Code Name: Ghost (A Warrior's Challenge 1) (8 page)

People always populated the roadways, but it
had thinned at this hour. The Commander guided them along the
shoreline, leading her through a few desolate areas. Suddenly, she
was glad he was with her.

“What made you decide to cross the border?”
he asked, keeping his step slow since her stride was nowhere near
as long as his.

“I don’t want to sound unfaithful to my
home, but it might come out that way.”

“You didn’t like the temperature of the
environment in other words.”

She glanced up at him and cleared her
throat. “Something like that.” She wasn’t good at lying and kept
her answers short. There was a reason. A very good reason, but he
would never know it.

“Canada isn’t as generous with their funds
these days.”

“That’s correct. That and many other things,
but yes. Besides, it’s a lot warmer here, and I’ve kinda fallen in
love with the balmy California breeze.”

He nodded, but didn’t return a smile. If she
didn’t know better, she’d have thought he was testing her again. It
didn’t take long to realize that’s exactly what he was doing. She’d
do the same in his shoes, wanting to be sure she was solid enough
to do her job, working closely with the Special Warfare ops. For
her, there was no mystery when it came to tactical operations.
She’d learned it as new technology bloomed over the last two
decades, but he didn’t know that.

Passing though a narrow corridor between two
old buildings, she stopped and turned on her heel, looking behind
them. A streetlight splashed an area of roadway fifty feet away,
near the entrance. She peered into the darkness. The sound of
someone running with short steps caught her ear.

The Commander turned swiftly, seeing she
wasn’t by his side anymore. “Ms. Banks?”

She took a step, but instantly his hand
flashed to her waist and drew her back. Even with the Commander so
close, the hair stood up on the back of her neck. Someone was
there, in the dark, watching them. Maybe it was just the hype
around the base, but she didn’t think so. “I don’t see anyone,” she
said quietly.

“Stay here,” he ordered and retraced their
steps.

Her heart began to drum hard in her chest
the farther away he got. Within a few paces, he was a shadow moving
through darkness. The skin on her arms pricked with fear.

“Commander?”

He reached the end of the alley and walked
beneath the light. At the same time her senses warned her someone
was behind her and she whirled around, but the quick scream had
already escaped her.

“Ma’am, it’s all right.” A security officer
raised his hand and took a step back.

The Commander’s arm thrust her against his
body before the next thump of her heart.

“Commander, good evening. I’m sorry, sir, I
thought she was alone.”

“No, she’s fine. I’m taking her to the bus
stop.”

The security officer surveyed them both. “Is
everything all right?” he asked her.

“Yes, thank you.” Her cheeks burned with
embarrassment. Thank God he couldn’t see her. “Sorry about
that.”

“Good night, then.” The security guard
strode past them, continuing on his patrol.

She felt ridiculous, but her embarrassment
was quickly replaced by a wave of heat from the Commander’s
protective hold. His strength made her weak, and ratcheted her
insides tight. “I’m sorry Commander, I thought I heard—”

He drew her along with him, glancing over
his shoulder. “I heard it, too, but there’s no one there now.” He
gave her a concerned glance. “It was probably just another security
patrol. They’ve tripled the staff in and around the base since the
murders began.”

She appreciated the lie, but security didn’t
run in short bursts, as if stalking them.

They reached the bus stop, which was empty
of other people. The security hut at the entrance to the base,
manned twenty-four seven, sat close by. Reaching her hand out to
him, she said, “So do I pass the interview, Commander?” Being
professional was hard when her damn heart wouldn’t stop hopping
around like a rabbit inside her.

A tepid smile slid across his lips as he
took her hand. He didn’t shake it, instead—he held it gently.
“Yes.”

“That’s my bus,” she said, reading the
digital sign at the top as it approached. “Thank you, Commander,
for the drink, the interview, and the escort.”

“You’re welcome, Ms. Banks.” He paused and
searched the area behind them. “I would feel better if you’d let me
drive you home.”

“No, thank you, sir.”

The doors of the bus opened with a hiss. She
stepped up without looking back. There was no point. Why the hell
would a man like him walk her to the bus stop—other than an
interrogation?

“Ms. Banks.”

When she turned, the intensity of his gaze
stopped her breath, but not the shudder that threatened to topple
her. Controlling her emotions was something she
used
to be
good at.

“It’s been a pleasure.” He bowed his head
slightly and the Ghost disappeared into the darkness.

“Close the door please, Mace,” the Commander
ordered as the team took their seats.

By the tone of his voice, Mace knew they had
a new mission, and they all waited quietly. Art, an NSA liaison,
sat behind a laptop at the Commander’s desk. Captain Redding hit
the lights.

A still image of two men came up on the
wall. “The man on the right is Alheed Kazhar. He runs a terrorist
cell in Nicaragua. We’ve been tracking him for months and he’s
finally shown himself. The man on the left is Mohammad Tohler. He’s
Al-Qaeda’s version of head of intelligence. Although when it comes
to Al-Qaeda that’s an oxymoron,” Art threw in.

The men nodded, but it didn’t bring much
laughter. The war on terrorism would never end. They all knew the
States had attracted the snake’s eye, and they’d never be rid of it
or out of a job.

Art changed the slide, bringing up a
geographic map. “They’ve placed themselves in a heavily populated
area operated by the Serpiente drug cartel. Apprehend both of these
individuals. If they are not willing to give the information we are
looking for, your orders are to neutralize.” The cursor hovered
over a small seaside town at the southern end of the country. “San
Juan del Sur is where you’ll find them. This town borders on
Panama. You will access and extract by sea. The Commander will go
over the geography and the plan with you in the next five days.
Flippers in the water on the sixth.”

“Thanks, Art,” the Commander said. As he
always did, his gaze crossed every face. “You have tonight off,
men. Tomorrow, oh-seven-hundred hours, rally in the planning room.
This one won’t be easy, and seeing where and who we’re going up
against, I’m bringing in some specialists from Teams Three and
Seven as well. There are only two plausible outcomes for Mohammad
and Kazhar. Kazhar is chattel, but Mohammad is a big fish, and we
need to land him.”

The lights switched back on, and Art tucked
his computer under his arm and left.

“What the hell is that?” Mace said, his nose
twitching, and his head swiveling to find the source.

“Whoa, does that smell good,” Tinman
crooned, his head craning around looking at their Master Chief.

“Don’t look at me, Tinman, I don’t smell
like that,” Fox said then laughed.

The Commander opened the blinds and they
watched Kayla walk into the Command center for her evening shift,
carrying something in her arms.

“Ah, she’s baking again. God, I’m glad I
hired that woman,” Redding said, his expression breaking into a
grin.

“Baking,” Mace blurted. He was off the floor
and out the door, with the Commander barking at him to stay put,
but nothing was keeping him from that smell. Just before he got to
her she swiveled, and he almost ran into the tray Kayla held in her
arms. “Hey, Snow White, what’s up?” he said, his attention glued to
the tray covered in a tea towel.

She laughed at the expectant look on his
face. The rest of the guys had abandoned ship as well and circled
them.

“Hi, Mace, something attract your
attention?” she asked innocently. “By the way, I have your
shirt.”

“Can I hold that for you?” he asked, knowing
heaven was under that towel.

Her cheeks puckered with a gorgeous smile.
“Sure, why don’t you take it, just leave a couple for the evening
and night shift, okay?”

He carefully swept the towel off, and his
tongue practically dripped with love. “Cinnamon rolls! I love
these,” and they were huge. She draped his shirt, washed, ironed
and folded across his other arm.

The rest of the team, including the
Commander, leaned in like a pack of wolves. She washed my shirt and
made me cinnamon rolls,” he said, knowing he sounded like an
overzealous kid.

“She didn’t make
you
the cinnamon
rolls, shithead,” Fox jeered, reaching for one.

“Here.” He thrust the tray into Nathan’s
hands and tossed the shirt on a desk. With five long strides, he
curled her in his arms, giving her a huge kiss on the cheek. “I
love you Kayla, please marry me?”

The guys all groaned, but the Commander
didn’t look amused at all. Kayla burst out laughing, and pinched
his cheek. “Absolutely not, but I might adopt you Mace, you’re too
cute.”

Kayla wiggled from his grip and dropped her
bag by the console, taking the handover from the dayshift.

“She said no,” Mace moaned, and then looked
over at the guys who were accosting the pan like a bunch of
buzzards. “Hey, hey, hey, leave one for me.” Tony’s mouth hovered
over his roll, and he yanked it just before his teeth sunk into
it.

“I haven’t had one yet, asshole,” Tony
complained.

“Too bad,” Mace said, holding his right arm
out as far away from Tony as he could. Suddenly the roll was ripped
from his own fingers. “What the—?”

The Commander already had a good chunk in
his mouth. He jerked his head and his brows shot up. “Huh, wow,
these are good, aren’t they?” The Commander peered over his
shoulder at Kayla, who’d sat down and was busy checking incoming
field reports. The smile vanished and he fixed a steely stare on
her.

What a shame, Mace thought to himself—Kayla
was so sweet. Although the Commander was a great man and a true
warrior, he didn’t believe in longevity when it came to women,
whether it was between the sheets or at the base. He probably
thought Kayla was here to find a husband. Nature did take its
course at times between base personnel, but he didn’t believe
that’s what Kayla was doing here.

The SEAL groupies were mostly too young for
the Commander, but he used them and set them adrift plenty of
times. When women found out who he was, they hoped for a shot at
being an Admiral’s wife one day. Not one of them held on to their
hopes for long. The Commander could make things tough for Kayla.
And right now, his look said that’s exactly what he wanted to do.
Screw that!

“Kayla?”

She lifted a finger in the air, in a “give
me a second” gesture. Finishing a call on the radio, she rolled her
chair to face him.

“You, me and the best steak in San Diego,
tomorrow night.” He strolled up to her and leaned over, grabbing
the arms of her chair. “Texas cattle can kick Alberta’s beef any
day.” Throwing in the challenge was a hook he didn’t think she
could refuse.

Kayla erupted into a laugh. “Mace, I—”

“Mace,” the Commander said sharply.

“Yes, sir.” Shooting a look over his
shoulder, he blinked, seeing the Commander wore a severe
expression. The one he saved for killing someone.

“Lieutenant Kale wants your assistance
tomorrow night for exercises with BUD/S.”

What the hell? He’d just seen Kale two hours
ago, and he hadn’t said anything. He darted a look toward Tony, his
best friend. Usually they got extra assignments with the BUD/S
recruits together. Tony shrugged.

“You’re volunteering,” the Commander
added.

What the frig?
“Yes, sir.”

“For the next five days,” the Commander
added.

Great.

Kayla’s lips bowed into a beautiful smile.
“Work before play, Petty Officer Callahan.” She winked at him.

Oh, she wasn’t getting off that easy. “The
exercises will be over around eleven. I’ll come get you after your
shift.”

“Petty Officer Callahan.
Office
,” the
Commander ordered.

What now?

“Night, Red,” the Commander said, stepping
out of his way.

“Night, men,” Red tipped a finger to his
head and left.

“Close the door, Mace.”

It was a definite order and the underlying
hum of agitation in the Commander’s voice wasn’t missed either.
“Sir?”

“Ms. Banks is concentrating on her job right
now,” he began, strolling to his desk and sitting on the edge,
crossing his arms, then pinning a stormy gaze on him. “I suggest
you let her do that.”

“With all due respect, Commander, I don’t
think she wants to study at twenty-three hundred hours after a full
shift. In fact, last week she worked two double shifts.”

“I know her schedule, Mace.”

He did?
Kayla probably couldn’t move
an inch without him scrutinizing and looking for a reason to get
rid of her. “Sir—”

“Mace, this is not up for debate.”

“Sir, I asked her to dinner.”

“You asked Ms. Banks to marry you.”

“She said no.” The Commander’s scowl
deepened. If that wasn’t enough of a sign he was pissed off, the
bear trap jaw that could snap orders and your head off, took on a
rigid edge.

“Although you don’t work together, there is
protocol.”

“Protocol?”
What the hell was he talking
about?
There wasn’t any protocol, except within departments,
and only classified ones. “Sir, she shouldn’t be walking by herself
after work with the Shark roaming around.”