Reckoning (14 page)

NATE WATCHED HIS TEAM come together and it made him proud. No one complained, not even Christie, which shocked him. He remembered her teenage years, when she’d been a regular little princess. Now she was in charge of dinner, and she was cooking up MREs like no one’s business.

Still, something was wrong. Not just the fact that Cade wasn’t here, but the fact that no one was talking about him. Something needed to be done. Tonight.

They ate at the big tables. Everyone pitched in, but it was too quiet. He tried several times to start conversations, but they all ran out of steam. Then he asked Kate about the ledgers. They’d be done tonight. Tomorrow, Vince would get a printer and they’d run copies. Nate just wished they had phone service out here. It complicated things, but what the hell. It would all work or it wouldn’t.

When dinner was over, they mostly just threw stuff away and the place was as clean as it was likely to get. Before the team dispersed, he asked them each to get a flashlight and follow him.

As if they knew this was something important, they moved quickly and quietly. Nate led them into the desert, away from what remained of the old mining town.

It was almost a full moon, which helped them see as they walked past the scrub and the cactus. All manner of insects and lizards scurried out of their path, even a big old hare.

He didn’t take them far, just away and when he stopped, they gathered round him in a circle. Tam was at his side, which made it all easier.

“It’s only right and proper that we say a few words about our friend Cade. I first met him when he came over to Delta six years ago. For those of you who don’t know, getting into Delta Force isn’t an easy thing to do. You have to be smart, patient, strong and sure. Most of the men who come to visit us at Fort Bragg are in the prime of their lives. They come from every branch of the armed service, and they come decorated. But most of them wash out before they get their insignias. Being a Delta operator is an honor and a privilege known by few.

“Cade came from the Rangers. He was an excellent sharpshooter, but he wanted to be the best there was. He ran the forty miler in twenty hours. The day he became a member of the First Special Forces Operational Detachment, Delta, was the proudest day of his life.

“When I was asked to lead a team into Kosovo, I handpicked the men to go with me. Cade was right there in the front row. He had become the best damn sharpshooter I’ve ever known, and I’ve known quite a few.

“When things went south, Cade never lost his faith in his country. He believed in the United States of America, and just as he had when he came into Delta, he was willing to give his all to make sure that our America was a good America. That no group of people—no matter how powerful—can take it upon themselves to disregard the Constitution. That any group of people who should do so would be brought to justice.

“Cade Huston made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our cause. He walked into battle each day knowing he faced danger and death, and he walked in with pride in his heart and the kind of courage the men we’re fighting have never witnessed.

“We’ve lost our brother. I will never forget Cade, and I will make sure the American people understand that Sergeant Huston was and is a hero. He will not have died in vain. We will do what needs to be done.”

Still he could picture her in high definition detail. Her hair was the color of sun-dappled wheat and it hung thick and straight just past her shoulders. Her eyes were green with tiny specks of gold, which he’d noticed when they were chemistry lab partners. Her skin…It was perfect and although he’d never actually touched her, he just knew it would feel like silk.

It rang again, and he relaxed a little. She wasn’t home so he could leave a message. He’d written it out, after about twenty false starts, and he’d practiced the words enough that he thought he sounded pretty natural.

All he had to do was not think about her body, because that flustered him every time. She was like a Playboy centerfold. Not that he’d ever seen her without her clothes, but she had a lush curvy body. And—

“Hello?”

It was her.

“Hello?”

“Janice?”

“Yes. Who is this?”

God, her voice was just the same. “It’s Eli. Eli Lieberman.”

“Who?”

“From high school? You know, chemistry? And English. You used to ask me for my notes?”

“Oh, yeah, sure. Eli. Hi. Are you on the reunion committee?”

“Reunion? No. I’m just calling.”

“About…”

“Well, we both still live in Los Angeles, and I’m working for the Times now as a reporter, and—”

“You want to interview me about the reunion?”

“Well, no. I was wondering if you would like to get together for lunch, say at Jozu on Sunset, and then we could take a ride up the coast. I just got a new Turbo 911, and—”

“Um, Eli?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m actually seeing someone right now. And he’s, you know, the jealous type. But hey, I’ll make sure you get an invitation to the reunion, okay?”

“Yeah, sure,” he said, and even he could hear his pathetic disappointment. “Nice talking to you.”

“You, too. Bye now.”

With that, she was gone, and so was his dream. The next time she heard about Eli Lieberman, it would be on the news reporting his death. She’d be sorry then, because he’d be famous. And she could have gone out with him.

His phone, still on, beeped with a new call. It was Nate. “What’s going on?”

“You need to be at the meeting point tomorrow at 0600 hours.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Good job, kid. I hope this gets you your Pulitzer.”

“Thanks,” he said, even though the Pulitzer would come way too late to make Janice feel worse, but he appreciated the thought. “Good luck. To all of you.”

“Ten-four.”

Eli disconnected and looked around his snazzy new apartment. It was small but it cost a fortune. Mostly for the address, but also for the décor. It was all ultra-modern by some guy who had a decorating show on HGTV. Eli liked it. Well, mostly. He was always slipping off the damn leather couch.

He had no reservations about the car. It was pure heaven. And yeah, most of his savings was gone, but that was okay. He’d made the arrangements to complete his part of the mission, even if he was killed.

NATE PUT HIS CELL PHONE away and looked at his team. They were still in what Boone had called the nerve center. No electricity except for the generator, no running water. It was a hell of a place to stage a final battle.

The memorial for Cade had done exactly what he’d hoped. He needed these people to walk into the very heart of hell. He doubted they would all live. In fact, it was highly unlikely that any of them would. They knew the odds, and they still had to carry out the complex mission without losing it. He didn’t need to tell them their lives were secondary to the main goal of preventing Omicron from ever using the gas again.

What was so hard for him was that he needed all of them. Even the civilians. His sister. Harper. Kate. And Tam. He simply didn’t have enough soldiers to get the job done. Especially now that they didn’t have Cade.

He kept trying to think of a legitimate reason for leaving the women behind, but the four men couldn’t possibly do everything necessary to win the day. Maybe he just wasn’t seeing things clearly. He’d go over the plan again with Boone and Seth, see if they had any ideas. He was damn sure they didn’t want Christie and Harper to face such incredible odds.

But tonight, Boone and Seth had to go back to the plant. It was inevitable that security would have changed the timing of the patrols since they’d caught Cade. And since it was highly likely that the guards had found the breach in the gate, the men would have to make a new entrance.

He debated going with them, but if something happened, he’d have to rethink the plan and figure out a way to save the women and Vince. It wasn’t in his nature to sit back while others did the dirty work. He’d never wanted to be the one handing out the orders. He’d trained to be a soldier, the guy in the trenches. Watching his men leave was torture.

He’d go over the plans again, even though he knew everything by heart. When the guys came back, he’d run it through again. After that, there was no turning back, and everything would have to run like clockwork.

He went over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup, and saw that Seth and Boone had taken Harper and Christie to other rooms. Kate and Vince were on their way out, and Tam turned to him, looking unsure and a little frightened. He put his coffee down and went to her side. “Tired?”

She nodded. “You must be, too. You’ve had so little sleep.”

“I’ll get some rest after the guys head out.”

She looked at her watch. “They’ll be leaving in half an hour.”

“I need to go over a few things, anyway. Do you want to wait, or would you be okay getting into that sleeping bag alone?”

“I think I’ll wait, if that’s okay.”

“Sure. You want to check out the plan with me?”

She smiled. “I’d like that.”

IT WAS TERRIBLE WATCHING Seth and Boone drive away. They were all thinking of Cade, and praying that come the dawn, they’d see these two men come back unharmed.

Tam looked up at the night sky, and was stunned at the blanket of stars. How long had it been since she’d been so far away from civilization that she could see the Milky Way? She was so tiny, so insignificant, and yet her feelings filled her whole universe. How was that possible? Was it ego? Or was it just the human condition?

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Though Nate was standing next to her, she couldn’t see him clearly. But she felt him. Felt the heat from his body, despite their coats. Felt the rasp of his unshaven cheek. He’d become such a huge part of her universe. By the day after tomorrow, everything would change once more. If she made it, she’d leave for home as quickly as possible. She wondered if he’d loom as large once they were out of this desert. Out of danger.

She wondered if she’d ever stop wanting him.

She found his hand and tugged him back into the big room. She turned off a few of the lights, then took him back to their so-called apartment.

“I really should go over—”

She put her fingers over his lips to stop him. “Make love to me.”

His brow furrowed as he studied her face. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

She nodded. “Please. Just for tonight, let’s pretend we don’t have to save the world. Let’s just be together.”

“I’m so sorry,” he said.

“For what?”

“I should have found a way to make you safe.”

“That’s exactly what you did.”

“I don’t want you to go into that plant. We can do it without you. We’ll be fine.”

She grasped his large hands. “We will be fine, but I’ll be there. Doing my part.”

“Tam—”

“Just for tonight. Please?”

He took her by the shoulders and pulled her close. His arms went around her and she felt his chin rest on the top of her head. That always made her smile, their disparity in size, but tonight she realized it was yet another memory she’d take with her, and maybe someday it would make her smile instead of weep.

He stepped back and lifted her chin for a kiss, and the second his lips touched hers, she knew she’d made the right decision.

She wasn’t doing this for the good of the team. She was here because she cared deeply about this man. He’d been her world for so long. He’d given her so very much. Tonight, she’d do her best to take his mind off his burdens. She’d give him peace, even if it was only for a moment.

She pulled back and looked at the sleeping bags on the floor. “Kind of makes you miss the Starlight Motel.”

He smiled. “It won’t be so bad. Look.” He unrolled one of the bags and she saw there was a foam cushion wrapped with it. Not that it would be like a bed, but it would help.

The second bag also had the foam. She pictured them sleeping on the cushions with the bags on top, but Nate did some tricks with the zippers so they had a double layer of insulation between them and the floor.

“Not bad, Sarge.”

“I do my best.”

She undressed carefully, placing her clothes on top of the duffel bag. She thought about the sad little nightgown she’d bought at Goodwill. With luck, she’d have nice things again. Lingerie. Boots. Jeans that really fit.

When they were naked and shivering, he maneuvered them both inside their bed. He cradled her neck on his arm, and then he kissed her. He tasted like peppermint, and he smelled like the desert itself. There simply was no better combination.

His free hand moved down the front of her body, lingering over each breast, then down to the edge of her mound. To her surprise, he moved up again, content with the languorous massage as they kissed.

She touched him, too. His shoulder, his arm, the curve of his chest and his hip. He’d left one light on, in the corner of the room, but in their bag it was very dark. When she closed her eyes she saw sparkling colors, so she kept them open, wanting no distractions. She just wished she could see him better. Good thing she’d memorized his face.

As his kisses grew deeper and more intense, she found herself urging his hand to go lower. Raising her hips, spreading her legs. She wanted him intensely, and she didn’t give a damn why.

That thought opened a floodgate of all the reasons she was being a fool, and the only way she could stop them was to take his hand from her hip and guide it where she wanted him to go. He gasped a little as she used her own fingers to demonstrate.

Nate had always been a quick study, thank goodness. The second she felt the pad of his finger on her clit, she let him go solo. She turned just far enough to give herself access to his erection. She’d felt him rubbing against her, and it had felt so good, but it wasn’t nearly enough. She took him in hand, loving the way he jumped as she gripped him.

This was it, the total immersion she’d been looking for. No more thinking. All thinking had ever done was get her into trouble. But feeling? Especially when the sensations were enough to drive her insane? That she could do. Hell, she could revel in those for days.

“You drive me crazy,” he whispered. He took her earlobe between his teeth and his breath made her shiver.

“Then I’m doing it right,” she said.

“I’m going to have to do something about your hand,” he said.

She stroked him all the way up, then down again, and she didn’t stop there. She rolled his sack in her hand, gently of course, but from his hiss, she knew he had no objections. If it hadn’t been so difficult to move around, she’d have gone down on him, but this would have to suffice.

He got even with her, though. He pulled his hand back for a moment, then a second later he plunged two thick fingers inside her.

She yelped and maybe she got a little carried away because he yelped too, but not in a good way.

Immediately, she calmed down, but Nate just laughed, making her break out in goose bumps. “Watch the boys,” he said. “I’m not finished with them yet.”

“Sorry.”

He continued to thrust into her. “That’s okay. You’ll make up for it.”

“I will?”

“Yep.”

“Just what were you thinking?”

“I want you to turn over.”

“Oh, no.”

His fingers stopped. “It’s not what you think.”

God, she wished she could see his eyes. “Promise?”

“I’d never do anything you didn’t want.”

“How do you know I’ll want this?”

“Trust me,” he said. “Now turn over.”

She turned, but when she was on her side, facing away from him, he stopped her. “Here?”

“Perfect.” He moved her top leg up, so it was bent at the knee. His lips moved to her neck, the sensitive skin just under her ear. As he nipped and licked, he guided his cock inside her. He moved slowly until he found his rhythm. Then, as she was savoring the sensation of him from behind, his fingers came back for an encore.