by KaLyn Cooper
“But you didn’t,” she insisted. “You held on and you fought back. I understand that kind of loyalty. I respect it. I would fight to save the life of any member of my team, and the ones they love. Yes. I have, and will again, fight to keep Alex, Rafe, Griffin, and Daniel alive and safe.” She quickly added, “and I would kill anyone who tried to harm Simon and Isabella. Nobody better fucking touch those kids.”
Marcus smiled down at her and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “You’re quite the mama jaguar. I like that fierce protectiveness in you.”
She started to blush, taking his meaning to be a compliment, then reached up and cupped his cheeks. He wasn’t going to change the conversation to her. She wasn’t done discussing this subject. “We all have scars inside and out. You’ve seen mine from where I got shot.
She ran her thumb over the scar that started at his eye and ran into his beard. “When I look at you, I don’t see the scars. I see the man in here.” She laid her flat palm on his bare chest over his heart.
His pectoral muscles twitched and she laid both hands over them. They were pumped up from his swim. Damn, the man was built. His small flat nipples hardened automatically, and she traced their outer edge with her fingertips. Her hands mirroring each other, she followed the valleys between each of his abdomen muscles.
“You have a beautiful body. Strong. Toned to perfection.” Tori had always been into men with good bodies because it said something about them as a person. They cared about their looks enough to take the time, make the effort, to stay strong.
She and the other women on the black Swan team exercised because they had to be in the best shape possible for their jobs. All special operators cared about their bodies. Maybe that’s why she had preferred to sleep with them. So many men by the time they reached thirty already had love handles and a good start on a beer belly. Marcus’s was flat.
When she reached for his belly button he grabbed her wrists. Only then did she notice how distorted it was and the puckered round circles the size of a quarter.
“How—” she managed to say before he cut her off.
“Cigars,” he said through clenched teeth. “They used my belly button as an ashtray for their cigarettes and joints. One night, when they were drunk,” he sucked in a ragged breath as the muscle in the side of his jaw twitched. “It became a competition as to who could make the biggest blister with the tip of a hot cigar.” He looked away.
She pulled his face back until their eyes met. “Harper’s never seen this has she?”
“No, thank Christ. She never will.” He swallowed hard enough for her to hear. “I don’t let anyone see these. I hate it when the nurse is in the room and the doctor has to examine them all. I can’t stand to see the pity in their eyes.”
“Look at me, Marcus,” she demanded. “Do you see pity in these eyes?”
As he stared at her she could only hope that he could see what she felt inside. Unsure, she told him. “I am so fucking proud of you!”
Grabbing the back of his head, she pulled his face down to hers and kissed him, wanting to infuse him with everything she felt. He didn’t react. His face was solid, unmoving.
She lifted her lips and stared at him, begging him to answer the unasked question.
Instead, he asked one of his own. “Tori, why would you want to be with a man like me?”
That was an easy answer. “Because you are the strongest, bravest man I’ve ever met.”
He crashed his mouth on hers, demanding everything she could give him.
“Hey, you two,” Lei Lu yelled from the deck.
Marcus started to step away, but Tori held him in place. “I don’t care if they see us together. They are smart women, they’ll know.”
Lei Lu continued, “Rosita is almost ready to serve breakfast. We have a conference call right afterward so you’d better take a quick shower and change.”
“We’re headed in,” Tori told her friend just before Lei Lu stepped inside.
Marcus raked his fingers through the hair at her temples. “You are so fucking beautiful. Are you sure you want to be seen with a man like me?”
She leaned in and pecked his lips. “Most definitely.” She ran her hand down his bare chest then grabbed his hand. “Come on. I need a quick shower and to change. They frown on bathing suits at videoconferences. We’re supposed to be professional.”
“I can do professional, and fast.” He gave her that half smile she loved.
She kept hold of his hand until they reached her room.
This time it was his turn to bend down and give her a quick kiss. “I’ll meet you at breakfast.”
Marcus was true to his word. He already had a plate of food by the time she reached the buffet. Tori loved being at the Callahan compound. The food was fresh, delicious, and plentiful. Rosita was one hell of a cook.
Minutes after she sat down, the large seascape on the wall lit up and chimed.
“Fuck, they’re early,” Nita complained as she shoveled the last two bites of pancake into her mouth.
Tori turned to Marcus. “Sorry, but duty calls. Literally.” She glanced at his plate which was already empty. “If you’re still hungry, after were done with the videoconference, Rosita will give you more.”
He rubbed his belly. “I’m just glad I swam as far as I did this morning. If we stay very long I’ll gain ten pounds. You think we can talk Katlin into moving Rosita to Washington?”
“Costa Rica is my home. I’m not leaving here, even for my favorite nephew.” She said in Spanish, patting his face as she walked by collecting the placemats.
Favorite nephew? He’s already charmed Rosita? “You work fast.” Tori hip checked him as she collected the plates and took them to the kitchen. That was one thing she liked about living in the compound. Everybody pitched in and the huge table could be cleared in less than one minute.
“Going live in five, four,” Lei Lu called out the countdown. The picture had flipped around, replaced by a large flat screen.
“Is there someplace in particular that I should sit?” Marcus asked as his gaze swept the table.
Quietly, she pointed out, “Since Katlin is our team leader, she sits at the head of the table. Lei Lu is in charge of communications, so she sits on Katlin’s right. After that it doesn’t matter. The camera will capture everybody in the room.” She pointed to the small box in the lower right of the screen that was running real-time, showing the dining room now converted to a conference room. The Black Swan logo took up the middle. Suddenly the CIA logo flashed on the screen and Lei Lu got busy.
“Sit over here next to me.” Tori hadn’t noticed it before, but Marcus had a messenger bag hanging off one corner of the chair. Grabbing it, he quickly opened his laptop.
Their team never had to take notes because everything was recorded. Since they were attached to Homeland Security, someone at the Operations Command Center was responsible for making notes and forwarding them to their team.
Within a minute, Jack Ashworth from Homeland Security, General Lyon from USSOCOM, and Tom Callahan, the Deputy Director of the CIA, and Katlin’s uncle, were all on the screen, each in their own box. After the usual brief greetings, Jack took control of the meeting.
“The ship is to arrive in Puerto Cortes late tonight. I want a team there this afternoon just in case they dock early. General Lyon, can you confirm that Black Swan Team Two will arrive in time?”
The general looked as though he wanted to roll his eyes or spit nails. “Of course they’ll be there in time. They’re already in the air headed to Central America. They will join Black Swan Team One, initially based out of Costa Rica but we already have permission to use the base in central Honduras if we need to.”
Tom Callahan interjected, “The Honduran government isn’t happy that these warheads could be used against them so they are fully cooperating. They’ve been running scared ever since the coup in Nicaragua.” He cocked his head and one corner of his mouth twitched.
Covertly, the women a
round the table exchanged a glance. Katlin shrugged one shoulder a fraction of an inch indicating she had no idea what was happening.
“I’m reinforcing the Black Swan teams,” Tom Callahan announced. “I’m sending in my lead Central American analyst to keep a close eye on the situation and to activate assets throughout the region.”
“Nobody gave you permission to do that,” Jack blasted back.
Tom sat forward and placed his forearms on the desk presenting and imposing picture on the screen. “Nobody had to give me permission. The Central Intelligence Agency is in charge of providing global intelligence including political, social, economic, and technological. This situation touches on every single area. It was only prudent that I put my best man on-site.”
Tori stole a look toward Nita. Everybody at that table knew exactly who the Deputy Director of the CIA was talking about, Daniel Callahan.
The deafening creak of General Lyon’s chair scraped eardrums as he too sat forward. The man in uniform with stars on his collar didn’t bother to hold back a smile. “Two of my best teams are taking the lead on this mission. Within the next few hours, several backup teams will arrive in the area. My strategists were concerned that your initial plan lacks strength. I have repositioned reinforcements, both active duty and contractual. I’m covering my valuable assets.”
Tori glanced toward Katlin and Grace. Both their fiancés were part of the black ops side of Guardian Security which was owned by Katlin and her fiancé, Alex Wolf.
It looked as though the Callahan compound would soon be filled.
Jack looked flustered, maybe even angry. “The original plan stands. Lady Hawk, take a small team and go to Puerto Cortes this afternoon and assess the situation. Once we confirm that the shipment of nuclear warheads is at the docks in Honduras, the State Department will work with the Honduran government to secure the warheads.” Jack blatantly looked at his watch. “If everyone is clear on this plan, and I’m headed to brief the Homeland director before we go to the White House.”
“Black Swan understands the plan.” Katlin shifted in her seat.
“We’re good,” Tom Callahan said.
General Lyon cocked his head. “Jack, you do have a team following the ship, don’t you?”
Jack looked annoyed. “We’re tracking it.”
The general closed his eyes and shook his head. “I hope that’s good enough. SOCOM out.” Their box went black before the USSOCOM logo appeared.
“CIA out.” Tom Callahan disappeared, replaced by the CIA logo.
Jack stared at the camera for a long moment. “Ladies, good hunting. Homeland Operations out.”
“Yes, sir. Black Swan out.” Katlin looked worried.
“What just happened there?” Marcus asked in a whisper. Tori shook her head and put her fingers to her lips.
Several clicks of the keyboard later, Lei Lu declared, “All clear.”
Less than a second later there were two dings.
Katlin looked at Lei Lu. “Let me guess, USSOCOM and CIA?”
Their team communications expert smiled. “Correct on both counts.”
Katlin nodded. “On screen.”
“Both at the same time?” Lei Lu’s hands hovered above her keyboard.
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure they both got the same idea I did. Let them know who’s on, though.” Katlin folded her arms and sat back in the comfortable chair while her boss at USSOCOM appeared on the screen next to her Uncle Tom.
“Can he really be that fucking dumb?” Tom Callahan asked no one in particular, but everyone.
“I think so,” the general said shaking his head. “There’s a SEAL team in route to the area now. I was putting them in place as backup for your team, Lieutenant Commander Callahan. It’s our estimation that you need more guns than Jack’s plan provided. I’ve got several strategists working on various scenarios. Fortunately, this SEAL team has experience with pirates so we could, possibly, take over the ship while it’s at sea. I just put eyes in the air to track the progress of the ship. What we are most concerned about is that they are planning to offload the warheads before they reach the port.”
“That’s what I would do,” Katlin announced. “Sirs, we are going to have to move forward with the original plan, but we can alter it. General Lyon, do you have an ETA for Black Swan Team Two?”
“They will be at your location around thirteen hundred hours, your time,” he responded.
Tori checked and was surprised that it was only seven-thirty in the morning. She fought a yawn and wondered if she could sneak in a nap before they arrived.
Tom Callahan smirked. “You’re going to have company sooner than that. Our plane just touched down at your airport. A few of the contractors hitched a ride so prepare to fill all the bedrooms immediately. Black Swan Team Two can again stay at the resort next door.”
“Ladies,” the general sat back in his chair with a loud screech. “Why don’t you take it easy for the next couple hours? When Team Two arrives, we’ll talk again then. Hopefully the reconnaissance planes will have an updated location for us and my analysts may have a better plan by then. I know you were up all night. Why don’t you try to get some sleep. It may be a long night. We’ll reconvene at thirteen-thirty. SOCOM out.” In Uncle Tom’s gentle way, he agreed. “Ladies, I think you would all benefit from sleep. When we talk again, I expect to see bright, well-rested faces. CIA out.” As soon as the picture was visible on the wall again, deep male voices echoed in the two-story public space that encompassed the foyer, dining room, and living room.
“Mommy,” the high voice of the recently turned four-year-old screamed as the three-foot tall rocket zoomed across the foyer and slammed into Nita. “Daddy got sent down here to help you so we came along, but don’t worry, Miss Maria is going to take care of me and Bella.”
Tori noticed that the boy was now able to say the letter ‘s’ and his speech was improving significantly. Months ago, when she had first met Simon, Daniel’s son who had been terribly abused by his mother, his English language skills were minimal. Under Nita’s loving influence, he was now fluent in both English and Spanish. Marrying Daniel had been a good thing for everyone.
Nita swung her adopted son onto her hip and gave him a smacking kiss. “I’m so glad you came down. Emmanuelle is going to be so excited that you’re here.”
He squirmed in her arms. “Can I go tell Miss Rosita that I’m here?”
“Sure.” With a smile on her face Nita set her son on the floor and he sprinted toward the kitchen door.
“Sorry, angel, I should have called but Uncle Tom wanted to let you guys get at least a little sleep. I was up most of the night packing for these two and getting everybody to Langley in time to catch the plane.” He lifted the baby carrier with Bella buried under a blanket, then leaned over and kissed Nita. “Christ, there’s a lot of paraphernalia with kids. We’re leaving half this shit down here so we don’t have to bring it time and time again.” At the shocked look on her face, he continued, “I’ll buy a new baby swing, and bouncy thing, and all this other shit when we get home.”
Everyone looked at the door where several large men carried huge duffel bags and baby equipment or toys.
“Just set all that shit by the door,” Daniel commanded. He gave Nita a quick kiss and handed her Bella in the carrier. “I’ve got to help bring the stuff in.”
“There’s more?” The shock on Nita’s face was laughable.
“Yeah. I brought down everything they use every day,” he explained. “Then there’s infant diapers, bedtime diapers, swimming diapers, baby butt wipes—and since I wasn’t sure how long we’d be here I brought a couple boxes of those because I didn’t think we could buy the special ones that Bella needs down here—and Simon refused to leave without his tricycle. I had the fucking SUV packed full.”
Before he could step away, Nita grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him to her for a long kiss. “Now I know why I love you.”
Alex expertly unfolded the baby swing
and extended the legs before he strode over to Katlin and gave her a long slow kiss. “Hey, babe. After talking with Uncle Tom, I didn’t like the looks of this one so I called General Lyon. He agreed. I didn’t think you’d mind that we came along.”
Katlin shook her head. “I’m glad you’re here, because I’m glad you’re here just to be with me, but I’m also glad the Guardian team is here. This plan is so fucked up sideways it’s ridiculous.” She wrapped her arm around his waist then tipped up her face and kissed him again.
Grace practically trotted over to her fiancé, Griffin, and threw her arms around his neck. They hadn’t come up for air yet.
Santiago, Rosita’s son who also worked for the CIA, walked out of the kitchen with Simon on his hip. “Sorry, bro,” he said to Daniel, “but Maria is in town at the market. She wasn’t expecting you guys until after noon.” He hugged Simon. “Looks like I’m babysitting until then.”
Simon became very whiny. “I want to play.” But he laid his head on Santiago’s shoulder and fought to keep his big eyes open.
Nita stroked her son’s cheek. “I’ll bet your daddy got you up very early this morning, didn’t he?”
As though he were too tired to say the word, the small child simply nodded.
“I think I know somebody who needs a nap,” Nita announced. “I certainly need one. I flew last night, caught less than three hours bed time, then some bitch got me up to exercise at dawn. I now have a full tummy and warm puppy syndrome.”
“You got us a puppy?” Simon’s eyes suddenly flew wide.
Giggling, she explained, “It’s just a saying, son. You know when you’re really tired and your belly is all full, all you want to do is sleep? That’s warm puppy syndrome.”
“I don’t have warm puppy syndrome,” Simon insisted. “I’m just sleepy.” He looked at Santiago. “Do you think mama Rosita will give us breakfast so we can have full tummies like a puppy?”
Santiago’s deep hearty laugh echoed through the crowded space. He looked at the faces of the other men. “Anyone else hungry beside Simon and me?”
The rumbling started low then audible, “Yeah, I could eat.” “Sure.”