Where the fucking hell am I?
I’d gotten the encrypted coordinates Derrick had sent and transferred them into the app Titan’s software specialists had created to translate the message onto a map and provide me the best route to the target location.
I followed the app’s directions from my place to the middle of nowhere, which didn’t make any sense. Since turning off of the interstate, I hadn’t seen a single car, motorcycle or anything for the last few miles. Could there be a bug in the system, or maybe the directions got screwed up?
Pulling over to the side of the road, I enabled the Bluetooth capability in my helmet and dialed Rick, Derrick’s half brother and new manager of Titan.
“Hey, Jonas. I see you’re not at your destination. What do you need?”
I hated how, pending our location, Titan was able to track our every position. Sometimes it was a blessing when an emergency arose but, otherwise, was a pain in the freaking ass.
I shook my head as I answered. “I know Derrick’s probably still in flight and unreachable by phone, so I called you. Where the hell are you sending me? I don’t see anything, anywhere, since turning off of the interstate. Am I on a fucking goose chase?”
Rick laughed in my ear. “I’ve got the map pulled up showing your current position. You’re within three miles of your first objective. You won’t see much of anything until you’re right on top of it.”
Just then a small jet sounded overhead, followed by another one. I looked up and saw them bank and ready for approach and knew the pilots would next throttle back the engines and engage the flaps to slow their decent.
“I have a visual of two jets that look almost identical. One is on approach to where, I have no freaking idea, while the other seems to be in a holding pattern. Is one of those Derrick?” I questioned, wondering what the blazes was going on.
Rick answered immediately. “That would be a negative. Derrick is still an hour out. Looks like the decoys he ordered are arriving on schedule.”
I watched as one came lower to the ground. Flabbergasted, I decided to get on my bike and follow in the same direction. “You mean to tell me there’s a landing strip out here? I saw a sign for something called Flight of Fancy, Fancy of Flight, or some shit like that.”
“That’s the location, Jonas.” Rick confirmed.
“I knew Derrick said he wanted to keep to the outer edge of Tampa, but I figured he meant somewhere like MacDill Air Force Base or maybe the airport close to the beach, not in the middle of nowhere. What gives?”
“Jonas, you know I can’t answer that over the phone. All I will say is that we’ve already confirmed multiple leaks; that’s why we’re doing things the Titan way.”
I was in an argumentative mood, having my disappear-into-the-dark-of-night plans completely obliterated. I knew Erica; she seemed all right, but I was having doubts. Of course I wanted the isolation this deal provided. However, I wasn’t sure I was really the best person to do this assignment—to be alone with her. “Are you sure there’s no one else that can do this assignment? Anyone?” I pleaded. I’d beg if I had too.
“You know you just lost me some cash. I swore you’d stick things out, especially with the chance to escape off the grid, despite having a target to watch. But Derrick just won fifty dollars from me. He figured you’d ask for an out.”
Damn, I was becoming predictable, which wasn’t good.
Rick went on to add, “As you know, the case we blew wide open a few months back, where the notorious Winston Voleur, a.k.a. Devlin Stansbury, a.k.a. Marque Diable Maléfique was the culprit wasn’t just a local issue but an international one. Titan Security got praises around the globe for bringing down someone hell-bent on world domination. All of our offices around the country have been swamped as a result. We’ve had to reach out to other security offices, hire on additional security personnel, and even enlist the assistance of several special ops groups throughout the military that are starting to decommission from service and have nothing on their current agenda with the promise of hiring them on full-time once they’re out of the military.
“Hell, I wanted to slowly transition from head of Prescott’s personal security detail and gradually work into leading Titan, but this was bigger than all of us expected. Thankfully, we have someone we can trust the Prescott family with, and Derrick and I will be keeping tabs to make sure they’re taken care of. Even Ivan and Sophia, your charge’s parents, have been pulling full-time hours and are managing a few operatives to assist us until we can get more help.” Rick sounded exasperated.
I couldn’t blame him. I’d been pulling more time on the Prescott’s property and business than going off on assignment, since I’d promised Robin I would try to stick closer to home. I’d made a point of not taking any assignments that would keep me away from her for very long, if at all. God knows we’d been separated too long during my time in the Marines and her time hiding out amongst Prescott International. Thankfully, it’d all worked out in the end. She’d managed to escape her psycho ex-boyfriend and find the love of her life in Jackson Lombardi, Mr. Prescott’s former son-in-law, and she now has a beautiful little stepdaughter and two handsome twin sons. I envied her. She’d found her happiness and her peace, while I still struggled to find anything to be happy about in this crazy fucked up world.
Robin had had tears in her eyes as I’d informed her I was on a new assignment and not to worry if she couldn’t get me right away. I had seen the pain she was suppressing knowing I was leaving again. I never liked being away from her, but right now I needed time away from most everyone and everything. I couldn’t take any more of the noisy city and the tight cut of the suits I had to wear. This assignment would either be a blessing or a curse, pending how well Erica, my target, behaved.
“Jonas? Are you still there?” Rick’s voice broke through my thoughts.
“Yes. I was just thinking about my sister.”
Rick understood. “We’ve all been there, Jonas. Every one of us comes out of the military wanting to fit in. Derrick, myself, and pretty much all of our team have had times when we needed to get away. We no longer fit into our former military roles, but we hadn’t quite adjusted to civilian life either. That’s why we all think this assignment will be good for you. You’ll be isolated from society, and Erica’s been through this before, so she’s not a newbie to protocol. Besides, Ivan and Sophia asked for you specifically.”
What the hell? “Why?” I wondered.
“You’re the only one they trust with their daughter. They know you can survive in any type of terrain, having escaped hostiles numerous times.” He paused for a moment. “I see you’re about to reach your destination. You have a team waiting to prepare you for Derrick’s arrival. Make us proud, man. We’re putting our faith in you.”
I wished like hell he hadn’t said that. If he only knew how many regrets I had about some of the battles we’d encountered, how much blood was on my hands, how much I needed…hell, I didn’t know what I needed anymore. I just prayed this assignment might be the answer I was looking for.
“Copy that. Jonas out.” I disconnected the call before Rick could say anything more.
I followed the directions on the GPS app that lead to a hanger on the back lot of the tiny airstrip. How they could call it an airstrip was beyond me? I was still trying to figure out how the two decoy planes landed on the tiny runway.
Cat and Jasper, two of the operatives I worked with at Titan, came out to meet me. As a safety, we aligned the watches on our wrists next to one another and watched as each one slowly lit with the Titan Security symbol: a T superimposed over an S being held together with an eagle’s talons. If either of my contacts had been fake, the watches would not have recognized one another. A small price to pay for safety.
“Roll your bike in here. We’ll make sure this is kept safe for when you return.” Jasper assured me.
Just as I parked my cycle, Cat walked up and threw her arms around me. “How’s it going? I’ve missed you since Tampa.”
She pulled back to look me in the eyes. “You’re not happy about this assignment. None of us are. We don’t like hearing one of our own is having a problem, especially not Ivan and Sophia. They’ve had to deal with this most of their lives, hiding from an Irish crime syndicate that was hell-bent on revenge. Then their eldest daughter, Dawn, used as a pawn by the syndicate’s son to try and draw them out to kill them.” She shook her head and made a noise of disgust. “I don’t have the full details of what Erica’s gotten into, but I feel for that girl. When will their family catch a break? They’ve gone through enough.”
I looked between Cat and Jasper, wondering why they were there. “I thought Rick said everyone was on assignment.”
Jasper was the one to answer. “We were able to finish up our case earlier today. We’ve been recruited to be decoys for you and Erica for a few days before our new case starts. We’re here to find out where we go to next.”
Okay, so everyone being busy wasn’t a lie. Can’t blame a guy for trying.
Cat grabbed ahold of my arm, encircling it with hers and drawing me toward a room off to the side. “We need to change your looks a bit with a new hairstyle, dye job, and maybe give those man whiskers a good trim so you don’t look like a mountain man anymore.”
I broke loose from her hold. “Wait a minute! No one said anything about changing my appearance.” I rebelled against the military by letting my hair grow out so I looked like a longhaired surfer dude, even dyed it a golden blond. The clean-cut, well-shaven look was no longer required since I left the Marines, so I even stopped shaving after the assignment in Tampa and was now sporting a full beard. Did I want all this change?
Turning around, I headed back toward my bike. “I’m out of here!”
Cat was higher up in the Titan ranks than Jasper and me. Her voice carried with the tone of a master sergeant speaking to his team. “Stand down, marine. Your superior has given you orders, and I’m here to make sure you follow them to the letter. You have a life to protect, dependent solely on our arrival. Erica’s parents are counting on you. Do the honorable thing here. I thought ‘Sempre Fidelis’ meant something to you. We need you, Jonas.”
Damn it, Cat. I hated when the loyalty card was played. Everyone knew a marine was “always faithful.” I wouldn’t turn my back on one of my own. I’d do whatever was necessary to ensure Erica’s safety, just didn’t mean I had to like the assignment.
I felt my shoulders slump in defeat. “Fine.” I turned on my heals and let her lead me to the changing area where a makeshift seat and sink were, along with a woman, who had supplies spread out on the counter, ready to get to work on my transformation. I just hoped I wouldn’t be changed so much that I wouldn’t feel comfortable in my own skin anymore.
Since when had Cat become so domineering? She’d held rank in the military, but she’d been a submissive in the sex club, for the most part. I’ve noticed, as of late, that since she’s hooked up with Jasper, she’s been having a power exchange with Jasper—each taking turns at leading. Has she become a switch? We’d grown close during the Tennison/Bradford ordeal, but friendship was all I could give her, and now, with Jasper courting her, I stepped back. Because it’s not meant to be. You know you would both clash. My subconscious was right: Cat and I were never meant to be anything more than friends. I wasn’t even sure I had a heart to give any longer.
Less than an hour later, I looked into the mirror, not recognizing myself. My hair wasn’t as short as a marine’s hairstyle, but it was short and dyed darker than my normal hair color, and my beard was trimmed back considerably and colored to match my hair.
Jasper walked in with a set of clothes and shoes for me to change into. He was sporting a pair of khaki pants, some brown boat shoes, and a blue polo shirt. His hair was dyed to match mine, and he was wearing a beard. If he’d had tattoos up and down is left arm and had more muscles, he could have easily passed for my twin.
He handed me the stack of clothes and pointed to the bathroom off to the side. “There’s a bathroom where you can change into these. I know you’re more comfortable in your fatigues or in jeans; we all are.” He smiled. “Derrick’s only ten minutes out, and we need to get things finalized and ready to go. He’ll only be here long enough to brief you, hand over Erica to your care, and get you on your way.”
I nodded while taking the clothes unenthusiastically from his hands. I hated dressing like a damn preppy. Who the hell was I supposed to be through all this? Would I be able to dress how I wanted to at our final destination, or would I have to keep up this dog and pony show? There were many more questions running through my mind, but I figured Derrick would address them all once he got here.
Reluctantly, I changed into the attire. I looked into the mirror and didn’t recognize myself at all. This wasn’t how I normally dressed, and I’m sure no one else would make out who I was from a distance. There was a lightweight sport coat left over. I guess that’s how I’d cover my tattoos so we’d match and cause confusion.
I grabbed up the clothes I came in with, as well as the sport coat, and headed to my rucksack to deposit my things. Cat was quick to intercept my duffle. “We need you to put your items into a suitcase to continue the illusion.” She pointed to my military issued sack and shook her head. “You’ll stick out like a sore thumb with that thing. It screams armed forces.”
Where was a cold beer or a strong drink when you needed one? My patience was already wearing thin. If they expected me to do one more thing out of character…well, I just didn’t want to go there.
I moved over to a counter to transfer my items into the stupid-ass suitcase. There was a blur of activity around me as one of the planes pulled into the back of the hanger and proceeded forward, followed by two more planes lining up single file. What the hell?
The forward and middle planes opened their doors and extended their staircases, but no one exited. The hanger doors closed behind the third plane, and a huge truck pulled parallel to the front door to block the view of the middle and rear planes. I looked over to Cat, who just shrugged her shoulders. I hadn’t realized it until now, but she had changed into a nice dress that fit her curves. Wait a minute; those weren’t her curves. She must be wearing some padding or something. Maybe getting into character?
I didn’t have time to think, as Derrick stood at the top of the stairs of the final plane, his hand guiding the back of someone dressed in a full-length coat with the hood pulled up. The figure had their eyes to the ground, not looking around, just allowing Derrick to guide them. The only thing identifying the person as female was the sky-high heel sandals wrapped gently around the most enticing ankles and calves I’ve ever seen.
Several of the extras in the hanger started fueling up the planes, while another grabbed my suitcase, a smaller suitcase, and a rucksack and headed toward the rear plane. Why the hell was Jasper allowed to carry a rucksack, but I wasn’t? Didn’t we have to keep incognito?
“Jonas, Cat, Jasper, I need you in this office, now, for briefing.” Derrick shouted out as he guided his guest in through the doors of an office over to the side. The activity around us was almost deafening, so it was quite welcome when we all entered the office, closed the doors, and were met with silence. The room must have been soundproof.
Derrick sat his guest in a chair beside him on one side of the table, while he motioned for the rest of us to take a seat across from him. He looked toward Jasper. “Has the room been swept?”
Jasper nodded. “Yes, sir. We cased the room with equipment only five minutes ago. No one’s been in or out of the office since then. She’s all clean, and you’re free to talk.”
He nodded. “I’d like you to turn your electronic devices off for just a moment, and then we’ll begin.”
Every one of us turned our phones off. It seemed silly, since we were given secure lines to begin with, but one of our operatives had somehow had a bug placed on their phone recently, and it became a new protocol we used to keep all ears off our conversations. If the phone was active, the “bug” app could turn the phone into not only a microphone, where the perpetrator could listen in on all the details and circumvent our efforts, but also a way to pinpoint our locations, with a system that was often hidden deep within the phone. Sick, crazy bastards. What was this world coming to?
Derrick had our attention, but he seemed more concerned about his guest. Was this Erica? She hadn’t said a word, hadn’t really moved other than breathing and the small subtle shake of her shoulders indicating she might be crying. Oh crap, I hope she isn’t one of those people that sheds tears at the drop of a hat. I don’t know how to deal with that. When my sister got weepy over the birth of her twins, I couldn’t stay in the room. I had to walk out and get away from things. Dr. Bradford, or Kent, had told me this wasn’t uncommon. A lot of military personnel had issues dealing with emotions when they returned home. Happy and pissed I could deal with, but anything outside that, forget it.
I watched as Derrick took one of her hands in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I know you’ve been through a lot the last couple of days, and I wish we had an easy solution to resolve things quickly, but you’re safe now, and we plan to keep you that way.”
I watched as her shoulders seemed to relax, and she gave Derrick’s hand a squeeze back. “I know. I just…” Her voice wavered.
He shook his head. “It’s okay. We’re placing you somewhere no one will think to look. Plus, you’ll have one of our best operatives should things get scary. He knows how to survive in any condition. You have my word; he’ll keep you safe.” He reached up and tried to remove her hood, but she shook her head.
Derrick’s voice remained calm and soothing, which was a side of him I’d never seen before, not until he met his wife, Jesse, on an assignment to protect her. She seemed to be the pacifier to his soul. Now if you could just find someone to do the same thing for you. “You need to take off the coat and get used to your new attire and image. If you’re reluctant, someone who’s looking for you will hone in on that, and you’ll stick out in a crowd. You need to own your new look, get some confidence about you.”
We all watched, entranced, as he let go of her hand and reached up, turning her head toward him before starting to remove the hood. “You were beautiful before, Erica, but now you’re a bombshell. You’ve come into this as a caterpillar, but it’s time to emerge as a butterfly and show everyone your beauty.”
Time passed in slow motion as the hood was removed. Her long, golden-brown locks fell down around her face—highlighting her high cheekbones—and her back. This couldn’t be Erica. She was stunning beyond words. Her hands began to unbutton the coat to reveal a slender, yet curvaceous woman underneath. I couldn’t help it; my eyes were instantly drawn to the swell of her breasts barely contained by the dress she wore—the same dress Cat had on. Gone was the frumpy Plain Jane I’d talked with at my sister’s wedding. This new Erica was giving me all kinds of ideas, ones I shouldn’t be having about my target. I took a deep breath in and knew I had to clear my mind and maintain as much distance as possible, while still protecting her, to keep this mission safe. Why did she have to be the first person to grab my libido’s attention?