by CW Browning
Once again, the passenger pressed his lips together grimly. He wasn’t arrogant enough to think an assassin as skilled as Viper wouldn’t recognize him. She had looked straight at him, and his whole body had reacted with warning to the look in those eyes. There was no way she could possibly know who he was, but even so, it was dangerous just to have been seen by her. They were professionals, and professionals didn’t forget a face.
Who was the FBI agent to her? That was the key. If he could find out how she knew the man in the bed, he could begin to understand just what he had gotten into when he took the job that landed him in the same hospital as Viper. Then he just might have a chance of avoiding the impending doom looming over his head with every step he took.
The man in the bed. He was the key.
Seletar Airport, Singapore
Alina glanced at her watch as she strode through the crowds, a messenger bag slung across her body. The swarms of travelers were familiar and comfortable to her, concealing her in their midst as thoroughly as camouflage in the jungle. The positions of the security cameras had already been noted, and Viper moved through the airport quickly, seamlessly avoiding each camera with timing and precision. It was second-nature to her, something she did automatically. As far as CCTV was concerned, she was invisible.
She and Damon had parted company on the tarmac after leaving the plane. He went into the airport first, heading for the car rental desk to procure transportation. She held back for a few minutes before following and turning in the opposite direction. They would meet at the car.
Alina felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket and she pulled it out, glancing at the screen. Stephanie again. This was the fourth call in twenty-four hours. Pressing her lips together, Alina slid the phone back into her pocket. She felt just enough guilt at leaving without a word that she would send her old friend an email once she got to the hotel. She just wasn’t sure what she would say. How could she explain disappearing just when Stephanie needed her the most? The truth was out of the question, yet nothing else could possibly be acceptable.
Why does everything have to be so complicated? she wondered, side-stepping a toddler who darted in front of her without breaking stride. She missed the days when she was answerable only to herself.
Viper glanced up as she turned the corner. The doors were ahead. She pulled the clean phone she used to communicate with Damon out of her jacket pocket and texted him. Suddenly she just wanted to get out of the crowds, and to their hotel where she could shower and take a few minutes to think. So much had happened in the past week, and Alina had the sinking feeling it was just getting started.
Damon dropped his bags into the trunk of the sedan and closed it, glancing at his watch as he moved to the driver side door. Alina should be exiting the airport. When they landed over an hour ago, they tossed to see who would get the car and who would ensure there were no surprises waiting in the airport. He won.
Sliding behind the wheel, Damon grinned to himself. Before he strode away from her on the tarmac, Alina warned would get her own transportation if he showed up with a compact roller skate. He started the engine. He assumed a brand-new Audi would be acceptable.
Damon backed out of the parking spot and the smile left his lips. Traveling in a pair was more complicated than he had anticipated. He could count on one hand the number of times he and Alina had traveled together, and on those few occasions they always parted company as soon as they landed. Staying together presented a whole new set of challenges. They couldn’t simply disappear. They had to coordinate together and, while they were on the same page as far as their security habits were concerned, it was a challenge working with another person. Hawk shook his head. This was only going to get more complicated before it was over.
But he wouldn’t have it any other way.
He puzzled over the thought briefly as he waited in the line of traffic leading to the exit doors of the airport. He was surprisingly comfortable with the fact that he just flew halfway across the globe with Viper, without knowing why Charlie had sent them to Singapore. A month ago he was in Tbilisi, Georgia, with no idea he would be summoned to join Viper in the States. Hell, he didn’t even know she was stateside again. The last he’d heard she was in Cairo. A single message from Harry changed all that.
Now Charlie had changed it again.
Damon inched forward, watching the doors of the airport. Passengers flowed out in waves, getting into taxis lined alongside the curb. Now everything had changed. He shook his head, still trying to wrap his mind around all that happened in the past week. One thing was certain, there was no turning back now. For better or worse, he and Viper were in it together for the long haul. His lips curved. She might not fully accept it, but there was no going back to the way things were. The faint smile was short lived, and Damon sobered quickly.
He had her now, and he would die before he let her go.
The clean phone in his pocket vibrated and he pulled it out, glancing at the screen. She was on her way out. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he pulled over, cutting off a slow, lumbering bus. He had just come to a stop at the end of the curb when he saw her emerge from the building in the middle of a crowd of chattering tourists. Her messenger bag was slung across her body and her duffel was tossed over one shoulder. Damon watched as she turned to look in his direction and started toward the car.
Why did Charlie have her traveling again?
The thought popped into his head as he watched her weave through the crowds toward the car. Two weeks ago, she was pursued across Europe by enemies who shouldn’t have known she even existed. Charlie sent her home to lie low while he tried to determine if they had a security leak. As far as Hawk knew, that leak was still concealed in Washington.
A troubled frown drew Damon’s eyebrows together. What was important enough to risk Viper’s cover again? And how the hell was he going to protect her?
“I guess Charlie isn’t worried about us keeping a low profile,” Damon said, stepping out onto the balcony.
Alina smiled, turning her head from where she stood at the iron railing overlooking the water. They had checked into the hotel an hour before to find a balcony suite with a stunning view of the bay had been reserved for them. Damon dropped his bags and disappeared to examine the hotel, leaving her to the luxury of their room. After a long, hot shower, she was feeling refreshed and more human. The sun had set, and the lights glittered brightly against the dark waves below.
“I’m not complaining.”
Damon walked up behind her, slipping his arms around her and looking at the view.
“Why do you think he did it?”
Alina leaned her head back on his shoulder, gazing out across the water. The air was heavy with the scent of flowers from the many trees in bloom around the city, and the breeze blowing off the bay was gentle. She took a deep breath and felt the tension flow out of her.
“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. He didn’t say anything when he gave you the box?”
“Not a word.”
They stood in comfortable silence for a few moments, staring out over the water. The pressure of the past week faded into the distance and a feeling of contentment washed over her. Suddenly she didn’t care about the events that had led them here, or the terrorists still at large in the United States. All that mattered was that, for the first time, she was standing on a balcony in a foreign city, and was not alone. How many times had she unwillingly longed for Hawk to be with her, overlooking one city in a line of many? Now here they were, his arms wrapped around her, with the exotic beauty of Singapore surrounding them.
Alina was loathe to move, reluctant to break the spell.
“Have you ever been here?” Damon asked. His voice was soft, as if he too was unwilling to disturb the moment.
“Once, a few years ago.”
“It’s one of my favorite cities,” he said. “I wish I got here more often.”
Alina smiled.
; “It’s beautiful. You can give me a tour while we’re here.”
Damon tightened his arms around her and dropped a kiss on the side of her neck.
“I’d love to,” he whispered. “I’ve wanted to show you my cities for a long time.”
Alina turned in his arms and raised her eyes to his. They were like cobalt sapphires. She slid her arms around his neck.
“What other cities do you love?” she asked. “What would you show me?”
Damon smiled and rubbed his nose against hers.
“I’d start with Amsterdam. You told me once you’d never been.”
“That’s still true. I don’t get into Europe as much as I’d like. Charlie seems to prefer me in the Middle East these days.”
“You’re effective there, just as I’m effective in Russia and the Baltic region.”
“With this long hair, you fit right in,” Alina said, toying with it. “Where else?”
His smile was slow and wicked.
“Lima, Peru. You didn’t stay long last time.”
Alina burst out laughing.
“Ouch.”
“Istanbul is on the short list,” he continued, “and, of course, Moscow. What about you? Where would you take me?”
Alina thought for a moment.
“It’s not a city,” she said hesitantly.
Damon raised an eyebrow, his eyes probing hers.
“Where then?”
“Montpellier, in the South of France.”
Damon stared at her, fascinated.
“The South of France?”
“I lived there for a few years,” she told him, surprising him. “I often went across the channel to Cornwall.”
Damon smiled softly.
“France it is,” he murmured, brushing his lips against hers. They lingered, and by the time he raised his head, they were both breathless. “We’ll start with Singapore, then work our way around the world.”
Alina inhaled deeply and lost herself in those deep blue eyes, content to dream of a future that was far from guaranteed.
“It’s a plan,” she agreed, “but first, I’m starving. What are we doing about dinner?”
Damon pulled her tighter against him and lowered his lips to hers again.
“I think room service.”
Chapter Two
Philadelphia International Airport
Stephanie Walker glanced at her watch and looked up at the arrivals board. Angela’s flight had landed thirty minutes ago, but there was still no sign of her coming from baggage claim. She sighed and turned to walk back to her waiting spot near the doors. The past forty-eight hours had been non-stop and stressful. Stephanie just wanted to pick up her old friend, take her home, and then go home herself. The couch was calling to her, and she had every intention of answering.
She shook her head, her eyes on the doors. After narrowly averting a coordinated bombing attempt, Stephanie had been sucked into the debriefing at FBI headquarters with her boss, Rob Thornton. When she was finally finished, she left exhausted and disheartened. Far from being grateful for her assistance, her boss was angry with her for ignoring her leave of absence to get involved. If it weren’t for Special Agent Blake Hanover, she wasn’t even sure she would still have a job. In fact, Stephanie wasn’t all that sure of anything anymore.
Blake Hanover.
Despite her grim mood, Stephanie smiled. He had stayed by her side the whole time, asserting that he was the one who pulled her into the investigation for an extra pair of hands. He calmly pointed out to Rob that when he had placed Stephanie on LOA, Rob didn’t take her badge or weapon. Therefore, Blake argued, he was well-within his rights to ask for her assistance in his investigation. Rob had finally backed down. As far as her boss was concerned, the whole operation had been Blake’s brainchild, and Stephanie was content to let that stand.
By the time Blake headed back home to Washington, DC for some much needed rest, Stephanie was sad to see him go. Somehow he’d become a rock for her in the harrowing events of the past week. Her only consolation was that he had promised to return.
Passengers began to exit through the doors in front of her, carting carry-ons and rolling bags behind them, pulling Stephanie from her thoughts. Towards the tail-end of the first wave, she spotted her friend.
Angela Bolan pulled a trolley loaded with bags and Stephanie’s eyebrows soared into her forehead. The amount of luggage on the trolley made it look as if she had been away for months when, in fact, it was only two weeks.
“Steph!”
Angela caught sight of her and waved, heading in her direction. Stephanie couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face. Angela’s honey-colored hair was perfect and she was dressed in designer jeans with Jimmy Choo’s on her feet. How she was managing the laden cart in the four-inch stilettos was beyond Stephanie’s comprehension, but she was doing it, and she looked like a model at the same time.
“You’re insane,” Stephanie informed her as Angela came to a stop in front of her. “What are all those bags? You were only gone for two weeks!”
“I went shopping in Miami.” Angela threw her arms around Stephanie and hugged her tight. “How are you? You look like hell.”
Stephanie hugged her back, fighting back tears that suddenly flooded her eyes at the embrace of one of her oldest friends.
“I feel like hell,” she admitted.
Angela pulled away and looked at her searchingly before linking one arm through hers and grabbing the trolley again with her other hand.
“You should have told me as soon as it happened,” she said, starting forward with Stephanie. “I would have come straight back. Why did you wait until yesterday to tell me John died?”
“Honestly, I didn’t think to,” Stephanie answered, guiding Angela through the busy terminal toward the exit. “There were so many other things going on, and it just didn’t occur to me. I’m sorry.”
Angela glanced at her.
“Well, you know I was never John’s biggest fan, but it’s shocking just the same. What happened?”
“I’ll tell you in the car. It’s a long story.”
“At least Alina was here,” Angela said as they stepped outside. “That’s something. How’s she taking it?”
“I have no idea.”
Angela stared at her.
“What do you mean you have no idea?” she demanded. “Haven’t you seen her?”
Stephanie sighed and pulled away from Angela as they came up to the pedestrian cross-walk leading across the street to the short-term parking where she had left her car.
“Yes, but you know how she can get these days. After the accident, it was almost as if she’d already decided John was going to die,” Stephanie said, starting across the road as the crossing lights turned white and the traffic paused. “I don’t think she ever expected him to pull through. When he...passed...she didn’t show any emotion at all, at first.”
“At first?”
“I saw a little of the old Lina for a second, but then it was gone.” She shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t think she’s facing it yet. She’s been busy...working.”
Stephanie's voice trailed off. Angela had no idea what their friend did for living. As far as she was concerned, Alina was a security consultant who traveled a lot and was rarely home. While Stephanie believed it was mistake to keep Angela in the dark as to Alina’s true identity, that was a fight she hadn’t been able to win.
“Well that’ll change now I’m back,” Angela muttered. “She can’t work at a time like this. I’m sure her company has bereavement leave and I’ll make sure she takes it. For God’s sake, she and John were engaged once upon a time. She’s got to be feeling some kind of way about it!”
“I think she’s more angry than anything,” Stephanie said slowly as they reached the other side of the road. “I don’t know why I think that, but I do.”
“Anger is one of the steps of grief, so maybe she’s transitioning.” Angela stopped on the sidewalk and wiped her hand acros
s her sweating forehead. “Is the car very far? I’m dying here.”
Stephanie laughed despite herself.
“You’re the one who went shopping in Miami, and then wore heels onto the plane. Seriously, what were you thinking?”
“I didn’t think you were going to park a mile away from the terminal!”
“It’s not a mile. It’s in this lot, a couple of rows from here.”
Angela grunted and began walking again, lugging the trolley behind her.
“What about Mr. Hunk O’ Mysterious?” she asked. “Has he been around lately?”
Stephanie grinned. Mr. Hunk O’ Mysterious was what they called Alina’s reticent military friend, Damon Miles, behind his back. Angela was convinced that the two had unresolved sexual tension between them, and Stephanie was inclined to agree.
“Actually, yes,” she said. “He’s been in and out all week, from what I can understand.”
“Really?” Angela drawled, her eyes dancing. “Where did he stay? Did he stay with her?”
“I have no idea.”
“Ugh!” Angela rolled her eyes in exasperation. “You’re supposed to find this stuff out for me!”
“I can’t find something out if they’re not sharing,” Stephanie protested, laughing. “Short of showing up at her house in the middle of night, how am I supposed to know if he’s staying there?”
“I can see I’ll have to take over. You’re hopeless. I’ll figure it out.”
“Good luck,” Stephanie said. “I don’t even know if he’s still here. In fact, I’m not even sure she’s still here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been trying to reach her, but she won’t answer.” She pulled out her keys as they started down the row toward her maroon Mustang. “I haven’t heard from her since Sunday. I think she might have been called out for work.”
“Did you stop by the house?” asked Angela. “Maybe they’re holed up having sex like rabbits.”