Blue Moon II ~ This is Reality (20 page)

Shot had a pretty wide grin on his face when he walked into Pierce’s headquarters. Fox’s reaction to his announcement was exactly what he had hoped. He was still picturing the agent’s wide grin and the way he pulled Shot down for a searing kiss. A kiss that told him exactly what he thought of that suggestion. Fox wanted to be the permanent in his life.

“You sure look happy.” Shade met him in the dining room while Shot made a large cup of coffee before their strategy meeting. “I assume Fox is doing better.”

Shot took a long sip before responding. “Yeah. He is. Should be able to go home in a few days, if he doesn’t curse out any more doctors in the meantime.”

Shade laughed, filling his cup with orange juice. “We’ve all gone through that shit. It’s never fun being stuck in a hospital bed. Someone telling you ‘you can’t go home’, poking and prodding every hour on the hour.”

“I know.”

“You guys ready to take these fools down?” Viper came in with Call close behind him.

“Fuck yeah,” Shade answered for both of them. Slapping a high-five to Viper.

“Alright, Beastmasters. Let's get in there so we can finish this,” Call commanded.

When everyone was in the meeting room, Shot noticed that they had included all of their surveillance and IT personnel but a majority of the DEA agents were not there. He stood at the front with Call and leaned over to him. “Hey, what happened to the Agents?”

“They don’t need to be here for this,” Pierce said entering the room with Hawk.

They all let out a loud woop, yelling out and banging their fist on the table. Pierce smiled at the warm welcome and took his place up front beside Call. “The DEA and FBI will serve only as emergency back-up this time around.”

“Alright gentlemen, let’s get down to business,” Call ordered.

The lights were turned off and a projector was set up. When the video began to play Call went over the images as they appeared on the screen.

Hawk

Pierce jumped right back into his role as Backhander as if nothing had happened. Fearless. He may have seemed like a small man, especially next to so many military men and specialized law enforcement officers, but his voice was deep and commanding. A voice that could call for attention and heads would turn.

The plan that he and Call came up with was diabolical. One of the most dangerous missions they’d ever tried to execute. Going in undercover as members of a crime family was risky. The meeting should take all of ten minutes and with their plan in place to go down in two days, it didn’t give very much fact checking time for the Russians. Instead of going to the hierarchy of the Russian mob, they were going for the lower level thugs. Once they were all busted, they’d use them to flip on their bosses. Either that or the bosses would be run out of town and into hiding. Dangling life sentences in front of men was the supreme test of their loyalty. Not too many men were loyal when they imagined the next fifty years in a steel cage. Again, risky. But they’d accomplished more with a lot less.

Everyone had an extremely important role, no one would be watching from the sidelines.

Hawk finally stood up.

Pierce’s voice was mellow when he acknowledged him. His sharp blue eyes blazing with his desire. “Yes, Dane?”

Hawk tried not to show his pleasure at Pierce using his first name. It might not have seemed like much, but not using his title or his last name told everyone he and Pierce had a personal connection.

With one hand braced on the table-top and the other flipping the pages of the surveillance photos of the Russians they were supposed to meet and the appointed location, he asked, “Why are they choosing a loading dock? ”
Outdoors. On the water. Explosion
. Hawk remembered his vision. “Is it possible to request a different meeting place?”

“Your reason?” Call cut in.

“We’re giving them a lot of power, for one. We’re claiming to have millions of dollars available to buy more women if the deal is good, not to mention trading Mrs. Valenzo. Why would they be interested in doing business with a family that they’d never encountered? A family that has never shown interest in human trafficking. And even if the San Drens were interested, why use the Russians… why not the Mexicans? It sounds like a setup on our part, and the Russians could already sense it. They probably won’t even have the women there.”

“I know it’s dangerous and uncertain, but we can’t risk the deal being good, and not being there, when we could’ve saved twenty or more women that have been abducted in the United States and sold into slavery. Even if we’re able to apprehend a couple members of the mob family, we’d still count it as a win. The Feds would have someone to interrogate as to the whereabouts of other women and children, Hawk. Remember our primary goal is to get the Russians imprisoned or out of the country. With the DEA and Feds getting this close, they’ll run. Case closed,” Shot added.

“Who’s to say they don’t send in a few flunkies and before we know what's happening, they’re opening fire as soon as you guys walk up, and going for the money? We could be going into an ambush.”

“That’s exactly what you’re walking into.” Everyone started at the dark, raspy voice just outside the door. Viper, Shot, and Shade pulled their weapons and pointed them at the tall black-clad figures that came into the room.

Hawk was at Pierce’s side in seconds, tucking him safely behind him. 

“How the fuck did you get in here?” Call demanded.

“That’s a moot question, Commander. Since we’re already in.” Alpha smiled.

None of their team lowered their weapons. Alpha had confirmed that he wasn’t their enemy but Alpha wasn’t alone. At his side was his brother Omega. Both of them with their black hoods hanging low over the top half of their faces.

“The seer is right. The Russians have no interest in dealing with the San Drendino family. They don’t suspect you’re undercover law enforcement, but they have no qualms with killing the San Drens they’re believed to be meeting and relieving them of Mrs. Valenzo. The members of the Russian mob that you’re meeting with are looking to climb the ranks. Bringing Mrs. Valenzo to their bosses is their prime opportunity to do just that.” Alpha stood in front of Call and removed his hood, his brother duplicating his movement. “We’re only here to warn you.”

“Why should we trust you? You’ve already tried to kill one of us.” Shot’s resolve was close to snapping as he eyed Omega with a glare that promised retribution for his lover.

“I did not harm your Agent, Shot. The Russian disobeyed my order,” Omega said calmly.

Shot stepped forward and Alpha was in front of his brother before Shot could get too close. “The Russian has paid for that disobedience, by my own hand.”

“Stand down, Shot.”

Shot stepped back to Call’s side as ordered. He lowered his weapon, continuing to eye Omega.

Hawk watched the men closely, he didn’t see any deception in their eyes. Although he still didn’t trust them, Alpha was here confirming Hawk’s suspicion. The two assassins held no allegiance to them, they had no reason to come to their aid or warn them. Hawk couldn’t help but feel the entire team should pull back from this one.

Everyone was silent as they watched the country’s most revered SEAL Commander stare down the world’s deadliest assassin. Call's resigned expression revealed nothing. After long, tense minutes Call spoke to the room, still glaring at Alpha. “The mission is green. We go at 2100 hours tomorrow night. Get rested, get focused. Dismissed.”

Hawk released a breath and turned to face Pierce. He forgot about everything else for the moment. The mission, the team, his commander, those damn assassins, and pulled Pierce into one of the empty records rooms. As soon as he closed the door he pinned Pierce to the door and claimed his mouth in a brutal kiss.

Pierce kissed him back, rubbing his hands up and down his back before pulling his mouth away, gasping for air. “Dane. What’s the matter?”

“I need to tell you. I don’t like this mission. Something is very wrong about it. I can’t see things clearly anymore. My perception is shady, so I have nothing concrete to go to Call with.” Hawk ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

Pierce pulled him back to him and rose up on his toes to kiss him again. This time Hawk broke the kiss. He gripped Pierce’s forearms. His eyes had to be blazing from his fear and anger, but Pierce didn’t comment on it. “Listen to me. If anything starts to go wrong, you get the fuck outta there. Do you understand?”

Pierce frowned and brought his soft hands up to cradle Hawk’s face. “It’s going to be fine. They’ll confirm that the women are there, make the arrests fast, and it’ll all be over.”

Hawk huffed in annoyance. “Pierce, please. Listen. It’s not going to go that smoothly. Now, I may not like Alpha, but I know of his order. He is not a liar. Omega is shaky but Alpha has always been the leader, and his reputation is solid. He. Does. Not. Lie. He wouldn’t come here to tell us some made up shit. The Russians are not going to adhere to the terms set up for the meeting. They want Mrs. Valenzo and the money, nothing more. Once they figure out that we don’t have Mrs. Valenzo, things will get heated in a hurry.”

“What do you want me to do? I can’t not be there. Besides I’ll be in the command center.”

“I know. But, if something goes wrong. I want you to remove your ear piece and replace it with this one.” Hawk pulled out a small ear bud and placed it in Pierce’s hand. “I will be the only one on it. No one else. You won’t hear anyone but me. If everything goes to hell, you put that in your ear and I’ll get you out of there. I’ll be providing cover fire so I won’t be able to get to you. You’ll just follow my directions. Don’t try to come to anyone’s aid. Let us handle that. You leave. Go home. The mission will be over and Backhander will be retired.

“And where will you go?” Pierce’s voice was low. Hawk didn’t mean to scare him but this was reality.

“I’ll be there soon enough. Just wait for me.” Hawk kissed Pierce like it was the last time. “I will come for you. Then I’ll take you to your new home. Our home.”

Pierce nodded his head ‘okay’.

Hawk pressed Pierce into his body, cradling his head against his chest and said softly, “Now, say you believe me.”

Pierce choked on his sob and whispered back into his chest, “I believe you.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

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Alpha watched the powerful commander dismiss his team and leave the room with no further acknowledgment of his or his brother's presence.

“I’ve seen that look, brother.”

Alpha turned to Omega. “Don’t get into any trouble. I’ll be back.” Alpha turned to leave the room and paused when he saw Shot still eyeing Omega. “You two be nice.”

He heard Omega’s snort as he walked down the long hallway and up the stairs of the large warehouse. It was early in the day. People were scurrying about doing whatever menial jobs they did for Backhander’s task force. Alpha ignored the looks. He was dressed like a ninja, his dark hood back over his head. No one moved to stop or question him while he made his way to Call’s sleeping quarters.

His steps were quiet. He listened first to see if the man had company.

“Come in if you’re coming.” Call’s deep voice reached him outside and he couldn’t help but smirk.

Alpha opened the door and stepped in, quickly closing the door behind him without making a sound.

“Does everything you do have to be done with stealth?” Call’s back was too him. He was digging around in a tall dresser.

Call was shirtless, only his fatigues on over a firm backside and brick hard thighs. His boots laced up over his fatigues, regulation style. Alpha got a good look at the man’s tattoos across his back and arms. A soaring Bald Eagle on his right shoulder, draped in an American flag. Tribal art that spanned down his entire right side, armbands, a proverb, Nietzsche. There was nothing on the left, that side was covered with deeply indented scars. Alpha moved in closer to see more.

Call slammed the drawer shut and braced his hands on the top of the wood, refusing to turn and face him. “What do you want?”

“Your bravery fascinates me. You dare keep your back to me. I could kill you with one move.”

“I could do the same thing to you,” Call responded quickly.

Alpha smirked. “I bet you could, SEAL. But I’m here for answers, not to fight. Tell me. Why are you still sending in your team?”

“You don’t understand sacrifice, Assassin. Women and children are being taken and sold right here in our own country. We may have a chance to save them. I can’t not take it. My men are prepared to fight… and die if need be.”

“Are you ready to die?” Alpha asked, a lot closer to Call. He could see the man’s broad back muscles bunch up when he spoke so close to his shoulder. 

“Yes I am.”

“Well that would be a shame. So young, so serious,” Alpha said in a hushed tone. Call’s breathing had increased as his back rose and fell with his labored breath. “You need to leave now,” he growled, his forearms bulging as he gripped the edge of dresser.

Alpha wasn’t afraid of the strong SEAL.

“You’ve given enough for your country.”