Shaking her head, she locked eyes with him. “My family has been messed up for a long time. It’s not a new issue for me. I don’t need to deal with it right now—or ever, for that matter. I’m good to go. I can start tomorrow.”
“You’re not good until you have a permanent solution. I can help you.”
She placed a hand on the table. “Lieutenant, I appreciate the offer but you need to understand that this is my personal business.” His eyes hardened so she softened her tone. “Relationships are complicated. I don’t understand why my mother stays with my father, but I’ve come to accept the fact that she’d rather die than leave him.”
He flinched and she realized she’d hit a nerve. Didn’t his mother commit suicide? She remembered that fact from the news coverage of his brother’s death.
“You asked me to trust you. You’re going to have to trust me that this is not an issue. I don’t need time to go deal with it. What I really need is to get to work.” Work was the only thing that kept her sane. She needed the order in her life.
He opened his mouth, then closed it. Desperate to move on, Alessa filled the silence. “Your turn to tell me something I don’t know, perhaps starting with why you need me to be your spy.”
Leaning back, he wove his hands into his hair. The creaking of his chair was the only sound in the room for several moments.
“If this is going to work, we need to trust each other,” she repeated quietly, as much for her own sake as his.
Finally, he unlocked his hands and placed them on the table.
“My brother Ethan isn’t dead. Someone in the army is holding him captive and I need your help to find him.”
CHAPTER THREE
IT WAS MADDENING. After his explosive announcement, Lieutenant Williams had been called away and Alessa had been assigned to a bed and instructed to get some sleep and report for duty at 0700. At least he’d relented on the one-week leave. Exhaustion eventually won over curiosity and she managed to get some good rest on a top bunk with a threadbare mattress.
She woke early and joined a group of soldiers on a predawn run. It was early spring, and after years in Kuwait she enjoyed the feel of cool, dewy air that smelled of flowers and grass rather than dirt and exhaust fumes. Reveille played around 0600. After ending her run, she went back to the barracks and took a shower and changed. She loved the routine, no matter where in the world she was.
“Sergeant Parrino.”
Rodgers was standing at the entrance to the warehouse she’d been instructed to report to. She almost didn’t recognize him because he wasn’t in army fatigues but was wearing jeans and a dark brown T-shirt that matched his hair and eyes.
A wave of disappointment hit her. She’d been expecting to see Lieutenant Williams. To find out why he thinks his brother is still alive. There was absolutely no other reason.
“Welcome to the unit. I’ll be giving you the tour and explaining the assignment.”
She nodded. “Thank you for going easy on me yesterday, Sergeant.” Rodgers was three years younger than her but the same rank. Experience had taught her that men didn’t like to be beaten by a woman and it was advantageous to put them at ease. A little trick she’d learned from her mother.
“I didn’t go easy on you. In fact, I gave it my best. You won fair and square, and I don’t mind admitting it.”
This is a first. “I appreciate that, Sergeant.”
“Call me Dylan or Rodgers. We’re equals. In fact, Luke isn’t into formalities—he wants us to call each other by first or last names. The point of this unit is to not follow our traditional training.”
“And why is that?” Despite her preparation for the assessment, she knew very little about the unit or its mission. Lieutenant Williams, Luke, had given her nothing. The papers she’d signed didn’t even have a designation for the unit.
“We are like secret internal investigators for the army,” Rodgers explained. “There have been some issues with treason, but we can’t seem to get to the root of the problem because we’re fighting an enemy within, one who knows how we work. There might even be some Special Forces involvement, which is why none of the unit members are Delta. Ethan started this no-rank business—he didn’t want the enemy to know how we operate, so first thing he wanted us to do was stop thinking like army grunts.”
Alessa couldn’t help but smile. She’d fit in perfectly.
“Did Ethan hire you?”
He nodded. “I was one of the first, so I’ve pretty much done all the jobs on this unit. You’re the sixth, but I understand you’re filling the logistics position.” He shot her a quizzical glance.
“Yes I am, Sergeant—I mean, Rodgers.”
“That makes no sense to me.”
She raised a brow. “Me neither. But it was either this or nothing at all.”
He shrugged. “My guess is it was Colonel McBride. Luke can’t stand up to him the way Ethan did.”
Aren’t you just a fountain of information. “How come?”
“He’s still feeling his way. Only got the gig because of General Williams. McBride wanted to put his own man in, so he’s looking for a reason to get rid of Luke. This unit was Ethan’s baby.”
“What’s your impression of Lieutenant...of Luke as a leader?”
Rodgers shrugged. “It’s too early to tell. He’s not his brother, that’s for sure, and that’s been hard on the unit. He looks just like Ethan, talks like him, but he’s a different man.”
“How so?”
“He’s not regulation army.”
“Didn’t you just say it’s not supposed to be?”
“Yeah, but he’s not an army man. The rest of us are here because we love the military, and we believe in the mission of this unit. Before Ethan died, he was lamenting the fact that Luke was quitting. So why take over his brother’s unit?”
“Because he wants to complete Ethan’s mission?”
Rodgers shook his head. “They weren’t tight like that. Anyhow, I’ve said too much to the newbie. Part of the training... We’ve been encouraged to fight our instincts. Do what doesn’t come naturally and be more transparent—whatever that means.”
He led her through a maze of boxes and random equipment, then opened a door to the area they’d been in yesterday. Luke wasn’t in his office. Rodgers stopped outside a door marked Men and went inside. Alessa followed.
“Heads-up.” Rodgers yelled, and Alessa averted her gaze as four men in various stages of undress quickly pulled on clothes and slapped on towels.
“This is Alessa Parrino.” He turned to her. “What do you prefer to be called?”
“Parrino is fine.”
“You the one who kicked his baby bottom yesterday?” one of the men asked.
Rodgers took it in stride. “Yep, so I’d watch myself if I were you guys. She’s mightier than she looks.”
Each of the men stood in turn and introduced himself. The tall African American man showing off a set of perfect abs over low-slung jeans was Boots. The baby-faced man with freckles on his nose and a mop of curly red hair was Steele, the dark-haired, dark-eyed man with a pockmarked face was Dan, and the skinny man with the easy smile was Dimples. They each gave her a hard handshake with a warm welcome in their eyes. She also noted that they were all around her age.
“There’s no women’s locker room. You’re welcome to use ours or use the bathroom in Luke’s office while we’re here.”
“What, Luke doesn’t have a nickname?”
The men looked at each other. “Not one he knows about.”
Alessa put a hand on her hip. “Out with it. Remember, I’m the one who’ll be planning where you stay and what you eat.”
The men exchanged another round of glances.
“All right, then, roach-infested motels and MREs it is,” Alessa said,
crossing her arms.
Rodgers held up his hand. “It’s Fabio.”
Alessa laughed and the men joined in. “That’s perfect for him.” While Luke’s golden locks were cropped short, he had the kind of swoon-worthy looks that could grace the covers of romance novels. With his playboy reputation, the name fit.
“What do you guys think of Colonel McBride?” If the collective nose-scrunching and eye-rolling was anything to go on, they felt the same way about the colonel as she did.
“That guy really needs to retire. But the only way he’s leaving the army is if he’s six feet under,” Steele muttered. They all nodded their agreement. These were good men, and Alessa felt a frisson of excitement roll through her. This was what she loved about the army, the camaraderie and feeling of being part of a team. “Do you have a nickname for him?” she asked.
“Nothing that’s stuck.” Dimples spoke for the group.
“I’ve got one.” Alessa smiled. “Black Tag.”
There was a beat, then the room filled with roaring laughter. In disaster triage, medics and doctors were taught to tag people according to the severity of their illnesses or injuries. Red tags for those who needed urgent care, black tags for those who couldn’t be saved or were already dead.
“That’s just perfect. Something goes down, that old coot is the first one I’m leaving behind.” Rodgers hooted.
And just like that, Alessa was one of them. No matter how “un-army” Luke wanted the unit to be, nothing changed the fact that Luke was their immediate commanding officer and the enlisted would band together.
Rodgers took her to a cubicle and motioned for her to sit. He handed her a piece of paper. “Here’s your computer login and password. Unit ships out in a month. The stack of files there is the equipment and transport we need, and a list of lodging options. I’ll be in the training pit with the other guys—come get me if you have a question.”
“Let me know if you need any help. Training, that is.” She wiggled her brows and Rodgers laughed.
“Guess I deserve that.” He turned, then stopped and looked back at her. “I am sorry Black Tag screwed you. You should be in the pit with us. The guys know it, too. Once we get in the field, things will be different.”
He wouldn’t say more, but Alessa smiled. If the men respected her, they would let her help on ops. Being in theatre was very different than being on post. At her rank, in combat, she commanded a small squad of men and women. On post she fetched coffee.
All day, she kept an eye on Luke’s office, but it remained empty. The men ordered pizza for lunch and invited her to eat with them in the pit, which was their term for the warehouse-like space with the Plexiglas box in the center. The ten by ten foot box had been set up for training exercises, and it was where she had fought Rodgers. She didn’t ask where Luke was and none of them commented on his absence. They talked easily about Fort Belvoir and gave her tips on what to avoid if she ate at the mess hall.
It had been a while since she’d been one of the guys, and Alessa felt less anxious about the transfer. Even if she was stuck doing grunt work, it was worth it to be away from Aidan and get her career back on track.
“So how did each of you end up on the unit?” Alessa asked through a mouthful of pepperoni pizza. It wasn’t as good as her mom’s homemade version, but far better than anything cooked up in a mess hall.
Rodgers answered first. “Back in the Sandbox, I worked with General Williams. When Ethan started the unit, the general called and asked me to apply. I was going through a divorce and it was a nice distraction.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Alessa said quietly. Though Rodgers said it nonchalantly, she sensed the divorce hadn’t been so easy on him.
He shrugged. “Army life is hard on spouses.”
Alessa looked around and saw several of the men nodding in more than just congenial agreement. Steele spoke up. “I’ve been through two divorces—the first when I enlisted after 9/11 and my high school sweetheart decided she wasn’t going to support me, and the second after three back-to-back tours. My second wife decided she wanted someone who was home for more than a weekend a year. She wanted kids and was tired of waiting on me. By the time I applied for this unit, I was a free bird.”
Alessa swallowed. On the few occasions she talked to her mother, she was diligently reminded that her window to have children was rapidly closing and if she ever wanted anything more than a bunk bed in a barrack, she needed to find a husband. She usually tuned her mother out, but ever since Aidan, each conversation had pinged her heart in a way the admonition never had before.
“Maybe you should marry another soldier,” Alessa said lightly.
They all shook their heads and turned to Dan, who rolled his eyes. “You’re going to make me tell her, aren’t you?”
Dimples slapped him on the back and Dan smiled at Alessa.
“When I was a young private buck, I fell head over heels for a wide-eyed doe, also a private. It was love in the headlights and we were married within weeks. Then we got deployed to the same desert and I loved it and she didn’t. Got her leg blown off and decided I wasn’t good enough for her anymore.” Dan’s casual shrug and broad smile did little to hide the raw pain in his eyes. A heavy silence fell over the room and Dan’s too-bright smile dropped.
Boots finally broke the somber mood. “Well, I’ve never been married.”
“That’s ’cause there’s no woman out there that can stand the smell of your feet,” Dimples teased.
In response, Boots lifted his foot and shoved it toward Dimples, who smacked it away. Alessa laughed along with the guys, enjoying the good-natured ribbing.
“We’re all here because we love the army,” Boots said more seriously. “I had a girl back home but I broke up with her when I enlisted.”
“Don’t listen to any of them. I’ve been happily married for twelve years and have three adorable children.” Dimples smiled proudly. “My girl gets that country comes first.” He pulled out his phone and turned the screen to show her. “That’s Emmy with my three brats. Army life is good for them. She’s got a house on post, daycare for the baby and school for the older two. We’ve got medical and dental, and she’s got a support system when I get deployed. It’s a good deal.”
The rest of the men went quiet and Alessa got the feeling that they were all trying to figure out whether Dimples was just lucky or whether they had it wrong.
“We all came for Ethan,” Steele said. “He recruited us in one way or another. We believed in him, in the work of this unit.”
“And now?” Alessa prompted.
“We’re here to complete Ethan’s work,” Dan said simply. “All of us were on the mission where we lost him, and we’re gonna make sure we make it right.”
The men nodded solemnly and Alessa’s heart squeezed. How was she going to spy on them for Luke? They were good guys, each sincere in his desire to serve. There was no way one of these men was a traitor.
When they were done eating, she stepped out of the pit and watched the unit members run through a home invasion scenario. She’d already finished the day’s work. Having been assigned to logistics for six months after the incident, she was already familiar with all the army systems. It was mind-numbing drudgery. But she would get to travel with the unit. They were going to Pakistan for a month, and she’d been asked to set up a safe house close to the Afghan border and organize all their travel and meals.
“It’ll be different once we get out of here.”
He’d snuck up on her. She stood at attention. Unlike yesterday, when he’d been dressed in fatigues just like her, Luke was dressed in jeans and a polo shirt.
“Sir?”
“Call me Luke. I’m sure the guys gave you the lowdown. We keep the formalities around Colonel McBride, but inside the unit, there’s no rank.”
“Excep
t for you.”
“Someone has to be in charge. But the guys are involved in all major decisions.”
“Except the one to hire me. Or use me as a spy.”
He pressed his mouth into a thin line but then his lips turned upward and he grinned broadly. “Parrino, you’re going to keep me in line, and I like it.”
Better watch this one. He was one of those guys who flirted without even thinking about it. Fabio. Except his transgressions hadn’t halted his career as they had hers.
“Are you going to fill me in?”
He motioned toward his office and closed the door behind them. After she was seated, he pushed a file across the desk. “The safe house the team was using blew up. Ethan walked right into it. The rest of the team was out on surveillance and he returned to check something out. Dimples and Rodgers came to the house when Ethan stopped responding and found it burnt to the ground. They pulled out Ethan’s charred body. Forensics identified him from DNA and dental records.”
“So why do you think he’s still alive?”
“I’ll get to that. First, I want you to consider how the safe house was compromised.”
“Surely someone has already looked into that.” There was no way the guys in the unit would have accepted that it was Ethan’s body otherwise.
“This unit doesn’t really exist. We’re technically paper pushers tasked with archiving old army records. The official story is that Ethan died in a training accident. So only the unit members have been studying the details, and we’ve found nothing. The guys only believed it after the DNA results came back. But the safe house could only have been compromised by someone on the inside. We suspect someone in the army set him up.”
She flipped through the file. There were pictures of the burnt house and Ethan’s body. It wasn’t recognizable. Reading through the operational details, it was obvious the unit had been set up. But how? The only people who knew of the operation were the unit members. Even Colonel Black Tag didn’t have all the details.
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