Black Smoke (5 page)

“I don’t get it. If this guy is so good, how come he hasn’t been recruited by special ops like us? How come the military hasn’t got him already?” Ricochet asked.

“There were some areas that he didn’t qualify in,” Walt said slowly.

“Like what?” Kong asked, concerned. If this guy was a loose cannon, they had a right to know.

“Like I don’t have the proper plumbing,” Sam said softly from behind them.

All three men jumped to their feet and turned. Sam stood there confidently. She still wore her mask, not ready to remove it until the time was right.

None of the men heard her comment. They were too startled at how she managed to creep up behind them without being noticed to pay attention to what she said.

“Black Smoke,” Boomer said again with his deep voice.

“Boomer!” Ricochet scolded.

“He’s right. Gentlemen, meet Black Smoke. I know you think all the stories were just that—stories. But they are real. Now tell me, do you men think you can work with this team member?” Walt asked.

Chapter Four

Boomer stepped forward. “You worked with an old friend of mine a year ago over in China. He told me how you pulled their butts out of the fire a couple of times. He has nothing but respect for you. I’d be honored to work with you.”

Sam knew the job he was talking about. It had gone wrong from the very beginning, yet they had all pulled together and successfully completed the mission. She had great respect for those four men she’d worked with. A smile formed behind her mask at the memory and at Boomer’s words.

Out in the woods he had looked like a big man. Now that she was up close he was bigger than she thought. He was about six foot five and his shoulders were massive. He wore his hair in the traditional military buzz cut, but she could tell it was a dark blonde. His eyes looked gentle, too gentle for a man of such size.

“Damn,” Ricochet said looking the black cloaked figure up and down. “You’re just a small thing. But hell, if that’s what lets you move so fast that’s okay with me. I’m in.”

Sam nodded at his response. This man wasn’t as large as the one called Boomer. He was shorter but muscular. The chocolate-colored skin on top of his head glistened with sweat and his speech told her he was definitely city raised.

Then she turned toward the third man. The one they called Kong, the one whose eyes had mesmerized her. He wasn’t being so easily won over. She could see it in those eyes. He had doubts and they would probably get worse once she removed her mask. Her eyes scanned up and down his body. He was an in-between version of the two other men, her head coming to his shoulders. And nice shoulders they were too, solid and strong. Shoulders that would cradle a woman’s head nicely. His chest was hard and muscular, causing images to float into her head of what he’d look like without his military-issue shirt. Sam suddenly drew her eyes back to his face, realizing she was gawking.

“What about you?” Walt asked Kong. “Yes or no?”

Kong absently reached for his throat and rubbed it. This guy was small but fast. He’d heard the stories everyone else had heard and often wondered what it would be like to work with the legend. He was sure nothing would be able to stop the two of them. But right now, at this moment, he wasn’t sure. Something was still off.

Sam watched him argue with himself in his mind. She knew how hard it was for some of the soldiers to put their lives in the hands of someone they knew nothing about. She understood that, respected it.

Will he trust me?
She asked silently in her head.

Not at first. It will take time.

Will he work with me?
She asked.

A soft musical laugh echoed through her head. It was the first time Sam had ever heard her whisper laugh.
Better than you have worked with anyone.

Sam cocked her head to the side. A touch of fear slid through her body. Why she couldn’t say, but it was there. She looked past Kong to her uncle. His brow was furrowed with concern, his eyes were crinkled at the corners. It was obvious he wasn’t sure about this situation yet either.

“Okay, I’m in,” Kong finally said.

Sam snapped her eyes back to Kong’s face. He may have agreed but there was still indecision in his eyes. Those beautiful eyes that a woman could get lost in forever. Sam found herself wondering what they would look like in the heat of passion. A soft musical laugh fluttered through her head again, shaking her from her fantasy. Giving herself a mental slap, she brought her thoughts back to the situation at hand.

“All right,” Walt said moving to Sam’s side. He looked down at her and she nodded. “I’d like to introduce you to Black Smoke. Also known as Sam.”

Sam pulled her hooded mask from her head. She almost laughed out loud at the looks on their faces. God, she wished she had a camera right now.

“Whoa,” Boomer said in his deep slow voice.

“Damn!” Ricochet screeched.

Kong dropped his paintball gun, along with his jaw. Sam could only imagine what was going through his mind. He’d been beaten in hand-to-hand by a woman and now he was expected to let her watch his back in battle. For some reason she held her breath waiting for him to say something. Swear at her, shake her hand, anything would be better than that empty stare he was giving her.

“Son of a…” he said, then turned and kicked the chair behind him.

Walt felt Sam flinch slightly when the chair sailed to the other side of the tent. He wanted to wrap his arm around her, protect her. But he knew she could protect herself. His muscles went on alert in case Kong came for her. He wasn’t sure what went on in the woods, but this guy was not happy that it came from a woman.

Sam had no idea why she flinched or why she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She only knew this wasn’t the reaction she’d hoped for. And why that was confused her even more. Feeling her uncle move closer to her made her snap out of her self-pity. She watched Kong’s back as he took several deep breaths to calm himself. When he turned back toward her his face was neutral but his eyes still told his true feelings.

“Sam, this is Lieutenant Ben Campbell.” Walt said hoping to draw attention away from Kong.

“Nice to meet you Lieutenant.” Sam said then reached out to shake his hand.

“My pleasure and it’s Boomer.”

Walt continued, “This is Lieutenant Carl Underwood.”

Sam reached out to shake his hand and smiled when he took her hand so gently. “They call me Ricochet.”

“And this is Lieutenant Mark Lowe.”

Sam didn’t reach her hand out to him. She’d shake his hand when he decided the time was right. Instead their eyes met and held for a brief moment. Sam felt her stomach flutter and her knees shake. Just when she thought it was time to move on, he reached out to shake her hand.

“They call me Kong,” he said calmly.

Sam put her hand in his and swore she felt electricity shoot up her arm and directly into her heart. She held his eyes the entire time and knew he felt it as well. Immediately they dropped the handshake and both reached to rub their arms.

“Now, if you’ll all take a seat you can ask Sam some questions to put your minds at ease. But keep in mind she won’t be able to answer them all,” Walt said.

All five sat, Kong sitting in the chair that he’d kicked across the tent. He’d placed himself so he could have a good view of her face while they spoke. He knew something wasn’t right and now he knew what it was. He’d never worked with a woman like this in his life. Especially one so beautiful.

Boomer and Ricochet sat on each side of her firing questions at her. Kong wasn’t paying attention to what they were saying. He could only look. She was petite but strong. Her muscles showed underneath her black turtleneck. She wore her jet black hair in a short wispy style that accented her high cheekbones and creamy skin. He could tell she wasn’t wearing any makeup, probably because she didn’t need to. Her eyes were a light gray, gun metal gray was how he would describe them. They almost sparkled when the light hit them just right. Her dark eyelashes made them stand out even more.

When she glanced up at him he felt as though she could see into the deepest depths of his soul.

Kong’s eyes slid to her mouth, which at the moment was smiling. Her lips were lush, pink and looked as soft as rose petals. His stomach clenched then fluttered when he started wondering if they felt as soft as they looked. Not good, he thought to himself, not good at all.

“Kong, hey Kong. Is there anything you want ask her?” Ricochet asked when he noticed Kong sitting there staring at her.

Kong groaned silently to himself. What the hell was wrong with him? He didn’t even know this woman and here he was eyeing her like she was a piece of prime beef. God, this wasn’t going to work out very well.

“Yeah, I have a question. What kind of training have you had?” he asked with a smug look on his face.

Boomer’s voice rumbled through the tent. “How can you ask that? Does it matter? She’s been on more ops than the three of us put together. Weren’t you listening?”

No, he’d been to busy trying to figure out if her lips were soft. “I know she’s been on a lot of ops. I still want to know what kind of skills she has. See, Boomer here, he’s a skilled sniper, and the best man walking this Earth with explosives. Ricochet’s a black belt and expert sniper.”

“And what are your skills Lieutenant?” Sam asked, purposely using an overly feminine voice.

Walt snickered at her tone. He’d seen her do the ego battle with men before and every time she came out on top. But not only that, she would have earned their respect by the time they were done.

Kong sat straight in his chair. He had no doubt she was making fun of him and he wasn’t going to let her make him look like a fool. “Sniper, explosives, camouflage, you name it, I’ve done it.” He snapped.

“That impressive. I guess that doesn’t compare to me. Should we get on with our instructions so we know where we’re headed and how much time we have to complete this mission?” Sam said turning her attention away from Kong and directing it to her uncle.

Walt sat stunned. Sam never turned away from a battle of egos with a soldier. She always told him it was her only small joy. Why on earth was she letting this one run her down? But when he looked at her and she gave him that quick wink he decided she knew what she was doing.

He pointed to a spot on a large map that he’d spread out on the table. “This is your destination,” he said, then moved his finger to another spot on the map, “and this is where you’ll be dropped off. The kidnappers gave a five-day deadline. That gives you less than three days to get to Afghanistan, reach your destination, find the building the hostage is in, plan your attack and extract the hostage. Once you have him you’ll be picked up here,” he said moving his finger again. “A chopper will lift you out, drop you off at another location where a plane will bring you back home.”

“What about intelligence?” Sam asked.

Walt tossed a fat envelope in front of her. “It’s all in there.”

“How do we know this is where the hostage is being held? No one’s ever been able to find these guys,” she asked.

“Most of the Afghan people are tired of the old ways. They like being able to make their own decisions, go where they want when they want. And they know the only way to get us out of their country is to get rid of the bad seeds. Their cooperation is overwhelming.”

Sam nodded her understanding then asked, “Are they still requiring women to be covered?”

Walt leaned back in his chair, he had been hoping to have this conversation in private, but if they were all going in together they should all know the score. “Sam, women are still seen as objects to be owned over there. It will be extremely dangerous for you if you’re captured.” Walt dropped his head not wanting to think about what could happen to his niece. “Well, just listen to your inner voice,” he said looking up at her.

“Don’t worry, we won’t let anything happen to her,” Boomer said with conviction.

Sam smiled at him. For such a large guy he sure seemed like a teddy bear. And that voice of his shook her to her bones.

“You don’t need to worry about me Boomer. I’ve been through worse,” she said patting his large hand.

Kong sat watching and listening to the scene in front of him. This was a bad idea. He felt it to his bones. Women, especially Americans, were not safe in that part of the world. If one of the Taliban got his hands on her, she would be ruthlessly tortured before she was killed. His heart tightened at the thought.

“So what you’re saying is not only do we have to watch our backs, but we have to make sure she doesn’t get her little ass snagged,” Kong grumbled.

Sam stood instantly, her anger bubbling up from nowhere. He may have bedroom eyes and a body that would make a woman burn with lust, but he had the personality of a rattlesnake. “I can assure you Lieutenant my little ass has been in worse situations than this. I don’t get requested for jobs just on the size of my ass. If you have any doubts about my abilities I suggest you and I step outside and you can get a first-hand account of my skills. Only this time, I might not take my fingers out of your throat until your face turns blue!”