sick. Wil Harris had shown up that night, dressed as a doctor. Maya smiled as she remembered.
“Maya, it’s good to see you outside the library.”
The tall, athletic-built college boy always took her by surprise. His dark mysterious eyes captivated her. She’d figured he wasn’t interested in her. Maya had literally run into him at the library the first week of the semester.
“Wil, I didn’t take you for the Halloween type either.”
Maya wondered if that came out right. She’d always been awkward around him. At first, she couldn’t understand why. Then Marie told her it was because she had feelings for him. Maya, of course, denied that. She didn’t have time to date. She’d just announced her majors. Her schedule was too busy for a guy. But when she saw him in her behavioral psychology class, and then paired up with him for the lab portion of the course; she found it hard not to flirt.
“Normally, I wouldn’t attend the Halloween dance, but Marie had informed me that you’d be here.”
His smile that followed hit her hard. He was interested. Maya swallowed hard. She didn’t know how to respond. He answered for her. “If this makes you uncomfortable, I can go.”
Maya didn’t want that. She shook her head. It appeared Wil made it hard for her to speak. Her nervousness made her laugh aloud. “No, please stay.” Maya stumbled on the words. He eased her nervous state with the invitation to dance when a slow song came on. From that moment, Maya allowed herself a little excitement in her life. He held her close as they danced. His scent teased her senses as she rested her head against his shoulder. She felt safe, and happy.
They were inseparable for the next few weeks. When Marie got sick, and then diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; Maya’s world fell apart. Wil stood by and waited. He didn’t want to intrude, he told her, but wanted her to know he was there for her if she needed him. Maya shut him out, along with all her friends. Her parents were gone. Marie was her only family. The weeks she sat and held her sister’s hand tore her apart until there was nothing left. Her sister’s dying words were for Maya to live for them both. A promise Maya took a little too far.
Maya’s eyes opened as she heard the pilot announce the plane had begun its descent. Soon she’d be in Dublin. By morning, she’d be Maya Delcort again.
“Where to, Miss?”
Maya hailed a taxi outside the airport. She couldn’t go back to her flat, so she decided to stay at a hotel close to the bank. She informed the driver where to take her.
She checked in as Marie Harris, and paid cash for the room. She chose the name of the only two people in her life she’d ever loved. Maya checked her device once more before she stepped into a well-deserved hot bubble bath. Nothing. Blue hadnʼt responded. She knew she should have dumped the device in Paris. But she’d searched it for an implanted tracker and found nothing. Quinn or Marcus didn’t have the time to do so. Or she’d hoped.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Good Morning, Agent Harris,” the flight attendant greeted Wil as he boarded the plane.
“Morning,” Wil replied politely. It had been a long night. After Red sent the file for the location of the weapons, he’d left Dublin for London. Her information had been correct and the weapons were seized, along with a few arrests. Wil hadn’t slept in twenty-four hours.
“Agent Edwards?” Wil questioned the flight attendant.
She smiled, and then pointed toward the front of the plane. “He’s waiting for you.”
Wil stepped through the curtained-door. He could see Ken seated as he flipped through the papers in his hand. It was a small plane that belonged to the CIA. Only a few agents that had been abroad were seated, and Wil acknowledged them as he walked through. Most looked as tired as he felt. They’d worked on the case for over a year. It was time to go home.
“Ken,” Wil greeted him and then took the seat beside him.
Wil had been the senior lead on this case. He hadn’t been back to the States for a long time. It was home in theory but not so much in heart. Orphaned at an early age, he moved from one foster home to another. He’d been with four families by the time he finished high school. He spent his time and focus on school, and successfully landed a full scholarship to Berkeley. Wil graduated with honors in Business and Information Technology but still wasn’t sure where he wanted to be. He opened his heart to the only woman he’d ever loved. But that was back in college, and she’d pushed him away. He understood her reason, her grief.
“Great job.” Ken applauded Wil’s accomplishment.
“How were the arrests in Paris?” “Smooth.” Ken smiled and then gathered the papers before him. “Let’s rest, you look like you need it too.”
Wil nodded in agreement.
Ken mentioned nothing about Red. Not that Wil expected him to. That’s how the CIA worked. Wil acknowledged the agents on the plane but he only knew a few by name, if indeed, those were their real names. It was protocol not to get personal. He knew she was leaving O’Neill when he received the message, Revealed. Her orders were to trash the dev
ice once out of O’Neill’s control. That she didn’t. Wil knew because Ken asked to trace its location. But it wasn’t in Paris where Ken expected it to be. Wil traced its location to Dublin. He wondered why she kept it with her. At first, he wondered if she’d simply forgotten but he knew how precise she’d been on the case. He laughed at the thought that she didn’t want to end communication with Blue. For that name was all she knew and he only knew her as Red. They may not have known each other’s real name but they shared their hopes, goals, and fears over the weeks.
“Ken, did Red make it out safely?”
Ken turned with a questionable expression, “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious. She held onto to the device all the way to Dublin.”
Wil couldn’t quite understand why he wanted to know. There was something about the woman and their chats that held his interest. He couldn’t shake it.
“We’re picking her up in Dublin, our next stop.”
The pilot came over the speaker with the announcement of the take-off. Wil smiled at Ken.
“Get some rest,” Ken said as he adjusted his pillow and closed his eyes.
Wil closed his eyes and smiled. He was about to meet Red.
****
Maya looked at her reflection. She smiled. She felt good to be a brunette again. The fire-engine red had been exciting, but this was what she needed. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue with the CIA. Part of her still hungered for excitement and adventure.
“Thank you, Miss.”
The attendant at the boarding gate returned the passport. Maya smiled when she looked at the name on the passport, “Maya Delcort.ˮ She closed it and placed it in her purse.
“Welcome, Agent Delcort. Most of your fellow agents are asleep. Once we depart I can offer you breakfast.”
The flight attendant greeted Maya as she boarded. The thought of breakfast pleased her. Unlike her fellow agents, she had a few hours of sleep. She accepted the attendant’s offer and passed through the curtain. She walked past the sleeping agents. No one stirred. Maya sat at the front to the left. The attendant had informed her Agent Edwards had requested she sit up front close to him. She turned to check if Ken was asleep when she noticed him.
Maya’s jaw dropped. She hadn’t seen Wil Harris since college. He’d been in her thoughts lately and now he sat inches away from her. She wanted to ask him what in the heck he was doing on the CIA plane, but he was asleep.
“Here you are, Agent. Can I get you anything else?” The flight attendant kept her promise and delivered breakfast within minutes of their departure.
Maya smiled. “This is plenty, thank you.”
Once she filled her empty stomach, she felt tired. Her fellow agents hadn’t woken when they picked her up in Dublin. She looked over once more at Wil and then drifted to sleep with the memories of him she’d held in her heart for years.
One dance led to another and Maya could no longer hide her feelings for Wil. When he asked to walk her home, Marie practically shoved her into his arms. Maya gave her a startled look. Marie leaned in closer to her sister, and whispered, ”Oh, live a little, Sis.”
Her sister’s comment made her laugh.
Wil stood with a confused expression on his face. “Would that be a yes, or a no?”
Maya looped her arm through his. “A definite yes.”
Wil broke the silence along their stroll back to her dorm. He started the conversation about the course they shared. “What do you think about Professor Rowland?”
Maya could always talk about her studies. It calmed her awkwardness, especially around Wil Harris. ”She’s tough, but extremely knowledgeable. I worried when I first signed up for her class. I’d heard a few horror stories.” Maya laughed. “But, I’ve learned so much from her.”
They began to talk about the upcoming mid-terms, when Wil stopped at the Redmond building. ”This is my dorm. Would you like to come in? Or should we continue to your dorm?”
Maya paused for a moment. She’d had feelings for him since the first time she’d met him at the library. “I’d like to come in.”
Wil smiled. He led her up the front steps and opened the door for her. They walked into a Halloween party. The dorm was packed with college kids. Wil took her hand and motioned toward the stairs. “My room is quiet.”
He offered a drink once they were inside. She accepted. Maya stood in amazement. She hadn’t pictured his room this way. It reminded her of an antique library one would see in a movie. She looked around. Each wall was filled with books. Wil handed her a glass, and apologized. “I have an addiction for books.”
“I’m amazed at your collection.” An apology wasn’t necessary. She was impressed.
Maya reached for one that caught her eye. “You like mystery too?”
Wil admitted he loved an old-time who dunnit? He took the book from her hand, and then the glass. Wil leaned in closer with a kiss. A soft, gentle brush of his lips against hers. His lips felt like silk.
Maya couldn’t resist any longer. Her feelings for him deepened with his kiss. She had no idea what came over her when she guided him toward his bed.
He paused from the kiss. “Are you sure?”
Maya smiled. “I’ve never been so sure in my life.”
Wil made love to her slowly. He’d been so gentle with every touch. For once Maya allowed herself to listen to her heart. It brought her pleasure. She snuggled close against him as she felt herself drift into a magical sleep. Her eyes fluttered. She heard him say something but couldn’t quite understand. Maya opened her eyes. She could see Wil asleep. But it wasn’t his voice she heard. It was the pilot’s that brought her back to reality.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Wil stirred. He heard the pilot’s voice announce they’d begun their descent and would be landing in Washington in fifteen minutes. He took a few moments to digest the information and then realized he’d slept through the stop-over in Dublin. He opened his eyes. Wil turned to see the only woman he’d ever loved. He held her stare without words. She sat within inches across from him with the same smile he remembered.
“Maya,” he stumbled over her name. He brought his hands up to his face. His fingers wiped across his eyelids. He wondered if he’d been asleep and dreaming. When he opened his eyes again, she still sat there with a smile.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Are you Blue, Wil?”
Her question stumped him. He’d fallen asleep waiting for Red to board in Dublin. It all made sense to him. The reason he felt connected to the woman he only knew as Red. All their chats in-between business. He felt like he’d known her. The words she chose, the topics she chose to talk about, reminded him of someone he once knew. But Dublin, Ireland and the CIA were the last places he’d expected to ever see her again. He nodded.
“Red, I presume?”
His laughter woke Ken. “Are we in Washington?”
Wil turned to Ken, “We land in about ten minutes.”
Ken sat up in his chair and stretched. He looked over Wil toward Maya.
“Ah, my wonderful creation has joined us. Well done, by the way, Maya. You’ve impressed me. I knew you could pull it off.”
Maya smiled, and then politely thanked Ken.
“Thank you, sir. I take it the arrests were successful.”
Ken nodded.
“Without a hitch, we managed to seize the weapons and make the arrests we’d hoped for. It’s been a long year but a successful one.” His focus went from Maya to Wil, “I couldn’t have done it without either of you.”
“Thanks, Ken.”
Wil kept his side of the conversation short. The realization that Maya was one of his fellow agents shocked him. He was still trying to digest it all when the plane landed.
Ken stood and thanked all the agents on the plane.
“You all deserve praise with our accomplishment to get O’Neill taken into custody along with the successful seizure of the weapons. Thank you.” Ken then added, “I don’t w
ant to hear from any of you for at least a few days. I’d like to get reacquainted with my wife if she remembers me.” His chuckle that followed his comment brought about laughter throughout the plane.
Wil knew Ken’s wife would understand why he’d been away most of the past year. The last month or so, especially. She was also a CIA agent. Wil often wondered how their marriage survived in second place to the agency. Ken’s response was always the same. They loved each other as much as they loved their jobs. For twenty years, they’d successfully achieved both. That thought only made him turn to Maya. He knew he could make both work with her.
She returned his smile, and then gathered her belongings. Wil watched her follow the other agents from the plane.
“I’m quite intrigued with Ms. Delcort as well. I knew she’d make an excellent agent when I recruited her.”
Wil turned with Ken’s comment. “I wasn’t…I just…”
Ken seemed amused.
“I think you’re a little more than intrigued with her work.”
Wil laughed. “No, sir. I just hadn’t expected Red to be—
Ken finished his sentence, “Maya Delcort. Your college sweetheart.”
Wil’s jaw dropped. “You knew that?”
Ken smiled. “It’s my job to know everything.”
That, Wil knew for sure. Ken was the best. But knowing that, he would have assumed Ken wouldn’t have put them on the same case. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Wil questioned, but then realized he already knew the answer. If Ken had said anything, he wouldn’t have used them on the same case. “Never mind, I know the answer.”