Delicious Danger

Desiree Holt

Book 3 in the Phoenix Agency series.

Kelly was shocked when her Caucasian Ovcharka, Xena, bonded with Rick Latrobe. The dogs are known for linking with only their owners. She’s even more shocked at the intense sexual heat that sizzles between her and Rick. When she tumbles into bed with him at the very first opportunity, experiencing a night of erotic bliss in his arms, she knows they have something special.

But Xena is very much aware when an attempt is made on Rick’s life, and the dog drives Kelly crazy with signals of danger. Rick is nearly killed and Kelly and Xena are ferried to the secret clinic where he’s recovering. As Rick heals and they race to find the mastermind behind the attempted murder, the lust between them heats to the boiling point.

Ellora’s Cave Publishing

www.ellorascave.com

Delicious Danger

ISBN 9781419932731

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Delicious Danger Copyright © 2011 Desiree Holt

Edited by Helen Woodall

Cover art by Syneca

Electronic book publication August 2011

The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

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Delicious Danger

Desiree Holt

Dedication

To Josh Felker of Lone Star Handgun, ex-Delta Force, gun instructor extraordinaire and an incredible human being, who answered countless questions patiently and did his best to make sure my story was accurate. You were great. Any mistakes are definitely my own.

Chapter One

“Granddad?” Kelly Monroe finished checking the air pressure on her truck tires and called out to her grandfather standing by the hangar. The vacation in Key West had been great and the visit here in Maryland with her grandfather even better. But now it was time to get home and back to work. Maine was still many long hours on the road away.

Harry Monroe disconnected the call he was taking, shoved his cell phone in his pocket and jogged slowly over to the truck. At seventy he was still fit and jogging didn’t even wind him. “I sure wish you’d stay longer,” he told her. “I don’t get to see you nearly enough.”

“I’d try to coax you up to Maine but I know being in charge of the Phoenix Agency airfield and running security on their craft doesn’t leave you much time for visiting.”

The Phoenix Agency, a top security agency that took jobs for both the government and private industry, was based in Maryland. Headed by the charismatic Dan Romeo, he and his four partners had built its reputation on the quality of their work. All former military, they each brought an area of expertise to the business. Harry had been recommended to them by Dan’s former commanding officer in the Marines and it had given the retired sergeant a new lease on life.

“They could spare me for a few days,” he protested.

She grinned at him. “We’ll see. You were there for me when Mom and Dad were killed but I wasn’t a kid, Granddad. And you needed to do something besides rock and read. I’m glad you have this.”

“Me too,” he chuckled. “And the guys are very good to me.”

“As well they should be.”

“You should stay the night,” he told her. “It’s late in the day. Too late to be starting out.”

“We’ll camp out about halfway there. No problem.”

“It’s a problem to me,” he grumbled.

“I promise we’ll be fine.”She turned to a large dog sitting quietly by the hangar, watching them intently. “Hey, Xena. Come on, girl. We’ve got to get going.”

Kelly had bought the Caucasian Ovcharka from a breeder seven years ago as a gift to herself on her twenty-first birthday. Unlike any other dog she’d ever seen, Xena had deep-set, dark eyes and ears densely covered with fur. The shoulders were slightly raised from the back and the tail had a heavy feathering of fur. With long forelimbs and large heavy paws, she looked exactly like what she was—a guard dog. And she guarded Kelly well, in many ways.

“Come on,” Kelly called again. “Quit stalling.”

“I think she wants to stay,” Harry said.

“Oh, honestly.” She started toward Xena at a slow trot, motioning to the dog as she moved. She hadn’t taken ten steps before the one-hundred-thirty-pound body flew through the air like a shot and landed directly in front of her.

Kelly pulled up short. “What the heck?”

“You nearly tripped over that hose you didn’t see,” Harry pointed out.

“Is that it, girl?” Kelly knelt and threaded her fingers through the dog’s fur. “Were you taking care of me again?” She fixed her gaze on the dog’s. “Yes, you’re right. I need to pay more attention.”

“I swear.” Harry scratched his head. “You and that dog read each other’s minds. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Don’t joke. Ovcharkas are known for certain psychic abilities. Xena’s have saved my butt more than once.”

“You were always like that with animals. Knowing what was wrong with them. What they wanted. Having silent conversations with them. But with Xena?” He shook his head. “It’s the weirdest thing. That’s just something else.”

“She’ll take good care of me on the way home too. Don’t you worry.” She kissed the dog’s black nose. “Come on, girl. Into the truck. Time to hit the road.”

“Don’t you even want to meet any of the guys? They always ask about you. The one time you show up they’re all busy with something.”

“Next time,” she told him. “I promise we’ll stay a little longer.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” But he said it affectionately.

* * * * *

Eric “Rick” Latrobe was bone weary. He’d barely slept in forty-eight hours, his head throbbed and his eyes felt as if someone had rubbed grit into them. The noise of the helicopter wasn’t helping his headache, either. In spite of Mike D’Antoni’s superlative skills, the ride from the airfield where the cargo plane had dropped him off was bumpy and only added to his general pissed-off feeling.

More than anything he wanted a hot shower, a cold beer and a clean bed. But he knew that none of those things would be forthcoming any time soon. Before he could even think about going home he needed a sit-down with his partners and a no-holds-barred conversation.

He hadn’t wanted to get involved in the whole Iraq business to begin with. Phoenix was busy enough as it was, with enough contracts to juggle. But Grainger Caldwell had gotten some lucrative pieces of the pie to rebuild Iraq’s infrastructure, the company was a high-dollar client and Charlie Grainger wanted—no, demanded—that Phoenix game-plan the security they’d need, train the people who’d work the security details and set it all up.

One of the biggest headaches was recruiting the right people. Many of them they were able to import from the States, especially those who filled specific requirements. The others came from local cities like Baghdad. Rick thanked god every day that one of the languages he was trained in was Arabic. Otherwise they’d have had more than the wool pulled over his eyes.

But even so, he’d already made a mental note to tell Charlie they needed to cut back on the use of the locals. Communication was only part of the problem. Too many of these people were thugs looking for either a free ride or an excuse to shoot someone. That wasn’t what he needed, not when he was supposed to train people to protect the construction workers and the staff who had been sent there.

And now they had to figure out what was going wrong with the setup. Why little things were happening that shouldn’t. In a week’s time he was shepherding a Hercules C-130J full of heavy arms and Humvees over to the Grainger Caldwell setup and he couldn’t afford to have any screw-ups.

It was bad enough that a deep-cover contact had passed along information that a tribe of people in the north were quietly gathering resources to reclaim their land and power. And planning to eliminate all the coalition forces that got in their way. This meant great danger for Grainger Caldwell’s contracts, as some of their projects were scheduled for that area. He’d hinted that these small thefts might be nothing more than a test of the security at the GC compound.

Damn! As if he didn’t have enough on his plate already.

He’d told his contact he’d be back in about a week and made arrangements to meet with him again. These meetings had to be carefully planned. If the man’s associates had any idea he was feeding information to an American, he’d be killed in a slow and painful way and his family destroyed. He wouldn’t even let Rick see his face, always wearing a hood pulled over it.

Not to mention the fact that on the long trip back Rick’d been trying to dig out of his mind some shadowy fact that insisted in hiding away from him. Something someone had said. Or something he’d seen. The harder he tried, the more elusive it became.

“Welcome back to Maryland,” Mike told him, as he set the bird on the ground. “Next stop the office where everyone’s waiting. I guess we need to see how we can pull our irons out of the fire and handle this operation properly.”

“You got that right, Ace.” Rick unstrapped himself and pushed open the door to the helo’s cabin. As he hopped down to the ground, his eye was caught by a blue pickup truck at the far end of the area. “Who the hell is here? Harry knows we don’t allow strangers here.”

The field with its three large hangars was home to the two helicopters and three private jets Phoenix Agency owned. The nature of their work made them prime targets for every kind of nut. They had a state-of-the-art security system and no one came or went unless they had agency approval.

“Relax.” Mike finished shutting down the machine and doing his post-flight cabin check. “That’s Harry’s granddaughter. She’s been visiting for a few days on her way back from Florida. He wanted to show her around and I gave the okay.”

Then Rick took a good look at the female standing beside the truck and his heart nearly stopped. Holy hell! Why didn’t Harry tell them he had a granddaughter who was every man’s dream? She was tall and slim, with long red hair the color of burnished sunlight. She was in earnest conversation with Harry their caretaker-cum-maintenance man. As she talked she gestured so gracefully with her hands she could have been an artist sketching a picture in the air. Rick could take or leave his women but this one, with just one look, reached a place inside him he’d had closed off forever.

Then he blinked as the object in the back of the pickup came into better view. “What the hell is that in her truck bed? A horse?”

Mike chuckled. “Close. It’s a Caucasian Ovcharka. A dog.”

Rick stared. The dog looked to be half as tall as he was, with a large head and mostly black fur. Only part of its hindquarters and its forelegs were whitish gray. Its jaws looked as if they could clamp onto a small animal with no problem.

“Isn’t he a little much for her to handle?”

“She, you chauvinist. The dog’s a female. I understand the males weigh a good twenty pounds more.”

“So doesn’t she overpower her?”

“Nah. They follow hand signals and voice commands almost like a machine. You know, those dogs are rumored to have Psi abilities.”

“No kidding. A psychic animal? Well, I don’t discount anything these days. Maybe we should look into working with them.”

“Talk to Mia and Faith. That’s their department,” Mike reminded him. “Come on. I’ll introduce you.”

Rick hitched the strap of his duffel over his shoulder and followed Mike to where Harry and the woman were standing. Up close she was even more striking. Her hair was wound into a thick braid that fell halfway down her back. Curls escaping at the sides framed a classic face with alabaster skin, a tiny spray of freckles on her nose and eyes that flashed like emeralds in the sunlight.

She turned in his direction as he walked up to her and the smile she flashed nearly brought him to his knees. This was Harry’s granddaughter? Good thing he was so tired or he’d be in big trouble here.

“Hey, guys,” Harry greeted them. “Honey, you’ve met Mike. This is Rick Latrobe, one of the other partners. Rick, this is my granddaughter, Kelly Monroe.”

She held out a slim hand. When Rick wrapped his larger one around it flashes of heat shot through his body like flames dancing through his blood. Good god. What was going on here? Maybe he’d been without a woman too long.

“Nice to meet you.” Her voice was low and soft, the kind that made his body vibrate. She nodded at the dog, who looked even larger up close. Her eyes were fixed on Rick like twin lasers.“This is Xena. She doesn’t take too well to strangers, I’m afraid.”

But the dog, standing motionless in the truck bed, suddenly leaped to the ground and sat at Rick’s feet, almost knocking him over. She looked up, her eyes telegraphing some kind of message.

Kelly frowned. “That’s strange. She’s never done that before. She almost never goes near anyone but me.”

Rick reached out a tentative hand to pet the dog.

“Be careful,” Kelly warned.

But the animal sat without moving, accepting the caress. Her eyes never moved from Rick’s face.

Kelly did her best to control her shock at Xena’s actions. The dog never, never ever, did this with anyone but her. Kelly knew how the dog felt. She had an uncontrollable urge to throw herself at Rick Latrobe’s feet too. Why didn’t her grandfather tell her all these men were so good-looking?

She looked at the dog and frowned.

“Xena? What’s going on here, girl?”

“Maybe I do better with animals than I do with people,” Rick joked. “She’s magnificent, by the way.”

“Thank you.” She snapped her fingers once. “Xena. Truck. Now.” For emphasis, she opened the passenger door and gestured emphatically.

The dog looked up at Rick, then at Kelly and almost reluctantly stood up and began to amble toward the truck. As she passed Kelly she shifted her weight and nudged her owner with her massive hindquarters. Kelly pitched forward toward Rick, saved from falling only by six foot two of hard, muscular body and a pair of strong arms catching her. She found herself pressed against his chest and when she looked up he was grinning at her. Ohmigod! His face was etched with heavy lines of fatigue but his penetrating electric blue eyes danced with mischief.

“Nothing to spice up the day like having a beautiful woman fall into your arms.” He winked at her.

For a moment she was tempted to wrap her arms around him and press herself even closer. Her nipples hardened instantly and every nerve in her body woke up. Then reality hit, heat flamed her cheeks and she pushed herself away.

“I am so sorry. I don’t know what’s come over that dog.” She turned her head toward Xena who was sitting beside her now. Kelly could have sworn the dog was grinning.

“Please. Don’t apologize.” He grinned again and a dimple winked at the corner of his mouth. “The pleasure was all mine.”

Kelly labored to maintain some semblance of dignity. Looking into Xena’s eyes, she was sure she could hear the dog thinking, “You need a man and this one’s A-plus. It’s my job to help it along.”

She wiped a hand over her face. Impossible. She and Xena got into each other’s minds but this was beyond ridiculous. She snapped her fingers and pointed. “Xena. Truck. Now.”

She swore the dog sighed as she lifted herself, then obediently jumped into the cab and took her place on the passenger seat.

“I apologize again,” she told Rick, then turned to Mike who couldn’t quite keep the smile off his face or the laughter out of his eyes. “And you too. Mike. I think it’s time I got out of here.”

Harry took off his cap and scratched his head. “That’s the damnedest thing. That dog won’t even come to me but she sure took a shine to you, Rick.” He slapped his cap back on and gave his granddaughter a hug. “Well, honey, I guess you gotta get going and I know these guys have to head for their office. Mike, the SUV’s all gassed up. Take it easy on Rick. He looks like he’s been run over a few times.”

“I feel like it, too,” Rick told him. He turned those sizzling blue eyes on Kelly again and she had to clench her fists to keep from jumping into his arms again. “Do you live around here?”

She shook her head. “In Maine. Tip edge of the States. I was visiting a friend in Key West and stopped to see Granddad on the way home.”

“Maine?” He and Mike exchanged a look. “You’ve got a long drive ahead of you. You sure you should be starting out this late in the day?”

“I’m trying to talk her into staying overnight,” Harry said, “but she’s as stubborn as her daddy was.”

“Staying over sounds good,” Rick said. “We could have dinner.”

Kelly stared at him. He looked as astounded at giving the invitation as she felt as receiving it. “Excuse me?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, your dog seems to like me a lot. And you said that’s unusual. Maybe we could talk about it over dinner. You know. The dog.”

She looked at her grandfather for help but he was just grinning, along with the man standing next to Rick. Common sense told her to get in her truck and take off, but those piercing blue eyes seemed to have a direct line to her nipples and her womb. Heat bloomed between her thighs and rushed along the fair skin of her cheeks.

What’s going on? I don’t ever react this way. To anyone.

Maybe you should, her inner devil whispered. He’s damn good looking and I’ll bet he’d be hell in bed.

Kelly brushed at her face with her hand, hoping to wipe away any visible trace of what she was thinking.

“I don’t dribble my food or chew with my mouth open,” Rick joked. “And I actually clean up pretty good.”

“Go on, Kelly,” Harry urged. “Have a night out for a change.”

“All right.” She couldn’t believe she was saying that. “Thank you.”

“You can stay in my guestroom,” he grandfather put in. “Rick, you know where I live, right?”

Rick nodded. “We have some work to do at the office right now but I’ll pick you up at seven. That okay?”

“Yes. But I should tell you I don’t have anything with me to wear besides jeans.”

“Jeans it is.” He winked. “See you at seven.”

She watched them climb into the big SUV and drive through the gate.

“Well, Xena, you picked a winner.” She ruffled the dog’s ears. “But how come you didn’t stop me from breaking my ‘no date’ rule? If I get into trouble it’s your fault.”

She’d taken herself out of the social circle after too many abortive tries at a relationship with men who didn’t play well with strong women. They were either intimidated or challenged. Somehow she didn’t think Rick Latrobe would be either one.

But training guard and security dogs was more than a full-time job and one that left little or no time for relationships. Her business was thriving. That’s what she needed to focus on.

Sighing, she turned back to Harry.

“Okay, Granddad. I hope we both don’t live to regret this.”

* * * * *

Rick leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. Holy Hannah. Every cell in his body had stood at attention when he’d felt Kelly Monroe’s softness against him, her breasts pressed into his chest. He could have lost himself in those eyes, emerald green with licks of golden fire in them. And hair that he wanted to tug loose and run his fingers through.

Dinner, you idiot? With all you’ve got going on?

“Harry’s granddaughter’s a real dish, isn’t she?”Mike had trouble keeping the laughter out of his voice. “Lucky you having her fall into your arms.”

Rick grunted. “Yeah, right. Why the hell did you let me make a date with her? Right now the last thing I should have on my mind is a date.”

“Give yourself a break. You look like you could use one. Too long without any downtime at all and you lose your edge. And that means danger.”

“I know, I know. But we’ve got big problems, Michael. And I sense more coming.”

He tried to gather his thoughts to brief his partners about the mess they were all in. Even so, he couldn’t wipe away the image of the slender redhead and her unusual dog. And the promise of the evening ahead.

At the office his partners were waiting for him, their eyes filled with questions. He’d sent a couple of brief messages before leaving Iraq. Now they wanted details. But after an hour, the five men who formed the partnership of Phoenix didn’t seem to be any further ahead than when they started.

“So the weapons are just disappearing?” Dan Romeo, CEO of the agency, asked for perhaps the tenth time.

“Jesus, Dan.” Rick dry-washed his face. “How many different ways do you want me to answer you? Yes, they keep disappearing in small amounts. As if someone thinks we won’t notice. Either that, or they’re testing our reaction and waiting to see what we’ll do.”

“And Jordan insists it’s kids pilfering them, right?”

Greg Jordan was the man Phoenix had hired to ramrod their operation in Iraq. Mike D’Antoni, another partner, had served with him and recommended him as someone who could keep a tight rein on the security operations they’d set up for Grainger Caldwell. The problem seemed to be that small amounts of arms shipped over for the security force were disappearing on a regular basis and no one seemed to know how or when.

Dan looked at Mike. “Maybe this guy’s not as good as you thought, Mikey.”

D’Antoni glared at him. “You don’t think I’ve asked myself about that a hundred times since Rick called about this mess? But I’m telling you, I checked him out six ways from Sunday. If there’s anything wrong, he’s better at hiding it than we are at finding it out.”

“How many guards does he have in the warehouse?” Dan asked.

“He says three at all times.” Rick rubbed his face again. “And that was the drill while I was there. I spot-checked it several times.”

“Don’t forget, half the security force they hired over there is Iraqi. Who knows how many rotten apples there are in the barrel.”

“We’ve had some help picking and choosing but what can I say? This thing was a mess from day one.”

Mark Halloran drummed his fingers on the table. “Well, you baby-sat this load and spent five days there training their guys in new procedures. Where do you think we stand?”

Rick stood up, stretched his cramped muscles and went to the sideboard to refill his coffee mug. He was still plagued by whatever it is he was trying to remember and couldn’t get a hold on.

“You have to picture the situation,” he explained. “Grainger Caldwell is working out of a trailer at BIAP—Baghdad International Airport. They commandeered one of the hangars to stash all their equipment, including the construction machines. Their guys—security and construction workers—live in a building they threw up in five minutes right next to the hangar. Security works in shifts at the hangar and at the construction sites. But they aren’t the only ones at BIAP.”

“I know, I know.” Dan was doodling on the pad in front of him. “We knew going in that almost everyone with a piece of the pie in Iraq would be headquartered there. Are you saying you think some of them are stealing the arms?”

Rick shrugged. “I’m not saying anything except the next shipment going over there is the big one. I’ve given these guys as much training as I can. Now it’s up to Jordan to implement it. And they definitely need what we’re sending them.”

“Including the three Humvees with the roof cut out for the gunner,” Mark reminded everyone.

“Here’s what I think.” Rick looked at everyone in the room. “I think something’s going on and we’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg. We drew straws and I got to honcho this gig so whatever goes wrong is in my lap. We’ve got a C-130J chartered to take the load over. I’m going with it because my internal radar is sending me funny signals.”

And also because of my contact who warned me that this might be going to happen.

“Who’s flying?” Troy Arsenault, the fifth member of the team, wanted to know.

“I took care of the charter,” Mike answered. “Ed and I will be in the cockpit.”

Ed was Dan’s brother and one of the team’s two pilots.

“Do you think you’ll need a medic?” That was one of Troy’s many contributions to the agency.

“Jesus.” Rick shook his head. “I hope not.”

“All right.” Dan pushed the pad of paper away from him. “But let’s keep the departure and arrival strictly under wraps. That way we have no leaks. Call Jordan on the satellite phone and give him a five-day window. Then decide when you want to go.”

The one thing Rick hadn’t mentioned was something he’d spotted on Greg Jordan’s desk that lurked in the back of his mind, hiding. He couldn’t remember what it was, only that it had set off alarm bells. But when he wanted to ask Jordan about it, whatever it was had disappeared. Now for the life of him he couldn’t call it up and it was driving him nuts.

“All right.” He drained the last of his coffee. “I’ll get on it first thing in the morning. And Dan? In the next couple of days I want to talk to Faith and Mia about a very interesting dog.”

* * * * *

Dinner was far more enjoyable than Kelly had expected. Rick Latrobe was easy to be with, easy to talk to, and the food at the casual restaurant was excellent. But she caught herself staring frequently at the man sitting across from her.

At least six two his muscular frame was evident in the jeans and t-shirt he wore. Tiny spikes of golden hair, lighter than the sun-streaked blond mane that covered his head, peeked over the neckline of the shirt. And those eyes. Even rimmed with fatigue they were the most startling blue she’d ever seen.

Idly she wondered what he’d look like completely naked. Would his muscles be as sculpted as they hinted they’d be? Would the soft golden hair cover his body? And what would his—

Stop that!

She almost hated to see it end, a rare feeling for her. When they walked out to his truck in the parking lot, it seemed the most natural thing in the world for him to link his fingers through hers. What wasn’t natural was a repeat of the electricity zinging between them and the heat flushing through her body.

Kelly had a healthy appetite for sex that she hadn’t allowed herself to indulge for far too long. She had an unshakable feeling that this man could satisfy everything on her personal menu but it would be dangerous to give in to the tug between them. She’d keep to her own side of the truck cab on the way back, shake hands, thank him and get the hell inside Granddad’s house before she gave in to the heat throbbing everywhere in her body.

But Rick Latrobe apparently had other ideas. When he unlocked the truck, instead of opening the passenger door for her he pulled her into his arms and his mouth descended on hers.

She’d expected a hard, predatory kiss, one she could have stiffened herself against. Refused. But Rick’s lips were soft against hers, brushing lightly, his tongue tracing the outline of her mouth. Teasing at the corners. Tracing the seam. His arms around her were gentle but firm, almost coaxing. Only there was nothing coaxing about the thick, hard ridge of his cock pressing into her through the layers of their clothing.

One hand slid up to cup her head while the other wandered to her hip, pressing her body even closer to his. Heat flashed through her, a sizzle that hardened her nipples and made the walls of her pussy quiver. Her thighs trembled and icy shivers skittered over her skin. Lordy! Kelly couldn’t ever remember a man having this effect on her before. Or this quickly.

His tongue was like a flame, burning her everywhere it touched. It danced wickedly inside her mouth, coaxing her own tongue to dance with his. She couldn’t help herself. She tasted him, twined with him, pressed herself so hard against him she was sure the imprint of his cock would be burned against her body.

“Come home with me,” he breathed into her mouth. “Stay the night with me, Kelly, please.”

“Yes. O-Okay.”

Was that really her talking?

“What about Xena? Do you have to get her?” One corner of his mouth kicked up in a grin. “Because I’m afraid if I take you back to Harry’s, you’ll change your mind.”

“I-I can call and tell him what to do. She really doesn’t interact with anyone except me.”

“And me,” he reminded her, his hand warming her breast.

“And you,” she agreed. “Maybe that’s why I said yes.”

She had a vague impression of space both inside and out at Rick’s house, lots of trees outside and high ceilings inside. But the images were a faint blur. They were so hungry for each other, they were shedding their clothes as soon as they stepped inside from the garage.

When they were both naked Rick lifted her in his arms and carried her to his bedroom, tearing back the covers on the biggest bed she’d ever seen. He set her on her feet, knelt and gently parted her labia. With great care he placed an open-mouthed kiss on her clit, sucking it into his mouth. Instantly heat shot through her and lust curled low in her belly. His tongue was rough silk against her sensitive skin, lapping at her with slow, long strokes, then flicking her clit with the tip of his tongue. Her legs were so rubbery Kelly had to grip Rick’s broad, muscular shoulders to brace herself or she’d surely have fallen.

He parted her lips, rubbing his thumbs along their swollen surface before tracing a line with his tongue along every inch of the pink inner flesh. Little whimpers burst from her mouth as he licked her over and over before turning his attention again to her throbbing clit. She was so aroused, so ready, when he nipped the bundle of nerves lightly with his teeth, she climaxed, shivering as the spasms rippled through her.

Rick slipped two long, lean fingers into her pussy, curling them slightly so the tips scraped along her sweet spot, and drove them in and out of her while she clenched around his touch. Her hips jerked and the whimpers turned to moans as he continued to fuck her with his hand.

The last tiny convulsion had barely died away when he lifted her to the bed, arranged her on her back with her knees bent and thrust his fingers into her again. Gathering some of her liquid, he trailed his fingers down between the cheeks of her ass to the tight opening there, rimming it lightly, spreading it.

“Has anyone ever fucked you here before, Kelly?” His voice was hoarse.

She opened her eyes and looked at him through a haze of pleasure. God, his touch just sent her up in flames. She’d never been this aroused before and she’d already had one orgasm.

“Well?” he persisted.

“No.” She shook her head. But I’d let you do it.

“Why not? Don’t you like it?” He pushed the tip of one finger inside her.

Icy heat danced over her skin and through her veins, a sensation more erotic than anything she’d ever felt before. She wanted to just give herself up to it and beg him never to stop.

Wait. He’d asked her a question.

“It was…too intimate to do with anyone.”

“What about with me? Would you let me fuck you in the ass, pretty girl?”

Yes, yes, yes, yes. Anything. Just don’t stop whatever you’re doing.

“Look at me, Kelly.”

When she opened her eyes his own were staring at her, blazing with lust. Alive with hunger and need.

“Answer me, pretty girl.”

As he talked his finger penetrated farther and farther inside her until the walls of her cunt began to flutter again and she felt another climax building deep within her.

“Y-Yes. I would let you. I would let you!” She nearly screamed the last words as a second finger joined the first, moving inside her dark tunnel to stretch her. Whatever nerves he was teasing were playing havoc with her body.

He pulled his fingers out. “Good. But I think we’ll save that for the next time.” He moved up on the bed, reached into the nightstand drawer for a wet wipe and a condom. “And trust me. There will be another time. More than one.”

Straddling her chest, keeping most of his weight on his knees, he took his cock in one hand and rested the head of it on her lips.

Automatically she opened her mouth and licked it, then closed her lips over it.

“Jesus!” He closed his eyes for a brief moment. “You don’t know how much I want to watch you suck my cock, but I’m too close to the edge. Another thing for our to-do list.”

Shifting his position, he rolled the condom onto his shaft, lifted her to him and drove into her with one hard thrust of his hips.

Kelly gripped his arms and wrapped her legs around him, digging her heels into the small of his back. Holy god, he was huge inside her, filling every tiny crevice of her overstimulated cunt. She closed her eyes, letting sensations sweep over her.

Rick’s mouth found hers, his firm lips warm and smooth, his tongue pushing its way inside. He moved once, his tongue and his cock in synchronized motion and another small climax ripped through her. He held himself still inside her, fucking her mouth with his tongue until the little spasms died away.

Then he moved. Strong, steady thrusts at first, then harder and harder. He tilted his body forward so with each roll of his hips he rubbed against her clit. Kelly couldn’t do anything except hang on for the ride, swamped by sensory overload.

Then he was moving faster, harder, stronger, in and out, back and forth. He swelled inside her, stretching her even more and bringing every tiny nerve into play. She couldn’t believe it when she felt the rolling tide of another orgasm rushing up inside her.

“Look at me,” he demanded.

She opened her eyes and his gaze locked onto hers.

“Now, Kelly.” His voice was ragged. “Come with me now.”

One last hard thrust and they both tumbled over the edge. She shook violently in his arms, his own body shaking with spasms, his eyes still boring into hers. She cartwheeled, falling through a shower of fireworks exploding all around her. Rick’s cock pulsed inside her, spurting hot and thick into the latex glove.

At last, spent, she let her legs fall away and her arms unwound from his neck. Rick slid gently from her body, disposed of the condom and slipped back into bed beside her, pulled her against his big, warm body.

“Stay with me, Kelly,” he urged. “Will Xena be all right?”

“Uh-huh,” she murmured. “Remember, I called Granddad on the way over here and asked him to take care of her if I didn’t make it home.”

“He’ll probably be ready to string me up by my balls,” Rick grumbled, tightening his arms around her.

“Don’t worry. I’m a big girl and besides, he likes all of you.”

“Let’s hope he still likes me tomorrow morning.”

Twice during the night he woke her to make slow, delicious love to her, tasting and touching every inch and crevice of her body. The first time he pulled her to her knees and nudged her to bend her head over his erect cock.

Tucking her hair behind one ear, she cupped his balls in one hand while she lowered her mouth over his thick shaft. She reveled in the male taste of him, in the silken skin over a steel core. In the velvety head that she licked again and again until Rick moaned with frustration.

“Enough,” he cried. “Take me inside your mouth.”

He filled her mouth completely, the head bumping against the roof until she adjusted the angle and let it slide toward the back of her throat.

He insinuated one hand between her thighs. As she sucked and pulled on his erection, he stroked her pussy and manipulated her clit. Pulling and tugging on it and flicking the tip with a fingernail. She clenched herself around him as her head moved up and down. Her entire body shimmered with erotic heat and a hunger that didn’t seem to go away.

She knew the moment he was ready. His thighs tensed and his balls tightened. He rubbed, her clit harder, rubbed and pulled and as he spurted thick semen into her mouth he thrust three fingers inside her already spasming cunt. She clenched the base of his cock in her fingers, pressing her lips around him as he came and came and came.

Exhausted, she crawled back up to collapse beside him and doze, until he woke her again.

* * * * *

“You’re insatiable,” she grinned.

It was morning. His alarm had buzzed them awake at six and Rick had pushed himself out of bed to make coffee while she showered and dressed.

“You make me hungry.” He looked at her over the rim of his mug with eyes that were hot and devouring.

“I’m nothing special,” she said nonchalantly.

“Now there’s where you’re wrong, pretty girl. Very wrong.”

She sipped the hot brew. “I take it you have an early schedule today.”

“Yes. Sorry to get you up so early.”

“No. No problem. I want to get started on the road, anyway. I’ve got a long drive.”

He refilled his mug from the carafe on the burner. “You planning to make it in one day?”

She shrugged. “Maybe. We’ll see how the traffic is.” She grinned. “And if I can stay awake. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”

“All for a good cause,” he smiled. Then his face sobered. “Listen, Kelly…”

She held up a hand. “I don’t need a speech, Rick. I’m a big girl. We had a great night but I know what kind of life you lead. What the demands are.”

He took her mug from her fingers and set it on the counter beside his own. “Actually, Miss Know-it-all, I was going to say I want to see you again.” He pulled her close against him. “It was more than just a roll in the hay, Kelly. And don’t deny you felt the same way. We connected immediately.”

“Xena,” she said in a low voice. “She linked us.”

He frowned. “I don’t know if I totally buy that but something worked. That’s for sure. Listen. I do have to make a quick trip overseas, but I want to see you again as soon as I get back. Can we make that happen?”

“I think so. I’d have to make arrangements but nothing is impossible. Will you call me when you get back?”

“Of course.” He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and extracted a business card. One side said The Phoenix Agency and a number. Rick turned it over and wrote on the back. “My cell phone. Either of these two numbers can reach me 24/7.”

Kelly laughed. “I’m not going to call you in the middle of an assignment.”

“Just keep the card close, okay?”

“All right.” Her face sobered. “Keep safe, Rick.”

“I will. I have something good to come back to.”

Chapter Two

Kelly maneuvered through the traffic, finally reaching the on-ramp for I-95. She wasn’t looking forward to the long drive ahead but flying with Xena wasn’t an option. So she’d driven from the top of the States to the bottom to spend a week in Key West with two friends. The vacation had been wonderful. Sun, snorkeling, doing the Duval Crawl to all the pubs on the main drag. But now she was making the trek home, facing long hours on the road.

Rick Latrobe had been an unexpected bonus. Maybe she could entertain herself with images of him while she drove. Yum! She seldom took this kind of notice of men anymore. Especially one like this. She’d learned they wanted the very feminine type, small and cuddly. All the things she was not. So fantasizing about him was a pure waste of time.

Last night had been both unexpected and incredible. Something that was hard to walk away from. She gritted her teeth and shook her head. Despite what he said, it wasn’t even likely that they would see each other ever again, so she’d better do something about the erotic thoughts running through her head.

Again she puzzled over Xena’s strange reaction to this man. Unless properly trained, Caucasian Ovcharkas could exhibit ferocious and unmanageable tendencies. They distrusted people they didn’t know and had a powerful urge to defend their owners. Many people claimed they had psychic abilities and Kelly could testify to that. She believed it herself. She’d read the research. Certain types of animals could sense impending danger, or the death or impending harm of a loved one.

She could definitely certify the urge to defend that was inherent in the dog. Twice when she’d been crossing a street, Xena had leaped at least eight feet from her truck to knock her away from a car just turning a corner. Then there was the time a poacher had wandered onto the land around her farmhouse. She’d been taking a walk with Xena, stretching her muscles after working with the dogs all day. The man had been a good six feet away, hidden by trees.

She didn’t know who was more startled, she or the man with the rifle, when Xena launched herself across the space between them, knocked the man down and clamped her teeth on his throat.

“Better than any man,” she muttered.

Xena gave two short barks, her own signal for the word “no”.

Oh, yeah? Well, you’re wrong.

In the years she and Xena had been together, she’d discovered they could communicate almost silently, or with hand signals. No matter what skeptics might say, she knew they could read each other’s minds. Like right now. She knew exactly what Xena was thinking.

And I didn’t appreciate that little act of yours at the airfield.

If it wasn’t for me your night would have been a lot more boring. If I were human I’d jump on that man in a minute. Since I’m not, I just made sure to give you a little help in that direction.

I suppose I should thank you.

Damn straight. And for the next time, too.

He leads a very busy life. The words were nice but I doubt I’ll ever see him again, so just back off and don’t do me any more favors.

I think you’re wrong. I have a very strong feeling he might become an important part of your life. Of our lives.

Yeah, right. She tweaked Xena’s nose. Shut up and let me drive.

But when she slid a quick glance in the dog’s direction, she swore Xena was grinning at her, her eyes flooding with good humor. She couldn’t help laughing.

* * * * *

Rick took care of some things at the house before heading for the airfield. He had a lot of preparations to make for the trip with the shipment of arms and that itch at the back of his neck was telling him to double- and triple-check everything. He was more than grateful that except for a sideways glance now and then Harry kept any comments about the previous night to himself. They went about their business, checking the preparations for the shipment. Making sure there would be sufficient security at the airfield for the loading and until take-off.

It was close to noon when they stopped for fresh coffee before Harry finally got around to the subject.

“So I guess you and my granddaughter got along okay?” he asked, his voice sly.

Rick allowed himself a grin. “We got along just fine, Harry. And for the record, she’s an incredible woman and I plan to see her again. Just as soon as I get back from Iraq.”

“I don’t guess I need to worry too much about her. Not with that dog to guard her.”

Rick burst out laughing. “I promise you she’s something special to me. Can we just leave it at that for right now?”

“I guess.” The older man sighed. “She’s old enough to know what she’s doing, anyway. I hope.”

The immediate tasks taken care of, Rick lounged at an old table in one corner of the hangar, making all his phone calls and triple-checking what was going on the manifest. At last he was ready to head for the office and a meeting with his partners.

“See you when we load,” he told Harry.

Pulling his truck out of its parking spot, he waved to the gate guard as he pulled out onto the road and headed for the interstate.

* * * * *

Hosni and Malik had been sitting in the van with blacked-out windows, engine idling, for some time. Watching the airfield where Phoenix kept its fleet, sharing space with two other equally low-profile companies. From the gas station just at the edge of the interstate they had a good view of everything that was happening. They would have preferred to be waiting in the parking lot but that was out of the question. The fence was electrified and guarded by both men and dogs.

“I wonder how the other tenants feel about this excessive security,” Hosni, the driver, mused.

“What makes you think they would object?” Malik asked. “They could be renting there because they need this, also.”

“Perhaps we should just take out the whole building,” Hosni joked.

“And perhaps Gabir would take off your head. You know he doesn’t want anything that would draw that much attention.”

“Just joking, just joking.” Hosni lit one of the thin cigarillos he favored. “I still think we should have picked a better place for this.”

“Not if we want to make it look like an accident.” Malik jabbed the driver in the ribs. “Here he comes now.”

The dark-green pickup exited the guard gate, drove down the road leading away from the building and headed for the interstate. Hosni pulled out of the gas station, falling right in behind the pickup. He maneuvered the van just to the left rear of the pickup while his passenger lowered his window scant inches and propped the barrel of his gun on the edge of the glass.

“Now,” Hosni ordered.

The gun spat its entire clip of bullets into the pickup’s rear tires just as the driver hit the truck’s rear bumper, forcing it into the streaming lane of traffic. It hit a gray sedan, bounced off and into another pickup, then spun around. They could see Rick Latrobe wrestling with the wheel, trying to gain control of his vehicle. Other cars were sliding into each other, trying to avoid the mess.

Two heavy trucks, pushing the speed limit, saw the pickup but were unable to stop and slammed into it, shoving it into the concrete wall. As the van pulled away they saw the pickup flip over as it bounced off the front of the second truck.

“He’s done,” Malik said.

“At least out of commission,” the driver agreed.

He merged smoothly into traffic, confident that no one had paid attention to his part in the accident.

* * * * *

Mark was scribbling notes on a yellow pad, Troy and Mike were discussing a possible new client and Dan had just walked into his office when his phone rang.

“Mr. Romeo? This is Harry at the airfield. We got trouble here.”

Dan snapped his fingers to catch Mark’s attention and mouthed, Hold on.“What is it, Harry?”

“You’d better get down here to the interstate. There’s a big pileup at the on-ramp and Mr. Latrobe’s right in the middle of it. I think he’s—”

Whatever else he would have said was cut off as Dan slammed the phone down, already heading toward the elevator. “Get the others. Rick’s in trouble.”

The interstate was a mess. Vehicles everywhere. Some upright but smashed and dented. A couple of them lying on their side. People running everywhere, screaming, shouting. By the time they pulled up in Mike’s SUV, the Maryland Highway Patrol was already on the scene and with the help of tow trucks that made their way along the inside shoulder, had managed to clear a little space. The local fire department was also there, as well as two ambulances with a third squeezing through that narrow lane.

“Fast response,” Troy commented.

Mark nodded at the gas station. “My guess is the owner over there called it in right away.”

They spotted Rick’s truck but getting to it was a major problem, what with all the traffic backed up behind the scene of the wrecks. Rick’s truck looked as if it had been through a mixer and both rear tires were blown. They could see him hanging upside down, still strapped into his seat belt. From the distance it was impossible to tell if he was even conscious, let alone alive.

Mike pulled over on the shoulder as close as he could get and they hoofed it the rest of the way, ignoring people who tried to stop them. Troy carried his emergency medical kit with him.

Dan, who was out of the vehicle even before Mike had completely stopped, heaved a small sigh of relief when he saw a familiar face.

Capt. Holden Jennings of the Maryland HP, in civilian clothes, was standing next to a fireman hosing down Rick’s pickup. Through a number of situations he and the men of Phoenix had become good friends who respected each other. He turned when Dan, having pushed his way through everyone, touched his elbow.

“I figured you guys would be here any second,” Jennings said.

“I didn’t think they called out the top brass for highway pileups,” Dan commented.

“I was on my way home from a meeting and when I got caught in this.” He waved his hand at the long lines of traffic standing still behind him.“Recognized Rick right away.”

Dan kept his voice level even though every nerve in his body was screaming. “Can you tell yet how he is?”

“One of my guys managed to look through the window before they started to spray. He couldn’t reach in there but he saw a little movement.” He looked at Dan. “They could see where the gas line ruptured so we’re foaming the tank. We’ll be done in a minute and then we’ll get him out.”

That turned out to be the longest minute of Dan’s life. At last the firemen backed away and two of the highway patrolman used a crowbar to pry the driver’s door open. People were yelling all around them and the EMTs were attending to the other wounded as fast as they could. But Dan was concerned with only one person.

He felt a nudge at his elbow and turned to see Troy, holding up the medical bag.

“As soon as that door is loose I’ll get in there,” he said.

If not for Holden Jennings, Troy would have played hell getting anywhere near Rick. As soon as the door was pried open Troy was right there, gently prodding Rick for broken bones, checking his pulse. One of the many EMTs now on the scene moved up next to him and handed him a cervical collar which he placed around Rick’s neck with great care.

“Hey, buddy,” he said in a soft voice. “You with me?”

Rick groaned and blinked his eyes.

“Yeah, I bet you hurt like a son of a bitch.”Troy turned to the EMT who was still next to him. “I’m going to unsnap the seat belt. Can you get in here and be ready to catch his weight?”

“Yes sir.”

Troy checked to make sure the collar was in place, moved to make room for the EMT and pressed the release catch on the seat belt. Rick slumped downward and the EMT caught him gently, preventing him from falling.

“I think we can ease him out,” he told Troy.

“Okay. On three.”

Together they maneuvered Rick until he was out of the truck and shifted it to a waiting gurney. Troy allowed the EMT to do his thing—checking vitals, checking for broken bones, calling into home base for instructions—but he was right beside him checking everything. Finally Troy turned to Dan and the others.

“He’s probably got a couple of cracked ribs and maybe a fractured wrist. I don’t know about internal injuries yet but the only blood I see is from the cuts on his face. And he’s got a whale of a bump on his head.” He grinned. “Good thing it’s so hard.”

“He may have internal bleeding,” the EMT warned, as they opened Rick’s shirt. “He’s got some ungodly bruises from the seat belt and maybe the steering wheel.”

“I know,” Troy agreed, “but the obvious signs of it aren’t there.”

Jennings had moved up next to them. “I have a Life Flight helicopter coming. Do you think he needs it?”

Troy looked around and shook his head. “No. The ambulance is good. Despite how it looks, there are people here much worse than he is.”

“You’re going to the hospital.” Dan made it a statement, not a question.

“Yes. I’ll ride in the ambulance and call you when I know something.”

Holden Jennings got the ambulance, with Rick and Troy on board, out and on its way, not an easy feat with wrecked vehicles everywhere. But the tow trucks were clearing cars as fast they safely could and one emergency lane was now open.

As soon as the ambulance driver hit the siren and pulled away from the scene, Dan turned back to the others and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Did you see his back tires?”

Mark and Mike both nodded.

“I’ve seen that kind of damage before,” Mark told him. “Someone shot them out.”

“I want one of you to go talk to the owner of the service station. Mike, I think you can follow the same lane the ambulance did, get off at the next exit and come back.”

“What about you guys?” Mike asked.

“We’ll talk to the people here who aren’t hurt. Also to the cops first on the scene. I want to know what anyone saw while it’s fresh in their minds.”

“Okay.”

“Call me when you’re done at the station. I may need you to pick us up in the chopper. Or get Ed to do it, if you’re following a lead.”

Wearing identical grim expressions, Mike headed back to his SUV and Dan and Mark began to thread their way through the unbelievable mess strewn over the road.

* * * * *

“Think we’ll make it home in one day, girl?” Kelly asked, looking at Xena sitting in the seat beside her.

The dog woofed softly.

“Yeah, I don’t know, either. Maybe we should have left last night.”

Now the dog growled in a low voice and Kelly laughed out loud.

“Okay, okay. You’re right. He’s hot and I deserved a night with him. And yes, you can really pick them.” She scratched the big dog’s head.

Checking the clock on the dash, she realized it was almost noon. No wonder her stomach was growling. She’d barely taken time for coffee and a muffin from a convenience store before getting on the road. She’d stop for something to eat and take the time to look through her book for campgrounds. She really wanted to get home, although she knew her dogs were in good hands. But camping out tonight might be a good last vacation moment for both her and Xena. A sign before the next exit advertised food and gas, so she flicked on her signal light and moved into the right-hand lane.

Xena sat up on her haunches on the seat next to her and pressed her nose against the window. Her bark was pretty plain. What is this place? Why are we stopping here?

Kelly ruffled her fur and tugged on her ears.

“How about a little walk, hmm? Then I’ll get some water for you and some coffee for me.”

She grabbed the leash on the seat between them, hooking it onto Xena’s collar. Eagerly, the dog followed her out of the cab and came to heel at her feet.

“That’s some animal you’ve got there,” a man pumping gas called to her. “Is that a dog or a small horse?”

Kelly was used to comments like that and she’d gotten to where she laughed them off. “She’s whatever you want her to be,” she joked.

They headed for a small wooded area behind the service station. She made sure Xena had plenty of time to sniff out a place for herself, then jogged with her a little to work out some of her pent-up energy. She was very good about staying still for hours but she was happiest when she was moving.

She had just signaled Xena to go back into the truck when the dog stiffened and a low growl rumbled from her throat.

“Xena?” She threaded her fingers through the ruff on her neck. “What is it, girl? What’s wrong?”

Kelly looked around her but nothing seemed amiss. The man pumping gas had finished and was back in his car. There were two other customers still in the process and two more cars parking in front of the building itself. Otherwise the traffic hummed by on the highway and that was it.

Xena made the same noise, pushing her head against Kelly’s hand. That was her signal to get attention but Kelly hadn’t a clue what was bothering her.

“It’s okay, Xena,” she soothed. “Everything’s fine. Maybe all this traveling is getting to you like it is to me. I want to cover more distance before we stop for the night. You’re okay with that, right?”

In the convenience store she bought two more large bottles of water and the biggest coffee they sold. Back outside, she poured some of the water in a dish for Xena and the dog drank greedily.

“Better now?” she asked her. “Then let’s get moving.”

It took more urging than normal for Xena to climb back into the cab and lie down on the wide seat again. The dog was definitely disturbed but Kelly still couldn’t see anything that would be bothering her. Finally she settled down, albeit unwillingly. Kelly checked her watch once more. Time to get going.

Back on the highway she turned on the radio, hoping to find some music to rev her up but the first thing she found was a newscast. She listened with half an ear to the details of a massive pileup on the interstate right where she’d gotten on after leaving her grandfather. According to the radio, it had happened only moments before.

Her neck began to itch when she realized that was almost the exact moment Xena had tried to communicate her distress.

What the hell?

* * * * *

The van with Hosni and Malik in it passed the first exit it came to after the wreck and took the second one. It led them into a street in a suburban neighborhood filled with shops and restaurants. Neither had said much since pulling away from the chaos they’d created. They felt confident that Rick Latrobe’s truck had suffered maximum damage and Latrobe along with it.

In a strip center they parked in a long row of cars. Malik punched a speed dial number on his cell phone.

“Is it done?” Gabir’s voice on the other was sharp, demanding.

“Yes,” Malik assured him. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“We’ll see. Did you go where I told you to?”

Malik nodded his head, even though he knew Gabir couldn’t see him. “We’re there now.”

“Leave the keys under the mat and walk away. Someone will remove the van shortly. There’s a gray sedan parked at the end of the outside row. You’ll find the key in a magnetic box under the car. Start driving and I’ll get back to you.”

The men exited the van as casually as they could, forcing themselves not to peer around or in any way act suspiciously. They were in the sedan and about to back out of the space when the cell phone rang.

Malik clicked it on. “Yes? We are ready to leave.”

“I should leave you there to suffer the consequences of your own stupidity,” Gabir spat at him.

Malik’s hand shook and he squeezed the phone hard. “What do you mean? What are you talking about? We took care of things.”

“Not exactly. I have someone right on the spot. Not only is the Latrobe man still alive, they don’t think his injuries are that serious.”

“That’s impossible,” Malik protested. “We took great care. And watched as the truck was destroyed.”

“Apparently it wasn’t destroyed as much as you thought.”Gabir’s grunt of disgust was loud. “I can’t believe I was given such idiots to work with.”

“But—”

“But nothing. The orders were to get rid of him before his next trip. It seems I’ll have to clean up this mess myself.” His sigh was heavily audible. “Come to the apartment. There’s enough traffic in these buildings you won’t be noticed. Meanwhile I’ll figure out what to do next.”

“We’ll just try again,” Malik protested.“We can do it.”

“Idiot. You’ve put these people on the alert, which is exactly what we didn’t want to do. The Phoenix men are dangerous animals. You won’t catch them with their guard down again.”The hiss of his breath across the connection was sharp. “I was told it was very important to get rid of this man in particular. Especially before…”

“Before what?”

“Nothing you need to know about. We’ll be lucky if the man we work for doesn’t kill us all. Get moving.”

Malik used his forearm to wipe away the sweat that had beaded on his forehead. Carefully he backed the car out of the slot and turned down a wide avenue.

“What?”Hosni asked.

“The Latrobe man is not dead but apparently we might be when Gabir’s employer finds out we didn’t succeed.”

Hosni plucked a cigarillo from his pocket and lit it nervously. “Have you ever seen this all-important employer?”

Malik barked a short laugh. “Are you crazy? People like you and me never get told anything. And believe me. The less we know the better. Gabir only says this is a very powerful man and he can crush us like grapes.”

He turned down another street, monitoring the traffic in his rearview and side-view mirrors. Who knew if someone was following them for some reason?

They made the rest of the journey in silence, each man aware that his lifespan might just have been considerably shortened.

* * * * *

Despite the overcrowded situation at the emergency room and the chaotic condition as accident victims were added to the usual crush, Troy muscled his way through the red tape to a doctor he knew. In scant minutes Rick was in a treatment room being evaluated. The problem, Troy soon realized, was going to be keeping Rick in bed long enough to treat him and let him heal.

“Definitely a concussion,” Dr. Bronson pronounced. “Bruised ribs, which he’s damn lucky aren’t cracked. Multiple cuts, two of which need stitches. And a hairline fracture of the left wrist. How he got away without any internal injuries is a Jesus Christ miracle.” He shook his head in wonderment. “He’s one lucky son of a bitch, I’ll tell you that.”

“Do what you have to and get me out of here,” Rick growled from the treatment room bed.

Troy moved closer to the bed. “Listen, tough guy. We can put a soft cast on your wrist and stitch up your cuts. But those ribs won’t heal that fast. And you’ve got a concussion which is nothing to be sneezed at.”

Rick reached for the IV needle in the back of his hand, ready to rip it out but Troy clamped his fingers on his wrist.

“Not this time. Let me take another look at those X-rays and talk to the doc again. If he and I come to some kind of agreement, I’ll get what you need and Ed can lift us out of here.” He pushed Rick back against the pillows. “But only if you agree to do exactly as I say.”

Rick leaned back, pain etching lines in his face. “Fine, fine, fine. But we’ve got a shipment going out of here next week and I have to be with it.”

“Rick,” Troy began.

“That’s not negotiable. This is my gig. I’ve been running it from the get-go. We’re not changing horses in midstream. I’m going to see this through and find out what the hell is going on.”

“You’re in no shape to baby-sit a major shipment of arms to Grainger’s people.”

“We’ll discuss it later,” Rick growled. “Meanwhile, just see what you can do about getting me out of here.”

* * * * *

By late in the afternoon Kelly realized she was through driving for the day. She hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, something that made her smile to herself, and she didn’t want to chance driving when her reflexes might not be at their peak. The campground where they stopped was well-maintained and the facilities as good as any Kelly had ever seen. She paid her fee and pulled her truck into the designated space, setting her tent up in record time. Xena, uncharacteristically, whined the entire time she was getting her gear out of the truck bed, pawing at everything and pushing at Kelly with her head.

“You big stinker. What is with you?” she asked, nudging the dog away from her so she could take out her little camp stove. “What are you trying to tell me? Come on. Think it. You know I’ll pick up on it. Are we in some kind of danger?”

Reaching beneath the driver’s seat in the cab, she retrieved the holster with her little H&K 9mm and checked to make sure a round was chambered. She usually tucked it in the small of her back when she left the truck but this campground had looked safe so she’d left it in its usual place. She scouted the area but no one was lurking behind trees or showing an unusual interest in her. She knew there were people who resented her guard-dog-training business, nut cases who might not mind taking a potshot at her. Living in an isolated situation as she did, she’d learned long ago to be armed and proficient with her weapon. Just in case.

Now, holding the gun along the side of her thigh, she did one last perimeter check, just to reassure herself and Xena. Nope. Nothing. Yet Xena continued to act strangely.

She whined, almost as if she was trying to send a signal and was frustrated that Kelly didn’t get the message.

“Tell me, girl,” Kelly said, crouching down in front of her.

She had chosen a Caucasian Ovcharka specifically because they are naturally protective, alert and aggressive. Working with Xena since she was a three-month-old puppy, they had developed a set of silent signals between them that surpassed any audible communication. The ability to read each other’s minds had been a shocking surprise but the more they worked on it the easier it became. Lord knows it wasn’t something she could share with people but it created a truly unbreakable bond between woman and dog.

Xena’s possessive or protective actions toward Rick Latrobe, whichever they were, had puzzled her. In their time together she’d never behaved that way with anyone but her. Yet Xena’d somehow linked with him at once. Certainly enough to push Kelly right into his arms. How sneaky was that? And now, no matter how she soothed the dog or checked the area where they set up camp, Xena was agitated, demanding something from her owner.

“Is it Rick? Is that it, girl?”

On impulse Kelly pulled out her cell phone, checked to make sure she had a signal and called her grandfather.

“I’m fine,” she said at once, in answer to his question. “I decided not to push it and drive all the way through. Anyway, Xena can use the exercise.”

“Have you had the news on?” Harry sounded agitated. “There was a badass wreck on the entrance ramp right near the airfield. Cars and trucks and bodies everywhere. Hell of a thing.”

A tendril of unease skittered over her spine. “Was-Was anyone we know involved in it? Hurt?”

Harry was silent for too long.

“Granddad? Who was hurt?”

“Someone shot out the tires on Rick’s truck just as he entered the interstate.”

“Oh my god!”Her stomach flipped. “Is he okay?”

“Honey, his truck rolled and he was damn near killed.”

“Damn near?” She tried to swallow. “But he wasn’t, right?”

“Right. But they did cart him off in an ambulance.”

The little tendril grew into a full-blown grasping vine. “What time did you say the accident was?”

“About noon.”

When Xena was having her fit.

“How come you called, anyway?”

“Listen, Granddad.” She forced a calmness in her voice that she was far from feeling. “Have you heard anything from his partners at all? Do you know how Rick is doing? Is he going to be okay?”

“Yeah, Dan Romeo called me. His truck was totaled but he himself was one lucky son of a gun. A couple of busted ribs, concussion, some bruises and a fractured wrist.”

“And you said someone shot out his tires?”

“Yeah. Dan told me the guy in the gas station there saw the whole thing. Crazy, huh? Although these guys have ticked off some serious loonies in their business,” he growled. “Too bad they had to leave any of them walking around.”

Kelly chewed her bottom lip for a minute, a thought chasing itself around in her head. Maybe she was making a big mistake but Xena’s Psi was infallible. She picked up vibrations that no living person ever detected. Kelly wanted to go back there, to see what the dog could sense but she had a kennel full of dogs in Maine waiting for her attention. Her helpers could only stay full-time one more day.

Damn!

“Listen, Granddad. I’ll call you when I get home tomorrow. Find out everything you can about the accident for me, will you?”

The pause that stretched across the miles was telling.

“Honey.”Harry broke the silence at last. “I just have to say this. Maybe I should have said something before. Rick Latrobe is a helluva guy and I like everything about him. He mentioned this morning he plans to see you again. Forgive an old man’s interfering but he’s not the right person. These people aren’t the kind for you to get mixed up with. They lead very dangerous lives.”

“I can take care of myself. And I know exactly what I’m getting into. Besides, we might never even see each other again.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that before. You and Xena need to take a pass on this one.”

“Granddad…”

“All right, all right.” She couldn’t miss the exasperation in his voice.“I’ll find out what I can. But when you call me it better be from Maine.”

“It will be. I promise.”

After disconnecting the call she leaned against the truck, idly rubbing Xena’s neck. “You called it, girl. You’ve got that link with Rick, don’t you? Well, let me into your brain. Something’s very wrong. One way or another we’re going to find out what.”

She picked up the ingredients for a simple meal from a nearby restaurant and she and Xena ate sitting at one of the picnic tables at the campground. But the food tasted like sawdust and sat like lead in her stomach. Finally she tossed the trash and pulled out her cell phone.

“Okay, call me an idiot,” she told the dog. “I can’t help myself.”

Fishing the Phoenix Agency business card from her jeans pocket she dialed the number on the back and waited for an answer.

“Latrobe. Who’s this?”

She was startled at the hostile tone in his voice. “Kelly Monroe. Uh, you said it was okay to call this number.”

“Kelly? Jesus, I’m sorry.” He paused. “Things have been a little traumatic around here.”

“That’s what I’m calling about. I heard the report of the accident on the radio. I called my grandfather for details.”

Rick snorted. “Accident, my ass. Those guys were waiting for me to take me out.”

The knot in her stomach tightened a little more. “But you’re okay, right?”

“Yes. Thanks. Listen, hold on a sec.”

“If I’m calling at a bad time just tell me.”

“No. I just need to get a little privacy here.” There was silence for a long heartbeat, then his voice came on again. Softer this time. “Thanks for calling.”

“I was just worried about you.”

“Don’t, I’m fine.” He chuckled. “And all my parts are still in working order.”

Heat crept up her cheeks. “I’m glad.”

“Kelly?” His voice dropped even lower. “It’s going to be damn lonely in my bed tonight. I don’t suppose I could talk you into turning around and coming back here.”

She sighed. “I wish. But I have to get home to my dogs. And you have to go to Iraq.” She sat up straighter. “Wait. Will you still be able to go?”

“Yes. I got a few dings and nicks but nothing incapacitating. I was damn lucky.” Another pause. “I want to see you as soon as I get back. I’ll even come up to Maine if you’ll let me.”

Would she? Was this moving too fast?

Hell, no. she wasn’t a kid anymore and men like Rick didn’t come along too often.

“That would be nice. Call me as soon as you’re back in the States.”

“And you keep your bed warm for me.”

She sat there with the closed phone held to her chest for a long time, remembering the feel of his body, the touch of his tongue and his hands. Oh, yes, she’d be keeping her bed warm. Her body would be hot enough just thinking about him.

When they finally settled down for the night, Xena stretched her hundred and thirty pounds out next to Kelly, in full protective mode. Kelly threw her arm over the huge body and tried to empty her mind. But as she drifted off to sleep visions of a tanned Norse god with startling blue eyes teased at her, his hand outstretched. But when she tried to grab it, he danced tantalizingly just out of reach. And between them was Xena, sending them silent messages of danger.

Chapter Three

“I’m going. That’s it. Finito. So everyone save your breath.”

Rick had fumed at being forced to spend the night in the hospital, giving new meaning to the term pain-in-the-ass patient. Only the call from Kelly had made it bearable. He’d lain there afterwards dreaming of her naked body, remembering the taste of her cunt in his mouth and the feel of her pussy muscles clenching around his cock. Unfortunately it had also given him a gigantic erection and he’d had to hide in the bathroom jacking off to get any release. Now he was attempting to pull on the clothes he’d requested while Dan and Mike stood grim-faced, arms crossed across their broad chests.

Dan raised one eyebrow. “You’re going to Iraq with two busted ribs and a soft cast on one hand?”

“When I was in special ops I did more than that with a lot worse. All of this is too much coincidence for me. Stuff missing. Someone shooting my tires out. Everything just before this heavy load goes out. This is my baby. I’m not about to hide behind someone else. Besides, I’ll have the flying boy scouts with me.”

They were all focused on that shipment, scheduled to leave in five days for Baghdad. The large and small arms and the specially outfitted Humvees were almost ready to go. Trucks would pick them up from the company Phoenix did business with and deliver them to the private airport where the chartered C-130J would be ready and waiting. Ed and Mike had recently completed their check rides to make sure their skills in the behemoth weren’t rusty. But they were insisting the two of them could handle it.

“Listen.” Frustrated, Rick threw his jeans on the floor. “It’s pretty obvious someone doesn’t want me to go on this trip. I want to know why. And I’m not letting any of you take my place in the firing zone.” He looked at Mike. “You guys will have my back. I’ll be just fine. If you really want to help me, give me a hand getting into these clothes.”

Mike gave him a look of mixed disgust and resignation and picked up the jeans. “I’ll bet you’d rather have Kelly Monroe pulling these on your body.”

Rick grunted as Mike helped him pull the jeans all the way up, then zipped and snapped them. He left his t-shirt hanging out, finger-combed his hair and shoved his feet into his loafers, doing his best to ignore the heat he felt at the mention of Kelly’s name.

“Got those discharge papers?” he asked Dan.“I want to go back to the office and brainstorm about who could be behind this. And if Greg Jordan has anything to do with it or if my radar’s just vibrating in the wrong direction.”

Mike’s face was an expressionless mask. “If he does, I think my own radar needs adjusting. We spent a year together when we trained with the British SAS. There was plenty of opportunity for him to pull some funky stuff if he was inclined that way.”

Dan held up his hand. “No blaming ourselves yet, okay? You can live with someone and still not know them. Happens every day.”

Rick nodded in agreement. “Okay. Someone got my get-out-of-jail-free papers? I’m ready to get out of here.”

He wasn’t quite as macho two hours later. Sitting in the chair in the conference room hadn’t helped his ribs and a dull ache still throbbed at the back of his head. Aspirin had barely dulled the pain but he refused the medication the doctor had prescribed. He needed a clear head more than pain relief.

“So what do we have?” he asked, looking at his scribbled notes.

Mike drained his coffee mug and stood up to refill it from the pot on the credenza. “Greg and I served together in the first Gulf War. Desert Shield. We trained with the SAS, then spent a year together in the Middle East. We’ve kept in touch a lot since then. If I didn’t trust him, I wouldn’t have recommended him. And I knew he was completely familiar with the area.”

“What was he like?” This from Dan. “What kind of person?”

“Full of piss and vinegar. We all were.”

“Do you think he made contacts over there that he’s maintained?” Dan probed. “That he has ties to the insurgents?”

Mike looked as if he’d swallowed something unpleasant. “If I missed that you can shoot me. Right after I skin him alive.”

Rick rubbed the stubble on his jaw. Shaving hadn’t seemed important when he bugged out of the hospital. “This isn’t getting us very far. That’s why I want to go over there with the shipment. I know who he’s hired, who I’ve trained. What the routine is. If anything’s out of whack, I can spot it.”

“Then go home, soak in a tub and take your meds,” Dan ordered. “Otherwise I’m chaining you to your bed until this is over.”

“We have work to do before this delivery,” Rick snapped.

“And you can do it from your house,” Mike answered. “Come on. I’m driving you home. I’ll drop you off, pick up some food and come back for a planning session.”

Rick grumbled but he knew it was the best he was going to get. They had all lived through much worse than this without any cosseting and he didn’t want to start now but he knew better than to argue. At least he was still going to baby-sit the shipment, which at the moment was his biggest concern.

This was the largest shipment yet. Everything else had been sent via ship in locked and sealed containers. Rick had flown to Iraq when they arrived, matched the code number he had with the one on the seal and taken delivery.

“You know,” he told Mike, as they maneuvered through traffic, “all the other transfers were so easy I think I just felt too secure.”

Mike honked at a car trying to cut in front of him. “How so?”

“Greg always showed up with the trucks to convoy the stuff. I unlocked the seal on the container, we offloaded into the trucks, checking them off on both my copy and his off the manifest and off we went.” He shifted uncomfortably in the seat. “When we got to the warehouse we checked them all again. And with the guard situation, I’d have thought stealing from the warehouse would be impossible.”

“So now you’re saying you think Greg is in on it?”

Rick shrugged, the slight movement tugging at his aching muscles. “I wouldn’t like to think so. I’d rather believe some of the locals have figured out a way to get around him.”

He was silent for a long moment.

“But?” Mike prodded. “I can tell there’s a ‘but’.”

“I just have this gut feeling. Call it uneasiness. Something big is in the wind and it’s gonna mean trouble for us. And I can’t get a handle on where Greg stands in all of it.”

Mike wheeled the truck around a corner and slowed down as they came to Rick’s house. “We can’t call off the shipment. Grainger Caldwell will hang our asses out to dry if we do.”

“That’s why I want to make sure I hand-carry it myself. And with you and Ed along, we should be able to get a sense of what’s going on. Get a good read on Greg Jordan.”

“Let’s hope so.” He pulled into the driveway and put the truck in Park. “Let me help you get inside.”

“I’m fine,” Rick snapped, fumbling with his seat belt. “I made it to the LZ in Afghanistan with a broken arm and a bullet graze on my collarbone.”

Mike had come around to open the door. “You also were ten years younger. Now shut up and behave.”

Rick grumbled all the way up the steps and into the house but he sank onto the big couch in the living room with a grateful sigh.

“Don’t try anything stupid while I get us some food.”

Rick gave his head a tiny shake. It was about all the movement the headache would allow. “I think I might just take your advice after all and hang out on this couch while you’re gone.”

“Thank god. Just stay put until I get back. After you’ve got some food in your stomach you should take your pain pills. Try to catch a few winks while I’m gone.”

“We’ll see.”

But his eyes were already closing when Mike let himself out the door.

Neither of them had paid much attention to the gardener busily clipping the hedges at the house across the street.

* * * * *

Zarife al-Dulami had spent ten years building an identity for himself in the United States. Long before the invasion of Iraq and the fall of Saddam Hussein he had his marching orders. Once upon a time his family had been in power, ruling their section of Iraq with an iron hand. They had power, wealth, stature. Control.

But the devil Saddam, who only supported his own people, coveted what they had and stripped them of everything. Zarife’s father, however, was smarter than them all. Slowly he began to accumulate resources again, hiding his wealth and hoarding it until the day his family could return to honor and glory.

He sent his son to America with very definite, explicit orders.

“In the United States,” he told Zarife, “you will be able to make contact with the right people. Find your sources. Gather your resources. Listen carefully as you move among these idiots. Arms and money can be yours for the taking when the time is right. We will have more than enough money to pay. We only have to find someone who will sell them to us secretly.”

Zarife followed his father’s orders well, basing himself in Washington, D.C., “the seat of America’s power”, as his father described it. Additionally, he was an engineer who wanted to follow his trained profession. His father agreed. In that climate Zarife would begin to make the right contacts.

But most of the companies where he applied at first would not hire an Iraqi national. Even one who swore he was applying for U.S. citizenship. Then he stumbled across a small company that needed his expertise and decided to take a chance on him. Slowly and carefully he worked his way into the confidence of his fellow engineers. They invited him to social events. To business functions. And one person at a time he began to build his network.

When Saddam fell, the changes in Iraq over the next few years allowed Zarife and his family to make plans and take advantage of the new opportunities open to them. When the bidding for reconstruction contracts opened and Americans began flooding the country with men, equipment and projects, their need to protect themselves opened a door wide for the al-Dulami family.

Although he poked and prodded very much under the radar to learn information about arms shipments, he discovered that people were very close-mouthed. Too much had gone wrong already. No one was taking any chances. And approaching known arms dealers would be suicide. The word would leak out and the al-Dulamis would be dead before they were out of the gate.

Then, one day out of the blue, when he was sitting at lunch, his cell phone rang. An American voice spoke to him.

“I understand you’re looking for something. I think you and I could do each other a great deal of good.”

Zarife frowned. “Excuse me?”

“I think you heard me. I’ve had you checked out thoroughly, believe me, or I wouldn’t be calling you. I think you should listen to what I have to offer.”

“And what is that?”

“Not over the phone. Pay your check, leave the restaurant and walk left down the block. Halfway down is the entrance to a shoe store. Go inside and ask for the manager.

While Zarife was still trying to formulate an answer, the call disconnected. His pulse racing, he tried to decide what to do. Was this the connection he’d been seeking? Did he have time to call his father?

Knowing he had to make a decision quickly, he signaled for his check, dropped enough cash on the table to cover it and walked quickly from the restaurant. Six doors down, he found the shoe store. When he walked inside a tall, dark man came hurrying toward him. In his hand he held a photo which he looked at, comparing it to Zarife.

“How did you get a picture of me?” Zarife asked.

“That’s unimportant.” He glanced at the other customers and grabbed Zarife’s arm. “Come with me, quickly.”

In seconds Zarife found himself hustled out the rear door to an alley where a Ford Expedition with its windows blacked out was idling. The back door opened and a hand reached out for him.

“Come in,” the voice said.

The next thing Zarife knew he was dragged into the SUV and blindfolded before he could see who was inside. Hands helped him to a comfortable position on the seat.

“What’s going on?” he demanded. “Who are you? Why am I blindfolded?”

“I can’t afford to have you see my face,” the voice told him.

“Then how do I know I can trust you?”

The man laughed. “I don’t think you have a choice. My research has been thorough. I have something you want. Or I will shortly. You have the money to pay for the merchandise. We’re going to do business, Mr. al-Dulami, because I’m your only option.”

His proposition was simple. Shortly a very large shipment of arms and other materials would arrive in Baghdad. He planned to take possession of it but he couldn’t unload them on the open market. There could be no hint of his participation in this at all. According to his sources, the al-Dulami family was seeking just such a windfall and had more than enough capital to pay for it. And they, too, required total secrecy.

“What I need from you is to have your people ready to take delivery and to have the cash ready to pay for it.”

Zarife frowned at him. “You think anyone will be crazy enough to carry that much cash around in Iraq? If you do, you’re insane.”

“Not at all. You will be ready when I tell you to transfer the money to a numbered account. My people will be waiting in Iraq. When the money is in my bank account, the weapons will be turned over.”

Zarife smiled slyly. “What’s to prevent us from just taking the shipment ourselves and keeping it?”

“First, you have no details about it, nor can you find out everything you need. Not and do the job right. Second, I would hunt down you and every member of your family and slaughter you like pigs. Besides, I have information and resources that you don’t have. Even assuming you could steal everything you wanted, which I highly doubt, there are other aspects to this you can’t possibly know.”

“Why not just steal the shipment yourself and sell it to the highest bidder?”

“As I told you, I can’t have any connection to this whatsoever. Again, there are factors of which you’re unaware that demand complete privacy. Plus, I understand your family is willing to pay anything as long as the deal is concluded in secret.” He paused. “There’s one other factor. Once back in power, your family can be a valuable ally to me. If we make this deal, your continued cooperation and support of my projects would be understood.”

Zarife thought for a long moment. “And if I agree?”

“I’ll move forward on my end and call you when it’s time to transfer the money. You need to tell your people in Iraq to be ready to take delivery. No one will ever know about the deal. No one must ever know about it.”

Zarife was thinking furiously. “How do you know about any plans I might have? What makes you even think I have any?”

The man laughed, an unpleasant sound. “Would I be talking to you if I didn’t?”

Zarife felt something tucked into one of his hands.

“The number on this card will be good for twenty-four hours. After that the deal is off.”

The car stopped, Zarife heard the door open and hands helped him out of the vehicle.

“Count to twenty-five before you remove the blindfold,” the voice told him.

Zarife stood there, shaking, listening to the vehicle drive off and counting to himself. When he yanked off the blindfold, he discovered he was back in the alley behind the shoe store. It took him a full five minutes before he could gather himself enough to walk down the alley to the street and another ten before he could draw a deep breath.

Hailing a taxi, he gave the driver his home address. He’d call his office and let them know he’d be delayed returning to work. This was either an unexpected windfall or a plot to eliminate him and his family. He couldn’t make this decision by himself.

Zarife had managed to smuggle a secure radio to his father some time ago. At home he retrieved his own radio from the locked drawer where he kept it and called the elder al-Dulami.

“That is all he told me,” Zarife repeated. “I don’t know who he is or why he chose me. I swear to you.”

“Did you get a sense he was laying a trap?”

“No, I don’t think so. I only got a feeling of…of…”

“Of what?” his father prodded.

“Of greed. That was it. Of greed.”

They discussed the situation in detail, examining it from all sides, knowing they might be falling into a trap. But in the end they decided Zarife should call the man and make arrangements.

“If at any time we’re suspicious,” the father said, “we will find a way to pull out. I will not leave you in danger. You have my word.”

The best part, they agreed, was the fact that Zarife had made himself so much a part of the community in D.C. that no matter what happened, he would be left unscathed. If this all fell apart, no one would ever suspect that he had a hand in it. No matter who else his father had to sacrifice, Zarife would be safe, ready to wait out the fallout and plan for the next time. They had waited this long. A few more years wouldn’t be that big a deal.

And so the plan had been set in motion. The stage set. Small thefts at the warehouse of Grainger Caldwell. Nothing much. The kind of thing that would throw suspicion on the boys in the neighborhood. And a contact who looked the other way. But now the big shipment was scheduled and they had a problem. Rick Latrobe was sticking his nose in too many places where it didn’t belong. Asking too many questions. He hadn’t proven as easy to handle as others they’d worked with. And he was escorting the shipment himself.

He should have known the job of getting rid of Latrobe was too big for Gabir. Especially with the idiots the man hired. They’d not only failed miserably in their attempt to get rid of him in what was supposed to look like an accident. They’d put Latrobe and his partners on the alert. Now the shipment was in jeopardy.

The man who had set this all up had been very specific. It was imperative that he find a way to get rid of Latrobe before the shipment left.

“None of the others at the agency will have the intuitive sense of what’s happening that he will,” the man insisted. “The knowledge, the contacts and relationships over there that he has. They will not be as great a danger. We can deal with whoever they decide should take his place.”

But now he was in a very bad place. Not only was Rick Latrobe alive, if Zarife’s information about him was correct, he still planned to be aboard the Hercules C-130J with the merchandise that the al-Dulamis desperately needed for their return to glory. Zarife needed another accident, one that wouldn’t raise any questions. But with the last one such a disaster, the investigation still ongoing, how in the name of Allah was he going to pull it off?

He felt squeezed on the one hand by his father and on the other by the mysterious man they were doing business with. And all he had to help him out were Gabir and his idiots.

Zarife leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He told Gabir to keep an eye on the Latrobe man while he figured out what to do next.

Think, he told himself. Use what passes for your brain. The answer is in there somewhere.

* * * * *

Kelly left the campground early in an effort to get a good start on the last leg of the trip. She had slept fitfully, partially because of her own state of unrest and partially due to Xena’s. Usually the dog curled up next to her sleeping bag, providing extra warmth during the chilly night. The way they’d started out. But then she’d been up and down, whining, pushing at Kelly’s face with her nose. For the first time in as long as she could remember she slept with her handgun under her pillow, constantly waking from her unwanted dreams of Rick Latrobe to check for danger in the area. Xena’s edginess affected her but they passed the night without incident.

Now, with a big breakfast under her belt and a giant coffee in her cup holder, she was once again heading north when her phone rang. She looked at the read-out. Her grandfather. She chewed her lip, thinking hard before answering. Should she tell him what was going through her mind? Through Xena’s? Sometimes he paid attention to her, other times she wondered if he thought she was crazy and his best course of action was to humor her.

Again she was reminded of the connection she and Xena shared. The legendary, mystical Psi ability of the Caucasian Ovcharka was one of the reasons she’d gotten her. She needed a dog tuned in to her. Sensitive to her. Training dogs for other people was one thing. But she needed an animal for herself who could almost predict danger. Could smell it in the air. And keep her and the other dogs safe.

This was the first time since she’d brought Xena home with her that the dog was scenting danger for another person. She thought it very strange, but she’d learned at the very beginning not to discount Xena’s intuition. Her grandfather was right there, where things were happening. He could at least pass along a warning to Rick, no matter how stupid they all thought it might be.

She punched the talk button on the hands-free unit to answer the call.

“Hey, Granddad,” she greeted him. “I was just about to call you. How’s Rick?” She’d wanted to check on him again before she left but she wasn’t sure who would be with him and if he wanted them to know about her. So far the only thing she knew about him was he was honorable, a good conversationalist and beyond terrific in bed.

“Mike took him home from the hospital this morning and he’s doing okay. At least he’s mobile. I thought you’d want to know. You sounded real worried yesterday.”

Kelly let out a breath as if she’d been holding it for a long time.

“Thank heavens. Then he must not have been badly hurt.”

The old man’s chuckle sounded over the connection. “He’d have to be near dead to keep him down.”

Kelly tugged at her lower lip with her teeth again. “Granddad?”

“Yes, honey?”

“Tell…tell Rick to be real careful, okay?”

“Why don’t you call him yourself? Since the two of you were so cozy and all.”

“I’d rather you do it. Please.”

The silence was telling. Finally Harry said, “You aren’t getting any of those crazy notions again, are you? This business with Xena? Because these guys aren’t—”

“Please,” she interrupted. “Just tell him, okay? Xena’s been very edgy since yesterday. She hardly let me sleep last night. Just…do what you can. Please?”

“Now, Kelly. You know I don’t argue much with these ideas you get but I don’t think I could tell Rick Latrobe that my granddaughter and her dog—especially her dog—are getting strange feelings about him. No matter how much he enjoyed your company.”

Kelly sighed. “Just tell him to be careful, okay?” she repeated.

“Okay. Sure. You drive carefully now and call me when you get home.”

“I will. ‘Bye, now. I love you.”

She disconnected the call, knowing he’d never say a thing. But Xena’s uneasiness had communicated itself so strongly to her that she was feeling edgy herself. Should she try to call Rick directly?

No. He’d probably think she was more of a nut than her grandfather did.

She glanced over at Xena, riding in the seat next to her.

Danger. A lot of danger.

“I hear ya, girl. But what can we do? How can we help him?”

* * * * *

Mike D’Antoni had taken Rick’s keys with him so he could let himself back into the house. Now he deliberately fumbled with them as he glanced as casually as possible at the gardener across the street. Earlier he’d barely noticed him but now something about him caught his eye. The man was sure taking a damn long time trimming those hedges.

As if he sensed Mike watching him, he looked up, flashed a smile and gave a small wave, then went back to his task.

I’m seeing bogeymen where there aren’t any, Mike told himself. Still, that little sensation skittering over his spine was trying to tell him something.

Inside the front hall he punched the security code into the keypad so it wouldn’t screech, then reset it.

Rick, still stretched out on the couch, opened his eyes when he heard the door. He lifted an eyebrow at the sight of the grocery bags.

“Do you think you’re feeding an army?”

“No, just two very hungry men. And you need to get lots of protein into your system. Fast.” He walked through to the kitchen where he set the bags down on the counter. “Troy will be by this afternoon to give you his own once-over and see what needs doing.”

“I got hurt worse than this falling out of a tree,” Rick objected.

“Maybe but you weren’t about to take off for Iraq when that happened.” He stood in the doorway between the two rooms. “Have your neighbors across the street always had the same gardener?”

Rick frowned. “Gardener? I have no idea. Everyone on the street has someone. I’ve had the same landscaping service since I bought the house. Why?”

“But not the same one they use?”

“No, I don’t think so. I’m sure I’d know if it was. The guys would have mentioned it.” He levered himself up into a sitting position. “What’s going on, Mike?”

“Something…I don’t know. He’s been trimming those hedges since we got home. I get the feeling he’s more interested in this house than in any landscape work.”

“The things that have been happening lately probably make us both see shadows where there aren’t any but maybe we should check him out.”

Mike turned off the alarm system and opened the front door. “I think I’ll see if he’s interested in taking on more work.”

He strolled casually across the street, hands in his pockets, looking for all the world like a man with nothing on his mind. The gardener didn’t look up until Mike was standing right next to him.

“Hi,” Mike said. “Nice job you’re doing.”

The gardener looked up. “Thank you.”

Mike noted the slight accent as well as the dark skin and thick head of curly black hair. Was he unconsciously profiling, letting the situation with Iraq color his thinking? Well, better safe than sorry.

“Been working for these people long?”

The man kept his head down, still clipping away. “No. Not very.”

“My friend lives across the street. We’ve been admiring your work. He wondered if you were taking on any new jobs.”

The gardener shook his head. “Oh, no. I have all I can handle.”

“He pays well,” Mike pushed. “We can always use a few more bucks, right?” He forced his mouth into a grin.

“No. Sorry.” He glanced at his watch. “In fact, I don’t even have time to finish this today. I must leave. I will have to call the people and tell them when I’ll be back.”

He brushed off his shears and walked away, toward his van in the driveway. Mike watched him go, sensing something a little off. As the door to the van slammed, he realized what it was. There was no other landscaping equipment. No lawn mower. No edger. No sprayer. And every gardener he’d ever seen drove a pickup with an open bed and hauled an open trailer. This guy had nothing but his hedge trimmers.

Mike started toward the van. “Hey, hold on a minute.”

But the van backed up in a hurry and tires squealed as it pulled out into the street.

“Damn.” Mike gritted his teeth.“I blew that one. Must be tired. Damn, damn, damn.”

He jogged back across the street to tell Rick, the skittering on his back even stronger.

* * * * *

“I tell you, he suspects.”

As soon as he was out of sight and away from the street he’d been on, Malik had opened his cell phone and called Gabir.

“What makes you think that?” the other man demanded.

“I saw the man who brought Latrobe looking at me strangely when he came back from an errand,” Malik said.

“You are imagining things,” Gabir told him. “Just act normal, keep an eye on things and you’ll be fine.”

“No, no, no,” Malik protested. “You don’t understand.”

“Understand what?” Gabir’s voice sharpened. “Did something happen?”

“The man came across the street to talk to me.”Malik was so nervous he was nearly stuttering. “He talked to me, Gabir.”

“About what?”

“He asked me how long I’d been working at that house? Did I want to take on more work? Said his friend was watching me and wanted to hire me.”

“All you had to tell him was you were substituting for a friend and Latrobe would have to talk to him.” There was a pause. “But you didn’t do that, did you? You did something very stupid. I can tell.”

Malik’s hands were sweating so badly they were slipping on the steering wheel. “I told him I couldn’t take on any more work and then I left.”

“Left?” The word was a roar across the connection. “You just left? How stupid can you possibly be?”

“But—”

“But nothing. Now you’ve gotten their attention because you did something out of the ordinary. Shit. This means a change in plans. We’ll have to find some other way to set him up and we won’t be able to watch him as carefully while we make plans. Get back here at once. If you pray hard enough to Allah perhaps I won’t kill you.”

* * * * *

“There’s definitely something up with that gardener,” Mike said, closing the front door and rearming the security system. “If he’s even a gardener at all.” He gave Rick a brief recap of what happened. “I’d say he was there to keep an eye on you. But wouldn’t your neighbors have wondered when a strange man showed up to clip their hedges.”

Rick frowned. “Maybe not. All he had to do was tell them he was a new man on the crew, or substituting for the regular.”

“Someone’s painting a target on you and you know it has to do with what’s going on in Iraq. Weapons missing, all that.” He gave Rick a careful look. “I keep coming back to Greg Jordan, although I really don’t want to.”

Rick sat up, stifling a moan as his muscles and ribs protested. “Me too. I could have sworn he was clean as far as dirty contacts over there. But now I’m willing to look at anybody and everybody. Any word yet on the van from the so-called accident?”

“Not a thing. I talked to Jennings this morning. Someone’s made it just disappear.”

“Great.” Rick ran his hand over the stubble on his jaw. “That definitely means we’re not playing with amateurs here.”

“We’ll need to go over the plans for delivery in the minutest detail before we ever lift off,” Mike pointed out. “There’s no margin for error here.”

“Don’t I know it. I just—”

Whatever else he might have said was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. He dug it out of his shirt pocket where he’d stuck it in the hospital.

“Latrobe.”

“Rick? It’s Harry.”

“Hey, Harry, thanks for the call.”

“You doing okay?”

“Yeah, it’ll take a lot more than a little wreck to knock me out of commission.”

“Listen.”There was the sound of discomfort in Harry’s voice.“I’m not sure I should even be making this call.”

There was such a long pause Rick frowned. “Is everything okay? Trouble at the field? Do you have a problem?”

“No, no, nothing like that. It’s my granddaughter.”

Instantly the image of the striking redhead popped into his mind and the memory of how her body had felt against his. “Does she have a problem? Something we can help with?”

“That’s not it. I just…”

“Harry, maybe you just better spit it out.”

“It’s just that it sounds so crazy. And I don’t want you to think she’s nuts.”

Rick chuckled. “There are too many people standing in line ahead of her for that. Lay it out.”

“Well, see, you met her dog, right? Xena?”

“Yes. I seem to remember her being startled that she jumped out of the truck and sat down by me. I guess she doesn’t take to strangers. Harry, you’re not calling about that, are you? It’s okay. Dogs sometimes do funny things.”

“That’s not even the half of it.” As briefly as he could, Harry explained to him about Xena, the relationship between woman and dog and repeated the gist of Kelly’s phone call. “So you see, it’s just nuts, right? I try to tell her that all the time but—”

Rick shifted the phone to his other ear. “Now you’ll think I’m crazy but I don’t think it’s off the wall at all. Start from the beginning and tell me everything about the dog. And Kelly.”

Maybe he could take care of two things at once—add another weapon to the agency’s Psi arsenal and at the same time learn more about the woman who kept haunting his dreams.

When he hung up he was sure Harry was more puzzled than he’d been when the conversation started but that warning itch that had been burning his neck for days suddenly grew stronger.

“What’s up?” Mike asked, wiping his hands on a paper towel.

“Let’s eat and I’ll tell you. Then we need to make some phone calls.”

* * * * *

Zarife al-Dulami was not at all pleased with the phone call from Gabir.

“I give you a simple task to perform and you cannot seem to get it right. Perhaps I need to make you disappear completely. Erase my mistake.”

“No, no, no.” It was hard to miss the fear in Gabir’s voice. “This is just a little glitch. I am working on another plan as we speak.”

“That man cannot be allowed to be on the plane with those weapons.”Zarife was having difficulty controlling his anger. “Are you so stupid you cannot find a way to get rid of him without creating a major incident?”

“Believe me, it’s not so easy,” Gabir cried. “The man is like a shadow. Here, then gone. With eyes in the back of his head and lethal men always around him.”

“I don’t care if he has the whole damn armed forces of the country protecting him. We have to find a way to eliminate him. Now.”

He slammed down the telephone. His orders from the unknown man had been very clear—make sure Rick Latrobe was dead. So far he was batting zero. He had a disastrous premonition that this was going to turn out to be one huge clusterfuck.

Chapter Four

It was an unusual sequence of events and circumstances that found Faith and Mark Halloran and Mia and Dan Romeo living in San Antonio rather than Maryland where the Phoenix Agency headquarters was located.

When Mark Halloran had been captured by al-Qaeda terrorists in Peru, his long-time ability to communicate telepathically with Faith Wilding was his only means of getting messages out. Like a bulldog with a bone in her teeth, Faith had blown down doors and knocked over people, finally stumbling over Rick Latrobe and Phoenix in her desperation to mount a rescue. After Mark left Delta Force, he’d joined the agency and married Faith. They had decided to make San Antonio their home base as he and Faith had both grown up there and had family there. Often it meant flying back and forth to Maryland for meetings when a mission was in process but it was something they both were comfortable with. And Faith, a best-selling author, was often immersed in her latest thriller anyway.

Dan and Mia had met when her precognitive visions had helped Phoenix retrieve a top-secret new robot designed by a friend of Dan’s. Mia Fleming had been living in San Antonio for some time then, in a house left to her by her grandmother and working as an art historian. They’d also decided to make that city their home base, even though Dan, as the agency’s senior partner, would need to make even more frequent trips back and forth to Maryland than Mark.

“That’s why we have our own planes,” he joked to his wife.

The one adjustment they had made was to convert a room in the Romeo household into a high-tech electronics studio, so Dan and Mark could teleconference with the others and receive whatever information they needed by secure email or fax. Often they could avoid leaving home that way.

The fact that the two couples lived barely ten minutes apart in upscale Alamo Heights made it easy for both business and socializing. Tonight, the men having returned only the night before from Maryland, they were having dinner at the Romeos’ graceful two-story house. The topic of discussion centered not just around Rick Latrobe and the sudden danger to him but on the wonder dog, Xena.

When Rick had called Dan that afternoon to tell him about Kelly and Xena and the peculiar situation, that conversation prompted the current dinner table conversation. The newest area that Phoenix was exploring was parapsychology. With two of the partners married to women with psychic gifts—those gifts having been instrumental in resolving situations—the men had decided to open a Psi department. Mia Romeo, who now worked only part-time, headed up the unit. Faith Halloran, when she wasn’t on deadline, backed her up.

“I’ve been reading a lot about animal Psi,” Mia told them as she carried a fresh basket of rolls to the table. “It’s an area that hasn’t received a lot of attention. People have enough trouble understanding that humans have psychic gifts. Animals are just more than they can handle.”

“Tell me about it,” Mark laughed.

“Is there much documentation?” Faith asked, sipping at her wine.

“Not as much as I’d like and I’ve really been digging into it. The psychic connection between animals—especially dogs—and humans is such a raw field. People are sort of floundering around in it. The word psi, as you know, refers to the ability to become directly aware of past, present and/or future events outside the body. There are people who swear dogs have had this ability for centuries. Those who know when their owners are about to arrive home, or are in danger. Any number of situations have been written about and discounted by skeptics.” She looked at Dan and grinned. “We know about that, don’t we, honey?”

“I used to know someone who had a Caucasian Ovcharka,” Dan put in. “I can believe they have psychic abilities. I’ve seen it myself. But they’re one-person dogs, so the link with Rick is very unusual.”

“I should call Aunt Vivi,” Faith interjected. “She can talk to her Lotus Circle friends and ask them to help her check any instances of this with other members. They can tap into the website and see if anything’s been posted.”

“Don’t forget Andy’s friend,” Mia added. “The one whose aunt lives in Wisconsin and is a Lotus Circle member. She helped me a lot when I was trying to control my visions, remember?”

“The Lotus Circle also helped me discipline my telepathic abilities when Mark was held prisoner and I was getting his messages.” She took a sip of wine. “I wonder how many people know an ancient society has been resurrected and spread throughout the world via the internet, that its members are people with special abilities, like mine and Mia’s, people always ready to help each other and provide assistance and comfort when necessary.”

“Not as many as we’d like,” Mia mused, “but it’s growing more every day. If more people knew about it, I wouldn’t have had such a hard time getting the police to let me work with them when Chase Carpenter’s robot was about to be stolen.”

Dan chuckled. “It was their loss. In the end, you were the one who had the answers.”

“Considering what’s happening with Rick right now,” Mark interjected, “we might do well to explore the situation with the dog further. Do we have a phone number for Kelly? And do we know what kind of person she is?”

“I’ll get Andy to run a complete check on her,” Dan said. “What’s on your mind, if you’ll pardon the pun? I can almost see the wheels turning.”

“I’d like to talk to her first. She’s not part of the agency and we rarely use outsiders for a job. But Rick could certainly use a danger sensor.”

Faith’s jaw dropped. “Surely you aren’t thinking of asking her to go to Iraq, are you? My god, Mark. Throwing her into a situation like that? We don’t even know anything about her. What kind of person she is. And if there really is this connection between the dog and Rick.”

“I think it’s worth finding out. Why don’t you go ahead and call Aunt Vivi and see what The Lotus Circle take on this business with the dog is.”

“Good idea.” She pushed her chair back from the table. “I’ll call her right now.”

“Good.” Mark turned his attention to Mia. “Then I think you might give Kelly a call and kind of sound her out about everything. The Psi connection,” he added hastily. “Not Iraq. We’re not there yet.”

“I wish Rick hadn’t insisted on still taking the shipment over himself,” Dan said. “He’s banged up and someone’s after his hide. Not a good combination.”

“I’ve seriously considered delaying delivery,” Dan said thoughtfully, “but Rick’s got security at Grainger Caldwell trained and ready for the goods in this shipment and champing at the bit. He also was very emphatic that they can’t survive much longer without them.”

Mark swallowed the rest of his wine and set the glass down carefully. “I know Grainger Caldwell is headquartered at Baghdad International Airport but rebuilding roads is their first order of business so they need outposts for the workers. And people to guard them. Do you have copies here of the places where they set up shop?”

“Yes.” Dan pushed his chair back. “I’ll get them. I emailed everything to myself before we left the office.”

“I’ll call Harry and get as much information on his granddaughter as I can. Then we’ll let Mia do her thing on the phone. She’ll know how to handle it.”

* * * * *

The overseas phone call between Zarife’s benefactor and the man’s contact in Iraq was not progressing as well as either one of them hoped.

“You’d better make sure you have this timed better than any military operation you ever ran,” the man in D.C. said. “We can’t afford even one mistake.”

“I gave you the lead on the buyer and I can vouch for his readiness,” the man in Iraq protested. “Other than that, there’s only so much I can do.”

“If this goes south, it’s on your head. I can’t afford even the slightest connection to this.”

“You’re already connected to it.”

“But you and I are the only ones who know that. Remember that.”

“And Zarife al-Dulami.”

“It’s in Zarife’s best interests to forget he ever met me. He knows that. I checked him out very carefully. I don’t believe we’ll have any trouble with him or his family.”

“What about me? What happens to me when this is all over? Once I’m gone, there’s no hiding anything.”

“You can check your bank account before the event happens. The day before I’ll transfer enough money to keep you in women and booze anywhere in the world for the rest of your life. That ought to take care of any reservations you have. You still have the same plan for getting the goods away from BIAP?”

“Yes. We talked about this, didn’t we? We’ll take the goods to Baqubah first. It’s only sixty miles from Baghdad and the people holding the city are friendly to us. Al-Dulami will meet us there with his people to take delivery before moving everything to the Zagros Mountains. It’s a place where no one will ask us questions. What’s my transport out of there? I sure can’t stick around Baghdad.”

“I’ve arranged for a week in Baqubah at the home of a friend of al-Dulami’s, just until things quiet down. Then we’ll get you out of there to any place you want. You can check your bank account on your laptop so you know the money’s in place.”

“Why the delay? You aren’t trying to screw around with me, are you?”

“Hell, no. You’d find me and gut-shoot me. But I’ll be under the microscope and I don’t want any threads leading to you.”

There was a long pause. “All right,” the man in Iraq said. “I’ll call you when I’ve got it all set up. What about Latrobe?”

“Ah, yes, the man with nine lives. If we can’t take him out here, you’ll have to do it on your end. He knows too much about what goes on over there. If he spotted that information you so carelessly left up on your computer screen, we can’t leave him alive to connect the dots. He could remember it at any time. Besides, someone has to take the fall for this. Make it look as if he’s the one and one of his own thieves shot him. That always plays well.”

“Kill him here? Are you crazy?”

“Not at all. I leave the method up to you.”

“What about his friends. They’ll be raging mad.”

“Let them. He’s the one with the knowledge.”

“Just make sure the al-Dulamis are ready to take delivery.” He paused. “You know there’ll be fallout.” The voice of the man in Iraq was hard and unyielding.

“I can handle it. Just do your part and we’ll be fine.”

* * * * *

Greg Jordan wondered if Mike D’Antoni would ever realize that their reunion wasn’t quite as accidental as he’d thought. It had taken research and maneuvering on Greg’s part to make it happen.

He’d been fully briefed on the situation. The Grainger Caldwell temporary compound sat at one far corner of Baghdad International Airport, otherwise known as BIAP. A place where planes landed and took off on an irregular schedule at any time of the day or night. Baking beneath the unrelenting hot summer sun, the compound was surrounded by temporary concrete barriers more than fifteen feet high, rimmed at the top with razor-sharp concertina wire.

Photos showed the area contained five main buildings—a double-wide manufactured home that served as the headquarters of the Iraq operation, two hastily constructed dormitories that housed security people and construction crews in a less than desirable situation and two warehouses, one for arms and equipment and another for the company’s construction equipment. More than half the people were hired locally, which meant someone proficient in languages was an essential component of the team.

The rush by private contractors to partake of the billions of dollars available had begun the moment the government had made the announcement. The giants had taken their bite of the pie, leaving the rest for the smaller companies like Grainger Caldwell.

Jordan was well aware that after months of lobbying his senator and congressmen, Charlie Grainger had emerged from a meeting with a fistful of lucrative contracts to rebuild roads and bridges as well as construct electrical substations and water plants. He expected the job to keep him both busy and in high cotton for several years. He and his partner had spent a long night celebrating, then settled down to get to work.

He also knew Matt Caldwell had wanted to set up their own security and train their own people using their corporate security staff. Charlie argued a war was still being fought in Iraq and they needed someone with the necessary expertise to tell them what they needed and then set it up. He insisted on hiring Phoenix to set up the security needed to guard the equipment, the compound and the work areas and, in fact, had demanded that Rick Latrobe personally ramrod it. He had confidence in him and pointed out the successful job he’d done setting up and training the Grainger Caldwell corporate security force. And maintaining it.

So Greg Jordan’s benefactor, the man who was going to set him up in the ultimate lifestyle, had given him his orders. He’d engineered the meeting with Mike and gotten himself hired to ramrod the operation in Baghdad. Greg had then been introduced to Rick Latrobe and the two had begun the arduous process of turning the core group of imports and the ragtag locals into a trained security force.

But there had been problems from the beginning, problems that Rick Latrobe had been a pain in the ass about. Problems recruiting enough qualified locals. Greg snorted. Qualified. What a joke that was. Every thug in the country saw this as a license to kill. Problems with fighting off poaching by other contractors. Problems with the locals they recruited. Greg had found an Iraqi who, luck of luck, was acceptable to Latrobe. He and Greg had developed a relationship and they’d recruited a sufficient number of bodies. Even then, Latrobe had been a hard-ass about the training, pissing off a lot of people.

“We’re on the clock,” he kept reminding Greg. “We have to be ready when the first crew and equipment get here.”

And they had been, after a fashion. Greg somehow kept it cobbled together and things were working. At least as well as could be expected. A cargo plane had delivered both construction crew and equipment just this week. Guarded by the newly minted GC Security, they’d begun the arduous process of surveying the areas where they’d be working. But Greg knew Rick was planning to tell Charlie Grainger if they wanted security to work well they needed more imports from the good old U.S. of A.

Greg privately conceded he was right but that didn’t fit in too well with the plans he was putting in place. And he found them even harder to work with than the natives, probably because they were by the book in everything they did.

Walking from the bedroom that had been converted to an office, he poured himself another cup of coffee and carried it back to his desk. Leaning back in his chair, he put his booted feet up on the desk, closed his eyes and began to run all the recent situations through his mind, looking for solutions. Sometimes he wondered if he shouldn’t just chuck it all and go back to Montana. Then he remembered the pot of gold waiting for him and sucked it up.

A knock sounded on the front door and he hollered, “Come in.”

Amin, his main contact and top local lieutenant, came in, frowning.

“Problems?” Greg asked.

“Not so many. But some. A few.”

Greg bit down on his impatience. “Well, which is it?”

Amin spread out his hands. “My people say they are not being paid enough money and many of them want to quit.”

Greg sat up so quickly his feet slammed to the floor, shaking the trailer. “You remind your people they’re making more money than they’ve seen in a long time. Two hundred dollars a month. And if they follow all the rules, they’ll continue making it. Period. If not, they can take a hike and we’ll find others.” He waved his hand in the general direction of the outer perimeter.

“But they know the Americans are making much more,” he insisted.

“The Americans have been doing this for a long time. We didn’t have to train them from scratch. What else?”

“They are also worried about being blamed for the weapons that have disappeared.” Amin’s face was completely expressionless as he spoke.

“If they didn’t take them, they have nothing to worry about. We know the deal. Right?”

Amin nodded wordlessly.

“If they have any idea who they think took them, you talk to them and kill their speculation. Assure them no blame will fall on their shoulders.”

Yeah, right, he thought to himself. Who else to blame in the end besides Latrobe?

“Yes, yes, yes.” Amin was eager in his need to please. “I will talk to them at once. At once. All will be settled before that big shipment arrives next week. I know all must go smoothly.”

“Ah, yes. The shipment.” Greg dug a thick cigar from his pocket and stuck it in his mouth. He wouldn’t smoke inside with the ventilation as chancy as it was but the cigar always gave him a feeling of security and control. “Glad you brought that up. Tomorrow I want everyone here in the morning half an hour before the usual starting time. We’re ready to have a briefing before they disperse to their regular positions.” He held Amin in his gaze. “You understand, right?”

Amin nodded.

“Tell them I may have a little something extra for those you think can follow orders especially well.” He narrowed his eyes at Amin. “And you can tell them that anyone who performs exceptionally well during the process of receiving and distributing the cargo on that plane will receive a bonus. That should satisfy the bloodsuckers who complain to you and keep them off our backs for the moment. But be sure you keep an eye on how they offload the cargo.”

“Thank you so much. Thank you.” Amin smiled “I will make sure everyone understands.”

“You do that. And don’t forget about Latrobe. The seller wants it all on his shoulders, so he can’t be left alive to answer questions about it.”

“I would not want any problem as far as the seller is concerned.” The smile he gave Greg was sly and knowing.“I would like to tell him myself when the job is completed with success.”

Greg pointed his cigar at him. “You just forget all about that, you hear? We never had that conversation. And if you open your mouth, it’ll be the last thing you say.”

Amin inclined his head. “It shall be as you wish.”

Greg leaned back in his chair as soon as the door closed behind Amin. The shipment. He wasn’t sure if he looked forward to it with dread or anticipation.

* * * * *

Phone calls complete, the four of them reconvened at the dining room table for coffee and an exchange of information.

“She trains guard dogs,” Mark said, looking down at his notes. He’d been busy on the phone with Andy, master of the Phoenix Agency’s supercomputer, the Dragon. It was Andy’s claim that nothing and no one could hide from the Dragon and he’d certainly, with his skills, made believers of the partners.

Mia raised an eyebrow. “Guard dogs?”

“Uh-huh. She has a big farm with a state-of-the-art kennel. Most of her clients are people who live in isolated areas or high-profile corporate CEOs and politicians.”

Dan grinned. “I wouldn’t think politicians would need them. They could bite people themselves.”

“Some of the ones I know could fit the bill,” Faith put in. In her desperate hunt to mount a rescue operation for Mark, she’d uncovered political corruption that was still generating fallout. “Anyway, what else did Andy give you about Kelly Monroe?”

“Her father was Harry’s son.” Mark went on. “Both parents were killed in the crash of a light plane. Her dad was flying.”

“Ouch,” Mia said. “That must have been devastating. How old was she?”

“Twenty. That was eight years ago. She inherited their farm, set up a business and finished college online.”

“Set up a business? Did she know anything about training dogs at all? It isn’t just something you go into on a whim.”

Mark helped himself to coffee from the carafe on the table. “Apparently she’s always been a dog person. Worked with some guy since she was fourteen. He helped her get set up. A year later she got the Ovcharka.”

Dan frowned. “Unusual occupation for a woman by herself.” He held up a hand as both women opened their mouths to speak. “Just a comment, not a criticism.”

“Well,” Mark said, “it seems she’s damn good at it. She’s got a very impressive list of clients. But I’ve saved the best for last.”

“And what’s that?” his wife wanted to know.

“You’ll never guess where she grew up. Where her farm is located.” He looked around the table. “Any takers? No? Okay. She’s about fifty miles from Bangor, Maine, maybe ten minutes from the road to the cabin.”

Everyone stared at him.

“Her folks didn’t really farm,” he went on. “The place had been in the family for generations. Her father was a guide for hunters. He flew them into camps in northern Maine, then picked them up again. Sometimes her mother went along and they’d go into New Brunswick or over to Prince Edward Island. The border patrol knew him very well.”

“How come we never saw her before?” Dan asked. “Or noticed her place when we were up there?”

Mark pulled an aerial photo from his stack and passed it around the table. “Andy emailed this to me from the satellite imagery we had in stock. I marked the road to the cabin. If you look here…” he retrieved the photo and pointed, “you’ll see there’s a barely visible road in this heavy stand of pine trees. It’s practically hidden from the road.”

“Practically?” Faith shook her head in amazement. “It’s totally invisible. You’d have to know where you were going to even find it.”

“Has she ever reported Psi incidents with her dog?” Mia asked.

“No,” Mark told her. “She’s pretty close-mouthed. A loner, from what I can tell. But the weird thing is the way her dog linked with Rick. That’s unheard of with Ovcharkas.” He looked at both women. “Her name, by the way, is Xena.”

Mia and Faith grinned back and high-fived each other.

“From what Harry tells me, each of the dog’s episodes since everyone left the airport has happened at an exact moment when Rick was in danger. It’s almost as if she smells it.”

Faith lifted an eyebrow. “Smells it?”

“I know, I know. It sounds crazy. But you can’t believe what I’ve been reading about these dogs. They are truly amazing.”

“Does she train any of them in her program?” Mia asked.

“No. Just shepherds. But Andy found an article about her in the Bangor Daily News that said she’d trained Xena to guard the other dogs in her care.”

“I got some information from Aunt Vivi that might be helpful,” Faith told them.

“Is The Lotus Circle aware of this kind of thing?” Dan wanted to know.

“You bet. In fact four of the members who post regularly on the website are owners and have reported incidents where their mind linked with their dog’s. Where the dog not only protected them from danger but signaled them about other things.”

When Faith had been researching her own psychic abilities her aunt had introduced her to The Lotus Circle website that had participants from all over the world with every type of psychic ability imaginable.

“Are you going to tell me these women communicate mentally with their animals?”

Faith nodded. “Sometimes the dog even enters their dreams and sends them messages that way. Two of the women have actually documented specific instances on the site.”

Mark shook his head in amazement. “I don’t know why I should be so surprised, considering the link Faith and I have. I just can’t get my mind around the same kind of connection with a dog.”

“One more thing,” Faith said. “Aunt Vivi says instances of an Ovcharka bonding with someone other than the owner are very rare. If we can talk to Kelly Monroe and get her to become involved, they’d like to make both her and the dog members of the Circle.”

Mia finished her coffee and set her cup down. “I have got to call this woman.”

“While you’re talking to her,” Dan said, “see if it’s possible for us to come up to visit her. Dogs are something we haven’t thought about for the Psi department and we also may want to add them to Rick’s Iraq setup. We should ask her about it.” He looked at each person in turn. “And about going to Iraq.”

Faith wrinkled her forehead. “Are you sure it would be safe for her? She may need more than that dog to protect her.”

“I would never put an untrained person in harm’s way,” Dan promised. “But we may be able to work something out.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Mark held up a hand. “Shouldn’t we talk to Rick about this first?”

“Absolutely. Let’s have Mia call her and sound her out. I’ll talk to Rick. He should fly up there with us too.” He looked at the other three. “Okay, people. Let’s get busy.”

* * * * *

Kelly Monroe hung up the telephone and sat back in her chair, Xena in her semi-alert state at her feet.

“Well, girl,” she said to him. “What do you think about that? Your new best friend has friends who want to come up and see us. We don’t get many visitors, you know. Think you can handle that?”

Xena rubbed her head against Kelly’s leg and let out a tiny bark.

“You can, huh? Well, I guess I can too.”

She hadn’t exaggerated that visitors to the farm were rare. The vet. Her two assistant handlers. Her clients, all of whom came via referral. She resisted most publicity. Her clients demanded total anonymity and that meant the same for her.

It also didn’t make for a very active social life but that hadn’t bothered her since her last disaster of a date. She hadn’t realized Dane Lomax, the local attorney she’d sort of had a relationship with, had only wanted to show her off to his friends as an oddity. A weirdo. A woman who had no one but dogs for company and talked to her personal animal as if she were human. Worse than that, he’d expected payment in bed for “all the dinner and beer I shelled out”.

That had been her last foray into a social life.

She was better off with her books, her CDs, her computer and her dogs. Many days, after the dogs had been worked, fed and kenneled, she and Xena took long hikes, sometimes as far as the cliffs over the Atlantic Ocean. It was five miles each way but she always felt exhilarated. And it gave Xena as well as herself a great opportunity to work off their excess energy.

She felt a curl of anticipation at the prospect of seeing Rick Latrobe again. Unexpected lust curled in her belly and her crotch dampened. Not that there was a chance in hell of anything happening between them what with this trip coming up. And besides, he’d be with others. But at least she could dream about him. Which lately she tended to do more than she liked.

But she had an uneasy feeling that the arrival of her visitors was about to somehow change her life.

Xena stood up, leaned against her leg and whined.

Kelly scratched his head. “Yeah, I know. You feel it too, don’t you?”

She looked into the dog’s eyes and swore she saw an image of Rick reflected there. “Quit thinking about him,” she scolded. “I’ve got enough troubles with my own thoughts.”

Sighing, she headed for the kitchen. Maybe a leftover bone for Xena and some tea for herself would settle them both down.

* * * * *

Zarife faced Gabir across the table in the dingy little restaurant where they’d chosen to meet.

“Did you get rid of the van the way I told you to?”

“Yes. We stripped it and pushed it off a hillside. Then we climbed down and covered it with branches and anything else we could find.”

“Good. Even if they manage to locate it, it will be too late for them to do anything. Besides, when I gave it to you, I made sure it couldn’t be traced back to us.”He let his gaze roam from one man to the other. “Time is running out,” Zarife said, stirring his coffee. “Latrobe must not be allowed to get on that plane.”

Gabir looked at him with his mouth turned down. “You said you wanted something that didn’t look obvious. What do you suggest? Short of shooting the man or blowing him up, there doesn’t seem to be any way to stop him.”

“I’m not the one who needs to make suggestions,” Zarife pointed out. “When I hired you for this you assured me you and your idiot friends could handle this with no problem.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Gabir sipped nervously from his own cup. “And so it seemed. “But this is no ordinary man. These are no ordinary people.”

“If they were, I wouldn’t need you.” He looked at his watch, which had a tiny calendar clipped over the wristband. “We have less than five days. Figure something out. I don’t care who gets on that plane as long as it’s not him. You understand?”

Gabir nodded, his fingers fiddling with his cup in a nervous dance. “I understand. We will figure something out.”

“Our only other option, if we can’t resolve it here, is to get rid of him over there. But remember, that way you get no money.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Gabir promised. “Right away.”

* * * * *

Rick had finally agreed to pop two of the pain pills before getting on the helicopter.

“I can only hold the vibrations down so much,” Ed Romeo told him. He, rather than Mike, was the designated pilot today.

“I’m no stranger to pain,” Rick reminded him.

“Let’s just say I don’t want to add to your discomfort, okay? Humor me.”

Once they were airborne, Rick had to admit Ed was right. Even with the pills his body was protesting at the treatment he was giving it, although it could have been worse. Today they were flying their brand-new baby, a Bell Helicopter 206L4 long-range, seven-passenger bird. In addition to Ed and Rick, the chopper carried Mia, Dan and Mark. Faith, unhappily, was locked in her den with galleys to proof that had arrived just that morning. But she had given Mia her list of questions.

Unbelievably Rick found himself dozing off, waking only when Mark touched his shoulder.

“I think this is the place.” He pointed ahead and below.

From the air they could see a rambling farmhouse with only a small area mowed around it. The rest was acres of tall grasses and wildflowers. Thick stands of pine trees and maples clustered here and there and about two hundred yards beyond the perimeter a heavy forest of pines rose up out of the land. Behind the house was a rectangular building with long, cyclone fencing running perpendicular to it. Rick assumed that was the kennel. To one side of the house was a huge barn, with a concrete strip the same length as the building running up to it.

Probably where her father had kept the plane, Rick thought.

Not far from the strip stood Kelly Monroe with Xena at her side, waving and pointing to the concrete.

“That’s where she wants us to land,” Ed said. “Looks good to me. I’m going down.”

With his usual practiced and easy smoothness at the controls, Ed set the bird down precisely on the concrete strip and cut his ignition. Mia, Dan and Mark were out of the helicopter even before the rotors stopped spinning. Rick moved slowly behind them, trying to conceal his discomfort. Still, he couldn’t mistake the look of worry in Kelly’s eyes. An unfamiliar feeling twisted through him at her obvious concern. Most of the women he spent time with wouldn’t even think of sending a card, much less worrying. He decided he’d been hanging out with the wrong kind of women. But that was definitely going to change. He wondered what she’d think of the proposal they had for her.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Xena left Kelly’s side and plunked herself down next to Rick, a low rumble escaping her throat as she looked at the others.

“Shake hands with everyone else,” Kelly told him. “Let her see that they aren’t enemies.”

“But they got off the helicopter with me,” he commented.

She shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. She’ll sense everyone as a danger to you until you show her differently.”

Rick went through the process as Kelly dictated, making sure to smile at each person and introducing them as he did so.

I can’t believe I’m making introductions to a dog, he thought, swallowing a smile.

Kelly also shook hands with them. The rumble died away but Xena still held her position.

Rick looked at Kelly and again remembered the feel of her naked body under his. Her mouth on his cock. And embarrassing wonder of wonders, despite all the drugs in his system, said cock hardened.

Shit! That was all he needed. His chances of being alone with her were slim to none. He was here on business and he didn’t want to embarrass her in front of his friends and partners.

“Well.” Kelly walked over to them, the expression on her face unreadable. “My curiosity is killing me. I know you and I spoke, Mia, but I can’t imagine anything we discussed would have brought you all the way up here. And so quickly.” She looked at Xena. “This is a rarity for us. We don’t usually have much company, as I told you.”

“Could we go inside so we can sit down and talk?” Dan asked. “This will take more than a few minutes to explain.”

“Of course. Excuse my manners. I have iced tea waiting and I even made cookies.” She looked at Xena, locking her eyes on the dog’s and signaling her with her hand.

She rose but still didn’t move.

Kelly reached her hand out to Rick. “Come with me and keep holding my hand. She’ll follow along.”

And that was what she did, wedging herself close to both Kelly and Rick as they all trooped into the house.

As soon as their hands touched Rick felt the same tingle of electricity that had started the whole thing. Hours of incredible sex two nights ago hadn’t diminished it one bit. Heat had streaked through his body and his groin tightened even more.

He took a moment to study her in the sunlight. Between missions, when he sought female companionship, Rick’s taste ran to petite yet well-endowed blondes, with curves in all the right places. Women who dressed in flirty clothes—or no clothes at all, depending on the situation. Kelly Monroe was tall and slender, her long red hair again in a neat braid. Her curves, covered in jeans and a tailored blouse, were subtle rather than lush. Yet he remembered how she felt in his hands and every hormone in his body stood up and took notice.

Well, hell! Control, Latrobe. Control.

He was starting to wonder if they should even ask Kelly about the trip. He was enough of a seasoned warrior not to let sex get in the way of a mission despite their new and fragile relationship. But here he was concerned about her and her safety. He’d just have to see how it played out.

Kelly led them into a cool, high-ceilinged living room with old-fashioned, comfortable furniture in warm greens and yellows. Rick took a large armchair set to one side, distancing himself from their hostess so his mind was on what they were here for. He leaned back in the chair and rested the ankle of one leg on the opposite knee, focusing on the business at hand.

When everyone had been served refreshments, Kelly perched on a straight chair and stared at them with an uncompromising look. “I’m not much for small talk, folks, so why don’t we get right into this. Why are you really here and what do you want from me?”

“Rick has told us about his meeting with you and Xena at our airfield,” Dan explained. “And we’ve done a little research on the Caucasian Ovcharkas.”

She tilted her head, looking from one person to the other, her gaze still puzzled. “Mia and I discussed that but I can’t believe your interest in the dogs brought you all the way up here.”

Mia smiled at her. “I know this seems totally off the wall to you but let me give you some background.” She launched into a brief description of the agency, what it did, the special gifts she and Faith had and the new Psi department they were establishing.

“As you can imagine, we aren’t a highly publicized organization,” Dan put in. “Sometimes we work for Uncle Sam on the QT, sometimes for high-profile corporations. No one wants their name in the paper.”

“Same here,” Kelly nodded. “My dogs are very special, usually mistaken for household pets. Unless the owner is in danger. So you’re what…interested in the dog? In my kennel? I still don’t understand.”

“Can you tell us a little bit about the training?” Dan asked.

It took a lot more explanation from Dan about their operation before Kelly was willing to share information, about either the dogs she trained or Xena. The better part of two hours passed before they stopped verbally dancing around each other and the conversation began in earnest.

When Mia took over and told her about Psi abilities both she and Faith had, Rick saw sharp interest flash in Kelly’s eyes.

“That’s actually what prompted this trip,” she added. “We’d like to know a lot more about the relationship between you and Xena and anything special you can tell us.”Under Mia’s gentle prodding, Kelly related incident after incident in which Xena has sensed danger—scented it was the way she put it—when there was absolutely nothing to indicate it. Warily she explained the mental connection she and the dog had established, how they were able to communicate silently with each other. How Xena often invaded her dreams to send her messages.

Rick watched her stop periodically, as if waiting for the skepticism she was sure would come. When everyone simply nodded at her, she looked confused.

“You don’t look shocked. Any of you.”

Mia smiled. “Like I said, paranormal isn’t new to us. We’ve gone through the same thing, Faith and I. I wish she could have been here today to listen to this. She’d be just as excited as I am.”

“But don’t you still get people looking at you as if you’re crazy?”

“Sometimes. But then we have our successes to point to. And we don’t exactly run around taking out front-page ads.” She looked at Dan and Mark, who nodded at her unspoken question, then crossed her legs and leaned forward. “Kelly, I wonder if we could persuade you and Xena to come to Maryland to our offices so we can do some testing. Nothing outrageous but, like I said, it may be possible that this could be a valuable addition to the department we’re building. So many things are happening that we’re having to grow faster than we expected.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible. What would it involve? And what would you expect of me afterwards?” She waved her hand at the window and the land beyond. “I have obligations here. A business to run.”

“We understand that,” Mark broke in. “But we discussed briefly incorporating Ovcharkas into our operation if we could learn enough about them. And there may be situations where you and Xena could be valuable.”

“Even if she’s a one-person dog?”

Mia grinned. “Now, you know that’s not really the case any longer. She’s made a connection with Rick. There may be times, if you were willing, that Xena could be a real asset in some of the missions Rick takes on.”

Kelly shook her head. “No. Xena never goes anywhere without me and I couldn’t make myself that available.”

“What about if you just tried it once?” Rick asked, watching her carefully.

She swung her head toward him. “What do you mean?”

He chose his words carefully, gauging her reaction. He still wasn’t convinced himself this was such a good idea. “I have a little trip coming up that may have some inherent problems. I know something’s wrong but I can’t put my finger on it. If you and Xena came along, you’d be my edge. My live radar detectors, so to speak.”

“You mean the trip to Iraq, right?” she asked.

Rick cleared his throat. “Yes. That’s the one.”

Kelly stared at him.“And you want me to go with you?”

He nodded.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Not in the least. I have a shipment to deliver to a private security force we’ve trained over there and something’s going on. I need all the help I can get to watch my back.”

No one said anything as they all waited for Kelly to make the next move. At last she shook her head.

“I’m sorry. It’s just not possible.” She looked directly at Rick. “Even if I could arrange to have someone take care of the animals for me it wouldn’t be for more than a day or two. I think I already stretched my assistants to the limit when I took my trip to Florida. Most of our dogs are about ready to move on to their owners and the last of the training is very tricky.”

“I understand,” Mark said, “but—”

“And certainly the last place in the world I plan on going is Iraq.” She let her gaze travel over everyone else in the room. “I can’t imagine you even asking me that.”

“You’d simply be accompanying Rick on a cargo delivery,” Mark said. “You and Xena.”

“I’m not trained for whatever might crop up,” she pointed out, something Rick had been aware of since the suggestion was made. “I’d probably be more of a liability than an asset. Both of us.”

“Our problem is there’s an element of, call it treachery, we can’t pin down,” Rick told her. “If Xena and I do have a link, I’d be hoping she could help identify it.”

“No, I’m afraid not. I’m sorry you’ve made the trip up here for nothing. If you’d told me over the phone the real purpose of the visit I’d have saved you the trouble.”

She rose from her chair. The visit was over.

“What about coming to Maryland at your convenience to let us do some tests?” Mia asked. “Show you some of the things we’re doing. We’re really looking for people who can help us find others with psychic gifts and train them to use them.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Will you do at least one thing for me?”

“What’s that?”

Mia handed her a slip of paper. “Here are the telephone numbers for Faith, her Aunt Vivi and me. Will you at least think about this? Maybe call and talk to us about how you might fit in?”

“That much I can do.”She folded the paper and slipped it into her pocket, then looked pointedly at her watch. “Meanwhile, there are things I have to take care of.”

Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry, Rick thought as he unfolded himself from his chair. He let the other go on ahead of him, hanging back to steal a private minute with Kelly. When he started toward the door Xena was at his side at once, teeth gently holding onto his khakis. She tugged at the material, then bumped her head against Rick’s hand.

“She’s telling you to be careful,” Kelly explained.

“Actually, I think she’s telling me to spend the night.” His eyes when they turned to her were hot and hungry.

Kelly blushed a deep shade of rose. She looked at the others and he knew she was wondering if they’d heard. And what their reaction might be.

“My business is my business,” he said in a low voice. “If it would embarrass you, I’ll understand. But I feel it’s important for me to stay here tonight.”

“But how will you get home?” She looked outside. “They’re all leaving. With your transportation.”

Rick grinned. “I’m valuable. Ed or Mike will pick me up tomorrow.” He touched her cheek. “Don’t make me beg. I’m a desperate man.”

Xena was whining and tugging on Rick and he wanted to kiss the dog.

“Maybe I’ll pick up some of her mojo,” he grinned.

“All right.” She kept her voice low. “But only because Xena insists.”

He walked out to the helicopter to say goodbye to the others.“I think we came on a little too strong,” Dan said.

Mia made a face. “No kidding. From trying to get her interested in the program to throwing her into your little project is a big stretch. I can’t think of many people who’d jump at the chance to go to Iraq.”

“Let’s give her a little time to get over the shock of our visit. Then you can call her again and see if you can exert your unbounded charm on her. Get her to come down to the office.” He looked at Rick.“Maybe you can give her a call when you get back.”

“Actually I’m spending the night.” He swallowed a laugh at the look on everyone’s face.

“That must have been some dinner,” Dan commented with a grin.

“We’re not discussing this, okay? Just be sure Ed or Mike picks me up at nine tomorrow morning.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Maybe some of the dog’s influence will rub off on me. I’ll tell you, guys. I have a bad feeling about this entire Iraq situation. A really bad feeling.”

* * * * *

Rick gave in to the demands of his body and napped on Kelly’s big, soft bed while she exercised the dogs and fed them. The sound of the shower running woke him. He looked out the window to see the sun beginning its descent to the horizon. He pushed himself upright, wishing he had a toothbrush. His mouth felt like used tires, an aftereffect of the pain medication. Maybe Kelly would share her mouthwash with him.

He walked over to the window, testing his body, feeling a little less sore than he had when he’d arrived. He wouldn’t be up to any calisthenics tonight, but he had plenty of ideas how they’d manage just fine. When he thought of the things Kelly could do with her educated mouth and her sweet tongue his aches and pains were nothing compared to the sharp pain in his groin.

He’d been with many women in his life. Some might even say too many. But none of them had ever touched something deep inside him the way Kelly Monroe did. Or so quickly. Whatever was between them was like dry kindling that had burst into flame the moment they’d met.

Maybe it was the dog. Stranger things had happened, for sure. But whatever the reason, he wanted this woman with a fierce hunger, and not just for an occasional tumble in the sheets. He’d always believed the life he lived was bad for steady or permanent relationships, but Mark and Dan seemed to be making it work well for them.

“I see you’re finally awake.”

He heard Kelly’s musical voice behind him, turned and smiled.

“I should apologize for flaking out in the middle of the day like that,” he told her.

“No apology necessary. Your body took a beating and needs to recharge. Would you like to take a shower before dinner?”

“Yes, but first I want to say something.” When he was standing in front of her he cupped her chin and locked his gaze with hers. “I know this is fast, Kelly. If it’s too fast for you, then tell me. But I’m not taking what’s happening here as anything casual.”

A pale blush colored her cheeks but she didn’t take her eyes from his. “And I could have told you to get on that helicopter and go home. I felt the same thing you did the other night. Life can be fragile. Why don’t you shower and we’ll see where this goes.”

She even had an extra toothbrush and a razor in the bathroom cupboard and set them out with the towels. When he came back into the bedroom, towel knotted at his hip, he was only mildly surprised to see her sitting on the bed cross-legged.

“Were you afraid I’d pass out in the shower?”

She shook her head. “I was afraid I might change my mind if I waited until later.” She cocked her head. “How’s your body?”

He laughed. “As compared to what? I think it’s getting better.”

“Then why don’t you come over here and we’ll see if we can improve it a little more.” She rolled off the bed and pulled the covers back, patting the mattress. “Make yourself comfortable.” She grinned. “And lose the towel.”

He’d been semi-hard after the shower, just thinking about her. Now they could have used his cock for a hammer. He tossed the towel aside and lay down on the cool sheets, watching her. She removed her clothes slowly, tempting him with each bit of herself she exposed. Full breasts with dark, rosy nipples already pebbled. He could see the pulse of anticipation at the delicate hollow of her throat.

He wanted to scream at her to hurry when she unzipped her jeans and slid them down her thighs as slowly as a stripper teasing a customer. Then she stood there wearing only a rich purple thong and every bit of blood in his body rushed to his groin. He reached out a hand to her.

“Come here, pretty girl. I have a present for you.”

Kelly grinned. “Yes, I believe you do. And it’s mine to play with as I choose.”

She walked around the bed to the other side, climbed up and knelt beside him. Her slim fingers walked down his chest, over his hard abdomen to his very hot erection.

“Touch me,” he told her in a hoarse voice.

“Oh, I plan to do more than that.”

She slid one hand between his thighs to cup his balls, caressing the velvety skin with a touch so delicate it drove him crazy. Her other hand wrapped around his cock, lightly stroking up and down. His penis flexed in her hand, hungry for something harder. She kept her eyes on his face as she feathered her fingers over his skin, a teasing smile on her lips.

“I don’t want to get you too excited,” she smiled. “Might not be good for you in your condition.”

“I thought you were supposed to improve my condition,” he breathed.

“Oh, yes. That’s right. Well, then, let’s see what we can do.”

Her fingers closed more tightly around his cock, her other hand tightening on his balls. When she bent and closed her lips over the fat head of his shaft Rick nearly came off the bed. Jesus! He hadn’t been mistaken when he remembered how soft and hot and wet her mouth was. And how educated.

Her tongue licked the surface of the head, pausing to dip the end of it into the slit and torment the nerve endings. He caressed her back with his palm before sliding it over the curve of her buttocks and into the crevice where the thong nestled so firmly. Now she was licking up and down his shaft, tracing the length of him with her hot, wet tongue. His orgasm was building fast low in his belly, a knot of lust ready to explode. He was sure any minute the top of his head would come off.

And still she played, and sucked and licked.

Rick pressed a fingertip against the puckered ring of her anus. The more aroused he became, the harder he pressed. She was too dry back there and he was afraid he’d hurt her. Desperately he moved his fingers to the silken flesh of her pussy, gratified to find it drenched with her cream. He scooped some in his fingers and spread it around her rear entrance to allow him easier access.

“Kelly, please,” he begged, as she held him just at the ragged edge of release.

She pumped a little harder, sucked a little deeper, squeeze a little more and finally she gave in. Her fingers squeezed and pumped, squeezed and pumped and he went off like a firecracker, shooting into her mouth, his hot liquid spreading on her tongue and down her throat. His finger pressing deep inside her ass.

Finally she eased her grip and sat back on her heels, a little satisfied smile on her face.

“Your body should be feeling a lot better by this time.”

“Pretty girl, if I felt any better I’d be in heaven. Maybe I am and just don’t know it.” He reached for her but she slid back off the bed. “Hey. You didn’t get naked just to tease me with your body, did you?”

“Maybe I’m saving the best for later. Meanwhile, I need to get dinner started.”

Chapter Five

Kelly woke just as dawn was shedding light through the big picture window, to the feel of Rick between her legs, his tongue lapping slowly at her cunt, her body already in a state of arousal.

“Ohhh,” was all she could say as she arched her hips up to him.

“I agree,” he murmured against her flesh and returned to tasting every slick inch of her.

“Are you sure you should be doing this? In your condition?” She really wanted to say don’t stop, don’t stop.

“I’m sure my condition will be a lot worse if I don’t do it. Relax, pretty girl. I’m a lot better.” He thrust his tongue inside her, scraping it against her sensitive walls.

Heat shot through her, nerves firing and electricity crackling through her veins. She could already feel the quivering of her pussy walls and the insistent throb of need pounding harder at every pulse point. She wanted him inside her. Now. But he was teasing her the way she’d played with him the night before.

“Please,” she begged and heard his soft chuckle.

“Turnabout and all that,” he told her and pulled hard on her clit with his lips.

She bucked up at him, sensation jolting her. When he moved up her body and positioned himself at her entrance she wanted to cry with relief. She had only a second to notice that he already wore a condom before he lifted her with his hands, took a deep breath and plunged into her with one hard thrust.

Oh god, yes! That was what she wanted.

She opened her eyes to see him watching her with heat sizzling in his own. And then he began the ride, plunging harder and faster, leaning at just the right angle so his groin rode over her clit with each powerful thrust. As ready as they both were the explosion came in seconds, whirling them off the top of a mountain into fiery space. They shuddered together, rocked by intense spasms, breath seesawing in and out of their lungs. Her heart pounded so hard Kelly was sure he could hear it.

It seemed forever before the intensity faded along with the aftershocks and she lay limp beneath him, sweaty and satisfied.

“You have to go,” she said at last. “They’ll be here soon, right?”

“Unfortunately.” He kissed her softly, his tongue tracing a lazy path inside her mouth, before he pulled out of her body and rolled off the bed. “Come shower with me. Just a shower,” he warned. “That’s all we have time for. Besides, the dogs will be demanding attention soon.”

“Don’t remind me,” she groaned. “I’m not even sure I can move.”

He laughed as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of bed.

She made coffee while he finished dressing, handing it to him when he came into the kitchen.

“Great service here,” he winked. “I may have to come here more often.”

“The door is always open,” she whispered, brushing her mouth against his.

“No problem there,” he assured her.

“Maybe I should change my mind,” she told him. “Go with you on this delivery run.”

“Not on your life. It was a dumb idea to begin with.”

“But—”

“No buts. I’ll be fine.”

She waited on the porch with him while the helo landed. Pasted a smile on her face before she gave him a last, hard kiss. Nodded when he said, “I’ll call you the minute I get back.”

“Just come back safe.”

She waved to him as the helicopter took off, then went inside slammed the door and indulged herself in a good cry.

* * * * *

Loading the Hercules C-130J was a tedious process. The gray of dawn was barely dissipating when vetted drivers had picked up the arms and the Humvees that morning in specially designed trucks, each driver accompanied by two armed guards. Fortunately the munitions dealer was on the outskirts of town so they were able to avoid traveling through the city to reach the airfield. The fewer eyes that registered the convoy, the better.

On the trip back from Maine they had all agreed that, just to be safe, Rick’s visibility needed to be nonexistent. For the past few days, after they’d returned from the abortive trip to Kelly’s farm, he’d heeded everyone’s warnings and stayed in an anonymous condo Phoenix owned. It was one they used when they needed to hide high-profile people and if anyone had to go in or out, sneaking through the basement garage was easy enough. So he’d coordinated everything with Mike and Ed from the condo, chafing at the bit to get this over with and wondering if he was just chasing shadows.

He wished he could dig around in his brain and find the puzzle piece he was trying to remember. Maybe it was nothing but he didn’t think so. He had a feeling that if he could pull it out it could be the key to unlocking the mystery.

He’d also had more time than he wanted, to think about Kelly, to remember her standing in the wash of the rotors, waving goodbye to them. He’d never thought about any woman this long. Not ever. There was something indefinable that made her so attractive. Just as he and Xena had formed a link, so had he and the lithe redhead. One he fully intended to take to the next level just as soon as he got this business in Iraq over and done with.

He still carried the marks of the accident and his ribs still ached but he was improving every day. Troy had replaced the soft cast with a tight bandage so he could maneuver his hand better. Period. He’d been injured worse than this before. He’d just have to get past it.

Now he stood just inside the hangar where the plane was waiting, watching as load after load of arms was checked off on two clipboards and rolled into the vast open space of the plane’s belly. The three Humvees, roofs modified to provide access for turret machine guns, were the last to be loaded. They contained seats only for the driver, the shotgun rider and two seats in the back, one of which was for the machine gun operator. Each day they would escort the construction convoy to one of three sites where Grainger Caldwell was working and provide extra cover while the workers plugged away at their jobs.

“And pray they don’t meet up with an IED or suicide bomber,” Rick muttered under his breath. Improvised explosive devices were scarier than anything because you never knew when you were going to run into one.

Ed and Mike were both doing their preflight checks for the third time. Everyone had picked up on Rick’s unsettled feeling. His so-called accident hadn’t helped any so, as Mike said, they were making damn sure everything was zipped up from their end.

They’d chartered this particular model plane because it was newer and faster and could climb higher if need be. It also had an advanced two-pilot flight station with digital avionics, state-of-the-art GPS and navigation systems and just about anything else you could think of. Grainger Caldwell was footing the bill and Charlie Grainger had told them to get the best.

“There’s millions of dollars riding on these contracts,” he told Rick for perhaps the hundredth time. “I can’t afford to have the workers getting hurt. That’s why we did the big security thing. That’s why I’m paying the big bucks for the load you’re ferrying over there.”

“Everything will be fine,” Rick assured him, quieting his own uneasy feelings. “Have I ever let you down yet?”

“I trust you with my life,” Charlie said. “Now I’m trusting you with everyone else’s. And the future of this company. Don’t let me down, okay? I just don’t trust the whole situation over there. I’ve got this weird feeling something’s not right.”

“We’ve got it handled. No problem. And Greg’s set up on his end to receive the goods. I’ll be there for about a week to make sure everything works the way we set it up.”

“I appreciate that. And it will be reflected in your fee.”

Rick had grinned. “Always good words to hear.”

So call him a Nervous Nellie. He just wanted to keep his word to Charlie. And come out of this in one piece.

The last thing to be loaded was their provisions, the coffee and sandwiches that would keep their bodies fueled during the long trip. The plan was to leave as early as possible. Flying time was approximately twenty hours, which meant Ed and Mike would trade off in the left-hand seat. Rick, who had his license but seldom used it, would sit in the right when needed to give someone time to rest.

They would be landing first for refueling at a civilian airfield that Grainger Caldwell had access to for its European operations, then launching from there to Baghdad. But the stop would be a short one. Iraq was eight hours ahead of Maryland and they wanted to land early in the morning.

“Almost ready,” Mike said, moving over to where Rick was standing.

“I’m set on my end. Let me just sign off on these guys so they can get their checks and we’re good to go.”

As he stood in the shadow of the hangar door, completing his paperwork, he could have sworn he heard a dog barking loudly. Frowning, he peered outside at the runway and the surrounding area but there wasn’t an animal to be seen.

A chill chased itself over his backbone.

* * * * *

“I’m telling you, he was nowhere to be found.” Gabir was sweating profusely as he clutched his cell phone. Fear was making his heartbeat accelerate.

“Excuses, excuses,” Zarife said. “The plane is getting ready to take off. I’m looking at it right now.”

“But that’s impossible. It won’t leave without Latrobe.”

“Latrobe is in the hangar, you idiot. Wherever he’s been, they snuck him in this morning. I just watched the goods being loaded. They should be taking off shortly.”

“What can I say?” Gabir was tripping over his words. “What can I do?”

“Nothing,” Zarife snapped. “I will have to take it from here. Go home and stay there and pray I need you again. Otherwise you become a disposable nuisance.”

The call disconnected and Gabir was left holding a silent phone and praying.

* * * * *

Kelly sat cross-legged on the bed, still holding the phone in her hand. Funny little tingles were racing over her body and she wished she’d recorded the call so she could hear his voice over and over.

God, you’re acting like a fourth grader.

No. A fourth grader has more dating skills than I do.

Is that what I’m doing? Dating? No, much more than that. Obviously.

Oh god, I hope I’m not deluding myself.

She lay back against her pillows. She’d slept fitfully since the day of the Phoenix visit. Xena was a nervous wreck, totally unlike her usual behavior. Kelly had tried everything to soothe the dog, even taking her on the long hikes she loved but nothing would distract her.

At night Xena woke Kelly up, whining and nudging her, pacing the floor and trying to tug her out of bed. During the day, when Kelly worked with the dogs, unlike Xena’s usual habit of sitting quietly and watching, she raced from house to kennel and back, nose raised as if sniffing the air.

“What is the matter with you?” she asked over and over. “I can’t understand you, girl. You’re driving me nuts.”

Now she gave Xena a stern look as she pulled the covers over her. “We’re glad he called, aren’t we, girl. But now we need to get some sleep or we won’t be worth spit in the morning.”

Xena lay down next to the bed, head on her paws, whining steadily.

“Fine. Whine if you want to. But I have to get some sleep tonight, so keep that in mind.”

It seemed she had barely rested her head on the pillow before the dream came. Rick, his face in shadow, raced toward her, weapon slung over his shoulder. Only it wasn’t Rick. He was tucked into a corner. The man turned and spotted him. Sharp cracks split the air, punctuated by loud barking. One more snap and he tumbled forward, landing on her chest. She tried to push him off, her breathing constricted but she couldn’t make him move.

She was gasping for breath when she awoke, sweat running down her face and Xena lying on top of her.

“Off.” She pushed at her. “Get off me, you big lug. You’re suffocating me.”

She shook her head to come fully away but the terror of the dream wouldn’t leave her. Looking into Xena’s eyes, she realized that somehow, in a state of sleep, she’d connected with the dog’s thoughts, with what she was dreaming. Xena put her face close to Kelly’s and barked, twice.

“Okay, okay. I hear you. Let me up so I can reach the phone.”

She blinked and realized bright sunlight was coming in through the windows. Her bedside clock read nine o’clock. Oh, hell. She’d slept right through the alarm. Picking up the two-way radio on her nightstand, she pressed the button to call the kennel.

“We’re here,” came a cheerful voice. “We just thought we’d let you sleep in this morning. Everyone down here is okay.”

“Thanks. I’ll be down as quickly as I can.”

She stumbled to the closet to find the jeans she’d worn the other day. Digging in the pocket, she pulled out the slip of paper Mia Romeo had given her during the visit. She sat on the edge of the bed, phone in one hand, the slip of paper in the other. Xena barked again.

“Okay. All right. I’m calling. I just hope they haven’t left already.”

The phone on the other end rang several times and Kelly was ready to hang up when a female voice answered.

“Hello?”

“Mrs. Romeo?”

“Yes? Who is this?”

“This is Kelly Monroe.”This is stupid. Xena, what have you gotten me into?“You gave me a list the other day and it had this number on it.”

“Yes. Kelly, of course.” She heard a voice in the background and Mia saying something back.

“I’m sorry for bothering you but Xena wouldn’t take no for an answer.” She giggled nervously.

“It’s fine, Kelly. Really. I was just checking a catalogue for the museum. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Kelly swallowed hard. “This is going to sound really stupid but you can’t let Rick get on that plane.”

There was a short silence. “Why not?”

“Please don’t think I’m joking but I connected with one of Xena’s dreams and she woke me up. If Rick goes over there he’s in terrible danger.”

“Tell me exactly what you dreamed. Wait, let me get a piece of paper. Okay, go ahead.”

Kelly related as much of the dream as she could. “It wasn’t very long but it was explicit. Someone’s going to kill him. You can’t let him get on that plane.”

“Hold on a moment, can you? Just a sec.”

Kelly waited. Then Dan Romeo’s voice sounded in her ear.

“Kelly? This is Dan. Can you repeat what you told Mia?”

So she told it one more time, her heart thudding erratically. She was too late. She knew it. And so did Xena, pacing and whining.

“I hate to tell you this,” Dan said, “but Rick’s already left. The plane flew out of here this morning.”

Kelly’s stomach clenched. Xena skidded over to her and put her head on Kelly’s knees, her eyes looking at her with silent accusation.

“Can you get hold of him?” she pleaded. “I’m sorry. I know this is so absurd and I’m sure I sound like an idiot to you. But the thing is, I saw Xena’s dream. Rick is in very grave danger.”

She was glad Dan Romeo’s voice sounded calm and solid. “Take a deep breath, Kelly. I can call Rick on his satellite phone and pass this along. He can’t turn back but at least it will make him more alert. Did the dream show you specifically where the attack would take place?”

She wrinkled her forehead, thinking. “No. Well, maybe. Inside or near someplace big. And it was just a vague impression.”

More mumbling on the other end.

“I should have gone with him.”She couldn’t keep the guilt out of her voice. “If anything happens to him it’s my fault.”

“Kelly, listen to me. I want you to calm down and hear what I have to say. Rick has been doing this for years. Having you and Xena along would have given him an extra edge but he’s operated a long time without it. And I have to say, I wasn’t too excited about taking an untrained civilian into a war zone.”

“I would have been fine,” she protested. “I can take care of myself. Xena takes care of me. And I can shoot.”

Dan gave a small chuckle, breaking the tension that hummed across the connection. “I think I’d have paid money to see the look on Rick’s face if he saw you pull out a gun. Listen. This should all be over and done by late this afternoon. I’ll give you a call as soon as I get the all clear from the guys. Okay?”

“Could you…” She bit her lower lip. “Could you call me back after you get him on the satellite phone? Let me know what he says?”

“Yes. I can do that.”

“Thank you.”

She replaced the phone and took Xena’s face between her palms. “I should have gone, no matter how absurd it sounded. If he gets killed I’ll have no one to blame but myself.” She leaned her face down to the dog’s. “Why did you have to pick someone like him for your second human?”

But the image of the tall, muscular man with the dirty blond hair and blue eyes that blazed with energy shimmered in her mind. A funny feeling had raced through her during that first meeting at the airfield. A sense of connection. Of shared energy.

Of sexual attraction. Say it, Kelly. That’s why you fell into bed with him so quickly. And the second time was even better than the first.

But it was more than just sex. A lot more. Something…special. Something she didn’t intend to let circumstances ruin. The invisible thread linking them was getting stronger every minute. Just as soon as he was back Stateside, if he didn’t call her, she’d contact him.

Sighing, she rose from the bed.

“Come on, Xena. I need coffee, then we have to check on what’s happening at the kennel.” She tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth and picked up the sheet of paper Mia had left with her. “Then let’s check out this website and see what this Lotus Circle is all about.”

* * * * *

“I have failed miserably,” Zarife told his father. “Gabir and his friends are less than worthless. Bumblers. Idiots. Totally incompetent. The Latrobe man is still alive. He took off on the plane and I could not stop him.”

“Did you tell your contact?”

“Yes. I explained everything to him that it was impossible to get to him in time. If only Gabir—”

“Forget about Gabir. That’s only crying over split milk. What did the man say?”

“That he would handle things on his end. Someone would make sure Latrobe was taken care of.”

“Well, then,” his father said. “There you have it.”

“I hope so. In any event, it is all arranged. You only have to be ready to take his phone call and rendezvous with his people.”

“Fine. Then you have no worries.” He paused. “Did you transfer the money?”

“Yes. This afternoon.”

Right after that voice that I hate called to tell me we were on target.

“And our seller knows that?”

“Yes, father. We’re all set.”

“He’s right, you know,” the man said.

“About what?”

“We could not have pulled this off ourselves. It’s too big an operation. It’s only his planning that’s making it work. With our support.”

“If you say so.”

“I do. Now go to work and act as if nothing is wrong. We will talk again when the deed is accomplished.”

* * * * *

The C-130J thundered across the skies, its engines reverberating through the cavernous body of the plane.

“Can you talk a little louder? I can hardly hear you.” Rick was sitting in the one extra seat behind Mike and Ed. He had a hand clapped to one ear, the satellite phone held tightly to the other. “This is like flying in a garbage can.”

“I said,” Dan shouted, “Kelly called and said I needed to warn you to be extra alert.”

“Why? Did she get a message from her dog?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.”

“Hey. I was just kidding.”

“No joke, Rick, my friend. Any more than Faith’s telepathy or Mia’s precognition.”

“So are you going to tell me what she said?”

Still shouting, Dan related what Kelly had told him. Rick just held the phone tightly to his ear and shook his head back and forth. He’d finally managed to adjust to Faith’s and Mia’s gifts but this was getting to be a bit much. Yet hadn’t he believed it enough to make the trip to Maine? To ask Kelly to bring Xena to Iraq with him?

“She’s got to be talking about the warehouse,” he told Dan. “All right. I’ll talk to Ed and Mike and Greg when we get there and put a plan together. They won’t catch us with our shorts down.”

“Don’t get too cocky,” Dan warned. “We don’t even know when this is supposed to happen. And keep your eye on Greg. Just in case.”

“We’ll take care. I’ll call you back when we get there.”

“All right. I told Kelly I’d let her know I passed along her message.”

Rick was silent a moment, the air filled with the engine’s drone. “How is she?” he asked finally.

“I think feeling nervous and guilty,” Dan told him. “Better not get yourself shot or you’ll ruin her day.”

Rick laughed. “Not half as much as it will ruin mine. Catch you later.”

He thought about trying to explain the call to Mike and Ed, then decided against it. Although they were good with Mia and Faith and accepting of the developing Psi department, of all the partners they were still the biggest skeptics in the agency. No, he’d just say Dan had called to tell them once again to be extra sharp on the job. Hopefully, that would take care of things.

* * * * *

Kelly spent a busy day with the dogs, but Rick, the trip to Iraq and her conversation with Mia were constantly on her mind.

That night, she tried to fall asleep but no matter how she tried it eluded her. She lay in bed with Xena stretched out beside her, the big head on her shoulder, feeling the thumping of the dog’s heart. Her own restlessness communicated itself to Kelly, leaving her in a state of agitation.

Rick’s image kept dancing before Kelly’s eyes, something else guaranteed to keep her from settling down. With her unhappy social history, she tended to keep her defenses up where all men were concerned but Rick had somehow slipped in under them when she wasn’t looking.

Oh, did he ever.

It must be Xena, she told herself. The dog’s extremely unusual instant attachment to the man had somehow created a three-way link. What other explanation for the sudden reaction of her hormones, for the dry-mouthed sensation when she looked at him, for the latent longings of her body that she’d kept so well under control until now.

When the phone rang she picked it up immediately.

“Dan?”

“Sorry it took me so long to get back to you,” Dan Romeo apologized. “We had an emergency come up here that had us all scrambling.”

Kelly sucked in a breath. “Something to do with Rick?”

“No, things just got really dicey with another case we’re working on. Anyway, I got in touch with him and passed along your warning.”

“He thinks I’m crazy, right?” she asked, already regretting her impulsiveness.

“Not at all. Remember, psychic phenomena are continuing to work their way into our lives. And he was more than agreeable to the suggestion that you and Xena go with him.”

“I should have gone,” she told him yet again.

“You’ve got to get past that and remember what I told you. Rick can take care of himself. And now he’ll be even more alert.” He paused. “He said to tell you to keep that door open.”

Warmth suffused her. “Will he call you when they get there? And when everything’s taken care of?”

“Yes, but I imagine it will be a couple of days before they’re ready to come back. He needs to make sure everything’s secure, something he’s still worried about.”

“Will you… Could you…I mean, would it be too much trouble to ask you to keep me up to date?”

“No. Not at all. I’ve got your number and I’ll program it into my cell.”

“And let me give you my cell in case I’m out of the house or working with the dogs.” She rattled off the numbers to him.

“All right. Try to get some sleep. I know it’s been an upsetting time for you.”

Sleep. As if.

“I will. And…thank you.”

She lay back down again but she knew she’d had the last bit of sleep she was going to get until morning.

* * * * *

Rick shifted in the improvised seat behind the flight station, rolled a thin blanket up and tucked it behind his head. Knowing they had long hours of hard work ahead of them when they finally reached their destination, he tried to make his mind a blank and catch some sleep. But the moment his eyes closed and he dozed off, the image of a tall, slender redhead running through a field of wildflowers intruded on his thoughts. Her face was tilted to the sun and her tempting lips were turned up in a smile. Running beside her, ears back, was a dog. If Rick didn’t know better, he’d think the dog was smiling too.

Suddenly they both stopped. The dog threw herself sideways, knocking the woman down. Then she turned so Rick could see her entire face and barked. Twice.

In his sleep Rick frowned. The dog was trying to tell him something and he couldn’t make it out. There was an urgency in the animal’s eyes and in her bark.

Then the image faded and Rick’s eyes popped open. Whatever that was, it left him with an unsettled feeling. He looked at his watch. Two hours to reach the refueling stop. He’d call Greg Jordan while they were there and make sure everything on that end was secure. And check in with Dan and Mark at the same time.

* * * * *

Kelly felt as if she’d lived through a week in the past forty-eight hours. Her sleep had been sporadic, broken not just by weird dreams but by Xena’s unusual behavior. Usually the dog slept on the floor next to her but the past two nights she’d climbed onto the bed again, stretching out next to Kelly and whining in her ear all night.

This morning she startled her by waking her with a growl and trying to push her out of bed. Grabbing the gun she kept on the bedside table at night, Kelly had shoved her feet into loafers, taken a thorough trip around the house, Xena padding along beside her, then checked the monitor for the outside security cameras. Living alone as far away from people as she did, that security system gave her as much peace of mind as her gun and Xena’s presence.

But she’d found nothing. Not even a sign that anyone was hanging around or had been there.

By the time the first rays of the sun chased the night from the sky, the dogs in the kennel were announcing their demands to be fed. Her two assistants would be arriving shortly and she had a full training schedule for the day, so she showered, dressed and began the day’s routine.

But both workers had commented on her apparent air of distraction and Xena’s unusual behavior. The Ovcharka ran back and forth in the training area, pulling at Kelly’s jeans with her teeth and disturbing the other dogs until, over Xena’s loud protest, Kelly had to put her in the house.

By the time the day was finally over she was exhausted both physically and mentally. When she went in the bedroom to strip off her clothes and throw on a robe, Xena bumped into her hard, pushing her toward the bed, then knocked her cell phone off the bedside table where she’d placed it before undressing.

Sighing, she picked it up and flipped it open. Xena sat down on her feet, locking her in place.

Call. Right now. Something’s wrong.

Okay, okay. I’m calling. Give me a minute here.

We should have gone with him.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda, the truth is we didn’t. I’ll check on him, okay? And maybe you’ll let me get some sleep tonight?

Go ahead and do it. I see things in my head I don’t like.

“Okay, okay. I’m making the call,” Kelly said out loud and sighed. “But you’d better not be wrong or I’m going to feel like a fool and an idiot. And we won’t get invited to Maryland again.”

Taking a deep breath, she speed-dialed Dan Romeo’s cell number.

* * * * *

“Troy called to say it’s pretty quiet at the office,” Mia told her husband as she poured him his morning coffee.

“Good. We could use a little lull in the action right about now.”

“Did you get back to sleep at all? I heard you get up.”

Dan carried his mug to the table. “I was too restless. I decided to do some research on the Ovcharkas and animal Psi.”

Mia raised an eyebrow. “Did you find anything more than we had the other day?”

Dan leaned back in his chair and stretched out his long legs. “You wouldn’t believe how much I found. This is the most amazing stuff. There are stories about things dogs with special abilities have done that would have you talking to yourself.”

“I really, really want to get Kelly down here,” Mia told him. “She could help us reach out to others who have dogs with the same abilities. And also help us plan a program to pair dogs and agents.”She frowned. “I wonder if there will be other examples of triple links?”

“I don’t think you’ll find a situation like Rick, Kelly and Xena too often but it’s possible. We can select a few of our agents to start the program with, purchase the dogs for them and work with them the way Kelly has with Xena. If she’s as good with training as her reputation says she is, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get the program started.”

“That sounds like a great idea. I think I’ll give her a call and mention it to her.” She carried a plate of cinnamon toast to the table and set it between them. Breakfast was never a big meal in the Romeo household.

“I’d wait until Rick is back safe and sound before doing that,” her husband suggested. “Right now I think that’s foremost in her mind.”

“When do you think they’ll be back?”

“I’d say they’ll be there a week. Rick’s determined to make sure the security procedures they set up work and that everyone can handle the equipment properly. More than that, to make sure nobody tampers with the cargo.”

Mia sighed. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a long week.”

Chapter Six

Greg Jordan was waiting for them when the Hercules C-130J rolled to a stop at the far end of BIAP, next to the Grainger Caldwell compound. Next to him was Amin, the man Rick knew Greg had chosen as his second-in-command, the one who helped keep a tight rein on the locals they recruited. Rick had met him on the last trip and was still reserving judgment as to his abilities and his loyalty. He cast an appraising eye over the man as he introduced himself to Mike and Ed, then scanned the silent group of men behind him. Nothing seemed out of whack. Yet.

“We’re all set, guys,” Greg told them, waving in the direction of the warehouse. “Amin and I personally inventoried what’s still in there and moved it to one end to make room for this cargo.”

“Any more thefts?” Rick asked.

“No. Not since the last one. I think it was just kids seeing what they could get away with.”

Rick grunted. “They got away with some pretty expensive equipment. I hope you’ve made plans to keep all of this stuff safe. It’s costing Grainger Caldwell a pretty penny.”

“Not to worry. I’m doubling the guards as soon as everything’s offloaded. Tomorrow morning when everyone reports in, we’ll distribute the equipment to each of the groups.” He looked at Ed and Mike. “I don’t know if Rick gave you the layout but right now GC is working on three projects—one roadway and two substations. They’re pretty much responsible for rewiring the sections of the city still without power. And getting the main highway out of here repaired.”

“So you’ll have three separate security units, each protecting a convoy as it goes out to work?” Mike asked.

Greg nodded. “And standing guard during work hours.”

“We want to avoid any possible ambush on the way out of the airport,” Rick reminded everyone. “I’ve already seen and heard of too many convoys waylaid by suicide bombers with IEDs, shot at, most of the people killed or badly wounded. They’re laying in wait for us, Greg. We need to be on full alert.”

“No one will touch your people,” Amin said quickly. “The men are trained to provide the necessary protection. I swear it.”

Rick made a rude sound. “Cut the crap, Amin. I’ve seen the people you recruited for this, remember? I can’t believe they miraculously turned into top-drawer guards in a week.”

Greg stepped forward and took Rick’s arm, leading him toward the plane. “We’ll do just fine. The guys you sent over from the States will keep the others in line. Come on. Let’s get this stuff out of the plane. I imagine you guys want to eat, catch a little shuteye and get the hell out of here.”

Rick stopped walking. “Forget that. We’re here for a week, to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

For a minute Rick thought something indefinable flashed in Greg Jordan’s eyes. Then it was gone and a grin pasted itself on his face.

“Glad to have you here at the BIAP Hilton,” he joked.“Nothing but the finest accommodations, as you know.”

“Good. Fine.”

“You look a little the worse for the wear. What happened?”

“A little accident. Nothing to worry about.”He looked over his shoulder at Mike and Ed, who were watching him carefully, ready to take their lead from him. “Let’s do it.”

With the constant sound of planes landing and taking off as background noise, they began to offload the cargo from the plane. The process probably took twice as long as it should have because Rick insisted everyone have a copy of the freight manifest and everyone check each piece as it came off and was stored. Finally everything, including the Humvees, was safely inside the warehouse. Two of Amin’s men rolled the doors closed and Rick himself set the combination on the lock.

“All right.” He looked at Greg. “Where are the guards for tonight?”

Greg nodded to Amin. “That’s what his men are for. They’ll work in two-man shifts, changing every three hours.”

“What’s wrong with the guys from the States? They too good for this?”

Greg shrugged. “I thought they ought to get a good night’s rest and be fresh tomorrow. The construction crews will finally be starting off to work their gigs and everyone will have to be on high alert.”

“Wait.” Mike frowned. “You mean no one’s actually been working yet?”

“It’s okay,” Rick told him. “They’ve been going out in small crews surveying what had to be done and getting their plans together. Security’s been riding with them in borrowed vehicles, using the weapons already here. But now they’re ready to start the heavy work. We’re right on schedule.”

“Okay, Ace. If you say so. But I think one of us should be here with each set of guards tonight.”

“Agreed.” He turned to Greg Jordan and saw the rigid set of the man’s face at Mike’s words. “I know you think they can handle this but it’s our ass on the line if something goes wrong. Let’s not argue about this, okay?”

“Fine by me.” He motioned for two of Amin’s men to come forward. “These guys will take the first shift. Who’s going to be their baby-sitter?”

“I am.” Ed stepped up. “I didn’t do shit except sit in the right-hand seat from the refueling stop. Just get me some coffee and I’m good.”

“This way. I just made a fresh pot.”

Greg waved Amin off and led the three men from Phoenix to the double-wide serving as Grainger Caldwell headquarters. Rick noticed that even in the short time he’d been gone, trim had been added at the bottom, potted trees stood on the porch on either side of the door and a tall flagpole had been set in concrete just to the side. An American flag flickered in the faint breeze.

“Nice,” he commented.

“I thought we should make a statement here,” Greg told him. “I didn’t want it looking too much like a cut-and-paste operation, not without all the other contractors showing their asses.”

Stepping inside the manufactured home, Ed looked around and let out a soft whistle. “Not bad for temporary quarters.”

“Hey. I expect to be here at least two years. A cot in a monk’s cell didn’t quite do it for me.” He headed into the kitchen and took a large plastic mug with a lid from one of the cupboards. Filling it from the coffeepot, he handed it to Ed. “All yours. Amin will introduce you to the two guys assigned to the first shift. When you get through, come on back in here. There’s food in the fridge.”

“And a place to sleep, I take it.”

“Yeah. There’s one bedroom besides mine and that big couch you saw in the living room. You can fight over who gets what.”

Ed and Rick conferred in a corner for a moment, then Ed checked the clip in both his guns, picked up his coffee and headed out the door.”

“Now, gentlemen.” Greg rubbed his hands together. “I’ve managed to score some steaks for us and I’ve got a barbecue set up on the back patio. Shall we have at it?”

Before moving to the kitchen to help Greg, Rick gazed as casually as possible at the papers on Jordan’s desk. What was it he had seen there the last time? If only something would jog his memory, something would stand out but there was nothing there that he wouldn’t have expected.

Dinner was as relaxed as a meal could be under the circumstances. With guard duty looming for all of them, they kept the liquids nonalcoholic. Finally it was time for Mike to relieve Ed. He took his own coffee traveler and headed out the door.

When Ed stumbled into the trailer, Rick and Greg were sitting in the living room, going over the plans for the next day. Ed looked as if he could barely keep his eyes open.

“Guess my coffee didn’t do much good,” Greg joked.

Rick raked his partner with a critical eye. “You okay?” Ed was obviously exhausted but the caffeine should have recharged him.

“Yeah. I just can’t seem to shake the fatigue. Maybe we pushed it too much. I’m for bed.”

“Maybe you should eat something first,” Rick urged.

“Yeah, I saved you a steak,” Greg told him.

“I don’t think I could stay awake long enough to eat it. I’m heading for the bedroom. Wake me when you need me.”

“I think I’ll stretch my legs for a while,” Greg said, hoisting himself out of the big armchair. “Maybe wander over to the dorm and see if the usual card game’s going on. Do you want me to take a shift?”

“No. Just catch enough shuteye that you’re alert in the morning.”

Greg laughed. “No problem there.”

Rick watched him go, frowning. He just knew something wasn’t right but he couldn’t pin down what it was. Tomorrow he needed to reach out to his contact and see if the man had any more information for him. Setting the alarm on his watch, he stretched out on the couch and willed himself to sleep. He needed whatever rest he could get.

His watch alarm woke him when it was time for shift change.

The first thing he noticed when he left the trailer to relieve Mike was almost complete blackness. The floodlights he’d insisted on setting up around the compound were out.

Shit! Now what?

He checked to make sure his AK-47 was ready to fire, slung it over his shoulder, then pulled his Glock from the small of his back and racked a bullet into the chamber. Standing still for a moment to orient himself to night vision, he started slowly toward the warehouse, moving in a low crouch. Although the big sliding doors were closed, from the far side of the building he heard the rumble of what sounded like large truck engines. Mike was nowhere to be seen, nor were the two GC security guards.

Rick’s stomach knotted and the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Still in a half crouch, he made his way to the warehouse, pausing every few seconds to spin slowly around and check behind him. As he moved closer to the building, he noticed a pile of something crumpled at the side door. Approaching it with caution, hoping it wasn’t a disguised IED, he was stunned to realize it was Mike collapsed on the ground, out cold.

“Hey,” he whispered, squatting down next to him. “Mike. Michael. Come on, get up. Snap out of it.”

But Mike’s body was completely limp, devoid of any response. Every nerve in Rick’s body went on full alert. For a moment he debated going back to Ed and waking him but first he’d see if he could catch a glimpse of what was going on. And where were the fucking guards?

Pressing himself against the metal wall of the building, he made his way to the corner, the rumbling sound growing louder and louder as he moved closer to it. What he saw made anger boil up in him like scalded water. Six huge convoy trucks, lights off, were idling behind the warehouse at the entrance the construction equipment would use. At least two dozen men were moving quietly in and out of the building, carrying the arms and munitions the C-130J had just delivered.

Swinging his rifle to the ready position and using the wall for protection, he fired a shot into the air.

Everything stopped, a frozen tableau, then the dim bodies swung around to his direction. In the beam from someone’s flashlights he made out Amin holding a crate of ammunition.

“Amin! What the hell’s going on here?”

Someone started toward him and he fired a shot at their feet. The person stopped where he was.

“Did you hear me? Everyone away from the warehouse. Now.”

From the corner of his right eye he saw someone open the door to the nearest truck. A rifle cracked and searing pain tore through his chest. He never heard the second shot as he fell to the ground.

Chapter Seven

It had taken Kelly hours to get to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she saw images of Rick, images that faded as quickly as they came. But toward dawn she dreamed she was standing in a cloud with Rick emerging from it slowly. He was completely naked, his beautiful cock jutting proudly from his body, and he was holding out a hand to her.

“Come here, pretty girl. I want to touch and taste every inch of your body.”

She looked down and her nightshirt had disappeared, leaving her as exposed as he was. A pulse set up an insistent throb deep inside her cunt, radiating out to every point of her body. Her breasts ached for the feel of his hands on them, his thumbs brushing her nipples to make them peak and harden.

When she took her hand he pulled her close to him, his hot erection pressing against the softness of her tummy. His mouth closed over hers and his tongue swept inside, gliding over every surface and igniting a live wire. His hands held her head in place, angling it so he could get a better fit with their mouths.

She reached automatically for his shaft, closing her fingers around it and caressing it with soft, slow strokes. He moaned into her mouth and lifted his lips from hers.

“I want to be inside you. Right now.”

She chuckled softly. “No time for foreplay?” she teased.

“Tell me you aren’t ready for me.” He dropped one hand to slide his fingers between the lips of her pussy, rubbing the sensitive flesh. When he raised his hand his fingers were slick with her juice. He licked them one at a time, ratcheting up the heat racing through her veins.

He backed her against something solid—she had no idea what—and from somewhere produced a condom.

“Wrap your legs around me,” he told her in a thick, low voice.

When she did he braced his hands beneath her ass and drove into her. Hard.

Kelly sucked in her breath and tried to steady herself, but in seconds he was riding her, thrusting over and over, a hard, fast rhythm that left her no time to breathe or think. Only time to hold on for dear life as they climbed the peak together and exploded like a bomb igniting. Kelly was sure pieces of them went flying everywhere but when she finally looked, no, they were somehow still intact.

He rested his forehead on hers, his chest still heaving, and she could feel his heart beating against hers.

“I have to tell you something,” he said at last. Something in his voice made her uneasy.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

But before he could answer her a vague image took shape in the darkness, one she couldn’t make out. Then Xena began barking, racing toward the shape, nose lifted into the air.

A sharp crack split the darkness and millions of multicolored fragments exploded everywhere.

Kelly awoke sweating and panting, pushing at the weight on her which, once again, was Xena. But this time the dog wasn’t whining. She was growling and shoving at Kelly, pushing her off the bed.

Her lips pulled back to bare her teeth as the growl grew louder. When Kelly still sat there, trying to pull herself together, Xena barked, so sharp and loud it shocked her.

This was strange, because until recently she wasn’t given much to dreaming. She was one of those rare people able to completely blank her mind when she fell asleep.

Somehow Xena’s dream was invading her head again. That had to be it. What is it, Xena? What do you see? Smell? What is it, girl? Rick! Oh god. Rick. Xena, is it Rick?

He needs help. Right now.

What can I do?

Call.

I can’t keep calling.

You have to. Make sure everyone knows Rick’s in danger. Right now. The danger is right this minute.

Her hand trembled as she reached for the phone.

* * * * *

Dan snatched up the cell phone from his desk the minute it rang. Rick had called on arrival in Baghdad and again after the merchandise was offloaded. He hoped this was him or one of the others calling to give him an update before they set up their routine for the night. He was worried because it was more than ten hours since he’d heard from anyone there again. Trying not to act like a nervous mother, he’d forced himself to wait for their call, hoping this was it.

“What the hell’s going on there?” he barked into the phone.

There was a pause, then a female voice said in a tentative tone, “Mr. Romeo?”

Dan looked at the phone, then did his best to bite back his anxiety. “Yes, this is Dan Romeo.”

“This is Kelly Monroe again. Did I, um, catch you at a bad time?”

Dan blew out a breath. “No. Yes. I’m not sure. What can I do for you?”

“Have you spoken to Rick recently?”

Dan tightened his hand on the phone. “Not for the last several hours. Why?”

“I think something’s very wrong. Something bad is happening. Or has happened.”In an uncertain voice, she explained to him the situation with Xena. “I know you must think I’m crazy.” This was the same worry she’d expressed in the last phone call. “But I’m telling you, that dog has sensitivities you can’t even imagine. Something’s wrong and Xena knows it. She told me.”

A muscle jumped in Dan’s cheek. “Actually, crazy is the last thing I’d think you were. Especially right now. I haven’t heard from anyone there in several hours. In fact, I was hoping you were one of them.”

“Can you please try to call Rick?” she pleaded. “And let me know what you find out?”

Dan began to roll the pen from his desk back and forth between his fingers. He knew well enough not to discount psychic warnings. They’d saved Mark’s life and Mia’s and recovered a valuable electronic robot. For the Hallorans and Romeos the psychic gifts had become integrated into their lives.

“I’ve been on The Lotus Circle website,” Kelly went on when he didn’t answer her. “I’m not the only one linking mentally with their animal. There are more people with the same situation. And Mr. Romeo? The dog’s usually right.”

“All right. I’ll try to reach them. I’ve got your number programmed into my phone. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

“Thank you. Thank you very much.”

Dan disconnected the call and picked up the secure satellite phone in front of him. With an uneasy feeling, he punched in the numbers for the phone his men were holding in Iraq.

* * * * *

The first thing Rick was aware of when he opened his eyes was something heavy on his chest. The intense pain followed instantly. Somewhere around him voices were cursing, familiar voices. What was wrong? What had happened to him?

“Son of a bitch. Help me here.”

Mike. That was Mike’s voice.

Rick wanted to tell him to get the elephant off his chest but he couldn’t seem to make any sound except a gurgle.

“Can you hurry your ass up?” Mike hollered.

“Coming, coming, coming.”

Ed? Was that Ed?

“I rousted the medics from the dormitory. They’re on their way.”

“Well, I hope you told them they don’t have too damn much time to get here.”

The pressure on Rick’s chest eased but he felt himself fading again. Voices blurred around him and he could have sworn someone was whispering in his ear. Something important but he couldn’t make it out.

“Hey! Get the hell out of here.”Mike shouting.“Go find your people. Right now.”

“Damn it, keep that pressure on and get the rest of these people away from here. We don’t need a damn mob scene.”

Why is Mike shouting so loudly? And what’s wrong with my chest?

Feet shuffled on the tarmac. Strange voices babbled, then receded. New voices joined the others and someone knelt at his side.

“Mr. Latrobe? Mr. Latrobe, I’m John Malone. I’m going to do my best to take care of you. Just stay with me, okay?”

Okay. I’m not going anywhere.

He would have laughed if it hadn’t hurt so badly.

“He needs blood,” someone said. “Anyone know what type he is? Christ, someone did a number on him. Hey, Sam, hustle it up, will you?”

“Thank god Grainger Caldwell insisted on a complete medical setup here, including whole blood.” Ed was muttering under his breath.“In case of on-the-job accidents. This sure fits the bill.”

What did Ed want with blood?

“This is gonna be tricky.”One of the strange voices.“I’ve got to clean up the blood, prevent air from moving into the wound and stave off infection. Ted, let’s pump him full of antibiotics as soon as we get the IV started.”

More murmuring. More running feet. Something about a refrigerator.

Then pinpricks in his arm, like the stick of needles.

“Okay.” Another strange voice. “Listen, guys. We’re going to do our best to stabilize him but he needs to get to a hospital.”

“Can you fix him up so he’ll hold on just until tomorrow night? We’ve got a medical plane coming with a surgeon. It’s on its way.”

“Yeah but—”

“Just do it. Whatever it takes. And I want one of you with him at all times.”

“Okay, okay. I guess all that time as a medic in Afghanistan is finally going to do some good.”

* * * * *

Mike was standing outside by himself away from the trailer. This was the third time he and Dan Romeo had spoken.

“I’m telling you, Dan. It’s the biggest clusterfuck you ever saw.” He kept glancing toward the trailer, hoping Ed was riding herd on the medic with Rick.

“What the hell happened?”

“That asshole Jordan is knee-deep in this and now he’s disappeared. Left everything behind, as a matter of fact. Just split. His so-called right-hand man, Amin, is less than useless. Couldn’t even keep his people together. And I’ll bet whatever GC is paying us he’s involved in this too. That look of injured innocence and concern doesn’t quite cut it with me.”

“How did they take care of so many guards? They couldn’t possibly shoot them all.”

“My guess? Jordan and/or Amin doped the coffee they served with dinner. That’s what they did to us. Ed barely made it through his shift before collapsing. I drank more than he did and I only made it to the front of the warehouse. I’d say Rick passed on it. Don’t know if that makes him lucky or not.” He wiped away the sweat beading on his forehead. “Everything’s gone but the construction equipment. Every last rifle, gun, bullet. Even the Humvees.”

“They planned this carefully,” Dan said, anger underlining his words.“Damn it all to hell anyway. What about the local security people?”

“All gone,” Mike told him. “Only the ones we brought over are still here, trying to shake off the effects of the coffee. And royally pissed by the way.”

“This was a major operation,” Dan pointed out. “Jordan’s only part of it. God, Charlie Grainger will bust a blood vessel over this.”

“This is my fault. I recommended Jordan. I said if I was wrong about him you could skin me alive, so you’d better sharpen your knife.”

“I don’t even want to hear that, Michael. We did a complete rundown on him. And Rick spent a lot of time with him getting this thing together.”

“Rick said he had a funny feeling,” Mike pointed out. “Too bad we didn’t pay more attention to it. Or Kelly Monroe and that weird dog.”

“Forget that now. We have to focus on the current situation. And buddy, I’d still trust your judgment any day.”

“We will discuss this later but right now we need to get Rick out of here,” Mike told him. “Ed and I will stay on for a few days and see what we can come up with.”

“Troy’s already in the air in a borrowed Gulfstream C-38A. I have no idea whose arm he twisted but he had the plane ready and medical supplies and a doctor loaded within an hour.”

“What’s their ETA?”

“I can only give you an approximation but Troy will call you from the air and give you a better idea. They’ll use Grainger Caldwell’s clearance information to land. Can Rick hang on until they get there?”

Again Mike looked toward the trailer. “There’s no can about it. We’ll do it. I just hope to hell they get here fast.”

“They’ll have to refuel both going and coming. I want fuel available to them at BIAP too.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Mike assured him, although at the moment he wasn’t sure exactly how.

“I’ll have Ed with a chopper waiting at the field when they land. We’ll take him to Houseman’s place.”

Dr. Janet Houseman ran a private clinic that was better than a full-service hospital. It was used by high-profile agents and corporate executives who didn’t need word of their situation to leak to the press.

“All right. Let me go check on Rick. Then I’ll do some reconnoitering here, see what anyone knows and tell them a Grainger Caldwell plane will be coming in. I know the company made refueling arrangements.”

“Call me when Troy gets there.”

“Dan?”

“Yeah?”

“There are a million reporters over here. There’s no way to keep a lid on this. I’m surprised we haven’t collected a mob already.”

“I know.” The heavy sigh was audible over the connection. “Just station some of the guards around the area to keep them away until the plane gets there. And tell everyone the first person who opens his mouth will wish they’d never heard of us.”

Mike clicked off the phone and headed for the trailer. He’d check on Rick, then go about his business.

* * * * *

Kelly clutched her cell phone to her ear, her whole body trembling. She could hardly believe what Dan had just told her.

“I knew it,” she kept repeating. “And Xena knew it too.”

“You can’t blame yourself for any of this,” Dan told her. “Even if you’d been there, what could you have done?”

“Not me. Xena. She’d have known and helped me find a way to protect Rick.”

“Rick recruited Greg Jordan himself,” Dan pointed out. “This is a kick in the pants to all of us.”

“But Rick was the only one shot.”

“That’s because Ed and Mike drank the drugged coffee,” Dan explained. “As did all the security agents we brought over from the States. Rick was the only one who didn’t.”

“Will you call me the minute they’re back and let me know how he is?”

“Of course.”

Kelly disconnected the call and dropped the phone into her pocket, then poured herself the last cup of coffee in the carafe. Xena rubbed up against her, whining and she rubbed the big head.

“We screwed up, girl,” she told her. “Big time. Actually, not you. I screwed up. I should have agreed we’d go with them.”

Xena pushed her nose into Kelly’s palm, a wet gesture of comfort.

“Yeah, thanks but I don’t think this will make me feel a lot better. And you know what? I don’t think the danger’s over yet. We’ve got to figure out a way to protect him, Xena. Come up with a plan.”

Xena’s eyes locked with hers.

You know what we have to do.

Yeah, yeah, I do. But it means making some complicated arrangements. And we have obligations here.

Take care of Rick or he’ll be dead.

Kelly sucked in a breath, shocked at the thoughts radiating from Xena. Drawing in some long, calming breaths, she picked up a pen and pad of paper from the counter and began making a long list.

* * * * *

“We’ll be landing in Maryland in an hour,” Troy said into the sat phone. “Be sure the chopper is waiting for us.”

“Ed’s good to go,” Dan told him. “And Dr. Houseman’s ready for him too. How’s he doing?”

Troy cast a look at Rick’s still figure strapped down on the gurney, life-giving fluids pouring into him through intravenous tubes, heavy layers of gauze wrapped around his chest. The surgeon Janet Houseman had sent with him had operated the moment Rick had been lifted onto the plane.

“It was touch and go for a while. I’ll be damn glad to get him into the clinic but I think he’ll make it.”

Troy could hear Dan let out the breath he’d been holding. “Thank god. And you were able to take care of things at BIAP without a problem?”

“Yup. Two of the security guards we hired knew the drill cold and greased the skids for us. We landed, refueled, did what we had to and got the hell out of there.”

“What about the media?”

“We managed to keep them away because technically the Grainger Caldwell compound is private property. And I threatened everyone left there within an inch of their lives. The guys we brought over for this are good. They’ll keep as tight a lid on things as they can but you know it’s gonna leak out.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. We’ll just have to handle it. How did the operation go?”

Troy looked at his friend. “He’s a tough bird, that’s all I can say. The shot to the thigh did some ligament and muscle damage but was easily repaired. But that chest wound was bad news.”

“I’ll be glad to get him into Janet’s clinic,” Dan commented, his voice still ragged with concern.“Had Mike and Ed learned anything when you got there?”

Troy thought about the scene on his arrival. It had been like something out of the Mad Hatter’s tea party. One hundred very angry security guards tumbled out of bed, clad in jeans, shorts, whatever they’d put on. But all wearing side arms. Everyone talking at once and Mike and Ed trying to take control of the situation. And the media hovering at the edge of the compound, angry because they were being kept out.

Two Iraqis who guarded the back motor gate to the airport had been standing to one side, alternately wringing their hands and spouting angry retorts. It was not their fault. They had nothing to do with it. They stayed away from whatever the Americans were doing. It was none of their business. They were not to blame. And on and on and on.

“Nada. Although to be truthful, they’d just really gotten started.” He gave a rough laugh. “The security guards we brought over were really pissed-off and ready to tear heads off. Mike’s getting them organized into teams and handing out assignments.” He paused. “Have you spoken to Charlie Grainger yet? Or Matt Caldwell?”

Dan snorted. “Oh, hell, yes. I’m lucky I still have my head on my neck.”

Troy could just imagine the reaction of the huge man with the hair-trigger temper. For once he was glad Dan got to be the front man.

“Did you manage to let him know this wasn’t just a bunch of rebels stealing equipment? That is was a well-planned, well-organized operation?”

“Yeah, for all the good it did me. Greg Jordan was our man. We recruited him. We should have known what he was up to.” Dan blew out a breath. “In any event, we’ve got to find out how this happened and where those weapons are.”

“I have a feeling Greg Jordan is only a small cog in this wheel,” Troy told him. “This took a lot more than him. Everything’s gone. Just…disappeared. Someone had to make this happen.”

“Grainger’s going to be in my office tomorrow.”

“I think it’s probably just as well you’re meeting with him alone,” Troy pointed out. “You and Rick are the only ones who ever seem able to handle him.”

“Thanks. I think. All right.”

“And Dan?”

“Yeah?”

“You might want to see if Kelly Monroe and her psychic dog can shake themselves loose.”

In the midst of tension, Dan found himself smiling. Troy, the pragmatist, actually believing in something he couldn’t see?

“I’ll call her back. Any special reason why?”

“Two, actually. Not that I don’t trust Janet’s security but these people want Rick bad enough to find a way in there. And on the flip side, I think our boy’s got a thing for the hot redhead. Her presence might help speed the healing process.”

“Playing matchmaker, are you? Okay, I’ll call her right now.”

Both men hung up.

* * * * *

The city of Baqubah, located approximately sixty miles from Baghdad, had a population of more than three hundred thousand. While the coalition forces for a time had maintained some semblance of control, it was one of the heaviest scenes of guerilla fighting and was now firmly in the hands of Sunni insurgents. While the people involved in the theft of the weapons and Humvees were Shi’a, as was the al-Dulami family, politics had made strange bedfellows. United in a common goal—regaining control of Iraq—the two groups of “friendly enemies” had managed a détente that seemed to work for them both.

Thus it was that the convoy carrying the stolen goods, moving one truck at a time at the direction of Greg Jordan, had made its way to this city of turmoil and a well-prepared hiding place. With the transfer of funds confirmed, al-Dulami and his men had taken delivery of the goods and were moving it out of the city as it had been moved in—piecemeal.

Lounging back on cushions in the home of a friend of his benefactor, Greg closed his laptop with a satisfied smile on his face. Every time he’d had satellite access he’d checked his bank account, just to make sure. But he needn’t have worried. The money was there. Every dime he’d been promised. Two more days and he’d be on his way out of here.

“I believe we are about to move the last of the Humvees. In short order everything will be hidden in the Zagros Mountains where we will launch our attack.”

Greg started. Al-Dulami had entered the room so quietly Greg hadn’t even heard him. He slid the laptop back into its case and stood up.

“I’m sure you’ll be happy to have this completed,” he told the man.

“Ah, but this isn’t the end, only the beginning,” al-Dulami said with a secretive smile. “Our plans are made. Now we have the means to put them into play. Soon the al-Dulami family will regain the position of power it once held.”

“I’ll be sure to be thinking about you when I’m sunning myself on my private island,” Greg joked.

Al-Dulami frowned. “Mr. Jordan, this is not a frivolous matter. The future of a country, of history, is at stake here.”

Greg swallowed his sarcastic retort and inclined his head. “I beg your pardon. My remarks were improper. I wish you the greatest success with your mission.”

Al-Dulami returned the bow. “Thank you. I appreciate your words. Please pass along my gratitude to our mysterious benefactor.”

Now Greg couldn’t suppress his laugh. “I think you know as well as I do who that is. Your son certainly should. But I’ll be sure to give him your message.”

As soon as al-Dulami had left, Greg pulled out his sat phone and punched in a familiar number.

“We’re all set,” he told the familiar voice who answered. “The last of the merchandise leaves tonight. My money’s in the bank. Latrobe’s history. All’s right with the world.”

“I think your celebration is a little premature,” the voice said, the words falling like ice chips.

A funny feeling skittered along Greg’s spine. “I don’t understand. Everything’s been taken care of.”

“Everything but your friend Latrobe.”

“What do you mean? I shot him myself. Twice.”

“Then your aim must not be so good. Or you didn’t stay around to make sure you finished the job. He was airlifted out of BIAP to Maryland and has disappeared off the face of the earth. Find him.”

Greg squeezed the phone. “Disappeared? Are you sure he was actually alive? That this wasn’t just a stunt to fool people?”

“No stunt, you idiot. I have eyewitness accounts. So before you get too comfortable on whatever island where you plan to drink yourself to death, I suggest you find out where this man is and get rid of him. I can arrange the evidence. You take care of the body. And make sure you do it right this time. We need a dead culprit, not a live liability.”

Greg felt every muscle in his body tighten. “Find him? You mean come back to the States?”

“I mean, do whatever it takes. A little bird managed to tell me that they suspect Latrobe has a contact who gave him information we can’t afford to have leaked. And that’s on top of what you think he saw on your computer. When the shit hits the fan, we cannot afford to have him put forth his assumptions. His finger is the only one that can point our way because he’s a very smart bastard. Tell me what you need and I’ll get it to you. But this is your mess. Clean it up.”

“Why can’t you have someone already in the States do it?”

“Because we cannot have one more person privy to this situation,” the man said angrily. “Do you understand? Too many people are involved already.”

“Yes.” Greg swallowed the bitterness in his voice. “All right. But I’ll need a way to get into the country unseen as well as some other things.”

“Just tell me. I’ll get you in and whatever you need will be ready for you.”

Greg clicked off the connection, aware that his hands were shaking.

Well, shit. Was it possible for anything else to go wrong? Damn Rick Latrobe, anyway.

* * * * *

Zarife al-Dulami moved into the alley between two stores so he could speak more privately on his cell phone.

“Yes,” he told the man on the other end. “My father tells me all is well. Everything has been received and moved to the appropriate location. Thank you.”

“I guess I should thank you,” the voice told him. “This was a sweet deal for both of us. Nice and clean.” He paused. “However, your information that Rick Latrobe is not dead doesn’t make me very happy.”

“I have explained all that to you,” Zarife said, rubbing his thigh nervously.“I’ll be happy to work on that again, if you wish.”

But not with that idiot Gabir.

“That’s being taken care of. But you’d better tell your father that none of those weapons can end up in the wrong hands. We don’t need anything coming back to smack us in the face. Certainly not while Latrobe is still alive to put the pieces together.”

“I assure you,” Zarife told him, “nothing like that will happen. My father is very, very careful.”

“He’d better be. I chose the buyer carefully for this because I didn’t want any slipups. The kind I could run into selling on the open market. If it comes back on me, I won’t hesitate to sacrifice whomever I have to.”

“Understood.”

Without waiting for the man to close the conversation Zarife hung up. His first instinct was to call his father but he knew the elder al-Dulami was out of reach for two days, meeting with his advisors and formulating their final plans. In any event, it would be an insult to tell his father to be careful. All he could do was wait until it was time and he was summoned.

* * * * *

The sound of car doors slamming told Kelly both her assistants had arrived, fortunately at the same time. She looked at the clock on the stove. Six thirty. Right on time. Good. If she could make this work she could be at the airfield by late afternoon.

Swallowing the last bitter dregs of cold coffee, she headed out toward the kennel. These were good people. She’d trained them herself. It was time to let them know how much she trusted them and to feel confident they could handle the clients. Then they could take some well-earned vacation time.

They fed and watered the dogs, then let them out into the runs for exercise while Kelly sat down with the two people and discussed the situation. An hour later she headed into the house with a clear head. They could do this and whatever it cost her financially was nothing compared to the chance to be with Rick.

Inside she opened her cell phone and called Harry.

“Kelly.” There was no disguising the pleasure in his voice. “It’s always so good to hear from you, honey. You doing okay? Everything all right?”

“Well.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “Actually, Granddad, not quite so good. I was wondering if I could come visit you for a few days. Xena and I, that is.”

There was just a moment’s pause at the other end of the connection. “Well, sure, honey. You know the two of you are welcome any time. But you were just here. What’s going on?”

“Let me ask you something first. Have you heard anything about Rick?”

Now there was a longer silence before Harry spoke again. “I take it you’re not asking about that accident.”

“No, Granddad. I know what happened in Iraq. I’ve spoken with Mr. Romeo.”

She could almost see her grandfather frowning. “You have? For what reason?”

“It’s a long story and it started with Xena’s connection with Rick at the airfield. Remember?”

“Yes, I do. Thought it was strange at the time, all things considered.”

“I need to see him,” she blurted out. “I can’t stand just sitting here, not knowing anything. Not when it’s my fault.”

“Your fault? Wait just a minute here. How the hell is Rick getting shot in Iraq your fault at all?”

Trying to be as coherent as possible, stumbling over her words in places, she explained about the visit from the Phoenix people, Xena’s reaction again to Rick. His request that she accompany him on the trip. And most of all, the dreams and Xena’s actions since then.

“First of all, Kelly, Rick Latrobe had one hell of a nerve asking you to go into a place as risky as Iraq. If he wasn’t already in such bad shape—”

“Bad shape?” she interrupted. “How bad? Mr. Romeo was rather lean on details.”

“It’s nothing for you to concern yourself with,” Harry told her. “Stay up there in Maine, where it’s…it’s…”

“Safe?” she finished for him. “Okay, fine. If I can’t come stay with you, Xena and I will find the closest campground.”

“You don’t even know where Latrobe is,” Harry protested.

“No but you’re going to help me find out. Or at least, I hoped you were. If not, I’m not without my own resources. I’ll just badger it out of Mr. Romeo himself. Or his wife.”

“Damn,” Harry swore. “You’re just as headstrong as your mother, god rest her soul.”

“Granddad, we have this connection, Rick and Xena and I. And I don’t think the danger’s over just because Rick’s back in the States. Xena needs to be with him.”

And so do I.

The sigh that Harry heaved was loud and resigned. “All right. Come on down. I’ll call Dan and talk to him about the situation,” he gave in. “But I don’t promise anything.”

“If you can just get him to come talk to me. Or have his wife come. I can make them understand.”

“When are you leaving?”

“Just as soon as I hang up this phone and throw my things in the truck. It’s a little over an eight-hour drive, so I should be there before five.”

“Come straight to the field,” Harry told her. “I’ll have made my calls by then. And drive carefully, you hear? Better to get here an hour later and still in one piece.”

“I will,” she promised.

Chapter Eight

Janet Houseman had decided to name her very private clinic Dogwood House for two reasons. It was in Virginia surrounded by dogwood trees and it was the least likely name for a facility of its kind. Located just outside the historical town of Warrenton, population about six thousand, it was a little more than an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C., making it convenient for government figures and the people who attended them. It was about the same drive time from Baltimore. People looking for her patients—and there always were, both good guys and bad—would have a hell of a time finding it. But just in case they did, the five acres on which the facility sat were surrounded by a twelve-foot-high brick wall with sensors embedded every twelve inches. Her state-of-the-art security system was second to none and her guards were the very best money could buy. The man lying in one of the suites on the second floor had helped find and train them.

She had assembled a top staff of physicians and surgeons and constantly updated her equipment, both medical and surgical. A visit to Dogwood House didn’t come cheap but no one ever, ever complained about the cost.

Janet accepted her patients carefully, turning down those she considered a danger either to herself or her country. It was not at all out of the ordinary for someone like Rick Latrobe to arrive requiring the utmost security.

“We need to hide him until he’s back to fighting weight,” Dan Romeo told her. “We don’t know if the same person who shot him followed him here, or has contacts. Any hospital or other clinic would expose him too much, even if we posted armed guards. Plus the media has gotten hold of it and he doesn’t need reporters badgering him.”

“Not a problem.” Janet smiled. “You know that.”

The Phoenix men were as important to her as family. If not for them she in all likelihood wouldn’t have been alive to establish this place or treat the people she did. She owed them everything.

“He’s stabilized,” she told Dan and Mark the day after Rick’s arrival.“The surgery on the plane is what saved him. And a big thanks to the medics who treated him too. He’s still in a lot of pain and he won’t be doing any dancing for a while. Or running through jungles. But he’ll probably be up long before the doctors predicted. Kudos all around to the emergency medical care.”

“And the surgeon you sent with Troy,” Dan reminded her.

Troy Arsenault had arrived in Virginia with Rick and, under doctor’s supervision, been solely responsible for Rick’s care. Not that the men had reservations about Janet’s staff. But under the circumstances, they just felt more comfortable with Troy at his side 24/7.

Rick’s other injuries were healing too. The hairline wrist fracture was nearly mended, the bruising on the ribs minor compared to the surgery for the chest wound and Troy had removed the stitches from the two cuts that had required suturing. Everyone was happy to see how rapidly Rick’s recovery was proceeding. But then, he’d never been a man to have much patience with lying around, no matter how bad his injuries.

Mike D’Antoni and Ed Romeo had flown the Hercules C-130 deadhead back from Iraq, landing barely two hours ago. Tired and drained, their first order of business still had been to jump in the SUV that Dan and Mark were waiting in and get here as fast as they could to see Rick with their own eyes. At the moment they were gathered in his room, watching him sleep under the influence of the medication he was getting.

“God damn son of a bitch.” Mike, sitting in the big chair near the bed, dropped his head into his hands. “It’s my fault this happened. Every bit of it. No thanks to me we nearly lost a partner.”

“I thought we already got past that.” Dan’s voice was hard. “The pity party’s long over. We have work to do.” He looked at Janet who had just come into the room. “Bottom line. How long until we can move him out of here?”

“I thought you’d want to know that, so I double-checked with his doctor this morning. Even though he’s doing very well, you don’t want to rush this. That was a very bad chest wound. I’d like to keep him another two weeks, if we can hold him down.”

Mike gave a short laugh and glanced over at the bed. “If I know Rick, the minute he cuts back on the pain meds he’ll want out.”

“Which is why you’re all going to help me shortstop that. He needs as much time as we can force him into so he doesn’t rip open his stitches and do more damage to himself. He’s one lucky man, I’ll tell you. Between the accident and the shooting he should be dead, not recuperating.”

Dan raked his fingers through his hair. “Don’t I know it. All right, Janet. Thanks. We’ll do our best to keep him tied down.”

She smiled at them. “Just don’t let him yell too loud when you tie him to the bed, okay? Troy will still be handling his care but I’ll be around if you need me.”

The moment she walked out of the room the men all looked at each other. Finally Mark spoke.

“So,” he said to Ed and Mike. “Nothing in Baghdad, right?”

Mike rubbed his face, trying to wipe away the fatigue. He checked again to make sure Rick was still asleep before he answered.“I can’t even get my mind around how many people had to be paid off for this. No one saw anything out of the ordinary. Anyone who saw the trucks moving things out of the warehouse assumed it was a GC operation of some sort. No one asks about anyone else’s business.”

“Besides,” Ed put in. “There are other contractors fighting to preserve their piece of the pie and they don’t want to get involved in something that sounds messy.”

“And the power outage?”

Mike made a rude noise. “Some ‘malfunction’ that only affected the outside lights, they said. Somehow the control tower and landing lights were untouched.”

“What a surprise,” Mark bit off.

“Yeah, right,” Rick commented, his voice slurred. “Tell me another one.”

“Hey buddy.”Troy was instantly beside him, checking the monitors and his IV. “We thought you were still in fuzzy land.”

He wet his dry lips with his tongue. “I’m fuzzy too much. I think you guys like having me knocked out.” He turned his head. “Dan, I’ve got to get back there…”

“Not in your shape,” his partner told him. He shifted his gaze to Mike and Ed.“What about the locally hired guards? What’s the situation there?”

“Some never showed up again. Others seemed completely bewildered. And nobody knew anything. About anything. Period.”

“What about any chatter outside the area?” Mark asked.

Ed leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. “We talked to every contact we had over there and some we dug up out of nowhere. We thought we were getting somewhere when a cousin of a cousin told us that some big operation had gone down, that it was very secret and involved millions of dollars. Then the two cousins disappeared and everyone else clammed up.”

Mark shoved his hands in his pockets and began pacing. “All right. We’ve got some work to do from here. This was no simple snatch and grab. This was well-planned and well-orchestrated. And think about this. A shipment this large never made it onto the open market or we’d have heard about it. There was a waiting buyer. Everything under the radar. We’ve got to find Greg Jordan. He’s the key to everything.”

“I don’t think Rick’s out of the woods yet, either,” Ed pointed out.

“What do you mean?” Rick asked, groaning as he tried to shift his position.

“They wanted you dead, whoever they are. You’re still alive and that’s going to make them very unhappy. My guess is they believe somehow you can pull all the pieces together.”

“Maybe if I could remember what’s banging around in my head.” His voice was still thick with the effects of the medication and pain.

“You need to be out of sight until you do. Bringing you here was the smartest move to make. In a hospital anyone could get at you.”

“So you know we need to get you some extra protection,” Mark pointed out. He rubbed his neck. “The media are hopping all over this and I have this nasty feeling that you were supposed to be the fall guy all along.”

“Then why kill me?” Rick asked.

“If you’re dead, you can’t defend yourself. Or give out information that might lead to someone else.”

“But I don’t know anything about that,” he protested. “All I know is what I know.”

“Well,” Mark drawled, “someone sure as hell thinks you know something. I’d say you were supposed to die in a ‘conflict’ with your fellow thieves and that would be that.”

“I know Janet’s got better security here than the White House does,” Dan brought up, “but I’m not willing to take any risks. They’ve had two chances and missed both times. We need a lot more than an army around him.”

“We could always take turns,” Ed suggested. Although not really a partner in the agency, as Dan’s brother he was still considered a full member of the team. “And Troy’s here. Most of the men working for us aren’t as finely honed as we are.”

Dan shook his head. “Good idea but not necessarily a good use of resources. Let’s think about this.”

“What did Charlie Grainger have to say?” Mike asked, changing the subject.

“After he handed me my ass?” Dan snorted. “We either get his goods back or he’s pulling his contracts with us and suing us for his loss. Clusterfuck doesn’t even begin to describe—”

He was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. The others watched and waited while he completed a short conversation. When he hung up he looked at each of them.

“That was Harry,” he said. “You’ll never guess who’s coming to town and what she wants.”

* * * * *

For Greg Jordan his under-the-radar return to the States was accomplished with very little fuss. Amin, still grinning at his financial windfall, had ferried him to a landing strip outside Baqubah where a private jet with no markings waited for him. The only other person on the flight, a short, dark man with an olive complexion and a quiet presence, said little but fed him when he was hungry.

He slept off and on but mostly his mind was busy trying to come up with a plan. He couldn’t just run around the United States asking questions as to the whereabouts of Eric Latrobe. And even when he found him, he’d have to do some fancy thinking on how to accomplish his assignment.

Shit!

His boss wasn’t the only one who couldn’t afford to leave Latrobe alive. How could he possibly have missed? He had the man at dead range. He could kick himself for not checking the body but he was too anxious to get the hell out of there. Well, he was paying for it now. His lifetime of luxury was dangling just out of reach until his mission was fully accomplished.

Okay. First things first. He had the number for Zarife al-Dulami. He’d start with him. As the point man for the weapons deal and his family’s representative, he had a vested interest in resolving the situation. And making sure they had a dead man to take the blame. The man had wormed his way into the right circles in D.C. He could help ferret out the information that was needed. He’d call him just as soon as he was bunkered down in the anonymous house that had been arranged for him.

Swallowing the bitter taste in his mouth, he closed his eyes and tried to fall back asleep.

* * * * *

Kelly pulled up to the gate at the airfield and honked her horn. Leaning out of her window, she pressed the button on the speaker and said, “It’s me, Granddad. Open up.”

She was tired from the drive and cranky from anxiety. Xena was still driving her nuts, not just with her restless behavior but again the dog was connecting with her mind. Every signal she had taught Xena to use as a warning sign of danger popped up over and over again. She’d feel a lot better when she laid eyes on Rick Latrobe herself. Preferably with armed guards surrounding him.

Driving to the small building that served as the flight and maintenance office, she climbed wearily from the truck, giving Xena in the seat next to her a reassuring pat first. Her eyes popped wide open when she saw Dan Romeo walk out onto the tarmac.

What on earth is going on?

She poked her head back into the truck. “Stay,” she told Xena and signaled the dog not to move for anyone but herself.

“Miss Monroe,” he greeted her, holding out his hand. “Nice to see you again.”

She shook his hand briefly, then dropped it. “If you came here to tell me I can’t see Rick, forget it. I want to lay my eyes on him.”

“I’m not—” he began before she cut him off.

“Not only that, he’s still in danger and it’s apparent you guys can’t protect him properly.” She stood with her hands fisted on her hips, chin jutting out. She wasn’t going to be put off by any of their double talk.

The slow smile that crept over Dan’s face both puzzled and infuriated her.

“You think this is a joke?” she demanded, feeling her anger heighten.

“No.” He shook his head, still smiling. “Far from it. I’m not only going to take you to see Rick, I’m going to ask you to stay with him. You and Xena.”

Her jaw dropped. “What? What are you talking about?”She’d come here prepared for a battle that wasn’t going to take place but she had no idea what Dan Romeo was asking of her.

“It’s very simple.” He took her arm and led her into the office where her grandfather was waiting, a mixture of humor and trepidation on his face.“Harry, how about some coffee for our girl here while I fill her in on the details. She’s had a long drive and she looks like she could use some caffeine.”

Kelly allowed herself to be lowered into a chair and accepted the mug her grandfather handed her. “Can you please tell me what’s going on?”

“It’s very simple.” Dan explained as briefly as he could without compromising any information, the situation with Rick. The accident. The situation in Baghdad. The severity of his injuries.“We agree with you. Someone’s still after him. Maybe more than one someone. And another rotten apple’s been added to the pile. Have you seen this?”

He opened a copy of the morning paper to the front page.

Feds Probe Phoenix Agency in Arms Dealing Case, screamed the headline.

Washington, D.C.… The mysterious Phoenix Agency, flying under the radar as they perform top-secret missions for both public and private contractors, may have finally stumbled over their own feet. The major cargo of weapons and equipment they delivered to a private security force in Iraq has mysteriously disappeared and those in the know say Eric “Rick” Latrobe, one of the partners, worked a high-dollar deal with the enemy.

Kelly brushed the newspaper away. “That’s a lie,” she stated. “I barely even know Rick but I can tell you someone wants him to take the fall.”

“More than that,” Dan told her. “Whoever’s responsible apparently wants to get rid of him before anyone has a chance to question him. He’s a danger to someone and not just the guy we think planned the actual removal of the weapons. Right now he’s in a very secure medical facility but we don’t think having just an armed guard will handle the situation. We need Xena’s special abilities. And yours.”

She stared at him. “You want me to stay with him?”

“It seems the best solution all around. After your grandfather called me, I cleared it with the facility’s owner. I’m prepared to offer you any fee at all to do this. Money isn’t a problem.”

“But—”

“Miss Monroe. Kelly.” His voice was filled with measured patience. “While many people would turn up their noses at just the mention of the paranormal and the psychic, as we told you in Maine, within our own agency we have two very good examples of why that would be a mistake. It’s why we’re developing a Psi department. Why Mia’s so anxious to meet with you. Work with you. Explore the possibility of obtaining and training other Ovcharkas for individuals.”

The smile went away. “But one thing at a time. If you can do this, we’ll want to hire you and are prepared to pay you any fee you name.”

Kelly set the coffee cup down on the desk next to her and held up her hand. “First of all, I appreciate the offer of money. It’s something that’s always good to have. But this…is personal with me, not a job. Xena and Rick connected. That means he and I connected also and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I walked away and left him in danger. I came down here because, like you, Xena believes—and therefore so do I—that Rick is in great danger. Secondly, I still feel that if I’d gone with him to Iraq this might not have happened.”

“I keep telling her she’s wrong,” Harry broke in, his first contribution to the conversation. “But she won’t listen to me.”

“Your grandfather’s right. And if you’re going to be of any help to us, you need to get past that. Okay. What’s your situation in Maine?”

“All my dogs have been signed out to the clients. I came here prepared to find Rick and be with him. Thank you for the opportunity.”

“Would I be off base, or prying, if I said I sense something a little more than a psychic connection here?” Dan asked.

Kelly bit her lower lip. “I think you might want to ask Rick about that.”

Dan smiled.“I’m going to say that’s probably not necessary. This is all good.”

Kelly rose from her chair. “Okay. When do we leave?”

* * * * *

They left her pickup at the airfield and choppered Kelly and Xena onto the grounds of Dogwood House to avoid the possibility of being followed. Since Rick’s accident had happened right after he left the airfield, at the exit closest to that location, Dan and Mark agreed someone might still be keeping an eye on that spot.

They had some reservations about transporting Xena but Kelly just gave them an impish grin, hopped into the cabin and belted herself and Xena into two seats. Looking up, she told them, “We’re ready.”

Xena barely moved during the trip, rock steady and erect in her seat, Kelly murmuring in her ear now and then. Dan, who occasionally glanced over the back of his seat, could have sworn the dog was actually giving her silent answers.

They landed on the Dogwood House’s helipad where Janet Houseman waited for them. Kelly led Xena over to the woman, held out her hand to Janet and shook it. She whispered in Xena’s ear, the dog sniffed the air all around them, then she held out her paw for her own handshake.

“I have to show her you’re friendly,” Kelly explained in answer to Janet’s raised eyebrows. “But believe me, if she detected the least scent of danger about you, you’d be flat on your back right now and I’d have to keep her from grabbing your throat.”

“I guess it’s a good thing for Rick that she’s connected with him,” Janet chuckled. “Come on. He’s been looking forward to your arrival.”

Kelly kept a light hold on Xena’s collar as they all followed Janet into the clinic and took the elevator to the second floor. When they walked into the suite assigned to Rick she was floored at what she saw. She could have been walking into a luxury suite at the most expensive hotel, except for the medical equipment in the bedroom. Someone was forking out a lot of money for this. Then she saw the man who had consumed her thoughts lying in a hospital bed, and she felt something in her heart turn over.

Xena tugged hard against her restraining touch. She released her and in two bounds the dog was beside Rick, sitting next to the bed, licking the man’s hand that he held down to her. Greeting complete, she turned to face the others and emitted a low growl.

“I guess we don’t have to worry about guard duty,” Dan commented with a wry grin.

Kelly moved closer to the bed and took a hard look at Rick. He’d lost a little weight, he was paler than she remembered and his face was still lined with pain. He was bare from the waist up, his chest wrapped in heavy bandages. Monitoring equipment was pushed into a corner, ready in case it was needed again. Even whatever IV lines might have been connected to him were gone.

“We took him off everything just this morning,” the tall man on the other side of the bed told her. He held out his hand. “Troy Arsenault.”

“Troy’s one of our partners,” Dan told her.“He served as a medic when he was with the SEALs. He’s been overseeing Rick’s care.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you and the wonder dog,” Troy said. “I can see nobody was exaggerating.”

Kelly went through the same process with Troy that she had with Janet, signaling Xena that this, too, was a friend. She’d been building dreams on two nights together and some intense phone calls, only in her dreams he wasn’t lying in bed wounded.

“You have no idea how good you look to me,” he said in a soft voice.

He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently, then lifted it to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her skin. The jolt of electricity that passed between them was so strong she was afraid others in the room would see it. She tugged on her hand but Rick just held it tighter, refusing to let go. “I want you right here next to me,” he told her.

Troy cleared his throat. “I think I’ll take a break for a while. If nobody needs me, that is. Or anything.”

Vaguely Kelly heard Mike chuckle, then say, “I don’t think any of us will be missed. Let’s go get some of Janet’s excellent coffee in her cafeteria and see where we go from here.”

Neither Kelly nor Rick paid much attention to the outer door closing. Xena, her Psi intuition working overtime, moved away from the bed, allowing Kelly more room.

“I’ve missed you,” Rick told her.

“I missed you, too.” Then she sobered. “I was very scared for you.”

“I’m too tough to kill,” he joked. “The important thing is I’m here now. And rapidly getting better. Especially since you got here. You know, some people you can be around all your life and never really know them. Others it takes only seconds. I think we belong in the second category.” His eyes flashed with shards of heat. “You don’t know how many times I’ve replayed every minute with you over and over in my head. After I was shot they were the only things that got me through the pain.”

Butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach and a flush heated her cheeks.“Every minute?”

“Uh-huh.” He shifted slightly on the bed, the muscles in his face tightening at the discomfort. “You shouldn’t move.” She was instantly concerned.

“If you could just raise the head of the bed a little I’ll be fine.” He studied her face carefully.

“Kelly, I want you to know I’ve never connected with a woman the way I have with you. There’s something special here. Go on, admit it.”

“It must be Xena,” she joked.

“I don’t think Xena made this happen.” He took her hand and placed it over his groin. There was no mistaking the thick swelling of his cock beneath the bedclothes.

“Rick!” She tried to snatch her hand back, looking over her shoulder.

“They’re gone,” he laughed. “Or at least too far away to see anything. Come on, lean over here and kiss me. Please? I’ve thought about it more than you can believe.”

“Oh, if this is any indication, I can believe it.” Nevertheless, she pressed herself against the bed and leaned down to touch her mouth to his. Rick nibbled at her lips, then licked them, tasting them with a rough, silk tongue that demanded entrance into her mouth. She opened for him and his tongue swept inside like a marauder, taking everything she had to give.

Chills and heat raced in tandem over her body, her breasts throbbed, her nipples ached and she felt moisture at the apex of her thighs. She dueled with his tongue, tasting the flavor of him that, despite the hospital essence surrounding him, was distinctly Rick.

They were both breathing heavily when they broke the kiss.

“You’re better than all the medicine in the world,” he told her. “And a damn sight prettier to look at than Troy.”

She caught her breath. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Hell no. I want a lot more of that. And I’ll have it if I have any say in the matter.”

“Not in the shape you’re in,” she told him.

He lowered his voice. “Maybe you could minister to my body like you did in Maine.” He grinned. “Now pull a chair close to the bed and tell me what’s been going on in your brain. Dan told me about the calls you made to him. I want details. If you and Xena are going to be my security detail I want to know how it works.”

Xena, still in her place next to the bed, gave a gentle bark, her eyes moving from one to the other.

“Think she’s telling me I’m out of line?” Rick asked.

“Actually I think she’s giving us her blessing.”

“I knew that dog was smart.”

* * * * *

Rick couldn’t believe how lucky he was. Focusing on the debacle in Iraq instead of Kelly had become a real problem. How could a woman he’d just met take up so much of his mind? Be so prominent in his thoughts.

He’d been lying here in Dogwood House, fighting the pain, doing everything Troy insisted on so he could heal quickly. Memories of their two nights together had been better for him than any medicine. He’d just been waiting for the right moment to call her, see if he could finagle a way to get her down here. He must have had good karma in another life because here she was delivered up to him like an early Christmas gift. He could hardly believe it. Ostensibly she was there so Xena could be an early warning system in case of danger. His partners believed whoever was after him wouldn’t be defeated by ordinary security methods.

And here was Xena, his early warning system, his defender. And with her, the redhead he wanted more than any other woman in the world. This was his chance to let her know he wanted to build a relationship with her. He couldn’t afford to blow it.

As he feasted his eyes on her sitting next to him and listened to the soft lilt in her voice, he knew this was the woman he was meant to be with.

* * * * *

“But I can’t help you,” Zarife protested to the man at the other end of the cell phone call. He had been dragging his feet on the orders to find where Latrobe was sequestered. After checking all the hospitals and clinics he’d done nothing else, afraid to call too much attention to himself. “I already told our common friend. I am not in a position to do anything and I cannot afford to jeopardize my situation.”

“Now you listen to me,” Greg Jordan told him. “Without my boss, your family never would have scored the big hit they did. They’d still be whining in their tents about what Saddam stole from them. So don’t tell me what you can or can’t do.”

“But if I start asking questions, someone will get suspicious,” he cried. “People never talk about that agency. They have very powerful friends.”

“Then we just have to find a way around it, right? I know for a fact you’re plugged into many of the Washington circles. That’s how my boss found you. And found out so much about you. And your family.”

Zarife paced back and forth in his living room. Even though he was alone he couldn’t keep from looking over his shoulder and glancing out the window. He would give anything not to be having this conversation. He wondered what his father would say if he knew what was happening.

“Are you there?” Greg prodded. “This man, if he puts all the pieces together, could pull the plug on everyone. Including your father.”

“I will do my best but you should not rely completely on me. Surely you have other contacts.”

“And I’m working them all. Every one of them. But that doesn’t mean you can screw me over on this. You’re an important piece of the pie.”

“I understand. I will see what I can do.”

Zarife slammed the cell phone onto the table. What a mess. What a damn mess. He needed to speak to his father ASAP.

He felt his shoulders sag with relief when he heard his father’s voice on the phone. He’d waited nearly two weeks for the man to call him, his patience wearing thin each day and his nerves growing more ragged. But they’d agreed the elder al-Dulami would call him when he had things under control.

“It is so good to hear from you,” he said. “I have worried a great deal.”

“All is well,” his father assured him. “Better than could be expected, as a matter of fact.”

“Do you know they want me to find Rick Latrobe for them? I’ve received two different calls.”

“Can you do this?” his father asked.

Zarife’s grip on the phone tightened. “I don’t know. I told them if I start asking questions about this man, I’ll call unwanted attention to myself.”

“Find a way to do this. We cannot afford to leave Latrobe alive.”

He needed to change the subject. “Are the plans in place?”

“Yes. We are ready to recapture what is rightfully ours. The first attack will take place in three nights. Once that first village is ours, we will move forward through our former territory and reclaim each site one by one.”

Excitement coursed through Zarife’s veins. It was finally happening. All the years of planning, of searching for the right connections, were finally paying off. “How soon shall I join you?” he asked.

“You must stay where you are until the territory is secured,” the elder al-Dulami told him. “You are our eyes and ears to the political scene in the United States. You will be able to give us firsthand reactions and collect information we need.”

Zarife tried not to let his disappointment show in his voice. He didn’t want to be slogging along at his boring job, pretending to be something he wasn’t one minute longer. He wanted to be where the action was. To share in the thrill of triumph.

But he was an obedient son and would do whatever his father thought would be best. Would give the best results.

“All right,” he said. “But please call me and let me know how the first raid goes. I wish you success.”

* * * * *

He hadn’t wanted to call Zarife. As a matter of fact, Greg Jordan wanted to stay as far away from him as possible. Any link to what was about to happen over there could only mean more trouble for him and he had more than his share at the moment.

Employing a number of disguises, he’d checked out Rick Latrobe’s house, the perimeter of the airfield where Phoenix kept its small fleet and the building where the Phoenix Agency offices were located. He’d even gotten himself hired onto the crew that cleaned the building, hoping for a chance to get into the office, only to be told Phoenix had its own crew and their floor was locked from outsiders.

He was paying what he considered exorbitant sums of money to two men he trusted implicitly, men who could scour the underbelly of politics and black ops to see if they could find anything. Men who tag-teamed with him to check likely places. So far everyone had come up empty, including Zarife.

But time was fast running out. Noise was being made and Rick Latrobe had to be eliminated before the noise got too loud to turn off.

Maybe just this once he’d catch a lucky break.

Chapter Nine

From Kelly’s point of view her stay at Dogwood House was nothing if not interesting. It was obvious from the first day that Rick had his own ideas about how things were going to work and it had nothing to do with Xena’s psychic powers. The first challenge came in the discussion of where she would sleep. Janet had set aside a guestroom for her but Rick refused to hear of it.

“She stays in here with me,” he insisted.

Kelly laughed. “Xena’s your guard, not me.”

“But where Xena stays, you stay. And she’s not leaving my side.” He reached down to caress the dog’s head. “Right, girl?”

Xena woofed.

“See?”Despite his pain, Rick had a glint of mischief in his eyes. “She agrees with me.” He was holding her hand again, something he seemed to do most of the time, and tugged her forward. “I wish this bed was big enough for you to crawl right in here with me,” he whispered.“My body needs some of that special attention.”

“Rick! People are watching us.”

“Good.” One corner of his mouth turned up in a grin. “I want them to be so jealous of me their eyes will turn greener than yours. Now how about another of those healing kisses?”

“Healing?” she teased.

“Oh, yeah. You have no idea how much better they make me feel.”

“Honestly. Sleeping in here would definitely generate a lot of questions.”

“Bring ‘em. I don’t care who knows about us.” His expression turned serious. “Listen, Kelly. You know we’ve got something really good going on here. I don’t care who knows it. Do you? Am I jumping to conclusions here?”

She swallowed a sigh. “Don’t you think things are moving a little fast here? What if we’re making a mistake?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Is that why you closed up your place temporarily and hightailed it down here to find me? Because we might be making a mistake?”

“No, but…”She nibbled her lower lip. “Maybe I should sleep in the sitting room. That’s pretty close.”

Rich chuckled.“It might get a little crowded. That’s where Troy sleeps.”

“Oh.” She glanced over at Troy who was doing his best to swallow a grin.

“Come on. I need you in here, pretty girl.”

Kelly had to laugh, he looked so much like a little boy asking for an early Christmas present.

“Okay, okay. You win.”

She wasn’t really looking forward to bunking on a rollaway but she had to admit, she wanted to be in the room as much as he wanted her here. Besides, she had a feeling that little by little Rick would coax her into the oversized hospital bed he was in, the moment he felt well enough to share it with her.

When she got ready for bed that night in the huge adjoining bathroom her mind kept straying to the unbelievable connection she and Rick shared through Xena. The past couple of days she’d been reading about people who’d connected like this, channeling through an animal in a conscious state with living entities and formed strong, lasting relationships. Was that what was happening here? Were Xena’s thoughts being relayed to Rick through her? Was that why he was so amenable to everything?

She spent so much time in the bathroom brushing her teeth and her hair and arguing with herself that Rick hollered, “Either you come out of there or I’m coming in to get you. You wouldn’t want to be responsible for my collapse, would you?”

“Coming,” she called back. She spritzed a little cologne on her pulse points, as much for confidence as anything else.

When she walked back into the bedroom Rick’s eyes widened and the blue of his irises darkened to almost navy. She was immediately conscious of how thin the material of the sleepshirt actually was and of her normally contained hair now floating in long waves almost to her waist.

“Come here,” he commanded, his voice soft but firm and he reached out a hand to her.

I shouldn’t be doing this. He has a major wound that needs to heal.

“I want to touch your hair. I need to touch it. Bend your head down. Please, pretty girl.”

When she leaned forward he ran the fingers of one hand through her thick tresses.

“Like fine red silk,” he whispered. “So soft. I could touch it forever.” When he draped it forward over her shoulder the tips of his fingers touched her breasts, which were barely concealed beneath the fabric of her nightshirt. Instantly her nipples hardened. His hand drifted across the upper slope of her breasts, back and forth, then down to her throbbing nipples.

“God,” he breathed. “You don’t know how good you feel. I’d love to strip you naked right now and touch every inch of your body. Do you have any idea what you do to me? Here. Give me your hand again.”

Before she could realize what he was doing, he tugged her hand under the covers and placed her open palm directly over his cock. Her fingers closed automatically around the swollen shaft, feeling it pulse beneath her touch.

It amazed her than in his debilitated condition she could elicit this kind of reaction from him.

“Rick, I don’t know if this is… People are…”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” His voice was husky as she pulled her hand away. “I don’t want to embarrass you, but hell, Kelly, I want to fuck you in the worst way. Feel the hot walls of that sweet little pussy tighten around me. Milking me.”

“Rick, I…” She glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were still alone.

He blew out a long breath and gave her one of his killer smiles.“But that doesn’t mean we can’t tease each other a little, right? Meanwhile give me one of those great kisses and then we’ll both try to sleep.”

“Oh, right,” she laughed.“Sleep.”

“We can meet in our dreams,” he whispered and tugged her head down to his.

She thought it a testament to the man’s natural vigor that even in his debilitated state he wanted to be inside her. His fingers sifted through the flame of her hair again. They were still trailing in the strands when his nighttime medication kicked in, his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.

She slipped beneath the six-hundred-thread-count cotton sheets on the fanciest rollaway she’d ever slept on. She should be drifting easily off to sleep in this luxurious nest but her body thrummed with such intense sexual anticipation she wondered if she’d ever get to sleep.

The connection was there. She knew it. She just hoped it was as important to Rick Latrobe as it was to her. That it wasn’t just the urgency and danger of his situation ramping up his feelings. She’d have to guard her heart very carefully.

* * * * *

“Morning, beautiful.”

The husky voice was like a verbal caress as Kelly opened her eyes. For a moment she couldn’t remember where she was or whose bed she had slept in. Then she turned in the direction of the voice and saw Rick looking at her, his vivid blue eyes hot and devouring.

“Hi.”

Now what? Kelly was sure someone would be along for his morning routine. She should make herself scarce.

“Um, Troy will be in here in a minute to help me with some stuff.” Was he reading her mind?“I just thought you should know.”

“Oh.” Then she realized what he was saying. “Oh! Okay. I have to take Xena out anyway.”

“You’ve got time to shower if you want.” He gave her his devil’s grin. “I won’t let him peek.”

She felt her face flush. “Thank you. I’ll be quick.”

She slid out of bed as gracefully as she could and made a dash for the bathroom.

How did I get into this? she asked herself over and over as she took a fast shower, brushed her teeth and braided her hair. What in hell did I let myself in for? We had great—make that off-the-charts—sex but really, we hardly know each other. Yes, there’s something there but is it just a product of this situation?

Same old question, same old answer.

I hope not.

Thanking all the gods and goddesses that she wasn’t a slave to makeup, she brushed gloss onto her lips, then knocked on the door and called, “Safe to come out?”

“Come ahead,” Rick yelled and she could hear the mischief in his voice. “I’m properly indecent.”

She cracked the door, peering around the edge. When she saw Troy standing beside the bed, the sheet pulled up to Rick’s waist, she hurried into the room. Pulling Xena’s leash out of her purse, she snapped it on the dog’s collar.

“We’ll be back in a bit,” she told the men.

“There’s a door at the far end of the hall on the first floor that leads into a green area,” Troy told her. “Probably the best place for you to go. I already told security to be on the lookout for you.”

“Thanks.”

“Wait!” Rick called.

She turned, halfway toward the sitting room. “Did I forget something?”

“You sure did. My kiss.”

She slid her glance over to Troy.

“I, uh, need to get another pack of bandages,” he told them and loped out of the room.

Kelly moved over to the bed, Xena woofing beside her. Rick reached out for her with his right hand and pulled her close.

“Just one kiss. To hold me until later.”

The kiss was just as steamy as the others had been and she wondered if she might incinerate right where she stood. Just a simple contact between them set every nerve in her body sparking and her blood pulsing. She had to restrain herself from crawling up on the bed beside him and feeling his body next to hers. “That’s enough.” She broke away, trying to catch her breath. “Xena needs attention too.”

“Hurry back,” he told her.

She hadn’t had much time to look at Dogwood House when they’d arrived the day before. Now, as she wandered through the wide area in back of the graceful building, she was impressed by the carefully manicured lawns and landscaping, the beautiful dogwood trees and the scent of freshly cut grass in the air. Bearing no resemblance of any kind to a hospital or nursing home, this was definitely a place for the very rich and famous to hide from the prying eyes of the media or anyone who might want to do them harm.

Xena investigated every inch of space, lifting her nose now and then as if testing the wind for a scent of danger.

There is nothing here to be afraid of.

“Well, that’s good,” Kelly told the dog. “I think that’s why they brought Rick to this expensive fortress.”

But the danger is far from over. Be alert, Kelly.

“I think that’s why they brought us here. So we can sense anything they might not be aware of.”

Besides, this way you and Rick can spend time together.

Kelly burst out laughing. “You wouldn’t be trying to play matchmaker, would you?”

Her laughter was interrupted by a sudden growl from Xena who instantly was back beside her.

“Whoa, Xena. What’s going on?”

“Excuse me. Miss Monroe?” The voice came from behind her.

Kelly whirled, heart tripping in an erratic beat. A man in the Dogwood House security uniform of navy blazer and gray slacks had come up so silently only Xena had been aware of him.

She pressed her hand to her chest. “Wow. You gave me a bit of a scare here. You know who I am?”

“Yes ma’am. Sorry if I frightened you. I just heard you talking to someone but I don’t see anyone else here.”

“Oh, that.” She let out a shaky laugh. “I was talking to my dog.”

He lifted one eyebrow. “Your dog?”

She waved a hand at the air. “Yes. Don’t most people?”She looked down at Xena. “Anyway, we’re done here. Come on, girl.”

The guard nodded politely to her on her way back in but she could feel eyes on her as she led Xena to the elevator and rode up to the second floor.

Rick was up and sitting in a chair when she came back into the room, the first time he’d been out of bed since she arrived. His hair, grown longer since he was in Maine, was wet and finger-combed back from his face, he was freshly shaved and wearing a clean t-shirt and sweatpants. Relief coursed through her. Better. He was really better.

In front of him was a table set for breakfast for two.

“I don’t know what you usually eat,” he told her, “so I hope bacon and eggs is okay.”

“Fine. Anything is fine. Should you be up like this?”

He nodded. “Troy’s actually been getting me out of bed every day so I can exercise my muscles and build up my strength. I can’t lie around forever.” He lowered his voice. “I can think of some very healing exercise, can’t you?”

Kelly laughed. “Aren’t you being a little overambitious?”

“Just hopeful.” He winked. “You never know until you try.”

She eyed him critically, seeing the telltale outline of the bandages beneath his t-shirt. But if Troy said it was all right she had to go along with it. The man knew what he was talking about.

“Come on.” Rick gestured toward the table. “Don’t let the food get cold, Red.”

Red. She liked the nickname.

She was fascinated watching him eat, seeing the play of muscle in his arms as he lifted his fork or his cup. She couldn’t stop looking at the strong planes of his face, the line of his jaw, the mane of sun-streaked hair.

“Your breakfast is getting cold.”

She looked up, startled. His eyes danced with amusement. She lifted her coffee cup to distract herself. And him. “Sorry. I was just thinking about something.”

“I hope it was the same thing I was thinking about.”

Fire blazed in his eyes and Kelly nearly dropped her cup.

The electric awareness between them was hard to miss. Anyone coming into the room—Troy, who spent more and more time in the sitting room with his laptop and cell phone, or Dan or Mike on their brief visits—politely did their best to ignore it. But Rick used every excuse to pull her close to him, to touch her, to steal a kiss from her.

By the end of the day she realized a routine had been set up to guarantee his safety and it seemed to be working. Janet had given orders that none of the staff was to enter the suite. Troy handled the medical side and their meals were left on a rolling table in the hallway, the aide knocking to let them know whenever it arrived. She was with him every moment and Xena never moved from Rick’s side, not even to sleep next to Kelly. When any of the partners came into the room, the dog became instantly alert and watchful. Although she knew them and Kelly had signaled them as friendly, it was obvious she trusted no one where Rick’s safety was concerned.

“Well, that’s what we wanted,” Dan commented that afternoon when Xena sniffed him all over again. “We certainly got it.”

Nights were becoming a challenge, however. The second night Rick coaxed her to climb up into the bed with him, holding her against his uninjured side. She made sure to close the door first. She couldn’t lock him away from Troy if he needed treatment but a closed door would certainly be a signal. Xena lay on the floor where Kelly had signaled her to be at rest.

“I refuse to let you do anything,” she told him sternly.

“Oh?” he teased. “How about this?”

His hand slipped beneath the hem of her sleepshirt and inched past the elastic band of her bikini panties. When his fingers found the heat of her pussy she didn’t know which of them groaned louder.

“I promise this won’t injure me,” he breathed against her ear. “But holding back might do me serious damage.”

“You’re incorrigible,” she whispered. Widening her thighs to give him better accessibility.

“Take off your panties,” he told her, already trying to push them down her thighs.

Kelly easily slipped them off, dropping them to the floor beside the bed. Then Rick’s hand was back, big and warm, sliding over her wet heat and cupping her mound.

“You have no idea how many nights I’ve thought about doing this,” he told her. “When I was shot and riding the hard edge of pain, the thought of your sweet little cunt was the only thing that got me through it all.” His fingers moved up and down inside the lips, massaging the slick flesh. “What I really want is my cock inside you. Here.” One finger slid into her channel, then out. “And here.” It moved lower, between the cheeks of her ass to her sensitive anus.

Kelly jumped at the electric jolt of the touch and clenched her ass around the probing finger.

“The very first minute it’s possible,” he told her in a voice rough with need, “you’re going to feel my cock here. And then all of you will be mine. Got that, Red?”

Kelly shivered at his words. “That implies a lot more than you might be willing to give,” she told him. It was hard trying to form thoughts when his fingers had returned to her pussy and were stroking and rubbing every inch.

“In my line of work when you know something’s good, you don’t let go of it.” He licked the shell of her ear. “What about you, pretty girl? What are you willing to give?”

Everything. All of it.

“All of me,” she told him in a soft voice. “Always.”

“When this mess is over we’re making plans. I just want you to know that.”

Anything else she might have wanted to say was lost in the sensations sweeping over her. Rick stroked her clit, circling it with the tip of his finger until she thought she would go mad with the rampaging desire. When he slid two fingers into her she clamped her thighs together, holding him inside.

His soft chuckle vibrated in her ear. “That what you want?” he asked, moving his fingers in and out.

“Oh. Yes. Please.”

Her hips moved, matching the rhythm of his hand, pushing down hard every time he thrust inside her. She could feel her orgasm gathering deep inside her. When he pulled his hand away she cried out in protest.

Rick shoved away the sheet and blanket covering him. “Come up here, Kelly. Straddle me.”

“Oh, Rick, I don’t think…”

“Right. Don’t think. I’ve been thinking about this all day. I’m a lot stronger than you think. Shit, I’ve crawled out of hellholes feeling worse than this. It’s what I do. I can really handle this, Red. What I can’t handle is not being inside you for one more day. But you’ll have to do the work.”

“I don’t want to injure you.”

“You won’t. I’ll guide you.” When she glanced at the door he said, “I told Troy to stay the hell away tonight. If I needed him one of us would yell.”

“What about—”

He reached beneath his pillow and pulled out a condom, grinning. “I got it out of my kit today when I shaved.”

Her laugh was a breathless sound. “Talk about planning ahead. Okay, okay. But if I hurt you—”

“You won’t. Get over here.”

Biting her lip, she eased herself over his body, keeping her weight on her knees. She took the condom from him and rolled it down on his very hard, very erect cock. Then, using every bit of control she could muster, with Rick’s hands at her waist holding her, she lowered herself onto his erection, bit by bit, until he was completely inside her.

“Oh, Jesus,” he breathed. “This is all I’ve dreamed about.”

With Rick firmly gripping her hips, helping her, Kelly moved slowly up and down on his erection, picking up speed only when he urged her with his hands. It was a delicate balancing act but she managed to take most of the effort for herself.

“Rub your clit,” he told her in a hoarse voice. “Let me see you play with yourself, Red. Come on.”

She moved her right hand over between her thighs, found the sensitive button and stroked in a rhythm that matched the movement of her body. She had never masturbated in front of a man before but somehow with Rick everything seemed natural.

His body tightened beneath her and his fingers dug into her, a signal that he was close. Very close. But so was she.

“You ready?” he rasped.

“Yes. Oh, yes.”

Up and down again, again. Then the final clenching of muscles, his body taut as a bow, hers arching back, and they exploded. She shuddered as the spasms raced through her, muscles convulsing, pussy milking him, his cock emptying into the latex in hot, thick spurts.

Still breathing heavily, her skin covered with perspiration, she eased herself from his body and slid off the bed.

“Don’t move,” she told him.

“Yeah, right.” His laugh was unsteady.

She brought facial tissues and a warm cloth from the bathroom, efficiently disposing of the condom and cleaning his groin of her juices that had spilled onto him. When she was finished she pulled the covers up and leaned over him to give him a kiss.

“Sleep with me,” he begged. “Please.”

Kelly shook her head. “No, and for a lot of reasons. But I’ll be right next to you.” She grinned. “And if you behave you might get another treat tomorrow.” The smile disappeared when she saw him wince. “I hurt you, didn’t I? I knew this was a bad idea.”

“I’m fine. I’d tell you if I wasn’t, okay?”

“You sure you don’t need a pain pill?”

“Hell, no. What we did is better than any drugs. I’m fine. Great. Better than great. And I’ll let you off the hook tonight but tomorrow we renegotiate.”

Kelly slipped beneath the covers of her bed, her body sated for the first time in days.

For the next two days Troy got Rick up twice a day for long walks, each time pushing a little harder, a little longer. When he announced he thought they would move on to more strenuous exercise, he glanced from Rick to Kelly, his face impassive but a corner of his mouth twitched with the hint of a smile. “I figure you’re ready to handle it.”

Kelly and Xena watched as Rick went through the exercises in Dogwood House’s physical therapy room and accompanied him on his walks. And at night he’d managed to coax her up into the bed with him, despite her misgivings that someone might walk in.

“I have nothing to hide,” he told her. “They need to get used to this.”

Kelly was getting used to it, too. The pace of their lovemaking at night was still slow, and often inventive if Rick was particularly sore from his therapy. But she had to admit it was heaven sleeping in his arms and feeling his warmth against her.

She’d never felt this kind of closeness with a man. Ever. As if already she was part of him.

He couldn’t get enough of looking at her. Rick lay in his bed and let his eyes travel over her lithe figure curled up in the big chair where she was reading. With each passing day she became more and more a part of him.

The scent of her perfume lingered in the room, reminding him of vanilla and jasmine. Just a hint of it made his body sit up and demand attention. Everything she did tantalized him. The way she draped her braid over one shoulder when she was reading or working on her laptop. Just watching her eat was an exercise in sensuality, her small tongue licking her full lips to catch every bite of food. The smooth play of muscles in her throat whenever she drank.

Today they’d taken another walk after lunch and when he lay down to nap she dug a book out of her seemingly bottomless duffel bag to pass the time. Now she sat with those long legs curled up under her, the fat braid draped over her shoulder and resting on the slope of one breast, her magnificent hair glowing in the light from the reading lamp like a thick flame.

The soft t-shirt she wore, a pale green that showed off the alabaster look of her skin, draped softly against breasts that filled his hand just right, their nipples poking into the center of his palms.

He felt his groin tighten just thinking about all the things they were managing to do at night. He could never get enough of her. And it wasn’t just sex, which amazed him. In such a short time she’d filled all the empty spaces in his heart. Maybe in his soul. He tired of most women very easily. He’d learned long ago that those who stuck, those who understood what drove a man like him, were very rare.

Mark and Faith had grown up together yet it had taken a crisis to make them realize what they had. For Mia and Dan it had been instantaneous and binding. But for him, with Kelly, it seemed as if they’d known each other forever and life had taken this long to put them together. She was bright and funny and interesting. They never ran out of things to talk about or stories to laugh at. He was getting to the point where he begrudged her even the time it took for her to shower and dress each morning. He couldn’t wait until they could do it together. Maybe it was the dog. More and more he was becoming convinced of the value of psychic powers in everyday life. Certainly Xena had helped them leap over several circuits to make the connection.

Kelly shifted in her chair and flipped a page, tugging on her bottom lip with her teeth as she concentrated on the book. Every movement of hers fascinated him.

He’d teased Dan at the speed with which his and Mia’s relationship progressed from nothing to forever and now he was in the same boat. He could never let this woman out of his life. Yes, this one he was keeping, no matter what he had to do to accomplish it.

He closed his eyes as sleep crawled over him, picturing her naked. Oh god, he was so hooked.

* * * * *

As the days passed Rick continued to improve. His sessions in the therapy room were more intense, his walks longer. He still insisted she keep her arm around him when they walked although he certainly didn’t need support.

“This is just an excuse to get my hands on you, Red,” he whispered as he kept her pulled into his side, his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

She didn’t argue. She loved the feel of his muscles under her hand, the flex and movement. The heat of him. He was all male, leashed power even in his present condition. Just leaning into him, his arm over her shoulder, made her feel warm and protected. Kelly had never met a man who aroused her so easily and so completely, who made her want him as much as Rick Latrobe did. Their nights were unbelievable. For a man recovering from a major injury he managed to accomplish amazing things in bed.

Xena was their shadow every step of the way, growling low in her throat if someone she didn’t know entered their space. After the first time it happened, Janet Houseman suggested they take Rick down in the elevator to a secluded garden for his exercise.

“It won’t do my reputation much good if my patients get eaten by a large dog,” she joked.

In the garden area he took every opportunity to touch her. “I wish you could take off your clothes and let me see you naked in the sunlight, Red.” Rick’s voice was low and filled with need.

Her own body responded to the image he created, nipples hardening and moisture gathering between her thighs. “I think that might cause a bit of a disturbance, don’t you?”

His smile was straight from the devil. “Yes but it would be worth it, don’t you think?”Then she cocked her head. “Red? You called me that before. I like it but where did that come from?”

He brushed the silky stands of hair that had escaped from her braid. “From here. It’s like a flame, the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen.”

Kelly laughed. “You have such a smooth line.”

He grinned. “Yeah?” Then he sobered. “It’s not a line, Red. I mean every word.”

He was leaning against a tree at the moment, Kelly’s body pulled up to his. She could feel every hard ridge and plane, every dip and swell. The thickness of his shaft as it pressed against her, swelling at the touch. His mouth had captured hers in one of the drugging kisses that made her forget even where she was and left her body quivering with need.

They broke the kiss only when they reached the point of possible oxygen deprivation. Rick cupped her face gently between in his hands and dusted her skin with light kisses. Every place his mouth touched her she felt the heat of a flame. When he put his lips on hers she boldly licked at his mouth, then opened for his welcome tongue.

“We’re going to drive ourselves nuts,” he rasped. “I don’t know if a hundred years would give me all the time I want with you.” When she dropped her eyes he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I worry sometimes that you’re confusing this with gratitude. Or that you’re just…” She bit her lip.

“Just what?” he prompted.

“Horny.”She felt herself blush as she said it.

Rick gave a strangled laugh.“That’s probably true.” Then his face grew serious.“But I told you. This is so much more than that, Red. This is more than anything I’ve ever felt before. For anyone. The others might as well have never existed. I want you to believe that. We haven’t known each other that long but I want you in my life.”

“Your life is all over the world,” she reminded him.

“But I can live anywhere. Look at the Hallorans and Romeos. They chose where they wanted a home base. I can do the same.”

“Don’t you think we’re rushing to that point a little hastily? What if we decide we can’t stand each other?”

He brushed his lips against hers. “Not a chance in a million.”

Xena, who had been sitting quietly at their feet, leaned against Kelly and nudged her toward Rick.

“See?”he laughed. “Even Xena’s on my side.”

Kelly looked at the dog who stared straight into her eyes as if sending her a message. “Xena and I may need to have a long talk,” she joked.

Troy did his best not to notice the way their faces were flushed when he collected them to walk back inside the building.

They talked about anything and everything. A lot. She told him how she’d gotten into the dog-training business. He told her about his football days and his life in Special Forces. They discussed books. Music. Movies. Their lives growing up. Families.

And she had to admit to herself he was right. It wasn’t just the physical attraction that was growing between them, although they were nearly at the point of combustibility. And then one morning she woke up and realized this man had truly become an irrevocable part of her life. But now there were other things to consider.

As his surgery healed, Rick’s impatience grew. Kelly knew how hard it was for him being out of the loop this way. She was glad his partners had insisted he have the time to heal but it was way past time to get him back in the game, at least mentally. Troy called the office every day and gave him regular updates and the others stopped in as time permitted. But Kelly knew they were wrestling with the fallout from the Iraq situation as well as handling other agency business.

“I have to get out of here,” he kept saying when she tried to get him to rest. “If we don’t find out what happened to those weapons Phoenix will be in bigger trouble than anyone can imagine.”

* * * * *

Nearly two weeks had passed since Kelly and Xena had arrived at Dogwood House. They had all just come back from the garden and Rick was sprawled on the couch in the suite’s sitting room rather than in his bed when Mark and Mike arrived. Despite the grimness of their expressions, they both allowed themselves small grins at the sight of Kelly sitting next to him, her small hand in his large one. Xena, as always, stood guard at their feet.

“I always said there’s no medicine like TLC,” Mike commented.

Kelly felt heat rise in her cheeks but Rick just held her hand tighter.

“Didn’t you say I needed someone taking care of me at all times?” he asked.

“Well, yeah,” Mark joked, “but we meant Troy.” His face sobered. “But you know that’s not why we’re here.”

“I hope it’s to bring me up to date. I need to know what’s been going on. And why no one wants to let me read the newspaper or watch the news on television.” He made a face at Kelly. “Red, here, hides the television remote.”

Kelly bit her lip and looked at Troy. He’d taken her aside and told her the media circus the situation was causing. They agreed it wouldn’t do Rick any good to see himself and the agency being crucified, especially when everything being reported was still just speculation.

“Good girl.”Mike nodded his approval.

“Yeah, right,” Rick snorted. “Never get between a man and his remote. So come on. Out with it. What have you been doing and what’s going on? From the looks on your faces I’d say more bad news.”

“Let’s say Charlie Grainger is doing his best to arrange for the agency’s funeral,” Mark told him. “Dan’s meeting with him again even as we speak. GC is out a truckload of money and that cargo was our responsibility. Not to mention the fact that we don’t know whose hands it ended up in. Or where they’ll use them.” He heaved a sigh. “But that’s not the whole thing.”

Rick frowned. “You mean there’s more?”

“We think someone’s been checking out your house and the airfield.”

Rick pushed himself up straighter in the chair. “What do you mean? Did you spot something funny?”

Mike leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “Let’s admit to the fact that we all know whoever’s trying to kill you isn’t going to stop. They expected you to be dead in Iraq. Unfortunately for them, you survived. Now they have to finish the job.”

As if she actually understood the words, Xena pressed harder against Rick’s legs and made a low sound in her throat.

“I swear to god she understands what we say,” Mark said, meeting the dog’s gaze. “Listen, Xena. Just so you know. We’re keeping an eye on things, just in case.” He looked back at Rick.“Dan assigned Alpha Team to monitor any action in the areas where they might look for you. They just finished turning in their latest reports.”

“And?” he pushed.

“You live in a quiet neighborhood. The traffic there is easy to identify. Whoever’s scoping you out can’t be too smart, because too many strange cars have been casing your house. Three or four different ones each day. At least they’re not stupid enough to want anyone to be too familiar with a particular vehicle.”

“Dan told our team not to stop anyone they don’t recognize,” Mark put in. “Just see if we could track them. The cars were all switched in a downtown parking garage but they turned out to be rentals and all the names are fakes. We’ve got pictures for you to look at to see if you recognize anyone but personally, I’m not too optimistic.”

“But back to stupid, the long-range cameras have also picked up the same cars trolling the airfield,” Mike added. “Whoever it is must be as frustrated as hell because he can’t find you and isn’t thinking too clearly. He’s leaving too many threads dangling.”

“Which could be a factor in our favor.”Rick looked at the pictures Mark handed him and shook his head. “Nope. Don’t recognize any of them.” He looked up. “Why is it so important for them to get rid of me?”

“Because you know something,” Mark said, “even if you don’t think you do. Somewhere in that brain of yours is the thread to tie everything together and they can’t afford that to happen.”

Kelly snapped her fingers. “The accident the day after we met.” She looked at Rick. “Remember? I think they didn’t want you going on that trip because you have too much knowledge of the situation in Baghdad and could possibly screw up their operation.”

Rick rubbed his forehead. “I just wish to hell I could figure out what it is I know.”

“Maybe where Jordan would disappear to? Or who he might have contact with?” Mike shrugged. “I don’t know but we’re pulling out all the stops and digging into every detail. Thing is, this wasn’t just your everyday insurgent hijacking. This was a well-planned operation. Greg Jordan’s smart but not that smart. And he doesn’t have the clout to pull off something like this by himself. He’s taking his orders from someone with brains, money and contacts. Someone who made millions out of this and who was sure they’d get away clean.”

“Whoever it is,” Rick said in a thoughtful voice, “did they think I’d be the only one to go after them? Didn’t they know if they killed me, you guys would never rest until you found them?”

“Maybe not and that makes them pretty stupid. Meanwhile, Janet says you can get out of here by the end of the week. That means we need to find someplace safe to stash you.”

A determined look flashed in Rick’s eyes. “First of all, I’m not letting them chase me out of my house again. Secondly, if I go into hiding, we’ll never be able to draw them out and I’ll be dodging bullets forever. The only way to get them to act is to put myself squarely in their line of sight—and trust that you all will have my back. Don’t try to talk me out of this.”

Kelly watched the byplay between the men with interest. She knew Rick would prevail. She’d learned in this short time that was just the way he was. He assessed the situation then acted and no one could deter him.

“I guess you’re right,” Mark agreed with obvious reluctance, “although I hate putting your ass on the line like this.”

“The only way we can do it is if we set up Alpha Team on watch for the next attempt.” He looked over at Kelly and Xena. “But if you plan to hang yourself out there for target practice, we need to send Kelly and Xena back home. They’ve been here for two weeks and luckily there hasn’t been an attempt to breach the security here. But I’m sure you’ll agree we don’t need to put them in harm’s way.”

“Wait a minute.” Kelly dropped Rick’s hand and stood up, anger streaking through her. “I think I have a say about this.”

Rick reached up and grabbed her hand again. “Hold it, Red. Mike’s right. There’s no way I’m taking a chance with your safety. Period. That’s not even up for negotiation.”

She glared at him, fury making her heart race faster. “I’m not asking you to. I’m putting myself there.” She looked from one man to the other. “I can shoot a handgun and a rifle, I know close-quarters combat techniques and I have a weapon that no one else does.” She pointed to Xena. “And she becomes a protector for both Rick and me. Didn’t you want that extra scent of danger? Isn’t that why you have us here?”

I’m not letting them shut me away from him. Not now. The men all looked at each other, then back at her.

Rick cleared his throat. “Listen, Red…”

“Don’t you ‘Listen, Red’ me. I’m coming home with you and that’s final. If it was okay for me to go to Iraq, then it’s okay for me to go home with Rick. Get over it.”

Mark and Mike exchanged a glance.

“Sounds like someone I know.” Mike’s lips twitched in a barely concealed grin.

“All right,” Mark said. “I won’t say it doesn’t make me feel easier to have Xena there because it does. But we set the ground rules and you follow orders at all times. Right?”

“Absolutely.”

“And you don’t go out of the house at all. No runs with Xena. She gets her five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night, by herself and that’s all.”

“Agreed, agreed, agreed.” She’d agree to whatever she had to. There was absolutely no way she was leaving him now. She dropped back down to the couch next to Rick. “So you’re stuck with me.”

He laced his fingers through hers and lifted her hand to his mouth, placing a soft kiss on it. “I can’t imagine anything I’d like better, as long as we keep you safe.”

“What about your business?” Mike asked.

“I made arrangements before I came down here. I have very good help. We finished with the dogs we had and turned them over to the clients. Everyone’s on paid vacation right now.”

And when this is all over, that’s first on my agenda.

“The agency will cover that cost,” Rick said. “And no arguments from you, Red,” he added when she opened her mouth to protest. “It’s a done deal.” He pulled her against him and brushed his lips against hers.

When she sat back up, Kelly noticed that the other two men were studiously avoiding commenting on the byplay in front of them.

“When will we be leaving here?” she asked.

“Sunday’s a good day,” Mark said. “Gives us time to check the electronic security setup again and get Alpha Team briefed and in place.”

“All right, Sunday it is.”

* * * * *

The first raid in northern Iraq had gone extremely well. Al-Dulami had drawn the borders of the territory he wished to recapture in northern Iraq, then divided it into sectors. They would do this one village at a time, setting up an outpost in each place as it fell to their control. By the time the firefight in the first village was over, the villagers had accepted their fate, many of them actually welcoming al-Dulami’s return and he had left a cadre of his men in charge.

The second and third raids were equally as successful, consolidating the area under al-Dulami’s control and invigorating his men with the adrenaline of success.

It won’t be long now, he told himself. Then they’ll see where the power is.

But something went wrong with their next foray. The coalition forces, receiving information on the other raids, had time to plan and prepare and were waiting for him. Rather than sacrifice his men to a losing cause, al-Dulami had opted for a strategic retreat and time to revise his plan.

But ten of his men had been killed, a fact that depressed him even as he was prepared for the inevitable loss of life such a campaign produced. Ordering the others to make sure they left no weapons that could be traced, the men managed to melt into the night like shadows, even the sound of the Humvee covered by other noises. Somehow, though, one weapon was left behind, hidden beneath a body. It was retrieved by one of the soldiers moving through the village, checking for stragglers and ordering everyone into their homes.

Al-Dulami had no idea the firestorm that weapon would unleash.

* * * * *

Staff Sergeant Rory Karnes was tired, sweaty and dirty. They had waited for the attack on the village two long days and nights, one of three places their commanding officer had determined whoever was doing this would strike next. The only thing they knew for sure was it wasn’t any of the regular groups of insurgents they were fighting. These people were better trained, more determined and not a breath of information about them had leaked out. But they had obviously not expected their campaign to be shortstopped so quickly.

Karnes dismissed his men and headed for his CO to make his after-action report. And show him the rifle he’d picked up from beneath a dead body. Unlike most of the weapons they recovered, this one still had the serial number visible enough to read. If they could trace where this came from, maybe they could find out who this new group was and who was providing the weapons for them.

Just what we need. A war on another front.

Captain John Lange listened quietly to the report and took the weapon from Karnes. As soon as the sergeant left, he picked up his sat phone and punched in a number.

“You need to check something for me,” he told the voice on the other end. “We may have a lead on what happened to those hijacked weapons.”

* * * * *

The move from Virginia back to Rick’s house was made late Sunday night, when there was very little traffic on the street so anything unusual would be easy for the Phoenix men to spot. The partners tried once more to get Rick to go back to the agency condo but he was having none of it.

“I can’t keep hiding,” he insisted. “And everything I need is at my house. Besides, if I’m hidden away we can’t smoke anyone out. We’ve already discussed this so just do what you have to do to get ready.”

“You’re still far from a hundred percent,” Dan argued.

“I’m good to go.” He looked at Kelly and Xena. “And besides. I have my own special guard troops.”

Dan reluctantly made the arrangements. He had two cars patrolling a six-block area, checking for anything that looked the least bit out of the ordinary, verifying license plates on their laptops hooked directly into the Dragon to make sure the vehicles belonged in the area.

They decided to use Kelly’s truck for the move, hoping if someone was watching they’d think a stranger was visiting. Troy was delegated to pick them up since Dan was busy handling Charlie Grainger and Mark was heading up the investigation into the fiasco in Baghdad. The men were calling in every favor they could and pulling contacts out of the woodwork in their search for answers.

Troy drove with his eyes scanning every direction, especially when they turned onto Rick’s street and pulled into his driveway. He lifted the radio from the seat and said in a soft voice, “Check in now.”

They could hear each of the men stationed outside signal an “all clear” and Troy clicked off. Everyone relaxed marginally when they were all inside without incident.

“I’ll take your truck back to the city,” Troy said, “make sure I haven’t picked up a tail and stash it in my garage. You should be set for supplies. When we stocked your groceries we also got more food for Xena.”

“Thank you,” Kelly told him. “I was just about out.”

He looked around. “I hate to go off and leave you guys, just in case we’ve missed something.”

“I do have a gun and I’m not completely crippled,” Rick argued, with an edge to his voice.

“And if you can do me a favor, we’ll be even better off,” Kelly added.

“Name it.”

“Can you get my guns out of my truck without it looking too obvious?”

“Guns?” both men chorused and looked at her with equal curiosity.

She huffed her impatience. “I told you at the clinic I’m an expert with a handgun and a rifle. I always carry them with me. My father taught me to shoot when I was twelve. It comes in handy living out in the middle of nowhere.”

Troy snapped out of his daze. “What kind and where are they?”

“My H&K 9mm is under the driver’s seat in a frame I had installed for it. The rifle is under the backseat.”

The men looked at each other again as if she’d just spoken in a strange tongue.

Kelly stamped her foot with impatience. “Weren’t you listening to me in Virginia? Haven’t you ever met a woman who could shoot before?”

Troy shook himself. “I’ll get them. No sweat.”

Despite what she’d said, when he carried them into the house and, neither man could hide his surprised admiration as she expertly checked the weapons, slipped the H&K into the small of her back and laid the rifle on the table in the hall.

“So I shouldn’t worry if I need someone to protect me?” Rick teased.

“Only if you’re nice to me,” she joked back.

His electric blue eyes heated, darkening. “You have no idea how nice I’d like to be to you.”

“Later,” she whispered and turned to Troy. “Okay. I’d say we’re good to go. What’s next?”

“I’m going to take a look at Rick’s wound one last time, although it’s completely healed, then get out of here. I’ll check in with you after a while. And I’ll leave my radio with you so you can communicate with the team. I’ve got another one.” He looked at Kelly, then at Xena. “If anything seems hinky, call me right away.”

“What if we need transportation?” Rick asked. “My truck, as you know, was totaled.”

“Not that I expect you to be going anywhere,” Troy grinned, “but there’s a brand-new Lincoln Navigator sitting in your garage. Try not to wreck this one, okay?”

The first order of business was to give Xena some necessary time in the backyard. Rick set up a procedure for them to follow. He’d kill the alarm for a few minutes, Kelly would open the back door and let the dog out, then close it while the animal did her thing. Both of them would wait, guns ready, in the utility room until she called the dog back in. Then the alarm went on again.

Before she opened the back door, Kelly whispered in the dog’s ear.

I can’t go outside with you. Come right back.

Okay.

Look for danger. Anything smells wrong, let me know.

I won’t let anything hurt you. Either of you.

I know. I trust you. We have to take care of Rick.

Xena barked and, as soon as the door opened, she loped out into the yard.

“Faith’s Aunt Vivi would salivate if you told her about the mental conversations you and Xena have,” Rick told her while they waited for the dog to finish up outside.“She’s the one who helped Faith refine her own psychic abilities.”

“I’m going to call her while we’re here, if it’s okay.”

Rick nodded. “She’d love it. And you should call Faith and Mia too.”

The minute they were locked up tight again alone in the house the atmosphere changed, became more charged. Electric. As if all the little touches and light kisses of the previous days bubbled up together. They were in the entry hall, standing so close together she could count every eyelash, looking at each other in a suddenly awkward silence.

Kelly cleared her throat. “Well. The trip can’t have been too comfortable for you and it’s pretty late. Probably you should get out of those clothes and get into bed.”

Rick moved a fraction of an inch closer, his warm hands resting on her shoulders. “Exactly what I had in mind.”

Before she could move, his mouth came down on hers, lightly at first, then pressing more firmly. Her arms automatically wound themselves around his neck, pulling him closer and she relaxed against him.

“That’s it, Red,” he whispered against her mouth. “Let yourself feel. I’ve been waiting for this all day. Getting you in my own bed. Naked.”

His lips were warm as they brushed back and forth against hers, his teeth nibbling gently at the corners, biting lightly on her lower lip. When his tongue parted the seam of her mouth, she opened without a protest, allowing his tongue to sweep inside. Sparks of lightning shot through her, turning her legs to jelly and her blood to liquid fire. She couldn’t remember a kiss ever affecting her like this in her life. But then, she’d never known a man like Rick Latrobe before, either.

She could have stayed there like that forever with her body pressed against his, feeling his erection hard against her, his hands holding her, his tongue tantalizing her. Then her brain kicked in and she pulled her head back enough to catch her breath. When she opened her eyes, his blue ones were blazing into hers.

“Time for bed, pretty girl.”

“Aren’t you worried about the people out there trying to kill you?” Even as aroused as she was, Kelly couldn’t get the thought out of her head.

He pressed light kisses to her forehead, her nose, her chin. “I’ll tell you what. An hour from now all that crap will still be there. Right now we’re going up to my room where I’m going to follow your advice, take off my clothes and get into bed. But only if you get in there with me.”

Chapter Ten

Tracing the rifle found beneath the dead insurgent took less time than anyone expected. Captain Lange forwarded the information to his commanding officer who sent it on to Central Command. From there it was easy to link it to the Grainger Caldwell cargo that Rick Latrobe had baby-sat to Iraq. Which was why Charlie Grainger stormed into Dan’s office late Monday morning, his face nearly purple. Matt Caldwell, his partner, walked in silently behind him.

Charlie, built tall and thick like a football player, had a ruddy complexion and a smile that never quite reached his piercing blue eyes. His thick brown hair was worn cropped close to the head, more for ease of care than style, Dan thought. He was the front man for GC. The glad-hander. The wheeler-dealer. Matt was equally as tall but lean and his longish auburn hair was slightly graying. Matt handled everything behind the scenes, including the legal aspect and the money. While Charlie was a shouter and fist-pounder, Matt preferred to sit back and wait until everyone else had their say before bringing out the hidden verbal knife.

Which was exactly what he did now, taking one of the client chairs while his partner stomped back and forth.

“Charlie, sit down,” Dan said, making his voice as mild as possible. “You’ll have a stroke and then where will you be?”

“Out of this crap at least,” Charlie shouted. Then he took a deep breath, visibly gathered his control and dropped into a chair facing Dan. “I had two visitors this morning, Dan.”

“Oh?”

Dan waited for Charlie to get his breathing under control.

“They were from one of these government alphabet agencies, of which they have so many. They had identical suits and matching badges.”

Dan’s stomach tightened. “And what did they want?”

“They wanted to know everything about the shipment Rick took over to Iraq,” Matt said quietly. “How it was handled and what happened to it. We’d kind of like to know the same things, Dan.”

“You know what the drill was,” Dan told him. “We picked up the equipment as per your okay, loaded it onto the Hercules C-130J, flew it over to Iraq and signed it off to Greg Jordan.”

“Your man,” Matt pointed out in the same low-key voice.

“Who you also approved.”

“They want to know how such a big shipment disappeared.”

“And what did you tell them?” Dan asked, watching Charlie’s face.

“I told them they had to talk to you. And Rick. Especially Rick. That he handled the whole thing.”

“Fine. Send them along.”

“Oh, they’ll be here,” Charlie said. “No doubt about that. They could even be right on my tail.”

“Then we’ll take care of it. Just like we always do.” But Dan had a feeling this wasn’t going to be as easy to fix as things usually were.

“Where’s Latrobe?”Charlie demanded. “I want to know where you’ve got him stashed. This is his mess. He needs to clean it up now. Is he back home yet? I want to see him now.”

“You know Rick was nearly killed, right?” Dan pointed out. “He came within seconds of dying. He’s in no condition to see anyone right now.”

“He may not have a choice,” Charlie huffed. “These people don’t take no for an answer. And I want to see him myself. No more stalling. I want to know how he screwed this up, He’s costing me a fortune and now my attorney says I could be tried for treason if they can prove anything.”

“Those are the key words,” Dan pointed out. “Prove anything. And we’re a long way from that.”

“I ought to have your ass, is what I ought to do,” Grainger told him, his face still dangerously red.

“You just about have,” Dan told him. “The fact that I’m hanging on to any of our clients is no thanks to you.” He deliberately forced himself to relax. He and Charlie had been at it on some level or other ever since the debacle in Baghdad. “All right. Listen.”

“Listen?” Charlie’s voice was rising again. “Listen to what? I want Latrobe. He’s the one whose ass should be hauled in front of this committee. Not mine or Matt’s.”

“Let me get some coffee in here and we’ll take a good, long look at this.” Dan made his voice as soothing as possible. “We’re not going to leave you hanging in the wind, Charlie. We want to get to the bottom of this even more than you do.”

“Yeah? You’re not the one who’s out millions of dollars here.”

“No,” Dan said quietly. “We have something bigger to lose.”

“And what’s that?”

“Our reputations.”

* * * * *

They couldn’t keep him hidden forever, Greg reasoned. He knew Rick Latrobe too well. Sooner or later he’d force them to let him out of hiding, just as soon as he was healed enough to move around. And he was sure the man would head straight for his own house, confident he could handle whatever came at him.

His ego is really unbelievable, and that gives me an advantage.

So he’d watched and waited and tonight luck had been with him. He couldn’t believe it. He was doing his usual daily pass by Latrobe’s house, just checking for any activity, one final check for the night just in case. He wasn’t looking for the truck so he might have missed it altogether if he hadn’t recognized Troy Arsenault. But who the hell was the girl with them? And that dog. God, he’d never seen a dog like that, sniffing the air as it was led up to the front door, then turning to look in the direction where Greg was parked one block over. For one uncomfortable moment he was afraid the dog had scented him but he knew that was idiotic. He was too far away.

He picked up his camera with the long-range lens on it and snapped a succession of photos. When he left here he’d do some research. Find out who she was. From his laptop he could tap into any number of databases.

After everyone was inside, he allowed himself only one more pass by the house. Not too slowly, not enough to raise anyone’s eyebrows if someone happened to be looking out the window. No, now that he knew where Latrobe was again, he needed to get the hell out of there and make plans.

He knew Latrobe would have a high-tech security system but seeing the dog had given him an idea. If the animal was staying with him, at least twice a day they’d have to turn off the system temporarily. All he needed to do was wait for his opportunity. And find a place to watch from.

Meanwhile he needed to call Zarife and tell him he was temporarily off the hook. Once this job was done he had to get the hell out and he didn’t want to leave any dangling threads. He wondered how much trouble it would cause if he took out the engineer too. Zarife al-Dulami was a loose end he couldn’t leave dangling.

* * * * *

Rick’s bed was big and wide, with a thick mattress. Eminently more comfortable than the bed at Dogwood House.

“Plenty of room to play,” he joked, pulling her down next to him.

She winced at the sight of the puckered scars on his chest, fading but still an angry red.

“Rick.”

“Hey. Don’t wimp out on me now. I’m in much better shape than I was that first night.” He rolled until she was beneath him. “And I can take much better care of you.”

He found the spot behind her ear that was so sensitive and traced it with his tongue then licked a path down the column of her neck. Up and across her jawline. Then his mouth was on hers, hot and urgent. Hungry. Greedy. His tongue thrust inside and glided over every surface, a whisper of flame igniting every nerve.

Kelly threaded her fingers through his hair, holding his head while he fed from her mouth. His big, swollen cock pressed against her thigh, branding it with its heat and she was instantly dripping wet. She pressed herself up against him, loving the feel of his chest hair against her breasts and the muscular strength of his legs twined with hers.

He lifted his mouth from hers and placed a row of kisses down her throat to the slope of her breasts, finding her nipple and pulling one into his mouth. Electricity jolted straight to her cunt, igniting the simmering heat and desire.

He took his time with her nipples, sucking and pulling on each one, grazing them with his teeth then biting down so she rode the sharp edge of pleasure-pain.

“Rick,” she breathed, her hands stroking the hard muscles of his sleek back, her hips urging him to do more, more, more. When she tried to reach down to take him in her hand he brushed her arm away.

“This is my feast tonight,” he told her. “My bed. My rules. And I’m going to taste every inch of your body.”

He proceeded to do exactly that, sliding his mouth down to place light kisses on her tummy then shifting so he was giving attention to her ankles, her calves, the inside of her thighs. He nipped at the sensitive skin, then licked each place, soothing the tiny bite marks. She desperately wanted him to get down to business, to get to her throbbing pussy, but he seemed just as determined to torment her. Make her wait.

His thumbs pressed into the crease where hip and thigh joined, and finally, finally, she felt him press an open-mouthed kiss right there at the very center of her cunt.

Oh god!

She tried to wrap her legs around his neck to hold him in place, but he pressed them outward with his broad shoulders, keeping her exposed to his marauding mouth. That very wicked tongue licked and lapped and tasted every inch of her pussy, tracing her slit from top to bottom and back again over and over.

Inside! she wanted to shriek. I want you inside!

But he was intent on savoring her pussy, tasting every inch of it, teasing it with his tongue. Lick, lick, lick. When his mouth finally closed over her throbbing clit she bucked upwards, thrusting at his mouth. He tugged at her clit with his teeth, grazing it again and again until she couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Please,” she begged. “Please, please, please.”

“Please what?” he asked, his mouth still on her hot, wet cunt.

“Please…fuck me.”

Oh god. She’d never said that to a man before. Never used those words. But Rick Latrobe drove her into a sensual, erotic whirlpool unlike anything she’d ever experienced. And with him she apparently lost all inhibitions.

“I always oblige a lady.”

He reached into the nightstand drawer for a condom and expertly rolled it on his very erect cock. One momentary pause while he lifted her legs over his shoulders and paused at her entrance. Then he pushed inside her with one strong thrust, filling her completely.

“Oh, Jesus,” he breathed. “Oh god. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.” He blew out a long breath. “Look at me, Kelly. Open your eyes.”

When she did she saw his blazing fiercely, locked onto hers like lasers.

And then it began. The slow ride, the slide in and out, the plunge and retreat, the incredible friction against the walls of her pussy. Everything fell away except the erotic heat that consumed her, igniting her body until she felt like one living flame.

In, out, hard, harder, fast, faster.

She locked her ankles behind his neck, pulling herself tighter against him, feeling his balls slap against her with each movement.

More, more, more, more.

Her eyes focused on him, locked onto his face.

She knew the moment his climax began to spiral through him, grip his body. And she knew he was watching her carefully for signs that she, too, was ready.

The coil unwinding inside her snapped.

“Yes,” she hissed at him.

He drove into her hard once, twice, three times, then they fell over the edge together. The shared orgasm broke over them with the force of a thunderstorm, shaking them, tossing them into space as if some giant fist had grabbed them and refused to let go. His big body tensed then shuddered, hard, again and again, as his semen filled the thin condom, the heat of it scorching her inner walls. He rolled to the side, taking her with him, still joined with her, while they struggled to breathe and even out their racing heartbeats.

When the storm finally passed, they lay spent, sweat-slicked bodies pressed together, hearts hammering, lungs dragging in air as they struggled to return their breathing to normal.

“Holy fuck,” he said when he could speak again. “Kelly, Kelly, Kelly.”

She placed a hand on his cheek, stroking the day-old stubble. “I’m here.”

“And damn well never getting away from me.” He brushed a kiss over her lips. “Holy shit, woman.”

She couldn’t help the smile. “Does that mean it was good for you?”

He looked at her for a moment before he burst out laughing. “I’d say good hardly begins to describe it. If it was any better I’d be dead.”

After a long while he eased his body from hers, padded to the bathroom to dispose of the condom, then climbed back into bed with her. She lay nestled close to Rick in his huge bed, feeling unbelievably sated and boneless. But worried now about the exertion and what he might have done to himself.

“It’s okay, Red,” he told her, sensing her feelings. “I’m not stupid enough to do myself permanent damage. Believe me. It’s all good.”His lips curved in a slow smile. “You were unbelievable. Incredible.” He lowered his voice. “Addictive. I may never be able to stop for the rest of my life.”

She gave him an answering smile. “I hope not.”

A sober expression replaced his smile. “I mean it, Red. Whatever happens with this mess we’re in, I’m never letting you go. Mark and Dan said the same thing when it happened to them. When Fate sends you someone you connect with, you don’t turn away.”

She spooned against him, head nestled on his arm. His other arm was thrown over her body, his hand cupping her breast. And that was how they fell asleep.

Despite the vertical blinds on the windows, sunlight flooding the room woke them in the morning. Rick’s hand was still covering her breast, one leg thrown over her thigh. She could feel his morning erection pressing hard against her backside.

But Xena was pushing at her hand, demanding attention to her early morning needs.

Rick groaned. “We have to teach that dog how to let herself out,” he complained. “She’s interfering with my plans.”

Kelly laughed. “We have plenty of time for your plans. Let me get her taken care of then we can shower.”

A slow grin spread over his face. “I sure do like the sound of that.”

“You have a lecherous mind,” she teased and rolled out of bed, pulling on her shirt and jeans from the day before. “Come on, Xena. It’s your turn first.”

The dog followed her down the stairs and waited while she turned off the alarm with the codes Rick had given her. But when she opened the back door Xena stopped on the porch, scenting the air. Refusing to move.

“What is it, girl? Something out there?”

Moving back just inside the doorway she scanned the yard, wishing that Rick didn’t have quite so many old, thick trees. It gave him the privacy he wanted but didn’t do much for security. She hoped his system worked as well as he promised.

At last she was able to nudge the dog into the yard. She completed her business rapidly then bounded back into the house and nudged the door closed. She whined and tossed her head until Kelly bent down and put their faces close together. At once an image flooded her mind, little more than a shadow. A man dressed in black from head to toe, something long in his hands. Then it was gone.

“Okay, okay,” Kelly said, resetting the alarm. “Let’s go tell Rick.”

“There can’t be anyone out there,” he argued. “No one can get past my system.”

“Okay,” she said with reluctance, “but I’d trust Xena over any system any day.”

He picked up the radio from the nightstand where he’d left it. “I know Alpha changed shifts at six this morning. Let’s make sure everyone’s in place.” He clicked the talk button. “Everyone report in.”

It took only seconds for the three men hidden in the area to signal their presence. Rick set the radio back down.

“Let’s shower and eat and I’ll check the tapes on the security cameras.”

Rick would have prolonged the shower if Kelly had let him but she insisted they could play later. Xena’s edginess was making her uneasy. When they dressed, they each checked their handguns again and stashed them on their bodies. Rick picked up the radio and clipped it to the waistband of his jeans.

The minute they hit the front hall downstairs, Xena pushed Rick toward the kitchen with her big body. Kelly moved to the living room window and peered between the slatted blinds but in seconds she felt Rick behind her, his hand clamped on her wrist, pulling her away.

“Someone may be out there. My partners said strange cars have been doing regular drive-by surveillance. The team didn’t report anything suspicious but it only takes a second for someone to turn onto this street and cruise by. If someone’s there you don’t want to let them see you.”

He pushed her behind him and went to take a look for himself without disturbing the slats. Xena growled louder and again pushed herself against Rick, shoving him away from the window. When Rick tried to resume his position, Xena just pushed harder.

Rick backed away from the window and Xena planted herself between Rick and the wall. He lifted the radio to his mouth and asked each team member to check in again. Two of them reported all clear.

“Strange car cruising by,” the third man reported. “I was just about to buzz you. It’s made a pass twice.”

“Can he see you?” Rick asked.

“Are you kidding? I didn’t start doing this yesterday, Rick.”

“Sorry. Okay. I’m calling the office. Stay alert.” He replaced the radio on his belt, still trying to see out the window. He slipped his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed the button that rang the Phoenix private number. Mark answered on the first ring.

“Trouble?”he asked, ignoring the amenity of a greeting.

“Maybe. Xena seems to think there is and I trust her instincts. One of the team out there reports a car cruising more than once. I don’t want them to reveal themselves yet just in case. I’m going to check the tapes.”

“Be right there.”

Rick clicked off.

Kelly picked up her rifle from the table where she’d left it, checked the load and snapped the barrel back in place.

“I hope to god we don’t need that,” Rick said.

“Better safe than sorry,” she told him.

Rick had started toward the window again and once again Xena was in his way, preventing him from moving forward.

Rick reached down and touched the dog’s head. “Okay, girl. We’ll wait.”

He led Kelly into the den where he flipped on the monitor that showed all the camera feeds and pressed rewind, then play. In a moment they saw an innocuous gray sedan passing the house, driving the posted speed limit. Two minutes passed, then the car drove by again from the opposite direction.

“Could be someone looking for a house number but I don’t think so,” Rick said. “All right. Let’s get some coffee.”

Kelly followed him into the kitchen and dug in the cupboards for coffee supplies. The drip of the coffeemaker was the only sound to break the silence.

* * * * *

When his cell phone rang Zarife looked at the number on the readout and quaked. Source unknown. That meant only one person. He pressed talk and lifted the phone to his ear.

“Yes?”

“You and your family have to be the stupidest people I have ever done business with,” the man on the other end said.

His voice was so cold, Zarife shivered. “I don’t understand. The money was in your account as promised. We took delivery as agreed. If you’re worried about Rick Latrobe, I am helping your man locate him as we speak.”

“Well, you’d better damn well find him,” the man spat, “because we’ve got bigger troubles than you can imagine. You tell your father I thought he was a careful man with brains. He’d better be glad he’s not in my sights right now.”

“Excuse me?” Zarife was shaking. What could have gone wrong? “I have no idea what you’re talking about. The raids have all gone well. Soon the entire territory will be ours again.”

“If we’re not all in prison first.”

A sudden bubble of nausea rose in Zarife’s throat. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the fact that the last raid was not just a miserable failure. Your father and his people left one of the rifles behind and it’s been traced.”

The bubble threatened to pop. Zarife swallowed hard. “Do you mean…”

“I mean we’re in a shitload of trouble. It feels like every government agency under the sun is digging into this and men in matching black suits are asking questions we don’t want answered. Is that clear enough for you?”

Zarife felt the vise of a headache gripping his temples. This couldn’t be happening.

“Have you spoken to your father lately?” the man asked.

“Not since a week past,” Zarife told him. “In our last conversation he assured me all was well.”

“You’d better give him another call. Tell him no more raids until this blows over. If it ever does. And he and his people better figure out how to disappear from sight for a while and take all that gear with them. Do it now.”

The connection was gone. Zarife looked around him. He was in a strip mall and had found an outside bench to sit on while he took the call. People were walking past him in both directions, none of them appearing to notice him.

He would have to call his father. All their dreams were about to disappear. How could this have happened?

* * * * *

Greg Jordan lowered his binoculars and let them hang from the strap around his neck. The binocs were the most powerful he could buy and even at that distance the clarity was unbelievable.

He couldn’t believe that luck had been with him again, kind enough to provide a hiding place for him that wasn’t out in the open. If he hadn’t had to move his car so quickly… If he hadn’t nearly been hit by that other vehicle… But he had and now he was invisible as he watched the house where his quarry was sequestered. He only needed it for a short time, long enough to see who went in and out and what their pattern was, if any. He’d seen whoever it was that brought Latrobe and the girl leave, then someone let that ungodly dog out in the yard, a process they repeated in the morning. Otherwise nothing.

Okay. He needed to scope out what was at the rear of the house, because those few minutes might be his only chance to make his hit. He could do it. He’d been a sniper for many years and he hadn’t lost his edge. But he needed a place to wait unseen and an escape route.

If things went well, one more day and he’d be done. He couldn’t afford to hang around much longer. Now that Rick Latrobe was out of the hospital the man would pull out all the stops to find him and Greg could not allow that to happen. He’d be damn glad to get rid of that son of a bitch once and for all. He’d do his thing and get the hell out of Dodge.

He scanned the front of the house again, looking for any sign of activity. For a moment he thought someone was looking back at him from an upstairs window. His heart tripped a beat then settled again. He couldn’t take the chance of being spotted. But when he refocused there was no one there.

Letting himself out of the house at the side door, he made his way to his car parked two blocks over. He’d moved it every couple of hours, just in case someone was checking. He drove slowly down the street, a man in no particular hurry to any watching eyes, until he was on the street facing Latrobe’s backyard. Stopping for the briefest amount of time, he found what he was looking for, made another pass in the opposite direction, then found a new parking space. He’d catch some sleep tonight and make his plans.

Once he was back in the house, he flipped open his cell and punched in the speed dial for Zarife.

“You’re off the hook,” he told the other man. “I found him. I’ll take care of it myself.”

“We have a slight problem,” Zarife told him, his voice edged with tension.

Greg was instantly alert. “A problem? What’s that?”

But before Zarife could answer him, the phone beeped to let him know another call was coming through.

“I have to take this call,” Greg snapped. “I’ll get back to you.” He depressed the Flash button. “If you’re calling about my project I’ve got it handled.”

“Have you now,” the voice growled. “Well, it better be handled damn fast, because we have big, big trouble.”

Greg’s body tensed. “What kind of trouble?”

As the voice on the other end explained the new situation, Greg Jordan suddenly saw his dreams of retirement on a tropical island fading faster than morning clouds.

No! He was not going to let this happen. Not when he’d put up with so much crap and done what had to be done to get there.

“The media has the story,” the man said. “And government investigators are hot on everyone’s tail. We can’t allow Latrobe to talk to anyone. So far the shooting seems to have scrambled his brains. But this is a smart man. He’s going to connect the dots any minute.”

“It’ll be done tomorrow night. But you’d better have a damn plane ready to get me out of here.”

“The plane will be waiting until midnight at the place where we brought you in. After that it’s every man for himself.”

And like that the connection was gone.

He pushed the button to reconnect with Zarife.

“I know what’s happening,” he bit off. “You’d better stand by in case I need you.”

“Need me for what?” Zarife asked, his voice shaky.

“I don’t know yet. Just don’t go anywhere.”

Greg had to smother an urge to toss the phone against the wall. Instead, he forced himself to concentrate on the view of Latrobe’s house, scanning for any new activity. When he was sure he had his anger under control, he picked up the phone and punched in a number he hadn’t called for a long time.

“Me. Yeah. I need you to meet me at our usual spot and take me to your place. I need some supplies again. Mine are inaccessible at the moment. As soon as it’s dark.”

When he disconnected the call he felt better. Lying down on the living room couch, he set his watch alarm and closed his eyes.

The alarm woke him at seven and he was instantly alert. Time to get going. Quickly he let himself out of the house, keeping close to the high shrubs in the yard, walked three streets over and got in his car. Tonight he’d take care of damn Rick Latrobe and get his ass out of there. And life would be good again.

* * * * *

When Mark rang the doorbell Rick checked through the spyhole in the door, disengaged the alarm system and cracked open the door.

“Stick your hand in so Xena knows it’s you,” he told his friend. “She’ll remember the handshake and your scent from Dogwood House.”

“She won’t bite it off, will she?” Mark asked, only half joking.

“Not unless we tell her to. Come on.”

The big Ovcharka had planted herself on Rick’s feet the moment the bell had rung. Now she sniffed at the protruding hand, lifted herself up and moved to the side to let Mark enter.

“What’s going on?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at the two armed people who greeted him.

“Xena won’t let us get near the windows,” Rick told him. “Having learned what I have about her, I’d say that means danger is outside there and not too far away. The cameras show the same gray sedan that the team spotted passing by twice.”

“Let me get some more people over here before we do anything else.” Mark pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed a single number. “Scramble Gamma team. Quiet and invisible. I want to leave Alpha in place. Have them check this entire block and the ones on either side. Whatever disguise they think will work. I’ll have Rick leave the alarm off until they can search the grounds.”

“Use the power company uniforms and truck,” Rick put in. “That will allow them to go anywhere.”

Mark repeated that, then hung up.

“We have coffee,” Kelly told him. “Come on in the kitchen.”

“Good thing, I think we’ll all need it. Or something stronger.”

“You’d better explain that last remark,” Rick told him when they were seated around the table with full mugs.

Mark rubbed a hand over his chin, his eyes assessing Rick’s condition before he said anything.

“I’m fine,” Rick snapped, impatience edging his voice. He looked at Kelly. “Tell him how fine I am.”

Mark did his best to hide his smile as Kelly blushed to her hairline. “Yes. Well. Glad to hear it. You’ll need to be in shape.”

“Spit it out,” Rick commanded.

In short, clipped sentences Mark told them about Charlie Grainger and Matt Caldwell, their visit from the men in black suits and how it came about.

“You know Charlie. He’s off the charts, he’s so angry,” he related. “Dan’s doing his best to contain the situation. He and Mike are pulling out all the stops to reach their contacts and see what they can find out.”

“Has anyone managed to discover who bought the weapons?” Rick asked.“Usually that information is all over the gossip chain. The buyers are busy bragging about it. I would have expected a shipment this big to appear on the open market, piecemeal if not as a whole.”

Mark shook his head. “Nope. Not a whisper. Whoever did this had the buyer already lined up. That’s another big part of the mystery, although finding that gun has given us a clue. Remember what you said your contact told you? About a family or tribe in the northern corner of the country planning a takeover of lands they used to own?”

“Yeah but I never got a chance to talk to him again.”

“Apparently he was right. Suddenly there’s a lot of action in that area. Three towns have fallen, only we can’t get in there to find out to whom. And no one is talking. I mean no one, which is very unusual. The guards are so strong around those cities it isn’t worth the loss of life we’d incur trying to force the issue. If the coalition hadn’t made a guess as to where they’d strike next, we still might not have a clue.”

Kelly fiddled with her mug. “I don’t presume to know anything about this except what I see on television but wouldn’t this whole thing have taken a lot of planning? A lot of preparation?”

Mark nodded. “Yes, it would. And the seller would have had to have information well beforehand to select the buyer.”

“So what happens now?” Rick wanted to know.

Mark started to answer him when his phone chirped at him. “Dan,” he mouthed and listened to his partner.

“Okay,” he said at last. “I’ll take care of things on this end. Set up what you need to for tomorrow.”

“What now?” Rick wanted to know.

“The black suits have descended on Dan. He’ll keep me out of it for today so I can take care of things here but I guess tomorrow it’s my turn into the barrel.”

“What about me?”

“We have to get you out of here, despite the fact you’re the biggest piece of bait out there.”

“Negative.” Rick clenched his hand around his coffee mug. “Let’s see what the teams turn up outside here. We need to draw the shooter out and find out who’s pulling his strings.”

“This is beyond that. I never should have let you come back to this house to begin with, bait or no bait. Now we have no choice. We can’t let the feds get hold of you until we get a handle on this, so don’t argue. You, my man, are going to have to disappear.”

* * * * *

Dan stared at the two men in his office, fighting to control his rage and maintain a cold exterior.

“You’re barking up the wrong tree, gentlemen,” he told them. “Phoenix has an impeccable reputation. That’s why the government uses us on occasion. We’d never be party to something like this.”

“It takes a lot of inside information to plan something like this,” Black Suit A said in a flat monotone.

“I agree. But this isn’t where they got it from.” Dan met their stares with one of his own, equally as chilled. “May I ask what other avenues you’re investigating? Surely Phoenix isn’t the only name on your list.”

“Who and what we’re investigating isn’t up for discussion,” Black Suit B told him. “We’re here to find out the extent of your involvement. You and your partners.”

“After all,” Black Suit A pointed out, “you’re the ones who handled everything. Grainger Caldwell is a long-standing client of yours.”

“We’re in discussion with them too,” Black Suit B added.

“Oh, yes.” Dan snorted. “Charlie Grainger made me well aware of that earlier today.”

“All this publicity can’t be too good for you. I can’t imagine you like seeing your names everywhere associated with this.”

“We have nothing to hide. Nothing.”

A heavy silence wrapped itself around them as they all sat silently, gazes locked.

“We’ll want to go through all of your files,” Black Suit A said finally. “All of them.”

“Those files are confidential,” Dan told him. “You want to see them? Get a subpoena.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

“Fine. Until then, everything in this office is off-limits to you.”

“You could make this much easier on yourself if you’d just cooperate.”

Dan ground his teeth. “There’s nothing to cooperate about. Our hands are clean. Find out who bought the merchandise and who they bought it from. That’s where you’ll get your answers.”

“We want your partner,” Black Suit B said. “Eric Latrobe. It’s likely we’ll be charging him with selling those weapons and gear to the enemy.”

Dan felt the rage bubbling up inside him and used every discipline he’d ever learned to maintain control. “First of all,” he said in measured tones, “Rick Latrobe is one of the finest patriots you’ll ever meet. He served his country well in the military and continues to do so in private service. I will not allow anyone to smear his name.”

“Nice words, Mr. Romeo,” Black Suit A said. “But that’s all they are. Words. They don’t mean a damn thing in the face of the evidence.”

“And what evidence is that?” Dan demanded.

“Latrobe was the only one in control of the shipment. He advised Grainger Caldwell what to buy, approved the cargo list, personally accompanied it from here to Baghdad and saw to its offloading. He had plenty of time during his previous visits to make his contacts and arrange for this to happen.”

“And I suppose you have the money trail pinned down too,” Dan said in a sarcastic tone.

There was a heartbeat of silence. “Not yet but we expect to shortly. We’re subpoenaing all his bank accounts and tracing every transaction.”

“Listen to me, you idiots.” Dan wanted to throttle both of them. “Rick nearly died when this deal went down. Does that sound like someone who had a hand in it? No. It sounds like someone who needed to be gotten rid of.”

“Maybe the thieves had a falling-out.” The voice was thick with sarcasm. “In any event, we want him. Everything we’ve discovered leads back to him. And we want to talk to your other partners as well.”

“I’ll have the others here tomorrow. Just tell me what time. But Rick is unavailable.” He rose from his chair. “And this meeting is over. Right now we have nothing else to say to each other.”

“We can have a Department of Justice subpoena to depose him in a matter of minutes,” Black Suit A pointed out.

“You’ll have to find him to serve it.”

“I think you’re making a big mistake here, Romeo,” Black Suit B told him.

“We’ll see. Meantime, we’re done here.”

* * * * *

“But how did this happen?” Zarife asked his father yet one more time.

“Someone was careless.” The fury in the elder al-Dulami’s voice was evident. “He has paid for it, believe me.”

“I have to get out of here,” Zarife told him.“What if someone comes looking for me? What if the seller thinks this is my fault?”

“No.” The word jumped out across the connection. “That would be the worst thing for you to do.”

“Why?”

“Think about it. You just one day quit your job and disappear from sight? You don’t think that would create too many questions that we don’t want answered?”

“But—”

“But nothing. Right now our people are very loyal and are fiercely dedicated to what we’re doing. Even though we command these villages, no one has heard our name connected with any of this because no one is talking. Let’s not give them the opportunity to do so.”

“So what shall I do?”

“Go to work. Live your life until this all dies down. Then we’ll discuss the future.”

“And if they decide to question me?”

“Why would they? There’s no link to you.”

Only the man who set this up and used me as the conduit.

“You don’t know who that man is,” al-Dulami said as if reading his son’s mind. “No one will ever connect him to either of us. Go back to work, Zarife.”

But long after the call was finished, Zarife still sat on the bench, staring off into space.

* * * * *

“All clear.” Mark had just finished speaking to both the Alpha and Gamma Team leaders and taking their report.“Nobody anywhere around. At least not now.”

“You checked everywhere?” Rick asked. “All the surrounding blocks?”

“Everywhere. We even had the Dragon do a check on all your neighbors.”

“I can’t imagine any of these people mixed up in something like this,” Rick mused.

“Probably not. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t look at them.”

“Not everyone’s home right now,” Rick pointed out. “It’s a mixed community. Some of these people are at work, others out on activities or other business.”

Mark shook his head. “But the Dragon can check where they are, where they work. And we can eyeball the presence of any unwanted visitors. We found nothing. The most dangerous person around here is a dentist who gambles but not enough to make him vulnerable to something like this.”

Kelly looked at Xena who was pacing from room to room, nose raised in the air, that low rumble echoing in her throat. “Xena’s not satisfied,” she pointed out.

There is still danger.

The dog’s voice snapped into her brain.

We can’t find anything. Two teams of men searched everywhere.

He’s there. The shadow man. He’ll strike when you least expect him to. Do not let Rick near the doors or windows. Close your eyes and see what I see.

Kelly obediently closed her eyes and instantly the image of the shadowy figure in black popped into her brain. He was still holding something long and narrow, his face turned away from her. Then a spark, like a roman candle and he disappeared.

The shooter is coming, right?

Get Rick away from here.

Xena lifted her head to look Kelly in the eye, then padded over to drink from the bowl of water they’d set out for her.

“What?” Rick asked, his eyes on her face.

“Xena says we have to get you out of here, so you have to do what Dan wants.”

“Remind me to give Xena a big thank you,” Mark muttered. “Okay. Here’s what we’ll do. Tonight we’re moving you out of here. When it’s dark. Meanwhile, I’m moving Alpha Team out to secure a four-block perimeter. And I think I should stay too. Inside. With both of you.”

Rick shook his head. “Not necessary. If everything outside’s been checked and you’ve got men watching, we can handle it from here.”

Still, Mark seemed reluctant to leave.

“Go on,” Rick insisted. “We’ll just wait for Xena to let us know if something’s wrong.”

Mark shrugged, then leaned down to Xena. The huge dog looked him straight in the eye. “Take good care of these people,” he said. When he looked up he shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m talking to a dog.”

Kelly laughed. “I do it all the time. And she answers me.”

As if on cue, Xena moved to the front window and the low growl rumbled from her throat again. She moved back and forth across the wide expanse of glass, nose raised as if a scent had reached her through the solid material.

“Something’s going on,” Kelly told Mark.

“If you say so. But I’m telling you, we checked everything around here. It’s hard to know who’s where in the daytime because half of these people work but we didn’t find anything unusual around the empty homes. I still think I should hang out.”

“We’re fine,” Rick insisted. “Go. Do whatever you have to.”

“We have to finalize arrangements for tonight,” Mark reminded him.“I think the cabin’s our best bet.”

“We’ll discuss it after I talk to Dan. Have him call me when you get back to the office. I don’t want to interrupt his warm conversations with the alphabet agents.”

Mark made a disgusted sound. “Jerks. Okay. I’ll check in with you later.”

* * * * *

They were all edgy the rest of the day. After another short trip to the backyard, Xena paced the first floor from front to back, refusing to allow either Kelly or Rick near doors or windows. After Mark left, Kelly made a late breakfast which she insisted Rick eat but which she herself picked at.

Driven to try to solve the puzzle that had thrown their lives into such an upheaval, Rick pulled a pad of paper from his desk drawer in the den and, with Kelly sitting next to him and Xena pressed against them both, began to list everything he could think of relating to Iraq, Grainger Caldwell and the arms shipment.

By the time the afternoon sun had set and the darkness of night settled over them, he’d accumulated pages and pages of notes but nothing had connected in his brain. Disgusted, he threw down his pen and picked up the soft drink Kelly had brought him.

“It’s the damnedest thing,” he said. “It’s like there’s something stuck in my mind and I can’t knock it loose. Something I know but I don’t know.”He looked at Kelly. “Does that sound too weird?”

“No, not at all. It’s apparent somebody thinks you know something or they wouldn’t be trying so hard to kill you. There’s a reason they think that.” She pushed the pad of paper away from him. “Give it a rest for a while. If you try too hard you’ll block it out.”

Rick and Dan talked three times about the arrangements for leaving but after the last call everything was still unsettled.

“Get back to me when you figure it out,” Rick said before he disconnected the call and turned to Kelly. “I hate this, you know. I feel like some sniveling coward sneaking away from the scene of the action.”

“Better a sniveling coward than a dead hero. Come on. I want to let Xena out again and get her taken care of. Let’s give her a few minutes in the yard, then I’ll fix us some dinner. It’s been a long day and we haven’t eaten since breakfast. Then we’ll get ready to leave.”

They both checked their guns and Rick punched the code to turn off the alarm but Xena didn’t seem any too eager to go outside and take care of business. Instead she hung back, whining.

“Come on, girl,” Kelly coaxed. “Rick and I want to eat and you may not get another chance at this before we leave.”

Urging the dog along, she finally got her to move into the laundry room toward the back door. Again she dug in her claws.

Kelly looked at Rick who’d come up behind her. “I think there may be something out there,” she said. “You know I don’t usually have this trouble with her. She’s got all the signs of needing to take care of business but she won’t budge.”

“Let me check. Get behind me.”

“No, damn it. You’re the one they want. Let me open the door and see what’s out there.”

But Rick pushed her out of the way and reached around Xena for the doorknob. He had barely opened the door when Xena leaped in the air and knocked him down, banging his head on the floor.

“Xena. What the hell?”

At the same moment he was trying to push the huge dog off his body, he heard the soft whomp of a suppressed rifle shot and felt the whisper of air as a high-velocity bullet whizzed past him and buried itself in the wall.

“Kelly, get down,” he shouted, tugging her to the floor with him as a second bullet, lower, barely missed him.

She fell in a heap beside him, kicking the door shut with her foot.

“Are you okay? Are you hit? Kelly? Answer me, damn it.”

She gulped in a lungful of air. “I’m fine. You?”

“Okay. I’ve got to reset the alarm.”Rick managed to roll to his knees away from Xena and edge to the panel in the hall, then crawled back to her. “Keep down. I’m calling the agency. Pulling those guys from the team back was a lousy idea. Just be ready to shoot if you have to. I don’t know if we got the alarm reset in time or not.”

“Shouldn’t we move to another room?” she asked.

“No. There are no windows here for anyone to see through. Anyway, I don’t think our guard dog is going to let us move.”

He pulled out his cell phone and punched in the emergency number for Phoenix. This time it was Mike who answered.

“Get the hell over here,” Rick snapped. “Now. Use your key to get in and don’t mind the alarm. Who did you leave in charge here? I need to talk to him.”

Seconds later he had the team leader on the radio, relaying what happened and scattering the team to search the area.

Fifteen minutes later Dan and Mike came charging in, stopping short at the sight that greeted them. Kelly and Rick were backed into a corner of the laundry room where they could see the front and back doors, guns drawn, the enormous Ovcharka pinning them in place.

“Well,” Dan said. “I’d say the shit’s really hit the fan.”

Chapter Eleven

Damn it all to hell, anyway.

Greg Jordan climbed stealthily down from the tree where he’d been perched for three hours. He’d watched carefully while men in phony utility uniforms scoured the neighborhood and been edgy when he saw another team had been in place. But more luck fell his way. Or so he thought. Everyone was pulled to a wide perimeter, leaving the area around Latrobe’s house wide open.

Stupid. I thought these people were smarter than this.

Then he chuckled to himself. They didn’t expect someone as smart as he was to show up. Their mistake.

Knowing the people next door to Latrobe didn’t come home from work until late, he’d climbed up as soon as the area was clear. His opportunity would come as soon as the back door opened to let that infernal dog out.

It didn’t matter to him who opened it. If it was the woman, he’d shoot her, then get Latrobe when he came to help her. If it was Latrobe, one shot and he’d be done.

But that damn dog had ruined everything. He couldn’t afford to stay around to take another shot. Latrobe would be calling in the troops. Besides, the alarm would be reset by now and he didn’t want to hit one of the sensors.

Time for him to get lost.

He harbored no illusions that the man who’d put this all together would take the news kindly. But it was time to cut his losses and let someone else chase Latrobe. This hadn’t been part of the deal anyway. He needed out and right away.

Just to protect himself, he’d transferred the money he’d been paid three times and it now sat waiting for him in a safe place. All he needed was to get out of the country and live long enough to spend it.

Disassembling the rifle, he zipped it into its canvas bag and tucked it under his windbreaker. Forcing himself to walk slowly, he made his way to his car at the end of the street. He knew Latrobe’s men would be hitting the area any minute. Looking carefully to make sure no one was paying attention to him, he cranked the engine and pulled away from the curb.

He didn’t draw a full breath until he was out of the neighborhood and headed toward the interstate.

* * * * *

Dan Romeo still had his cell phone clapped to his ear when he and Mike entered Rick’s house. He didn’t appear any too happy about the call he was on.

“No, Charlie,” he was saying, “I’m not trying to blow you off. I realize how serious this is. Someone just tried to kill Rick for the third time, so you can believe I’m taking this seriously.” He paused. “You can forget that. No way am I making him available to the alphabet guys. He’ll be a sitting target. Uh-huh.” Another pause. “I said I’ll handle it, damn it. Go take your medication and lie down.”

He snapped the phone shut and walked over to where Rick and Kelly were scrambling up from the floor, Xena standing protectively in front of them.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s have it.”

While Rick talked, Mike was busy digging the bullets out of the laundry room wall.

“It’s a .50 caliber slug,” he told them, walking into the kitchen with them in the palm of his hand. “That could fit a lot of rifles.”

“That’s a lot of firepower for close range,” Rick said. “He didn’t just want to kill us. He wanted to pulverize us.”

“Whoever he is,” Dan added, “he wasn’t taking any chances this time.” He punched more numbers into his cell. When he hung up, he said, “People will be searching the neighborhood in less than ten. We had one team in a meeting nearby.”

“They won’t find anything,” Rick argued.

“You never know what these guys can find.”

Kelly had made fresh coffee and filled a mug for everyone. Now she sat at the kitchen table, Xena pressed against her leg, trying to keep from shaking. The last thing she wanted was for these men to think she was a wimp. Rick needed her. Her and Xena. She didn’t want to be left out because they didn’t think she could cut it.

Rick slanted his eyes at her, reached over and covered her hand with his.

“You okay, Red?” he asked in a soft voice.

She nodded. “I’m fine.” When he quirked an eyebrow at her she said, “Really. Totally okay.” She forced a smile. “Xena was right on again, you know.”

He put his mouth close to her ear. “I might have to marry you just to get Xena.”

Kelly started. “M-Marry?” She stumbled over the word.“Did you just say what I thought you did?”

Rick pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “I’ll say it again, just in case you misunderstood. I want to marry you. I know this is fast but time is precious. The best decisions I’ve ever made are the split-second ones. You never know when you’ll lose it and I’m not about to waste it. I want you in my life, Red.”

“Ohmigod.”

“Don’t answer me now because you might say no. But when this is all over, that’s first on my agenda.”

A warm feeling flooded her and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. He wanted to marry her! Ohmigod! She knew she was blushing and lowered her eyes but not before she saw Rick wink at her and turn back to Mark.

Dan brought his coffee and sat down opposite her. He studied her face for what seemed to her an interminable moment.

“Kelly, we have to make some decisions here and you’re going to have to be part of them.”

“That’s not a problem.” She took a healthy sip of the hot liquid. “Xena and I will go wherever Rick does.”

“She comes with a handgun and rifle too.” Rick gave them a small grin, trying to lighten a very heavy situation. “And if it hadn’t been for Xena, neither of us would be alive right now.”

“Okay,” Dan told them. “Here’s the deal. Rick, you know I said earlier we need to keep you away from the feds because you were the point man for the Iraq shipment that disappeared. We wanted to have more time to dig into this before you had to answer any question. That’s why we’re moving you out of here.”

Rick nodded slowly. “And I agreed, although I’m not happy about it.”

“I don’t know any other way to say this except straight out. The feds think you’re the one who stole the shipment and sold it to some rebel group in Iraq. The one operating in the northern corner of the country. And they’re yanking Charlie Grainger’s chain to put pressure on us to produce you.”

“What?” Rick rose from his chair, his face red with anger, fists clenched.

“Sit down,” Dan ordered in a quiet voice. “That’s just someone making noise. No one who knows you really thinks you did this. Least of all us. But it’s all over the press and the story just keeps feeding on itself.”

Rick slowly lowered himself into the chair again, conscious of Kelly’s soft hand on his arm.“I want to meet with these assholes. And set them straight.”

“Absolutely not. We want you as far away from them as possible.”

“But Dan, this reflects on the agency too. This could mean trouble for everyone.”

“You let me worry about that. Meanwhile we’ll go ahead with the plans we made earlier today. Mike’s got the chopper stashed away from our airfield, just in case someone is still watching there. He’ll fly all of you up to the cabin.”

Rick smacked his hand on the table, jarring his mug. “Now that you tell me the real skinny, I’m not so sure I want to leave. I refuse to run away from this.”

“Rick.” Kelly’s voice was low but firm. “Listen to Dan. This is the best thing for us. It gets you away from the shooters, the federal agents and the media. And gives your partners time to get to the bottom of this.”She looked at Dan. “Rick wasn’t too forthcoming this afternoon. Where is this cabin we’re going to?”

Dan forced a grin.“A little-known fact in your life. There’s a road about half a mile past your farm that goes up to the top of the cliff.”

“I know that road,” she interrupted. “It goes nowhere. I think it’s used as a takeoff and landing spot for Search and Rescue.”

The men all exchanged a look.

“If that’s what you think, then we’re doing a damn good job,” Rick told her. “We own a cabin at the top of that cliff that we use for planning missions and hiding out when we need to.”

Kelly gave him a startled look. “You’re kidding. I’ve lived there all my life. I think I would have known if something was going on up there.”

“Like Rick said,” Dan put in. “We’re obviously doing a good job at camouflage. We’ve been using it for years.”

“That’s where we brought Mark when we pulled him out of the terrorist camp in Peru,” Rick went on. “And where Mia and Dan went after…their little episode.”

Rick looked at Kelly, then at Dan. “She stays with me, right? Her and Xena?”

“Absolutely. That’s the plan.”

“I’d be able to check on the farm too,” Kelly pointed out. “Even though all the dogs are gone I want to make sure everything’s okay.”

“Actually,” Dan looked at Rick and back at her, “that’s a good thing because you’ll need to make whatever arrangements you can to close the kennel temporarily. There’s a possibility whoever this is may have identified you. If so, the first place they’ll look when they can’t find Rick is the farm.”

Kelly felt the blood drain from her face. “Are you serious? But that means the cabin might not be safe, either.”

“You said yourself, you live practically in our front yard and you didn’t even know it existed, so that’s not a problem.”

She had planned to make some sandwiches since they hadn’t gotten around to dinner but suddenly Kelly lost her appetite. She pushed her chair back from the table.

“Can you have someone just check to make sure everything’s locked up and the alarms are set? I don’t want to ask either of the people who work for me to do it and possibly put them in danger.”

Dan nodded. “Just give us the codes and we’ll take care of it.”

* * * * *

“I need to speak to your father.”

The disembodied voice at the other end of the call made Zarife’s stomach cramp. “About what? He’s unavailable at the moment.”

“Because I had you tell him to be. But something else has come up.”

Zarife clutched his phone tighter. He wondered if he wished himself on another planet it would happen. “What else could possibly happen now?”

“Rick Latrobe is still alive, a situation that has to be rectified immediately.”

“And what exactly do you expect my father to do about it?” Zarife asked, a terrible feeling of disaster sweeping over him.

“I expect your father to reach out to his contacts in this country and get the job done. Before Latrobe remembers what we want him to forget and before the government gets hold of him.”

“Surely you have people who do that sort of thing,” Zarife said.

“I can’t reach out to any more people on this. There are too many involved as it is. But I may have something that will help you.”

“And what would that be?”

“Jordan emailed me a photo of a woman and a dog. They arrived at Latrobe’s house with him and apparently were with him wherever he was taken after Baghdad. I’m tracing her now. When she’s identified, she may lead you to Latrobe. Then she will need to be eliminated also.”

“But I can’t—”

“I don’t want to hear it. Anyway, I thought killing was second nature to all you people.”

At the words all you people anger replaced fear in Zarife’s body. If it had been within his power, he would have found this man and— No. He needed to keep focused.

“I have men here who can handle all of this,” Zarife began.

“I know all about your men here,” the man interrupted. “We had this discussion before Latrobe went back to Iraq. They didn’t get the job done either. You get hold of your father and give him this number. It will only be good once so don’t screw around with it. Do it now.”

Zarife began to protest again but he realized he was talking to empty air. The man had hung up.

* * * * *

“Getting you out of here is going to be the tricky part,” Dan said. “We don’t know how many pairs of eyes are watching, so we can’t just walk you out the front door.”

“Especially with Xena and me,” Kelly pointed out. “We aren’t exactly hard to miss.”

“Exactly. So we need a plan to get you to where Mike has the helicopter. Then he’ll fly you up to Maine.”

She nodded. “I know you don’t want me near the farm but if I’m going to be away for any length of time I do need to get some personal things. I didn’t expect to be here even this long.”

“All right,” Dan agreed. “Let me think how we’ll do this.”

Kelly looked at the grim expression on Rick’s face and the worry in Dan’s eyes and held up her hands.“Never mind. Except for dog food I’m good.” She smiled at Rick, trying to soften the look in his eyes.

“We’ll take care of it,” Dan assured her and opened his cell phone.

“I don’t suppose anyone’s located Greg Jordan, have they?” Rick asked.

“No but we’re hoping you can do it from the cabin,” Mike told him. “All you need is a secure phone, your computer and your list of contacts.”

“That bastard thinks he can disappear off the face of the earth but he’s wrong.” A muscle twitched in Rick’s cheek. “I’ll run him to ground wherever he is. You can take that to the bank.”

“All right, then. We’d better figure out how we’re going to do this.”

* * * * *

“I have my own problems,” al-Dulami told his son. “I can’t be involved in what’s happening over there.”

“But you are involved,” Zarife said. “They will find out who took the weapons, they will find out about me and we will all be in trouble.”

“Not if you don’t lose your nerve.”

“It isn’t a matter of nerve,” Zarife insisted. “We must get rid of this man. When he figures out the link he will take us all down.”

“My sources tell me Jordan has disappeared. Is that true?”

“Yes. As the Americans say, he has bailed on us.”

Al-Dulami cursed softly. “When this is finished, there won’t be a place in the world he can hide from us. I promise you.”

“Latrobe has a woman with him,” Zarife said. “And a giant dog. Not like anything I’ve ever seen before. Before he disappeared, Jordan took her picture and did a search on her.”

“And?”

Zarife sighed. “Another problem. Let me tell you about this woman and her dog.”

* * * * *

The man who had put this all in motion sat in his den with the afternoon sunlight filtering weakly through his window. He’d left his office early, telling his secretary he had some personal business to take care of.

Personal business. It certainly was that.

Fortunately his wife was at a spa for two days. Both their children were away at college so there was no chance of them disturbing him or asking what he was doing home at this unusual hour.

In front of him on the desk was a Baccarat crystal tumbler filled with ice cubes and Jack Daniel’s Black, his favorite Kentucky aged whiskey. He wasn’t normally a man to whom alcohol was attractive, allowing himself the occasional social drink, or a shot of Jack Black in honor of some special occasion. But today he didn’t think the entire bottle would be enough to blot out his troubles.

It had all seemed so simple in the beginning. He’d taken months to study the scene in the Middle East, checking out each and every possible buyer, looking for the right connection where the buyer would require as much secrecy as he did. And have the extensive cash available to pay him. Very quietly he’d done his research and zeroed in on the al-Dulami family. It helped, of course, that he’d stumbled across Zarife al-Dulami, a seemingly harmless engineer who was doing his own subrosa work, searching out resources for his family which was looking to regain its former glory.

Greg Jordan had been the frosting on the cake. Through him he’d managed the whole thing without ever having to reveal his identity. Collect the money. Deliver the goods. And he was home free.

But then Jordan had made a mistake which apparently was going to collapse the whole thing. He’d thought the man performed better than that. Helping him disappear had been the smartest thing to do, because idiot that he was, Jordan had still hidden an insurance policy—evidence that would point directly to him. Otherwise he would have disposed of Jordan when he screwed up the Latrobe killing.

Well, there’ll be plenty of time for that later on. After he figured out how to retrieve the incriminating papers.

Why had he chased money he didn’t even need? He was secure in the life he’d bought for himself. Why had he let that devil greed goad him into this? At first it had just been the renewed thrill of planning, the danger inherent in the project. Then the greed had taken over. No matter how much he had, he always wanted more. He should have used his head but it apparently was on vacation.

He looked at the computer printout on his desk. Kelly Monroe and her wonder dog. He’d heard about Caucasian Ovcharkas. One-owner dogs. Brave and fearless. He knew that unless they were properly socialized and trained, they were ferocious animals, sometimes unmanageable. They considered every part of the owner’s family to be their family and would fight viciously to protect all of them. The dog’s presence could seriously complicate things. Especially with their rumored psychic link to their owner.

And apparently Kelly Monroe, dog trainer, and the big Ovcharka were Latrobe’s new guardians. The damn dog had certainly screwed up Jordan’s attempt with the rifle.

He’d forced Zarife to call his father and tell him to get his ass in gear, to call his contacts in the States and get him a first-class assassin. But he needed a way to neutralize the woman and her dog. Something that would take her away from Latrobe and leave him protected only by normal human beings.

Tapping his fingers on the desk, he sipped at his whiskey. He had an idea but it meant bringing yet another person into the equation, one more person who could expose him, bring him down. Well, it couldn’t be helped.

Swallowing a healthy taste of the liquor, he unlocked the side drawer in his desk and pulled out a thin book with phone numbers. In for a penny, in for a pound, he guessed, as he dialed a number.

* * * * *

“We’ll use your shiny new Navigator,” Dan said. “It’s just sitting in the garage and no one’s seen it so it’s pretty innocuous. We’ll load from there.”

Kelly and Rick stood in the front hall, each with a duffel bag at their feet, Kelly holding her rifle, her H&K tucked into the small of her back. Rick had his Glock in the pocket of his windbreaker. Xena sat at their feet, watching and waiting.

“I want Xena to check everything out first,” Kelly told them.

“Good idea.” Dan opened the door leading into the garage.

Kelly leaned down and took Xena’s head between her palms, her eyes looking directly into the dog’s. The connection between dog and woman was obvious to everyone watching.

Seek the danger. Protect Rick.

I will.

She whispered in Xena’s ear, signaled her with her hand then gestured toward the garage.

Xena loped down the two steps and began patrolling the area, sniffing at everything. Slowly she paced around each vehicle, looking for all the world like a four-footed, gigantic inspector checking for defects. Finally she went back to the bottom of the steps, looked at Kelly and Rick and emitted a single bark.

“I may have to put her on salary,” Dan joked. “Okay, folks. Let’s do this.”

Rick had set the timer for the lights so the house would not be dark at night. Now he set the alarm and they all piled into the car, rolling quietly through the neighborhood, all eyes alert for an appearance of anything out of the ordinary. In ten minutes they were on the interstate heading for the chopper.

“Is it far from here?” Kelly asked.

“We’ll be there in just a few minutes,” Mike answered.

Twenty minutes later they turned off the highway onto a two-lane road that ended at what looked to Kelly like a country airfield. Off to one side was a two-story house, lights glowing in the windows. The helicopter stood straight ahead of them.

“Place belongs to an old friend of mine,” Mike told them. “I use it when I want to be under the radar.”

Troy was waiting for them with supplies—a small first-aid kit with extra pain medication for Rick and more of the antibiotic medication for his healing wound and enough dog food to feed a complete kennel.

“You certainly are taking good care of my dog.”Kelly tried to smile.

“I’m not worried about Xena,” he told her. “She’s got the best money could buy.”

“But you are worried about Rick.”

“Not really. He’s got an amazing healing factor. Any other man would still be flat on his back. But it never hurts to do what you can to give his natural healing powers a boost.”

Kelly hesitated before asking the question that kept bumping around in her mind. “Is-Is he going to be all right?”

Troy squeezed her shoulder. “It’ll take more than a bullet to kill him. He heals amazingly fast. He’ll be fine. Promise.”

Mike hustled them into the waiting helo. Even Xena seemed to sense the urgency of the moment, leaping into the cabin and settling in a rear seat.

“I wish some of the people I know were half as smart as she is,” Dan commented, a wry smile on his face.”

When they were all inside the bird, he closed the cabin door and backed away. He and Troy stood by the Navigator as the rotors whined then settled into the familiar rhythm and the chopper lifted into the air. Although Mike had headphones for everyone, no one had much to say as they flew up the coast in the darkness, the Atlantic Ocean a black carpet beneath them.

Still gripped with tension from the shooting, Kelly could only sit in silence, watching the lights of the cities they passed like a million flashlights winking at them. In a very short amount of time her life had taken such a dramatic turn she was still having trouble processing it. How long would it be before things were any different?

She had no idea how much time had passed before Mike punched a button on a remote and lights flashed on below them, illuminating a cleared space on a bluff. He circled in toward the left and set the chopper down with a minimum of fuss.

Rick eased himself out of the cabin, then held out his hand to her.

“I’m good,” she told him, hopping down.

Beyond the haloes of the landing lights Kelly saw a log cabin sitting sheltered in a thick stand of trees. With no welcoming light inside it look cold and desolate. The wind, sweeping unprotected across the high, open space, buffeted them as they made their way toward the cabin, the waves of the Atlantic crashing loudly far below them. Even though Kelly knew that her own place was less than ten minutes away, she felt as if she’d been delivered to the ends of the earth.

Mike took another small remote from his pocket and pressed two buttons in it. Instantly lights came on in the cabin, diffused through the curtains on the window.

“We have blackout curtains too, if we need them,” he told her. “This also deactivates the alarm system so we can get in without waking up Andy and the Dragon. Rick will set it again when I leave. The alarm system is set to warn the main computer system back in Maryland if it’s breached.”

Mike followed them, carrying their duffels, Xena dancing in front of them with her nose lifted, scenting the air. Scenting for danger, he realized. She ran back and forth the length of the front porch, blocking them when they tried to reach the door until she’d satisfied herself they were safe in this strange place. Once again she gave her signaling bark, her stamp of approval.

Rick unlocked the heavy door, pushed it open and Kelly followed him inside, Xena right beside her.

Whatever she had expected it wasn’t this. Yes, it was rudimentary, basic, obviously built for men to use. But where the logs on the outside were rough, the inside had been sanded and polished to a high gloss. Same with the wood floor, covered in two huge rag rugs. The furniture was big and comfortable-looking and a massive fireplace took up part of one wall. Doors in another wall obviously led to bedrooms and a bathroom and tucked into one corner was a tiny kitchen.

Cabinets lined a third wall and when Rick unlocked and opened them, her eyes widened. On the shelves was the most elaborate array of electronic equipment she’d ever seen. She didn’t even know what half of it was.

His mouth crooked in a grin when he caught her expression.

“Our work station,” he told her. “When we need total secrecy to plan missions, this is where we do it. Like this.” He flipped some switches and a bank of eight monitors in the wall came to life at once. “Obviously nobody outside the Phoenix family knows about this but since you’re now part of the family you get to learn all the hidden secrets.”

He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips, tasting the seam with the tip of his tongue before he straightened up.

Kelly stared up at him, slightly dazed. “Family, huh?”

“You bet.” He winked.

“Not even waiting for my answer?”

“Nope. I’m only accepting one.”

While he adjusted the resolution of the pictures, Kelly let her gaze roam over the array, fascinated. The screens gave the viewer a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the area around the cabin.

Family!

Her heart skipped in a happy little dance.

Rick flipped another set of switches. “That activates the sensors embedded in the perimeter. No one could sneak up on us here.”

“I would think it would be impossible the way the cabin’s situated anyway, out here on the bluff.”

“We don’t believe in taking chances.”

Mike looked at the two bedroom doors, at Kelly and Rick and dropped the two duffels on the floor.

“You guys can take care of these,” he said with a half-smile.“If someone will make coffee, I’ll stretch a little and head back.”

“You don’t want to stay the night?” Kelly asked. “Shouldn’t you wait until morning to leave? It’s pretty late.”

Mike grinned. “I’m good. I’ll crash when I get back to Maryland.”

“I hope you don’t mean that literally,” she told him.

Turning toward the kitchen, she noticed Rick pulling things from one of the cabinets, his face white with pain.

I knew he overdid it last night in bed. And this morning.

Her face heated as she remembered some of the things they’d done together. Then she gave herself a mental kick and made a note to try harder to keep him under control. Especially after everything that had happened today, plus the helicopter ride on top of it. Gently she took the mugs from him and the carafe he was holding.“Go lie down. I’ll bring you some aspirin in a minute. I’m perfectly capable of making coffee, you know.”

One corner of his mouth tipped up and he relinquished his hold on the crockery. “Yes ma’am. I think I won’t argue with you.”

She got the coffee started, then Mike showed her where everything was kept in the bathroom. Carrying a glass of water and three pills, she found Rick stretched out on the double bed in one of the bedrooms. His hand was massaging his chest and pain was etching deeper lines on his face.

“Come on, macho man,” she told him. “Take your medicine, get your clothes off and get under the covers.”

Unprotesting, he levered himself up enough to take the aspirin. “Are you going to tuck me in?” Even in pain his eyes had a wicked gleam to them.

“Maybe if you’re very good,” she teased. “Meanwhile let me get Mike some coffee and send him off. I wish he’d reconsider about leaving tonight. It’s really late.”

“He’s used to this. He wouldn’t fly if he didn’t think he should.” He told her how to reset the alarm system before letting his eyes drift shut.

By the time Mike left, turning the landing lights off with the remote, and she’d let Xena out one last time, Kelly was ready to crawl into bed herself. When she picked up her duffel and started for the other bedroom, a large male body blocked her way.

“I thought you were in bed,” she told him. “You need to lie down.”

“Only if you’re lying next to me.” He wobbled slightly, steadying himself on her. “Come on. You wouldn’t want me to pass out, would you?”

It amazed her that even in his less than tip-top condition, once they were under the covers Rick attempted to put some serious moves on her.

“I don’t think I can sleep yet,” he teased as his hands roamed beneath her sleepshirt. “I need some soothing.”

The minute he touched her, all her good intentions flew out the window. Trailing his lips down her neck, he pressed his mouth to the hollow of her throat where her pulse was beating hard. His tongue traced a pattern around it, the tip pressing right where the throbbing of her pulse was strongest, and beneath the thin material covering her, one hand cradled a breast in his palm.

“Rick,” she breathed. “I know you have to be hurting. Is this such a good idea?”

“The best one yet, Red. You want to know what’s hurting?” His voice was a low rumble as he took her hand and placed it over his swollen erection. All her objections were swallowed up by the fog of sensuality that wrapped itself around her.

With the heat of his body burning into her, she wrapped her slim fingers around the thick erection and caressed him with slow strokes, loving the feel of the velvety skin over the steel shaft. She rubbed her thumb over the broad, flat head, feeling the drop of liquid beading on the surface and massaged it into the skin. He groaned and his hand contracted on her breast, squeezing it, his fingers burning against her flesh, his thumb teasing the already hard nipple.

I am just lost with him. All he has to do is touch me. If I’m dreaming, don’t wake me up.

Rick pushed up her sleepshirt and took her nipple in his mouth as her strokes on his shaft increased.

“You’re gonna kill me, Red.” His breathing was coming in uneven spurts. “A little more of that and it’ll be all over but the shouting.”

“That’s okay,” she murmured, squeezing him slightly. “Tonight it’s my turn to take care of you. Just like when we were at my place. Remember?”

“How could I forget?” His fingers walked up and down her spine as she curved over him, taking him in her mouth.

Her tongue traced the line of the throbbing vein that wound itself around his erection while her free hand was busy stroking the soft skin of the sac holding his balls. As she licked and sucked his cock she cradled his sac in her palm, softly rubbing her fingertips against the tender skin.

She raised her eyes to Rick’s face, seeing how flushed it was. His eyes were half-closed, his mouth partly open as uneven breaths rushed past his lips. When she raked her teeth the length of his shaft, the muscles in his hard abdomen tightened and the hand on her back clutched at her.

“You like that?” she asked wickedly.

“Damn right. I’ll give you about a year to stop it.”

She laughed as she bent to her task again, timing the movement of her fingers around him with the up-and-down strokes of her mouth. She felt him thicken and swell even more, another drop of fluid seeping out to land on her lip as she pulled her mouth up to the tip.

As she increased her pace and rhythm, his hand slid down past the curve of her ass to probe the wet heat between her thighs, rubbing the warm flesh as he moaned his pleasure. She widened her thighs to give him better access and was rewarded with the intrusion of two fingers into her pussy. His thumb pressed against her clit, rasping it as his fingers worked in and out of her. She thought briefly about lifting herself away from his touch. This was supposed to be for him, all the pleasure flooding in his direction. But his hand, his fingers just felt too good.

They set up a tempo together, his fingers thrusting in and out of her as her mouth and hands massaged and stroked him, working him. She rocked on his hand as the ribbon of lust coiled deep inside her began to unwind with increasing speed. It took every bit of her control to hold back until she felt his body tense. His shaft pulsed in her hand and then he was there, convulsing for her, filling her mouth with his warm fluid. His body jerked as spasm after spasm rocked him, until she’d wrung the last drop from him, while her own body clamped down on his fingers and she let the orgasm rush through her.

At last she dropped onto her side next to him, her hand on his flat stomach. She could feel the vibrations of his racing heart, or maybe it was her own echoing through his body. His arm came up to cradle her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

“That was better than aspirin,” he said in a low voice, his breath still raspy.

“Ditto,” she told him. “But this was supposed to be my gig. Just for you.”

He kissed her forehead. “It was for me, pretty girl. When I feel that hot, wet pussy clamp down around my fingers it’s like a little trip to heaven. Thank you.”

“The pleasure was mine. Think you can sleep now?” she teased.

“Oh, yeah.” And in seconds he was gone, out like a light. Feeling the security of his body next to her, Kelly closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * * * *

Denny Hammond pulled his truck off the road into a thick stand of trees, checked his canvas sack to make sure he had everything he needed and climbed out into the night. He locked his truck and pulled his jacket collar up around his neck.

Damn Maine weather, anyway.

Even though it was late spring, in Maine—especially right here on the coast—the air still had the lingering chill of winter and the wind blew most of the time. He hated the cold and wondered why the hell, with all the money he’d been paid, he didn’t go somewhere warm. But Maine was where he’d grown up and it was a place where he felt comfortable. A place where he could hide if he needed to. But he still despised the cold.

The long driveway was heavy with trees, standing almost like sentinels, which was good for his purpose. He’d parked down the road and crept through the woods as close as he could get earlier, waiting and watching the activity with his binoculars. During the day the weather was actually pleasant, so he hadn’t minded the long wait.

He watched the place all day but nobody went in or out. Funny. Maybe the place was closed. The boss hadn’t said it was, though. It would be good if it was. He drew the line at killing animals. Finally the sun began its slow descent to the horizon. He waited another hour, hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman who owned the place, see her for himself. Be able to report that she was here but no such luck. He’d been told she most likely wasn’t on the premises. If she was, all well and good. If not, well, this would bring her running and hopefully Latrobe with her. That’s what the boss really wanted. Then he could nail both of them.

“I know she’s still with him,” the man who hired him insisted. “No telling what he’s told her, so if you can make it a clean sweep, I’ll double your fee.”

Denny waited until long past midnight to return to his spot. Now he drew his special goggles out of the canvas bag and slipped them on. These enabled him to spot alarm sensors and other electronics set up around the property. Sometimes people had two or three different systems but this one, he discovered, was pretty basic.

Stepping carefully around the sensitive areas, he made his way to the buildings and took care of business, making sure everything outside the house and kennels was properly set. By the time he finished, stopping frequently to listen in case someone showed up unexpectedly, he was sweating heavily inside his jacket, despite the cold.

At last he was back in the truck and out on the road. When he was a mile away he took a small black box out of his pocket and pushed a button.

Kaboom!

* * * * *

She was very hot and a loud noise was disturbing her. Something wet pushed against her face.

“Go away,” Kelly mumbled, tossing the covers off her overheated body and pushing at whatever was annoying her.

But the noise continued and a heavy shove finally woke her up.

Xena had a large paw resting on her body, pushing hard at her while growling in her ear. She shoved at the dog and sat up in bed.

“What is it, Xena?” She locked eyes with the dog, fanning herself at the same time. For a moment she thought she could see the images of flames dancing in her eyes. “What’s the matter? Be quiet or you’ll wake Rick.”

“Rick’s already awake,” came a voice thick with sleep from beside her. “Does she need to go out?”

“No, I don’t think so. She’s trying to tell me something and I can’t figure out what her problem is. And why it’s so hot in here. I’m burning up, aren’t you? Is there a heater in this room?”

“Yes,” Rick mumbled, “but I forgot to turn it on last night. And yes, I’m hot too but the room’s freezing. Let me turn the heater on now before we get chilled.” Groaning, he levered himself to a sitting position.

“I’m sweating.” Kelly plucked at the sleepshirt. “Something’s wrong.” She looked at Xena again. “What is it, girl? Is something wrong in the cabin?”

The room heater looked like a small old-fashioned stove. Rick turned the switch even as he pulled his t-shirt away from his sticky skin. He bent down to Xena, locking his eyes on hers.

“God.” He sounded stunned. “You aren’t going to believe this.”

“What? What is it? Is she telling you something?

“I think so. I’m getting pretty good at deciphering her code, Red. I’d say either there’s fire somewhere or we’re about to be put on the hot seat again.” He looked at Xena. “So, girl, can you tell us which one?”

Xena moved back to Kelly and grabbed a piece of her nightshirt in her teeth and pulled at it, trying to tug her toward where she’d tossed her clothes the night before.

“All right, all right. You want me to get dressed? I’m coming but this better be damn good. And why are we so hot? Rick, I think you may be right about some kind of fire. But where? And why is she pulling us?”

Kelly yanked on jeans and her shirt and started toward the door but Xena threw herself in front of it, butting Kelly with her head.

“What now?”She threw up her hands. “You want me to be dressed but not go outside? What is it, Xena?”

“Let me go take a look,” Rick told her.

He reached for his own clothes and had his jeans pulled on when the satellite phone on the bedside table rang.

* * * * *

Mike had angled out over the ocean, then turned back in to follow the coastline as he headed south. He lifted the traveler mug that Kelly had fixed for him and sipped at the good, strong coffee. Far from being sleepy, his mind was spinning in a dozen different directions.

The media was having a field day with the story about the stolen weapons and their possible sale to the enemy by Phoenix. Like his partners, Mike was so angry he could barely keep his temper reined in. The agency had built a strong reputation since its inception, not a breath of scandal of any kind ever touching it.

Now arrows were coming at them from every angle. Government agencies wanted to comb through their records. The DOJ was issuing a subpoena for Rick. Rick’s life was in danger. Even calm, levelheaded Matt Caldwell was wondering if Rick hadn’t gone rogue and pulled this stunt. In his quiet voice he’d pointed out how it made sense if only they’d take an objective look at it.

Objective, my ass.

Mike snorted. Anyone who knew Rick Latrobe would know he would never, ever do something like this. No, he’d have to get his brain cranking in the cabin while the rest of them did their thing and try to put the pieces of this puzzle together. He just hoped Xena, the wonder dog, could keep the man alive until they got to the bottom of this.

Sitting in the darkness he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He rarely turned the phone off but he’d wanted to be able to focus complete on Kelly and Rick. Now he scrolled through his messages, thankful there was nothing urgent and returning the calls that couldn’t wait until morning. Finally he cranked up the helo, listing off into the darkness and heading south. He was just passing the lights of Bangor when he saw what looked like an explosion off to the north of the city. Vibrations shimmied their way up through the air.

Swearing, he banked the helo and turned back the way he’d come, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He flew over the spot three times, double-checking the coordinates just to make sure, before he picked up the sat phone and punched the button for Rick.

The nightmare had just gotten worse.

Chapter Twelve

Rick put the phone down and walked around to where Kelly was still tussling with Xena, rubbing the grit from her sleep-deprived eyes. When he crouched down next to her, taking one of her hands in his, her stomach knotted. This wasn’t good.

“What? Who was that? It’s something bad, isn’t it?”

“That was Mike.”

Xena had stopped pulling at Kelly and now rested her head on Rick’s knees. The sound she made was one of great distress. Rick rubbed the huge head. “Yeah, sweetheart, I know,” he told the animal.“You knew about it, right? That’s what was bothering you.”

Kelly rubbed at her arm with her free hand. Now, instead of being overheated she was suddenly chilled. “What’s going on? It’s bad, isn’t it? I can tell by the look on your face.”

Rick squeezed her hand. “Don’t freak, okay? Yes, it’s bad, but we’ll take care of it.”

“Please tell me what he said,” she cried.

“He was just flying over Bangor when there was an explosion north of him. He circled over it several times just to make sure he knew what he was seeing. Kelly, I know where the heat is coming from. It’s generating from Xena. I get her message. I’m sorry, Red, but someone blew up your farm and the whole place is on fire.”

She felt every bit of blood leave her head and dizziness wash over her. She tried to say something but no words would come out of her mouth. Her farm? The only home she’d ever known? The farm her great-grandfather had built? Gone? That would be like erasing most of her life.

“This is a joke, right?” she asked when she could make her throat muscles work. “It’s a mistake.” She grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her. “Tell me it’s a mistake.”

Wincing slightly, Rick pried her fingers off and curved his arm around her, drawing her against him. “I wish it was, honey. Believe me. I’m so sorry. And I hate the fact that this is all our fault. Every bit of it. We never should have gotten you involved.”

She pinched back the tears that stung her eyes and her nose. “Your fault? Did you blow it up?”

“No but if you weren’t mixed up with me—with us—this probably wouldn’t have happened.”

She shifted slightly so she could look at him. “You think someone did this because I’m here with you? Xena and me?”

“I can’t think of any other reason.” He forked his fingers through his sleep-disheveled hair. “Damn it, I wish I could. But I’d bet money they either wanted to draw the two of you away from me or maybe get you and me out in the open and have another chance at us.”

“You’re right. The heat was transference from Xena.”Kelly swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, then suddenly leaped off the bed. “I have to get down there. My god, I have to check everything out. I have to get down there. Right now.” She cursed under her breath in frustration as she fumbled with the buttons on her blouse.

“Stop.” Rick’s hand was firm on her arm.“Red, stop right now and listen to me. You can’t go down there.”

“No, I have to. Please.” She tried to shove his hands away but her own hands were shaking too badly. “Oh god, I don’t even have a car here to get there.” She looked up at Rick, feeling completely helpless.

He gripped her shoulders in his big hand and turned her to face him. “Take a deep breath, Red, and listen to what I’m going to say. I told you. This is exactly what they want. To draw you out so they can get to you. And me.”

She tried to steady herself but her breath was coming so fast she felt lightheaded.

Rick sat her down on the bed, his hands firm on her arms.

“I’d say there are three options to their plan,” he went on.“None of them acceptable as far as I’m concerned. One, you show up and they pick you off. Maybe they think that will drag me out into the open so they have another chance at me. Second, you don’t show up but you get the message. Stay away from Rick Latrobe. Or third, we both show up and they get rid of both of us, me especially.”

“This is all to keep me and Xena away from you? Or make you leave your hiding place?”

He nodded. “That’s about the size of it. Somehow they’ve found out about you and done their research or they wouldn’t have targeted the farm. That means they probably know about Xena too. Whoever was casing my house obviously took pictures and they searched you out.”

“But how could they know about Xena’s special abilities?” Her voice held a plaintive note.

“Ever been interviewed? Ever talked about her? Not to mention the fact that the internet is full of information about Ovcharkas. Whoever is running this show is smart enough to put two and two together.”

“That place is my life, Rick.” She sniffed back the tears stinging her nose. “It’s my family’s legacy. I can’t not go down there.”

Shoving her feet into her shoes, Kelly headed for the door, only to be stopped by Xena’s enormous bulk. The dog punctuated her displeasure with three loud barks.

“She wants you up and dressed but not out of the cabin,” Rick pointed out. “Like I said, they’ve obviously Googled the dog. Read stories about the Psi abilities. They may not believe in them but Xena’s thwarted them twice now and they can’t afford any more screw-ups. Even if this doesn’t bring me out into target range, Red, if they can eliminate you, or shake you up badly enough to walk away, they’ll take away one of my safeguards. And a big one at that.”

Kelly dropped into the chair, stunned. Her pulse was racing and she still couldn’t seem to get her breathing under control.“I guess they don’t know me too well. I don’t run away from things.”

“Maybe not but we ought to take another look at the danger we’ve put you in.”

“My choice,” she insisted and Xena, now sitting next to Rick, gave an approving bark.

Rick shook his head. “We’ll discuss it when Mike gets back here.” Visibly ignoring his pain, Rick squatted down in front of Kelly and took her hands. “Listen, Red, he’ll be here in a minute. He called 9-1-1. They know him. This cabin was his grandfather’s and he used to come up here a lot in the summer. It won’t set off any alarms if he tells them he was flying up here and saw the explosion.”

“But what about my people? Graham and Sandy will hear the sirens and know where they’re headed. There isn’t much out on this road, as you well know.”

Rick handed her the sat phone. “Call them. Tell them a friend was in the area and called to let you know what was happening. Everything’s under control. They should just stay away.”

“They won’t want to do that,” she protested. “This place means almost as much to them as it does to me. Anyway, you know this is a small town. The police and fire department will think it’s weird if they don’t show up.”

Rick threw up his hands. “Okay. Call them. Tell them what I said about things being under control. If they need to take a look, fine. But they should then go home and wait for you to call them.” He pressed the phone into her hand. “Make them understand. You can do that.”

She took the phone from him and gave him a watery smile. “Thanks. Then I guess I’d better make some fresh coffee. I hear the chopper right now.”

As she finished buttoning her shirt, she watched Rick snap his jeans and pull on a shirt, swallow three more aspirin from the bathroom and leave the room to disengage the alarm. The man had a constitution like a black bear but she hoped tonight didn’t set back his recovery at all. They were all going to need whatever strength they had to get through this thing.

* * * * *

Denny Hammond drove until he reached the outskirts of Blue Fork, the small village where the farm was located. Pulling into the darkened lot of a closed service station, he plucked his cell phone from his pocket and speed dialed a number.

“It’s done,” he told the man who answered.

“Was she there?”

“No. You said it didn’t matter as long as everything else was destroyed. There’s no way she can keep away from this when she’s notified. I’ll get her then. After she leads me to Latrobe.”

“I almost think you’d be better going for the dog instead of her. She’s supposed to be the one with the weird abilities.”

Denny snorted. “Don’t tell me you believe in that shit.”

“I don’t have to as long as they do. Let’s take away their magic link and see how well they do.”

“And if no one shows up?”

“Someone will. I promise you. It would be almost too much to hope for, the woman, the dog and Latrobe in one fell swoop but we take what we get. Did you leave the note I told you to?”

“Yes. And signed just as you dictated. I’ll wait around through the day to see what happens. There’s a diner here when I can spend a good bit of time. But then I’m outta here.”

“Very well. Report in before you leave. Do you have your laptop with you?”

The man nodded, even though he knew his caller couldn’t see him. “Always.”

“Check your offshore account. The money’s there, waiting for you.”

“You’ll have my final report by tomorrow,” Denny told him. “Pleasure doing business with you, as always.”

The man on the other end disconnected the call and sat in his darkened den for long moments. This was getting worse and worse. A simple operation had turned into the biggest screw-up of all time and he could see it leaking toward him. That was unacceptable. He’d kill everyone if he had to, to protect himself and his family.

He regretted destroying the woman’s farm and home but pigeonholed it as collateral damage. There was likely to be a lot more before this was over. He just hoped he wasn’t on the receiving end.

* * * * *

Xena almost didn’t let Mike back into the cabin, finally placing herself directly in front of Rick, seated but poised to leap if necessary. It took both Rick and Kelly a good ten minutes to make sure the dog understood that Mike was still one of the good guys. Then Kelly poured coffee for everyone and they sat around the small kitchen table.

“All right, let’s have it,” Rick said at last. “Whatever details you’ve got.”

“Not much at the moment. In a few minutes I plan to take the Jeep we keep out in the shed and drive down, scope it out for myself.”

“I really want to go with you,” Kelly tried again.

“We’ve been over that, Red.” Rick covered her hand with his. “Mike will take lots of pictures and get a damage assessment from the fire department. And he’ll do his own evaluation of the scene, checking things they might not be looking for.”

“Everyone’s out of there, right?” Mike asked.

Kelly nodded. “Safe and sound. Like I told Dan when I got to Maryland, Graham and Sandy are both on paid vacation. And I’ve called and talked to them.”

“Good, good, good.” Mike took a healthy swallow of coffee. “Then let’s take a hard look at the whole situation.”

“Greg Jordan’s not pulling the strings on this,” Rick spat out. “He’s a string being pulled himself. Someone with a lot more brains and power is calling these shots. That’s pretty obvious.”

“Okay, but let’s look at Greg for a minute. No doubt in my mind that he’s the one who took the shot at you but since then he’s disappeared off the planet. Andy wrote a new program to, shall we say, ‘tap into’ some different databases and see what he could find.”

Sometimes they wondered how they’d ever functioned without Andy, geek extraordinaire. He was a friend of Faith’s and her contribution to the agency.

“Find the money,” Rick pointed out. “You can bet he got a shitload for this. He was the man on the line over there. Wherever the money is, that’s where we’ll catch up with Greg.”

“You know he’ll have a new identity and have buried himself as deep as he can.”

Rick’s mouth twisted in a cold smile. “That’s what we have Andy for.”

“The next thing we have to figure out is who all the major players could be.”

Kelly was listening carefully to the men, absorbing the back-and-forth before intruding into it. “Has anyone found out anything about who shot out Rick’s tires causing his accident on the interstate?” she asked. “Could this Greg Jordan have arranged it from Iraq? Does he have those kinds of contacts here? Or are we dealing with more than one faction?”

Both men turned to look at her. “She has to come to work for us,” Mike said. “She can still do her dog-training thing, maybe even work it into our protocols. And certainly train more Ovcharkas. But we can’t miss out on a mind like this.”

“I told you.” Rick grinned.

“Hey, wait a minute, guys.” She held up her hands, not about to let them steamroller her into something she hadn’t given a lot of thought to.“I’m just brainstorming here with you.”

“And with an extra-special brain, Red,” Rick told her. Despite the fact that Mike was sitting right there he leaned over and placed a light kiss on her lips, breaking away before the instant heat could consume them.

Mike studied the coffee in his mug, carefully ignoring the two people across from him.

Rick whispered, “Later, Red,” against Kelly’s lips, then straightened up. “Okay, back to business.”

Kelly lowered her eyelids, wondering what kind of vitamins this man took, that despite what they’d shared earlier, despite, the fact he’d had little sleep and was still recovering from the wound that nearly killed him, he obviously wanted her again. “Masculine” was too weak a word to describe Rick Latrobe.

Mike rose from his chair and carried his cup to the sink. “Time for me to check out the scene at the farm. Take those pictures. Do a little low-key snooping.”

“Tell whoever is there you know me,” Kelly said. “That we met through my grandfather. You were up here, called me and I asked you to see what’s going on.”

“Okay, but like I said, they know me around here.” He pulled his jacket back on, opened a cupboard door and pulled a ring of keys off a hook. “On my way. Rick, if you’re up to it, you two better start making lists and checking them twice. We need to know just how many factions we could be dealing with here.”

Kelly cast an appraising glance over Rick after Mike left. Despite his earlier words, she could see that everything was taking its toll on him. She pushed her chair away from the table. “Let me get you some more coffee and those pain pills.” When he started to protest she shook her head. “Just one pill. That’s all I ask. Then we’ll work until you can fall asleep again.”

Rick told her where to find yellow pads of paper and plenty of pencils and pens.

“You know,” he said, when she sat down again, “the longer you stay involved the more danger you’re in.”

“Well, lucky me, they didn’t get what they wanted this time.” She looked across at him.“Okay. We’re going to solve this riddle so let’s get started.”

* * * * *

When Zarife’s phone rang at three in the morning he was tempted not to answer it. The phones, both of them, had become instruments of hell. Each time he received a call, his simple life got worse and worse.

“What is it?” he asked, snapping open the cell.

“I have not heard back from your father,” the dreaded voice said. “He is supposed to making contact with people in the States to handle Rick Latrobe once and for all.”

“I am sure he is doing his best,” Zarife said. “These things take time.”

“Doing his best doesn’t cut it. Have you seen the newspapers? The story’s front and center every day. And television news channels constantly lead off with it. They’re worse than the government when it comes to looking into all our dirty little secrets.”

Zarife could hear the edge of danger in the man’s voice and nausea choked him. “We are working on it. He is working on it.”

“I think we may have figured out a way to separate him from that woman and the so-called wonder dog and leave him exposed. If the federal agents get hold of him…if there’s a trial and he gets to testify about this…we’re all dead.”

“But won’t killing him just raise more eyebrows?” Zarife protested.

“Not at all. As we speak I’m planning to plant some anonymous tips that he was behind this whole thing, that he cheated the people he sold the weapons to and they’re hunting him.”

“But that will throw suspicion on us,” Zarife cried. In Allah’s name please help me.

“So what? You’ve got your shipment and you’re halfway home to reclaiming your territory. Just set off a few more bombs, kill a few more coalition soldiers and no one will touch you.”

“Easy for you to say.” Zarife couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice. “All you have to do is sit in your office like nothing’s wrong until this blows over and you come out completely clean and millions of dollars richer.”

“Brains, Zarife. That’s what I get the big bucks for. Now get hold of your father and tell him to call me ASAP.”

* * * * *

Penobscot County Sheriff Link Cabot was easy to spot when Mike pulled down the driveway to the farm. He’d flashed his Phoenix credentials at the two deputies stationed out at the road and after some radio discussion with their boss they had waved him on through. Cabot was standing at the edge of the clearing where the house had been, his tall, thick body outlined by the still-flickering flames. Two self-contained fire trucks were pumping water as fast as they could but it was obvious to anyone they were just killing the fire. Both the house and kennel were completely destroyed.

“Mike.”Cabot nodded a tight-lipped greeting. “Someone didn’t want Miss Monroe to have a home to come back to.”

“I’d say that’s pretty obvious,” Mike agreed. “Any idea yet what caused it?”

Cabot’s face tightened. “I’ve got the arson team starting their workup but it’s pretty obvious incendiary devices were used. More than one. These were well-placed, timed explosions geared to do the most damage. It’s a good thing that little girl wasn’t here when it happened.”

Mike swallowed a grin at hearing anyone refer to Kelly as a “little girl” but pushed ahead with his questions.

“You didn’t find any bodies, did you? When Kelly called me, she said her two assistants were on vacation so there shouldn’t have been anyone here.”

“Nope. No bodies. Thank god.” He sighed, a weary sound. “Whoever did this knew exactly what he was doing. This was no amateur activity.”

“If I watch where I step, is it okay if I take a quick look around?”

“Sure. Just stay outside the taped areas.”

The more he walked around and the more he saw, the sicker Mike got. Cabot was right. This was a professional job. Someone had been able to breach the security system, plant the devices and get away without leaving a trace. And the devices had been placed in such a way as to level both the kennels and the house.

He took his cell phone out of his pocket, punched the camera button and began shooting pictures. Much as he was going to hate showing them to her, he knew Kelly would insist on seeing for herself. Since they couldn’t allow her down here, he figured he’d better get plenty of shots.

When he headed back toward the front of the area, he saw Cabot waving him over.

“Got something you might want to see.” The sheriff held up a clear plastic evidence bag containing a torn sheet of paper.

“What’s that?” Mike squinted at it.

“One of my guys found it right by the gate in the cyclone fence. Held down by a rock and far enough away that it didn’t get burned.”

“Whoever left it took quite a chance. Someone else could have kicked the rock over and picked it up.”

“Nah. He chose his place pretty carefully. Read what it says.”

Although portable lights had been set up around the perimeter, reading was still difficult, so Mike pulled out his penlight flash and scanned it over the paper.

Next time it will be you. Don’t get killed over Rick Latrobe. He’s a crook and he’s going to jail.

“Pretty much says it all.”

“Do you know this Rick Latrobe?” Cabot narrowed his eyes at Mike.

“Yeah, I do. But I can’t imagine what he has to do with this,” he fudged.

Cabot studied his face. “You’d tell me if there was something I needed to know, wouldn’t you, Mike?”

His face a bland mask, Mike said, “Sure. You bet.”He handed the evidence bag back to Cabot. “I know you need to test it but you think if I come by tomorrow, I can get a copy?”

“Sure. Just give me a call first.”

“Okay. Meantime, let me just shoot it with my phone.” He took the picture and then stuck the cell back in his pocket. “Okay. I got what I came for. I’ll take another look around tomorrow when it’s light.”

“I hope Kelly’s somewhere safe,” Cabot told him. “Someone’s sure after her hide.”

“I promise you, she’s well taken care of.”

The two men shook hands and Mike climbed back into the Jeep. He wasn’t looking forward to giving his report to Kelly. Lucky for him, when he returned to the cabin it was to find the kitchen table covered with pages of notes and the door to Rick’s bedroom firmly closed, Xena planted stolidly in front of it.

Mike winked at her. “I get the message.”

Lying on the bed in the other bedroom, he tried to blank his mind and fall asleep. Morning would come far too soon for him.

* * * * *

“Father, please tell me you’ve made the proper arrangements,” Zarife pleaded. “I don’t want this man calling again.”

“All is as it should be,” his father said. “I have contacted the right people and set things in motion.”

“The man says Latrobe must be killed and evidence delivered to place all the blame on him or we will all be in trouble.”

“Nothing is going to happen,” the elder al-Dulami assured him. “All will be taken care of. With Latrobe’s death the case will be closed. Even now we are planting the seeds.”

“Can you tell me what?”

But Zarife could almost see his father shaking his head. “No, my son. It is not good for you to know. You must be totally clear of anything that happens.”

“And the campaign you are waging?”

Al-Dulami chuckled. “To counteract the setback we had and not bring either the coalition troops down on our heads or face attacks by other insurgent groups, we have constructed a multi-prong plan. In two weeks we will be ready to strike again and all will be ours again. No one will dare to ask us questions or even chance crossing the borders of our territory.”

“And then I may come home?”

Al-Dulami hesitated only a moment. “And then you may come home.”

* * * * *

“God damn it, Dan.”

Charlie Grainger had tried to storm his way past security and bully his way into Dan’s office. Building security guards had escorted him up from the lobby after first calling Dan but they weren’t going anywhere without the head honcho’s okay.

“We’re fine,” he told them.

“If it’s all the same to you, Mr. Romeo,” the older one said.“We’ll just hang around in the corner until you’re through with your meeting. Our replacements are already in the lobby.”

Dan swallowed a smile of satisfaction. He and Mike had handpicked the entire security staff for the building, paid them a more than sufficient salary and given extraordinary training. They dressed in dark suits rather than uniforms, could kill with one blow and were intensely loyal to their employers.

“That’s fine,” he told them, then turned to Charlie, whose face once again was an unhealthy purple. “If you don’t get hold of yourself you’re going to have a stroke.”

“I just might anyway.”The big man dropped an armload of papers on the polished surface of the desk. “Have you seen these?”He stabbed the pile with a thick forefinger.

“I’d have to be blind not to.” Dan kept his voice deliberately mild.

“Well, do something.” Charlie dropped heavily into one of the armchairs. “My office is crawling with government agents. My lawyer is spending all his time fighting subpoenas. There’s a lock on our government contracts. And every source tells me Rick Latrobe is the guilty party and the DOJ is just minutes away from arresting him.” He banged his fist on the arm of the chair. “I wish I could be calm like Matt. He just rolls with it all and refuses to let anyone rattle him.”

“That’s why the two of you make good partners,” Dan pointed out. “You balance each other.”

“By the way.” Charlie’s voice softened slightly. “Thanks for sending someone over to Iraq to straighten out the security situation so we aren’t just standing around picking our noses.”

Dan shrugged. He’d picked Ken Murphy, his Beta Team leader, to step into the mess. Ken had been one of the first Phoenix employees when the partners decided they needed more manpower. Their client list had grown and they needed more men to handle training and also to teach corporate security. Dan had found Ken through a longtime friend and he’d never regretted it for one minute.

“You pay us to do a job. One way or the other we get it done.” He opened the single folder that was sitting on his desk. “The heavy weapons might be gone but you’re got enough small arms and rifles for your immediate needs. We don’t have the Humvees to ride shotgun to each work site but the men we have there have figured out a way around that.”

“And who is still there? How many guards do we have?”

Dan flipped to another sheet of paper. “All the ones we brought from the States are still good to go. We lost most of the locals but the ones we kept are reliable. Several of the men we sent speak Arabic so they can keep everyone in shape. And there’s no downtime for the guards. When the day shift is sleeping, we’ve got a full complement on watch at night. More than we had before.”

“Matt tells me with your help we’re actually moving forward with the projects.” Charlie’s tone was grudging. “That’s good but I want to know what you’re going to do about Latrobe.”

Dan sat watching the man for a long moment. Finally he put down the pen he’d been playing with. “Rick Latrobe has yet to be proven guilty of anything. The media is very good at speculating and yes, he was the front man on this project. At your request, I might point out.”

Charlie huffed a breath. “We’ve worked with Rick for a long time. I sure would never have figured him for anything like this.”

“Then don’t figure him. Wait for proof. Don’t let him be judged and tried in the media. Charlie, whatever this is, we’ll make it right. You know that.”

“Damn straight you will. So what do I tell people in the meantime?”

“You let your attorneys handle the inquiries, let your public relations department handle the media and you and Matt take care of your projects.”

“I thought we were going to lose a bunch of contracts at first,” Charlie admitted. “But I turned Matt loose on them and we’re still a go on most of them. Balancing on the wire but doing it.” He pushed up from his chair. “You can tell your pit bulls out there I’m just going back down in the elevator. I’ll try to keep my shouting to a minimum but you damn well better find Latrobe for me. I won’t draw a steady breath until I talk to him myself.”

“That’s going to be a while, Charlie. In the meantime, I’m here when you need me.” He opened the door and signaled to the men in the reception area. “Our guest is looking to head back downstairs, gentlemen. There may be reporters outside. Please see that he gets safely to his car.”

They nodded and fell in behind Charlie.

Dan sat back down at his desk, propped his feet on the surface and picked up his pen, rolling it back and forth between his fingers. Something in the conversation with Charlie had tickled at his brain and he couldn’t quite catch it. But he’d picked up a general feeling of unease that was more than just the current crisis. Something was wrong and he’d have to figure out what it was.

* * * * *

Kelly felt sluggish as she pried her eyelids open, nudged awake by Xena’s cold nose.

“Oh, ugh,” she groaned, rolled over and found Rick’s blue eyes blazing at her. She giggled. “I didn’t mean you.”

“Better not, Red.” He brushed her hair away from her face. “Don’t worry about Xena the Warrior over there. I heard Mike let her out when he came back, then she tried to knock the bedroom door down so he let her in here.”

Kelly was suddenly aware of the fact that the covers on her side had slid down and her nightshirt was up around her waist. “Ohmigod.” She slapped her forehead. “Did he see me like this?”

“Don’t worry, sugar. I made sure you were decent.”

“I feel like we just got into bed,” she complained.

“We almost did.” He pulled the covers all the way back and ran his hand over her thigh and the curve of her hip. “A shower will fix us up. Come on.”

“You want us to shower together? I know you. Where’s all this energy coming from? Last night when Mike came back you looked like you were two steps away from the morgue.”

“I have amazing powers of recuperation.” He winked and gave her a light tap on her bottom. “Let’s go. Save water. Shower with a friend.”

She let him coax her into it although she knew the wicked gleam in his eyes meant they would end up doing more than just bathe. Sure enough, the minute the water temperature and spray were adjusted, he pulled her into the shower with him and captured her mouth in a blistering kiss. He took her so deep she could only hang onto his shoulders and hope her knees didn’t buckle.

When he finally lifted his mouth, tracing the outline of her lips with the tip of his tongue, she could barely drag air into her lungs.

“You’re going to kill yourself.” She was amazed she could even speak.“All this activity can’t be good for you.”

Even as his touch aroused her body, her eyes focused on the angry red scar on his chest and her desire screeched to a halt. Tentatively she traced the thick ridge with her fingertip, her breath hissing between her teeth.

His hand came up and trapped hers. “Don’t. You don’t have to look at it. I know what it looks like.”

Her eyes traveled up the length of him until they met his, now a stormy blue, beads of water dripping from the thick golden lashes. “Is that what you think? That it disgusts me? Oh, Rick. You are so far from the truth. It scares me to think of how close you came to dying. That we might never have…”

He touched a forefinger to her lips. “Sssh. I didn’t and we did. I’ll only die if I can’t be with you. Touch you. Make love to you.” He drew a line along the rim of her ear with his tongue, sending shivers skittering through her.

Kelly was having trouble concentrating but she had to try to be the sensible one here. He was still recuperating.

“Rick, yesterday was a very long day and I know you were in pain last night. I don’t even know how you… How we… That is…”

His mouth turned up in that devil’s grin. “Yes, we did. And we’re going to do it again. Don’t worry. I’m going to let you do all the work. Now come on. I do a killer job with soap in the shower.”

She watched him reach for the bottle of liquid soap, pour some into one hand and work up a rich lather. The minute he touched her skin she felt heat bloom inside her and the pulse at her core beat like a jungle drum. His slick hands moved over her shoulders, down her arms, across the line of her ribs and up to her breasts, which he paid careful attention to. His slippery fingers tweaked her nipples and tugged on them until they were harder than diamonds.

“God,” she breathed.

“No,” he said in a thick voice. “Just Rick. But I’ve been told my touch is heavenly.”

Adding more soap to the mix, he worked his way down her tummy, teasing at her navel with the tip of one finger, until he found the seam of flesh between her legs and worked it gently until she widened her stance and opened for him. When his fingers slid inside her she shuddered from head to toe, gripping his arms to hold herself steady.

He found her clit and gently he worked the hard knot of nerves, bracing her with one arm around her. Kelly’s breathing quickened and her hips began a rocking motion.

“More?” he asked in a velvet voice.

“More,” she begged. “Don’t stop.”

“Tell me we belong together, Red. Say you’ll marry me when this is all over. I told you I’d wait for your answer but I’m a very impatient man.”

“M-Marry?” Whatever air she still had trapped in her lungs disappeared. “Oh, Rick. I don’t…I want…”

“Yesterday made me realize even more how precious each day is, how fleeting life can be. I don’t want to waste another minute of it. This is meant to be. We’re meant to be.” He put his mouth close to her ear. “Besides, Xena told me. In a dream.”

She looked up at him, eyes wide, trying to focus. “A dream?”

“Yeah. Just like the ones you have. She says the three of us have to stay together.”

Kelly closed her eyes and rocked into the movement of his hand. Marry him. Oh god. The rightness of it flooded her with intense feeling, centering her in a way nothing else ever had.“I-I guess my answer has to be yes.”

“We’ll do it just as soon as this is over.” He breathed the words into her mouth, his lips against hers.

When his fingers slid from the grip of her muscles, her eyes flew open.

“What…”

“Just hold on a minute, Red. Don’t move. It’ll be worth it. I promise.” His own breathing was as rocky as hers. Sliding the shower door open, he snaked his arm out to the vanity drawer and pulled out a condom. He lowered himself to the built-in seat, rolled the latex into place and positioned her until she was straddling him. “Remember, I said you get to do all the work here.”

He slid up into her with one smooth stroke and she realized he’d been right. He was guiding her but letting her do all the work. With his hands grasping her hips, he set the pace for them, holding her as she rode him with intense ferocity. Each thrust into her wet channel dragged his cock against the tiny sensitive nerves. Every retreat was torture, leaving her empty until he filled her again. Electricity jolted through, sizzling in her veins. Nothing existed except the two of them, the connection of their bodies and the intense climb to the top of a hot, erotic peak. Lust unwound from deep in her body, spreading out, out, out until she was almost there. Almost there. And then they hit the peak together. When they climaxed Kelly felt as if a cyclone had picked her up and tumbled her through space. She felt him pulsing inside her as her aftershocks continued to grip him.

At last, spent, Rick lifted her to her feet.

“I think we’d better shower for real,” he teased, his breathing still uneven, “or Mike will come in here looking for us.”

Kelly leaned her head against his chest, her hand resting on the scar and breathed a prayer of thanks for whatever Fate had brought them together.

* * * * *

Mike already had coffee brewing and was fixing breakfast when they came out of their room. They were both freshly showered and somewhat rested and there was no mistaking the glow surrounding them. Mike was happy for his friend. Rick needed someone like Kelly who could keep him anchored.

But Kelly’s eyes held a haunted look and Mike could see the banked rage in Rick’s eyes.

“Thought I’d make myself useful.” He indicated what he was doing and grinned. “Just don’t expect a caterer every day.”

“Let me give you a hand.” Kelly began opening cupboards and drawers, searching for plates and silverware.

“You can set the table but that’s all. You guys have had a rough couple of days and after we eat we’re going to have an intense skull session. So take what you can get when you can get it.”

One corner of Kelly’s mouth turned up.“Yes sir.”

No one said a word about the previous night until they were seated at the table. Mike pulled his cell phone from his pocket, pushed the button for pictures and handed it to Kelly.

“I debated about showing these to you but you’re entitled to see them.” He touched her hand briefly. “It’s bad but try not to freak out, okay?”

She nodded and began scrolling through the pictures. She said nothing as scene after scene of destruction rolled across the screen but fat tears leaked from her eyes and ran unheeded down her cheeks. Rick leaned closer to view the shots with her, the rage in his eyes growing more and more intense.

Kelly’s hands were shaking by the time she’d finished.

“There’s nothing…”She swallowed hard and tried again. “There’s nothing left. Nothing. Everything’s gone.”

“It’s okay, Red. When this is all done, we’ll build it again as good as new.” Rick slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight against him.

“Be careful,” she told him. “You almost skewered yourself on my elbow.”Even in her grief her first concern was for him.

He rubbed his chest lightly with his free hand. “I’m good. Didn’t you see how good when we showered just now?”

Mike swallowed a grin as he looked from one to the other and Kelly cursed out loud at the blush that rose to her hairline.

When they had come to the picture of the note, the look in his eyes had been close to murderous.

“That tears it,” he said in a tight voice. “We need to get these bastards right now.”

“Don’t even think of starting that business about sending me away from here,” she warned. “I don’t want to waste time arguing about it, okay?”

Tactfully changing the subject, Mike pointed to the sheets of paper on the table.

“I see you two were busy while I was gone last night.”

“Busy but maybe not too productive,” Rick told him. “I laid everything out for Kelly from the day GC hired us to set up their security in Iraq. Threw everything on the table, hoping she could spot something I hadn’t.”

“And?” Mike prodded.

Rick rubbed a hand over the stubble on his chin. “I just don’t know, Mike. There’s so much information out there I can’t make sense of it but no answers.”

Mike’s jaw tightened. “I know Greg Jordan’s the key to this, so don’t spare my feelings. Somehow along the way I missed something about him. The question is, did he have a contact in his pocket all along, waiting for something like this, or was he approached by someone who sensed he could be had?”

“How would they know?” Rick mused. “You can’t just walk up to someone and say, hey, I’ve got a quick way for you to make a lot of money. You’d have to be pretty sure that person would be amenable and not toss you to the authorities.”

“There’s gotta be something in his history. Some little thing that’s a clue. And we have to find it.”

“And what about the Iraqi who’s been helping him? What’s going on with him?”

“Amin?” Mike shrugged. “Ken says he’s still working, helping with the few locals that stayed on. He says he gets strange vibes from him but he can’t pin it down. Right now he feels better keeping him close and knowing what he’s doing all the time. But he’s doing his own checking there.”

Rick rubbed the back of his neck. “You know, there’s something lodged in my brain that I can’t knock loose. I have this gut feeling that if I could we’d have the answer to everything.” He sipped his coffee, then slapped the mug down, his eyes suddenly alight. “What a dummy I am. I am so totally stupid I need a keeper.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Where’s the phone. I need to call Faith. Her Aunt Vivi will know someone from The Lotus Circle who will be able to help me.”

Kelly looked skeptical. “From this distance? Without being here with you?”

“I hope so. Let’s give it a try.”

“Fine. I want to talk to her too. Go ahead and call.”

* * * * *

The man sat in his car, deep in thought. Unpleasant thought. Everything was coming unglued and what he’d learned just made it that much worse. How did a man work all his life to reach the pinnacle of his business, his profession, his career and suddenly see it dissolving beneath him like snow turned to slush?

For whatever reason, no matter what they did, no one was able to locate Rick Latrobe. The man knew all about making himself disappear. Apparently Latrobe was as good at it as he was. But the knowledge that he was out there running around loose, with the ability to blow everything to kingdom come, made his ulcer burn and his head throb.

He should have had better sense than to do this. Temptation had always been his downfall. Nothing was surefire. But when he had the whole picture in front of him he realized how enticing it had been. And his ego had blinded him to the pitfalls.

Stupid, that was the word for it. Just plain stupid. He had to find a way out of this and come out clean but nothing seemed to be working.

Since he couldn’t find Latrobe, then he had to get rid of Greg Jordan. He’d have to find someone to do it just as he had the incident in Maine, someone more afraid of him than the police or the government. Someone who could do the job so it would never come back to him. That meant the body would have to disappear completely and all traces of the man be erased. With enough money, he mused, anything was possible.

Although, on second thought, this might be something he supervised himself. He was tired of other people’s incompetence.

He’d never be able to get rid of al-Dulami but that wily old Arab wouldn’t open his mouth, anyway. His son was another matter. A car accident might be in his future. That one he could handle himself.

He sighed, feeling the weight of everything pressing on him like a mountain of concrete. At least it would be worth it for the money. He could walk away from everything and never have another worry in his life.

He hoped.

* * * * *

“Tell your friend the arrangements are being made,” al-Dulami told his son. “But first we have to locate the elusive Mr. Latrobe and that he can do better from there.”

“He won’t like that,” Zarife pointed out.

“I’m beginning not to care what this man likes. Tell him there is no sign of the target and he should put out his feelers.”

“I’ll tell him,” Zarife agreed with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.

“On the other hand, perhaps this is something you can do for us.”

Zarife held the phone away from his ear and looked at it. What was he supposed to do now? “I don’t understand. How am I supposed to find a man who doesn’t want to be found?”

“Use the people you’ve met. Your sources. Whoever was the conduit to bring your name to this man. Someone will know something.”

“Just like I told you before, I could be killed sticking my nose in where it doesn’t belong,” he protested.“You don’t know these people.”

“Use your contacts,” his father insisted. “Use that fancy computer you have. Use the brains I spent so much money educating. And do it quickly. There’s a clue there somewhere. Find it.” He paused. “None of us can afford to have this man alive. It could be the end for everyone.”

“But why? He’s no one special. He’s just the man who ferried the shipment.”

“In Rick Latrobe’s head are the pieces of the puzzle if he ever puts it together. None of us can afford that. So do this. And quickly.”

Zarife would have argued again but the call had been disconnected. The old man was gone, leaving him only empty air and a sick feeling.

* * * * *

Kelly had done her best to concentrate on helping Rick but now he was busy at the computer, emailing with Andy and doing his own research. By late morning her nerves were rubbed raw. She paced, Xena paced with her and Rick, glancing at her every so often, watched through narrowed eyes.

They had both talked to Faith’s Aunt Vivi. She’d given them the name of a woman who could give them mental exercises to do that would help loosen the block in Rick’s brain.

“I’m delighted to finally get to speak with you,” she told Kelly. “Emails can be so unsatisfactory.”

“That goes for me too,” Kelly told her, suddenly shy.

“I’ve talked to the others about you and as soon as this nasty business is wrapped up, we’d love you and Xena to come to San Antonio. Meet all of us. Let us help you learn more about how to harness this gift.”

“I’d love to. Thank you very much. I’m looking forward to it.”

They decided they’d try the exercises after Mike left and they had the cabin to themselves again. Rick went back to the computer and Kelly resumed pacing. She nearly threw herself at Mike when he finally returned from Blue Fork.

“Well? Did you find out anything? Does the sheriff know any more? What’s happening at the farm?”

Mike’s chuckle was dry as he held up his hands. “Whoa, honey. One thing at a time.”

Kelly backed up, a blush heating her cheeks. “Sorry, Mike.” She blew out a breath. “I didn’t mean to attack you. It’s just I’ve been so…so…”

“Edgy. And I understand it. If you can pull Rick away from the computer, let’s have some coffee and I’ll tell you what I found out. It’s not much but it’s something.”

He had very little news to relate as far as the situation at the farm itself. Nothing they didn’t already know.

“It’s completely gone,” he repeated to Kelly. “I’m very, very sorry about that. But they were able to contain the blaze so it didn’t reach any of your trees. The land is intact.”

“I just wish I could see it.” She squeezed back the tears that kept hovering near the tipping point.

“Tell you what. In a few minutes how about if I fly you over the scene. I’ve got a camera here, you can take pictures with for yourself, if you want to.”

“Thank you. And again, I’m sorry I leaped on you like a starving lion.”

Mike winked at her, breaking the tension. “I understand how you feel. Now, I do have a few things to report. Business first. I called Dan and he’s got our attorney on top of it with your insurance company.”

Kelly’s jaw dropped. “But I didn’t even get you the information.”

“The Dragon knows all,” Rick told her. “Andy pumps in your name and all your secrets are revealed.”

“No privacy with you guys, I guess.”

Rick had the good grace to look uncomfortable. “Sorry, Red. I didn’t think about the fact we’d be invading your privacy. We just thought it important to get on this right away. Our attorney will have his own investigators on it, just in case the locals miss anything.”

Kelly fiddled with her coffee mug, then the tension in her body eased visibly. “That’s okay. I have nothing to hide, away. It’s just…weird.”

“Back to the news,” Mike broke in, defusing the situation. “Blue Fork is a small enough town that everyone knows what everyone else drives. If a strange vehicle shows up at all, people will wonder who it belongs to.”

“And one did?” Kelly’s voice was edged with excitement. “Did anyone find out who it belongs to?”

“Not yet. But a black panel truck that no one recognized—”

“Around here,” Kelly interrupted, “that means it didn’t have the requisite number of bumper stickers.”

“An unfortunate oversight for our unsub. Whoever it was stopped at Henry’s Gas-and-Go yesterday for gas and food, then again for coffee last night. We got a little lucky here. Henry’s got a kid working for him nights and Saturdays that apparently he doesn’t trust too much so he installed a hidden camera.”

“Only inside?” Rick asked.

“Yes but it also catches activity through the big glass window.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a mini-computer disk, handing it to Rick. “We may or may not get something but it’s worth a shot. Let’s take a look.”

Kelly and Mike watched over Rick’s shoulder as he inserted the disk, typed commands into the computer and instantly a video came up on the screen.

“It’s fuzzy,” Kelly complained. “How can we see anything?”

“Hold on, Red.” Rick’s fingers danced over the keyboard. “We can fix that a little bit.”

The end result wasn’t a whole lot better and the driver managed to keep his face away from the camera, even when he was inside the store. But kissed by a stroke of luck, they were able to make out part of the license plate.

“I’m sending this to Andy,” Rick told them. “He can run this faster than I can. Hold on.”

In seconds the email with the information had been sent. In less than a minute an animated dragon flashed on the screen at them, waving its tail. A text balloon carried the words, “Got it.”

Rick typed back, “I need it yesterday.”

The dragon replied, “Would I expect any less? Running it right now.”

“I found some other things,” Rick said, swiveling around in his chair, “while Kelly was pacing and Xena was guarding the door. Mike, about a year before you contacted Greg Jordan he was working a long stretch as security at a private resort on Camellia Cay in the Caribbean.”

Mike raised his eyebrows. “And?”

“And, using a program Andy sent me, while he’s trying to track the money, I’m going to run through the list of guests for the entire time Greg was there. Let’s see if anyone we know shows up. That could be where the original contact was made.”

“That long ago?”

“Some things simmer for a long time, waiting for the right opportunity. Anyway, why don’t you take Kelly for her look-see and I’ll see what I can find. I’m hoping this is where Jordan also chose to go to ground when he disappeared. It’s a place he knows and where he’d feel secure.”

“Good idea. Maybe we’ll have more to work with when I get back. Ready, Kelly?”

But as they headed toward the door, Xena stepped in their path. “Oh, oh.” Kelly smiled at the huge animal. “You want to go too, right?”

The dog snuffled at her hand.

She turned to Mike. “Is that okay?”

“Why not. She behaved better on the trip up here than some of my human passengers.”

Five minutes later they were airborne, leaving Rick totally absorbed at the computer.

Chapter Thirteen

Greg Jordan looked at his watch. In an hour he’d be safely out of here. He couldn’t stay here, although Camellia Cay was beautiful, secluded and very well guarded. He should know. For a long time he’d been one of the people guarding it, at a very hefty salary.

“One day there will be an opportunity,” the man had said, “for you to make a great deal of money. When that time comes, it will be worth whatever it takes to do it.”

He’d certainly been right. But a live Rick Latrobe made it impossible for Jordan to enjoy the fruits of his labors the way he wanted to.

He still couldn’t figure out how the hell everything had gone so wrong. Rick Latrobe wasn’t any superman. Killing him should have been a simple matter but the man had more lives than a cat. Somebody needed to finish the job. As long as Rick was alive, Greg would still be looking over his shoulder.

Meanwhile he had a new identity, money in an untraceable account and another place to stay on his way to a permanent location. He supposed things could be worse.

He was just closing his laptop, having yet again checked to make sure his money was safe, when a light tap sounded at the door. He cracked it open a few inches to find one of the guards standing there.

He kept his face bland. “Yes?”

“He says to be ready in fifteen minutes. I’ll be the one coming to get you.”

Greg dipped his head. “Thank you. I’ll be ready. And thank him, also, very much.”

“No problem. He gives the orders, we just follow them.”

He locked the door again and checked to see if he had everything he needed. He wasn’t taking much with him. Clothes wouldn’t be a problem. He could live in jeans until he felt it was safe enough to shop. Or send someone to do it for him. He had his laptop which contained all the information he would ever need. And it was all backed up to a flash drive that he’d had couriered to his brand-new offshore bank.

Camellia Cay’s owner was obsessive about secrecy. His guests were carefully selected and vetted and received absolute privacy. But in addition to that, the man had purchased four other uninhabited islands and constructed homes on each of them. In his colorful career he’d offended not just his own country but others, so he wanted enough bolt-holes to crawl into if the time ever came. He repaid his debt to Greg by giving him the use of one of those islands for as long as Greg needed it, until he made his permanent arrangements.

When the knock came at the door, he hung the strap of his computer case over his shoulder and lifted his suitcase. He was ready. More than ready.

* * * * *

The reality was worse than anything she could have imagined. When Mike set the chopper back down on the bluff, Kelly stumbled back to the cabin, Xena hard on her heels, barely making it to the bathroom before she emptied her stomach of everything in it. She was well into the dry heaves when a hand reached around her holding a wet washcloth.

“Here you go, Red.” Rick’s voice was soft and gentle.

While she wiped her face and the inside of her mouth, he stroked her hair with a tender caress. She was humiliated that he saw her this way but grateful for his ministrations.

“It was awful.” Her voice was hoarse in a throat made raw by the retching. “It looked like someone had taken a giant bulldozer and just leveled everything.”

“I talked to Dan about this while you were gone. We think it’s time to get you somewhere safe. Someplace where you’ll be out of this.”

She struggled to her feet, shaking her head. “Where could I be safer than here?”

“Kelly, that fire was meant to draw you out. At the very least to be a warning to you and it was set by someone who knew what the hell they were doing. Mike says they avoided all your alarm sensors and used sophisticated incendiary flashes set to a timer. Whoever this is means business. You can argue all you want to but it’s not safe for you to be around me.”

She said nothing while she rinsed out her mouth and wiped her face again. Still silent, she walked back into the main room of the cabin where she turned to face him.

“I’m not going. Period.” She looked down at Xena who had positioned herself next to her mistress. “Last night she woke me because she knew what was going on but she wouldn’t let me leave the cabin.” She bent down and took the massive face in her hands, locking her eyes on the dog’s. “What do you say, girl? Shall I let them run me off? Leave Rick here by himself?”

Xena instantly moved to stand in front of Rick, a low growl rumbling from her throat, her large body vibrating.

Kelly held her hands out to Rick, palms up. “See? If I leave, she’s staying and then what would I do for a bodyguard?”

“I don’t need her.” Rick raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Just tell her it’s okay.”

Kelly looked at Xena again and chuckled when the dog emitted another growl.

You can’t leave him. I will protect you.

He’s being a real pain about it.

Do not leave him. The three of us must stay together.

Kelly switched her gaze to Rick. “Sorry, big boy. It ain’t gonna happen.”

“I agree,” Mike chimed in from the kitchen where he was opening a soft drink. “With everything she says. Xena too. If she’s with us at least we can control her situation.”

“Like we controlled what happened at the farm?” Rick bit off.

“But she’s alive, right?”He turned to Kelly. “Right?”

“Right. So let’s not argue about this and get back to work. I want to catch these bastards and skin them alive.”

Now it was Rick’s turn to chuckle. “Okay, then. Dan called. Our attorney is already on the job, talking to your insurance company. He’s sent someone up here to make a site inspection and nose around.” He turned back to his computer. “I’ve been doing some research into the guest list at Camellia Cay. But Andy’s going to have to help with that too, because a lot of people who stayed there used aliases. So far I haven’t come across one familiar name.”

“If you can’t, how can Andy?” Kelly wanted to know.

“Andy could find ways to trace the President of the United States if he was using an alias. I don’t ask questions. I just let him do his thing.”

“Did you find out who owns the place?” Mike asked.

“Someone named Matthias Grant but we’ve figured that’s an alias too. That’s the first name Andy’s gone to work on.”

“Then why don’t I fix us some sandwiches?” Kelly walked into the kitchen area. “At least if we get attacked, we can defend ourselves on full stomachs. And then let’s try some of those exercises we got from The Lotus Circle. Maybe we can knock down that brick wall in your brain.”

* * * * *

He was going about this all wrong. Zarife pushed away from his computer after hours of fruitless searching, not even knowing what he was looking for. Wherever Rick Latrobe was hiding out, it wouldn’t be at a place that was easy to locate.

Asking questions wasn’t the way either. He’d already discovered that just the mention of his name made people look at him with unfavorable curiosity. He couldn’t afford to make himself stand out any more than he already had.

And that was when he realized he needed to tackle this from a different angle. If anyone knew where Latrobe was it would be his partners. They’d be the ones who’d hidden him away. Of course, he couldn’t exactly walk up to them and ask them. But he could try following them, one at a time, searching for an opportunity to learn the information.

None of them was listed in the telephone book, not that he’d expected them to be. And hanging around the building where their offices were, a giant black obelisk, could get him in more trouble. There were no convenient coffee shops across the street or stores to browse in and the security was tighter than at Guantanamo.

He just wanted this over. He wanted to call his father, give him the information and whoever the elder al-Dulami had in readiness would finish the job Greg Jordan hadn’t been able to complete.

His best bet, then, was to check out the airfield. For that he would need to call Gabir. He had already scoped the place out thoroughly before the aborted accident on the interstate. He could tell Zarife where to position himself and what to look for.

Reluctantly, with an uneasy suspicion that he was making a big mistake, he picked up the telephone and punched in a number.

* * * * *

Ken Murphy leaned back in what had been Greg Jordan’s desk chair and propped his feet on the desk. He hadn’t been here a week and already he was suffering from the fatigue that seemed to affect everyone. Dealing with the security on a daily basis took every bit of his patience and ingenuity. And Amin was an enigma yet to be decoded.

At least the Grainger Caldwell crews were on a steady work schedule and the projects were beginning to move. Somewhere—god only knew where—Dan Romeo had procured two more specially outfitted Humvees and piggybacked them onto someone else’s shipment. With gunners at the ready, each day they acted as escort for the two of the three crews considered to be in the area of highest danger.

Everyone was jumpy, though. The construction crews were anything but happy, despite the outrageous amount of money they were being paid. The guards slept with one eye open, expecting to be shot or have their throats slit at any moment. By this time Ken’s charm and patience were both stretched beyond thin.

But, in the way he’d learned from too many years in this business, he had finally cracked the wall of silence around the invaders in the northern part of the country. It had taken skill and patience, cajoling people in places in the city that no sane man would be found in and no small amount of money. In the end, however, it had paid off.

When his sat phone rang he picked it up, knowing who was on the other end. But at least this time he had some new information for him.

“Always nice to hear from you, Dan,” he joked. “And this time I might even have something to say to you.”

“God, it would be nice to have something from someone,” Dan told him. “What have you got?”

“I have to tell you, this was like mining gold in a river of sludge. If we had enough hot water I’d shower for two days straight.”

“When you get back here, I’ll personally see to it that you have an unlimited supply of hot water. Now give.”

Ken rubbed a hand across his eyes. “It seems that way up in the northern corner, almost to Iran, in the Zagros Mountains, is a family tribe, al-Dulami, Shi’as who have been working for years to reclaim their power and glory. Somehow over the past two decades they’ve been accumulating a massive amount of wealth.”

“From where?”

“That I don’t know. Is it important?”

“I don’t know yet. Let’s hear the rest of it.”

“Very quietly, almost silently, they let it be known they had cash to pay for weapons if there were a lot of them and the buy wasn’t made on the open market. Once they got their hands on the weapons, they began a well-planned offensive.” He stretched out his arm and reached for his coffee. “Thing is, everyone is either a supporter of the al-Dulamis or scared to death of them. No one mentions their name. And each area they’ve taken is like a walled fortress. Coalition troops trying to breach their security have taken so many hits they’ve stopped trying.”

“How does a deposed tribe get that kind of power?” Dan mused.

“Money and threats. You’re with us or you’re dead kind of thing.”

Ken could almost hear the wheels in Dan’s brain turning. “Someone had to put the buyer and seller together. Someone had to be the go-between. And someone had to know about this particular shipment to begin with.”

“It wasn’t all that secret,” Ken pointed out. “All the security firms have been shipping stuff over here.”

“Yeah but there had to be a way to get all the parties together. And I have a feeling it didn’t just happen overnight.”

“All right,” Ken sighed. “I’ll see what else I can find out.”

“No. Let it lie on your side. I need to attack it from over here. What’s happening with Amin? You think he’s involved?”

“Hard to say. One minute he’s my best friend, the other I’m afraid to turn my back on him. Honest opinion? I think you need to get rid of him but not before this situation is resolved. Keep your enemies close kind of thing.”

“You believe he’s involved.”

“Without a doubt. But I want this wrapped up before I do anything about him.”

“You just keep on with what you’re doing and I’ll get you out of there as soon as I can.”

“Gee. And just when I was really starting to have fun.”

* * * * *

Rick was trying to run a money trace on Greg Jordan, Kelly was sorting papers as he printed them out and Mike had gone back to Blue Fork to snoop around when Xena began her growl and prowl again.

“You think she senses something outside?” Rick asked, turning away from the computer.

“I don’t know. Let’s see.” But when she headed for the door, Xena did nothing to stop her. In fact, she bounded ahead of her, almost leading her.

“Let me open the door,” Rick said. “You stay back. Just in case.”

He had his handgun out at his side as he carefully pulled open the door. Kelly stood to the side but she had her H&K securely in her hand.

Xena stood in the doorway, sniffing and barking. When Rick stepped out onto the porch, the dog leaped off the porch and ran ahead of him to where the helicopter sat. By the time Rick had carefully searched around the cabin and no one had taken a shot at him, Xena was practically a maniac, running around the chopper and barking loudly.

“What does she want, Red? What’s she trying to say?”

Kelly watched the dog carefully. “I think she wants us to leave.”

“Why? Can’t be because of danger on the premises or she wouldn’t let us out of the house. So what’s going on?”

She wrinkled her forehead in thought. “No. It has something to do with the airfield. Airfield, right, girl?”

Xena barked at her twice.

Kelly looked at Rick. “She’s telling us something’s wrong at the field.” A thread of fear skittered over her spine. “Oh god. I hope nothing’s wrong with Granddad. I should call him.”

She fished her cell phone out of her pocket but before she could dial it rang in her hand. The voice on the other end startled her.

“Granddad? What’s going on?”

* * * * *

Zarife had gotten the information he needed from Gabir, found the place on the hill behind the airfield Gabir had told him about and concealed his car in a thick stand of trees. Now he crouched between two of them, binoculars trained on the airfield below.

He should have thought of this before. Wherever the Phoenix partners went it was usually by air and always from this, their private strip. He knew their air transportation was all hangared here. It was most likely wherever Rick Latrobe had gone, it had been from this place.

Now he watched for any activity, anything at all that showed movement. The mysterious man who was pulling the strings had given him yet another cell phone number to call, disposable like the others, he was sure. He applauded Zarife’s ingenuity and told him if he saw any sign of movement at all to call. He would be able to take it from there.

He also told him what to look for when he got to the field—how many planes, how many helicopters should be there.

Gabir had warned him to watch out for the guard at the gate and told him where the cameras were mounted on the gatehouse and by the door to the office. Zarife was looking directly into the sun, which made it difficult to see and he had to keep shifting his binoculars.

Two men were standing on the tarmac in front of one of the hangars, one of them about seventy he judged, in khakis and a long-sleeve shirt, a worn ball cap on his head. The other looked to be close to forty, tall, his muscular body evident beneath his faded jeans and pullover shirt. Zarife put his binoculars down for a moment and pulled a stack of photos out of his shirt pocket, shuffling through them. The old man was the airfield manager while the other one was the brother of the agency’s senior partner and one of the two pilots.

His mysterious caller, the man he’d come to refer to in his mind as the devil, had couriered the photos to him and also given him a list of the aircraft the company owned.

“This is a good trail to follow,” he’d told Zarife. “Make sure all the aircraft are still in place. If not, then one of them has transported Latrobe somewhere and we can start figuring out where. Smart thinking on your part.”

Praise Allah he had done something right. But how the hell he was supposed to do what the man said Zarife had no idea. He prayed fervently to Allah that an idea should come to him.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he lifted his binoculars again. The men turned toward him and for one heart-stopping moment, he thought they’d seen him but then they turned away and walked into the open hangar. Were they going to fly somewhere? Would it be to where Latrobe was hiding?

No, apparently not. In a few minutes Ed Romeo came back outside, climbed into his vehicle and headed out through the gate. Zarife tried to see which way he turned but the curve of the hill hid him from sight, so he went back to studying the airfield.

He adjusted the focus on his binocs and tried to see deeper into the hangar. Were all the aircraft still there? He was so intent on seeing into the murky darkness of the hangar that he never heard the footfalls behind him. By the time he heard a twig snap, it was too late. The barrel of a gun was pressed against his neck and an icy-cold voice said, “Looking for something?”

* * * * *

At least I won’t be freezing my ass off during the daytime, Denny Hammond thought as he made himself comfortable in his van. He’d found a well-hidden spot just down the road from the farm for his surveillance and was settling himself in.

“I want to know everyone who comes around the fire site,” the man had ordered. “If she doesn’t show up, someone will. She’s the link to Latrobe right now. She and that obnoxious dog. One of them is bound to take a look at the damage. Someone from Phoenix. And he can lead us back to Latrobe.”

“You said the same thing about the woman herself,” Denny reminded him. “You said the fire would smoke her out, if you’ll pardon the pun. But she never showed.”

“Someone will,” the man insisted. “Maybe already has and you missed him.”

“Then what am I waiting around for?”

“To see if he shows up again. I just sent everyone’s picture to your cell with identifiers. Memorize their faces and keep a sharp eye out.” He paused. “I have you and someone else on this. The first one to find him gets a big bonus.”

And that was the only reason Denny was still there. Because when he’d watched the fire scene through his binoculars, from a safe distance away, one of the men whose picture he had did indeed show up. And Denny had a feeling he was still in the area.

He sipped at the dark brew that passed for coffee, the sludge he’d bought at the convenience store. He should have learned the first time but he didn’t want to start showing himself in town and he needed the caffeine.

He had just taken another swallow when a flash of metal caught his eye. Something black. He set the coffee cup in the holder and picked up his binoculars. There. A black SUV just turning onto the highway from a road climbing the side of the cliff. A road so well disguised, Denny wouldn’t even have noticed it if he hadn’t been looking.

The truck turned into the driveway to the farm and stopped at the gate, where crime scene tape still flapped in the breeze. A man got out, walked to the gate and pushed it open, ducking under the tape. The cop standing there making notes on a clipboard nodded at him.

Okay! They know him!

Hastily Denny scrolled through the photos on his cell. Yes, there he was. Mike D’Antoni. The pilot.

Pilot!

Could that mean he’d flown Latrobe and the girl up here and they were somewhere close by? Was he doing their snooping for them at the fire scene?

Fifteen minutes passed before D’Antoni tramped back to the cop, nodded to him and climbed back into his SUV. Denny waited to see which way he turned. Would he go into the village? No. He was turning back toward the almost invisible road.

Denny rolled down his window, dumped the rest of the coffee and turned on the ignition. He gave D’Antoni a five-minute head start before following him.

* * * * *

Kelly had handed her cell phone to Rick when her grandfather asked for him and watched as the grim lines on his face cut even deeper. Anger flashed in his eyes as he listened carefully to Harry.

“Do you have a name?” he asked, then nodded at the answer. “All right. Call Dan. Get him over there. He’ll know where to take him. We’re not turning this one over to the police. I want to sweat him myself. As soon as Mike gets here we’ll be in the air.”

He snapped the phone shut and handed it back to Kelly.

Xena was prowling the cabin with restless paces, the growl continuing to rumble up from her throat. Kelly pulled her to a stop and forced the dog to look at her.

“You knew something was up, didn’t you, girl?”She glanced up at Rick. “What did Granddad say?” she asked, her voice anxious.

“They’ve caught someone spying on the airfield. Ed’s got him trussed up like a turkey in the hangar but Dan’s coming to get him. He’ll take him to a place we use when we need to question people.”

Kelly gave a nervous laugh. “Are you going to beat him with a rubber hose?”

One corner of Rick’s mouth turned up. “Probably not, although I’d like to. But we have to get information out of him. I need to get back to Maryland.”

Xena pressed against his legs and looked up at him. Rick rubbed her head, then looked in her eyes. “I swear she sends visual messages,” he told Kelly. “I’ve gotten them twice already.”

“Oh, I agree with you. She knew something was happening in Maryland. But…”She bit her bottom lip.

“But what, Red?”

“But wasn’t the whole purpose of bringing you up here to get you away from all the government agencies and the media until your partners could sort this out? And also to keep you out of the killer’s range?”

“The picture’s changed. And we’re going to be extra careful, believe me.” He looked at Xena. “And don’t forget, I have my sweet girl here to protect me.”

A buzzer sounded, indicating a vehicle was coming up the driveway. A second later Mike’s SUV appeared on one of the monitors.

“Get your stuff together,” Rick told Kelly. “I’ll tell Mike to prep the bird.”

Mike, too, wasn’t that thrilled about Rick and Kelly leaving the safety of the cabin but Rick was adamant.

“I’d insist Kelly stay here,” he told his partner, “but I know that won’t fly, so we’ll all go.”

Xena had been lying quietly in the corner, watching the humans, when she suddenly rose to her feet, the now-familiar rumble sounding in her throat and moved to where Kelly was. With her massive body she shoved the redhead until she was next to Rick, then planted herself in front of both of them.

Mike raised an eyebrow. “What’s with the dog?”

“Trouble,” Rick told him. “She knows something we don’t. What is it, Xena?”

Kelly leaned down and locked gazes with the dog.

Be careful. Be careful. Danger.

Here?

Be careful.

“Someone’s coming,” she told them.

“Up here?” Mike shook his head. “No one ever comes up here. They don’t even know there’s anything up here.”

Kelly was still bending down, communicating with Xena. “Nevertheless, she says danger’s coming.”

At that moment the warning sensors on the driveway buzzed again. They all stared at the monitors, watching. Moments later a black van came into view and Mike and Rick looked at each other.

“Our suspicious stranger,” Mike guessed. “What do you suppose is bringing him up here, on a practically nonexistent road?”

Rick grunted. “My guess is whoever hired him gave him pictures of all of us—and that’s scary enough in itself—and he spotted you at the farm a little while ago. He thinks you’ll lead him to me.”

“My bad. I should have paid more attention to what was around me. I must be getting old. Okay. How do you want to handle it?”

Rick’s face settled into a grim look. “I say let’s let him come up here. Once he reaches the top of the cliff, he’ll be completely exposed and then he’s ours. God, I can’t believe he’s stupid enough to come all the way up here not knowing what he’ll find. Whoever wants you dead must be hiring very stupid people.” He looked at Kelly. “Where are your weapons?”

She pulled the H&K from the small of her back where she kept it when she wasn’t sleeping. “The rifle’s in the bedroom.”

“Get it and make sure it’s loaded. Wait inside and I do mean inside.”

“But I can—”

“Red, you’re the backup,” Rick told her. “Just in case he slips by us, okay?”

As an answer she retrieved the rifle, cocked it and took a ready stance, finger resting just outside the trigger guard.

Rick headed for the door again but Xena hurled herself at him and knocked him down.

“Jesus, Xena.” He scrambled to his feet. “Let me out, okay?”

Xena simply knocked him down again.

“Kelly.” Rick looked at her. “We’re running out of time.”

She signaled Xena with her hands and they could see the dog was fighting a battle with herself. Finally she moved away from Rick and planted herself next to Kelly.

“Thank you. Xena, I’ll be fine. You take care of Kelly.”

He and Mike checked their own guns, then slipped outside. Moving to the rear of the cabin, they waited for the van to reach the top of the bluff. As long as the road was, it was five more minutes before it reached the crest.

The driver pulled to the side into a heavy stand of pine trees and shut off his engine. They watched him climb out of the other side of the vehicle, catching the door so it wouldn’t slam, and move in a crouch around to front bumper. He paused, as if considering how to cross the open space.

“Come on,” Mike muttered under his breath. “Just move a little more.”

They waited, the man in a crouch, Mike and Rick concealed by the cabin.

“One more step,” Rick whispered to himself. “Just a little one.”

And then he moved, still in his crouch, heading toward the blind side of the cabin, the one with no windows. One step. Two steps. Mike fired, the bullet knocking the gun from the man’s hand.

“Son of a bitch,” he screamed, grabbing his hand, blood dripping from it.

The two men were on him instantly. Rick picked up the gun and stuck it in his waistband. Mike grabbed the man by his collar and dragged him toward the cabin. Kelly pulled the door open and stood back, rifle at the ready.

“Is somebody gonna look at my hand?” their captive screamed.

Mike tightened his grip on the collar, twisting it into a choke hold. “I’d shut up if I were you. The woman’s got an itchy trigger finger.”

When they were all inside, Mike dug into the man’s pockets until he found his wallet and cell phone.

“Well, well. Hello, Dennis Hammond. Let’s see if the numbers in your phone tell us anything.”

“Nothing,” Denny spat. “They’ll lead you to nothing. You’ll be wasting your time.”

Mike shrugged. “It’s our time to waste. Rick, find some rope and tie this jerk to the chair.”

They wrapped a towel around the injured hand to keep the blood from dripping on the floor. Xena stood in front of the chair, lips peeled back, teeth showing, treating Denny to a menacing growl.

“Get that hound away from me,” he shouted, trying to skid the chair back.

“She’s one of our agents,” Rick joked. “I wouldn’t mess with her.”

“I’m going back outside to check his van. Rick, see if any of those numbers answer.”

By the time Mike came back inside, Rick had tried every number with no success. “My guess is they’re throwaways and they’ve already been disposed of. What did you find?”

“Our fine friend here had a canvas bag with more incendiary devices, two boxes of ammunition for his gun and just as we thought, pictures of all of us.” He swiveled his gaze to Kelly. “Including you and Xena.”

“Now what?”she asked, the rifle still pointed at the man in the chair.

“Now we make some decisions. For a change we’ve drawn a few cards in our own hands.”

* * * * *

The man calling the shots sat on a bench in the park, looking at his useless cell phone. Useless because he couldn’t reach either of the men who were supposed to be finding Rick Latrobe and eliminating him. Useless because all the other contacts he tried reaching had nothing for him. It was all coming unraveled and he needed to make plans.

Any day now Rick Latrobe would put all the pieces together. He had a reputation as a puzzle solver and he never gave up. Now Zarife and Denny had disappeared and that was not a good sign. Denny would let whoever had him kill him, before he talked but he didn’t have as much faith in Zarife. Good thing he had no idea who he’d been talking to.

What he ought to do was take all that money stashed in a secret account and disappear, just the way he’d arranged for Greg Jordan to do. But then he’d leave a hell of a mess behind. Others would be caught in the investigation. Maybe lose everything they had. Certainly their reputation.

His family. God, his family. They’d be left with the biggest mess of all. He was sorry for that. Sort of. But he’d made a choice and now he was stuck with it.

He almost laughed. Stuck with millions of dollars.

Then he sobered. He needed to get the hell out of here and he knew of only one way to do it. At least he’d be able to come face-to-face with Greg Jordan again and have the pleasure of killing the man. He was good at that. Lull the intended victim into a sense of false security, then do the deed when he or she least expected it.

If he wasn’t so exposed he might have taken care of Latrobe himself.

Well, life would go on, one way or another. But first he had to make sure his disappearance was properly staged.

* * * * *

Mike landed at the country airstrip they’d taken off from where a black Expedition with darkened windows was waiting for him. The first thing they did was deliver Denny Hammond to Troy and Mark, who told them about Zarife and carried Denny off to join him. Then Mike drove them all to the airfield where Dan was waiting, pulling into the hangar and signaling Harry to close the door.

Over coffee in the office, Dan filled them in on what he’d learned about Zarife al-Dulami.

“Ken sent us the information from Iraq. One of his contacts came through. Someone set up the connection between the seller and the al-Dulami family. Someone who knew about them and my guess is that would be Greg Jordan. And the seller had to know to contact Zarife.”

Rick shook his head in disgust. “I want to put a face on that someone and my guess is Jordan can do it for us.” He pushed his coffee cup away from him. “I’ve got to get more information on Camellia Cay. Andy’s been working on it for me and also helping with Jordan’s money trace. To see if we can track it back.”

“I know,” Dan told him. “I’ve been checking with him regularly. This is a very complicated network we’re tapping into and it’s taking him a little longer than usual to crack the firewalls.”

“It can’t take too long. We’re running out of time.”

Dan snorted. “Don’t I know it. I have the feds down on my head every day, demanding that I produce you. Not to mention the excessive media coverage.”

“Maybe Troy and Mark can get something out of our two ‘guests’. Anything is better than nothing.”

“I think that Zarife fellow will crack if you put enough pressure on him,” Harry commented. “I only got to watch him for a little while but he’s as nervous as hell.”

“Do we know who he is?” Rick asked. “Besides being part of the al-Dulami family, I mean.”

“So far there’s not much to know,” Dan replied. “He’s been in this country a little more than ten years. Got his engineering degree from MIT then found a job with one of the smaller engineering firms in D.C. Seems he’s quietly been building himself a little network here, almost as if he was preparing for something like this.”

“Maybe he was,” Rick mused. “The question is, how did Mr. X. know to contact him? Jordan again?”

Before Dan could answer, Xena rose to her feet, fur standing on end, the familiar growling rumbling up from her throat.

“Oh, oh,” Kelly said. “Something’s wrong.”

Dan glanced out the window of the office. “I don’t see anything. Besides, the guard would have called if we had trouble.”

But Xena placed herself next to Rick, rubbing against his leg and giving a single bark.

“It has to do with me,” he told them. “Are we covered here?”

“I’ll go outside and check things out,” Harry said. “You all stay inside.”

He’d barely started toward the door when the phone on the desk rang. Dan snatched it up, frowning as he listened to the man on the other end.

“All right,” he said. “Stall them for a few minutes. Do the best you can.” When he hung up his face was taut with worry. “That was the guard. The feds are here. I thought they’d given up on this place but I guess they don’t give up on anything. They’ve got a warrant to search for you here, Rick. And two media vans followed them over here. Apparently they’re gluing themselves to the feds until they find out something else to report.” He glanced at Xena. “How the hell does she do that, anyway?”

Kelly gave him a tired grin. “She just does. She even transfers her thoughts to my dreams sometimes. And we can link our minds in certain situations.”

“If I weren’t married to my wife and a staunch supporter of The Lotus Circle, I might have trouble accepting that. But they’ve made a believer of me in a lot of things. And Xena has certainly saved our bacon a lot.” He finished the last swallow of coffee.“Well, the guard can only hold them off for so long.”

Harry looked at Dan. “This is the kind of thing we prepared for, right?”

“You got it.” He turned to Kelly.“But can the dog be trusted?”

“Xena can do whatever I tell her to.” Kelly’s tone was belligerent.

“Okay, okay, just asking. Come on. Rick, you know the drill. We’ve rehearsed it before.”

Dan led them all to the wall at the far end of the hangar. When he pressed a large screw that bolted the faceplate to the metal, a section of the wall slid sideways, revealing a hidden section about four feet deep and running about fourteen feet.

“It’s not much in the way of accommodations,” he told Kelly. “But it’ll do until we can get rid of our friends.”

“We can handle it,” she told him. Bending down, she whispered in Xena’s ear.

“I swear that dog nodded her head,” Dan remarked, an expression of amazement on his face.

“Of course she did,” Kelly said with a grin. “Okay, we’re all set.”

In seconds they were all in the hidden passage and the wall slid back into place.

For Kelly and Rick it seemed the federal agents were taking their own sweet time. They could hear snatches of conversation as men searched this hangar, then one of them arguing with Dan while he sent men to check out the other one. Finally, when they were about convinced they’d be trapped in the narrow space forever, the wall slid open and Dan beckoned them out.

“We dodged a bullet this time,” he told them, “but they aren’t giving up.”

“I need to talk to Andy,” Rick told him. “I’ve got to get my information from him. And I can’t just sit around this hangar forever.”

“I know, I know. They’ll be watching to see who leaves here and maybe even following us. Let me think.”

In the end they came up with what they thought was the most workable plan and prayed they weren’t wrong.

Chapter Fourteen

“I can trace the money back to Jordan’s initial deposit,” Andy told Rick over the phone, “but I’m still working on where that money came from. That one’s a son of a bitch to crack.”

They’d worked a good shell game getting everyone away from the airfield, driving in and out so many times in so many combinations they almost confused themselves. Dan called in two of their men to add to the mix and by the time they had things right, the feds and the media had a hard time deciding exactly which vehicles to follow.

Dan, driving Kelly’s truck, had skillfully lost any tail that might still have been clinging to them. Now they were at the anonymous condo where Rick had spent a few days what seemed like light-years ago, trying to pull all the loose threads together.

“I can’t tell you how imperative it is to get that information,” Rick urged. “What about Camellia Cay? Any luck there?” He listened again. “Okay. All right. I’ll call you back in an hour.”

He disconnected the call, his disgust evident.

“Anything?” Kelly asked.

“Not much more than we had before. It seems the guests at Camellia Cay are assigned a number when their reservations are taken and the alias relates back to that number.”

“Pretty sophisticated system to give people privacy,” she commented.

“These people aren’t just looking for privacy,” he told her. “Often they’re hiding from agencies like Interpol, the Sûreté, even our own FBI and CIA.”

“Nice people to hang with.”

“Any more on the man who owns the place?” Dan wanted to know.

“At least we’ve got a little something there. His money came initially from blood diamonds—the diamonds mined in Africa illegally and smuggled out of the country. Andy said the guy also bought four or five other islands near the Cay and built houses on them. More like fortresses, I think.”

“I’d give my left leg to know how he and Jordan hooked up to begin with,” Mike said, rubbing his hand over the stubble on his jaw. “When I knew him in the Rangers he was the straightest arrow you’d ever want to know. When his second tour was up, he said he had a private gig waiting for him. I didn’t ask any questions and when I looked him up for the Grainger Caldwell gig, he said he’d had it with being on an isolated island and this looked good to him. I swear all his creds checked out.”

“Quit worrying yourself into a heart attack over it,” Dan told him. “My guess is he had bigger things in mind from the beginning and had expert help setting up his references.”

Kelly had pulled the notes from the cabin out of her backpack and was studying them. “Is it too farfetched to think this Matthias Grant is behind the whole thing?”

“A man with that much money?” Dan quirked an eyebrow. “Anything is possible but why endanger what he has for something this risky?”

“Maybe he’s one of these people who constantly needs an adrenaline fix. Besides, for some people there’s no such thing as too much money.” She turned back to Rick. “Does anyone know what he looks like? And if he spends all his time on that island?”

“Andy hasn’t been able to get a picture of him,” Rick answered her. “The guy’s camera shy and with good reason. And I don’t know if he spends all his time on the Cay or not. If you can’t see him, you can’t track him. Then I say our next stop should be Camellia Cay. That’s probably where Jordan has gone to ground. Remember, he has a connection there. If I can find him, I can shake the truth out of him. Otherwise I’ll be another dead body and the blame for everything will fall on me.”

Kelly touched his shoulder. “Are you sure you’re in shape for something like that?”

A muscle twitched in his cheek. “This is my gig. I clean up my own mess.”

She sighed. “All right. Then Xena and I are going with you.”

“Oh, no.” He gave his head a vehement shake. “That’s definitely not happening.”

“Rick, don’t be a hard-ass. You can’t do this alone and Xena is the best protection you can have. Not to mention that I’m a pretty fair shot and have great survival skills.”

“Listen. I have no idea how I’m even going to get on the island, as heavily guarded as it is. Or what I’ll find when I get there. And certainly I can’t have a dog as big as a horse crashing through the underbrush.”

Xena growled at him and Kelly grinned.

“She says you insulted her. Listen, Xena knows how to be quiet. We’ve practiced this kind of stuff before. And you absolutely cannot do this by yourself. Besides, we need to do those memory exercises again and you’re not supposed to do them by yourself.”

“At the risk of getting my head chopped off,” Dan interjected, “can I also point out that Xena has unusual skills that you just may need?”

Rick threw up his hands. “All right, all right. Let’s not waste any more time arguing. What we need are satellite photos of Camellia Cay and the surrounding area and every single fact we can dredge up about it. And I need them yesterday.”

* * * * *

Al-Dulami was having his own problems. He had not been able to get in touch with his son for several hours, nor had anyone located the elusive Mr. Latrobe. And while the continued strikes he’d made were successful, they were taking too much time. Far more than he’d expected. He just didn’t have the manpower he’d counted on to hit a number of places all at once. The coalition forces were massing and preparing for a heavy assault on ground he’d already gained.

He’d planned this for so long, paying attention to every single detail. But Allah had not smiled on him. One of his idiot soldiers had left the incriminating gun behind, the man who held all the pieces of the puzzle in his head was still alive and his own son had disappeared.

This evening he would go to the mosque in town and pray for guidance. He was so close to success. He wondered if he had somehow offended Allah, or he was in some way being tested. Surely Allah would not take it all away from him now.

Would he?

* * * * *

Andy and the Dragon hadn’t progressed much further either with Greg Jordan’s financial sources or the guests of Camellia Cay. But Andy did email them a full range of satellite photos of the Cay and the surrounding islands, along with a topographical map of the area. Rick had no idea how he’d managed to get them and he wasn’t asking any questions. He just spread everything out on the dining room table so they could study it.

Dan had left long ago to head back to the office and Mike had just finished talking to him.

“He’s had another visit from the feds,” he reported. “They’re getting even more testy. And they’ve set up permanent surveillance on the airfield, the office building and your house. Probably everyone’s houses, even Mark’s and Dan’s in San Antonio.”

Rick lifted his eyes from where he was studying photos. “They think I’m going to Texas?”

“They think you’re running away from your crimes. And we’re helping you.”

Something ugly flashed in Rick’s eyes, something Kelly had never seen there before. “How bad is it for the agency? And don’t soft-soap me, okay?”

Mike lifted a shoulder. “We’ll weather it. And not by throwing you to the wolves, either. What we have to focus on now is getting you to Camellia Cay because I don’t see any other lead to follow.”

“I’m certainly not going back to Iraq to hunt down some revenge-bent tribesman to see if he’ll answer my questions. Okay, then. Let’s get back to work here.”

An hour later Rick pushed back from the table and stretched his arms, wincing slightly at the residual soreness in his chest that still plagued him. Kelly tried to hide the concern she was feeling but he obviously caught a flash of it.

“I fought wars with worse injuries than this,” he assured her. “I’ll be fine.”

“From what we see here,” Mike said, “the best way in is to land on one of these uninhabited islands here,” he pointed to a spot on the satellite map, “and go in at night by boat.” He looked at Xena. “It’s going to be a rough crossing because we can’t land on an island too near the Cay. How will Xena take to rough seas, if you run into them and a long trip by boat?”

“She’ll be just fine,” Kelly assured him. “I’ll explain to her what it’s all about. She’ll understand.”

Mike couldn’t help the grin that turned up the corners of his mouth. “I still can’t believe you actually have conversations with this dog. And more than that, she understands you.”

“And answers me. Xena has incredible powers. Trust me. She’ll know what’s at stake here. If she understands that her actions could bring harm to Rick or me, she’ll do whatever we tell her to.”

Mike tossed his pencil onto the table. “Okay, then. Let’s put this down on paper.”

* * * * *

Kelly thought for a moment she’d fallen into a spy movie as the partners set up the plan to get the three of them out of town without raising any flags. Rick assured her every bit of it was necessary to make sure neither the feds nor the media caught wind of where he was.

Dan had gone to Rick’s house, lit inside by the timer and let himself in, calling to tell them that a car and a van were parked across the street. Leaving Mark with the prisoners, Troy had gone to the office, making sure his tail saw him talking on his cell phone. He’d parked his car in its usual spot in the underground parking lot, turned on the lights in the office and settled in for a long night, knowing whoever was tailing him would be camped beside his car.

“We should keep a lot of people busy for a long night,” Dan chuckled when he called Rick to check on their departure time.

In the condo where they were holed up, Kelly had Rick go through the memory exercises twice more. The second time he was sure he’d gotten the niggling fact unstuck but when he reached for it, it eluded him again.

“It will come,” Kelly assured him, gathering up the pictures and symbols they’d been using. “Probably when you least expect it.”

When they were sure no one had accidentally stumbled onto the location of the condo, Mike drove Kelly, Rick and Xena to the spot where he’d hidden the helicopter, yet another country airstrip. Xena, by now a seasoned traveler, had hopped into her usual seat and waited for someone to buckle her in. Ed was waiting for them at the hidden helipad with the supplies they’d requested and they quickly loaded them into the chopper’s cargo area.

Then they were off and unexpectedly Kelly felt butterflies in her stomach and the first tendrils of fear. She was heading into a totally unknown area in a situation which she hoped she wouldn’t screw up. Despite the fact that she had both the H&K and the rifle with her, she knew her best weapon was Xena, so she’d have to make the best possible use of her.

Rick and Mike were busy studying the satellite images and other information, going over the details again and again as the chopper carried them southward over vast reaches of water. Kelly put her arm around Xena’s body and leaned against the dog, whispering to her, stroking her. Exhausted by tension and the long day she dozed off and the dream surrounded her.

She was standing in the thickness of tropical foliage, strange birds chattering overhead, the heat so oppressive she could barely catch her breath. Xena was beside her, tugging at the fabric of her shorts, pulling her away from the clearing in which she stood. When she didn’t move the dog turned her head to look at her and in her eyes she could see the image of a man with a gun. She tried to move but her feet seemed glued to the ground.

Suddenly Rick was beside the man and they were shaking hands. Chatting, as if they were old friends. But as Rick started toward her, the man raised his rifle again, pointing it straight at Rick. Xena launched himself through the air just as the rifle fired.

Kelly awoke, startled, the dream shattered by the crack of the rifle.

She looked at Xena, the dog’s eyes sending her messages.

I got it, girl, but I’m not sure what it is. What’s the message I’m supposed to decipher?

She leaned forward and tapped Rick on the shoulder. He handed her a set of headphones to put on so they could talk.

“Someone you know is going to kill you,” she told him. “Or try to.”

“Another dream message from Xena?”

“I pick up her thoughts, like in the other dreams. She wants you to know that someone you think is your friend wants you dead.”

He nodded. “Greg Jordan. We’re already aware of that. He’s tried to kill me twice, remember?”

“No, I don’t think this is about him. It’s someone else.”

Rick frowned. “Someone else? I can’t imagine who that could be. The only person I know down here is Greg. And I’m sure he won’t be happy to see me.”

“Just…be careful. Extra careful.”

He grinned. “You have my word, Red, I’ll pay strict attention to everything.” He reached for her hand, lifted it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Besides, I’ve got Xena to watch my back, right?”

“Xena’s the one sending the warning.”

The grin disappeared. “In that case I’m hoping she’ll really be on the alert. I can’t imagine who she means but I promise not to take any chances.”

The radio crackled to life in the cockpit and Mike pressed a switch so they could all listen.

“Hey, guys. It’s the Dragonslayer.”

Rick turned to Kelly and mouthed, “Andy.”

She nodded, swallowing a grin at the nickname.

“You got something for us?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, something important.” They waited for him to continue. “Okay, I got more satellite imagery that I was able to enlarge. Shots of the surrounding islands. You guys need to know something.”

“Then you’d better go ahead and tell us.” Mike’s voice was a combination of tolerance and impatience.

“Okay. Yeah, yeah. Well, remember I told you this Matthias Grant guy bought some islands around Camellia Cay and built houses on them? I guess for even more privacy. Like if Interpol or someone was after him or his guests.”

“Andy,” Rick prompted, his tone sharp.

“Okay, okay. Well, I can tell you Greg Jordan is definitely there, only not on the Cay itself. I got clear shots showing him on one of those other islands, not the main one. I enlarged the face and matched it to the head shot we have of him, just to make sure. He’s on the island marked Number Three on the topographical map I sent you.”

Rick shuffled through the papers on his lap and pulled out the photo he wanted. “I’ve got it. So that’s where we should be heading.”

“You got it. You can still land where you were planning to, just on the opposite side of the island. There’s a wide beach there that should be fine for you.”

The Caribbean islands, made of coral and covered with thick, tropical foliage, were arranged in three arcs. The ones they wanted were in the center arc, where the sands were actually black rather than white. On some of them, dormant volcanoes slumbered, waiting to breathe themselves to life again. Not always the easiest places to breach, which Rick assumed was why Matthias Grant had chosen them for his hideaway.

“I’m sending you another picture to the laptop,” Andy told them. “It’s a more definitive picture of the island where Jordan’s living. I marked three lagoons on the far side that you can bring the boat into and hide in the mangroves. But be careful, you guys. I can’t tell if there are guards on that island or what.”

“No problem,” Rick assured him. “We’ve got thermal imagers with us that can see through anything.”

“All right. Here goes the picture. Take care.”

Rick opened the laptop he’d been balancing on his knees and accessed Andy’s email.

“We’ll study this when we get down,” he told Mike. Then he turned back to Kelly again. “It’s almost daylight. We’ll have to camp out where we land until it gets dark. I don’t want to cross the water and approach the island until then.”

“Okay. Xena and I are good.”

Along with provisions for the humans, Ed had loaded a sack of dog food for Xena. Kelly hoped they wouldn’t be there long enough to use it all up.

* * * * *

Greg Jordan found that old habits were hard to break. Despite the fact that he had no schedule to keep, no deadlines to hit, he still rose at six every morning. The problem was, after doing his daily exercise routine, going for his run along the beach and eating the breakfast the houseman prepared for him, there wasn’t much else to do.

He’d never gotten the knack of fishing, he already had as much tan as he wanted and he didn’t have any hobbies. At least none that he could pursue in such isolation.

This morning he was up before dawn, restless, agitated about…he didn’t know what. Rather than wake the houseman he brewed a pot of coffee himself. He was sitting on the terrace drinking his first cup and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life when the normal chattering of birds was broken by a familiar sound that drew his gaze to the sky. A helicopter, night lights winking, passed overhead. Probably another “guest” arriving at Camellia Cay to drop from sight until it was safe to return home. Or head for someplace else. At least once a week a helicopter brought someone in. Or took someone out.

Somehow none of this had turned out the way he’d expected. Years ago when he first met Matthias Grant, he was still a Ranger on a mission that Grant had somehow gotten in the middle of. He’d saved the man’s skinny ass in a dicey extraction in Africa and Grant had promised to take care of him. When he’d left the Rangers he went to work for Grant on his obnoxiously lavish island, providing security for the very high-level criminals who used it to drop out of sight when necessary.

But working for Grant, even at the exorbitant salary he was paid, only whetted his appetite for the bigger bucks. Grant was the one who had turned him onto the Grainger Caldwell gig, told him to make himself noticed so his old friend Mike D’Antoni would look him up and the payday in the end would be worth it.

Yeah, right!

It turned out to be the biggest disaster in the world. And somehow his gut was telling him this wasn’t a safe place to be anymore. He didn’t know why but he’d learned to trust his instincts. The man surely wouldn’t turn on him and no one could find him here. But just the same, something was telling him to move on.

He just had to figure out where to.

* * * * *

They landed on the far side of the uninhabited island, a coral atoll covered with thick tropical vegetation, setting down on the beach just as the sun was beginning to turn the sky pink. Mike managed to maneuver the bird close enough to the shrubs and trees at the edge of the beach to land where he could hide it, and they covered it with camouflage netting.

The three of them with Xena found a spot not too far away where they could be concealed from any passing boats or planes, yet not far from the chopper in case they needed it. Mike unfolded a thermal blanket and they sat down, stacking their provisions to one side.

“We’d better get some sleep,” Mike said. “We were up pretty much all night and we’re going to need our wits about us when we launch.”

Rick looked at his watch. “We’ll take turns standing guard. I don’t think all of us should sleep at the same time.”

“I can take my turn,” Kelly told them. “Xena will guard with me.” She looked from one man to the other, seeing their objections in their eyes. “And no arguments. I’m a great shot and I don’t fall asleep on the job. So no catering to the ‘little lady’,” she insisted.

Rick chuckled. “Okay, Red. You get your turn. But let me take the first watch. Mike, you flew all the way and Red, I want you fresh. So everyone make yourselves as comfortable as possible.”

He pulled his Glock from his waistband, racked the slide to chamber a bullet and checked his pockets to make sure he had extra clips.

Kelly and Mike smeared themselves with insect repellent and stretched out on the thermal blanket, using backpacks as pillows. Rick lathered on the liquid and then seated himself on a fallen log. Xena planted herself right beside him, eyes alert, head pointed inward toward the center of the atoll.

“You and me, girl. Right?” Rick fondled the dog’s ears.

Xena nudged his hand with his nose.

It amazed Rick that the animal hadn’t made a sound since the chopper had taken off in Maryland. Even her footsteps were nearly soundless, almost impossible for an animal her size. During the two hours they stood guard, Xena never once relaxed, never lay down. She simply sat ready for whatever happened, constantly scenting the air and swiveling her eyes.

At the end of two hours, Rick shook Kelly gently.

“Time to wake up, sleeping beauty,” he said in a low voice.

“Oh, lordy.” She leaped lithely to her feet and treated herself to a good stretch. “If I’d known you guys had so much fun and lived so lavishly I might have hunted you up a long time ago.”

Rick pulled her close to him, capturing her mouth in a deep kiss. “When this is over we’re going to take some time off and plan our future, just like I said at the cabin. I have a specific plan in mind and I hope you’re okay with it.”

Her eyes studied his, searching for something. He held her, letting everything he felt show for her to see. Then he pulled her hard against his body.

“I love you, Red.”

Her heartbeat tripped in an uneven cadence. With all the promises he’d made and all the references to plans, this was the first time he’d made this declaration. She knew these weren’t words he said lightly. She lifted her face to him.

“I love you too. Sometimes it feels as if I’ve loved you all my life.”

“Me too. Must be more of that linking thing we’ve got going.” He gave her a hard kiss.

“I think you’re onto something,” she told him. “Now. Let me answer the call of nature. And you should take a couple of aspirins before you lie down.”

He didn’t argue, shaking them out of the container in one of the backpacks and uncapping a bottle of water. He kissed her once more before taking her place on the thermal blanket.

“Watch my back, Red,” he winked.

“And a whole lot more,” she joked, taking his seat on the log, Xena stationed beside her.

She took a long drink from the bottle Rick had handed her and tried not to think about how hot it was.

* * * * *

Despite the ache in his chest, the humidity and the hard ground beneath the thermal blanket, Rick was asleep almost as soon as his eyes closed. He seldom dreamed, a discipline he’d developed during all his years in the military. If you dreamed you could be too deep in your sleep cycle and caught unawares. But fatigue and a weakened condition contributed now to the lapse in discipline.

He was on an island, not unlike the one where they were hiding at the moment. Moving stealthily through foliage he came to the house on the far side, a graceful two-story with plantation columns and wide windows. On a flagstone terrace a table under an umbrella was set with crystal and china but no one was in evidence.

Then two men walked out from the house, voices angry. In his dream he strained to see them but their faces were shadowed, diffused. He could just make out the shape of Greg Jordan’s body but the other man was still like a smudge on the landscape.

As he tried to move closer Xena was there, knocking him flat and dragging him by his t-shirt back into the foliage. At that moment a piece of paper blew up from the ground, floating on the air just out of his reach. The unknown figure morphed into a gun that began spitting bullets at him and with a stifled cry he woke up.

“Jesus Christ.” He dragged a shaking hand over his sweaty face.

Kelly was beside him at once. “Rick? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Remember when you told me your dog sometimes invades your dreams to give you messages?”

“Yes. Why?”

“And I told you she did that to me the other night?”

“Did something happen just now?”

“I think so.” He took the water bottle Kelly handed him and drained it in great gulps. “We’re going to have trouble when we get to the other island. Someone’s going to kill me. Or try to.”

“We figured Greg Jordan wouldn’t give up without a fight,” she reminded him.

“No, not him. Someone else. Someone…” He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Someone I know? Someone I don’t expect? That thing just at the back of my mind, Red, that’s been teasing me since I came back from Iraq? The trip just before we shipped the weapons? Whoever wants to kill me, it has something to do with that. I know at least that much now.”

“How do you know?”

He stared at her, as if he still couldn’t quite believe it himself. “Xena told me.”

* * * * *

Wakened by the heavy pounding on Rick’s front door, Dan had thrown on his jeans and shirt and opened the door to find a very angry man in the person of Assistant United States Attorney John Hopewell. Behind him were the two agents who’d spent the night sitting across the street in their car.

“Either you produce Eric Latrobe,” Hopewell said between gritted teeth, “or we’ll charge him in absentia and proceed accordingly.”

“Nice to see you too, John,” he greeted him with heavy sarcasm. “Were you just in the neighborhood and thought you’d drop in?”

“Don’t get smart with me, Dan. I want your partner and I want him this minute. You and I both know he’s as guilty as hell so quit stalling.”

“The first thing I think we should do is come inside so we don’t wake the whole neighborhood.” He stepped back and opened the door wider.

Hopewell raised an eyebrow. “You’re inviting me in?”

“Why not? I have nothing to hide.”

“Why are you staying here?”Hopewell demanded and looked around. “This mean’s Latrobe’s not here, right?”

“I’m here because it didn’t seem like a good idea to fly back to Texas with all this still on the table and Rick’s got plenty of room.”

“Where is he? I want to know exactly where he is.”

Dan held out his hands, palms up. “I wish I could tell you but I just don’t know.”

“Don’t give me that crap. You’ve got him stashed somewhere and it’s time to turn him over.”

Dan folded his arms across his chest. “Tell you what, John. Do you have a warrant? If so, you can bring it to our offices after nine o’clock and deliver it to our attorneys. If you don’t have one, then you need to get the hell out of this house. I’m tired of you, the media and every covert and overt government agency in existence throwing dirt on a man who has served his country well and continues to do so. You’re dealing with circumstantial evidence here and that’s all.”

“If you’re so sure he’s innocent, then why won’t you turn him over to us?”

“Turn him over?” A muscle twitched in Dan’s cheek. “You mean like a common criminal?”

“I want him,” Hopewell repeated stubbornly.

“Nine o’clock,” Dan repeated. “Our offices. Now I think it’s time for you to leave.”

He locked the door and reset the alarm, hoping that Rick was having success on his very tricky mission. Besides the people who wanted to arrest him, too many people wanted to kill him. They needed to put this thing to bed and quickly.

* * * * *

The man was activating his carefully constructed plan, the only option his greed had left him. He spent the entire day getting everything in order, making sure his wife and family would be taken care of when he was gone. He was sorry about the others who would be affected but not sorry enough to stay and admit what he’d done. That would destroy everyone.

No, this was the best solution to the problem. He had it all carefully planned and all the arrangements had been made. He allowed himself one last moment of regret for what he was leaving behind, then turned back to the tasks at hand. Everything would have worked out perfectly if any of the idiots charged with the task had killed Rick Latrobe. Well, no help for it now.

He’d decided his usual bolt-hole would no longer work. If someone put the pieces together it would be easy enough to find him there. It wasn’t so much the government he was worried about as al-Dulami’s men and others who would want to erase all trace of him.

He needed a new place, one completely off the radar and he had researched some locations. He’d already moved all of his money to new accounts, leapfrogging so many times he didn’t think anyone could follow the trail.

But first he had one loose end to eliminate. The only person left who could tie him to this fiasco. As soon as he left here he’d take care of it.

* * * * *

The day dragged monotonously, the humid air filled with the sounds of chattering birds and the noises of insects. The heavy incense of the tropical blooms like magnolias and hyacinths clogged the still air, at times making it difficult to breathe. Rick and Mike had been through this in many corners but Kelly surprised both of them with her survival skills and her infinite patience when there was nothing to do but wait. They slept in shifts, or rested if sleep escaped them. And made sure they drank plenty of water. Dehydration was the last thing they could afford.

Rick and Mike checked and rechecked the weapons constantly and went over the route to the island and the procedure they’d use so many times Kelly was sure she could do it in her sleep.

Kelly found it interesting that Xena positioned herself as close as possible to Rick rather than her.

“She knows you’re the one in danger. She smells it. Senses it.”

“I keep hoping she’ll find her way into my dreams again so I can see exactly who this guy is but no such luck. And what the missing piece of the puzzle is.”

“If anyone had told me that a psychic dog would be sending you messages in your dreams,” Mike commented, “I’d have told them they were flat-out crazy. But the past few months I’ve seen so many unexplainable things I just don’t question stuff anymore.”

“People have been trying to explain psychic phenomena for centuries,” Kelly told him. “Even when testing is done in labs the results are often inconclusive. Some things you just have to take on faith.”

“Have you thought any more about Mia’s offer to come to Maryland with Xena?” Rick asked. “Become part of our new Psi department?”

She smiled at him. “Before the farm burned I’d have probably given it a pass. But now…” She shrugged. “I’m faced with starting over completely, so maybe it’s time to make some real changes in my life.”

He put down the gun he was holding and took one of her hands in his. “That’s part of what I want to talk to you about. After we’re married we can live anywhere. I told you that. And if Maine is where it’s at for you, I can handle that. But you might want to look at other locations, since you’re essentially rebuilding anyway.”

“After we’re married.” A warm feeling slithered through her body. “That has a nice ring to it. I want to go to Texas too and meet this woman, Vivi, and the others in her Lotus Circle group there. But let’s get out of here first, clear your name, then we can make plans.” She squeezed his hand. “Together.”

The air became marginally cooler as the sun dropped below the horizon and the first edge of night crept over them. When it was full dark, they began to clear their small camp and carry their supplies back to the helicopter.

Mike and Rick unloaded an inflatable boat and the pump to blow it up. Kelly watched, amazed, as the small package of rubber suddenly became a craft that would carry the three of them plus Xena. While the men finished getting the boat ready and loading their gear, she took Xena to the beach to prepare her. She’d never been so grateful to have a dog who could obviously read her mind. Xena sat perfectly still, head cocked, as she absorbed everything Kelly needed her to know. She gave one tiny whine, obviously knowing barking would not be a good thing and trotted back to where the men were.

Then Mike pulled jungle fatigues out of one of the backpacks, handing them around. Extra clips for the handguns went into pockets, along with tiny flashlights and a bottle of water for each of them.

Kelly noticed Mike holding two small devices one of which he gave to Rick, and raised her eyebrows in curiosity.

“Thermal imaging units,” he explained. “They’ll tell us where any live bodies are.”

Then he outfitted each of them with tiny ear buds and lip mics.

“They’re all set to the same channel. Don’t talk unless you have to.”

Finally they were ready to launch. Once in the water they floated out away from the beach, then picked up the paddles they would use. Even though it would take them longer, they didn’t want to run the risk the noise of a motor would make. Xena rode in the center of the inflated craft as if she’d been doing it all her life.

No one said a word as they worked the paddles in a smooth rhythm. When they reached the other side of the atoll they moved away from the shore and headed toward the island where Jordan was staying. Lucky for them there was a heavy cloud cover, shielding them from any moonlight that would expose them to unwanted eyes.

Kelly had no idea how long they paddled. She was only thankful that all the work with her dogs had given her a toned body with well-conditioned muscles. Finally Rick laid his paddle across his knees, pulled Andy’s satellite photo out of his pocket and studied the shoreline of the looming island. Silently he pointed to the place they’d marked, then picked up his paddle again as they headed for the lagoon.

The narrow entrance to it was nearly overgrown with mangroves, the thick tree roots protruding aboveground, but the men skillfully guided the boat until they reached the wide pool of water. Mike, at the front of the boat, leaped out to tug it out of the water. In seconds Rick and Kelly were both over the side, helping to beach the rubber craft. Once it was on somewhat solid ground, Kelly signaled to Xena, who stepped out onto land with unbelievably quiet steps.

“She looks like she’s holding her breath,” Rick whispered to Kelly.

“I taught her to tiptoe,” she grinned. “Never thought it would come in so handy.”

Mike reached into the boat and pulled out three pairs of night vision goggles—NVGs—handing them around. Then he took a small flat instrument from one of his pockets and pressed a button on the side.

“This will alert us to the location of any alarm sensors as we get closer to the house,” he whispered to Kelly. “Make sure Xena doesn’t step on any of them.”

“We’ll be fine,” she assured him. “Xena will probably sense them before you do.”

Then, slowly and in near silence, they made their way through the jungle-like growth. Vines tried to wrap themselves around them, small animals skittered over their feet and night birds split the air with their song.

Kelly tapped Rick on the shoulder to get his attention. “What kind of animals am I trying not to notice?” she whispered.

“Don’t know but all the natural sounds are good cover for any noise we might make.”

He stopped where he was and reached for Kelly, lifting his NVG and hers. “This has no place in this mission but I have to say it. Before we go any further, whatever happens, I want you to know I love you with all my heart. You are my heart.” His face was in shadow but she could see the taut planes and sharp cheekbones. “I’ve lived my life… Well, anyway, one minute you weren’t there and I had no anchor. The next minute you were. I just wanted to tell you that.”

Kelly felt a sharp pain stab through her and she reached her arms up to pull his head down. “I love you too. With everything I am. We’re going to come out of this together and have a wonderful life.”

She stood on tiptoe and opened her mouth on his, tasting him, relishing the flavor of him, for a brief moment blocking out everything but this man here and now. Then she released him and pulled her goggles back in place.

“Now let’s go kick some ass.”

In another few steps the house came into view, as beautiful and graceful as it had looked in the picture. They stopped, Xena heeling at Kelly’s signal. Rick and Mike each slid back their NVGs, pulled out their thermal imagining devices and began scanning the house and the area around it.

“I see seven people.”Rick’s voice was barely audible through the ear buds. “One at the rear of the house and six in what must be the living room off the terrace. Jordan’s got to be one of the bodies in the heat signature, because the person in the back is too short.”

“Who the hell do you think is with him?” Mike whispered back.

“Beats me. What do you want to do?”

“Let’s wait a bit and see what happens.”

They didn’t have long to wait. The figure in the rear of the house moved, heading off to what must be his or her bedroom. Then they heard loud voices and four figures emerged from the house. Two very tall men in casual clothes, one heavily muscled, the other lean and wiry, came first. The muscular one was speaking in a loud, angry voice. The other two were dressed in some kind of security uniform and urging the loud man forward with guns.

“Son of a bitch,” Mike whispered, his voice shocked.

“No kidding.” Rick squinted to get a better look. “So that’s who wants to kill me. And now I know why.”

The piece of information that had been buzzing around in his head suddenly floated to the surface. He touched his partner’s shoulder to make sure he had his attention. “Mike? I know everything now. I remembered what’s been bothering me. It’s an email I saw on Jordan’s computer.”

Mike turned his head to look at Rick. “What kind of email? Who from?”

“When I was in his office at BIAP right after we unloaded the shipment, there was an email open on his screen. I just glanced at it and Jordan closed the screen before I had more than a few seconds to look at it. And when I was lying on the tarmac, half my blood leaking out, someone was whispering something in my ear about it. But the shooting must have shut down my brain and all this time I’ve been trying to remember what it said. ‘Everything’s set on my end. Shipment ready to go. Make sure your people are ready to make it disappear. Matt.’”

“I guess that answers the question once and for all about Greg Jordan’s involvement. But I can’t understand Matt. He’s got more money than he’ll ever need. Why take a chance on something like this?”

“I don’t know,” Rick answered. “Maybe we should go and ask him.”

“What is it?” Kelly asked in a whisper. “What’s going on?”

“The man in front is Greg Jordan,” Mike told her.“But the other man…”

It was that man who stunned them both.

“Matt Caldwell.”Rick’s voice was so low the others had to press their ear buds to hear him but his shock was evident. “What the hell is he doing here?”

“Actually,” Mike said, “don’t think I’m crazy but we may also be looking at Matthias Grant.”

“After this I wouldn’t think anything was crazy.”

“This certainly doesn’t look too good for your friend Greg,” Kelly whispered into her mic.

“I can’t believe this,” Greg was shouting, waving his hands. “I put my ass on the line for you and this is what I get?”

“You’re a loose end I can’t afford to leave dangling.” Matt’s voice sounded almost apologetic. “If you’d been able to get rid of Latrobe, things might be different. I’m sorry about this, Greg.”

“Sorry? Sorry that you have to kill me? What kind of sorry is that?”

“Rick Latrobe will never stop poking into this. If you’re not around, there’s no one left to answer his questions.”

Rick started to move forward slightly but Xena lay down on his feet and pressed her body against his.

“Kelly, tell her to get up,” Rick hissed.

“She senses danger for you. Don’t forget there are three more men in the house. Let’s just stay where we are and see what happens next.”

“Why didn’t you just shoot me in the house?”they heard Greg ask sarcastically. “Why this big charade?”

They could see Caldwell’s face twist in a sardonic smile. “Blood is so messy to clean up.”

“So where are you taking me?” Greg shifted slightly on the balls of his feet, as if preparing to take on his attackers.

“For a short ride in the helicopter. Come on.”

“We have to move,” Mike said. “We can’t let them take him away from here.”

“Watch for the others in the house.”

But as Rick moved forward Xena rose, shoved hard against him and flattened him to the ground.

“Hey!” He struggled to keep his voice low. “Kelly, I told you to get her off me.”

“Remember the dream?” she reminded him. “The first bullet could be for you.”

Chapter Fifteen

As they stood motionless, trying to decide what their next move should be, a small animal ran across their feet, rustling the leaves of the huge plants surrounding them.

Caldwell’s head turned. “What’s that? Is someone there?”

“I only wish,” Jordan said. “Maybe someone who could get me out of this mess.”

Caldwell motioned to one of the guards. “Take a look. See what’s there. I can’t believe anyone could breach the security here but I’m not taking any chances. If you see someone, just shoot him.”

The guard strode across the small stretch of lawn, his gun hand raised. “Who’s there? Come out and show yourself.”

Xena moved enough to let him inch himself to one side, Kelly and Mike shifting to the other, all of them trying to blend into the foliage. They waited silently as the guard pushed the wide leaves aside. The moment he stepped into an area between them all, Rick raised his hand and brought the butt of the gun down on the man’s head. The guard grunted and folded to the ground.

“Well, that tears it,” Mike said. “Kelly, stand point with your rifle.”

He pulled a roll of heavy duct tape from one of his many pockets and in seconds he and Rick had the man securely bound with tape across his mouth.

“What did you find?”Caldwell shouted. “Answer me, damn it. Is anyone there?”

Rick stepped forward, his gun pointed at the three men. “Fancy meeting you here, Matt. Or should I say Matthias.”

A strange expression, part respect and part regret, flitted across Caldwell’s face. “So you figured it out. Why am I not surprised? What did you do with my guard?”

“He’s taking a little nap right now.”

Rick shifted his stance, making sure everyone could see the gun in his hand. “Who’d have believed it. Matthias Grant. The invisible man. Alias Matt Caldwell. I’d guess Camellia Cay is a good place to wash your money through while you’re providing a safe haven for the high-priced crooks of the world. And the ideal place for you to send Greg here to hide out until the heat was off.”

Greg Jordan started toward him but the guard next to him grabbed his arm and shoved the gun into his ribs, forcing him to kneel on the terrace. Greg looked at Rick helplessly. “Man, am I glad to see you. Get me out of here, will you? This crazy asshole wants to kill me.”

“I think he plans to get rid of you and drop your body into the Caribbean from that chopper,” Rick told him. “Right, Matt? After the way you made a fool out of me I might even help him.”

“Give it up, Rick,” Matt said. “You’re outnumbered. Even you aren’t crazy enough to try this alone.”

“Who said I’m alone?”

Mike and Kelly stepped into the clearing, Mike with his gun raised, Kelly holding her rifle. Beside them Xena stood at alert.

The guard looked from Greg and Matt to the group that had just emerged, uncertainty flashing across his face.

“Well, well.”Caldwell’s mouth twisted in a humorless grin. “Just keep your gun on Jordan,” he told the guard. “I’ll take care of the others.”

“You and what army? In case you hadn’t noticed, you’re the one who’s a little outnumbered.” Rick said. He looked at Matt Caldwell, a man who had not only been a client but a friend and a bitter taste rose in his mouth. “You’re the last person I expected to find involved in this mess. When is enough money enough? And how the hell do you expect to get away with it?”

“I thought you’d be dead by now, Rick,” the man told him. “I had it all set up for you to take the blame and we’d all have been home free. Too bad you don’t kill off that easily. And too bad Greg here couldn’t get the job done.”

“You know I have to take you back.”

“I don’t think so.” His smile was anything but pleasant. “Right now my wife and children are mourning my death in an automobile accident, distraught because the car exploded and my body was burned so badly they’ll have to have a closed casket funeral.”

“So you’ve added one more death to your list of bodies?”

“Regrettable but necessary. I asked one of the men at the office to drive my car home, then followed him and shot out the tires and the gas tank. I assure you I’ve made arrangements for his family to be well compensated. Just as mine will be.”

“It’s not about money for everyone, Matt,” Mike said from his position close to Greg. “Not everyone has that same driving greed. And poor Charlie. You’ve certainly left him holding a big bag.”

Matt lifted one shoulder. “He’ll come out all right. Nothing points to him and the shipment was heavily insured. You ruined a good thing, Rick. I’m walking away from the perfect life it took me a long time to build.”

“I’m not the one who did this. You are.”

“Time to stop talking.”Caldwell raised his voice. “You’d better come out of the house now. I need you out here.”

Two more men emerged from the house, guns in hand.

“Shoot them,” Caldwell commanded, nodding toward Rick and the others.

Both men raised their guns but that was as far as they got. The streak of black and white was almost a blur as Xena launched herself at the two new guards, taking them both down. Their guns discharged harmlessly and Mike raced forward, picking the guns up and keeping them pointed at the downed bodies before anyone else could move.

Rick and Kelly kept their own guns pointed at the little group in front of them. “Mike, make sure those guys are out of commission.”

“Turn facedown,” Mike ordered them. “Hands outstretched. Legs wide.” He kicked at one booted foot. “Do it. Now.”

With Xena growling next to them, the guards were only too eager to comply.

“Devil dog,” one of them muttered.

Rick looked back at Matt. “Better tell your guard here to drop his gun. He’s outnumbered three to one. And you know what I can do.” He hollered over his shoulder, “Get Xena back beside you, Red.”

“Xena, come,” Kelly called.

But Xena, suddenly alert, had risen from her position. Even before the words left Kelly’s mouth she raced to where Matt Caldwell was sliding one hand into his pocket. With a growl she sank her teeth into the man’s arm and carried him to the ground. The man’s scream was like something not entirely human.

“Get this dog off me. Call it off. Jesus, Latrobe, it practically bit my hand off.”Caldwell pounded Xena’s head with his other fist but to no avail.

Rick moved quickly to where Xena had the man pinned down, reached into Caldwell’s pocket and withdrew a small pistol. He looked at Xena whose jaws still gripped Caldwell’s flesh.

“Good girl.” Something flashed between them and Rick could have sworn the dog lowered one eye and winked. He shook his head. Not possible. Dogs didn’t wink. Did they? But then, with this dog, anything was possible.

Kelly meanwhile disarmed the fourth guard and ordered him down on the ground with the others. When Jordan, obviously not intimidated by a woman, gathered himself to rise, she fired a bullet into the terrace inches from his knees.

“Want to try again?” she asked. “Next time I’ll pick a better target.” She pointed the rifle square at his groin, then allowed herself a quick glance at Mike and Rick. “Not bad shooting for a girl, right?”

“Red, you can be on my team any time,” Rick told her and signaled Xena to release Caldwell’s arm.

“I ought to let her tear your head off,” he told his erstwhile client.

“How the hell did it know I had a gun?” the man asked between moans.

“What’s the matter, haven’t you ever met a psychic dog before?”

Xena stood patiently at his side, awaiting her next command.

“Xena, guard,” Kelly ordered and pointed to Jordan.

“Get that damn dog away from me,” he hollered as Xena knocked him down and pressed him to the ground.“I don’t want it chewing on me next.”

It took some fancy maneuvering but with Xena’s assistance and Kelly’s menacing rifle, they managed to get everyone secured with duct tape so Mike could fetch the helicopter. When the houseman appeared, drawn by the noise, he took one look at what was going on and fled back inside the house. Kelly followed him, cracking him over the head with her rifle.

“Just so he doesn’t cause a problem,” she told the others. “We don’t need to kill him. Just incapacitate him until we can get out of here.”

Xena, relieved of guard duties, had come to stand next to Kelly, lifting her head in a signal to bend down to her. When Kelly looked up worry lines creased her face.

“Caldwell or Grant or whatever you want to call him has more people coming as soon as it’s light. Xena says we need to hustle.”

“The dog told you that?”Caldwell was incredulous. “You talk to a dog?”

“Yeah,” Mike grinned.“She’s our group leader.”

Rick took a moment to pull Kelly close to him and give her a quick kiss. “You amaze me, Red. Totally amaze me.”

“My father insisted I learn to be self-reliant,” she told him.

“He did a damn good job.”

At that moment the sound of rotors split the air, the familiar Whap! Whap! Whap! Kelly and Rick looked at the sky anxiously until they recognized the Phoenix chopper, thankful it wasn’t Caldwell’s ride.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Mike yelled as he dropped to the ground to help them load up.

They left the guards bound and gagged on the terrace, figuring the houseman could free them when he came to and moved Caldwell and Jordan, securely bound, into the rear of the chopper. Both men were swearing at each. Kelly signaled Xena, who sat directly next to them, teeth bared, as the rest of them buckled in and the chopper rose at last into the fading night sky.

* * * * *

The scene at the airfield was chaos when they arrived. Rick had called Dan from the helo to fill him in and tell him what they needed.

“There appears to be a mob scene outside the gate,” Mike pointed out, indicating the gathering of vans and SUVs.

“I told Dan exactly who to let in and to keep the rest of them out. We’ve got enough people inside the gates,” Rick noted, then pointed to a number of men in jeans and Phoenix shirts stationed both inside and outside the fence.“Also, he’s called in a couple of our teams to provide security.”

As soon as the rotors stopped moving, a contingent of men in black suits marched to the cabin door. Rick slid it open and pointed to the rear. “There’s your cargo.”

One of the men, part of the team that had dogged Dan all this time, looked at Rick with a grim expression on his face. “You just saved your ass on this one, Latrobe. You were this far from a vacation at Leavenworth.”

“Sorry to disappoint you but I think you’ve got bigger fish than me right here.”

Dan had been given the very distinct pleasure of calling the attorney general and telling him what was going on.

“You’d better have plenty of people from DOJ meeting the helicopter,” he told the man. “And no arresting Rick,” he warned, “or we’ll just take off and haul our cargo someplace else.”

It helped that Troy had arrived with Zarife al-Dulami, still sobbing at his disgrace, and Denny Hammond, who decided he needed to trade information to save his own neck.

“Get that damn dog away from us,” Greg Jordan was shouting, as Xena let loose with her signature growl.

Another of the men in black stared at Xena. “You took a dog on this mission?”

“Sure.” Rick grinned at him. Then he repeated Mike’s words. “She’s our group leader. Not to mention the fact that she’s psychic. Lets us know when we’re in danger.”

“Yeah, right. Pull the other one.”

“You don’t believe me?” Rick winked at Kelly.“Just ask the dog.”

It took well over an hour to sort everything out, explain everyone’s role in the debacle and convince them that it started with Matt Caldwell aka Matthias Grant. But Dan had given them a heads-up on that too and at the DOJ offices agents had been set to work at once digging into the man’s background. By the time the helo landed, they’d relayed enough information to the men on site to convince them this wasn’t some kind of hoax.

And of course they had Zarife singing loud and clear and demanding he be allowed to talk to his father.

“You think Jordan will keep his mouth shut about everything?” Mike asked as the last of the vehicles pulled away.

Rick shook his head. “I don’t think so. He’s too angry at the realization that Caldwell was going to kill him and dispose of his body.”

“What do you plan to do about the mob outside there?” Harry asked. He’d been hanging back, waiting until everyone else had left the field.

“I called my friend in the FAA and asked for some help getting rid of the news helicopters. Mike’s going to chopper us all to Rick’s place, where I have a thick steak waiting for Xena.”

The dog looked up at him and barked, then curled her lips back.

Dan looked at Kelly. “Is she smiling at me?”

“Absolutely. You said the magic word. Steak.”

* * * * *

They were all at Rick’s house, including Faith and Mia who had been flown in by Ed. Rick, Kelly and Mike had crashed the minute they hit the bedrooms, sleeping most of the day. Now, showered and dressed, they were gathered in the dining room. When Rick had called Dan to say they were on their way back, he’d bought enough steaks for everyone as well as several bottles of wine. After the weeks of tension and looming disaster, for a change they had something big to celebrate.

They divided up the stacks of newspapers Harry had picked up on the way to the house, scanning them for any reports of what happened and amazed at how quickly the reporters had turned the story around. Every frontpage was filled with details of the trip to Camellia Cay and the scandalous news that had emerged from it.

“It’s the age of electronics,” Dan commented. “Reporters write their stories on laptops before they even leave the site, send it to the editors who move it along to the layout people and presto! You have a newspaper.”

The television in the living room was tuned to Fox News. On the screen was a photo of Matt Caldwell and off-camera someone was describing the rise and fall of the contractor as well as his secret life. The photo was replaced by a shot of the Caldwell house with a caption that read “Family in seclusion”.

“I’ll bet they are,” Faith said. “Those poor people. They’ll be a long time getting over this.”

“I called Charlie Grainger as soon as I got off the phone with all of you,” Dan told them. “Woke him up and went to his house while you were flying back here. Talk about someone being devastated. He’s a broken man. I spoke to the attorney general about it when I got him up too. He says Charlie will be okay as far as his contracts are concerned and I told Charlie we’d help him keep things on track in Iraq.”

“I still don’t understand,” Faith put in. “According to what y’all said, Matthias Grant was wanted for trafficking in blood diamonds so he built himself this little fortress on Camellia Cay where others like him could hide out when they needed to. Why did he build a whole new identity for himself?”

“From the little I got out of him, I gather he felt like he’d built himself a prison and he wanted to create a new personality. He had a little plastic surgery, just enough to alter his face slightly. Met Charlie at some fundraiser and Charlie introduced him to the woman he married. Then he and Charlie went into business together. The situation in Iraq was made for him.”

Mike made a sound of disgust. “He had it all. The good life. More money than he could ever spend. He just couldn’t resist the thrill, the adrenaline rush. And I guess he thought he had it all fixed so he’d get out clean.”

“Over my dead body,” Rick put in. “Literally.” He stretched and looked across the table at Kelly. “I’m taking a couple of weeks of downtime, guys. Take me out of the mix for a while, okay?”

“Doing anything special?” Faith teased.

“Nothing I care to discuss,” he grinned.

Kelly blushed and they all laughed.

“But I do have some news,” he went on. “Kelly’s decided to sell the place in Maine and we’re going to look for land in Virginia where she can build her kennels again.” He winked at her. “And a house.”

“And work with you on how dogs like Xena can fit into your Psi department,” Kelly added.“Faith, I plan to call your aunt and see how we can get The Lotus Circle involved too.”

Mia leaned down to Xena, who was sitting between her and Kelly. “What’s that you say, girl? You heard wedding bells? Hmm. Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Man, you don’t waste any time, do you?” Mark joked.

Kelly turned to him, her face dead serious. “Life’s too unpredictable to waste time, Mark. Rick and I talked about it. When something is right, it’s right.”

Dan held up his hands. “You’re absolutely right.”

“Hell,” Rick said.“We’ve known each other longer than you and Mia did when you tied the knot.”

Dan reached for his wife’s hand and gave her a smoldering look. There was no doubt how well their marriage was working out.

“It’s probably a good idea for you to get away from this mess until things die down, anyway,” Mike told him. “We can handle whatever comes up.”

It was late evening by the time everyone finally left. When the house was locked up for the night and the alarm set, they stood in the bedroom, looking at each other.

“This is the first time since we met that we don’t have spies or operatives or medical people hanging around our necks,” Rick said, running his finger lightly along her collarbone. “Or some urgent situation hanging over our heads.”

“That’s true.” Her breathing hitched as the finger trailed down her t-shirt then slipped under the hem and up to her rib cage.

“Don’t worry, no one will be able to see or hear us,” he added for emphasis.

“Is that supposed to mean something special?”she asked, shivering as he ran the fingertip over the satin covering her nipples.

“It means I can finally get to all the things I’ve been thinking about.” His voice had deepened with desire. “All the things.”

Her eyes widened. “You mean…”

“Oh, yeah. But first I’m going to take off every stitch of your clothing and taste every inch of your body.”

He proceeded to do just that while she stood there trembling with anticipation. He lifted the t-shirt and slowly, slowly dragged it up her arms and over her head.

“Beautiful,” he breathed.

He bent his head to capture a nipple, the wet heat of his mouth burning her through the thin satin of the bra. Her nipples felt like they were on fire and her breasts ached for his touch. Kelly clenched her fists at her sides, trying to hold herself still. When one nipple had been tormented to his satisfaction Rick turned to the other one, pulling and sucking until it was just as swollen and rigid as its mate. His hands reached behind her to open the clasp of the bra and as her breasts sprang free he ran his tongue across the upper slope then down through the valley between them.

“Gorgeous,” he said, then turned her around.

His hands reached around to cup her breasts while his tongue traced the line of her spine all the way down to her waist. Then back up again as his hand gripped and molded the full mounds.

“Move with me,” he murmured against her neck and walked her into the bedroom, the two of them moving as one. He stopped before the big mirror over the dresser. “Look at us, Red. Look in the mirror.”

She raised her eyes and a surge of lust boiled through her so furiously her panties were soaked and her pulse beat like a jungle drum. The throbbing in her cunt pounded through her. The heat in his eyes was so intense it almost burned her, but more than that, the image of her half naked with his hands holding her breasts nearly brought her to her knees.

Rick dropped his hands and reached for hers, placing them beneath her breasts where his had been.

“Hold them for me, pretty girl. Hold them out like that.”

She cupped them as if offering them to him, and really, wasn’t that what she was doing?

In the mirror she watched Rick strip off his shirt. Her mouth watered at the sight of his naked chest, a thick mat of hair covering it everywhere except where the scar lay like an angry slash. She pushed from her mind all thoughts of the danger he’d been in and focused only on the here and now.

He moved up against her, the hard wall of his chest pressing against her back, his hands sliding around to find the snap on her jeans.

Pop. It opened.

Zzzzz! He tugged the zipper down and spread the fabric of the jeans, the bright red of her bikini panties showing. Somehow that seemed more erotic than if she’d been completely naked.

“Kick off your shoes,” he whispered as he bent his mouth to her shoulder.

Still holding her breasts, Kelly toed off her shoes without untying them and kicked them away. Rick gripped the fabric at the waist of her jeans and slowly tugged it down, sliding it down her thighs until it pooled at her ankles. She stepped out of them and kicked them away with the shoes. When Rick’s hand slid inside the fabric of her panties and found the wet heat of her cunt she sucked in her breath.

“See me stroking your cunt with my fingers, pretty girl? It’s so damn slick and hot. God, Red, you’re soaked. I love it.”

Oh, oh, oh!

Her knees were suddenly so weak she wasn’t sure she could stand. She leaned back against Rick, seeking the strength of his body. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the image in the mirror, her hands lifting her breasts, his hand probing her, stroking her, spreading her slickness over her pussy lips. When he moved away again she nearly fell without the support of him against her. But then her eyes widened as she watched him strip off his jeans and his boxers, his cock springing free.

“I can’t wait to feel you around me,” he told her, stepping up to her again. “I’ve been hard since the minute we got here. Thank god everyone left or I might have had to kill them.”

She laughed, a breathy uneven sound.

Rick grabbed the silk of her panties and dragged them down her legs, tossing them to join her jeans. Then he lifted one of her legs and propped her foot on the edge of the dresser. She could see every inch of herself fully exposed, her pubic curls glistening with the liquid of her arousal.

“Don’t move your hands,” he told her, sliding his own beneath them then moving lower, lower until he reached her heat. “Keep watching. Don’t take your eyes from the mirror.”

The fingers of one hand opened the lips of her cunt while the index finger of the other unerringly found her clit and began to stroke it.

Ohgodohgodohgod.

She was shivering and shaking now, the lust boiling through her as she watched him massage the bundle of nerves, arousing all the nerves in her vaginal walls until she could almost see her flesh quivering and flexing. She was mesmerized, unable to look away, as he stroked her to climax. And when she came, when it ripped through her, he held her open. She overrode the automatic urge to close her eyes so she could watch herself convulse, see the cream drenching the lips.

“You want me inside you, don’t you, pretty girl?” Rick whispered the words in her ear, his voice low and thick with need. “Tell me.”

“Yes, yes, please.” She was ready to beg. “I want you inside me. Now.”

He lowered her leg, placed his hands beneath hers and moved them forward so she was leaning on the dresser. Moving her hips back so she was partially bent over, he used his leg to widen her stance. “Don’t move, Red. Stay just like that.”

He disappeared from her immediate vision, she heard a drawer open and shut and then he was back.

“You’ll love this, Red. I promise you. I can’t wait any longer for this.”

His hands separated the cheeks of her ass and she felt something cool at her anus.

“Lube,” he told her. “So I don’t hurt you. Breathe in, breathe out.”

He spread the gel around the opening then pushed two fingers inside her, massaging the lube into her tissues, scissoring the fingers to stretch her for him. But she was so hot right now, so hungry for him, she just wanted him to plunge inside her and satisfy this out-of-control need.

The crinkle of foil, the snap of latex, and then the thick head of his cock pressed against her hole, pushing, pushing, pushing.

“Breathe in, breathe out. That’s my girl.”

He grasped her hips with both hands, rolled his hips and drove into her with a final thrust.

Oh, oh, oh!

She came again instantly, small convulsions that whipped through her pussy and shot lightning through her.

“Good, that’s good. Oh, fuck, yeah, it’s damn good.”

And then he was driving into her again, hard, heavy strokes, filling her tight passage, his hands holding her in place. She raised her head to watch them in the mirror, more aroused by the sight than she’d ever been before.

Rick slipped one hand around and down the surface of her tummy until he found her cunt again. Her clit. Rub, rub, rub, in time with the plunging of his hips. Rub, rub. And…

Oh god.

She shattered, her cunt convulsing, her body shuddering as Rick’s fingers continued to massage her clit and he emptied himself into her ass, shielded only by the thin latex sheath. His cock pulsed and throbbed inside her, pushing her own orgasm beyond any imaginable threshold. She was flying, shaking with spasms, Rick’s fingers rubbing, pressing, taking her on the ride of her life.

She had no idea how much time had passed before she simply fell forward on her forearms and struggled to drag air into her lungs. She felt as if every muscle had been stretched beyond capacity and her blood heated then cooled then heated again. Every inch of her skin was covered with sweat.

She sensed Rick move behind her, easing himself from the clasp of her body, then he was back, lifting her into his arms.

“Shower,” he told her. “Then bed.”

She was limp, barely able to move, leaning against the tiles while Rick soaped her everywhere and rinsed her off. At last…at last…they were in bed, her body tucked against her. She had never in her life felt so fulfilled or so content. Satisfied. In all aspects.

“I staked my claim,” Rick murmured against her forehead. “As good as branded you.”

“As if I’d want anyone else,” she told him.

“Kelly?”

She looked up, startled by his use of her name and the serious tone.

“Yes?”

“I’m in a dangerous line of work and sometimes I’m gone for long periods of time. But I’ll always come back to you. Always love you. You’re my life and my heart.”

They heard a plaintive woof from beyond the bedroom door, and Rick laughed.

“I locked her out before. Can’t have the kids watching.”

“Okay. And Rick?”

“Yeah, pretty girl?”

“I love you, too.”

* * * * *

Mike picked them up the next day and flew them up to the cabin, barely staying long enough for coffee before leaving them alone. They spent the day just letting the wind clear out their minds. Taking the steps down the face of the cliff, the surefooted dog picking her way carefully, they walked the beach with Xena. Hands linked, they stopped very frequently to exchange heated kisses. Like kids, they took off their shoes and waded just at the edge of the water, letting the froth of the waves kiss their feet. Xena played along with them, leaping in and out of the rolling surf.

Rick uncovered the outdoor grill, fired it up and grilled chicken and corn, silently thanking Mike who had grocery shopped before picking them up. Then they sat on the side deck in two Adirondack chairs, drinking wine and huddling under quilts as the evening chill rolled in.

And finally they built a fire in the fireplace and made slow, delicious love in front of it as the wood snapped and popped and the flames warmed their skin.

The last thing either of them thought about was Iraq and the past weeks.

Three days later Mike flew everyone up to the cabin and they all drove into Bangor, where Kelly and Rick were married by the same justice of the peace who’d married Mia and Dan. Mike brought supplies with them and made his mother’s famous spaghetti sauce for dinner which they washed down with copious amounts of red wine.

Mia and Faith made plans for Kelly and Xena to spend time having their Psi abilities tested.

“Aunt Vivi is anxiously waiting to talk to you again,” Faith told them, then grinned. “And definitely meet Xena, the wonder dog.”

The next morning they all were gone, leaving the honeymooners to their solitude again.

And while the country shook its collective head over the scandal that continued to break, the new Mr. and Mrs. Latrobe sat in solitude with Xena, at the cabin and made plans for the future.

With Xena’s input, of course.

About the Author

I always wonder what readers really want to know when I write one of these things. Getting to this point in my career has been an interesting journey. I’ve managed rock and roll bands and organized concerts. Been the only female on the sports staff of a university newspaper. Immersed myself in Nashville peddling a country singer. Lived in five different states. Married two very interesting but totally different men.

I think I must have lived in Texas in another life, because the minute I set foot on Texas soil I knew I was home. Living in Texas Hill Country gives me inspiration for more stories than I’ll probably ever be able to tell, what with all the sexy cowboys who surround me and the gorgeous scenery that provides a great setting.

Each day is a new adventure for me, as my characters come to life on the pages of my current work in progress. I’m absolutely compulsive about it when I’m writing and thank all the gods and goddesses that I have such a terrific husband who encourages my writing and puts up with my obsession. As a multi-published author, I love to hear from my readers. Their input keeps my mind fresh and always hunting for new ideas.

Desiree welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

Tell Us What You Think

We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email us at Comments@EllorasCave.com.

Also by Desiree Holt

1-800-DOM-help: Delight Me

Cougar Challenge: Hot to Trot

Cupid’s Shaft

Dancing With Danger

Diamond Lady

Double Entry

Downstroke

Driven by Hunger

Eagle’s Run

Ellora’s Cavemen: Flavors of Ecstasy I anthology

Hard Lovin’

Mistletoe Magic: Elven Magic with Regina Carlysle & Cindy Spencer Pape

Mistletoe Magic: Touch of Magic

Emerald Green

Escape the Night

Hot Moon Rising

Hot, Wicked and Wild

I Dare You

Journey to the Pearl

Just Say Yes

Kidnapping the Groom with Allie Standifer

Letting Go

Line of Sight

Nemesis 1: Until the Dawn with Cerise DeLand

Nemesis 2: Until Midnight with Cerise DeLand

Nemesis 3: Until Twilight with Cerise DeLand

Night Seekers 1: Lust Unleashed

Night Seekers 2: Lust by Moonlight

Night Seekers 3: Lust Undone

Night Heat

Once Burned

Once Upon a Wedding

Phoenix Agency 1: Jungle Inferno

Phoenix Agency 2: Extrasensory

Riding Out the Storm

Rodeo Heat

Seductive Illusion with Allie Standifer

Switched

Teaching Molly

Trouble in Cowboy Boots

Turn up the Heat 1: Scorched with Allie Standifer

Turn up the Heat 2: Scalded with Allie Standifer

Turn up the Heat 3: Singed with Allie Standifer

Turn up the Heat 4: Steamed with Allie Standifer

Wedding Belles: Something Blue with Cerise DeLand & Allie Standifer

Wedding Belles: Something Borrowed

Where Danger Hides

Print books by Desiree Holt

Age and Experience anthology

Candy Caresses anthology

Cougar Challenge: Tease the Cougar anthology

Demanding Diamonds anthology

Ellora’s Cavemen: Flavors of Ecstasy I anthology

Erotic Emerald anthology

Mistletoe Magic anthology

Naughty Nuptials anthology

Once Burned

Rodeo Heat

Sequins, Saddles and Spurs anthology

Where Danger Hides

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer ebooks or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

www.ellorascave.com