Kate stretched her arm overhead and reached for the gun. Her fingers closed around the butt of the pistol and Kate rolled to her back and raised the gun. Ranger paused up on his knees, hands held up in surrender.
Grinning, Ranger climbed to his feet and held out a hand. “I think your instincts are just fine."
Kate’s mind blanked. This was part of the interview? Her hand trembled and she gripped the gun harder, keeping it trained on her attacker. “You’re damn right my instincts are fine. Now, get back.”
Kate kept her pistol leveled at Ranger and got to her feet. He kept his hands lifted, seeming totally unphased by the fact that he could die if Kate’s finger so much as twitched. “That was a test, Kate, to see if you could handle a surprise attack.”
“A test? I could have killed you.” An evil part of her was tempted to fire the gun and see just how high he would jump.
“You wouldn't have done much harm with a fake gun,’ Ranger lowered his hands and nodded toward the weapon.
Kate followed his gaze and zeroed in on the plastic mold of a pistol. “Crap.”
She’d completely failed to notice that minor detail. Kate dropped the gun to her side and sighed. So much for her shining reputation as the best analyst ever produced by the CIA.
As if reading her mind, he said, “I didn’t expect you to realize it was fake. I wanted to see if you could handle the situation the way we expect and need from our Team members, and you did.”
“I think you're rusty, but with a little bit of training, you’ll be perfect." Grey strode around the table and held out his hand, "I'd like to offer you a position on the team for the mission."
“You’re both crazy, you know that right?”
“A small dose of crazy is good sometimes.” Grey kept his hand out, waiting on Kate to accept.
She sighed and shook his hand. “When do you need me to start?”
“Right now. Follow me and I’ll introduce you to your new co-workers.”
Grey sauntered down a short hallway and Kate took the moment to quickly straighten her jacket and check for wrinkles. She was about to meet her new co-workers and looking like a slob just wouldn’t do.
“You’re fine, most of these guys haven’t worn a suit a day in their life.”
Kate jumped and spun, having forgotten about Ranger bringing up the rear of their little group.
“Sorry, habit.” Kate forced her arms down to her sides and instead rubbed her ring. New people and a new job. She didn’t like new. She wanted consistency and clarity.
Grey pulled open a door on the right and gestured Kate to precede him. She made it through the door and barely managed to hold back her gasp. Three things took her attention.
First: The room was filled with men. Big men with beards and black shirts and wicked looking tattoos. All but one of them were studying a blown up topographic map on the wall.
Second: The long table was a mess. Papers, photos and various other items lay scattered completely out of order. Her fingers itched to rearrange, instead, she curled the into her palm and kept her hands at her sides.
Third: A lone wolf with shaggy black hair and a look of utter boredom, leaned against the opposite wall with his massive arms crossed. A scorpion tattoo wrapped up his arm from his wrist and disappeared in his shirt sleeve. Awareness rolled down her spine.
She’d never seen a chest that wide. Or hips that lean.
Her skin tingled and she glanced up, freezing on the spot. His Nordic ice blue eyes bored holes straight to her soul.
She’d never felt a look like that, like he was stripping her raw in the crowded room.
“Men, I want you to meet our female bodyguard.”
Blue-eyes gave her a once over and then his lip curled and he glanced away. Heat lit up her cheeks and Kate forced herself to focus on the other men in the room.
Ranger maneuvered her over to the group, hand sweeping around as he named the men. “This is my brother, Hunter. The twins, Hoyt and Jared.”
Who didn’t look like twins at all. Jared had black hair and Hoyt blonde, along with a large nasty looking scar that ran down the side of his face. A scar that perfectly matched the dead look in his eyes.
Ranger continued, “That’s Riser, Aaron and Cord.”
“Nice to meet you.” She was mentally making a note to go to her quarters and write down all their names.
“That guy pouting over there is Ethan.”
Kate avoided glancing back at Ethan, even though she felt it the minute his gaze fell on her again. He might as well be touching her she was so aware of him.
“Hunter, I’ll let you catch Kate up to speed on our mission. Aaron, have you got the other female lined up?” Grey stood just outside the group.
Aaron answered, “Yeah, she’s good to go. She’ll meet us when we get there.”
Kate moved to study the blown up topographic map on the back wall in an effort to avoid looking at Ethan.
Not mountainous. In fact, the area appeared very flat with a large river running north to south up the west side. Next to the map was a satellite image of the same area, this one showing roads and houses.
"You don't have to dress business casual anymore, T-shirt and shorts is fine by us." Hunter’s deep rumbling voice filled the room and Kate found herself relaxing.
“I've put on a suit every day for the last seven years, wearing a T-shirt to work just seems wrong."
Ranger chuckled, "But it can be so right."
Kate didn't think so but she bit her lip. Everyone has their own quirks, she liked her life nice and neat and orderly. "Is that a plantation on the river?”
“Yep, that’s where the wedding will take place.”
“Wedding?”
“Senator Tom Cotter’s daughter, Caroline, is getting married there. We’ve been hired to transport her from the airport here,” Ranger pointed to an area at the top of the photo, “to the plantation.” He traced a path down to the white house. “We will also provide security and protection during the whole event.”
Hunter stepped forward, “Cord will be in the air, providing surveillance for the wedding and surrounding area. We don’t want any surprises.”
Kate turned her attention back to the map and the route from the airport to the plantation. The area was remote, with only a few other houses scattered amongst the trees. “Are you also providing transport for Caroline from the airport?”
The yard surrounding the plantation had a flat spot big enough to land a helicopter.
“No, unfortunately, that option has been ruled out,” Ranger said.
Kate traced the road on the map from the small airport to Cotter plantation. “Over seventy percent of the road is flanked by thick trees and foliage. Your team will be too vulnerable to ambush.” She considered thirty percent too high a risk, but seventy – that made her blood pressure rise.
"I don't like it any more than you, but Caroline has put her foot down and her father is bending over backwards. She doesn't want a big fuss, she wants to make a quiet entrance,” Hunter said.
"And the onslaught of stretch limousines arriving, along with professional caterers and I’m assuming, Washington DC's finest, isn't going to draw attention?" Ethan’s deep throaty voice pierced the room.
Kate spun to see him lift a jet black brow, his expression bored.
Grey stepped forward, his mouth tight, “We don’t have a choice. The Senators paying us to guard his baby. I've been informed not to step on her toes or offend her in any way."
"And how do you plan on doing that? You're going to have a team of armed guards on her at all times."
"That's where you come in," Grey said.
Kate glanced around the empty room a trickle of unease starting up at the base of her neck. “How?”
She’d assumed she’d continue working for Grey in the same fashion as at the CIA. As an analyst, a planner.
"The bride is refusing to be surrounded by armed men. I argued and we came up with a compromise. You and the seco
nd female we have coming on board will pose as Caroline’s stylists, but will act as her personal bodyguards.”
Kate scrambled, trying to compute the new intel. “I'm an analyst not an operative."
"Yeah, but you said yourself you've been trained and we’ve got two weeks to refresh your memory," Grey said.
Everyone stared at her and she could practically hear their doubts. “Sir, I’m trained but surely you’ve got someone more qualified.”
She swallowed, her throat working in overdrive to get past the lump forming there. Ten minutes ago she’d sworn to him she could handle anything - but she hadn’t thought…
“I’m out of time, Richards, either you can do it or not. I need to know now if I’ve got to find someone else.” Grey crossed his arms, seeming to grow taller.
Dammit, she needed this job. She had bills to pay and a shredded reputation thanks to Agent Franks. What choice did she have?
You could always go home to live with mommy and daddy.
“I’ll do it.”
Grey’s shoulders to relaxed. “Good. And don’t worry, I’ve got someone to train you and get you ready. After what I saw in the interview, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
Worry? Oh she’d worry plenty, not that she’d tell anyone else. She’d bluffed her way in and now she didn’t have a choice. At least most of her new Team seemed pretty easy going. She glanced at Hunter, pretty sure he’d be the one training her. “So when do we start?”
“Not we. Him.” Ranger gestured to the man still leaned against the wall.
Kate’s legs turned to limp noodles as she slowly spun to stare at Ethan. “Him?”
Ethan pushed off the wall, the first real movement she’d seen him do all day, and approached with lethal steps, forcing Kate to crane her head back.
“That’s right, princess. Me.”
Chapter 5
Ethan put the kickstand down on his motorcycle, pulled off his helmet, and wiped the sweat from his face before grabbing his saddlebags and walking up the grass-lined gravel driveway to the two-story white house in front of him. Not exactly what he'd envisioned for a private security firm's headquarters, but maybe that was the point.
He climbed the steps up to the porch and slung his bag over his shoulder. Before he could knock on the door, Aaron pulled it open. “You made it just in time. We got a big pot of soup almost ready.”
“Great.” Ethan ground out and followed Aaron inside. Immediately the delicious smell hit him. “Didn't know you were such a chef.”
“I'm not. Stash your saddlebags over there for now.” Aaron gestured to the floor right next to a blue flowery couch. “After we eat I'll show you where you're bunking down.”
Ethan put his bag down, uneasy about the location. The small living room looked exactly like what a grandmother's house would look like, complete with lace curtains and a hundred different pictures hanging on the walls. Most of the photographs were of children in some state of play: fishing, swimming, birthday parties. As he followed the pictures, the kids grew older: graduation caps, basic training, girls in pantsuits and guys in military dress blues. Ethan paused at the next to last one, surprise tinging his voice. “Hey, this is you.”
Aaron came and stood beside him, “Damn, I look like a baby. Can't believe I've been in the military for ten years now.”
“Who are these two?” Ethan gestured to the pictures flanking Aaron proudly on the wall.
“The one on the left is my dad after he got back from Vietnam. The one on the right is my grandpa. He was a World War II fighter pilot.”
That sense of unease returned full force as Ethan felt the cloying grips of claustrophobia snake its way around his lungs. “This is your family's house. Why the hell am I here?”
“Grey needed somewhere for us to bunk close to the plantation. Noni's house was the closest so I volunteered.”
“This is your grandma's house?”
“Sure is. Got a problem with it?” A strong female voice came through loud and clear from behind Aaron and both men turned to see a very petite woman standing in the room. Her snow white hair and colorful apron clearly stated this was the famous Noni.
“No, ma'am, your house is very nice, but I can't say here. I'll find a motel.” Ethan grabbed his bags off the floor and slung them over his shoulder. He couldn’t stay at a place that embodied family life. He didn’t even have a family, he’d grown up on the streets, an orphan. Everything about this place was wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
He might be one of the few men on the planet who preferred solitary bunk beds in the barracks, but at least there Ethan knew his place. Family homes that smelled like a Betty Crocker commercial were out of his league.
“Not before you eat some of the soup I've been slaving over all day.” Noni crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin. Ethan realized he must have offended her, not that he had enough practice with family interaction to be sure.
“I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't mean to offend you, but I'm here for work not a vacation.”
“I realize that young man, which is why I cooked my famous homemade soup. You'll need it for what you've got to do. Whether you stay here or not is your business, but you would highly offend me if you left before eating.”
Ethan's gaze cut to Aaron, who offered absolutely no help whatsoever. “Man, you got to try it. I promise you won't regret it. Besides, there is nowhere else within thirty miles to eat.”
Ethan sensed a trap, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what it might be. Reluctantly, he eased his bag to the ground.
“Great, glad you decided to join us. The food’s ready.” Noni disappeared around the corner.
A few minutes later Ethan polished off the second helping of vegetable beef soup with homemade cornbread and then leaned back in the kitchen chair to groan. Noni’s cooking made military food taste like shit. No, worse than that, the shit that grew on shit. He'd just had the most heavenly meal ever created on planet earth. “Ma'am, I'm going to have dreams about this food every night for the next month. It's the best thing I've ever eaten.”
Aaron went to the stove for a second bowl. “You think Noni's soup is the best? You have no idea what’s next.”
“I can't imagine, ma'am.”
“While I appreciate your good manners, please stop calling me ma'am. Just Noni will do.” Noni turned back to the sink and slipped another plate into the water.
Ethan recoiled. “Noni” was for the people in her family and he sure as hell wasn't part of this family, let alone any family. But he didn't want to offend her or her hospitality, so he kept his mouth shut.
Aaron shoveled down another bite and then said, “Col. Grey is in the shower and the rest of the team should be arriving throughout the day. You're the first one here. Ranger's coming, and I asked Celine if she was interested.”
“Celine Latimer? The salon girl from Mercy?”
Aaron shrugged. “Yeah, Grey needed a stylist for Kate and the senator's daughter so I kind of volunteered her.”
“And this would have nothing to do with the fact you can't stay away from her?”
“Didn't say that.” Aaron took another bite. “It's all part of the master plan. Got it stored up here.” He tapped his head and nodded.
“My grandson is finally deciding to settle down? I don't believe it,” Noni said.
“I am nowhere near settling. This is just a girl I kind of like.”
Ethan crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. “Tell the truth, you really like her or you wouldn't hang around her so much on your off time.”
Noni clapped and came over to squeeze her grandson's shoulders. “It's about time. When will she be here? What does she like to eat? I'll make her something special.”
Aaron glared across the table and Ethan's grin grew. “Celine's gonna be so excited to meet your grandma.”
“Well? What's her favorite food?”
“I don't know, Noni.”
“How can you not know your girlfriend's f
avorite food? I'm disappointed.” Noni wiped her hands on her apron. “I taught you better than that.”
“She's coming for the mission more than for me, Noni.”
Ethan snorted. “I doubt that. The girl stares at you every time you're in the same room. It’s kind of sickening, to be honest.”
“I knew it! I'm making my fudge.” Noni yanked the half-eaten bowl of soup from Aaron. “Out of the kitchen, now, I need space.”
Noni executed an about face and started gathering supplies from various cabinets. The whole kitchen was a picture perfect image of what Ethan imagined a real family home looked like. Painted cabinets, various ceramic roosters and chickens along the countertops and decorating the windowsill over the sink and a refrigerator covered top to bottom in pictures.
“We better get out of her way. Go grab your bag and I'll show you your room.”
“Woah, I didn’t say I was staying. I’ll find somewhere, give you more room for everyone else.” Ethan rose from the table. He’d find a hotel somewhere.
“Nope. I wasn’t joking earlier, there is nowhere else. The closest hotel is over an hour away, plus Kate’s coming here. I’ve already got your training area set up out back.”
Ethan glanced through the window into the back yard and the large blue mat spread out on the ground. Shit. He didn’t want to be here. Bad enough he was on this babysitting mission in the first place while TF-S was gearing up to go after Mr. J. Now he’d be forced to stay around all this…family stuff.
“Fine. Show me my room.” He turned back to Noni, “Thank you, ma'am, for the soup.”
Noni pursed her lips, adding even more wrinkles to her weathered face. “You’re welcome.”
Ethan went to the living room and stopped in the middle to turn a slow circle. Every spare inch of wall space and table top was blanketed in family photos. “When you told me you have a big family, I had no idea.”
Aaron walked over to a cluster on the wall above a small antique side table and scratched his beard. “Yeah, four sisters, three brothers, about forty cousins. I think, unless Uncle Vince has found another younger newer wife, that could be off by a few.”
Men of Mercy: The Complete Story Page 99