Protection

by Jay S. Wilder

  Always.

  For a second he wondered about what he’d read back in the bathroom.

  As Nicole was hidden back in a row of seats with her head down, he took the opportunity to adjust her seating arrangement and got to the end of the line for the airline ticket agent.

  As he waited, he scrolled through the online information he had found about Nicole. He pulled up her Facebook page, showing a profile picture of her in a simple white blouse and blue jeans. Her russet hair hung down past her shoulders, and her dark brown eyes drew him into her face, even in its two-dimensional frame. She was stunning. Young too. Probably the youngest mark he’d ever been assigned to monitor.

  He continued inspecting the online footprint of Nicole’s life. More pictures of her in front of her Silicon Valley condo, riding her bike with friends, team building events at Terratech with the other software developers, and photos of various meals she’d consumed.

  The line inched forward, and he looked up. There were two more passengers waiting to be served, so he kept surfing. Pages and pages of impersonal pictures More landscapes and scenery than friends and family. Maybe he and Nicole were alike in that manner. Scrolling far back, almost two years, his attention was grabbed by pictures of her in…

  China?

  What were the chances? Yet, there she stood with an Asian woman about the same height as Nicole with crazy-colored hair. His finger swiped over the screen as he flipped through her memories of her days in China, working for…

  Holy fuck.

  Nicole Hunt had worked at Delta Shandong. Now, he had a pretty good idea why she was being followed for intel and why they’d specifically assigned him to monitor her.

  He shook his head.

  He knew where this was going.

  The Company wanted to wrap a nice, neat bow over every link they had between Terratech and Delta Shandong and this poor, unsuspecting young woman was tied to both. She must have some sort of information, knowledge, what have you—maybe she wasn’t even aware of it—and it suddenly made her an international threat. When you messed with people like these guys and got in their way, you were… eliminated. He winced at the thought this was going to end up as another cleanup job, which wouldn’t be good for Nicole Hunt in the end.

  Everything had just changed.

  Boy, had it ever. There was more, though. Because, right then, Nick got an encrypted text from X29 which he proceeded to decipher in his head. It took a minute, but he understood:

  Target has USB drive or similar in her possession with Top Secret data. Target’s father on route Scottsdale to London Heathrow for likely rendezvous. Target has taken a haphazard route across the country to avoid tracking. Follow to JFK and hold target there until further notice. Acquire device at all costs.

  “May I help you, sir?” the gate attendant asked, ready to assist him.

  Nick removed his sunglasses and did his best to dazzle the older woman behind the counter with his smile and friendliness. That quote about getting more with honey than vinegar was true in any situation. Especially when it involved an interaction between a man and woman. Besides, charm always got him a long way, so with some luck, she’d likely do whatever he needed.

  “Hi there… good morning.” He strategically placed his boarding pass marked “First Class” on the counter for the agent to see. She smiled, noting his elite airline status. “I’m hoping you can help me. See, several employees of my company are on this flight, but they’re all in coach. My business partner just called to tell me he won’t be making the trip and to bump up one of the hard-working staff members to come enjoy first class for the long flight.”

  The agent bobbed her head in appreciation. “That’s a very nice thing to do. If you tell me the name, I’ll call them up to the podium here and we’ll—”

  Nick stopped her. “No, I want it to be a surprise. You know a perk of the job and a way to say thanks for all their contributions. Six-hour flights can be quite taxing for passengers stuck in coach. No offense.”

  “I understand. So, which of your employees would you like to reward?”

  Playing the part, Nick pretended to mull it over for a minute and then said, “Let’s give Nicole Hunt a pat on the shoulder,” he said contemplatively. “She’s been putting in a lot of extra hours, so this will be nice for her.” He passed the boarding pass over to the woman behind the counter as she typed furiously into the console in front of her. This was sort of a bullshit request, Nick knew, especially with all of the tight rules constantly changing within TSA, but he and Nicole were already through security and at their gate, so the agent probably thought there was no harm, no foul. Either that or she appreciated his blue eyes. Most women did.

  The printer in the kiosk clicked to life and a new boarding pass printed out with Nicole’s name and new seat assignment on it.

  “It’s all set,” the woman said.

  “How will she find out?” Nick asked.

  Pointing to the monitor over the door to the gateway, she explained, “When she goes to check in, she’ll be informed that she was bumped up and we’ll swap out her boarding pass at that moment. She’ll be pleasantly surprised to find her seat in first class rather than having to go all the way to the back of the plane. She would have had a window seat next to the engine and near the bathroom. Simply horrible.”

  Nick agreed and chuckled at the woman’s reaction. “Excellent,” he said and dazzled her with another smile. “I appreciate your help, so much. I like to take care of people who do a great job.”

  “That’s wonderful to hear,” the agent said. “I wish more employers were like you.”

  He made a point of leaning in to read her nametag. “Well… Rosita… I’ll make sure I fill out an airline survey and give you top marks for your customer service.”

  Rosita blushed deeply. “They’ll be pre-boarding the first class cabin momentarily, but why don’t you go on ahead.”

  “Thank you so much,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting settled in.”

  Rosita moved the red rope blocking off the entranceway to the plane and let him pass. She scanned his boarding pass, handed it back to him, and wished him a safe flight.

  He nodded and smiled a final time, adding a quick wink at the end.

  Before stepping through the doorway and onto the long, extended gangway leading to the jumbo jet, Nick peered up at the flight status board and saw “HUNT/N – Upgraded” on the list.

  Fuck. Was she in for a surprise.

  Maybe, they both were.

  14

  Nicole

  Holy fuck, he’s hot.

  Who. Was. That. Guy?

  Seriously.

  Nicole had to take off her thin jacket to relieve the rushed flash of desire for the perfect stranger she’d encountered a little while ago.

  Perfect. Yes. He certainly was, but Christ. The last thing she needed right now was for the universe to throw some tall, built, dark-haired, blue-eyed hunk of man meat right in front of her, in her path, with his bedroom… everything. Not while she was scared shitless, afraid of every shadow, what was around the next corner, and whether or not each person who passed her was going to take a shot at her.

  For as long as she could remember, she’d been a sucker and a half for a guy with dark hair. The blue eyes on this one had been a bonus. Bright yet deep, like a tropical ocean. Even now, simply remembering the interaction, his kindness, and his soft touch, had her pulse ratcheting up a few beats, as if she weren’t already in high adrenaline-producing mode as it was. As it stood, she was going to need hospitalization before this was all over.

  She sat back down and reached for her coffee. It had grown cold by now, which was fine with her since she needed cooling down herself. She needed to get the Nordic Hunk out of her mind. It was easier said than done.

  As a computer programmer, attention to detail was one of her strongest assets which didn’t go to waste when she wasn’t sitting in front of a laptop. It also benefitted her in a situation like th
is when she had to watch her surroundings, the people nearby, and the ones she interacted with. Like Nordic Hunk.

  Okay, she was pretty sure the guy wasn’t from Sweden or Norway or anywhere like that. He exuded the look of a man who spent his days on the slopes and his nights in front of the fireplace. Or, maybe he was more the beach type. A diver or a surfer. Hmmm… that made more sense in her fantasy world. Especially since she loved the beach herself. Living in San Francisco was exciting and fun although it lacked the stereotypical California beaches one could soak up the sun on yearly. If she’d thought about it more, she should have fled to the Caribbean and hidden out at some all-inclusive resort until her father could figure out what was going on and this all blew over.

  No. She was bound for the UK, to London, which was rainy and cold this time of year.

  She’d obeyed her father, though. She always did. He truly did know best—most of the time—and when it came to fucking around with her life, well, she wasn’t ready to cash it in after only twenty-four years on the planet.

  All this over a bunch of ego-maniacal men in suits seeking power and prestige and control.

  Well, screw all of them… from Ryan Malone up to Bob Worthington, Doyle McDonough, and that Mr. Bernhardt. They thought that just because she was a young female, they could push her around, scare her, and force her out of town?

  Sliding her eyes to her belongings next to her, she sadly let out a long sigh of admission. That was exactly what they’d done. They’d threatened her, intimidated her, scared the holy hell out of her and left her no other choice but to flee for her life.

  My life.

  Nicole had never been one to let paranoia guide or influence her, yet she had to admit it was leading the way. Even the encounter with Sexy Man had her wondering if he’d been sent to deal with her. That would be ridiculous, though. No one knew where she was. She’d been meticulous about covering her tracks, leaving false clues, and not giving herself away. For all she knew, anyone trying to find her was sitting out at San Jose International Airport watching the departing flights.

  The run-in with the hottie was nothing more than a random encounter. Apparently, one she desperately needed. That momentary interaction with him totally set her body on fire. With the thoughts of her young life possibly ending, she actually considered trying to find him before her flight and have a quickie with him. She might as well go out with a smile.

  Shaking her head at her own insanity, Nicole glimpsed at the burner phone in her hand to check the time. They were already boarding the first class folks onto her flight, so it was only a matter of time before she could get on, take her seat, and plan out her next step. Her plan was to get the first flight out to Heathrow, unless she had some sort of sign from her dad that things weren’t right. She could always rent a car and drive north, over the border to Canada and fly out of Toronto. Then again, to do that, she’d need to use a credit card to get the vehicle which meant anyone in cahoots with any sort of law enforcement, thugs, or goons looking for her would immediately know when she’d used her card and her exact location.

  “Welcome to American Airline’s flight to New York’s Kennedy Airport. We will continue boarding our first class cabin, but those passengers in Groups 1 - 3 may board at this time. Please make sure your carry-on fits under—”

  Nicole blocked out the rest of what the woman at the counter was saying as she stood and gathered up her things. Not much, just her laptop bag, her bulky purse, and a small roller board. The USB drive was tucked away in a pocket of her purse between her Skull Candy eye shadow and a bottle of ibuprofen which she’d already dipped into heavily thanks to a tension headache pounding away at her temples. Even though it was still morning, she’d splurge on the plane and have a couple of cocktails to help her relax and sleep.

  “We’re now taking passengers in Groups 1 – 4 at this time…”

  Nicole checked out her boarding pass and outwardly groaned.

  Group 9.

  “Really?” Fuck, by the time her group was called, she’d be lucky if she’d be able to hang on to the tip of the wing the whole way. Hell, she’d probably have to ride in the restroom.

  “Would passengers Lemke, Archer, Sherwin, and Hunt please check the board for seating assignments.”

  Nicole paused hearing her last name and nearly dropped everything and started running. Her heart rate accelerated to the heights of the engines roaring overhead from the planes taking off. She stood stock-still, frozen in place, unable to move and not blinking for fear of calling attention to herself.

  She counted slowly to ten in her head… waiting… waiting… waiting…

  When she reached eleven, she allowed herself to breathe again. Nothing had happened to her, and no one was barreling down on her. Then, why did she hear her name? Oh wait, something about a seating assignment? It couldn’t be her. Her pass read 35A which was in the ass-end of the plane. She highly doubted it could get any worse or that anyone else would want to arm wrestle her for the coveted seat next to the restroom. Besides, it wasn’t like Hunt was some uncommon name that could only pertain to her. Chances were more than likely there were other Hunts in the airport at this precise moment.

  Passengers lined up in front of her easing forward like cows going to market as they had their pass scanned and they were let loose down the corridor to their freedom. She shifted from one foot to the other, wishing her group would get called. Impatiently, she lifted her head to check out the monitor above the gate showing the temperature in New York to be a crisp sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit currently. She’d definitely have to slip her jacket back on, now that her body had cooled from her sensual need.

  Next flashed rules about no smoking, the use of electronics, power outlets in each seat on the flight, and Wi-Fi available for an extra cost. Sure, it was bad enough her ticket had been over five hundred dollars, they were going to nickel and dime her to death on everything while hauling her fleeing ass across the fly-over states. A list of upgrades and seat assignments popped up next, and Nicole did a double-take when she not only saw the name Hunt, but HUNT/N.

  “What the—?”

  Fear and anxiety rose in her throat again, and she spun around to see if someone was watching her. The place was stupid crowded with people from all walks of life, so how was she to know who was a cop, private eye, hired assassin, or whatever there to take her out and get the TDE-5X data back from her. She fisted her hands, poised to defend herself against an attack that wasn’t about to happen. No one cared that she was standing there in a dead panic.

  She decided to press ahead to the counter and ask. Surely, it was merely a typo or a coincidence.

  “Excuse me,” she whispered too quietly.

  The woman with the name tag reading Rosita studied her for a moment and then said, “How may I help you?”

  Keeping her voice low so as to not draw attention to herself, Nicole motioned her head to the monitor above. “I’m not sure,” she began. “My name was called over the PA system. Something about my seating assignment?”

  “Name please.”

  Nicole didn’t want to just announce herself, so she slid her crinkled boarding pass at the woman.

  Rosita took one peak at it and smiled. “Yes, Ms. Hunt. We had a reassignment in your favor.” She reached across her podium and withdrew a freshly-printed boarding pass and handed it to Nicole. “You can go right ahead and board now. No more waiting.”

  With a shaky hand, Nicole accepted the ticket from the woman. Staring at it as if it were written in Greek, Nicole made out several items that had her breathless. First, her name was on it. No question there. Second, she was now in Group 1. And her seat was now 4F. As in first class.

  Stunned, she reeled back a bit. “There’s been some sort of—”

  The ticketing agent stretched her hand out and patted the top of Nicole’s. “No mistake, my dear. Sometimes, these things just happen. Now, you get on board and enjoy all those extras.”

  Nicole was so thrilled, she
could burst into song. She only let her well-erected guard down for a second, and look what happened. Was it the kindness of a stranger who may or may not have upgraded her, or the cosmic intervention from the computer gods smiling down on one of their earthly workers? Whatever the cause, she wasn’t going to question it again. Taking a deep breath, she clutched the boarding pass, and went directly to gate noted on her boarding pass.

  First. Class. Fuck yeah!

  The wait was short, and she was still bracing for someone to tell her the ticket was a mistake when she lined up to get on board. Thankfully, the attendant scanned her ticket and handed it back to her without any problem.

  “Enjoy your flight, Ms. Hunt,” the cheerful blonde chimed.

  Giggling at her phenomenal luck, Nicole crept along with the other passengers—including the poor schmucks now stuck back in economy—making their way to the Airbus. She started wondering if there would be a movie and food. There’d definitely be alcohol. Although, with everything that had gone down over the past few days, maybe drinking wasn’t the smartest thing. She’d need her wits about her once she landed in New York.

  Six hours away.

  “Screw that. I’m drinking,” she muttered to herself and smiled. After all, it was free in first class. She’d have a few glasses of whatever and then sleep the rest of the flight. No one could harm her while she was up in the air. She’d literally rise above all the bullshit.

  As she stepped onto the aircraft, she almost felt safe. Leaving town was the smartest way to take care of herself. Just like her dad had taught her. She hadn’t ever conceived of joining the military herself, but she knew when to listen to her father and his advice. Even though there were things between them still left unsaid. Actions of his she was still working through. She was trying, after all, to be a grown up, learning to forgive, yet never really forgetting. She didn’t know how she could forgive him totally. He’d changed her life, altered the dynamics of their family, made her harder than she’d like to be. More bitter than was in her nature.