Authors: Shannon Greenland

Tags: #Suspense

The Winning Element (6 page)

BOOK: The Winning Element

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Behind TL, his bedroom door sat propped open. His covers and pillows didn’t appear disturbed.

TL picked up his mug with a tea bag dangling over the side. “I’m going to say this only once, and there will be no more discussion on the subject.” He made eye contact with first me and then David. “My marriage to Nalani Kai is no one’s business but mine. Neither of you will tell anyone she is my wife. As far as you’re concerned, she’s a field agent. Nothing more. Do we understand each other?”

“Yes, sir,” David immediately answered.

“Yes, sir,” I echoed.

It occurred to me then that David had probably gotten in big trouble for telling me about TL and Nalani’s marriage.

I chanced a quick look at David, but he still didn’t make eye contact with me. I owed him a huge apology.

“GiGi,” TL continued, “you’ve turned into someone I wasn’t expecting. I’m not disappointed. Surprised is a better way to describe what I’m feeling. You proved your psychological profile wrong in stepping beyond your comfort zone of reclusiveness, of living inside your brain, of not taking chances unless forced to. I thought one day you might. I’d
hoped
one day you would. I just wasn’t expecting it to happen this soon.”

I didn’t know if I should take his words as complimentary or not, but I remained quiet and kept listening.

“As I mentioned last night, the IPNC has been after Eduardo Villanueva for years. He’s managed to squirm his way out of being captured every single time we came close.” TL rubbed his fingers over his shaved chin. “As you two already know, the Specialists are now private. We’re no longer run by the government, by the IPNC. Legally, we can’t go after Eduardo Villanueva unless the IPNC hires us.”

TL dunked his tea bag a few times. “I’ve spent most of the night on the phone with senior IPNC officials. They’ve agreed to give us the case.”

My heart skipped a beat in anticipation. I hoped this conversation was leading to where I thought it was.

TL sat back in his office chair. “They’ve given us sixty days to find, apprehend, and bring down Eduardo Villanueva.” TL picked up a folder and tossed it in my direction. It landed in front of me at the edge of the desk. “Since you’re so interested in going after Eduardo, I’m giving you the case. You’re in charge. You will be putting together the mission.”

“E-excuse me?” He was kidding, right? I didn’t know how to put together a mission.

TL’s brows lifted. “You heard me. You want to bring down your parents’ killer?” He looked at the folder. “There it is. It’s all yours. It’s this way or no way. This is a challenge, GiGi. It’s part of your training. You’ve boldly stepped beyond yourself and requested my help. Well, I’m helping you by getting the case. Now let’s see how you continue to handle that boldness and plan the mission.”

I stared at the folder, itching to peek inside. This was what I’d wanted, to go after my parents’ killer. But . . . I didn’t know how to be in charge.

TL took a long, leisurely sip of his tea. “There are a couple of conditions.”

“Conditions?” Why did there always have to be something else?

He put his mug down. “David will assist you in designing and planning the mission.” TL looked at David. “Whatever you come up with, make sure you set yourself up as backup from a separate location.”

David nodded. “Yes, sir.”

I released an inaudible, relieved breath. Good, David was going.

“I will need to see and approve all plans, the budget, and the equipment lists.”

I nodded my head.

“You will be monitored every step of the way.” TL tapped his eye. “Never forget, I’ll be watching you. Even when you don’t think I’ll be watching, I
will
be watching.”

I nodded again. I didn’t expect any less.

“And,” TL continued, “Beaker and I will travel with you.”

“Beaker?”

TL nodded once. “Beaker. She will be your partner on this mission.”

Groooan.
Anybody but her. She
hated
me. For that matter, I didn’t much like her either.

“Make your decision now. Yes or no. What’s it going to be? It’s this way or no way.”

Without hesitation, I slipped the folder from his desk. “Yes.”

minutes later, david and I stood in the hallway at the mountainous mural. He placed his hand on the globe light fixture. A hidden laser housed within scanned his prints, and the mural slid aside to reveal the ranch’s secret elevator.

We stepped inside, David punched in his personal code, and the car descended.

Without looking at me, he pulled two energy bars from his back jeans pocket and handed one to me. “Breakfast.” Still not making eye contact, he opened his energy bar and took a bite.

I studied his bent head as he chewed, swallowed, and took another bite. He was really upset. Either that or his flip-flops must be real interesting with the way he was staring at them.

“David?”

He didn’t look up.

I sighed. It’d been so long since this kind of friction stood between us. It felt awful. And I was the reason why.

The elevator stopped on Sub Four. David reached for the control panel.

“Wait.” If I didn’t say something now, we wouldn’t have privacy later. “I know you’re upset.”

He took his hand away from the control panel but still didn’t make eye contact.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry that I told TL I knew about Nalani. You trusted me with that information, and I screwed up. I never intended on saying anything, but I was so mad that it came out before I had time to stop it.”

David shrugged a shoulder, still studying his flip-flops. “My fault. I should’ve known better than to tell you. To tell anybody. ”

That made it worse. In other words, David couldn’t trust me.

But . . . how fair was that? Everyone made mistakes. This one shouldn’t mean David suddenly couldn’t confide in me.

I reached out and took his hand, hoping he wouldn’t pull away.

He didn’t, thank God.

“I
am
really sorry. Please know you can trust me with anything. I made a mistake and won’t make it again. I promise.” I squeezed David’s hand. “Was TL really mad at you?”

"He wasn’t happy.”

Translation: Yes, TL’s mad.

David respected and admired TL. Everyone did. But David had lived here for years and had known TL longer than anybody. They had a working relationship, sure, but their friendship was rooted in years of mutual loyalty.

And my uncharacteristically big mouth had come between them. Of all the times for me to get lippy, I had to do it with two people I cared for a lot.

Finally, David brought his eyes up to mine. I saw hurt in their dark depths. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d threatened to leave?”

My heart paused. While I sensed he was upset about this when he didn’t look at me in TL’s office, I was hoping it was just my imagination. “I didn’t tell anyone.” I shook my head. “Well, I mean, I told my roommates and the guys last night after my meeting with TL.”

“But why didn’t you tell
me
?”

“B-because . . . because you weren’t in our bedroom, I guess. Everyone else was, so I told them. If you would’ve been there, I would’ve told you, too.” Even to my own ears, my reasoning sounded weak. I should’ve told David first.

He let go of my hand, and I immediately missed the warm contact. “Reverse the situation, GiGi. What if I’d threatened to leave? Wouldn’t you be upset to find out through someone else?”

My shoulders drooped. “Yes.” He had a point. I’d feel awful if someone else told me David was leaving. It’d make me feel like he didn’t return the feelings I had for him, that he thought our relationship insignificant.

“How do you think I felt when TL told me? I didn’t know what to say. I was shocked.”

“I’m sorry.”

David ran his fingers through his hair. “Do you understand that if any one of us leaves, we’re not allowed to have contact with anyone here? If you would’ve left, none of us would’ve seen you or spoken to you again.
Ever.
”

I swallowed. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” I’d never thought to ask about such things. I’d never planned on leaving.

He shook his head. “Why didn’t you come to me? We could’ve figured out a game plan. We could’ve sat down and talked things through. Come up with something other than you leaving. We could’ve gone to TL professionally. You’re lucky he didn’t kick you out last night.”

“I’m sorry. I was so tired and frustrated and . . . sad.”
God,
what had I done?

David punched in his personal code on the elevator panel. “That’s no excuse for making rash decisions. If you’ve learned anything in the Specialists, it should’ve been that.”

I threw my hands up. “I’m sorry again.” What else could I say? I’d made mistakes, but everything turned out all right. I got to stay here at the ranch, and we were going after Eduardo Villanueva.

He stepped off the elevator. “Stop apologizing. It’s getting on my nerves.”

My jaw dropped.

David took off down the hall.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” I called to his back. “You’re not perfect either. I can’t believe you’re this mad at me.”

He whipped around. “Yeah, I’m mad. I spent months telling myself I liked you only as a friend. And when I finally admit there’s something more, you almost up and walk away without any thought to it.”

“But I didn’t walk away. I’m still here.”
He’d spent months?

“You know what I mean.” He turned and stalked off down the hall again.

“David.” I jogged to catch up. “This isn’t about you. It’s about my parents. It’s about finding their killer.” If anybody understood that, it should be him. It wasn’t too long ago we were after his father’s kidnappers.

“I know. Believe me, I know.” He stopped at the computer lab door. “Listen, I need time to think. I need time to cool off. And you’ve got a lot to deal with. Let’s just focus on the mission.”

[3]

I preceded david into the computer lab with a mix of emotions swirling in my heart. I’d hurt and disappointed him with the decisions I’d made. And even with that, he still admitted he liked me. He’d told me that before, but this time it seemed to come from his soul.

I just hoped things could go back to the way they’d been.

The computer lab door suctioned closed behind us, making a cool swooshing noise straight out of a sci-fi movie.

BOOK: The Winning Element

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