Unmasking the Mercenary

by Jennifer Morey

  Oh, God. They’d never make it to the helicopter. She spotted more guards running toward them. She aimed her P99 and fired, sending the guards ducking for cover. But the reprieve didn’t last. Shots pinged around her. Rem pulled her close to trees but they had to break away in the clearing where the helicopter sat.

  Haley dared a glance behind her. A man aimed his gun. Rem shot him and he fell.

  At the chopper, he yanked the pod door open and lifted her, throwing her inside and jumping in behind her. She skinned her knees. Bullets clinked and clanged against the door as he slid it nearly shut. Keeping his gun through the opening, he dropped three more guards.

  While he shoved his gun in the waist of his pants and rushed to the pilot’s seat, she sat in the seat beside him, still gripping her gun. Roughly ten more guards ran toward them, clearing the trees. The rotor revved to flight readiness and Rem lifted the chopper into the air, turning it away from the running guards.

  Bullets pinged and banged but faded as Rem flew the bird high into the air.

  Haley let her head fall back against the passenger seat and grew aware of her parched mouth, heavy breathing and flying pulse. She felt sick. She was shaking.

  “Are you all right?” Rem asked. He didn’t even look fazed.

  “Yes.”

  “You’re not shot?”

  “No.” But she did a quick check over her body to be sure. “No.”

  No thanks to him. She took a few moments to catch her breath and waited for her pulse to slow.

  The tiny village came into view, a small break in the thick vegetation. Rem landed the chopper and retrieved the duffel that now contained both of their weapons.

  “Are we going to stay here for a while?” Haley asked, as she walked beside him away from the helicopter.

  “No.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “I need to meet with Habib.”

  What? “You want to go back to Monrovia?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “Ammar will be looking for us. Isn’t it kind of stupid to go there? What, are we going back to your villa?”

  “We’ll be safe there. I need to meet with Habib, and he’s in Monrovia.”

  Was he crazy? “One guard at the gate isn’t going to stop a man like Ammar.”

  “I won’t need the guard. In fact, I won’t even risk having him there. I’ll just lock it down until I’m ready to move.”

  “So it’s you and me against Ammar and his men.” Comforting. She shook her head.

  “If things go my way, we’ll be the only ones there tonight.”

  “Right. And so far things have gone exactly the way you planned.” She met his sidelong glance.

  “Everything except you.”

  Chapter 6

  The guard at Rem’s villa opened the iron gate when they approached. Haley looked around her, up one end of the street and then the other just before Rem drove the Jeep inside the walled area surrounding the villa. She faced forward and was reminded of the grandeur in such an impoverished city.

  When he parked, she got out and headed for the front door. Rem stopped her when she reached it. She let him go in before her, watching him pull out his gun. He checked the back patio door and then all the windows on the lower level. She waited for him to come back down from upstairs.

  He tucked his gun into the front of his pants and came to stand in front of her.

  “All clear?”

  Before he could respond, Haley caught sight of movement from the front entrance. She hadn’t shut the door. A man entered.

  Haley sucked air into her lungs and instinctively reached for the gun that wasn’t there. She stepped back. Then froze when she recognized the giant of a man aiming a pistol at Rem.

  Calm as ever, Rem stepped the rest of the way down the stairs and came to a stop in front of Cullen. “How did you get through the gate?”

  “I have my ways.”

  “I’ll have to remember to be more careful in the future.”

  “The good ones always do.” Rem smirked.

  “I don’t like it when I don’t know where my operatives are,” Cullen said.

  Haley heard the displeasure in his tone. But she didn’t need that to tell her he was on the edge. He’d come all the way to Monrovia himself. He hadn’t sent any other operatives. That meant one thing.

  Rem might get himself killed tonight.

  “Cullen.”

  His gaze shifted to her.

  “Wait.”

  “This has gone on long enough, Haley. It’s time for you to go home.”

  “This involves more than Ammar.” She didn’t know how else to tell him that Rem knew something and she wanted to find out what it was. “We could stop a much bigger cell than any of us expected coming into this.”

  “Then I’ll send a team to finish it.”

  “That isn’t necessary,” she said. “I can do this, Cullen.”

  “You can’t. You think you can, but you can’t.”

  “You underestimate me. You listen to Travis too much.”

  Travis.

  The reminder of him stopped her. “How is he?”

  “Under lock and key. If he could get away from his hospital room, he would come after you.” She saw the meaning in his eyes. “It’s one of the reasons I came here myself. Travis trusts me to bring you home.”

  She half-smiled at that. It was true. Travis wouldn’t trust anyone else. She could well understand how difficult it must be keeping him sedentary.

  “He must be all right, then,” she said.

  Cullen responded with a slight smile himself. “He’s going to be fine, no thanks to you.”

  Her smile fled. “Hey…”

  “You’re coming home with me, Haley. No more arguing.” He turned to Rem and extended his free hand. “Give me your weapon.”

  Rem slowly slid his pistol from his pants.

  Cullen took it and stuffed it in his own jeans. Then he motioned with his gun for Rem to move into the kitchen.

  With a glance at Haley, Rem walked to a kitchen chair and sat. Haley wondered if he was cooperating for her. She doubted Cullen’s gun intimidated him much, certainly not enough to stop him from trying to fight his way free.

  Cullen lowered his pistol to his side, finger still on the trigger. He must have picked up on Rem’s body language, too. Rem wasn’t going to fight him.

  “I know about your sister,” Cullen finally said. “I’m sorry.”

  Rem’s eyes remained steady.

  “You worked for Dane Charter, didn’t you?”

  Now Rem’s eyes flickered with emotion, as if he hated his ties to someone like Dane but there was nothing he could do about it. He’d spent so many years living under the perception that he was a man like Dane, he had stopped trying to correct anyone. He expected people to think that way about him. What he didn’t see was that he could change the perception if he wanted to. He could have a reputation like Cullen’s.

  “What happened to make you quit?” Cullen asked.

  Why did Cullen ask a question like that? It had nothing to do with Ammar. Or did it?

  “Dane was moving drugs for Ammar,” Cullen said. “Is that it?”

  And Haley grew immensely more interested. It didn’t surprise her that Cullen had uncovered Dane’s background, but she hoped he could get Rem to reveal more about his involvement with Dane and the connection to Ammar.

  “One of his many talents,” Rem said, sounding bitter.

  “Except his last deal didn’t go through,” Cullen said. “Know anything about that?”

  Rem merely continued to meet Cullen’s gaze, a clear sign he wasn’t talking, which made Haley wonder what he had to hide.

  “It happened right before your sister was killed,” Cullen said. “Are the two related?”

  Haley looked sharply at him. Why did he think Rem’s sister’s murder was related to a drug deal? She turned her attention to Rem. She’d wondered why he’d been so vague about his sister’s murde
r. What was he hiding? Apparently Cullen wanted to know the same thing.

  “You knew Dane was buying drugs from Ammar,” she said, drawing Rem’s gaze to her.

  He didn’t respond and she realized he was wondering if she’d turn out no different than anyone else who assumed things about him based on his past. Was that why he refused to tell her everything about his ties with Ammar?

  “Of course he knows,” Cullen said, looking at Rem. “You were on the trip to Argentina when Dane brought a load back with him.”

  Rem’s eyes shifted from her to Cullen. “How did you know that?”

  “What I’d like to know,” Cullen went on, as though he hadn’t spoken, “is what happened to the drugs after you made it home. Dane never sold them and he never paid Ammar. It’s no stretch to assume Ammar killed him for nonpayment, but where are the drugs?”

  “Who told you all this?” Rem demanded.

  “One of your mercs decided it was smarter to talk than eat one of my bullets.”

  “My mercs?”

  “Charter Security is yours now, isn’t it?”

  Haley couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Then again, maybe she could. Of course, it all fit. His tough childhood had led right into a life of crime. Why not continue along the same path? Flourish, even. Running a rogue private military company.

  “Except now it’s called Pioneer Security Consultants. Interesting name, given the kind of work you do.”

  Haley’s heart fluttered when Rem’s eyes moved to her for a brief glance. Did he care what she thought of this?

  “You rented a new building and offered Dane’s mercs new jobs,” Cullen went on. “Or should I call them consultants?”

  “Not all of them came to work for me,” Rem told him.

  Cullen grinned. “I noticed.”

  Haley couldn’t stop staring at Rem. He’d taken over a disreputable private military company, but had he gotten rid of the bad mercenaries and only kept the good? Is that what he meant by “not all of them came to work for me?” The revelation filled her with hope despite her instinct not to let it. He might seem to operate like an honorable man, but he had no ambition to change his reputation. In fact, he seemed to thrive on it, on the power that came with it. No laws applied to him, and he was beholden to no one.

  And now there was the mystery of the drug deal that had gotten his ex-employer killed. How much did he really know about that and how did it relate to his sister’s death? He wasn’t going to tell them. And why not? He didn’t care what anyone thought of him, so why not reveal the truth? The answer to both questions couldn’t be flattering. More crime to keep his reputation tarnished. His reluctance to tell them bothered her because it only served to support her suspicion.

  Maybe the truth threatened him in a way that would cost him too much. With the thought came a chill. That had to be it. Rem wouldn’t hide anything about himself for any other reason.

  “Did you have anything to do with Dane’s drug deal that fell through?” Cullen asked.

  “No.”

  Haley could see nothing in Rem’s face that said he was lying. Cullen seemed to be looking for the same signs.

  “Did your sister know about it?”

  “No.”

  Again, nothing revealing crossed Rem’s expression.

  “Help me out here,” Cullen said. “There’s something I’m missing. You kill someone for raping a woman and Ammar goes after your sister instead of you. Why not just kill you before you left Argentina?”

  “Why don’t you ask him that?”

  “I’m asking you.”

  Rem remained silent. Until at last he said, “He did try to kill me in Argentina.”

  And when that failed, Ammar had gone after his sister. That was what Rem wanted her and Cullen to believe. She glanced at Cullen and saw his contemplation. He didn’t believe it, either. There was more, but Rem wasn’t talking.

  “Which side will you be standing on when the rest of what you aren’t saying comes out?” Cullen asked. “Mine or Dane’s?”

  “My own side,” Rem answered, his tone as hard as his eyes with the question.

  Haley absorbed the power of his conviction along with Cullen. There was something appealing about a man who was so sure of himself that he would join no forces other than his own.

  Cullen slid the pistol from his jeans and handed it to Rem. The gesture told her he’d drawn the same conclusion as her. Rem warily took the weapon while Cullen put his own gun into the waist of his jeans.

  “Good luck,” Cullen said, and turned to Haley. “We’ll leave in the morning.” To Rem he said, “I’ll send you a team.”

  “I don’t need any help.”

  “I wasn’t asking.”

  Rem’s eyes narrowed.

  “I’m staying,” Haley interrupted the argument that was sure to come. She wanted to find out what Rem was keeping from them. She also wasn’t ready to leave Rem. Maybe it was whatever was stirring between them. Maybe it was her own need to shed her past by fighting back.

  Cullen shot her an incredulous look. “Don’t be ridiculous. You accomplished your mission. You uncovered Habib’s connection to Ammar. Now it’s time for someone else to step in, and if that someone is Rem, then so be it.”

  “I wouldn’t let anything happen to her,” Rem said.

  And Haley wondered if he wanted her to stay with him.

  “You would do your best not to, but your best may not be good enough. You’re dealing with some pretty connected terrorists, and you’re only one man.”

  Rem moved his gaze to her. She felt him wait for her decision. He was sure he could keep her safe, but he also knew she’d be safe with Cullen. That was why he hadn’t fought the issue. He’d let her go with Cullen, but he wanted her to stay with him. She was afraid to find out why.

  She faced Cullen. “This isn’t over.”

  “It is for you.”

  “No.”

  Cullen sighed heavily. “You’re too stubborn.”

  “I can do this,” she said.

  “You haven’t stopped fighting since you came to work for me. I’m afraid it’s for the wrong reason. You think if you fight, you can beat what happened to you.”

  She shook her head. “No.” It wasn’t the only reason. “It’s more than that.”

  Fighting back had its appeal. She felt invigorated when a mission came to a successful end, when one more bad guy was stopped or killed. She didn’t admit to anyone that sometimes the faces of her attackers crossed her mind in those moments. And they were the only moments when she felt at peace, when the horror of it didn’t overwhelm her. She felt in charge. Untouchable by her memory’s crushing grip.

  But now there was Rem. Something about him kept her from leaving. What he was hiding. And him. Something about him compelled her to stay. She ignored her trepidation that whatever she found out about him would dispel any hope that underneath his mercenary shell was a heroic man.

  “Be straight with me Haley. If I let you do this, will it help you get over Iraq?” Cullen asked.

  Pulled from her thoughts, she answered honestly. “I don’t know.”

  “But you want to try.”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  He studied her. Long seconds passed. “All right. But when you get home, no more missions.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. This is it. Odie’s getting married and put in her notice. I need someone to take her place. I want that person to be you, Haley. No more running around the globe throwing yourself into dangerous situations just so you can prove to yourself you’re not a victim.”

  “She’s really going to go through with that, huh?”

  Cullen laughed once. “Yeah. She thinks she finally found someone strong enough to handle her.”

  “I don’t know if strong is the right word. Nerdy, maybe.”

  Cullen nodded. “It does seem a little off.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if she changed her mind and came back to work for you.”


  “It’s definitely not going to be the same without her.” Cullen turned to Rem and gestured with his thumb toward Haley. “If she comes home with so much as a scratch, I’m coming after you.”

  “Then I’m lucky it won’t come to that.”

  Talking Cullen out of one of his decisions was never an easy feat. That she’d done it amazed her and warmed her. He wanted her to overcome her ordeal, and if fighting back would do that, he was going to let her. But only because Rem would be there to protect her.

  She wisely didn’t mention that Rem had stolen diamonds from Ammar. A whole deadly heap of them. That would surely send Cullen over the edge, and there would be no talking him out of bringing her home.

  Chapter 7

  Rem handed Haley her Walther P99 and noticed her questioning look. He ignored her. She was the reason he’d gotten next to no sleep last night. That look on her face when Cullen had questioned him kept running through his mind. The way her eyes told truths he didn’t want to see.

  She was making him care too much. She wondered about his company, and he hated how that gnawed at him. What did she think? Did she question his reasons for taking over and reviving a rogue private military company? His knowledge of Dane’s drug dealing with Ammar was enough to raise anyone’s suspicion, too. Ordinarily he wouldn’t waste much energy worrying about what anyone thought. But with Haley, somehow it mattered.

  Sometimes he saw her wavering, as though she were trying to convince herself that he wasn’t what he was. A mercenary. Good or bad, that was what he was. Yet, she’d stayed with him. He couldn’t allow himself to believe it was for any other reason than to find out what he was sure she thought he was hiding.

  He opened the passenger door of the Jeep and closed it after she climbed in. Then he went to the guard shack, which was empty, and checked the street on the other side of the gate. There was a dark car parked about a hundred yards down. Two, maybe three inside.

  He’d have to lose them before he called Habib.

  Pressing the control to open the gate, he ran back to the Jeep and pulled outside the gate. It would automatically close behind them. The dark car down the street began to move forward.