Shelter in a Soldier's Arms (18 page)

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The site of the executive security camp was a lodge on the east side of the Cascade Mountains. As always, the weather was better than on the Seattle side. Ashley stepped into sunshine as she exited Jeff’s BMW.

“Now here’s something I haven’t seen in a while,” she joked as she raised her face to the warm rays. The past few weeks had been typical for spring in Seattle. Plenty of cool days and lots of rain. The weather people kept hinting at sunshine but then changing the forecast.

Her feet crunched on the gravel parking lot as she moved to the rear of Jeff’s car and waited for him to open the trunk. She glanced at the cars around them. “Lexus, Jaguars, Mercedes and

” she counted “three limos. So, Jeff, tell me about these clients of yours.”

He pulled her shabby suitcase from the cavernous truck. His own bag was soft, black leather. It was so smooth to the touch, she wouldn’t mind a coat in the same material.

“Executives,” he said. “I told you that.”

“Yeah, but I was thinking about my local bank branch manager. These people are way different.”

He grinned. “I think one of our participants might own your bank. That counts.”

“Oh, sure. We can have a detailed conversation about the way the ATMs seem to always go out at five o’clock on Fridays.”

She looked at the lodge, noticing for the first time that it seemed much more elegant than rustic. She returned her attention to Jeff and realized he was dressed in one of his tailored suits. Why did she suddenly have a bad feeling that she was completely out of her element?

“Jeff, maybe I don’t belong here.”

He set his bag on the ground, then draped an arm around her. “Don’t be nervous. You have as much right to be here as anyone else. They’re all going to feel just as awkward because they’re all out of place. This is combat, not the board room. My staff and I make sure everyone attending is clear on who are the experts.”

She leaned into him, inhaling the familiar scent of his body. “Like that’s making me feel better.” She felt his mouth brush against the top of her head. Which did ease some of her tension. “So why are you in a suit?” she asked. “You told me to dress casual.”

He had, in fact, insisted on jeans, sweatshirts and boots or athletic shoes. The sky might be a whole lot clearer on this side of the mountain, but the air temperature wasn’t much warmer.

“I have to impress the clients during the introductory session. If I dress like them, they’ll relax.”

“So later you’ll show up in your soldier’s clothes?”

“I promise.”

She glanced up at him and grinned. “Can I swoon?”

“Do you want to?”

“With every breath I take.”

“Liar,” he murmured, then kissed her briefly before releasing her and grabbing her suitcase as well as his own.

She followed him into the lodge.

The main room was huge, both wide and tall, soaring up three stories. On the far wall was a fireplace large enough to host a committee meeting. There was plenty of wood and trophy heads mounted on the wall. The reception desk stretched for about fifty feet. It was midafternoon on a Friday and the place should have been crowded. Instead she saw only one other guest. Jeff had told her they rented the entire place even though their client list was kept at less than twenty-five. She couldn’t imagine what the executives were spending on the three-day course. Although if the information kept them alive, how could they put a price on the weekend?

This was Jeff’s world and she was about to get an inside view of it. She couldn’t decide if that was good or bad. Maybe—

Jeff stopped just short of the reception desk and turned to her. “What did you want to do about a room?” he asked.

Ashley blinked. “A room? I’d prefer to have one. Sleeping in the car has never been my idea of a good time.”

“Did you want one of your own?”

It took her a second to figure out what he was asking. A room of her own, as in did she want them to share a room?

“We’re not at home,” he continued, avoiding her gaze, which was so unlike Jeff. “I thought you might prefer to have the privacy.”

He was nervous, she thought suddenly. And embarrassed, if his shuffling feet were anything to go by. She wouldn’t have thought Jeff capable of either emotion.

“Will I be in the way if I stay with you?”

His gray gaze settled on her face. His look was so intense, it was almost like being touched by him. “I’d prefer us to be together,” he said, “but it’s your call.”

She raised herself on tiptoes. “Do you think they have a room with a mirror on the ceiling?”

He grinned. “I’ll ask.”

He moved to the reception desk. As he registered them, Ashley felt a fluttering sensation in the center of her chest. A warm, mushy kind of fluttering that occurred more and more when she was with Jeff. She knew what it meant and it scared her to death. She did not want to be falling for this man. Especially when she didn’t know what he was feeling about her. She wanted to think that this mattered to him, that it was more than just casual, but she couldn’t be sure.

“Ready?” he asked.

“What?”

She glanced around and saw that their bags had been whisked away. He handed her a room key, then put his hand on the small of her back to urge her forward. They walked down a long corridor that led to the conference rooms. Double doors stood open. A young woman smiled and handed Jeff a clipboard and Ashley a name tag. Only her first name had been printed in block letters.

“Let’s go,” he said, and motioned for her to step into the conference room.

Ashley prayed for courage, then did as he requested.

The room was about forty by forty, with several conference tables set up, facing front. About two dozen people stood talking in small groups. There were only two other women and they were both older than Ashley by at least a decade.

All the name tags had first names only, with no indication of who was whom or where anyone was from. She noticed several of Jeff’s staff standing around the perimeter of the room. Zane was up in front, talking with one of the hotel staff. When he saw Jeff, he shook hands with the staff member and moved toward his partner. Ashley took a seat at the end of one of the tables. No one might be identified by location and occupation, but she could tell that everyone here was wealthy, powerful and probably tipped more than she made in a year. Why on earth had she let herself be talked into this?

“Welcome,” Jeff said as he moved to the front of the room. “Ritter/Rankin Security is pleased to have you here for our executive security weekend retreat. I’m Jeff Ritter and this is my partner, Zane Rankin.”

Everyone took a seat. A short, round man sat next to Ashley. He appeared to be close to sixty and had the most gorgeous diamond pinky ring she’d ever seen. His suit looked softer than her flannel pj’s and she would swear she’d seen his face in the international financial section of the Seattle paper. Please God, don’t let him want to exchange business cards, she thought humorously.

“One of our staff members is moving among you, passing out a schedule for the weekend,” Jeff continued.

Ashley took the offered notebook and opened it.

“We’re here to teach you about being safe,” Jeff went on. “In one afternoon and two days, you’re not going to become experts. That’s not our goal. What we want to teach you is preparedness and awareness. You need to know what kind of security you’re going to need so you can hire the best available.

“The first lecture is on security preparation. We’ll touch on various dangers, what is likely and what is unlikely to happen to you when you travel. We’ll talk about threats to your family. We will also discuss the duties and responsibilities of a security detail.

“Later this afternoon we’ll have our first session on weapons. This will occur at the firing range away from the lodge. You’ll be handling everything from a handgun to a submachine gun.

“Saturday morning we’ll focus on terrorist threats. Who, where, how and when. This will include information on both bombs and booby traps. Saturday afternoon is evasive driving.

“On Sunday everyone will participate in three different mock terrorist situations. The goal is to make you aware and cautious. If that means putting the fear of God into each and every one of you, all the better. Nobody dies on my watch. Any questions?”

Ashley had to consciously keep from letting her mouth drop open. She thought about all the time she’d spent with him and how they laughed and talked and made love late into the night. She was having trouble reconciling that man with the man in front of her. She’d wanted a chance to find out about Jeff’s world. Now that she was here, it was a little late to be having second thoughts.

*

“When in doubt, trust no one,” Zane said later that afternoon as he paced the length of the conference room. He pointed to a man in the front row. “John, tell me a bit about your business.”

The man, a forty-something British executive, adjusted the front of his khaki-colored shirt and cleared his throat. “The company is a multinational software conglomerate. We have—”

“Any kids?” Zane asked, interrupting.

“Yes, three. Two boys and a girl.”

“Any of them away at school?”

“One son is at Eton.”

“You must be proud.”

“I am. Margaret and I—”

“Margaret’s your wife?”

“Yes. She and I have been most fortunate in that our children are

“

John’s voice trailed off when he realized one of the security staff was typing into a portable computer.

Seconds later the printer shot out several pieces of paper.

“What is going on here?” he demanded, rising to his feet.

Zane took the pages and handed them to him. Then he turned his attention to the group. “John just gave the lives of his wife and children to a terrorist group determined to make its mark. In the time it took him to share some general information about his occupation, the type of company he worked for, the name of his wife and the number of his children, we were able to pull together a relatively complete file on him. The data bank already exists. Incomplete profiles are stored and as more details are learned, the profiles grow. One slip—a son in Eton, the name of a spouse—can bring it all together.”

John flipped through the pages and swore softly. “I didn’t know.”

“Most people don’t. You got off lightly this time. We’ve screened everyone. No lurking terrorists. Next time you might not be so lucky.” He pointed to John’s name tag. “That’s why first names only.” Zane turned to Ashley. “Tell us about yourself.”

She couldn’t help smiling. “I don’t think I know you well enough to share any details. But thanks for asking.”

“Exactly right,” Zane said, winking at her. “Better to be considered rude than be found dead. Remember, if you don’t know the person, don’t take the risk. It’s not worth it.” He glanced at his watch and nodded at Jeff. “Let’s switch subjects. If you’ll turn to the next section in your notebooks.”

“Security,” Jeff said by way of introduction. “Having too much staff is just as useless as having too little. Don’t get caught up in the game of looking good with an entourage.”

He continued talking, but Ashley wasn’t paying attention to his words. She was too mesmerized by how he looked. She took in the fatigues, the baseball-style military cap, the gun strapped to his waist. He was a stranger—a very exciting, very dangerous-looking stranger. He was—

Both sets of side doors burst open and nearly a dozen armed, masked men poured into the room. Someone screamed. Ashley thought it might have been her, but her throat was too dry. Her heart leaped into her throat, making it impossible to breathe.

Before she knew what was happening, the men were grabbing people and forcing them toward the rear of the room. Everything happened so quickly. There was a gunshot and a cry. Instinctively she turned to catch sight of Jeff. At first she couldn’t see where he was but then she noticed him by the front wall. He was checking his watch.

She felt someone grab her arm and roughly thrust her toward the rear of the room. Seconds later a voice yelled, “Clear!”

Jeff looked up. “Thirty-two seconds. That’s how long it took my men to collect you into an easily manageable group. Give them another twenty-five seconds and you’d all be dead.”

The man who had been “shot” scrambled to his feet. He was one of the security staff. He patted his chest and grinned. “Blanks on a bulletproof vest. I didn’t feel a thing.”

“Now that I have your attention,” Jeff said, “let’s talk about buying the best. Don’t be cheap. Get the best people and give them the most dependable equipment available. Newer isn’t always better. Figuring out what they should have isn’t your job—you have experts for that. But don’t skimp. Yes, a clip that holds more bullets costs more. So what? Isn’t your life worth that?”

He put down his clipboard. “Let’s take a fifteen-minute break so that your heart rates can get back to normal.”

Ashley pressed her hand to her chest and wondered if that would ever happen. At least her heart had returned to her chest. She moved over to the table set up with sodas and water. She opened a can of a diet drink and sipped. A few of the other participants chatted to each other while most pulled out their cell phones and made calls.

Zane walked over to where she stood and he grinned. “Great huh? Did you ever feel so alive?”

“Yes,” she said. “I felt very alive before I thought I was going to die. That was not my idea of a good time.”

Zane laughed as he moved away, but she didn’t think it was funny. She turned her attention to Jeff who was busy answering questions. For the first time she was starting to understand who and what he was. A warrior.

She remembered he’d told her Nicole had said he wasn’t human. Ashley disagreed. He was very human. He was just better trained and more willing to die than most people. He was also very special. How many men like him would be willing to take the time to braid a little girl’s hair or read her a story? How many would bother with things like Easter egg hunts or remember to compliment her on a new hat?

Yes, he was a warrior and she loved him.