“Best of luck, Steele.”
When Noah pulled into his driveway, he immediately spotted the nondescript cars on his street that hadn’t been there before. Since CIA analysts needed to blend into the background wherever they went, their clothes and vehicles had to blend in as well. Most people wouldn’t notice the compact car parked next to the house two doors down or the family van against the curb. But then, most people weren’t trained to spot them for a living either.
The gate began to open, and he shook his head as the van moved toward him. He pressed his quick dial option for Shadow on the truck’s Bluetooth.
“You’re losing your touch, man. I’m already here,” Shadow chuckled.
“Get your ass out of that compact car in my neighbor’s driveway and get over here before the gate closes,” Noah retorted. “You’re too big to fit in that tiny car anyway. You’ll break it.”
“On my way, boss,” Shadow laughed.
Noah stopped at the front door and watched Shadow climb out of the compact car with a bemused expression. Rebel and Bull pulled in the driveway just after Shadow and just before the soccer mom van that narrowly beat the closing gate.
Chaise came out of the house and walked over to stand next to Bull, her concern written on her face. She laced her fingers with his as they joined Noah. Bull gently squeezed her hand as he leaned into her. “Don’t worry, baby. It’ll be fine.”
Two men exited the van and started walking toward the waiting crew. The front door opened and Brianna stepped outside, looking first at her family and then at the approaching men who tried a little too hard to be casual. Noah slid his arm behind her and gently pushed her until she was completely shielded by his body. “Stay there, Bri,” he said over his shoulder.
“What’s going on, Noah?” she whispered to his back. Her fingers gripped his shirt as she stepped closer so their bodies were touching as much as possible.
“CIA, babe. I’ll tell you the rest in a minute.”
“Noah Steele?” one of the men called.
“That’s right,” Noah replied.
“I’m Joe Brown. This is Bill Smith. We’d like to talk to you.”
“Very imaginative names. What exactly can I do for the CIA? You boys here for some covert surveillance training?” Noah grinned.
Joe smiled good-naturedly as his gaze floated from one man to the next. “We’ve been briefed on all of you—Reaper, Bull, Rebel, and Shadow. Figured if we tried to hide too well, they’d never find our bodies.”
“You’d be right about that,” Shadow replied, the typical gleam of wit in his eyes.
“Mind if we talk to all of you inside?” Bill asked. “It’s fortunate you’re all here. Saves us a lot of time.”
Noah nodded and motioned toward the door. “Come on in.” As he turned, he took Brianna’s hand in his and raised it to his mouth for a kiss. “You’re staying with me,” he said quietly.
“Just let them try to tell me to leave,” Brianna replied as she opened the door.
Everyone followed Brianna into the spacious den. “Have a seat, guys,” Brianna offered.
Noah sat first and pulled Brianna into his lap. She willingly took her seat, wrapped her arm around his neck, and flashed an obstinate look at Bill and Joe. Bull pulled Chaise down beside him, their thighs touching. The message was clear—this family intended to stick together no matter what was thrown at them.
Joe sat on the edge of the seat, his tense energy palpable. He clearly knew the group wouldn’t be receptive to the news he had to deliver. He cleared his throat and repeated the story Special Agent Landry had already told Noah. The men remained stoic as they listened and took in every detail. The only exception was when Joe explained Liz’s emergency. Noah’s fingers tightened on Brianna’s hip when she attempted to jump up from his lap, and a slight smile played on his lips as he shook his head.
When Joe finished, he looked at Noah. “Why does it seem like you already knew all of this?”
Noah shrugged. “Life is full of mysteries. Like why the CIA has taken over a domestic case of civilian poisoning.”
Bill smiled knowingly. “It’s a little more complicated than that. As Joe said, Turan was on the FBI Watchlist but he disappeared for a while. We think he’s working with someone else in the US. He probably stole someone’s identification and started a new life. We’ve checked every aspect of Mrs. Stanton’s life and his cover as Lee Clover while he lived next door to her. He’d never been late for work, never missed a day, and never even had a parking ticket.”
Joe chimed in. “The only trigger point we’ve identified is your visit to Boulder a few weeks ago. He abruptly quit his job without giving even a day’s notice. He closed his checking and savings accounts. Then he poisoned Mrs. Stanton and left her for dead.”
Joe and Bill paused, looked at Brianna, and then watched as Noah covered her and their baby with his free arm. Joe recognized the protective gesture and carefully weighed his next words. “Right now, the only connection we’ve found is Brianna’s visit to the Middle East. After what happened with US Marshal Stevens, we can’t discount the possibility that another member of the same international crime ring is after her.”
“You think he’s coming after me?” Brianna asked. Her hand flew to her stomach and joined with Noah’s to shield their growing baby. “I was in Boulder every day for a week. Why not try something then?”
“There’s no cause for alarm yet. We just want you to be extra vigilant about your surroundings. We’re still looking at other leads and connections.” Bill tried to assure her.
“But you don’t know where he is or why he’s here or why he tried to kill Liz. That doesn’t sound like no reason to be alarmed to me,” Brianna shot back. “You’re in my home for a reason, aren’t you? You obviously know we have every reason to be alarmed. Don’t patronize me, and don’t lie to me.”
Noah smiled proudly at Brianna. “There’s my tiger.” He winked. His expression changed when he met Joe’s and Bill’s gazes. Noah and Reaper could be two different men at times. The man before them was definitely Reaper. “Don’t disrespect my wife like that again.”
“How about one of you just man up and spit it out?” Bull challenged, irritation lacing his tone.
“He has several aliases and our intel on Ali Babek Turan isn’t complete, but we know that he’s a merciless killer. He’s never left anyone alive before, so chances are high that he thought Mrs. Stanton was dead when he walked out. Had her son not been a doctor, she probably would’ve been classified as another heart attack case and we would’ve never known about the toxin.
“Our lab guys confirmed that it came from a bee farm in Turkey from the type of rhododendron pollen in it. It was fresh, too, so he recently acquired this batch. Our computer techs are currently scouring Customs’ databases for package tracking info, but I don’t expect to find anything. He’s been smart enough to avoid us so far, so I don’t see him making that kind of mistake.”
“Babek Turan doesn’t make sense,” Rebel interjected.
“What do you mean?” Noah asked.
“Babek is a Persian surname. Turan is a Turkish surname. It’s another alias, and he’s saying he identifies with both cultures,” Rebel explained.
“Have you figured out why he’s so familiar to you yet?” Noah asked.
Rebel shook his head from side to side, but Bill immediately picked up on the comment.
“You think he’s someone you’ve encountered in the past?”
“No. But something about him reminds me of someone I’ve come across before. I’ve been racking my brain, going through the details of our operations, but nothing has clicked yet.” Rebel stood and began pacing the room. Like a caged tiger, restless and irritated, his display of aggravation was apparent and uncharacteristic.
Joe’s phone buzzed and he quickly checked the message. “Another death has just been linked to Ali Babek Turan,” Joe said. “It was a sudden, unexplained death, and the circumstances too closely matched
Mrs. Stanton’s close call. We had it double-checked and the word just came back.”
“Who was it?” Shadow asked.
“Tom Nash, a former civilian contractor for the Defense department.”
Rebel’s head whipped around when he heard the name. His eyes met Noah’s and immediately knew what the other thought.
“What? You know something. What is it?” Joe asked.
“Tom Nash was one of the hostages we rescued from a compound in Iran, just across the border from Turkey, ten years ago,” Noah answered.
“Were you detected?”
“Yeah, it ended in a firefight just as we extracted the hostages,” Noah replied.
“Not that he isn’t somehow part of that group, but Ali is young right now. He would’ve had to been just a boy ten years ago. I didn’t see any kids there that night,” Rebel said.
“Neither did I,” Shadow confirmed. “There were a lot of grown men, but I’d remember if any kids had been part of that group. It was a close call to get some of the hostages out of there without getting shot. One thing I never wanted to face was deciding whether or not to shoot a kid.”
“I don’t think he’s after Brianna,” Rebel said and gave Brianna a reassuring smile. “I do think he’s here for us, though.”
“You’re right. He could very well be here for all of us,” Bull replied. “But killing our loved ones in the process could be an added bonus for him.”
“Men, this is a matter of national security. There’s more we need to brief you on, but we have to be in secure quarters.” Joe retrieved four envelopes from his inside coat pocket. “By special order of the President of the United States and Commander Adkins of the United States Special Operations Command, you are all hereby served with your orders. You’ve been fully reinstated as Delta Force operators to assist with the capture of Ali Babek Turan, by any means necessary.”
Whatever reaction Joe and Bill had expected, it was not the reaction they received. The team’s faces remained expressionless, but their eyes held fire and ice. The trained killers were no doubt still lurking just beneath their civilized exteriors. Bill attempted to break the tension in the room with a moment of levity. “It’s a little unnerving to have the four of you staring at us like that.”
“Like what?” Bull asked.
“Like, if I look away for a second, I’d never wake up again,” he replied.
“I must be losing my touch, then,” Bull replied. “You shouldn’t be able to tell exactly what I’m thinking.”
“We need you guys. The country needs you. We could very well have an activated sleeper cell on our hands. On American soil. We have a chance to stop whatever he has planned,” Bill urged.
“But the CIA doesn’t have jurisdiction on American soil,” Chaise interjected.
Bill and Joe both smiled. “Sure, we don’t,” Joe replied, intentionally cryptic.
“It’s not like you have a choice, since in a way you’re being drafted. But we’d much rather you join us willingly,” Bill added.
“I’m in, but I have conditions,” Noah spoke first.
“Let’s hear them,” Bill replied.
“I’m not leaving the country. We have a baby on the way, and I’m not getting stuck out on assignment somewhere and missing the birth. Or anything else that Brianna needs me here for,” Noah replied.
“Deal. You stay stateside. What else?”
“If I have to leave for more than a couple of days, Brianna comes with me. I won’t leave her safety in anyone’s hands but these three men here with me.”
“Agreed.”
“Since Brianna and Chaise are in as much danger as the rest of us, they’re privy to any information we get. Their safety isn’t up for discussion or debate.”
Joe and Bill exchanged glances, knowing that some of the information they had was classified at above top secret. Noah sensed their hesitation and chuckled humorlessly.
“Guys, you can’t tell me you’ve never divulged a little top secret information in exchange for even better intel from a confidential informant. You’re spooks. It’s what you do.” Noah leveled his gaze on them. “I’m not asking, gentleman. I’m telling you this is how it will be.”
“You know you can agree to this, gentleman. These two civilians are under our protection and can’t leave our sight,” Shadow added. “It’s the right thing to do.”
“Fine,” Joe conceded.
“What about Liz?” Brianna asked.
“She’s been moved to a safe place. The neighbors don’t know if she’s still alive or at her son’s house, and we’ve intentionally left it vague. With the medical laws, the hospital can’t give patient status, so there’s not much risk there. She’s asking about you, though.” Joe smiled at Brianna. “It’s been hell to convince her you and the baby are safe.”
Brianna chuckled. “That sounds like her.”
“We have a couple of different ways we can play this to draw him out. While we’re strategizing, it’s probably best if all of you move to a safe location, too,” Bill suggested.
“I’ll beef up security around here. Chaise can stay here with Brianna if we’re away, and I’ll add my best security guys to the grounds. Otherwise, I don’t want to hide anywhere.” Looking at his brothers, he silently confirmed their agreement.
“Your mail will be scanned and packages opened by a trained team. No delivery trucks or unknown vehicles are allowed inside the gates. Every man on your payroll has already been vetted. We’re not taking any chances with this,” Joe admitted.
“Good to know,” Noah nodded.
Before Joe and Bill left, Joe reluctantly promised he’d have Liz contact Brianna through a clean cell phone from her safe location. “That’s against every protocol on record, you know.”
“I doubt you’ll lose any sleep over it, Joe,” Brianna deadpanned.
* * *
Later that evening, Noah and Brianna settled onto the couch together. “Is this how you felt when you were an operator all the time? A constant ball of stress in your gut?” Brianna asked as she laid her head on his chest.
“Not really stress, babe. After all the training, it becomes almost second nature. There’s always a surge of adrenaline mixed with a little nervousness. That’s what kept us on our toes, though,” he replied. “You have nothing to be stressed about. I’ll never let him get close to you.”
She raised her head to look him in the eye before she spoke. “I’m not worried about me nearly as much as I’m worried about you, Noah.”
“Bri, this is my job. This is what I have done for years. You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of us. I’ve tried to convince you of that before.” He raised an eyebrow at her.
“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Nope. Not if I can use it to get what I want.” He grinned slyly.
“Let me rephrase what I said to be more accurate,” she said dryly. “I’m scared of losing you because I know what it’s like to live without you. I don’t want to do it again.”
Noah’s face softened as he threaded his fingers through her hair. “I feel exactly the same way. Baby, I promise we’ll never know what that’s like again. The security here will be thoroughly overhauled. Owning a security firm, I should’ve already handled that, but after you ‘died,’ I really just didn’t care about anything. Nothing mattered except my business and protecting others, because it took my mind off what I’d lost here.
“Now I know I can’t take a single thing for granted or take any chances with you and our baby. Several big enhancements will be immediately installed, so we’ll both be as safe as we can possibly be,” he assured her.
“You know,” she purred. “All this talk of being my big, strong protector is really turning me on.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Oh, yeah,” she confirmed before she lifted the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. “Definitely.”
7
CHAPTER SEVEN
“
Do you think you’ll have to leave?” Chaise asked Bull on their way home.
He heard the worry in her voice, saw the concern in her eyes, and knew that her question ran deep. As much as she worried about his safety, she also worried about the anxiety that plagued her when he wasn’t around. “If I have to leave you, it’ll only be for the night, and you’ll stay with Brianna while I’m gone. Otherwise, you will be right with me. I won’t leave you for longer than that, Chaise. I promise.”
She’d diagnosed herself with post-traumatic stress disorder after her ordeal with the Cordova family. She woke after having terrible nightmares at night and often had tears streaming down her face. Bull’s arm would tighten around her and he’d whisper soothing words in her ear until she’d calmed down enough to fall asleep again. Her refusal to seek medical help had been the source of arguments, but Bull was often silenced when she reminded him of how he’d previously coped with stress.
“I know you think I’m weak,” she half-whispered.
“No, I don’t think that at all. I’m amazed at how strong you are and how well you’re dealing with all the stress you’ve been under in the last few months.”
“Colton, I depend on you way too much. It’s like I can’t even let you do your job without panicking over you being away. That’s not who I want to be,” she said solemnly.
“We depend on each other,” he emphasized. “As much as I love protecting that hot body of yours, I don’t want you to completely shut down if I’m away. What do you suggest we do?”
“I think taking self-defense classes may help,” Chaise admitted. “Maybe my real problem is a feeling of helplessness.”
“That’s a great idea. You already know how to shoot and handle a gun. I can give you the names of a few places, and you can pick which class you want to go to,” Bull offered.
“You’re pretty slick, ya know?” She smiled playfully.
“Me? How’s that?”
“The whole ‘pick which class you want to go to’ part. I know you did that to make me feel like I’m in control.”
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