“Don’t move, Sam,” he said gently.
“Sam, can you hear me?” Veronica shouted up to her.
“Yeah. What happened?”
“You passed out. Do you hurt anywhere?” she asked.
“No.”
“Do you have a headache, pain in your neck?”
“No. I just feel foolish.”
“Don’t. Do you think you can move?”
“I think so.”
Ricochet held onto her the best he could while she pushed herself up.
“Everything’s in working order,” she reported.
“No dizziness?”
“Nope. Just a little weak.”
“Ricochet and Pearson will help you down. Don’t fight them and take your time. If you feel any dizziness, any pain at all, tell them.”
“Roger that.”
By the time he had her down on the limb below with Pearson, Boomer and Kong had arrived with Nelson. Kong was frantic, looking like he wanted to rip the tree down with his bare hands. Boomer positioned himself under Smoke as Pearson lowered her down from the limb. When he had a hold of her feet, Kong stepped up to allow her to fall into his arms.
Kong cradled her tightly against his body while biting his tongue to keep from ripping into her. Ricochet and Pearson climbed down. Veronica told Kong to set her down against the trunk of the tree. They all huddled around her.
“Back off guys. Give her a little room.”
When all but Kong moved away, Veronica gave Sam a friendly, female smile. “How ya doing, Sam?” she asked grabbing her wrist and placing two fingers over her pulse.
“Fine. Really I feel just fine.”
“That’s why you passed out in a tree?” Kong grumbled.
“Don’t start,” she snapped at him.
“Don’t start? Damn it Sam do you have any idea what could have happened to you? What the hell’s wrong with you?”
Veronica glanced over at Ricochet with a pleading look in her eyes, wanting help. He read her loud and clear.
“Hey buddy,” he said stepping up behind Kong. “Let Veronica check her out. You two can fight later.”
He thought for a split second Kong was going to rip into him, then logic overcame emotion. He stood, backed away and planted his feet firmly on the ground and crossed his arms.
“What the hell happened, Rico?”
“She was hidin’ and wanted them to find her. After half an hour Pearson decided somethin’ wasn’t right. I agreed and we all went lookin’ for her. That’s all I know, man.”
He watched as Veronica gave Sam a quick once over, helped her to her feet and held her up to make sure her legs were steady. It was always an asset to have someone with medical training on your team, he thought to himself.
“You want me ta get the Jeep?” he asked Sam.
“No, I can walk. I’m okay, guys.”
He heard Kong grumble as he stepped to her side. He wouldn’t want to be in that house tonight. Fireworks were sure to fly.
Boomer took Nelson and Pearson and headed for base. He walked with Veronica just behind Kong and Sam.
“Is she okay?” he whispered to her.
“For the moment. Has this happened before?”
“Not that I know of.”
“She should see a doctor.”
“Somethin’ tells me she’s gonna whether she likes it or not.” He had a feeling that’s what the fighting had been about for the last couple of weeks. Kong knew there was a problem and she was being hardheaded.
“You’ve had medical trainin’,” he said.
“It’s mandatory for the FBI. Nothing critical, just basic care.”
“That’s somethin’ we should consider here. It wouldn’t hurt for everyone to know the basics. I’ll talk to Cannon about it.”
When they reached the barracks Kong dragged Sam inside Cannon’s office. Things were going to be rocky for a while, at least until they knew what was going on with Sam. Veronica had been watching her carefully the entire walk back and didn’t stop until she was inside the building.
“What is it?” he asked her.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t tell me nothin’. You’re worried I can tell. Spill it.”
“Just a thought that I’ll keep to myself. I have to get moving. I still have two more sessions to get through today.”
She turned and jogged away from him. He allowed himself the pleasure of watching her ponytail sway, her firm round ass move in her snug khakis and her plump breasts bounce. She certainly was a work of art. If he didn’t have to work with her on a daily basis he just might consider taking her out.
He shrugged his shoulders. Oh well, he thought to himself, plenty of other apples on the tree. He too moved on. The day wasn’t over yet and he still had his own training with her, Pearson and Nelson to do. He spared one last glance at Cannon’s office building and then left.
When his three recruits arrived for their time with him he went straight to work. With each passing day their range shooting got better. He couldn’t be more proud. Ten minutes before their session was over he sat them down under a tree.
“I just wanted to say y’all did good today. Good call pickin’ up on somethin’ wrong, Pearson. You were right to voice your concern. Nelson, you moved like lightin’ across that field. Speed is important in an emergency.”
He looked at Veronica. Her eyes were lowered so her long black eyelashes fanned out across the tops of her cheeks. She wasn’t expecting a compliment from him.
“Veronica showed me the importance of all of us havin’ some sort of medical trainin’. Your calm demeanor and authority was exactly what was needed.”
“Is she gonna be all right, sir?” Pearson asked.
“She’ll be fine. Don’t go worryin’ about Smoke. She’s fought the toughest bad asses out there and came through. Whatever this is will be a piece of cake compared to that. The other thing I wanted to talk to ya about is your range shootin’. You’ve done well but it’s time we put ya through some real-life situations. Startin’ tomorrow that’s exactly what we’re gonna do.”
Pearson and Nelson smiled at each other. Veronica sat still and emotionless. Real-life was nothing new to her.
“Veronica here has experience in reality. I want you guys to work closer together, learn from each other, help each other. Teamwork is vital and it will save your life. I don’t just mean shootin’, either. You should be helpin’ each other all the time. Each one of ya has your strengths and weaknesses. Bond together and make one strong unit.”
He looked down into their faces. Pearson and Nelson were nodding their heads in understanding. Veronica however didn’t seem to be buying into it. There was his worry. She wasn’t a team player, she was a loner.
“Tell ya what. How about tonight ya meet me at the club? I’ll buy ya a round of drinks, we’ll laugh, tell stories and get to know each other a little better.”
“We can’t leave base, sir,” Nelson grumbled.
“I’ll take care of that. What’d ya say?”
“Sounds good to me,” Pearson replied.
“Me too,” Nelson said smiling.
Veronica just sat there. She twisted her fingers, the corner of her eyes crinkled and she chewed on her bottom lip. Was her apprehension a product of being forced into a team situation or because she was honestly afraid of returning to the club?
“Well?” he asked looking directly at her.
“I’ll be there,” she whispered.
“Good. I’ll clear your leave with Cannon,” he said to Pearson and Nelson. “You need a ride?” he asked Veronica.
“No, I’m good.”
“Nine o’clock. If ya get there before me grab a table. Dismissed.”
They got up to leave.
“Veronica, a word,” he said in a stern voice.
She stood with her back to him. “Yes, sir.”
“You haven’t been back to the club since, have ya?”
Her head lowered. “No, sir.”
/>
“Why?”
“Haven’t been up to it,” she replied in a firm tone.
He walked around in front of her. “You’ve been workin’ with Sam right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You learn anythin’?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. You’d better be there tonight. Your team is countin’ on it.”
“They aren’t my team.”
“No?” he asked folding his arms over his chest.
“No. I don’t have a team. I have myself. That’s all. When my training’s done I’m gone,” she said matter-of-factly.
And there was the personality he loathed so much. Fine, if that’s the way she wanted it.
“Well, I know it might be slumming to be seen with us ragtag bunch, but we’d like ya there. Choice is yours.” He turned and walked away.
He expected her to follow, shouting at him like she did at his apartment. He braced himself for the barrage of foul names she’d spew but nothing came. He wanted to turn and look, but forced himself to walk straight ahead. When she blew past him in a full run he had to hold himself back. The urge to go after her and shake some sense into her was strong.
Instead he walked in a steady rhythm with his feet pounding into the ground. Why the hell did he even care? It was no skin off his nose what she did. He stomped into their barracks and found Kong stretched out on a cot with his arms propped behind his head.
“Hey,” he growled at him.
“Hey.”
“How’s Sam?”
“She’s just fine.”
His cocky mimicking voice said things weren’t just fine. He sat on the cot next to him and leaned forward. “What’s going on?”
“Hell if I know. Something’s wrong with her, Rico. She keeps trying to hide it but I can see it as plain as the nose on my face. Every damn time I question her she bites my head off.”
“Cannon know about all this?”
“Not yet but he’s gonna. She won’t ground herself so I’ll have ta have him do it.”
“That’ll piss her off.”
He pressed the palms of his hands over his face. “I know but what the hell can I do? You saw her up in that tree. What if she’d fallen? What if we were in the middle of a mission? She could be killed. What if…”
“Don’t do that to yourself, man,” Ricochet interrupted. “What ifs will drive you crazy.”
“She’s my life, Rico. If something happens to her I won’t live through it.”
“So you make sure she knows that after she kicks your ass for squealin’ to her uncle. If it’s any consolation, buddy, I’m on your side on this one.”
“Good, you can be there to save my ass when she kicks it.”
“I said I was on your side, not your bodyguard.”
“Thanks, buddy,” he said sitting up.
“Why don’t ya have Hannah come over and talk to her? You know how women are, they’ll listen to each other before they listen to us.”
“Yeah, maybe. Actually that’s not a bad idea. I’ll see if Boomer will bring her over this evening. Why don’t you come over too? We could have a cookout and it won’t look like an ambush.”
“Sure, I’ll come for a while. I’m meeting our three recruits at the club at nine though.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I’m tryin’ to get them to be more of a team. So I thought I’d show ’em how we did it back in the day.”
“Sounds good. Hey, if Sam throws me out I’ll join ya.”
“She won’t throw you out and if she tries you damn well better stand up to her.”
“Yeah, I will.”
He left Kong wallowing in confusion and misery and headed home to shower and change. He was actually looking forward to a night out with his trainees. They were good people and if he had to work with them one day he wanted to know them inside and out.
When he arrived at Kong and Sam’s he rang the doorbell. Kong pulled the door open looking exasperated. He had to chuckle to himself. He never thought he’d see the day big Kong was in a tizzy.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Just peachy.”
“I take it Uncle Walt knows?”
“Oh yeah, he pulled her from the training sessions and I’m the biggest son of a bitch who walks the earth right now. I might need to crash at your place tonight,” he said scrubbing his face with his hands.
“No problem. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Come on. She’s out back cooking steaks on the grill. I’m not even good enough to do that right now.”
He walked to the backyard with Kong and wrapped his arms around Sam from behind. “Hey baby. How’s it goin’?”
“Hey, Rico. Come to gang up on me too?” she said, glaring at Kong.
The doorbell rang giving Kong an escape. Ricochet took the opportunity to give her a little piece of advice.
“Ya know, Sam, you’re the only woman in this world who can twist that guy into twenty different directions. He’s worried about you and scared. We all are. Cut him some slack. He’s still pretty new at this love thing and so are you.”
“Always the logical one, aren’t you,” she said flipping a sizzling slab of beef.
“Nah, just someone who cares about his friends.”
“Hey guys,” Boomer rumbled coming through the yard. “We brought dessert, Sam.”
Raya trotted up to Sam and hugged her.
“Now that’s just what I needed today. A hug from my favorite squirt,” Sam said hugging her back.
They made it through dinner without any blow ups. Sam even simmered down enough to be civil to Kong. When they were finished eating, Hannah, Sam and Raya went into the kitchen to clean up. The men sat in the backyard sipping on beers.
“I explained what happened to Hannah. She thinks she might know what’s going on but won’t tell me.”
“Women,” Kong sighed.
“That’s why ya don’t see me tied down to one. Too many complications,” Rico said smiling.
“I like the complication,” Boomer told them.
“You like the makin’ up. I hear make up sex is hot,” he said laughing.
“It is, my friend. It is.”
Rico looked at his watch. “Well, boys, I’d like to sit around and complain about women with ya, but I’m meetin’ the troops at the bar.”
“Ronnie gonna be there?” Boomer asked.
“She was invited but she says she doesn’t need a team. Don’t matter one way or the other if she is there.”
“Uh-huh,” Boomer said before taking a sip of his beer.
“Don’t keep ’em out too late, Rico. Tomorrow’s a work day,” Kong warned him.
“Yes, Daddy,” he said walking away.
When he arrived at the bar and walked in he automatically scanned the room looking for good-looking women. He couldn’t help it, it was a habit. There weren’t many people in the bar tonight, but it was still early. In about half an hour it would begin to fill up.
“Sir,” he heard spoken loudly to his right.
He turned his head to see Pearson waving at him. Only Pearson and Nelson, no Veronica. It didn’t surprise him. She’d made her feelings known. Her loss.
“Evenin’, guys. Whatcha drinkin’?” he asked sitting down.
“Beer,” Pearson said, waving to the waitress. “What can we get you?”
“I think I’ll have a beer myself. Any trouble gettin’ off base?”
“No, sir. Mr. Cannon gave us his blessing and said to have a good time,” Nelson said raising his beer and smiling. “We thank you for getting us out.”
He had to laugh. Cannon’s rules were stricter than the military. His recruits didn’t get weekend leaves. They were expected to stay on base and practice their skills.
“Make sure you’re back on time. Don’t give him reason not to trust ya.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison.
They sat, talked and drank for half an hour, then Veronica walked throug
h the door. He sensed her rather than saw her. Every male in the place turned his head at once, even his two young recruits. He’d found himself wondering what she’d be wearing if she came tonight. Would she have on a sexy dress like the last time? Maybe she’d have on her workout clothes. He turned his head and suppressed a smile.
Tonight she was dressed down. A pair of tight blue jeans that flared at the ankle, a pair of black boots with a slight heel and a blue silk blouse that hugged her upper body like a glove.
“Sorry I’m late, guys,” she said, sitting.
“Glad you could make it,” he told her.
“What are you drinking, Ronnie?” Pearson asked, waving at the waitress again.
“I’ll have what you’re having. Thanks. So what’s the talk about tonight?”
“The guys were just givin’ me their opinion about gettin’ medical trainin’,” he said.
“Oh and what’s the verdict?”
“It certainly couldn’t hurt,” Nelson replied.
“The more knowledge the better.” Pearson agreed. “As long as I’m not expected to conduct surgery. Not sure I could handle that.”
“You’d be surprised what you can handle given the right circumstances,” she said quietly.
From there the conversation took off, each offering their own experiences, stories and questions. They joked, laughed and drank. Everything went just the way he hoped. That is, until the creep walked into the bar.
He wasn’t sure Veronica saw him at first. He kept a close eye on him, watching his every move. Creep saw her though, that he was certain of.
“Has he seen me yet?” she asked without looking at him.
“Yep.”
Nelson and Pearson exchanged a curious glance.
“You don’t walk out of this bar alone.”
“Wasn’t planning on it,” she said and then took a sip of her beer.
“Is there something we should know?” Pearson asked.
“The guy at the bar with the short blond hair, tan pants and blue polo doesn’t like me,” she told them. “The last time I was in here he propositioned me. I refused. He followed me out and tried to rape me.”
He was surprised how easily she filled them in. Apparently she’d come to terms with what happened. Good for her.
“You’re shittin’ me?” Nelson said looking over his shoulder.
Ricochet's Rogue (Agent of Mercy, Book Three) Page 10