She put her cookies down on the bed stand. She had no appetite and her throat was too tight to swallow. “I want to stop them too.”
Jenna went on, “We’re all on the same side. I don’t know if you remember, but my dad’s an admiral in the navy.”
“I know.” Who could forget someone’s dad was an admiral? Amber suspected it would have be rough growing up in a military-style home, especially with her wild streak. She would probably have rebelled even harder if Dad was in the navy.
“He’s trying to figure things out back home. Hopefully, we’ll know who the enemy is soon.”
Amber exhaled deeply. “I guess some of this is my fault. I just didn’t know who to trust.”
“You can trust the team. They’re good men. Charlie really does care about you.”
She snorted. “Sure he does.”
“Ah.” Jenna smiled. “I see you care about him too.”
“Nope. I’m over men. Especially, Charlie.”
“If you say so. All I know is those SEALs can get under a girls’ skin.” Jenna rose and put her hand on Amber’s shoulder. “Why don’t you get some sleep? It’s been a hairy long day.”
“You have no idea.”
A serious look passed over Jenna’s face followed by a shiver. “I think I do.” She took a deep breath as if to steel herself before walking out of the cabin. Amber still didn’t know what Jenna was trying to cover up, but whatever it was, seemed painful.
Once the door closed, Amber scrambled off the bed. She had to hurry. Earlier, she’d noticed a black backpack stashed inside the closet. She dug around inside hoping to find a cell phone to use. She desperately needed to talk to Dad to make sure she was doing the right thing. Dad was the only man she could really rely on—not some far away admiral, not steely-eyed Mack, and for damned sure, not Charlie. Her brain didn’t function properly when Charlie was close.
She checked all the pockets in the pack. No phone. As she dug further, her fingertips grazed something hard at the bottom. A computer tablet? Now we’re talking! She could send Dad a message and do a little snooping herself.
She pulled the tablet out and turned it on. It was password protected. She grinned. Child’s play. In less than a minute, she’d hacked into the computer and sent a quick message to her Dad’s private email account.
“Need help. Not sure who to trust.” She signed it—Trouble.
Wasn’t that the truth? When she was very little, maybe three or four years old, he’d tease her saying, “Uh-oh, here comes Trouble.” The nickname stuck. Little did he know her teenage years would hit and she’d be far more trouble than he could have dreamed possible.
After Mom died she’d plunged head-first into danger, as if daring death to try to come for her. She sort of welcomed it in those days. She had been furious and out of control. A world without her mother’s gentle touch and soft arms sucked. Big time. Who wanted to live like that? With some of the dangerous crap she’d gotten herself into during those wild years, she was lucky she’d lived to see her twenty-fourth birthday.
Trouble. The name still described her. Her fingers flew across the tablet as she hacked into the onboard computer. The way things were going, she’d be lucky to live another day. But dammit, she’d fight with every breath in her body to keep her country safe from attack. She wasn’t about to let anyone use the data she’d stolen to hurt her people.
The idea twisted like sadness in her heart.
Let’s see what they’re hiding from me.
The firewall shielding the onboard computer was designed to be impassible. The transmissions were encrypted. The satellite feed bounced from port to port across the globe to remain undetectable. No one should have been able to follow the bouncing ball.
Amber smiled. She’d hacked firewalls like this for breakfast. The hacker girl in her rose to the challenge and did what she did best. After several minutes, she was in. A noise outside the cabin made her freeze. Holding her breath, she waited. No one came inside. It was clear.
Letting out her breath, she read the team’s incoming and outgoing transmissions:
E.T: We have located and secured the package.
E.T? Amber scrunched her nose. No one on the junk had those initials. Was it code? Then she remembered that Jenna called the guys the EXtreme Team. They’d been named after her father’s company.
A.C: You’re sure?
Admiral Collins, Jenna’s father had to be A.C. How very cozy.
E.T: We tested it. It seems to be real.
She could almost hear Mack’s voice in the written transmission. She despised domineering men and Mack acted like he’d just as soon dump her overboard than protect her. Of course, it’s real, jackass. You think I’d risk my life for a fake memory card?
A.C: Protect the package and bring it to me. D.O.D will validate and destroy.
E.T: Copy, that, sir.
E.T: And the passenger?
A.C: We have no more need for her. Turn her over to the MP’s at Ship Support. Let them deal with her.
Oh, shit. She was the passenger. If they turned her in, she might not survive to sunrise. What if those military goons back at the Ho King Shopping Centre found her?
E.T: Not advisable, sir.
A.C: It’s an order.
E.T: Sir, hear me out. We’re not sure who is trying to kill her.
Cold fear slithered around inside her, squeezing her heart, constricting her lungs.
A.C: I told you. There’ve been no U.S. orders placed on her head. Not naval, or otherwise. She made up the sniper story to throw us off track. Remember she is a thief and a traitor to the country. You can’t believe her. Only the Chinese are after her, not us.
Amber’s hand shook as she scrolled down the page. Admiral Asshole either didn’t believe her or he wanted her dead. Was she going to be silenced? Suddenly, it was impossible to swallow.
E.T: I beg your pardon, sir, but we can’t be sure at this juncture.
There was a long pause.
E.T: Sir?
A.C: All right. Don’t let her out of your sight. Bring her back to the States for interrogation and prosecution. With the right persuasion, she’ll provide better intel.
E.T: Copy, that.
A.C: One more thing. Have you spoken to Pumpkin Pie? She doesn’t answer her cell. I know she’s got caller I.D. Have I pissed her off again?
There was another long pause.
A.C: Well? Did you get that?
E.T: Yes, sir! She’s fine. Her cell is toast. She dropped it in the bath the other day. We’re getting a new one. I’ll tell her to call you…when I return, sir.
A.C: Fine. Stay safe.
The transmission ended. Amber stared at the screen. Her heart beat like a rabbit’s. Her limbs were weak with fear. Traitor? They really believed she would’ve sold the country’s secrets. Charlie said he’d protect her, but was that a lie too? She was their prisoner. Right persuasion. Torture.
What was she going to do?
Just then a message flashed across the screen.
RPG explosion in Ho King Shopping Centre…shoppers evacuated…American woman killed… suspects on the loose.
Her heart sank. Jimmy Chew! But the notice said only an American woman was killed. The truth slapped her so hard that she jumped to her feet and raced to the cabin door. It was locked.
She tucked the tablet under her arm and banged on the door. “Someone. Let me out!”
Ty Whitehorse opened the door. “What’s wrong, Miss Fitz?”
She pushed passed him and stomped up the stairs. “We’ve got to get out of here, right now.”
Charlie met her at the top. “Amber, what’s wrong?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Get out of my way, Charlie. I need to see Mack.”
He stepped aside, but not before studying her face. Her skin warmed under his heated gaze. Damn him.
Mack came up behind Charlie with Jenna close on his heels. “What’s up?” The words were casual, the tone was not.
She
held out the tablet. “They think they’ve killed me. It’s time to get out of here before they figure it out and finish the job. None of us are safe.”
“Isn’t that my…? It is. That’s my tablet.” Jenna took it and turned it screen up. “You hacked into it!”
“Not important, now. Come on, Mack. Get this damned junk moving,” Amber ordered.
Mack thumbed toward the kitchen area. “Let’s take this into the galley, away from prying eyes and ears.”
Once they were all inside, Mack closed the door. “We’ve got a bug repellant in here. No one can listen in. Tell us what’s going on.”
“Who thinks they killed you?” Charlie’s voice behind her was a gentle whisper in her ear.
She refused to look at him. “Read the alert!”
Mack read the message. “The explosion? You think this has something to do with the memory card?”
She crossed her arms. “Of course it does. See the picture? That’s the second floor. The gaming section. I was there earlier tonight when two military guys came asking questions about me. American military. Don’t you see? The only person killed in the explosion was an American woman. They thought it was me.” She sank into a barstool. “That poor lady.”
Willy spoke up. “The RPG was military grade. Chinese, not American.”
Her head pounded. She pressed her temples. “So? I swear, why do you people think I’m lying?”
Willy lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. “I don’t. It was American military.”
She frowned. “But you said the RPG was Chinese.”
“Exactly.” He grinned. “These guys aren’t stupid. They don’t want public explosion shit to stick to them. They’re American, all right. Black Ops. I’d bet on it.”
Charlie was there too, muscling into the tight space, his shoulder bumping his brother’s. He showed her a hand-held computer. “Intel just came in. The woman was shot in the head and heart. Long range sniper.”
“Just like what happened to Frenchie in your apartment. A sniper killed the woman. The RPG covered their tracks. Brilliant.” Willy seemed pretty proud of himself for figuring out the situation. “Simply brilliant. It’s exactly what I would have done. Right, Charles?”
Stretching his long arm out, Willy rested his hand on her shoulder. The warmth helped to ease back the terror sparking through her veins, just a bit. But how she wished it was Charlie’s touch. The man just stood there staring at her. And she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
Willy dropped his hand.
“If it’s Black Ops, why don’t we know who they are? Dad should’ve gotten a handle on this already,” Jenna said.
The guys looked at one another. Amber tried to decipher the non-verbal communication telegraphed inside the room.
Ty answered the question. “Unless they are a private organization. Off the grid.”
“A private military organization? Is that possible?” Amber’s voice was too high, even to her own ears.
“Yes. There are many private ops.” Mack paced the room. “But who is giving the orders? Are they working for the Triad 14K? Terrorists?”
“They could’ve gone rogue. Maybe they are the terrorists,” Ty pitched in.
“Exactly. We just don’t know. We’ve got to find out. They’re obviously connected and have plenty of weapons at their disposal.”
“So, if the bad guys realize the woman they killed wasn’t Amber—” Jenna began.
“We need to get her out of here, Mack. Right now!” Charlie’s voice was loaded with concern.
“I thought it would be safer to lie low. But, with this new intel…” Mack ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, all right. Ty, let’s pull out. We’ll contact the admiral and see what our next move should be.”
“I know the perfect place to go for the rest of the night,” Jenna said. “It’s quiet, remote, and we’ll be able to see if anyone is following.”
“All right, babe. I’ll pull Tavon off point. You coordinate with Ty. Show him the exact location on the map. Charlie, get back on comm. Monitor all transmissions. Let’s figure out who we are dealing with.” Mack rushed out of the room.
No one moved for a long beat.
Jenna flipped her palms up. “You guys heard that. He’s letting me plan the coordinates? Did he hit his head, or something?”
“He is acting un-Mack-ish,” Willy agreed. “Something must be working off the man’s tensions and keeping him very happy.”
Ty laughed. “Well, you do know the area better than the rest of us, Jenna. Come on, let’s get this junk rolling.”
“But…” Jenna shrugged. “You’re right, why fight a good thing?”
She and Ty left the room.
Willy cocked his head toward the door. “You too, Charles. Get your ass to the comm station.”
“I heard my orders. Didn’t hear yours. What’re you going to do?”
“Keep Miss Fitz company, of course.” He draped an arm over her shoulder. “Go, on. I’ll make sure she’s safe and warm.”
Charlie held her gaze for one long heated moment. His mouth opened, as if he wanted to say something to her, but then he closed it and was gone.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Amber was alone with a man who exuded sex.
Willy’s muscular arm draped around her shoulders, his hard body so close. All she could think was she wished it was Charlie’s arm around her. His intense green eyes pouring over her, his heart beating next to hers, his soft lips…
No, dammit! She was still mad at him for lying to her and using her for information. She had no business thinking about Charlie’s lips or any of his other sexy body parts. She squeezed her eyes shut.
“You scared, or tired?” Willy asked.
She opened her eyes, didn’t answer.
“You have every right to be tired. It’s been a shit day for you. But you are really something, Amber. Stronger than most women I know. Smarter, for sure. And after all you’ve been through, you still look hot.” His green eyes twinkled.
He was one to talk. Those Handly brothers had a way of making a girl’s head spin.
Her instincts told her Willy had what it took to make a woman happy. Orgasmically delirious, even. Everything about Willy advertised sexy, hot nights. She longed for that sort of thrill many, many times in the past. Sadly, hot nights too often led to cold mornings and breakfast alone. She’d grown tired of making small pots of coffee and cooking oatmeal for one. She starved for the whole meal—a loving relationship deeper and more substantial than sweaty sheets with a guy to share midnight snacks and breakfast in bed.
Willy’s voice brought her back, “If you are scared, don’t be. I’m here. No one can hurt you.”
“You believe that?”
“Damned straight.”
She hoped he was right about that, for now. But what about the admiral’s orders? The team was supposed to bring her back to the States for interrogation and prosecution. What if she couldn’t prove her innocence? Didn’t they execute traitors?
Crapcrapcrap.
Her knees buckled.
“Whoa.” He caught her. “I’ve got you. Let’s sit down.”
As he guided her to the loveseat, her mind was spinning. She wasn’t a traitor, or a terrorist. Would anyone believe her without proof? Mack had the memory card. There was no way to convince the admiral she was going to turn it in to the authorities. The admiral believed she was selling it to the highest bidder. Would anyone check the timing on the thing and realize she showed up at the bitter end?
What if the people who shot Jacques also had contacts in the CIA? They could walk in and take the memory card as soon as the team turned it in. God, so much could go wrong.
Willy pulled up a chair and faced her. “Mack and Jenna will scout out a safe place for the night and navigate our way back to the U.S. You can relax.”
“And then?” she asked.
He frowned as if trying to understand her words. “We all go home.”
“When we get ba
ck to the States,” she said slowly. “What are you going to do with me?”
He flashed the deepest set of dimples she’d ever seen. “Whatever you want me to do with you, sweet thang.”
Apparently, sex was always on his mind. “Willy. I need to get out of here.”
“We are.”The engines started and the junk was moving. “See?”
Good. The sooner they got away from Hong Kong, the better. An idea started to form in her frantic brain. If she could use Willy, her father could pay him once she’d gotten away. “What will it take for you to help me escape?”
The dimples disappeared. “We are escaping. Look out the window.”
This shouldn’t be so hard. The junks of Aberdeen were far off in the distance. But that’s not what she meant. He clearly wasn’t getting the message.
Leaning forward, she put a hand on his muscular knee. It was as solid as a boulder. “I can’t go home. They’ll kill me. All for a stupid mistake! I need someone like you…” She rubbed his leg. “Strong. Capable. Good with a gun. To help me…” She made circles with both hands up his thighs. “To help me disappear.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You’re going to run from the team?”
Finally. “And the bad guys. They could kill us all. But if I got away, you’d all be safe.” She got down on her knees and wiggled herself between his legs. “Will you help me?”
He shook his head as if to clear the foolish idea from his brain. “I can’t do that.”
“Can’t?” She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed into him. Wow, his hard-on was inspiring. “Are you sure?” she said breathily. “I’m innocent, Willy.”
He scooped her up and eased her onto his lap. “Sweet thang, you are far from innocent. I told Charlie you were too much woman for him.”
That stung a little. She tried to ignore it. “So?” She rocked against him. “Will you help me?”
He nuzzled her neck. “What would you give me in return?”
Huh, maybe Dad wouldn’t have to pay him after all. Willy spoke in sexual terms. She could deal with that. It wouldn’t be the first time she screwed a man she barely knew and this time was for a good reason. Her life was on the line. So was her country.
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