by Becky Harmon
She wasn’t surprised to see Angel step out of the gatehouse and walk toward the embassy. As she had every day she had been in Nouakchott, she wore dark blue pants and a black Flagler shirt. Her hair blew across her face in the slight breeze, and she tucked it behind her ear. She knew she couldn’t see her, but when Angel looked up at the window she felt like she was staring directly at her.
When Angel disappeared from her view, she sat down in her chair and tried to focus on the paperwork in front of her. After a few minutes of reading the same line over and over, she knew it was useless. She secured the papers back in the file folders and placed them in her desk. She pulled her office door closed and headed for her suite. She could pace anywhere, but maybe the walk to her suite would settle her mind and she might be able to sleep.
* * *
It was barely an hour into Saturday morning when Angel pushed open the door to the rooftop and settled on her stomach beside Arden.
“Morning, Tag,” Arden said, gruffly.
She pulled her binoculars from her pocket and studied Shepherd. She was pretty sure the motion she had mistaken for sleeping was actually praying. The bowing of his head was too frequent to be random.
She sat up. She needed to talk with Ellie. This man had been on the wall for over fifteen hours and as far as she could tell he had not moved. No food breaks and no bathroom breaks. Something was definitely going down. She patted Arden on the leg to let him know she was leaving and hurried down the stairs. With the decision to go to Ellie made, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
She was met with a closed door when she arrived at Ellie’s office. She pulled her tablet from her cargo pocket again. Ellie’s light blinked inside her personal suite. She sighed and leaned against Chloe’s desk. Going to Ellie’s suite wasn’t a good idea. She located Miller on the GPS tracking and was disappointed to see that he was in his room as well. She could talk with Eric or call Sarah, but they knew her too well. They wouldn’t question her concerns, but they would see through her using work as a distraction from something else.
She returned to the Communications Center and compiled all the data on the men outside, looking for something to connect the supervisors to the dockworkers. When she couldn’t stare at the words any longer, she gave in and sent a short text to Sarah. She wasn’t worried about waking her. Sarah was a heavy sleeper. If she was asleep, Angel wouldn’t hear back from her. Only a few seconds passed until Sarah responded, and Angel quickly dialed her number. She was inside her room by the time Sarah answered.
“What’s up, boss?”
“Just wanted to see how the packing’s going.”
“It’s fine. What are you doing awake?”
She weighed her options on how to answer. Sarah wouldn’t judge her feelings for Ellie, but it wouldn’t be fair to Ellie to share with anyone what had transpired between them.
“Shepherd still on duty?” Sarah asked.
She took the out, keeping silent about her other struggle. “He is.”
“Makes you nervous?”
“It does.” She smiled.
“I’m sure you have some scenarios playing in your mind. Do you want to share?”
“Feels like they’re prepping for an offensive move.”
“Or they ran out of staffing,” Sarah offered.
“Or they simply ran out of staffing,” she agreed, rubbing her face.
“You sound tired,” Sarah said softly. “When’s the last time you slept?”
“It’s been pretty good until tonight.”
“Things will play out however they will. You being awake won’t make a difference to what they do. Besides I’ve seen you wake from a dead sleep and still hit your target at twelve hundred meters.”
She laughed. That story would never be forgotten as long as Sarah was around. Angel had barely returned from an exhausting mission when Vince informed her that she was now a team leader. Her team was out on a training mission and she raced to join them. Her only thought was to show camaraderie as their new leader. While waiting for the rest of the team to move into position, she had fallen asleep. Sarah had been the only team member with her when the fire command came through. Quickly moving into action, she had forgotten she was there to supervise and had taken the shot. Over the head—and at a far greater distance than—the sniper on her team.
“So, go get some sleep.” Sarah laughed with her. “Someone will wake you if you’re needed. Oh, and Eric said there’s an excursion planned for Monday?”
“Yes, but we’ll see how the next forty-eight hours play out.”
“Okay. Keep me posted. We’ve pulled in all nonessential equipment, so we can be ready to relocate with just a few hours’ notice. Just say the word.”
Angel slid her phone into her pocket and lay down on the bed. She had about two hours until she planned to be back on the roof. She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep with a sea-green haze the color of Ellie’s eyes surrounding her.
Chapter Eighteen
Ellie rubbed her tired eyes and took a gulp of coffee. The caffeine wasn’t stimulating her like it normally did each morning. Angel’s nervous tension was putting her on edge. When she had located Angel’s GPS tracker this morning she had found her on the rooftop. The same place she had been when she had gone to sleep last night.
She sat her cup on the desk and walked to the window. She was supposed to check in with Micalah this morning, but telling her Angel had approved the outing wouldn’t go well. If Micalah had her way, Ellie would have been ordered back to the States at the first sign of trouble. She knew Micalah hadn’t forgotten the years they had worked together and that she could take care of herself. But she also knew if things didn’t improve soon it would only be a matter of time before Micalah was on her doorstep.
Angel tapped lightly on the doorframe, and she turned, watching her walk in. The lines on Angel’s face matched those she had seen in her own mirror earlier. Stopping in front of her desk, Angel made no sign that she intended to sit. She wanted to ask her how much sleep she had gotten last night, but instead she nodded for her to begin her briefing.
“He’s still out there, but the men in the crowd have continued to rotate on a regular basis.”
She didn’t have to ask who Angel was talking about. She could hear the strain in Angel’s voice. She resisted the urge to comfort her, fearing it would be rejected or, worse yet, accepted due to fatigue.
Turning her back to Angel, she stared out at the city surrounding her. Ignoring the crowd below, she concentrated on finding strands of color in the beige landscape that stretched in front of her. She could see the sun-faded blue entrance of the Olympic Stadium several blocks away and the green and yellow bleachers surrounding the red track. On all sides of the stadium were one- and two-story houses and businesses. Some were protected from the busy streets by walls in varying heights. Most structures were concrete and probably had been built by hand without the help of modern equipment. Despite the occasional crumbling wall, they radiated strength and durability, withstanding what nature and man could throw at them.
She felt the heat from Angel’s body as she joined her at the window. It was like there was a magnet pulling them together. Angel held her tablet up showing a picture of a man’s face.
“Do you recognize him?” Angel asked.
She studied his face and then shook her head. “This is the man outside? The American?”
“It is. His name is Craig Shepherd. He’s from New York.”
She only partially listened as Angel relayed his background before and after he had arrived in Mauritania. For the first time since Angel had mentioned the American on the wall, she remembered the conversation she had witnessed in the garage. She knew she should tell Angel, but she hadn’t heard anything back from Shane. Maybe she had misread the situation and Farook had been telling her the truth. The guy in the picture wasn’t the one she had seen with Farook.
“This is the first American that’s been involved, right
?” she asked, pushing aside any lingering doubts.
Angel nodded.
“Can we bring him inside the embassy for questioning?”
“I’d thought about that. We could claim it was for his own safety and maybe disrupt whatever they’re planning.”
“You think they’re planning something?” she asked, repeating Angel’s words in her question. Angel’s nod reinforced her own growing fears. “I think you should bring your other team to the embassy before we leave on Monday.”
“Yes.”
She met Angel’s eyes as they searched her face. She wasn’t announcing defeat, but as ambassador it was her job to make sure everyone in the embassy remained safe. And she knew she couldn’t do it alone. In the months that she had been in Nouakchott, she had learned to depend on others for so many basic daily needs. Being provided with informational briefings was fine, but now her food was prepared, her clothes laundered, and her suite cleaned by staff members. And the worst of it was that she no longer protected herself. Inside the embassy or out, she had become dependent on Shane and his marines.
Goose bumps erupted down her arms as Angel’s fingertips reached out and slowly stroked her face. She rested her cheek against Angel’s palm, welcoming the heat from her body. Angel’s earlier inability to remain still no longer seemed to be a problem. She leaned into her touch, absorbing the strength and stability that flowed from her.
“I’ll keep you safe,” Angel said softly.
She nodded, taking a step back. She wanted nothing more than to fall into Angel’s embrace and let her fulfill that promise, but she had a job to do. She was the ambassador.
“Thank you.” She was surprised at the hoarseness in her own voice. “Do you need me to talk with Vince so you can bring your team in?”
“No.”
“Okay, then let me know if they need anything.” She knew Angel would shrug off her next words, but she said them anyway. “Please try to get some sleep today?”
“I will.”
She glanced at her laptop and then back at Angel. “I’ll be watching.”
The smile on Angel’s face warmed her again.
* * *
Angel was still smiling when she phoned Vince. She knew Ellie was watching her GPS light, and she hated to admit that she liked it. Ellie had touched a part of her that had been dormant for a very long time. She grimaced, knowing that telling her that would only make their struggle harder. Assuming she could even find the words to do so.
“Angel? What’s happening?” Vince said, picking up on the first ring.
“The ambassador has agreed to move Sarah’s team to the embassy.”
“Then do it. Now.”
“Done,” she said, disconnecting the call.
She wasn’t surprised that Vince wanted her to move quickly. His previous restraint was out of respect for Ellie. She knew he had been close to overriding Ellie’s wishes each time they had spoken. She also knew if Vince had his way he would have been there with her. Entrusting the safety of someone you cared about to someone else was hard. She wished she could admit how much she cared about Ellie, but she wasn’t sure if that would make Vince feel better or worse. She wouldn’t do anything to risk being pulled from this mission.
She dialed Sarah. “You’re coming in.”
“All of us? When?”
She played the different possibilities in her mind. She could use her team as security escort for her and Ellie, but she felt like they would be better at the embassy. Taking marines familiar with the country made the most sense, but there wasn’t any reason not to bring Sarah’s entire team to the embassy. The safety of the embassy once she left would be their first concern.
“Bring everyone and get here as quick as possible.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know when we’re on the road.”
She disconnected the call and sent a quick text to Miller. He responded immediately, and they scheduled to meet in the break room outside the troop barracks. She texted Eric to join them when he could.
The break room was empty when she arrived, and she filled one of the glass mugs on the counter with coffee before taking a seat.
“How’s things going?” Miller asked, walking in behind her and filling a cup before joining her at the table.
“Good, but I’m afraid we might have an issue in the future.”
“Still no shift change for the man on the wall, right?”
She nodded. “It’s weird. They’ve followed a consistent schedule for the last two weeks and now they’re deviating. Add in the fact that the guy is an American.”
Miller sat back in his chair. “Look, I don’t want to add to your worries but I need to tell you about something. Apparently the other day when the ambassador made the little detour through the motor pool, she overheard something that bothered her.”
She raised her eyebrows but forced herself to remain silent. With the off-and-on tension between her and Ellie, it wasn’t surprising that Ellie had gone to Miller instead of her. She was disappointed, though. It was a harsh reminder that she needed to keep the air clear between them.
“Farook was talking with another man, possibly an American. They were both angry, but the other man was demanding Farook provide something he had promised. Something to do with a Conex to be shipped. She asked me to see what I could find out. When I asked my contact at the docks about an American who had a friend working at the embassy, he knew who I was talking about. He called me today to say that there has been a Conex departing every month under a diplomatic pouch stamp from our embassy.”
“What?”
“Yeah, that’s what I said. I was going to speak with the ambassador when you texted me.”
“Thanks for letting me know.” She stared at the dark television screen across from her. “Can you hold off on telling her what you found out?”
“Sure, but we should make sure the embassy really doesn’t have something going out.”
“I’ll check with Chloe. I showed Shepherd’s picture to the ambassador and she didn’t recognize him.”
“Well, that’s good then. Now we know there’s more than one American living in Nouakchott,” Miller said, making her chuckle.
A surge of adrenaline flushed out the heavy fog of anxiety that had been weighing Angel down. She laughed a little harder. It wasn’t so much what Miller had said, but more that he had even said it. His face still showed no emotion. His lips were pressed tight together and his jawline rigid.
“Good morning, all,” Eric said as he took a seat beside her. His standard dark blue tactical pants and blouse were wrinkle-free and his face was shiny. A few blotchy spots on his neck showed that he may have rushed through shaving in a hurry to meet them. “What did I miss?”
She shook her head, bringing her laughter under control. She glanced at Miller and saw the edges of his mouth starting to curl. “Thank you. I needed that.” She turned to Eric. “You missed Miller displaying his sarcastic wit.”
Eric didn’t look convinced and she didn’t blame him. Miller’s face was a mask again and had she not been there she wouldn’t have believed it either. Turning her attention to the reason for their meeting, she told them about the pending arrival of Sarah’s team and then laid out her plan for the additional team members.
“Adding a body to each of your current agents on duty will work well,” Miller agreed. “What about for your trip?”
“I’d like to use my agents, but yours are more familiar with the terrain.”
“No problem. My guys can cover for each other. Do you think four is enough?”
“I was thinking five, but I don’t want to pull too many from here with what we’re seeing outside. I’d put two in the lead and rear cars and one as my driver.”
Miller frowned. “You might want to use local embassy employees for your drivers. They’re familiar with the way people drive here. Plus you’ll have several checkpoints to get through.”
“That’s what the ambassador said as well. Two to one wins.
I guess four will do it then.”
“I’d put two in the front and two in the rear, assuming you’ll be armed.”
She nodded.
“I’ll send all four of them to you after the next shift change.”
“I won’t keep them long. It’d be good if you could sit in as well. I’d like to talk about the roads and what we might experience out there.”
“Sure. See you back here in four hours.” Miller gave them a departing wave after he refilled his coffee cup.
She tapped the email application open on her tablet. “I’m emailing you and Sarah the duty roster. I expect they’ll be on their way to us within the next few hours.”
“Let me know and I’ll meet you at the gate,” he said, standing. “Miller really cracked a joke?”
She chuckled. “It was more sarcasm than humor.”
“I’m sorry I missed it, even though Sarah gives me more sarcasm than I ever need.”
Although she often pretended to be irritated by Sarah and Eric’s constant communication, it actually gave her comfort. They were almost like siblings when they bickered and traded jabs with each other. Then when she least expected it, she would find them huddled together under a poncho, blocking out the weather or keeping their light from giving away their position, as they worked through whatever was facing their team in the moment.
“I’d repeat what he said, but his stoic face is what sold it.”
“I understand.”
“I’m going to try to get an hour or two of sleep before I meet with Miller’s team,” she advised him. “But wake me if you need to.”
“Okay. I’ll walk that way with you. I want to do a little people watching from the roof.”
She dumped her remaining coffee and cleaned her cup before heading back to the main building. She decided to stop on the second floor, and Eric continued on up to the roof. She wasn’t sure she could sneak in and out without Ellie seeing her, but she was going to give it a try. Sam would probably be the best person to ask about embassy shipments. Well, aside from Ellie, of course, but she wasn’t going to open the topic with either of them yet. They would ask too many questions. She was comfortable with Chloe and felt like she could get information from her without giving any. If Chloe didn’t have the answers, then she would have to go to Sam.